The Big Space Exploration Thread

[VelesHomais]

I'm sure there are many people who are interested in exploration of the Solar System. With NASA running so many awesome missions: Opportunity and Spirit rovers, Cassini–Huygens interplanetary exploration, New Horizons (can't wait till 2015!), Constellation (if Obama doesn't screw it up entirely) etc. we have lots to discuss.

Please, no conspiracy crap in this thread. Let's keep it scientific as well as post awesome pictures. News from space agencies all over the world are welcome as well.

[desertpunk]

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[VelesHomais]

That's exactly the kind of posts I'd like to avoid here. This is about human exploration of the Solar System. Besides, Obama is endangering just the Constellation mission, everything else will go ahead as planned.

[VelesHomais]

NEW HORIZONS

One of the most exciting ongoing missions. It's a robotic spacecraft that is currently flying at the speed of 16.26 km PER SECOND to Pluto, the outermost planet of the Solar System, which has never been studied, we don't even have a single decent picture of Pluto to-date. It's going to study Pluto and three of its moons: Hydra, Nix and Charon. Once this mission is completed it will most likely go on to study outer Kuiper Belt Objects!

It was launched in 2006 and will reach Pluto on July 14, 2015. It has already done a lot of fascinating science along its way.

Original short trailer

[Xusein]

Just a bit further from halfway to Pluto!

[gladisimo]

I just hate to see the Shuttle go. I know times have moved on and shuttles are outdated, but the new rockets don't look nearly as cool as the shuttles did (purely an aesthetic pov, obviously NASA chose they did for economical and practical reasons).

Otherwise, I really hope we'll achieve some sort of FTL travel (ha), since it's not going to be easy traveling significantly faster than we do now without going FTL.

[VelesHomais]

There are plenty of Shuttle replacement concepts developed around the world though. Ukraine is developing an unmanned spacecraft to launch stuff into space, it will cut costs down by 90% in comparison to the shuttle. But that's like 15-20 years away.

[VelesHomais]

Mars exploration rovers footage and every kind of piece of information can be found here
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/daily.cfm

[VelesHomais]

This Tuesday (in a few hours, literally) the closest ever exploration of Rhea will occur!

Cassini-Huygens is one of the most fascinating spacecraft explorations happening right now. It's a mission that will probably last altogether for 20 years. It was launched in 1997 and has given us some of the (and often THE) best glimpses into other worlds, such as Titan.



Cassini will fly towards Rhea examining it on a path of collision and will make an abrupt turn when it's just 100 km away from the surface.

So expect some awesome pictures in a few days.

-------------------------------------------------------

This is just a bonus, amazing picture by Cassini of Enceladus (one of the places where life possibly exists) and Saturn (the big body). Notice plumes of water ice spewing out of Enceladus. In the future we will take samples of them looking for evidence of life that may exist in the ocean under the surface.


Detailed view

[Fallout]

Originally Posted by VelesHomais

In the future we will take samples of them looking for evidence of life that may exist in the ocean under the surface.

[VelesHomais]

The Crab Nebula

The Crab Nebula, the result of a supernova noted by Earth-bound chroniclers in 1054 A.D., is filled with mysterious filaments that are are not only tremendously complex, but appear to have less mass than expelled in the original supernova and a higher speed than expected from a free explosion. The Crab Nebula spans about 10 light-years. In the nebula's very center lies a pulsar: a neutron star as massive as the Sun but with only the size of a small town. The Crab Pulsar rotates about 30 times each second.

[VelesHomais]

Top 5 Bets for Extraterrestrial Life in the Solar System





1. Enceladus
The sixth-largest moon of Saturn has been called the most promising bet for life thanks to its welcoming temperature and the likely presence of water and simple organic molecules. The surface of the icy moon is thought to be about 99 percent water ice, with a good chance of liquid water beneath. Observations from the Cassini probe’s 2005 flyby of Enceladus suggest the presence of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen — organic molecules thought to be necessary to develop life. And the moon seems to have a boiling core of molten rock that could heat the world to the toasty temperatures needed to give rise to life.



2. Europa
Jupiter’s moon Europa also seems a possible stomping ground for E.T. due to its potential water and volcanic activity. Though the surface seems to be frozen, many suspect that buried underneath is an ocean of liquid water. Volcanic activity on the moon could provide life-supporting heat, as well as important chemicals needed by living organisms. Microbial life could potentially survive near hydrothermal vents on Europa, as it does on Earth.



