This is among the first high-resolution, color image to be sent back by the Hazard Cameras on the underside of NASA's Perseverance Mars rover after its landing on Jezero crater on Mars on February 18, 2021. NASA / Getty Images
U..S space agency NASA has released a video and the first ever audio clip from Mars, a faint wind sound captured by the Perseverance rover.
<p>Several images of the landing were <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/mars-perseverance-sends-back-first-color-images/a-56633251" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">released earlier</a>, but it took days for the video signal to be relayed to Earth. </p><p>The 3 minute 25 second video clip released on Monday shows the last few kilometers of Perseverance's trip.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="daafa6ae9de728c6495e52191fd096f2"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4czjS9h4Fpg?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>After the parachute opens during the descent, the spacecraft touches down on the dusty red surface of the planet.</p><p>"These are really amazing videos," Michael Watkins, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said at a briefing for reporters. "This is the first time we've ever been able to capture an event like the landing on Mars. We all watched them over the weekend many, many times."</p><p>NASA also released several new higher resolution panoramic images during the press conference.</p>
<div id="76947" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="10dd970dcf8dc0b6fa4bc8849d0df6c6"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1363954814497943552" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Scan this image for the various pieces of my landing system, which did their jobs perfectly before coming to rest o… https://t.co/Izucl5yA5f</div> — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover)<a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/statuses/1363954814497943552">1614027143.0</a></blockquote></div>
<h2>What Does Mars Sound Like?</h2><p>Though the two onboard microphones weren't turned on during the descent, the rover was able to capture audio once it landed.</p><p>The short audio clip may not be spectacular, but it is the first sound recording from another planet.</p><p>NASA is building a "Martian playlist," collected on the website, Sounds of Mars.</p><p>"Stay tuned," said NASA. "We may soon hear the sounds of another world."</p>
<div id="4739f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c4ef05cbef85acd40fb1eae0c9ef982b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1363937472971907072" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Now that you’ve seen Mars, hear it. Grab some headphones and listen to the first sounds captured by one of my micro… https://t.co/nEnrUY7Js9</div> — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover)<a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/statuses/1363937472971907072">1614023008.0</a></blockquote></div>
<h2>Mission Update</h2><p>The newly launched rover is operating as expected, said Jessica Samuels, Perseverance's surface mission manager.</p><p>"I am happy to report that Perseverance is healthy," she said.</p><p>In another mission update, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/mars-nasa-releases-first-video-and-audio-of-rover-landing/a-56657373" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the small helicopter Ingenuity</a>, which was delivered by the rover, sent its first status report to the control center in Pasadena, California. According to NASA, it too appears to be "functioning perfectly."</p><p>Still attached to the underside of Perseverance, the helicopter will begin exploring Mars in 30 to 60 days, offering viewers a bird's-eye view of the surface.</p><p>It would be the first flight of an air vehicle over another planet.</p><h2>What's Next?</h2><p>Perseverance's main mission is to search for traces of past microbial life on Mars and study the planet's climate and geology.</p><p>The rover itself weighs about 2,200 pounds and is the size of a small car.</p><p>On Thursday it set off on another mission, a risky maneuver to a dried-up lake called Jezero Crater. With a diameter of about 28 miles, Perseverance will explore the crater over the next two years.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/mars-nasa-releases-first-video-and-audio-of-rover-landing/a-56657373" target="_blank"> Deutsche Welle</a></em><em>.</em></p>
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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
NASA
By Zulfikar Abbany
The next few weeks in February will bring nail-biting moments of truth for three countries — indeed, the world — as three separate Mars missions approach the Red Planet. The United Arab Emirates, China and the United States each launched separate missions to Mars in July 2020, and they are all about to arrive. The first two, within days of each other.
<p>Of the three missions, America's Mars 2020 mission comes with the most experience and confidence. It is also the most innovative. Its cargo includes Earth's first-ever <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/the-facts-on-ingenuity-2020s-mars-helicopter/a-54184706" target="_blank">Martian helicopter, Ingenuity</a>.</p><p>It will be the first to test flight on another planet, in an atmosphere that's thinner than the Earth's, and may help our understanding of future human spaceflight beyond the moon.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTYyMjUzOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MjI2MTg5Nn0.CZoILZnUXmRpUN61nsPKybR_kayKh65M4xhYJpcIOCc/img.jpg?width=980" id="49876" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a1fd93862697c4bfa70cecd8f78a418b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="700" data-height="394" /><p>But, as any engineer will tell you, space is never easy. So, the folks at NASA will be just as tense as their colleagues in the <a href="https://www.emiratesmarsmission.ae/" target="_blank">UAE</a> and <a href="http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/english/index.html" target="_blank">China</a>.</p><p>That said, the US mission is the last of the three scheduled to arrive, so, for now at least, the Americans can sit back, relax, and watch how the others fair.</p>
First Up: The Emirates Mars Mission
<p>The <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/whats-the-science-on-the-emirates-mars-mission/a-53857637" target="_blank">Emirates Mars Mission</a> launched a probe called Hope on July 20, 2020, from Tanegashima Space Centre, Japan.</p><p>Hope is the first Arab interplanetary mission. It aims to provide scientists with a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere. And they promise to share the data.</p><p>On February 9, 2021, Hope will begin what's called a <a href="https://www.emiratesmarsmission.ae/journey/mars-orbit-insertion/" target="_blank">Mars Orbit Insertion</a> (MOI).</p><p>The so-called "burn" will commence at 7.30 p.m. Gulf Standard Time (4.30 p.m. CET, 10.30 a.m. EST), and will last "a rather nerve-wracking 27 minutes," in the words of one EMM spokesperson.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTYyMjUyOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MjM0MjM3MH0.AmXBFljdjL9x2MgsHVMQIu5QnjU57LUafHdX2menSJA/img.jpg?width=980" id="78ae5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9c31b700566fee278e355c48e9e74d4e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="700" data-height="394" /><p>The operation will be fully autonomous because the probe will be 11 minutes' radio-time away from Earth, "so there's nothing much we can do about things once we start," continued the email to DW.</p><p>Hope has six thrusters that will provide 650 Newtons of power. Firing the thrusters for that long can expose the spacecraft to a lot of stress, from vibrations through to heat. It is "easily the most dangerous operation of the mission," said the spokesperson.</p><p>If all goes well, it will be the proper start of a <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/the-facts-on-hope-the-uaes-mars-mission-al-amal/a-54067401" target="_blank">two Earth-year mission</a> (or one Martian year).</p>
Second: Tianwen-1
<p>Next up, it's China with the country's first independent Mars mission. It was launched on July 23, 2020, from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province.</p><p><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/the-facts-on-tianwen-1-mars-orbiter-and-rover/a-54014414" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tianwen-1</a> is also expected to enter a Martian orbit during the second week of February. In fact, it's hoped the Chinese robotic probe will make it the day after the EMM — and two days before the Chinese New Year.</p><p><a href="http://english.spacechina.com/n16421/n17212/c3119214/content.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The spacecraft will conduct a "braking" operation</a> to decelerate its speed to a point at which it can be captured by Mars' gravity. As with the EMM, the Tianwen-1 probe will survey the Martian atmosphere.</p><p>But that's not all. The main part of the mission is scheduled for May when China aims to soft-land a rover in the southern part of Mars' Utopia Planitia.</p><p>China sees Tianwen-1 as a step towards future missions that would bring back rock and soil samples from Mars to Earth.</p>
Third: Perseverance and Ingenuity
<p>The <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/overview/" target="_blank">USA's latest Mars mission</a> involves a new rover called Perseverance and a helicopter called Ingenuity. Ingenuity is strapped to the belly of the rover.</p><p>The rover is due to land on February 18 at about 3.55 p.m. EST at a place called Jezero Crater.</p><p>It will descend through the Martian atmosphere at a speed of about 20,000 kilometers per hour/kph (12,000 miles per hour). It will be slowed with a parachute and a powered descent to about 3.2 kph.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTYyMjUzMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTQzMzk2MX0.pu-BNPxQoxOX4KkGWs7VJYP4rxANImqhnHhEuUpM24w/img.jpg?width=980" id="0e6ff" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="688f9ac99bd744c02e7e2066b69e1ca7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="700" data-height="394" />
NASA's Mars 2020 may pave the way for human missions to Mars.
