Monday, September 28, 2020
Sensors for Moon,Mars Landings to be Tested
A NASA-developed sensor suite and new computer will soon be tested in the course of a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket mission.The flight path of the rocket is relevant to lunar landings, NASA said, and it provides a unique opportunity to mature the suite's sensors and algorithms for Artemis crewed lunar landings by 2024 and Mars crewed landings in the 2030s.Blue Origin was chosen for a Tipping Point award in 2018 to increase access to planetary surfaces.
The sensors and specialised software were produced under the Safe and Precise Landing Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) programme.The New Shepard flight test will demonstrate the performance of two NASA precision landing sensor systems and the new computer in the first integrated test for the computer and two of the three SPLICE sensor systems.*
During the approximately 12-minute mission,SPLICE will collect data on the operations of each component so the team can evaluate their effectiveness during the lunar-relevant descent and landing of the New Shepard reusable booster back on Earth.The data will anchor analyses and models,and support follow-on adjustments, testing and development.*
Precision landing is crucial for the upcoming Artemis effort to build a lunar base over successive missions.So the test flight will help to bring about flexible,next-gen capabilities that NASA and its partners can apply to a variety of missions, NASA pointed out.The components can be mixed and matched to suit the mission.*
A 24 September 2020 launch attempt had to be scrubbed, and the new launch date is pending.Blue Origin is a privately held company owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.Its New Shepard rocket has flown 11 successful missions with landings.*
Friday, September 25, 2020
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Monday, September 21, 2020
5.1. ASTROBIO - What makes a Planet Habitable? - Professor Charles Cockell, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh
Please note that some scientists recently detect a biosignature for life in the atmosphere of Venus, not on its surface.This is perhaps one of the exceptions Dr.Cockell cautions us about, giving the example of Jupiter's moon Europa.We should not be closed-minded in our search for extraterrestrial life.The necessary conditions for at least primitive life could possibly be in an atmosphere as well.
- Andrew Taylor
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