Latest news with #Conley
The Irish Sun
20-07-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
I was sacked by NASA for telling TRUTH about alien mission – now I fear Mars astronauts won't come home alive
A TOP scientist claims she was sacked by Nasa after raising concerns about alien life on Mars. Catharine Conley, the agency's Planetary Protection Officer from 2006 to 2017, also fears SpaceX astronauts won't come home alive. Advertisement 10 Conley claims the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance was not cleaned properly Credit: Getty 10 An image of Mars's surface taken by the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance Credit: AP 10 Catharine Conley worked as Nasa's Planetary Protection Officer for over a decade until she was sacked Credit: NASA/GSFC/BILL HYRBYK Conley first accused officials at the The rover, Its job is to obtain the samples which will then be collected by a future Mars Sample Return Mission. Advertisement But Conley feared any material eventually flown home could be contaminated - and the whole mission scuppered. She claims she was suddenly removed from the position after speaking out - and suspects it was to silence her concerns. Conley told The Sun: 'Nasa decided they didn't want to do the kind of work that I had been doing. 'They didn't want to continue with the kinds of implementation that they had been doing historically. Advertisement Most read in Science Exclusive Exclusive 'That was not something I thought was a good idea, so they decided they needed someone else for the job. "This was basic planetary protection as it had been done for the prior 50 years or so." Mystery space rock blazing through solar system 'may be oldest comet ever seen' Conley, who now works as a researcher, added: 'The Mars 2020 rover was cleaned in a way that was not compatible with prior levels of cleanliness, in particular regarding the amount of contamination that was getting introduced into the samples that were being collected for return. 'I pointed out that having a 0.1% chance of contaminating any individual sample, when you have 40 samples in total, comes out to a 4 per cent chance of having Earth contamination in the samples you're looking at. Advertisement 'That makes it fairly difficult to be confident that you can distinguish between Earth life and Mars life. 'That was not something that the people at headquarters management wanted to hear and they took the steps that they thought were appropriate.' 10 Mars is the fourth planet away from the sun Credit: Getty 10 Retrieving samples from Mars is one of the most pressing priorities in space exploration Credit: Getty Advertisement Conley claims she had been told of staff being careless when using gloves and protective equipment. She also claimed to have been told of staff bringing equipment into assembly rooms that was not properly cleaned, along with an 'attitude of skepticism I encountered regularly at JPL'. Nasa states on its website that Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover remains an active mission. It landed in February 2021 as part of Nasa's Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign. Advertisement In January the agency said it was hoping to announce plans for the returning of samples in the second half of 2026. But that has been thrown into doubt following Donald Trump's proposed cuts to Nasa, with MSR a casualty . 10 A photo taken by the Mars Perseverance rover of the Malgosa Crest abrasion patch Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech 10 Nasa intends to send a manned mission to Mars some time in the 2030s Credit: Getty Advertisement China is preparing to press ahead with their own plans to return Mars samples. It has scheduled the Tianwen-3 Mars mission for launch in 2028, collecting and bringing samples back by 2031. But Conley still fears the same problem. She said: 'The concerns are similar. I've been looking at some of the reports that have come out about the Chinese proposed missions, and they're saying all the right things to the extent that I can obtain information. Advertisement 'But it is difficult to follow up on what they are actually saying they're doing. 'I certainly had experience within my duties at Nasa of engineers saying one thing and doing something else. 'So it's difficult to know. But if other space agencies are not doing anything more than Nasa did, then I would be surprised if their contamination levels are low enough that you could detect the Mars signal underneath the background from Earth.' Despite the cuts, Trump has proposed no savings on Nasa's plans to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s. Advertisement Nasa's mission to Mars Nasa hopes to send astronauts to Mars as early as the 2030s. The space company has been working to advance its technologies in a bid to send a human crew to the Red Planet. It would take astronauts up to nine months to reach Mars - which even at its closest is 33.9 million miles away. Astronauts could then spend up to 500 days on the planet's surface before returning to Earth - which would take another nine months. The crew would spend their time on the planet collecting data and assessing the planetary alignment that would allow the spacecraft to land and depart from Mars on the same orbit. Last year, the agency completed a year-long simulated mission that saw four crew members out in a replica habitat in Houston, Texas. They logged 378 days in the 1,700-square-foot, 3D-printed habitat called Mars Dune Alpha. But Conley fears that doing so without a sample return mission means a gaping hole in knowledge for what astronauts will encounter. She also questions if astronauts will be allowed home if they fall sick. Conley added: 'Not doing a robotic sample return means we don't have detailed information about what kinds of materials the astronauts are likely to encounter, and possibly bring back to Earth, which could be quite problematic if there is something hazardous in Mars regolith, even if it's not biological. 