<p>Then, a large sky crane will <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/the-facts-on-perseverance-mars-2020-rover/a-54014387" target="_blank">lower the rover</a> on three bridle cords until it lands softly on six wheels.</p><p>That's the plan, anyway. NASA has landed a number of rovers on Mars over the years, but as it says itself: "Landing on Mars is hard."</p>Race to the Red Planet
<p>NASA describes Perseverance as a "robotic astrobiologist." It is the largest and "most sophisticated" rover ever sent to the Red Planet's surface.</p><p>Perseverance will look for signs of ancient Martian life. It will also demonstrate technologies for making oxygen from the Martian atmosphere. It is hoped the mission will prepare the ground for future human missions to Mars and our moon.</p><p>So, this really is only the very beginning. The fact that we have two large, experienced nations with interplanetary ambitions, in the US and China, plus a relative newcomer — and further US-European and <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/japans-mars-moons-mission-leads-to-human-spaceflight/a-54961901" target="_blank">a Japanese Mars mission</a> waiting in the wings — there is a definite sense of <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/a-new-race-to-the-moon-us-wants-to-lead-the-way/a-48380594" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a new race beyond what humans have done before in space</a>.</p><p><span></span>These three missions were timed to launch when the distance between the Earth and Mars was relatively short. It usually takes about nine months to get to Mars, but these missions were able to cut that trip down to seven. And despite the added challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, not one of them missed the opportunity to go.</p><p><span></span><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/three-mars-missions-arriving-in-february-2021/a-56472730" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/three-mars-missions-arriving-in-february-2021/a-56472730" target="_blank"></a></p>From Your Site Articles
- Artemis, Orion and the Quest to Get Humans to the Moon Again ... ›
- 2021: What Astronomical and Space Events Await Us This Year ... ›
- NASA Releases First Video and Audio of Mars Landing - EcoWatch ›
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
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FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
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Getting Martian rocks and samples back to Earth is the primary goal of the Mars 2020 mission. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
By Jim Bell
Editor's note: Jim Bell is a professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University and has worked on a number of Mars missions. On Feb. 18, NASA's Mars 2020 mission will be arriving at the red planet, and hopefully will place the Perseverance Rover on the surface. Bell is the primary investigator leading a team in charge of one of the camera systems on Perseverance. We spoke with him for The Conversation's new podcast, The Conversation Weekly, which launches today.
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<h2>What's the Goal of This Mission?</h2><p>What we're looking for is evidence of past life, either direct chemical or organic signs in the composition and the chemistry of rocks, or textural evidence in the rock record. The environment of Mars is extremely harsh compared to Earth, so we're not really looking for evidence of current life. Unless something actually gets up and walks in front of the cameras, we're really not going to find that.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU5NzI3My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTcwNDk3M30.GTjWSa9rXm81EehoupdtHIOohssNNjF0wJgFtwTAH_o/img.jpg?width=980" id="487f7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5706fde4de0a078f55311aeb6b56ab8c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="962" />
This color–enhanced photo shows the ancient river delta in the Jezero Crater where Perseverance will look for signs of life. NASA/JPL/JHU-APL/MSSS/Brown University
<h2>Where Is the Perseverance Rover Landing to Look for Ancient Life?</h2><p>There was a three- or four-year process that involved the entire global community of Mars and planetary science researchers to figure out where to send this rover. We chose a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jezero_(crater)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">crater called Jezero</a>. Jezero has a beautiful river delta in it, preserved from an ancient river that flowed down into that crater and deposited sediments. This is kind of like the delta at the end of the Mississippi River in Louisiana which is depositing sediments very gently into the Gulf of Mexico.</p><p>On Earth, this shallow water is a very gentle environment where organic molecules and fossils can actually be gently buried and preserved in very fine-grained <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudstone" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mudstones</a>. If a Martian delta operates the same way, then it's a great environment for preserving evidence of things that were flowing in that water that came from the ancient highlands above the crater.</p><p>There's lots of things we don't know, but there was liquid water there. There were heat sources – there were active volcanoes 2, 3, 4 billion years ago on Mars – and there are impact craters from asteroids and comets dumping lots of heat into the ground as well as organic molecules. It's a very short list of places in the solar system that meet those constraints, and Jezero is one of those places. It's one of the best places that we think to go to do this search for life.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU5NzI5MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDU2MjQ2Nn0.HAtTpVx8mHjesazx4kgoKcZyM4X5IuM8U52yQqQ2Quk/img.jpg?width=980" id="428c3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ddd06047122ebea00df469383b2a47aa" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="800" />
The Perseverance Rover is 90% spare parts from the Curiosity Rover but has a few new tools on board. NASA/JPL-Caltech
<h2>What Scientific Tools Is Perseverance Carrying?</h2><p>The <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/rover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Perseverance Rover</a> looks a lot like <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Curiosity</a> on the outside because it's made from something like 90% spare parts from Curiosity – that's how NASA could afford this mission. Curiosity has a pair of cameras – one wide angle, one telephoto.</p><p>In Perseverance, we're sending similar cameras, but with zoom technology so we can zoom from wide angle to telephoto with both cameras – the "Z" in <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/mastcam-z/" target="_blank">Mastcam-Z</a> stands for zoom. This allows us to get great stereo images. Just like our left eye and our right eye build a three-dimensional image in our brain, the zoom cameras on Perserverance are a left eye and a right eye. With this, we can build a three-dimensional image back on Earth when we get those images.<br></p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU5NzI5Ny9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzk0NzE5NX0.YAbQq5ChvHAe4mHxoRM1of7Zemb2t9ll43ptUrIdoOQ/img.png?width=980" id="acc24" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4438bfe50a39982af8777c7235f6ab30" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="748" />
The Mastcam-Z includes two cameras with zoom lenses allowing researchers to create three-dimensional images of the Martian landscape. MSSS/ASU
<p>3D images allow us to do a whole range of things scientifically. We want to understand the topography of Mars in much more detail than we've been able to in the past. We want to put the pieces of the delta geology story together not just with two-dimensional, spatial information, but with height as well as texture. And we want to make 3D maps of the landing site.</p><p>Our engineering and driving colleagues really need that information too. These 3D images will help them decide where to drive by helping to identify obstacles and slopes and trenches and rocks and stuff like that, allowing them to drive the rover much deeper into places than they would have been able to otherwise.</p><p>And finally, we're going to make really cool 3D views of our landing site to share with the public, including movies and flyovers.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU5NzMwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3NjQyNjMxNn0.LkN9l105Acb5pRHlJgohQGq6b0B1cGsHvml4G2kBZTM/img.jpg?width=980" id="9fdfb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b7231d3665dd827b40c7e77876143737" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="676" />
The sample tubes are specially built to store the rock and soil cores for future pickup. NASA/JPL-Caltech
<h2>What Else Is Different About This Mission?</h2><p>Perseverance is intended to be the first part of a robotic sample return mission from Mars. So instead of just drilling into the surface like the Curiosity Rover does, Perseverance will drill and core into the surface and <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/science/objectives/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cache those little cores into tubes</a> about the size of a dry-erase marker. It will then put those tubes onto the surface for a future mission later this decade to pick up and then bring back to Earth.</p><p>Perseverance won't come back to Earth, but the plan is to bring the samples that we collect back.</p><p>In the meantime, we'll be doing all of the science that any great rover mission would do. We are going to characterize the site, explore the geology and measure the atmospheric and weather properties.</p>
