FIELD CAMP OPPORTUNITY

Hey guys! Here is a really cool field camp opportunity for anyone interested.  The deadline is coming up quick though, so jump to it!




The LPI-JSC Center for Lunar Science and Exploration is excited to
announce a new student field camp opportunity coming this fall! The
Field Training and Research Program at Meteor Crater is being organized
under the auspices of the NASA Lunar Science Institute, which is
designed, in part, to train a new generation of explorers for the Moon
and beyond.

The Field Training and Research Program at Meteor Crater is a week-long
geology field class and research project based at Barringer Meteorite
Crater, Arizona, more popularly known as Meteor Crater. The goal will be
to introduce students to impact cratering processes and provide an
opportunity to assist with a research project at the crater.  Skills
developed during the field camp should better prepare students for their
own thesis studies in impact cratered terrains, whether they be on
Earth, the Moon, Mars, or some other solar system planetary surface.

The field camp is designed for graduate college students in geology and
planetary science programs, although advanced undergraduate students
will be considered if they have successfully completed a summer field
geology program and have a demonstrated interest in impact cratering
processes. The field camp is offered October 17-23, 2010, and limited to
twenty-four participants. Interested candidates should apply by June 11,
2010, to be considered.


For more information, please visit: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/nlsi/mcFieldCamp/

Rover Update

Ello ello!  Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!


Recent news on our sturdy little Mars Rover:


The little-rover-that-could may be finally reaching its courageous end...


The signs have been slowly creeping up (see the "Awwww Poor Rover... post on 11.13.2009), but still, the loyal followers, such as myself, kept pushing for the friendly robot to keep chugging along.
The dusty and rough Martian terrain has proven to be just too much to handle as of late, as the rover currently lies stuck in a ditch.  If circumstances don't change, power will run out by May.


Here's a little 2:32 minute video with an article below from National Geographic.  The text is taken word-for-word from the video.


Energizer batteries wouldn't work in this case, I'ma guessin'.


Ciao-Martha

Straight from a Ray Bradbury Story

USGS must be letting their imaginations run WILD with this.  Martian caves?!?  Just think of the possibilities!  


While there may be nothing extraordinary, we could find some seriously strange things.  Maybe something like the Crystal Caves in Mexico?  Hmmmm?  Or maybe the close to the Malaysian caves.
















Perfect for colonization. . . Mr. Bradbury would be proud.



Ciao!-Martha

Awwww Poor Rover...

Our sturdy Mars correspondent is getting on in years (robot years, that is) and is showing signs of amnesia.Maybe NASA should try breadcrumbs . . .


I wonder what WALL-E would do in this case.


I mean, I guess since the original planned mission was about 5% of the amount of time that the rover has actually been on Mars, it's understandable for it to be getting a little tired.


Still, it's kinda sad. . . Maybe NASA should try laying down some breadcrumbs.


Maybe fresh Martian air will jog the Spirit's memory soon.  We can only hope.


Don't FORGET to read the article! haha...


-Martha

Mars-tastic

So, here at The University of Texas, we are lucky enough to have an extremely hard-working and dedicated professor by the name of Dr. Jack Holt.  He's awesomely cool, just take my word for it.

You WOULD know how awesome he is IF you went to his Hot Science/Cool Talks presentation a few weeks ago.  IF you went to this, then you would be a more intelligent and cool person.  I went, and I am infinitely cooler because of it.

Just to give you a taste of the coolness he oozes, here is an article about the research that Dr. Holt is conducting on Martian ice glaciers.

Dr. Holt works closely with the SHARAD project (ahem, in Rome!) to produce significant evidence that glaciers exist on Mars, albeit covered in dust.  This radargram makes it possible to produce the image shown above.

Soooo, check out this article , it's made of awesome.

-Martha

Well that was a great talk...But now for Budget Woes!

Sorry We've been off the radar for a little while - busy week.

Dr. Holt's talk last week was interesting and entartaining. Best part of all was the little kids asking the questions afterward. We learned a lot about the polar regions of Mars and how Italian radar has been helping us to understand where water is suspected to be in several ice caps and below the surface of Mars.

Martha got stuck with one of the little ones who just wanted to talk about saving Yoshi in some Super Mario game he had. Needless to say, it was humorous.

-----

Now, Sean has brought to our attention a US News & World Report article on how "Budget Woes Could End NASA's Space Exploration Plans".... One of my favorite lines is "Trying to put a thousand pounds of canaries in a 500-pound box is where we are now."

President Obama has decided to review NASA's budget by use of the Review of US Human Space Flight Plans Committee to decide whether or not NASA should get as much money as it's asking for to further it's plans for human space exploration. Such things include a replacement vehicle for the space shuttle and future missions to Mars and the Moon. The Augustine report from that committee is soon to be delivered to congress of its findings on the matter later this month. It seems like it will be a balance between cost and benefit of these missions and which are plain unnecessary to the current administration.

One scary line from the article was said byJohn Logsdon, a former director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University: "The message is pretty ugly. The whole notion we are going back to the moon, given the current budget is a myth"


Hopefully we can still get the Constellation program that will implement the Ares booster rockets to get to Mars! (They'll be usable for the moon too...)





-Tim


picture of Ares Rocket courtesy of globalsecurity.org/space/systems/images/clv-atk_evolution2.jpg

Click the pic for a NASA video!

Hot Talk! Icy Mysteries of Mars Revealed Friday! 7pm!

I want to re-post a previous entry on Dr. Jack Holt's talk this Friday (Tomorrow). This is going to be really cool and Martha and I are definitely going. I suggest getting there at least a half hour early


What: Icy Mysteries of Mars Revealed
When: 7pm, Friday, September 11, 2009
Where: UT Campus, Welch Hall 2.224
Schedule: 5:45-7 - Pre-lecture Fun,
Lecture - 7-8:15
Click here for More info!

