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☆ China aims for historic Mars mission ‘around 2028’ as it vies for space power
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The projected mission launch is more ambitious than a 2030 target announced by space officials earlier this year, though the timeline has fluctuated in recent years. It also comes as an effort by NASA and the European Space Agency to retrieve Mars samples remains under assessment amid concerns over budget, complexity and risk. Becoming the first country to return samples from Mars would be a significant accomplishment for China’s ambitious space program and leader Xi Jinping’s stated “eternal dream” to make the country a space power. A key priority of China’s Tianwen-3 mission would be to search for traces of life on Mars. “The return mission requires launch from the surface of Mars.

Persons: Liu Jizhong, Xi Jinping’s, Liu, CGTN, It’s, China's Tianwen, ”, Planitia, Mars, Bill Nelson Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, NASA, European Space Agency, AP Missions, US Locations: Hong Kong, China’s Anhui, China’s, China, Soviet Union, United States

☆ Ancient asteroid 20 times larger than the one that wiped out the dinosaurs likely hit Jupiter’s moon Ganymede
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-05 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Jupiter’s moon Ganymede may have shifted on its axis when a massive asteroid smashed into it about 4 billion years ago, according to a new study. Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, is even bigger than Mercury and the dwarf planet Pluto. The crater left behind on Ganymede was 25% the size of the Jupiter moon, according to the study. Understanding how the impact altered the moon could reveal insights into its intriguing internal structure, Hirata said. “I want to understand the origin and evolution of Ganymede and other Jupiter moons,” he said.

Persons: ”, Naoyuki Hirata, Hirata, what’s, mission’s, It’s, Adeene Denton, Denton, “, we’re Organizations: CNN, Mercury, Kobe University, Pluto, Laboratory, University of Arizona, Sputnik Locations: Japan, Chicxulub, Mexico

☆ Mars study suggests an ocean's worth of water may be hiding beneath the red dusty surface
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Mars may be drenched beneath its surface, with enough water hiding in the cracks of underground rocks to form a global ocean, new research suggests. The findings released Monday are based on seismic measurements from NASA’s Mars InSight lander, which detected more than 1,300 marsquakes before shutting down two years ago. Just because water still may be sloshing around inside Mars does not mean it holds life, Wright said. His team combined computer models with InSight readings including the quakes’ velocity in determining underground water was the most likely explanation. Wet almost all over more than 3 billion years ago, Mars is thought to have lost its surface water as its atmosphere thinned, turning the planet into the dry, dusty world known today.

Persons: Vashan Wright, Wright Organizations: University of California San Diego’s Scripps, of Oceanography, National Academy of Sciences

☆ Oceans of water may be trapped deep beneath the Martian surface
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Data from a retired NASA mission has revealed evidence of an underground reservoir of water deep beneath the surface of Mars, according to new research. A team of scientists estimates that there may be enough water, trapped in tiny cracks and pores of rock in the middle of the Martian crust, to fill oceans on the planet’s surface. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took an image of InSight sitting on the Martian surface on February 2, 2019. “It’s certainly true on Earth — deep, deep mines host life, the bottom of the ocean hosts life. Windows into Martian historyThe findings add a new piece to the Martian water puzzle.

Persons: ”, Vashan Wright, ‘, Mars, orbiters, InSight’s seismometer, Wright, James Tuttle Keane, Aaron Rodriguez, Michael Manga, “ It’s, haven’t, Alberto Fairén, Fairén, Bruce Banerdt, we’re, Banerdt, al, ” Banerdt, “, ” Wright Organizations: CNN, NASA, National Academy of Sciences, Reconnaissance Orbiter, JPL, Caltech, University of Arizona, University of California, Diego’s Scripps, of Oceanography, Mars, Interior Exploration, Transport, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of Maryland, Cornell University Locations: Mars, Berkeley

☆ Mars gets hit by hundreds of basketball-size space rocks every year
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Hundreds of basketball-size space rocks slam into Mars each year, leaving behind impact craters and causing rumblings across the red planet, according to new research. During its time on Mars, InSight used its seismometer to detect more than 1,300 marsquakes, which take place when the Martian subsurface cracks due to pressure and heat. Meteoroids are space rocks that have broken away from larger rocky bodies and range in size from dust grains to small asteroids, according to NASA. “We’re interested in studying that on Mars because we can then compare and contrast what’s happening on Mars to what’s happening on the Earth. Between 280 and 360 meteoroids hit the red planet each year, and they form impact craters larger than 26 feet (8 meters) across, according to the study.