<h2>How Will You Get Those Samples Back to Earth?</h2><p>This is where it gets a little less certain, because these are all ideas and missions in the works. NASA and the European Space Agency are collaborating on a concept to build and launch a lander that will send a little fetch rover that goes and gets the little tubes, picks them up and brings them back to the lander. Waiting on the lander would be a small rocket called a <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/24764/mars-ascent-vehicle-launching-with-samples-artists-concept/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mars Ascent Vehicle</a>, or MAV. Once the samples are loaded into the MAV, it launches them into Mars orbit.</p><p>Then you've got this grapefruit- to soccer-ball-sized canister up there, and NASA and the Europeans are collaborating on an orbiter that will search for that canister, capture it and then rocket it back to Earth, where it will land in the Utah desert. What could possibly go wrong?</p><p>If successful, that'll be the first time we've done that from Mars. The scientific tools on the rovers are good, but nothing like the labs back on Earth. Bringing those samples back is going to be absolutely critical to getting the most out of the samples.</p>
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<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jim-bell-1200218" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jim Bell</a> is a professor of Earth and space exploration at Arizona State University.</em>
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<em>Disclosure statement: Jim Bell receives funding from NASA for his work on the Perseverance rover mission.. He is also an unpaid member of the Board of Directors of The Planetary Society, engaging in activities including education and advocacy of space exploration with elected officials.</em>
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<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/bringing-mars-rocks-back-to-earth-perseverance-rover-lands-on-feb-18-a-lead-scientist-explains-the-tech-and-goals-153851" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
</p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153851/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>From Your Site Articles
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European Space Agency
By Zulfikar Abbany
If you've ever been on a tour of a cleanroom — a sterile environment where engineers build and test satellites and other spacecraft — you will know it's a pretty surreal experience.
<p>You're standing there, starring up at a rough and unfinished-looking object, seemingly wrapped in kitchen aluminum foil, with wires and solar panels sticking out at various angles and it's tough imagining what the thing will actually do when it's in an operational environment.</p><p>The engineers will tell you: This towering object is an instrument of precision and beauty. It will observe our planet Earth and deliver valuable data on our changing environment, monitor the oceans or track migration and military movements.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU5NjgzOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3Mjg2OTAwMX0.jUZezvTcmEwyL69tvA7VSHm-PyxU7NBZw0XKbxkFpW4/img.jpg?width=980" id="d2b04" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="623eb64478779aed0cb1142b81a78d9f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="700" data-height="394" />
<p>But it's virtually impossible to truly get what that means. You're unlikely to be one of the comparably few humans ever to see the thing in action, in situ.</p><h2>Virtually 'Live'… to Be Watched Again Later</h2><p>So imagine how surreal it was to tour a spacecraft, or as DW did this Tuesday (February 2, 2021), a set of European Service Modules (ESMs), via a shaky YouTube channel.</p><p>You're not in the cleanroom but in front of a computer screen. And the tour is a series of pre-recorded and pre-scripted video statements with bad sound. It was white noise — static — for the first ten minutes.</p><p>But we already know that the ESMs form an integral part of Orion, a human spacecraft that will fly astronauts to the moon and an orbiting lunar base called Gateway. We also know that Orion belongs to Artemis, NASA's human spaceflight program that aims to get humans back to the moon by 2024.</p><p>So, we had a head start. And YouTube being YouTube, we got to watch the whole tour again later anyway.</p>
<h2>Orion's 'Powerhouse'</h2><p>Andreas Hammer, Airbus's Head of Space Exploration, delivered opening remarks from a cleanroom in Bremen, where the event was meant to be held in person. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, that got nixed. So, there he was, all alone, dressed in a white lab coat and hair net.</p><p>Right off the bat, Hammer said attempts to send humans back to the moon started in Bremen, where those ESMs are being constructed. And the ESMs, said Hammer, are the Orion's "powerhouse."</p><p>There are three ESMs so far. They will provide air, electricity and propulsion, thermal control and all the consumables for the astronauts, including oxygen and water. ESA has just commissioned a further three units from Airbus.</p><p>Without the ESMs, there would be no human spaceflight with Orion, no mission.</p><p>"Nothing in space is simple," said Hammer's colleague Didier Radola, who heads the Orion ESM program at Airbus, and as such, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-european-space-agency-formalize-artemis-gateway-partnership" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">no one goes to space alone</a>.</p>
<h2>ESMs 1 and 2</h2><p>Artemis may be an American program but the Americans have drafted European know-how and technology to get the job done.</p><p>Hammer stood in front of ESM2, which is almost completely integrated and ready for the Artemis 2 mission, which will fly astronauts around the moon. It will be tested and handed over to NASA later this year.</p><p><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/orion-spacecraft-esa-hands-over-service-module-to-nasa/a-46131932" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ESM1 has already been delivered</a> to the Americans. It's scheduled to be integrated with the rest of the spacecraft, loaded with fuel and launched by the end of 2021.</p><p>"You can see propellant tanks, cables, electronic devices. It's an incredible piece of machinery and I never get tired of getting totally amazed when I see and touch that," said Hammer.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTU5Njg1NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MjA0OTIzN30.aW11SBr00MO7F2aTmeNItYcgnJn6NZFRTiyB7-YJ49Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="a1d67" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="be79e44a21568e4311adbd0a080fb142" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="700" data-height="394" />
<h2>Back and Forth to Our '8th Continent'</h2><p>German star astronaut Alexander Gerst also delivered some inspirational remarks about human travel to the moon, replete with the usual clichés. But Gerst is talented and he is a good communicator.</p><p>Gerst calls the moon "our 8th continent." Going back to the moon will bring us the "knowledge of tomorrow," he says, including science on living sustainably on Earth and long term on the moon. He's also excited about <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/change-5-almost-back-with-precious-moon-rock/a-55959843" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bringing samples of moon and Mars rock back to Earth</a>.</p><p>But later, during a Q&A session, ESA's outgoing director general, Jan Wörner, reminded us, that he is not a fan of the phrase "going back to the moon."</p><p>Saying were "going back" sounds too much like repeating what was last done during the Apollo moon missions between 1969 and 1972 — and that smacks of the Cold War era, said Wörner.</p><p>Instead, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/after-apollo-a-new-era-for-american-human-spaceflight/a-53586377" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he wants us to go #ForwardToTheMoon</a>. And then beyond — a reference to Mars and, no doubt, the three Mars missions (USA, UAE, China) that are about to arrive at the "Red Planet." But whether humans get back to the moon by 2024 depends, says Wörner, on the priorities of America's new political administration under President Joe Biden.</p><p>So, we'll have to "look forward" to see what happens. There is one area, however, where the space community seems entirely backward-looking.</p>