10 The Mars 2020 mission is collecting samples which will ultimately return to Earth for tests for evidence of alien life Credit: Getty Advertisement 10 The image was captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2008 Credit: NASA 'A question that didn't get answered during Apollo and certainly hasn't been addressed since is: if astronauts get sick after contacting Mars and we can't figure out why, should they be allowed to return? 'The fundamental problem, from my perspective, is overconfidence in thinking that we already know everything we need to know about what could happen, when we don't." Conley also warned of Elon Musk's plans to send a manned crew to Mars through his company, SpaceX. Advertisement She added: 'SpaceX say they're planning to launch humans to Mars, but I have serious doubts about whether anyone would be alive when the spacecraft gets there since SpaceX doesn't seem to be developing long-term life support systems along with their rockets. 'Musk has made numerous claims about when he'll land humans on Mars that are distinctly implausible, at least if he wants the humans to be alive when they get there. Read more on the Irish Sun 'Nasa is much more likely to be careful about preserving astronaut health but, ironically, seems not similarly concerned about protecting the Earth from possible Mars contamination.' The Sun has approached Nasa for a response to Conley's allegations. Advertisement 10
Scottish Sun
20-07-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
I was sacked by NASA for telling TRUTH about alien mission – now I fear Mars astronauts won't come home alive
The astronomer claims Nasa's mission preparation standards are not up to scratch MARS ATTACKS I was sacked by NASA for telling TRUTH about alien mission – now I fear Mars astronauts won't come home alive Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TOP scientist claims she was sacked by Nasa after raising concerns about alien life on Mars. Catharine Conley, the agency's Planetary Protection Officer from 2006 to 2017, also fears SpaceX astronauts won't come home alive. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 Conley claims the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance was not cleaned properly Credit: Getty 10 An image of Mars's surface taken by the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance Credit: AP 10 Catharine Conley worked as Nasa's Planetary Protection Officer for over a decade until she was sacked Credit: NASA/GSFC/BILL HYRBYK Conley first accused officials at the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in California of failing to clean the Mars 2020 rover correctly before its launch. Mars 2020 is Nasa's mission sent to search for samples of the Red Planet to bring home and test for evidence of past or current alien life. The rover, Perseverance, is still crawling around the surface after landing in February 2021. Its job is to obtain the samples which will then be collected by a future Mars Sample Return Mission. But Conley feared any material eventually flown home could be contaminated - and the whole mission scuppered. She claims she was suddenly removed from the position after speaking out - and suspects it was to silence her concerns. Conley told The Sun: 'Nasa decided they didn't want to do the kind of work that I had been doing. 'They didn't want to continue with the kinds of implementation that they had been doing historically. 'That was not something I thought was a good idea, so they decided they needed someone else for the job. "This was basic planetary protection as it had been done for the prior 50 years or so." Mystery space rock blazing through solar system 'may be oldest comet ever seen' Conley, who now works as a researcher, added: 'The Mars 2020 rover was cleaned in a way that was not compatible with prior levels of cleanliness, in particular regarding the amount of contamination that was getting introduced into the samples that were being collected for return. 'I pointed out that having a 0.1% chance of contaminating any individual sample, when you have 40 samples in total, comes out to a 4 per cent chance of having Earth contamination in the samples you're looking at. 'That makes it fairly difficult to be confident that you can distinguish between Earth life and Mars life. 'That was not something that the people at headquarters management wanted to hear and they took the steps that they thought were appropriate.' 10 Mars is the fourth planet away from the sun Credit: Getty 10 Retrieving samples from Mars is one of the most pressing priorities in space exploration Credit: Getty Conley claims she had been told of staff being careless when using gloves and protective equipment. She also claimed to have been told of staff bringing equipment into assembly rooms that was not properly cleaned, along with an 'attitude of skepticism I encountered regularly at JPL'. Nasa states on its website that Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover remains an active mission. It landed in February 2021 as part of Nasa's Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign. In January the agency said it was hoping to announce plans for the returning of samples in the second half of 2026. But that has been thrown into doubt following Donald Trump's proposed cuts to Nasa, with MSR a casualty. 10 A photo taken by the Mars Perseverance rover of the Malgosa Crest abrasion patch Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech 10 Nasa intends to send a manned mission to Mars some time in the 2030s Credit: Getty China is preparing to press ahead with their own plans to return Mars samples. It has scheduled the Tianwen-3 Mars mission for launch in 2028, collecting and bringing samples back by 2031. But Conley still fears the same problem. She said: 'The concerns are similar. I've been looking at some of the reports that have come out about the Chinese proposed missions, and they're saying all the right things to the extent that I can obtain information. 