Important Innovations

  First Missions to Inferno Like Planet in 30 Years                                                                           Source:  NASA Search for Interplanetary Answers NASA will launch two new missions to Venus between 2028 and 2030.  These missions of discovery will be the first explorations of Venus in thirty years.  NASA Administration Bill Nelson says the purpose is to provide new understanding of how Earth evolved, why it is habitable and why other planets in our solar system are not.  Nelson added that planetary science is critical to answering key questions like "Are we alone?" $1 Billion in Funding   The two selected mission concepts are called DAVINCI+ and VERITAS.  Each will be given $500 million for development funding. DAVINCI+ will measure the composition of Venus' atmosphere to learn how the planet formed, evolved and if it ever contained an ocean.  DAVINCI+ stands for Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry and Imaging.  The meas

  First Missions to Inferno Like Planet in Late 2020's                                                                                                                                                                      Source:  NASA Search for Interplanetary Answers NASA will launch two new missions to Venus between 2028 and 2030.  These missions of discovery will be the first explorations of Venus in thirty years.  NASA Administration Bill Nelson says the purpose is to provide new understanding of how Earth evolved, why it is habitable and why other planets in our solar system are not.  Nelson added that planetary science is critical to answering key questions like "Are we alone?" $1 Billion in Funding   The two selected mission concepts are called DAVINCI+ and VERITAS.  Each will be given $500 million for development funding. DAVINCI+ will measure the composition of Venus' atmosphere to learn how the planet formed, evolved and if it ever contained an ocean.  DAVINC

  World 1st: Pure, Usable Oxygen Extracted on Mars                                        Source:  NASA - MOXIE MOXIE Science Rover Did the Job NASA's Mars Mission has achieved another world first.  It has extracted breathable, pure oxygen from the thin Martian atmosphere.  This extraordinary feat was accomplished by a piece of technology onboard the Perserance rover.  MOXIE, a small science rover that is the size of a toaster - extracted and converted carbon dioxide into oxygen.  MOXIE stands for Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment. Impressive Technology MOXIE uses electrolysis to separate molecules of oxygen from molecules of carbon dioxide, using extreme heat.  95% of the Martian atmosphere is composed of carbon dioxide.  The initial oxygen created was small:  about enough to provide ten minutes worth of oxygen to an astronaut.  But it is the first time in history that a natural resource, directly usable by human, has been extracted on another planet. Scaling Up

  4 Astronauts Aboard Recycled Capsule and Recycled Rocket                                   Source:  NASA & Space X Flying in Proven Flight Systems This morning, Space X launched a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a recycled, reused Falcon 9 rocket booster, dubbed B1061, by SpaceX.  The launch made history multiple times. It is the first time that astronauts have flown on a recycled, reused Crew Dragon capsule, named Endeavor, coupled with a reused Falcon 9 first stage launch rocket.  It is also the first time that astronauts representing three different space agencies - NASA, Europe's ESA and Japan's JAXA, have ridden in the same space capsule.  Space X's Endeavor made history last May when it became the first commercial space vehicle to ferry NASA astronauts to the ISS as part of the first launch of astronauts from the US in twenty years.  Today's flight not only made history.  It provided a spectacular light show in the skies fro

World 1st: NASA & CA Partnership Targets Solo Emissions Sites From Space                        Source:  Greenhouse Gas Emissions Stock Image         Source: NASA Curiosity Image of Methane Outbreaks on Mars $100 Million  Greenhouse Gas Tracking System From Space   NASA and California, with financial backing from philanthropist Michael Bloomberg, are launching a $100 million satellite tracking system to pinpoint individual sources of large greenhouse gas emissions.  For the first time, these new satellites, with new technologies developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs (JPL), will be able to both see and measure emissions at the level of individual facilities like a specific oil refinery. Currently, the measurements have been at the scale of large geographic areas. Methane Emissions Tracked By Carbon Mapper The top greenhouse gas target for the satellites is methane, which is 80 times more potent than other greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide during the first twenty yea