<h2>Men, Women and All?</h2><p>During the Q&A session, talk turned to the lucky astronauts who would get to fly first on Orion.</p><p>Walther Pelzer, Director General of the German Space Agency (DLR), spoke highly of Gerst's chances: "Of course we're interested in having a European astronaut with a German passport among them," said Pelzer. "But <em>he</em> should be experienced. <em>He</em> should have shown that <em>he's</em> a good leader, and Gerst showed <em>he </em>was an exceptional leader when <em>he</em> was commander of the International Space Station (ISS) and the mission didn't go as planned." That's our emphasis on all those he's.</p><p>Those comments, while true, seemed to ignore that a<em> </em>"she" or gender-neutral individual may possess those very same qualities, too.</p><p>DW just had to follow-up. We asked: "What is ESA actively doing to address the gender imbalance in space?"</p><p>So far, the bulk of astronauts who have been able to gain any experience at all — whether that's given them exceptional qualities or not — have been men. Ergo, the opportunities to be among the first to fly on Orion will be skewed in favor of men.</p>
<h2>Better Living Through Better Communication</h2><p>Jan Wörner smiled and said progress started with the language we all use.</p><p>"If you say 'manned spaceflight,' then it's already decided," said Wörner, "and that's not good. So, it's better to talk about human spaceflight or, in German, "astronautische Raumfahrt" (astronautical spaceflight).</p><p>Sometimes, said Wörner, "I've hidden behind what happened in the past and during the last class of astronauts we only had about 16% female candidates but that's not a good argument for the future and ESA will do what it can to promote female astronauts."</p><p>David Parker, ESA's Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, then added that Italy's <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Samantha_Cristoforetti" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Samantha Cristoforetti</a> would return to the ISS and therefore gain the same level of experience as the rest of the European astronaut corps. "So, I don't know why you would discount her chances," he said. We at DW certainly don't.</p>
<h2>The Right Direction</h2><p>Pelzer, who recently replaced Pascale Ehrenfreund — a woman — at DLR, mentioned Anna Rathsman, the head of the Swedish National Space Agency.</p><p>"Yes," said Pelzer, "ESA's new DG [director general] is a man, but we just appointed Rathsman as the chair of the ESA Council, so we are going in the right direction." </p><p>Looking at the faces on the call, however, all the official representatives were men. And that is the overall picture at ESA, where 10 of the 11 top jobs are held by men, and Wörner's replacement, Josef Aschbacher, who will assume the role later this year, was chosen from a largely male list of candidates (one source told us it was roughly 85% male).</p><p>Our virtual tour and call ended with an odd feeling of deflation.</p><p>You normally get a chance to chat to familiar faces, colleagues from other media outlets, while the room empties. You might even get some feedback. But not here, where one gets the nagging feeling that virtual tours suit ESA's style. It's easier to control the message when the tour is pre-recorded and the moderator can mute unruly journalists.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/artemis-orion-and-the-quest-to-get-humans-to-the-moon-again/a-56430893" target="_blank">DW</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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The SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches on its maiden test flight from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 6, 2018. Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images
Three men are paying $55 million each to travel to space, the AP reported.
<p>Announced on Tuesday, the first space crew consisting of private citizens plans to take off next January on a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/spacex" target="_blank">SpaceX</a> rocket and spend eight days aboard the<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/astronauts-return-international-space-station-2645750749.html" target="_blank"> International Space Station</a>.</p><p>"This is the first private flight to the International Space Station. It's never been done before," Mike Suffredini, chief executive and president of Axiom Space, a privately funded space company, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/1st-private-space-crew-pay-55m-each-2e8a78c31ae6309e69632f0f41feccbf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told the AP</a>. </p><p>Although the crew recognizes the crises currently happening on Earth, they feel their efforts as the first private space crew are "an enhancement of their other philanthropic efforts," <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/26/private-space-flight-axiom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Washington Post reported</a>. </p><p>"There are a lot of issues — adversity, and in some regards, crises, here, not only in the U.S., but worldwide," Larry Connor, one of the crew's private citizens, told the Washington Post. "And those absolutely need to be a priority. But we cannot forget about the future. We cannot forget about having long-term visions... And hopefully this mission and the research we're going to do is going to be one small step on that journey."</p>
<p>While their efforts may open doors for the future of commercial space travel, some criticize their timing, as the Covid-19 pandemic, economic recession and increasing costs of the climate crisis continue to ravage communities on Earth.</p>
<p>This debate raises questions on whether space agencies should further their space exploration or use their technology and finances to research climate solutions. </p>
<p>Based on a <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/07/17/how-americans-see-the-future-of-space-exploration-50-years-after-the-first-moon-landing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019 Pew Research Center study</a>, 63 percent of Americans think <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/nasa" target="_blank">NASA'</a>s top priorities should be monitoring the Earth's climate. This public support is backed by Lori Garver, chief executive at Earthrise Alliance and former deputy NASA administrator. </p>
<p>In a 2019 <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/forget-new-manned-missions-in-space-nasa-should-focus-on-saving-earth/2019/07/18/79e55eb8-a995-11e9-9214-246e594de5d5_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">opinion piece</a> published in The Washington Post, she wrote about the relationship between space exploration and climate change. </p>
<p>She explained how NASA's original purpose involved expanding human understanding and solving the nation's impossible problems. But "the impossible problem today is not the moon. And it's not Mars. It's our home planet," she wrote.</p>
<p>Today's aim of space travel should no longer focus on racing space rivals to the latest discovery, Garver added. "<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_blank">Climate change</a> — not Russia, much less China — is today's existential threat."</p>
<p>Space travel and research also come with a heavy environmental cost. For example, when Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon Heavy reaches orbit, it will have emitted more carbon dioxide than an average car would emit in two centuries, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-01-30/space-launch-carbon-emissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The LA Times reported.</a> </p>
<p>But some claim space innovation can also fuel sustainable technology in the commercial sector. For example, ecology projects such as learning to grow plants in space have developed into an energy-saving practice for indoor agriculture, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-spaceflight-save-the-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Scientific American reported</a>. Another space-funded project seeking to remove potent chemicals from dirty rocket launchpads has developed a frequently used compound to clean Superfund sites in the U.S.</p>
<p>Whether the environmental benefit of space exploration and research outweighs the environmental cost remains to be seen. Members of the private space station crew, however, think their experiences will benefit education outreach back home.</p><p>While in space, Connor said he does "not want to be a spectator," the Washington Post reported. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I want to do something of value."</p><p>Back home, Connor intends to teach lessons to students at Dayton Early College Academy, a K-12 charter school, according to the Washington Post. </p><p>"These guys are all very involved and doing it for... the betterment of their communities and countries, and so we couldn't be happier with this makeup of the first crew because of their drive and their interest," Suffredini told the AP.</p><p>While the crew's time in space may benefit others, some question if spending $35,000 a day for the privilege makes sense.</p><p>"The public doesn't understand the purpose of spending massive amounts of money to send a few astronauts to the moon or Mars," Garver wrote in her op-ed. "Is this the most valuable display of our scientific and technological leadership?" </p>
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Milkyway from Segara Anak - Rinjani Mountain. Abdul Azis / Moment / Getty Images
By Dirk Lorenzen
2021 begins as a year of Mars. Although our red planetary neighbor isn't as prominent as it was last autumn, it is still noticeable with its characteristic reddish color in the evening sky until the end of April. In early March, Mars shines close to the star cluster Pleiades in the constellation Taurus.
