New Mars Lander Pics Suggest Ice Below
June 1, 2008
Sharp new images received Saturday from the Phoenix lander largely convinced scientists that the spacecraft’s thrusters had uncovered a large patch of ice just below the Martian surface, team members said.
That bodes well for the mission’s main goal of digging for ice that can be tested for evidence of organic compounds that are the chemical building blocks of life.
Team members had said Friday that photos showing the ground beneath the lander suggested the vehicle was resting on splotches of ice. Washington University scientist Ray Arvidson said the spacecraft’s thrusters may have blown away dirt covering the ice when the robot landed one week ago.
Space station’s toilet begins to fail, panic sinking in
May 29, 2008
You think it’s bad when computers on the International Space Station get spazzed — just imagine the chaos when the primary commode decides to stop functioning correctly. As of now, crew members are being forced to urinate in a “jury-rigged system” that’s connected to the seven-year old (!!!) can, but thankfully, the solid waste collecting part has yet to act up. Still, we can imagine that folks on board are already fearing the worst. NASA officials have stated that they are currently mulling the idea of tossing a few parts on the Discovery just before it lifts off next week for a planned docking trip, which we can only hope pans out. Godspeed just took on a whole new meaning.
Via Engadget
Watch Mars Phoenix lander coverage live today
May 25, 2008
Live coverage of the Phoenix landing on Mars begins at 6 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 25 @ NASA TV
According to Michael Learmonth of Silicon Valley Insider, starting at 6 PM EST today, people can head to NASA