   World Aviation History is Made                               Source:  NASA - Ingenuity 1st Image First Helicopter That Flew on Another Planet NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter has succeeded in achieving the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.  It used its navigation camera, which autonomously tracks the ground beneath Ingenuity during flight, to take its first black and white image from the air.  The small rotocraft has made world history with its first flight.  It is part of a long series of NASA achievements that were thought to be technologically impossible. First Flight Ingenuity is solar-powered.  During its first flight, it reached a height of ten feet and hovered steadily for thirty seconds before landing smoothly back on Mars after 39.1 seconds of flight.  The flight test was totally autonomous.  Because of Mars' nearly 200 million mile distance from Earth, NASA can not control Ingenuity with a joystick.  Ingenuity's flight was powered and piloted

  Air Force One at Mach 5                                      Source:  Hermeus Hypersonic Jet Flying 5 Times The Speed of Sound Atlanta, Georgia based Hermeus Corporation is developing a hypersonic Mach 5 passenger jet.  The jet will be capable of flying from New York City to London in 90 minutes.  Hermeus has established a partnership with the US Air Force and with the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate (PE) to develop the 20 passenger vehicle for the President of the United States and his executive staff as a hypersonic Air Force One. NASA Onboard Very recently, NASA joined with Hermeus, the USAF and PE in a concerted effort to develop the jet.  Hermeus has successfully tested a prototype engine capable of powering an aircraft to travel at five times the speed of sound.  Another US company, Exosonic of California, is simultaneously partnering with the USAF and PE to develop a supersonic jet capable of speeds of 1.8 Mach to carry the US President to destinations around th

  Perseverance Rover Monitoring the Martian Weather                     Source: NASA Perseverance & Ingenuity on Mars WX Critical For Ingenuity Helicopter Flights  History continues to be made by NASA, its Perseverance Rover and Ingenuity drone helicopter on Mars.  Perseverance has provided NASA with its first full weather report from Mars.  Weather conditions are critical for NASA to make informed decisions on Ingenuity's schedule of flight testing.  Ingenuity is the world's first helicopter to land on Mars and, for that matter, on any planet outside of the Earth. The weather data is also mission critical for making decisions on the Perseverance rover's series of missions.  And the weather data tremendously expands understanding of the Martian atmosphere for NASA scientists. Average Temperatures Far Colder Than Earth Weather conditions are a deciding factor on when Ingenuity takes flight, which could be as early as Sunday. Perseverance's first weather report showed

  Aerion of Florida's Pipeline of SSTs                                                                                Source:  Aerion AS2                                                       Source:  Aerion AS3 Concept Rendering LA TO Tokyo in Less Than 3 Hours A new supersonic passenger jet is under development at Aerion aviation in Orlando, Florida.  The Aerion AS3 is a Mach 4 + commercial jet.  The company says it can fly from LA to Tokyo in less than 3 hours and from New York to London in less than an hour.  The SST can carry 50 passengers and has a range of 7,000 nautical miles.  And it will be operational by the end of this decade. NASA Partnership Aerion is working with NASA's Langley Research Center on the AS3. Concept and design work are currently underway. The company unveiled a rendering of the concept yesterday.  The SST will travel at an estimated speed of 4,000 mph.  More details are expected later in 2021. More SSTs in the R&D Pipeline Aerion plans on develo

  New, Spectacular Detailed Photos of the Red Planet                                                       Source:  NASA Mastcam-Z, Two Camera System on Mars NASA's Perseverance Mars rover is sending back first-of-a-kind, detailed pictures of Mars.  The images are coming from Perseverance's Mastcam-Z camera system.  It's part of the highly advanced technologies which NASA has built into the Perseverance rover Mars mission, which are creating a series of historic space firsts. Search For Ancient Life on Mars The pictures beaming back from Mars are being taken within the 28 mile wide Jezero Crater, where researchers say a river delta existed billions of years ago.  It is a very promising location to search for ancient microbial life on Mars.  Searching for ancient Martian life is a primary mission for Perseverance and the Mastcam-Z system serves as the technological eyes of the search. Highly Advanced Camera Technology Mastcam-Z is a two camera system that can zoom in, focus,