<p>But for space nerds, Mars is already the center of attention in February. Three space probes that were launched in the summer of 2020 will arrive on the red planet.</p><p>On February 9, "Hope," the first interplanetary mission of the United Arab Emirates, is set to enter orbit around Mars. Only one day later, the Chinese probe Tianwen-1 will join it. The name means "heavenly questions," referring to a famous piece of ancient poetry.</p><p>Both missions will take surface and atmospheric measurements of Mars. Probably in May, a small rover will detach from the Chinese spacecraft and make its way down to the surface to explore the surroundings of the landing site.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/2021-what-awaits-us-in-space-this-year/a-56311098" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2650098591#/" target="_self"></a></p>
A Landing Like a James Bond Movie
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTUyOTIwMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MDU5MDQ2Nn0.aLE-s5r9YhoJs40XbavhUwUXdY97iykXqo0OO0S5eso/img.jpg?width=980" id="19fa1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c758d3cd0d3e11fbd5290bb95da86396" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="700" data-height="394" />NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover (shown in artist's illustration) is the most sophisticated rover NASA has ever sent to Mars. Ingenuity, a technology experiment, will be the first aircraft to attempt controlled flight on another planet. Perseverance will arrive at Mars' Jezero Crater with Ingenuity attached to its belly. NASA
<p>The highlight of this year's Mars exploration is the landing of the NASA rover "Perseverance" on February 18. Once the spacecraft enters the atmosphere it will be slowed down by friction. The heat shield will surpass 1,000 degrees Celsius. Later, parachutes will deploy to slow it down even more. Roughly two kilometers above the planet's surface, a sky crane comes into play. Four thrusters keep the crane properly oriented.</p><p><span></span>The rover is connected to the crane by nylon tethers. Upon approach of Mars' surface, the sky crane will lower Perseverance down about 7 meters. Once the rover has touched down, the tethers are cut and the sky crane flies off to land somewhere else on the surface.</p><p>Entry, descent and landing takes just seven minutes – the so-called seven minutes of terror. The flight team can't interact with the spacecraft on Mars. Experts have to sit and watch what's happening more than 200 million kilometers away. Radio signals from the spacecraft need about 11 minutes to travel in one direction. When the control center in Pasadena, California receives the message that entry has begun, Perseverance will already be on the ground. There is only one chance for a smooth landing. Any error could mean the mission is lost. The audacious sky crane maneuver would be a great feat in any action movie. But NASA knows how to do it – the Curiosity rover landed with a sky crane in 2012.</p>Life on Mars?
<p>Scientists want to use Perseverance to explore whether there is or ever has been life on Mars. Today the planet is a hostile environment – dry and cold with no magnetic field shielding the harsh radiation from space. Life as we know it can't survive on the Martian surface right now. But billions of years ago, Mars was hotter and wetter and had a shield against radiation. So it is at least plausible that simple microbes developed there. Maybe they live in the soil now, one or two meters below the surface. Perseverance will collect samples to find out. A future mission by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) will pick up the samples and return them to Earth. But this won't happen before 2030.</p>The Long Wait for James Webb
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTUyOTIxMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTM1MDUzNX0.0Jmw-vIz6zuOa7eNsVX2oVzc0L6AFp05cAs4QbzdK6c/img.jpg?width=980" id="9cf3e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d46a2f73a4a2e32a9775087750c92431" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="700" data-height="394" />The Hubble Space Telescope has been orbiting the Earth for more than 30 years. NASA
<p>The Hubble Space Telescope's images of planets, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies are legendary. The cosmic eye, launched in 1990, is likely to fail towards the end of this decade. The James Webb Space Telescope will be its successor. It is scheduled to launch on October 31 with a European Ariane 5 rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.</p><p><span></span>The launch date is about 14 years later than planned when the project began in 1997. At almost $10 billion (€8.2 billion), the telescope is more than ten times as expensive as originally conceived. Its namesake James Webb was the NASA administrator during the height of the Apollo project in the 1960s.</p><p>Astronomers expect completely new insights from James Webb Telescope images, such as how the universe came into being, how it developed and how galaxies, stars and planets are formed. The instrument will observe the earliest childhood of the cosmos and photograph objects that already existed in the universe 200 to 300 million years after the Big Bang. James Webb, as the experts call the telescope for short, may even provide information about possibly inhabited exoplanets – planets like ours orbiting stars other than the Sun. </p>A Sensitive German Camera
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTUyOTIxNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTE0MzY3Mn0.o3aPaW5t0MFkEgeJl0HQ1V9lz6WDxKVGXyYWvpfoYyk/img.jpg?width=980" id="6ff49" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="187458ae2291c2aeb3bd36bc1ed777e0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="985" data-height="657" />The fully assembled James Webb Space Telescope with its sunshield and unitized pallet structures that will fold up around the telescope for launch. NASA
<p>The mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope is 6.5 meters in diameter and consists of 18 hexagonal segments. The entire instrument unfolds in 178 steps over a period of several months. Only then – probably in the spring of 2022 – will we see its first images.</p><p>Many communication or reconnaissance satellites only unfold in space. However, not every micrometer is as important as with this telescope. </p><p>NIRSpec, one of the four cameras on board, was built at Airbus in Ottobrunn near Munich. It is made of an unusual material: ceramic. Both the basic structure and the mirrors are made of this very light, hard and extremely temperature-insensitive material. With good reason – the large camera has to withstand a lot in space. It is cooled to around -250 degrees Celsius in order to register the weak infrared or thermal radiation from the depths of space. Plastic or metal bend and lead to blurred images. Ceramic, on the other hand, remains in perfect shape.</p><p>The NIRSpec instrument will examine, among other things, emerging stars and distant galaxies. The ceramic camera is incredibly sensitive – it could register the heat radiation from a burning cigarette on the Moon. Thanks to this precision, astronomers will get completely new insights into the cosmos with the James Webb Telescope and NIRSpec.</p>No Flight to the Moon but to the ISS
<p>It's not very likely that the Orion spacecraft from NASA and ESA will start its maiden voyage to the Moon before the end of 2021. As part of the Artemis-1 mission, it will remain in space for four weeks and will orbit the Moon for a few days. There will be no crew on board for the first flight, but two dummies from the German Aerospace Center, which use thousands of sensors to measure the conditions that human beings would be exposed to. The Orion capsule comes from NASA, while the ESA supplies the service module. The service module, which is being built by Airbus in Bremen, provides propulsion, navigation, altitude control and the supply of air, water and fuel. After problems with an engine test in mid-January, the new NASA large rocket Space Launch System (SLS), with which Orion is supposed to be launched, is unlikely to be operational until early 2022.</p><p><span></span>Matthias Maurer from Saarland is scheduled to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) in October. The flight will be in a Crew Dragon capsule from Cape Canaveral. Maurer will live and work in the orbital outpost for six months. He is currently training to work on numerous scientific experiments. Maurer will be the twelfth German in space.</p><p>So far, Germany has only sent men into space. In mid-March, ESA will start the next application process for astronauts. A few years ago, the private initiative Die Astronautin ("She is an astronaut") showed that there are numerous excellent female applicants.</p>Two Lunar Eclipses