3. Mars
As far as planets go, by far the front-runner for life is our next-door neighbor, Mars. The red planet is the most Earth-like of solar system planets, with a comparatively similar size and temperature range as our own planet. Large bodies of water ice lie on Mars’ poles, and there’s a reasonable chance of liquid water beneath the surface. The puny atmosphere on the planet is not strong enough to shield the planet against lethal solar radiation, though microbes could potentially exist beneath the surface. Evidence also suggests that Mars may have been even more habitable in the past. Geologic features imply that liquid water once flowed across the surface, and volcanic activity, now dead, once flourished, recycling chemicals and minerals between the surface and the interior.



4. Titan
Saturn’s largest moon looks suspiciously like it might have hosted life, because its thick atmosphere is rich in compounds that often mark the presence of living organisms. For instance, Titan’s air is filled with methane, which is usually destroyed by sunlight. On Earth, life constantly replenishes methane, so it might similarly be responsible for the methane on Titan. Titan is rather cold, however, and if liquid water exists, it must be deep beneath the frozen surface. P.S. but it does have liquid surface rivers and huge lakes made up of liquid methane.



5. Io
Jupiter’s moon Io is one of the few solar system moons to support an atmosphere, and it contains complex chemicals promising for life. Volcanism on the moon also makes it warmer than many others — another good sign. Io is still a long shot, though, because its location inside Jupiter’s magnetic field means it is constantly being pelted with lethal radiation. Its violent surface also seems inhospitable, with temperatures often too cold to support life, as well as molten hot spots that are equally deadly.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/01/et-life/

[Trelawny]

Originally Posted by VelesHomais

Top 5 Bets for Extraterrestrial Life in the Solar System





1. Enceladus
The sixth-largest moon of Saturn has been called the most promising bet for life thanks to its welcoming temperature and the likely presence of water and simple organic molecules. The surface of the icy moon is thought to be about 99 percent water ice, with a good chance of liquid water beneath. Observations from the Cassini probe’s 2005 flyby of Enceladus suggest the presence of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen — organic molecules thought to be necessary to develop life. And the moon seems to have a boiling core of molten rock that could heat the world to the toasty temperatures needed to give rise to life.



2. Europa
Jupiter’s moon Europa also seems a possible stomping ground for E.T. due to its potential water and volcanic activity. Though the surface seems to be frozen, many suspect that buried underneath is an ocean of liquid water. Volcanic activity on the moon could provide life-supporting heat, as well as important chemicals needed by living organisms. Microbial life could potentially survive near hydrothermal vents on Europa, as it does on Earth.



3. Mars
As far as planets go, by far the front-runner for life is our next-door neighbor, Mars. The red planet is the most Earth-like of solar system planets, with a comparatively similar size and temperature range as our own planet. Large bodies of water ice lie on Mars’ poles, and there’s a reasonable chance of liquid water beneath the surface. The puny atmosphere on the planet is not strong enough to shield the planet against lethal solar radiation, though microbes could potentially exist beneath the surface. Evidence also suggests that Mars may have been even more habitable in the past. Geologic features imply that liquid water once flowed across the surface, and volcanic activity, now dead, once flourished, recycling chemicals and minerals between the surface and the interior.



4. Titan
Saturn’s largest moon looks suspiciously like it might have hosted life, because its thick atmosphere is rich in compounds that often mark the presence of living organisms. For instance, Titan’s air is filled with methane, which is usually destroyed by sunlight. On Earth, life constantly replenishes methane, so it might similarly be responsible for the methane on Titan. Titan is rather cold, however, and if liquid water exists, it must be deep beneath the frozen surface. P.S. but it does have liquid surface rivers and huge lakes made up of liquid methane.



5. Io
Jupiter’s moon Io is one of the few solar system moons to support an atmosphere, and it contains complex chemicals promising for life. Volcanism on the moon also makes it warmer than many others — another good sign. Io is still a long shot, though, because its location inside Jupiter’s magnetic field means it is constantly being pelted with lethal radiation. Its violent surface also seems inhospitable, with temperatures often too cold to support life, as well as molten hot spots that are equally deadly.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/01/et-life/

Cool!! I never heard of Enceladus before. They just need to explore Mars to see if there is any life, we can't just keep looking through microscopes we have to go up.