  NASA's Tiny Helicopter Ingenuity Sends Mars Status Report                                                                        Source:  NASA Perseverance and Ingenuity NASA's Perseverance rover's travelling companion to Mars, mini-helicopter Ingenuity, has sent a positive status report to NASA Mission Control.  Ingenuity sent it by phone.  Ingenuity is a small helicopter drone that will detach from Perseverance and attempt the first drone flight on another planet.  It weighs 4 pounds and is specifically designed to fly in the Martian atmosphere which is 100 times thinner than the Earth's atmosphere.  The helicopter is equipped with a camera and will take images of the Martian surface. Next Steps Perseverance will take the next 30 to 60 days to find an area suitable for Ingenuity to take off and land on.  In the next several days, the mission is to get Ingenuity's batteries fully charged.  The power source is Perseverance's radioisotope power reactor.  NASA h

  Perseverance   Mission Impossible Just Accomplished                                         Source:  NASA Perseverance Perseverance Free to Roam Mars For Two Years NASA's most advanced rover has defied the stiff Martian  odds and successfully landed on Mars.  Cheers erupted late today in the NASA control room as the Perseverance rover, NASA's most technologically advanced rover that the team built for ten years, touched down safely on the Red Planet.  Hundreds of major technological maneuvers had to go right for this historic accomplishment.  The most important:  what NASA calls "the last 7 minutes of terror" when Perseverance was out of contact with NASA because of an 11 minute delay in radio wave communications with the Red Planet.  Perseverance was on its own maneuvering down to the surface of Mars on a rocket powered jet pack and finally lowered down by cables.  It is a technological wonder that worked! Bold and Ambitious Space Exploration This is NASA's mos

  Perseverance To Land On Mars February 18                                             Source:  NASA's Perseverance Robotic Geologist To Explore Mars NASA's highly advanced robotic rover Perseverance will land on Mars on Thursday.  The potential discoveries are huge as Perseverance is the most advanced rover NASA has built.  Perseverance will serve as a geologist on Mars, collecting rocks, minerals and soil samples.  The mission's purpose is to search for any signs of ancient life on Mars.  The rover will also have a small helicopter onboard to conduct the first drone flights on another planet. Amazing Technological Journey Perseverance has travelled onboard a spacecraft for the 300 million mile journey to Mars.  It will exit the spacecraft in a capsule for the descent into the Martian atmosphere.  The capsule will travel at a blistering 12,000 mph.  It will have to endure temperatures of 2,370 degrees F.  Then, rover will release by supersonic parachute travelling 750 mph

  UAE, China, US Satellites in Mars Orbits                                  Source:  UAE Hope Mission to Mars US Perseverance Probe Arriving on Mars Next Week Mars is getting a lot of visitors arriving for Valentine's Day, mid February and staying for a few months beyond.  The United Amirate Emirates (UAE) mission Hope arrived yesterday and is in a stable orbit around Mars. Now, China's Tianwen-1 synced into another successful orbit around the Red Planet.  And, last but not least, NASA's Perseverance Rover spacecraft will touchdown on Mars next week.  Touchdown is expected on February 18, 2021.  Talk about a crowded destination in space.  There is a bit of intergalactic traffic converging on Mars and the scientific results could be spectacular. UAE Mission Autonomous The UAE spacecraft now in orbit is the size of a SUV.  And what is such a great technological achievement for the UAE, the Hope vehicle (al-Amal or hope in Arabic) used its autonomous, onboard computers to put

  Nuclear Rockets Are The Fastest Way To Mars                                                            Source: Nuclear Spacecraft Artist Image                                        Source:  USNC-Tech Nuclear Space Rocket Technology Under Development By 2035, NASA wants to land astronauts on Mars.  And NASA wants to get the astronauts to the Red Planet as quickly as possible to minimize exposure to space radiation and reduce travel risks.  To achieve that, the space agency wants the Mars mission launched on a nuclear powered space rocket.  It would reduce the travel time to Mars, which is 140 million miles from Earth, to three months instead of nine months on current rocket technology.  The total Mars mission would take less than 2 years instead of more than 3 years. Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Seattle-based Ultra Safe Nuclear Technologies (USNC-Tech) is developing a nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) rocket engine to do the job.  The company says the technology is more powerful and twi