<p>Even if there is no flight to the Moon, sky fans are looking forward to two eclipses this year. On May 26, there will be a lunar eclipse between 9:45 and 12:53 UTC. From 11:10 to 11:28 UTC, the Moon will be completely in the Earth's shadow. It can then only be seen in a copper-red light. This is sunlight that is directed into the Earth's shadow by the Earth's atmosphere – reddish, like the sky at sunset. This eclipse can be observed throughout the Pacific, and will be best viewed in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Antarctica. In Europe, the Moon will be below the horizon and therefore the eclipse will not be visible.</p><p>This also the case for the partial lunar eclipse on November 19. From 07:18 to 10:47 UTC, the Moon will be partly in the shadow of the Earth. In the middle of the eclipse (around 9:03 UTC) 98% of the Moon will be eclipsed. The spectacle will be best seen in North America, Greenland, East Asia and much of the Pacific, such as Hawaii and New Zealand.</p>Two Solar Eclipses: One Annular, One Total
<p><span>In 2021, the Moon will pass right in front of the sun, twice. On June 10, the moon will be nearly in the furthest point of its elliptical orbit around Earth. So it will be too small to cover the sun completely. In the middle of this eclipse, an annulus of the sun will remain visible. The sun's ring of fire appears between 9:55 and 11:28 UTC for a maximum of four minutes – but it will only be visible in the very sparsely populated areas of northeast Canada, northwestern Greenland, the North Pole and the far east of Siberia.</span></p><p>In the North Atlantic, Europe and large parts of Russia, an eclipse will be seen at least partially. Between 8:12 and 13:11 UTC, the Sun will appear like a cookie that has been bitten into as the Moon covers parts of the bright disk. In some places, the eclipse will last about two hours. In Central Europe, a maximum of one-fifth of the sun will be covered.</p>Dark Sun Over Antarctica
<p>The celestial event of the year will be a total solar eclipse on December 4. In a 400-kilometer-wide strip, the New Moon will cover the sun completely. For a maximum of one minute and 54 seconds, day will turn to night. For that short time, the brightest stars can be seen in the sky and the flaming solar corona can be seen around the dark disc of the Moon.</p><p><span></span>Unfortunately, hardly anyone will get to see this cosmic spectacle because the strip of totality only runs through the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic. From 7:03 to 8:04 UTC the umbra of the Moon moves across the Earth's surface – and perhaps some ships' crews will enjoy the solar corona.</p><p>Only during the few minutes of totality is it possible to look safely at the Sun with the naked eye. During the partial phase or in the case of an annular eclipse, suitable protective goggles are necessary to watch the spectacle. Normal sunglasses are not safe. Looking unprotected into the sun can lead to severe eye damage or even blindness.</p>Two Giant Planets in Northern Summer and Southern Winter
<p>Venus, our other neighboring planet, will be behind the sun on March 26. It is not visible for the first few months of the year. From the end of April through Christmas, it will be visible as an evening star in the sky after sunset. The planet, shrouded in dense clouds, is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon. The best visibility will be from September to December.</p><p>The giant planet Jupiter is in its best position of the year on August 20. It then shines in the constellation Capricorn, only disappearing from the evening sky at the beginning of next year. The ringed planet Saturn is also in the constellation Capricorn and can be observed particularly well on August 2. </p><p>Jupiter and Saturn are the stars of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and those of the long winter nights in the Southern Hemisphere. They are in the same area of the sky, almost forming a double star with Jupiter being the brighter of the two.</p>Shooting Stars in August and December
<p>There are certain periods when the Earth crosses the orbital path of a comet and shooting stars are much more likely than on other nights. Many small stones and dust particles are scattered on comet orbits, which light up the Earth's atmosphere for a moment when they enter.</p><p>The Perseids are particularly promising: August 9-13, a few dozen meteors (the technical term for shooting stars) will scurry across the sky per hour. The traces of light will seem to come from the constellation Perseus, near the striking celestial W of Cassiopeia. The Geminids – meteors coming from the constellation Gemini – will be similarly exciting with up to 100 shooting stars per hour, December 10-15.</p>From Your Site Articles
- What 21 Stars Reveal About the Universe - EcoWatch ›
- Earth Is Spinning Faster Than Ever - EcoWatch ›
- Artemis, Orion and the Quest to Get Humans to the Moon Again - EcoWatch ›
- Three Mars Missions Arriving in February 2021 - EcoWatch ›
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ESA CHEOPS Mission Launches to Study Evolution of Planets Orbiting Nearby Suns
18 December 2019
Science
A Soyouz rocket lift-off from Europe's launchpad in Kourou, French Guiana, on Dec. 18 with Europe's CHEOPS planet-hunting satellite on board. JODY AMIET / AFP / Getty Images
By Matthias Klaus
The CHEOPS mission blasted off from Kourou, French Guiana atop a Russian Soyuz rocket on Wednesday. The launch came 24 hours after a first attempt was delayed shortly before liftoff because of a software problem in the upper stage of the rocket.
<p>Scientists have long theorized with near certainty that there are countless planets in the universe, given the sheer numbers of stars. But it has only been possible to truly prove this since the 1990s.</p><p>Since then, thousands of so-called <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/nasa-finds-more-earth-sized-planets-that-could-support-life/a-39320490" target="_blank">exoplanets,</a> i.e. planets outside our solar system, have been discovered. As of yet, we don't know what these planets consist of or whether they have atmospheres.</p><p>That's why the <a href="https://sci.esa.int/web/cheops/" target="_blank">CHEOPS mission of the European Space Agency (ESA)</a> is preparing to investigate some of the known exoplanets in more detail.</p>
Measuring the Light Intensity of Stars
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjE5MTUzNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NzEyOTA1OH0.gwA3_rET5YtID6VnlctxOzJRf79WnRzOCHnj5sIEnXo/img.jpg?width=980" id="e7642" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="86838a7d686624bcd566e823c74cf6fb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>CHEOPS stands for "CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite," a satellite for the exploration of exoplanets. Despite the fact that exoplanets are incredibly far away from us (far outside our solar system, orbiting around distant stars), the mission is actually not that expensive.</p><p>"CHEOPS is a small mission in terms of scope, cost and also in terms of the time it takes to develop the mission," says Kate Isaak, a scientific coordinator of CHEOPS. "The mission is to measure the size of planets orbiting nearby suns."</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjE5MTUzNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTcxMzUzM30.cCVBNNCuBCxK-BDmjWT_HgMPcTUTkmx4SIXwTXYMjXk/img.jpg?width=980" id="50634" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cd12848eb95b28e252631700fc170531" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>And this is how it works: when a planet passes a star on its orbit, the star's light becomes darker for a short time. This is like a small solar eclipse that can be observed by CHEOPS.</p><p>And even if the same planet is placed behind the star from the point of the observer, it reflects the light of the star back. CHEOPS can still see that, too. Astronomers can compute the size of the planet from the attenuation of the light. And the light reflections emitted by the planet itself provide clues as to whether, for example, it has an atmosphere.</p>
A Closer Look at Known Exoplanets
<p>"By combining the size of the planets with their mass, something we can measure with telescopes on Earth, we learn a lot about the composition of the planets and their evolution," says Isaak.</p><p>All these differences are, of course, very small, since the stars and planets observed are several light years away. In order to be able to measure them at all, any disturbance must be excluded.</p><p>That's the reason why such observations are best made using space-based telescopes rather than those on Earth. The Earth's atmosphere would simply get in the way. CHEOPS is designed to target planets that are larger than Earth and smaller than Neptune.</p>Will CHEOPS Find Aliens?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjE5MTUzOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDQ5NTcxNX0.lBqib6i7kz4pC-54HrMG8aARzD5bPKnP087bT1J6CWM/img.jpg?width=980" id="7e8bd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b0cd3b54bd1a7aa0e7a8367083f40733" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>The mission will take three and a half years. But, this time, the question of all questions will not be answered.</p><p>"The question of whether we are alone in the universe is certainly one of the most fundamental questions ever," says Isaak. But CHEOPS will not get that far. "Other satellites have shown that there are planets beyond our solar system. So it is clear that there are exoplanets. What we want to show now is what these smaller rock planets are like and how they evolve."</p><p>After all, it should be possible to identify at least some planets on which extraterrestrial life is at least conceivable.</p><p>"What we are looking for now are the best planetary candidates for future exploration by other satellites such as the James Webb Space Telescope or by observatories [such as the European Southern Observatory (ESO)] in South America. From there, we can study the atmospheres of these candidates and search for molecules characteristic of the presence of life." </p>Modular Research Satellite Design
