Tag: Mars
NASA makes Star Trek joke after finding ‘dune footprint’ on Mars
NASA scientists tweeted a Star Trek joke after a photo was captured of a “dune footprint” on the surface of Mars that looks similar to the Starfleet insignia from the hit sci-fi TV show. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) took images of a series of the chevron shapes in the Hellas Planitia area of the…
NASA moves a step closer to flying a helicopter on Mars in 2021
A helicopter that is set to fly on Mars in 2021 has completed its first test flight, American space agency NASA has revealed. Exploration on other planets has long been restricted to rovers on the ground, but engineers are making progress in their ambitious plans to launch a drone-like device into the skies above the…
Mars lander starts digging on red planet
NASA's newest Mars lander has started digging into the red planet, but hit a few snags, scientists said. The German drilling instrument on the InSight lander struck what appeared to be a couple of stones. It only managed to burrow between half a foot (18cm) and about 1.5ft (50cm), far short of the first dig’s…
NASA declares Mars rover Opportunity dead after 15 years on red planet
NASA’s longest-running rover on Mars, Opportunity, has been pronounced dead – 15 years after it landed on the red planet. The six-wheeled vehicle was built to operate for just three months. After 800+ attempts to contact @MarsRovers Opportunity, today we’re announcing the end of a successful Martian mission. Intended to explore the Red Planet for…
SpaceX founder Elon Musk reveals assembled Starship test rocket
Space X and Tesla Founder Elon Musk has revealed images of his assembled Starship hopper test rocket, as the entrepreneur continues to explore ways of one day sending people to places as far as Mars. The SpaceX founder shared the first real images of the prototype from its Texas launch site, telling Twitter followers it…
2018 Space Exploration highlights – Space X test flight, NASA InSight Mars landing
Mankind’s curiosity to see what lies beyond planet Earth progressed further in 2018, with a number of successful missions and test flights that could see ordinary folk blast off on rockets within a few years. However, the year in which NASA turned 60 and the International Space Station (ISS) celebrated its 20th anniversary didn’t go…
Winter Wonderland! Giant ice-filled crater on Mars photographed by ESA
An 82 kilometre-wide crater on Mars that is topped with snow has been photographed by the ESA’s (European Space Agency) Mars Express. The stunning untrodden snow scene comes as the mission prepares to celebrate 15-years since it entered the Red Planet’s orbit on Christmas Day. Korolev, as the crater is known, is thought to be…
NASA employees celebrate InSight Mars probe landing with elaborate handshake!
NASA's latest probe, InSight, made a successful landing on the red planet on Monday afternoon, triggering delighted celebrations across the globe. When the announcement was made that InSight had landed and the mission was a success, NASA employees were obviously thrilled, with two mission controllers launching into an impressive handshake to celebrate. The uplifting moment…
InSight Mars probe sends selfie back to Earth
NASA has released the first image of the spacecraft InSight from the surface of Mars, after it successfully reached the planet after almost seven months travelling through space. The Mars Odyssey orbiter relayed images of the spacecraft from its landing site, known as Elysium Planitia, at 1.30am GMT. The US space agency tweeted one photograph, showing part…
Tesla’s Elon Musk says there’s a ‘70% chance’ he will go to Mars
Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk has reiterated his hopes of personally travelling to Mars, claiming there is a “70% chance” he will go to the red planet. In a new interview for the Axios on HBO documentary series, he said a “recent number of breakthroughs” had been made that excited him, and which he…
