Wednesday 18 October 2017

Space greens beat the blues

more »
Where people will go in the cosmos, plants will go, say researchers in a new report. Plants may also play a key role in maintaining the psychological well-being of space crews. The next frontier of space plant experimentation is to examine the psychological impact of plant life on astronauts.
via Science Daily
Zazzle Space Exploration market place

Solar eruptions could electrify Martian moons

more »
Powerful solar eruptions could electrically charge areas of the Martian moon Phobos to hundreds of volts, presenting a complex electrical environment that could possibly affect sensitive electronics carried by future robotic explorers, according to a new NASA study. The study also considered electrical charges that could develop as astronauts transit the surface on potential human missions to Phobos.
via Science Daily
Zazzle Space Exploration market place

A mission to Mars could make its own oxygen thanks to plasma technology

more »
Plasma technology could hold the key to creating a sustainable oxygen supply on Mars, a new study has found. It suggests that Mars, with its 96 per cent carbon dioxide atmosphere, has nearly ideal conditions for creating oxygen from CO2 through a process known as decomposition.
via Science Daily
Zazzle Space Exploration market place

How bright is the moon, really?

more »
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is planning to take new measurements of the Moon's brightness, a highly useful property that satellites rely upon every day.
via Science Daily
Zazzle Space Exploration market place

Potential human habitat located on the moon

more »
A new study confirms the existence of a large open lava tube in the Marius Hills region of the moon, which could be used to protect astronauts from hazardous conditions on the surface.
via Science Daily
Zazzle Space Exploration market place

Looking for microbe 'fingerprints' on simulated Martian rocks

more »
Scientists are searching for unique bio-signatures left on synthetic extraterrestrial minerals by microbial activity. A new paper describes investigations into these signatures at a miniaturized 'Mars farm' where researchers can observe interactions between the archaeon Metallosphaera sedula and Mars-like rocks. These microbes are capable of oxidizing and integrating metals into their metabolism.
via Science Daily
Zazzle Space Exploration market place