<p>In addition to the scientific findings that the CHEOPS mission will provide, the ESA looking for ways of making research satellites cheaper. The satellite developers have come up with new technologies for this purpose.</p><p>"Satellites are very expensive and very complex to build. And these programs always take a very long time," says Richard Southworth of the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC). He is responsible for controlling the CHEOPS satellite.</p><p>"With CHEOPS, the idea was to see if we could do it better, a little faster and less costly. We have tried to keep the probe relatively simple and above all to use parts that have flown on other missions before. These components will then be less expensive and more reliable because they have already been tested."</p><p>ESA also saves on the transport of the probe into space: CHEOPS flies on a Soyuz rocket as cargo. So the project shares the travel costs with another — in this case an Italian — satellite.</p><p>And even if the satellite is already in the sky, there is still an opportunity to reduce costs. The CHEOPS researchers use the flying telescope only 80 percent of the time. The rest of the time others can rent it for their own research. </p>Scrapping Already Firmly Scheduled
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjE5MTU0MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MDg1MDI0NX0.JsVJuNFsh-eaiGU29Y_6CTq-eaanG5--kX0xCG_cDOk/img.jpg?width=980" id="91306" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0639d4915814601201f2f1469b4ec52c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>The research itself will then begin after a test period of several months. But what happens to CHEOPS when the project is finished?</p><p>"It's planned to operate for three and a half years," says satellite controller Southworth. "But the design of the satellite should ensure that we could also fly for five years if there is money and interest. In the end, we deactivate the satellite and initiate de-orbiting."</p><p>The satellite will first be switched into a passive mode so that it can no longer interfere with radio signals or other satellites.</p><p>"Finally, we will also make an orbit correction. This will lead to the satellite's safe return to Earth. That means CHEOPS won't become space debris in the long run."</p><p>In the end, the probe will burn and disintegrate when entering the earth's atmosphere.</p>
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The universe is expanding much quicker than previously thought, according to researchers in Germany, leading scientists to suggest it may be more than 2 billion years younger than past estimates.
<p>Its age may have to be trimmed to less than 12 billion years, rather than prior projections of 13.8 billion.</p><p>Astrophysicists approximate the age of the universe by using the movement of stars to calculate how fast it is expanding. If the universe is expanding faster than previously thought, that means it got to its current size quicker and therefore must be younger.</p><p>"We have large uncertainty for how the stars are moving in the galaxy," said Inh Jee of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany and lead author of the study published Thursday in the journal <em>Science</em>.</p><p>Past estimates on the universe's age were based on a Hubble Constant, or expansion rate, of 70. Jee's team of researchers, however, came up with 82.4, which would put the age of the universe at around 11.4 billion years.</p>
Large Margin of Error
<p>However, Jee only used two gravitational lenses for the research, which were all that were available, meaning her margin of error is so large that it's possible the universe could be older than calculated, not younger.</p><p>The limitations has some experts questioning the findings.</p><p>Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb told The Associated Press it was an interesting and unique way to work out the universe's expansion speed, but more information was necessary to add weight to the evidence.</p><p>"It is difficult to be certain of your conclusions if you use a ruler that you don't fully understand," Loeb said.</p><p>Adam Riess, who won a 2011 Nobel Prize for research on the age and expansion rate of the universe, as well as the discovery of "dark energy," told the AFP news agency that Thursday's study lacked accuracy.</p><p>"I don't think this adds much to the present state of affairs. Still, it's nice to see people look for alternative methods," he said.</p>Related Articles Around the Web
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Are you ready to watch the Great American Eclipse of 2017? Will you be in the path of totality? Do you have your safety glasses ready?
Well, however you decide to watch the solar eclipse today, NASA TV will be showing the "Eclipse Across America" with live video of the celestial event. The feed is already live with lots of handy information about today's unprecedented eclipse. So be sure to watch above.
Enjoy!
The Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017: What, When, How? https://t.co/Uv2wrmMkFm @TheScienceGuy @ScienceNewsOrg— EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)1502409307.0
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This enhanced-color image of Jupiter's Great Red Spot was created by citizen scientist Jason Major using data from the JunoCam imager on NASA's Juno spacecraft. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Jason Major
NASA's Juno spacecraft captured stunning images of Jupiter's Great Red Spot during its Monday flyby, revealing never-before-seen details of the giant planet's famous feature.
The storm is the largest and most powerful in our solar system and has been monitored since 1830.
<p>"For hundreds of years scientists have been observing, wondering and theorizing about Jupiter's Great Red Spot," <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-s-juno-spacecraft-spots-jupiter-s-great-red-spot" target="_blank">said</a> Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. "Now we have the best pictures ever of this iconic storm." </p><p>The images were released in a raw format early Wednesday and citizen scientists quickly jumped at the opportunity to process them and provide a higher level of detail. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy85OTc1NzQ4L29yaWdpbi5qcGciLCJleHBpcmVzX2F0IjoxNjc0MDE4NTAzfQ.y7bu53bp31ypOiTDE6ZDNi-0ErKTfPiNKeQJDdCi66k/img.jpg?width=980" id="eaffe" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9bb06789690f0032479130038121a601" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><small placeholder="add caption..." class="image-media media-caption">NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin Gill</small></p><p>"I have been following the Juno mission since it launched," Jason Major, a citizen scientist and a graphic designer from Warwick, Rhode Island, said. "It is always exciting to see these new raw images of Jupiter as they arrive. But it is even more thrilling to take the raw images and turn them into something that people can appreciate. That is what I live for."<br></p><p>The flyby on Monday was the closest any spacecraft has come to the Great Red Spot, which is about 10,159 miles in width, or 1.3 times as wide as Earth. </p><p>NASA said Juno passed as close as 2,200 miles above the planet's cloud tops around July 10 at 6:55 p.m. PDT. A little more than 11 minutes later, Juno covered another 24,713 miles and was passing directly above the Great Red Spot itself. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy85OTc1NzQ2L29yaWdpbi5qcGciLCJleHBpcmVzX2F0IjoxNjQ3NzUwODczfQ.i4B5D3YYyhLIWPJyQ1PN7r7tiBwOkcEbNlaF61eIdYs/img.jpg?width=980" id="e9635" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b89f8d8a01e6314ea31d5889cbe0f784" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><small placeholder="add caption..." class="image-media media-caption">NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt</small></p><p><span></span>"These highly-anticipated images of Jupiter's Great Red Spot are the 'perfect storm' of art and science. With data from Voyager, Galileo, New Horizons, Hubble and now Juno, we have a better understanding of the composition and evolution of this iconic feature," said Jim Green, NASA's director of planetary science. "We are pleased to share the beauty and excitement of space science with everyone."</p><p>More information about NASA's Juno mission can be found <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/main/index.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p>
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Stephen Hawking repeated his warning that humanity needs to leave Earth and colonize the moon, Mars or other planets in order for our species to survive the impending doom of climate change.