Persons: ”, Ingrid Daubar, ” Daubar, NASA’s, “ We’re, Géraldine Zenhäusern, ” Zenhäusern, Natalia Wojcicka Organizations: CNN, NASA, Reconnaissance, JPL, Caltech, University of Arizona, Brown University, NASA’s Mars, Nature Communications, Switzerland’s ETH Zürich, Imperial College London’s Locations: Mars, Switzerland’s

☆ Pluto’s heart was likely created by an ancient collision
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A deep basin called Sputnik Planitia, which makes up the “left lobe” of the heart, is home to much of Pluto’s nitrogen ice. The New Horizons spacecraft took an image of Pluto's heart on July 14, 2015. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/NASAThrough new research on Sputnik Planitia, an international team of scientists has determined that a cataclysmic event created the heart. The teardrop shape of Sputnik Planitia is a result of the frigidity of Pluto’s core, as well as the relatively low velocity of the impact itself, the team found. The researchers believe that the new theory regarding Pluto’s heart could shed more light on how the mysterious dwarf planet formed.

Persons: Clybe Tombaugh, Pluto, it’s, ”, Harry Ballantyne, Erik Asphaug, ” Asphaug, “ That’s, Sputnik Planitia, Martin Jutzi, Kelsi Singer, ” Singer Organizations: CNN, Regio, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Research Institute, NASA, Sputnik, Pluto, University of Bern, University of Arizona’s, Laboratory, University of Bern’s Physics, Kelsi, Southwest Research, New Locations: United States, Switzerland, Boulder , Colorado

☆ Scientists identify molten layer deep within interior of Mars
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"The importance of the far side impact was to produce seismic waves that traversed the deep interior of the planet, including the core. Previously, we had not observed any seismic waves that had transited the core. Unlike Mars, Earth has no molten layer around its core. One of the two studies published on Wednesday indicates this layer is fully molten, with the other indicating that most of it is fully molten, with the top portion partially molten. "We have learned a lot about Mars by studying the unique seismic record provided by the InSight mission," Samuel said.

Persons: Amir Khan, Henri Samuel, Khan, Samuel, Will Dunham, Daniel Wallis Organizations: NASA, JPL, Caltech, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Tempe Terra, ETH, CNRS, Institut, Physique, Globe, Thomson Locations: Mars, Tempe, ETH Zürich, Switzerland, Paris

☆ Russia dominated the first space race, but now it can't even land on the moon. Photos show the US and China are way ahead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

China, Russia, and the US (with its international allies) are all plotting huge new moonshots. Photos of the space efforts of the US, China, and Russia reveal how far behind the former space power has fallen. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe US and China are innovating, while Russia's space tech agesNASA's Space Launch System rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Berger cited other underlying issues that are stifling Russia's space ambitions, like budget cuts, quality control, and corruption. Western sanctions have harmed Russia's space program in other ways, limiting its access to high-quality microchips, the AP reported.

Persons: Artemis, Russia isn't, hasn't, Russia's Luna, Bill Nelson, Luna, NASA’s, —, Tingshu Wang, Sergei Markov, Russia's, Steve Seipel, Yuri Borisov, Borisov, Bill Ingalls, Eric Berger, Vladimir Putin's, Berger, Xue Lei, landers, Roscosmos, Victoria Samson Organizations: Service, NASA, AP, Soviet Union, Operation, Space Corporation, Politico, New York Times, China National Space Administration, Vostochny, Luna, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight, Arizona State University NASA, Orion, NASA NASA, SpaceX, National Museum, Reuters, Kremlin, Kennedy Space Center, CNN, Russian Soyuz, Baikonur, Future Publishing, Getty, European Space Agency, ESA, Secure, Foundation Locations: Wall, Silicon, China, Russia, Soviet, Soviet Union, China National Space Administration Russia, Russia's Far, India, Russian, Beijing, Ukraine, Florida, Kazakhstan, Washington