'But it is difficult to follow up on what they are actually saying they're doing. 'I certainly had experience within my duties at Nasa of engineers saying one thing and doing something else. 'So it's difficult to know. But if other space agencies are not doing anything more than Nasa did, then I would be surprised if their contamination levels are low enough that you could detect the Mars signal underneath the background from Earth.' Despite the cuts, Trump has proposed no savings on Nasa's plans to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s. Nasa's mission to Mars Nasa hopes to send astronauts to Mars as early as the 2030s. The space company has been working to advance its technologies in a bid to send a human crew to the Red Planet. It would take astronauts up to nine months to reach Mars - which even at its closest is 33.9 million miles away. Astronauts could then spend up to 500 days on the planet's surface before returning to Earth - which would take another nine months. The crew would spend their time on the planet collecting data and assessing the planetary alignment that would allow the spacecraft to land and depart from Mars on the same orbit. Last year, the agency completed a year-long simulated mission that saw four crew members out in a replica habitat in Houston, Texas. They logged 378 days in the 1,700-square-foot, 3D-printed habitat called Mars Dune Alpha. But Conley fears that doing so without a sample return mission means a gaping hole in knowledge for what astronauts will encounter. She also questions if astronauts will be allowed home if they fall sick. Conley added: 'Not doing a robotic sample return means we don't have detailed information about what kinds of materials the astronauts are likely to encounter, and possibly bring back to Earth, which could be quite problematic if there is something hazardous in Mars regolith, even if it's not biological. 10 The Mars 2020 mission is collecting samples which will ultimately return to Earth for tests for evidence of alien life Credit: Getty 10 The image was captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2008 Credit: NASA 'A question that didn't get answered during Apollo and certainly hasn't been addressed since is: if astronauts get sick after contacting Mars and we can't figure out why, should they be allowed to return? 'The fundamental problem, from my perspective, is overconfidence in thinking that we already know everything we need to know about what could happen, when we don't." Conley also warned of Elon Musk's plans to send a manned crew to Mars through his company, SpaceX. She added: 'SpaceX say they're planning to launch humans to Mars, but I have serious doubts about whether anyone would be alive when the spacecraft gets there since SpaceX doesn't seem to be developing long-term life support systems along with their rockets. 'Musk has made numerous claims about when he'll land humans on Mars that are distinctly implausible, at least if he wants the humans to be alive when they get there. 'Nasa is much more likely to be careful about preserving astronaut health but, ironically, seems not similarly concerned about protecting the Earth from possible Mars contamination.' The Sun has approached Nasa for a response to Conley's allegations.
USA Today
04-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
On this day: Gordon Hayward agrees to sign; Griffin, Lucas born; Gene Conley passes
On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team landed All-Star forward Gordon Hayward in 2017 after the Indiana native penned a letter in The Player's Tribune announcing his decision to leave the Utah Jazz to sign with the Celtics. Earlier in the day, his agent had denied reports by ESPN NBA insider Chris Haynes that the unrestricted free agent would sign with Boston. But the former Butler player opted for a largely ill-fated reunion with his college coach, Brad Stevens, who had left the collegiate ranks to join the Celtics in the same role in 2013. "There were so many great things pulling me in that direction," Hayward explained. "There was the winning culture of Boston, as a city — from the (Red) Sox to the (New England) Pats to the (Boston) Bruins. There was the special history of the Celtics, as a franchise — from (Bill) Russell to (Larry) Bird, to (Paul) Pierce, and it goes on." "And of course, there was coach Stevens: Not just for the relationship that we've built off the court — but also for the one that we started building on the court, all of those years ago, in Indiana," he added. It is also the birthday of former Celtic wing Adrian Griffin, born this day in 1974 in Wichita, Kansas. After playing in college at Seton Hall, he went undrafted in 1996. He eventually signed with Boston in 1999. He played two seasons with the Celtics, averaging 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists with the team. Ex-Boston guard/forward Al Lucas was also born on this date in 1922. A graduate of Fordham, the 6-foot-3 wing played just two games for the Celtics in the 1948-49 season, putting up 1 point per game in his short stint with the team. Finally, it is also the day we lost forward Gene Conley in 2017. One of a handful of people to win a title in Major League Baseball as well as the NBA, Conley also played for the Boston Red Sox, Boston (then Milwaukee) Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies in MBL. He also played for the New York Knicks and Hartford Capitals of the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Washington Tapers of the American Basketball League as well as the Celtics. Conley played four seasons for Boston, his rookie campaign of 1952-53, and three more after five seasons away to play baseball. He won titles with the Celtics between 1959 and 1961 and averaged 5.3 points and 6.8 boards per game off of the bench -- rest in peace.