"We have given our planet the disastrous gift of climate change ... When we we have reached similar crises there has usually been somewhere else to colonize ... But there is no new world, no utopia around the corner," he said. "We are running out of space, and the only places to go to are other worlds."
<p>"It is time to explore other solar systems," Hawking continued. "Spreading out may be the only thing that saves us from ourselves. I am convinced that humans need to leave Earth." </p><p>Space travel would "elevate humanity," he noted. </p><p><span></span>The renowned physicist made the remarks Wednesday at the Starmus arts and science festival in Norway. </p><p>At the event, Hawking criticized <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" target="_blank">President Donald Trump</a>'s decision to pull the U.S. out of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris climate agreement</a>, saying "I am not <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-denier">denying</a> the importance of fighting climate change and global warming, unlike Donald Trump, who may just have taken the most serious, and wrong, decision on climate change this world has seen."</p><p>The professor is working with Russian billionaire Yuri Milner's <a href="https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/Initiative/3" target="_blank">Breakthrough Starshot</a> initiative to send a fleet of laser-powered "nano craft" into space. </p><p>"Such a system could reach Mars in less than an hour, reach Pluto in days, pass Voyager [the space probe launched in 1977] in under a week, and reach Alpha Centauri in just over 20 years," he <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/stephen-hawking-second-earth-spacecraft-travel-20-years-star-chip-breakthrough-star-shot-a7800991.html" target="_blank">said</a>. "Once there, the nano craft could image any planets discovered in the system, test for magnetic fields and organic molecules, and send the data back to Earth in another laser beam."</p><p>The scheme is "a real opportunity for man to make early forays into outer space, with a view to probing and weighing the possibilities of colonization," he said.</p><p>Hawking also <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40345048" target="_blank">urged</a> world leaders to send astronauts to the moon by 2020, build a lunar base in 30 years and to send people to Mars by 2025. </p><p>"Spreading out into space will completely change the future of humanity," he said. "I hope it would unite competitive nations in a single goal, to face the common challenge for us all."<br></p>
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Stephen Hawking Plans Trip to Space, Says Trump Should Replace Pruitt as EPA Head
20 March 2017
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Professor Stephen Hawking could one day realize his dream of space travel thanks to Virgin founder and space-enthusiast Richard Branson.
"I have already completed a zero gravity flight which allowed me to float weightless, but my ultimate ambition is to fly into space," Hawking told host Piers Morgan of "Good Morning Britain" on Monday. "I thought no one would take me but Richard Branson has offered me a seat on Virgin Galactic and I said yes immediately."
<p>Branson's spaceflight company aims to provide suborbital spaceflights to space tourists. However, the venture has faced a number of delays, including a <a href="http://www.space.com/4863-report-cites-rocketship-builder-explosion-inquiry.html" target="_blank">fatal explosion</a> in 2007 during a ground test and test flight <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/oct/31/spaceshiptwo-richard-branson-virgin-crash-mojave" target="_blank">crash</a> in 2014. (Might I suggest that if Branson cannot offer the stars to Hawking, maybe <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/elon-musk" target="_blank">Elon Musk</a>'s SpaceX can?)</p><p>"My three children have brought me great joy—and I can tell you what will make me happy, to travel in space," Hawking said. </p><div id="7d12f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="EOTSVS1524750156"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="843803661067337732" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">FULL INTERVIEW:
Prof Stephen Hawking on Trump, climate change, feminism, Brexit, robots, space travel & Marilyn.
https://t.co/sSQamLgrae</div> — Piers Morgan (@Piers Morgan)<a href="https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/statuses/843803661067337732">1490013444.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The 75-year-old theoretical physicist and cosmologist was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis lateral sclerosis (ALS) when he was 21. </p><p><span></span>Hawking actually wrote about Branson's offer in a 2016 article published in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/sep/26/i-think-the-human-race-has-no-future-if-it-doesnt-go-to-space" target="_blank">Guardian</a>:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"I believe in the possibility of commercial space travel—for exploration and for the preservation of humanity. I believe that life on Earth is at an ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as a sudden nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus, or other dangers. I think the human race has no future if it doesn't go to space. We need to inspire the next generation to become engaged in space and in science in general, to ask questions: What will we find when we go to space? Is there alien life, or are we alone? What will a sunset on Mars look like?"</p><p>Also in the interview, Hawking discussed <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" target="_blank">President Donald Trump</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a>.</p><div id="a69ee" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="MOR3H71524750156"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="737766897693937664" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Stephen Hawking: One Thing Threatens Us More Than Donald Trump ... Climate Change https://t.co/SDpsKZL3MH @tcktcktck @globalgreen</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/737766897693937664">1464732310.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The renowned scientist said that Trump's promise of the controversial <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-mexico-wall-wildlife-2315267998.html">border wall</a> and the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-dakota-access-pipeline-2211697835.html">sanctioning</a> of the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/keystone-xl">Keystone XL</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/dakota-access-pipeline">Dakota Access</a> pipelines are designed to "satisfy [Trump's] electorate, who are neither liberal nor that well-informed."<br></p><p>Not only that, Hawking said that Trump should replace <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/scott-pruitt">Scott Pruitt</a> as the head of the U.S. Environment Protection Agency because he is "a man who does not believe that carbon dioxide causes <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a>."</p><p><span></span>"Climate change is one of the great dangers we face, and it's one we can prevent," Hawking said. "It affects America badly, so tackling it should win votes for [Trump's] second term—God forbid."</p><div id="f6d0f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="CJ2Q2P1524750157"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="840335239016808448" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">EPA Chief Denies CO2 as Primary Driver of Climate Change https://t.co/gHj2KJDrQm @tcktcktck @OneWorld_News</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/840335239016808448">1489186508.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Hawking commented that the current administration's seemingly anti-science agenda has made him feel unwelcome. </p><p>"I have many friends and colleagues [in the U.S.] and it is still a place I like and admire in many ways," he said, "but I fear that I may not be welcome."</p><p>Hawking has said similar remarks before. He <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/stephen-hawking-one-thing-threatens-us-more-than-donald-trump-climate--1891149035.html" target="_blank">called</a> then-candidate Trump a "demagogue, who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator."</p><p>And during a lecture last year, he predicted that humanity has only 1,000 years left on Earth and we must find another planet to live on. </p><p>"[W]e must ... continue to go into space for the future of humanity," professor Hawking <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/professor-stephen-hawking-humanity-wont-survive-1000-years-on-earth-a7417366.html" target="_blank">said</a>. <span></span>"I don't think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet."</p>
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