CNN —China’s Zhurong rover on Mars has been in hibernation since last May due to an “unpredictable accumulation” of dust, mission designer Zhang Rongqiao said, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday. “According to our analysis, the biggest possibility is that because of unpredictable accumulation of Martian dust, its power generation capacity was reduced and it was too low to wake itself up,” Rongqiao said, explaining why the rover has since been dormant. This image showing the rover and the lander on the surface of Mars was taken by a separable camera deployed by the Zhurong rover in 2021. The NASA InSight lander’s mission came to an end in December after spending nearly 1,500 days on Mars. But a heavy accumulation of dust on its solar panels caused a steady drop in the lander’s power source.

☆ NASA imagery reveals China's Mars rover hasn't moved in months as Chinese scientists scramble to save the mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Chris Panella | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NASA imagery from Mars shows that China's rover hasn't moved in months. Chinese scientists are scrambling to make contact, according to the South China Morning Post. China's rover, Zhurong, could be covered in dust and drained of energy, like NASA's InSight lander. Arrows highlight the location of China's Zhurong rover in March 2022, September 2022, and February 2023. A photo showing the back of China's Zhurong rover from its landing spot on Mars' Utopia Planitia following a May 15, 2021 landing.

☆ Listen to Martian weather, recorded by Perseverance rover
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Other missions have gathered images, weather data and dust measurements of these events, and the NASA InSight lander even recorded seismic and magnetic signals created by the dust devils. The Perseverance rover took a selfie over a rock nicknamed "Rochette" on September 10, 2021. While this sounds like a massive whirlwind, it’s the average size for Martian dust devils, Murdoch said. This figure shows the size of the dust devil in relation to the Perseverance rover. From its perch high on a ridge, Opportunity recorded this image of a Martian dust devil.

☆ Viking 1 may have landed at site of ancient Martian megatsunami
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The mystery of the Viking landing site has long puzzled scientists, who believe an ocean once existed there. Now, new research suggests that the lander touched down where a Martian megatsunami deposited materials 3.4 billion years ago, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports. The interest in the potential for life on the red planet prompted scientists to select its northern equatorial region, Chryse Planitia, as the first Martian landing site for Viking I. “The landing site selection needed to fulfill a critical requirement — the presence of extensive evidence of former surface water. Next, the team wants to investigate Pohl crater as a potential landing site for a future rover, since the location might contain evidence of ancient life.

NASA's InSight lander felt a powerful Mars quake. Then an orbiter took a picture of the meteor impact that caused it. The impact kicked up boulders of water ice, which will be crucial for future astronaut missions to Mars. "It was immediately clear that this is the biggest new crater we've ever seen," Ingrid Daubar, InSight impact science lead, said in a press briefing. An artist illustration of the InSight lander on Mars.

☆ NASA's InSight lander captured the 'bloop' sound of a meteor falling to Mars
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NASA shared the sound of a meteor falling to Mars, with photos of the impact craters, on Monday. The dwindling InSight lander has captured the acoustic and seismic noise of four meteor impacts. NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of ArizonaThe details of the four Mars meteor strikes were published in a paper in Nature Geosciences on Monday. InSight is nearing the end of its lifeA solar array on NASA's InSight Mars lander in December 2018 (left) and June 2021 (right). NASA/JPL-CaltechThese are the first meteor impacts InSight has detected since it landed on Mars in 2018.

Robotul teleghidat, numit Zhurong, vizează Utopia Planitia, un teren vast din emisfera nordică a planetei Marte. „Ați fost suficient de curajoși pentru provocare, ați urmărit excelența și ați plasat țara noastră în rangurile avansate de explorare planetară”. Sonda a amartizat oficial sâmbătă, ora 07:18, ora Beijingului, potrivit presei de stat. Misiunea a intrat în orbita planetei Marte în februarie, iar vineri - după mai multe zile de tăcere - postul oficial de televiziune din China a anunţat că misiunea a intrat în etapa crucială de asolizare. „Şapte minute de teroare”, aşa a fost descris întreg procesul asolizării, dat fiind faptul că are loc mai repede decât pot să ajungă semnalele radio de pe Pământ pe Marte.

Persons: Marte, Xi Jinping Locations: China

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