NASA's Mars helicopter flies - NOT amateur radio

NASA has successfully test flown its helicopter on Mars.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56799755 .

Mars helicopter - NOT amateur radio

Southgate News has a report about the helicopter on the latest NASA Mars lander.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2021/april/mars-helicopter-flight-delayed-to-no-earlier-than-april-14.htm#.YHQk6SjYrrc

See https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter .

Smaller? - NOT amateur radio

Today we bought some compost from a local hardware store. 

My wife bought me a Mars chocolate bar. It says 51g. To me it seems far smaller than I remember. Is this the way they are charging us the same, but actually selling less? 

UAE Mars orbiter - NOT amateur radio

Mars will one day be explored by humans. For now, we have oribiting satellites and robots on the surface. The recent UAE satellite has been put in an orbit around the red planet.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56060890

The Moon and Mars - NOT amateur radio

It seems amazing that man first went to the Moon in 1969, even before I had started work. Whether I will ever again see man on the Moon, or even Mars, in my lifetime is uncertain. It would not surprise me if the Chinese did it first!

I see the USA is looking for commercial companies to get involved, presumably to save money.

See https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-announces-new-partnerships-for-commercial-lunar-payload-delivery-services

Mars landing - NOT amateur radio

Landing probes on Mars seems to be fraught with problems, so I just hope this latest mission goes as planned. It must be those pesky green men!

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46333459 .

UPDATE 2133z: It looks like it successfully landed.

Men to Mars? - NOT amateur radio

SpaceX test fires its big Falcon Heavy rocket next week. There are ideas to put men on Mars using this. There is a fair chance the launch will fail, apparently.

See https://gizmodo.com/spacexs-best-hope-for-sending-people-to-mars-will-launc-1822638923 .

Bringing back Martian samples to Earth - NOT amateur radio

Apparently there is a race on between the USA and China to bring back Martian soil samples to Earth.

See http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/moon-mars/a14506608/united-states-china-racing-first-sample-from-mars/

Mars - NOT amateur radio

I think a manned expedition to Mars is unlikely in my lifetime. It still seems amazing that the first Moon landing was 1969, before I had started work! That is a long time ago.

For news of Mars, try http://marsnews.com/ .

Mars has fascinated us for a long time. There is little doubt it is a hostile place, but mankind will go there some day. I suspect this will be in the lifetime of my children.

The bigger question is, "is there other intelligent life in the universe?".  CETI has been looking now for over 50 years without success. When (if?) we do detect other life out there, it will be a profound moment. If we are truly alone, we have to ask, "why?".

Life on Mars? - NOT amateur radio

There has long been debate about whether or not primitive life exists on Mars. Now scientists have done some experiments on Earth that suggests life on Mars is indeed possible. Some living things could survive in the harsh conditions on Mars today. Of course this does not prove that life does exist there, just that it could.

See http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Is_Anything_Tough_Enough_to_Survive_on_Mars_999.html

Life on Mars? - NOT amateur radio

See http://www.theworldweekly.com/reader/view/magazine/2014-12-18/there-may-be-life-on-mars-after-all/2909 .

It is just possible there is life on Mars.

CW from Mars

The latest NASA rover "Curiosity" apparently imprints JPL in CW on the Martian surface as a result of its tyre pattern. See http://www.tyrepress.com/News/OFFBEAT/25967.html . If I recall correctly my callsign is on a microchip on "Curiosity" (see post last autumn).

G3XBM is off to Mars

NASA is collecting names to be put on a microchip that'll be on the Mars Science Laboratory rover heading to Mars in autumn 2011. The rover has special CW indentations on its wheels spelling out  JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory).

To add your name/callsign go to http://marsparticipate.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/sendyourname/