  1.2 Trillion Tons of Ice Melting Yearly                                                                 Source:  Greenland Ice Mel Two Important New Climate Change Studies Two comprehensive, new studies by NASA and European scientists demonstrate that Climate Change is getting worse.  A team of scientists from the University of Leeds, University of Edinburgh and University College of London have discovered that the Earth is losing 1.2 trillion tons of ice every year.  That is causing climatologists to recalibrate rising sea levels.  They say that the rising water levels are much worse than anticipated.   The ice melt numbers are staggering.  The melt has escalated from 760 billion tons per year in the 1990's to 1.2 trillion tons per year during the 2010's.  That is a 60% increase. NASA Findings A separate study by NASA found that 74 major glaciers in Greenland, with bases in deep, warming ocean water, are being severely undermined.  Furthermore, NASA scientists say the impact

  New California Institute of Technology Research                                                                 Source:  NASA Milky Way Likelihood of Alien Life on the Milky Way Physicists at California Institute of Technology have used astronomy and statistical modelling to map the probable existence of life on the Milky Way.  Three Caltech physicists have precisely mapped where and when life is most likely to exist in the Milky Way.  Essentially they modelled the evolution of the Milky Way over time.  They used key factors necessary for the development of intelligent life such as Sun-like stars accompanied by Earth-like planets, time necessary for intelligent life to evolve and the frequency of deadly radiation from supernovas. Findings The scientists used time and space metrics to measure the  most likely locations for the presence of life.  They found the greatest probability of the existence of life at 13,000 light years from the galaxy center and 8 billion years after the galax

  Quantum Teleportation                               Source: Quantum Teleportation Image Quantum Internet From NASA, Caltech, Fermilab Scientists from NASA, Caltech and Fermilab have achieved long distance quantum teleportation, which lays the groundwork for quantum internet and quantum computing.  Their achievement is a world first and they sustained the quantum internet for 27 miles.  The exciting potential of this is internet networks that carry data faster than the speed of light.  The scientists add the networks would be un-hackable. Breakthrough Technology The team built a 27 mile long quantum internet linking their California labs.  It teleports signals instantly.  This is the first time that long distance quantum teleportation - the instant transfer of  quantum information or qubits - was demonstrated to work.  It lays the groundwork for  quantum internet, which would revolutionize computing and communications. Working At the Speed of Light Quantum systems are more secure than

  New Glenn Rocket Part of NASA's Commercial Launch Fleet                                            Source:  Blue Origin Jeff Bezos's Rockets Soaring Into Space Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin has scored a big win.  NASA has selected the New Glenn rocket as a launcher for future NASA missions in the mid-2020's.  New Glenn joins NASA's fleet of launch vehicles. New Shepherd NASA has launched Blue Origin's New Shepherd suborbital vehicle dozens of times to fly payloads into space.  The New Glenn is an orbital launcher that can reuse its first stage booster rocket.  Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos says he expects the vehicle will carry humans as well as cargo into space. Space Technology New Glenn is a two stage booster rocket vehicle.  The rocket's reusable first stage is designed to re-fly twenty-five times, after touching down in the ocean and being retrieved.  It can carry up to 14 tons to geostationary orbit and 50 tons to low Earth orbit.

  SAT to Precisely Measure Climate Change Impact on Oceans                                                  Source:  NASA & ESA Keeping a Watchful Eye on Oceans & Climate Change A new NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) satellite to precisely measure rising sea levels from climate change was launched into orbit this weekend onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, from California.  The satellite will be able to precisely measures sea levels on 90% of the world's oceans.  This is the latest in a series of ocean monitoring satellites.  But the technologies on this satellite are so precise they will be able to provide sea level measurements within a few centimeters. Weather Forecasting Data Assistance According to NASA, the new satellite will also help improve the accuracy of weather forecasts as it will provide new, in-depth data on humidity levels and atmospheric pressure.  The satellite is named the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich after NASA former director Michael Freilich who is co