[skdubai]

Originally Posted by VelesHomais

The Crab Nebula

The Crab Nebula, the result of a supernova noted by Earth-bound chroniclers in 1054 A.D., is filled with mysterious filaments that are are not only tremendously complex, but appear to have less mass than expelled in the original supernova and a higher speed than expected from a free explosion. The Crab Nebula spans about 10 light-years. In the nebula's very center lies a pulsar: a neutron star as massive as the Sun but with only the size of a small town. The Crab Pulsar rotates about 30 times each second.

Spectacular!!!

Very nice thread! I used to watch this documentary called The Universe before. It is quite well made and quite informative! anyone else see it?

[siamu maharaj]

Originally Posted by VelesHomais

The Crab Nebula

The Crab Nebula, the result of a supernova noted by Earth-bound chroniclers in 1054 A.D., is filled with mysterious filaments that are are not only tremendously complex, but appear to have less mass than expelled in the original supernova and a higher speed than expected from a free explosion. The Crab Nebula spans about 10 light-years. In the nebula's very center lies a pulsar: a neutron star as massive as the Sun but with only the size of a small town. The Crab Pulsar rotates about 30 times each second.

Is this pic false-colored (as are most space-related pics)? Coz that makes it a bit unspectacular.

[2co2co]

Video made by me, music made by someone in NicoVideo



SPACE ROCKS!

[VelesHomais]

Originally Posted by siamu maharaj

Is this pic false-colored (as are most space-related pics)? Coz that makes it a bit unspectacular.

I don't know. Almost everything in space is captured by robots of sorts hence why the images don't correspond to the human eye color perception. It all depends which instruments you use to capture it. Don't really see what color has to do with this being spectacular...

[MattTheTubaGuy]

Originally Posted by siamu maharaj

Is this pic false-colored (as are most space-related pics)? Coz that makes it a bit unspectacular.

How does the photo being in false colour, or enhanced colour make it any less spectacular.
some of the most spectacular hubble shots are enhanced colour, which means that one of the RGB bands is a specific wavelength, like the H-alpha, which shows up details not otherwise visible.
most spectacularly coloured images are enhanced colour, because there wouldn't be much of interest just using the normal RGB bands.

APOD (astronomy Picture of the Day), states that this particular image is enhanced colour using three particular wavelengths of light to show up the details, like the stringy filaments.

I think the most interesting thing about the Crab Nebula is that the Supernova that created it is actually recorded by the Chinese and Arabs.

I am currently studying for a BSc. majoring in Physics and Astronomy, and did a course last year about Astronomical Imaging.

[Guest89]

Here is an interesting article:

Ice deposits found at Moon's pole

A radar experiment aboard India's Chandrayaan-1 lunar spacecraft has identified thick deposits of water-ice near the Moon's north pole.

The US space agency's (Nasa) Mini-Sar experiment found more than 40 small craters containing water-ice.

But other compounds - such as hydrocarbons - are mixed up in lunar ice, according to new results from another Moon mission called LCROSS.

The findings were presented at a major planetary science conference in Texas.

The craters with ice range from 2km to 15km (one to nine miles) in diameter; how much there is depends on its thickness in each crater. But Nasa says the ice must be at least a couple of metres thick to give the signature seen by Chandrayaan-1.

Dr Paul Spudis, from the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, estimated there was at least 600 million metric tonnes of water-ice held within these impact craters.

The equivalent amount, expressed as rocket fuel, would be enough to launch one space shuttle per day for 2,200 years, he told journalists at the 41st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

What all these craters have in common are large areas of their interiors that never see sunlight.

Extreme cold

Temperatures in some of these permanently darkened craters can drop as low as 25 Kelvin (-248C; -415F) - colder than the surface of Pluto - allowing water-ice to remain stable.

"It is mostly pure water-ice," said Dr Spudis. "It could be under a few tens of centimetres of dry regolith (lunar soil)."

This protective layer of soil could prevent blocks of pure ice from vaporising even in some areas which are exposed to sunlight, he explained.


To Read More Visit Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8544635.stm

[Rizzato]

good idea for a thread. im always interested in space but never find the information I crave. that Ukrainian shuttle looks futuristic