The 1,025-kilogram rover is powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, fueled by heat from decaying plutonium, which should help it avoid a dust-laden fate such as prematurely ended the missions of its solar-powered predecessors Opportunity and Spirit; but getting up and running as soon as possible after the landing is still crucial. The rover has an ambitious amount of science to conduct in its primary mission lasting one Martian year (two Earth years).
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The very first thing Perseverance will do after landing is to fire some pyrotechnic devices, releasing the covers on cameras on board the rover. It will then take images in front and behind the rover and send those back to Earth via NASA’s orbiting Mars Odyssey spacecraft and Europe’s Trace Gas Orbiter. After that?
In case you are keeping track:
LSU physics graduate students invited to present space radiation research at SpaceX | News |
ESA welcomes parastronauts: In space we′re all disabled | Science| In-depth reporting on science
As part of a selection process for new astronauts, the European Space Agency is recruiting individuals with disabilities to be a parastronaut, with the hopes of eventually heading to space.
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The European Space Agency (ESA) announced this week that it will be looking for a physically disabled candidate as one of its new astronauts selected during the 2021-2022 recruitment cycle.
"We all witness people with various disabilities or let's say differently abled people taking their place in society: in politics, on our TV screens. We've all marveled at the Paralympians," said David Parker, Director of Human and Robotic Exploration at ESA. "We already have people working at ESA who have disabilities, and we need more of them to join us."
New Space Age hampered by old technology | COMMENTARY - Baltimore Sun
The world is entering an exciting new Space Age. Where once the superpowers competed in a space race to the moon, today commercial companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are finding new business models to finally realize the economic value of space.
As private companies dominate the economic market for low-earth orbit, the government is rightfully looking to the Moon and beyond. New ambitious missions are being planned today to send larger probes beyond the confine of our solar system, all the way to interstellar regions — all of which will provide us with unprecedented knowledge about our universe and worlds to explore.
While you're here, how about this:
When the 'Mars' mission commander breaks new ground — Commander's Report: sol 6 | Space
Dr. Michaela Musilova is the director of Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation ( HI-SEAS ) program, which conducts analog missions to the moon and Mars for scientific research at a habitat on the volcano Mauna Loa. Currently, she is in command of the two-week Valoria 2 mission and contributed this report to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights .
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During a typical lunar or martian mission at HI-SEAS, I spend the first few days training my new crewmembers. I try to use only an empowerment leadership style, allowing my crewmembers to embrace being analog astronauts without micromanagement. As long as the crew respects several important rules during our mission, I almost never need to enforce any kind of authority on the crew. Instead, we usually get along very well and everyone respects the guidelines that I put in place for every
It's not rocket science: The importance of psychology in space travel | The Independent
efore I went to space , I made a cassette with 90 minutes of music from every continent on Earth," recalls Reinhold Ewald, a German physicist who spent 20 days on the International Space Station in 1997. In the hour and a half it took him to complete his orbit, he would watch the planet pass below him and listen to its people's music. This timeout was a perfect way to decompress from his high-pressure job, far from his family and normal hobbies.
Over the past year, all of us have experienced some form of isolation due to coronavirus restrictions and the mental health issues it can create. But while those of us locked down on Earth can at least get out the house for a change of scenery, space travellers have no escape from their cramped quarters.
European Space Agency: Astronaut recruitment drive for greater diversity - BBC News
The European Space Agency says it wants to recruit someone with a disability as part of its call for new astronauts.
The search for a potential flier with additional functional needs will be run in parallel to the main call.
"To be absolutely clear, we're not looking to hire a space tourist that happens also to have a disability," said Dr David Parker, the director of Esa's robotics and human spaceflight programme.
"To be very explicit, this individual would do a meaningful space mission. So, they would need to do the science; they would need to participate in all the normal operations of the International Space Station (ISS).
Seattle startup founder lobbies for seat on SpaceX craft that will take civilian crew to orbit
The founder of a bootstrapped Seattle startup who launched his company on Kickstarter is looking to hitch a ride to space with a tech billionaire, and he's using a video on Twitter to plead his case.
Austin Hirsh, the 23-year-old University of Washington graduate and founder of The 2050 Company , wants to be in one of four available seats when SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft heads to orbit, possibly as early as this year. The civilian space mission , called Inspiration4, is being bankrolled in part by Jared Isaacman, the 37-year-old founder and CEO of Pennsylvania-based Shift4 Payments . Isaacman is a trained jet pilot who will serve as commander.
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In the fight for #VaccinEquity, @DrTedros called on all countries to start vaccinating #healthworkers and those at… https://t.co/L6RCYuVhHp WHO (from Geneva, Switzerland) Thu Feb 18 11:57:21 +0000 2021
When asked by @SavannahGuthrie on @TODAYshow about the timeline for school reopenings, @VP says the "goal" is for m… https://t.co/lsaKKznI3H kwelkernbc (from Washington, D.C.) Wed Feb 17 12:39:58 +0000 2021
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