-Tim
----------------------------------------------------------
Nope, I didn't make up that title...it was already that cheesy! Well okay...maybe part of it...

Next Friday, September 11, our very own Dr. Jack Holt will be giving a cool talk on hot science entitled: "Icy Mysteries of Mars Revealed"!

Now, I can tell you I am definitely going to be there - what better way to get your Mars fix AND take care of getting credit for going to see a seminar/lecture (e.g. honors...) than right here at UT-Austin's Welch building?

Here's an excerpt from UT's OnCampus site on ESI's Hot Science/Cool Talks:

"Join us for an evening of Mars exploration as the Environmental Science Institute presents this talk. Dr. Holt and his scientific colleagues have discovered enormous reserves of frozen water on Mars. Could this water mean life on the red planet? What implications does this discovery hold for future voyages to Mars? Make sure to come early to experience interactive exhibits and activities presented by our partners! K-12 teacher workshop begins at 6 p.m. Free refreshments will be provided. "

Definitely arrive early because I went to a similar talk last year by Don Blankenship and it gets PACKED!

What: Icy Mysteries of Mars Revealed
When: Friday, September 11, 2009
Where: UT Campus, Welch Hall 2.224
Schedule: 5:45-7 - Pre-lecture Fun, 7-8:15 - Lecture
Click here for More info!

So come with the UT Planetary Science group, get free refreshments, and get ready to enjoy what should be a thoroughly entertaining talk on one of our faves!



See ya there!

-Tim

"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." - Mars

Just in case you haven't heard the news . . . Mars exploration scientists have determined all the properties needed for water, exist on the planet.  This suggests that at some point in its history, Mars was somewhat like Earth in its ability to support life.

Yep, so Mars is something like Earth's great (times a few billion) grandfather (or grandmother).













Time Magazine has showcased some pretty amazing images of Mar's landscape.  They look eerily familiar . . .  Is that a dried-up delta?  Dunes?

If Mars is/was capable of producing these natural water features, then it's not completely insane to suggest the possibility of Marian life, is it?

. . . maybe there's oil . . .

JUST KIDDING!

Anyway, enjoy these beautiful photographs.
-Martha

Hot Science - Cool Talks! Oh Ares, how I love the...

Nope, I didn't make up that title...it was already that cheesy! Well okay...maybe part of it...

Next Friday, September 11, our very own Dr. Jack Holt will be giving a cool talk on hot science entitled: "Icy Mysteries of Mars Revealed"!

Now, I can tell you I am definitely going to be there - what better way to get your Mars fix AND take care of getting credit for going to see a seminar/lecture (e.g. honors...) than right here at UT-Austin's Welch building?

Here's an excerpt from UT's OnCampus site on ESI's Hot Science/Cool Talks:

"Join us for an evening of Mars exploration as the Environmental Science Institute presents this talk. Dr. Holt and his scientific colleagues have discovered enormous reserves of frozen water on Mars. Could this water mean life on the red planet? What implications does this discovery hold for future voyages to Mars? Make sure to come early to experience interactive exhibits and activities presented by our partners! K-12 teacher workshop begins at 6 p.m. Free refreshments will be provided. "

Definitely arrive early because I went to a similar talk last year by Don Blankenship and it gets PACKED!

What: Icy Mysteries of Mars Revealed
When: Friday, September 11, 2009
Where: UT Campus, Welch Hall 2.224
Schedule: 5:45-7 - Pre-lecture Fun, 7-8:15 - Lecture
Click here for More info!

So come with the UT Planetary Science group, get free refreshments, and get ready to enjoy what should be a thoroughly entertaining talk on one of our faves!



See ya there!

-Tim

I'm sorry, I'm going to miss class on Monday. I'll be on Mars.

Get ready for some mind-blowing science.

My wonderful friend Tim (you might know him . . . he's kind of a big deal) has been talking about Dr. Robert Zubrin for quite some time now - and for good reason.  This guy is a genius!

Not only is he VERY enthusiastic (I would say obsessed, but that would be harsh . . . so I won't) about furthering space exploration, but he's also formulated an extremely plausible plan to (get ready for it)
GO TO MARS.

I know - it sounds crazy.  They said we could never do it, and maybe we can't, but if you watch The Mars Underground videos on YouTube you may just be enlightened.

Here they are:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Don't be daunted by how many parts there are.  They're all about 9 minutes long to make up one complete short film.  Besides, we're scientists, we're very thorough people.

Anyway, they're so darn interesting that you're going to want to watch them again, and again, and again, and . . .

Also, click on the main title for a link to The Mars Society, of which Dr. Zubrin is the founder and President.

-Martha

From Russia, with Love

The Russians have got the right idea.  

Check out this Spectrum article: Russia Reveals Vision for Manned Spaceflight

Firstly, they named their space agency Roskosmos, which is just awesome.  RosKOSMOS, like cosmos?!  That's deep man.

Secondly, they've got the groundbreaking idea to unite international space organizations, like themselves and our very own NASA, in order to make space exploration CHEAPER while still going where no man has gone before?  Like Mars!

Of course, there are some kinks to work out, seeing as though they built their launching spot right on the Chinese border, which I'm pretty sure Hu Jintao isn't too happy about . . . But you never know, if the Russians share their super secrets, it may just help border relations! . . . possibly. 

Anyway, I believe this way of thinking is what WILL finally get us to Mars, to infinity, AND BEYOND!

         First Russian Space Dogs from http://englishrussia.com/