San Francisco Chronicle
17-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Famous rock 'n' roll icon in San Francisco is closing for good
The Phoenix Hotel, the Tenderloin motor lodge which, for decades, served as a gritty and glam home away from home for touring rock bands, will close at the end of the year. Owner Chip Conley, who bought the former pay-by-the-hour Caravan Motel at 601 Eddy St. in 1987 at the suggestion of concert promoter Bill Graham, said that the lease for the land is up Jan. 1, and he and his business partners, Isabel Manchester and Jamie Flanagan, made the decision not to renew. Conley said Phoenix had been losing money since the pandemic and both the Tenderloin's chaotic street conditions and San Francisco's weak hospitality sector made it unlikely that it would turn a profit in the near future. The decision to close at the end of the year comes nine months after the San Francisco Baking Institute bought the property for $9.1 million. Conley said his group had 'cordial negotiations' with French pastry chef Michel Suas, who heads up the baking institute, about extending the lease, but decided against it. 'To be quite honest, it's not even just the lease terms, it's the nature of the neighborhood,' he said. 'We have come to a place where after 39 years — and I am turning 65 later this year — maybe it's time for the Phoenix to retire.' He said 'there is some hope and belief that the Tenderloin is making some improvements,' but that 'the momentum the property had pre-COVID, which was exceptionally strong, has not come back.' 'Maybe if I had been smart, I would have bought the land a long time ago, but, at the end of the day, sometimes you have to say, 'It's been a beautiful experience and it's time for it to have its fat lady sings opera moment,'' Conley said. Suas did not respond to emails seeking information about the future of the property. A receptionist at the baking institute said Suas was traveling abroad and not available. Conley and his partners own the Phoenix name and brand, so if Suas chooses to continue to operate the property as a motel, he could either buy rights to the brand or operate under a different name. Conley said the brand 'has real value.' 'The name, the brand, will go away unless he decides to buy it from us,' Conley said of Suas. 'Having a motel in the Tenderloin, without the brand that goes with it, it's not exactly a very marketable asset.' Originally built in 1956 as the Caravan, Conley attracted touring bands by offering free tour bus parking and complimentary massages for tour managers. The motel quickly gained a reputation as a destination for rock stars and their roadies, attracting everyone from David Bowie to Kurt Cobain to Sinead O'Connnor and Neil Young. Cobain spent multiple New Years Eves at the Phoenix with members of Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. At the time of his death Cobain had in his possession a note to his wife Courtney Love that was written on Phoenix Hotel stationary. Conley parlayed the success he had at the Phoenix into a boutique hospitality powerhouse, Joie de Vivre, which owned or operated 52 hotels over 24 years. Conley sold the company in 2010. The Phoenix became a model for hospitality chains like the Ace and Bunkhouse, which carved out a hospitality niche by converting mid-century motels into hipster destinations. The decision to announce the closure six months before the end of the lease was designed to give customers ample time to book visits or events. Conley said he plans on throwing a birthday bash for his 65th on Halloween. One of the things exciting about having an end in sight is to curate all kinds of 'amazing parties and events at this gateway to the Tenderloin over the balance of the year.' 'When people know there is a final date now I think they are going to come out of the woodwork,' Conley said. 'Maybe they proposed to their wife there, or had an affair there or went there as a groupie 30 years ago trying to get a date with Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. I think the Phoenix stories are going to start to populate.' The Phoenix was part of a group of businesses and residents that filed a lawsuit against the the city in 2024, alleging that the city treats the Tenderloin as a 'containment zone' for drugs, 'herding' fentanyl users and dealers into the area. The lawsuit mentions the rampant drug activity on Willow Street — the alleyway that borders both the Best Western Red Coach Inn and several other hotels — and also calls out a sanctioned safe-consumption site set up by local activists, and city officials 'made no effort to punish or reprimand those who operated it.' Conley said the street conditions have improved since the lawsuit, but that enough tour managers and travel agents and film location scouts had 'witnessed the deterioration of the neighborhood' and found other places to stay. 'It's going to take three to five years for the neighborhood to be on solid ground again,' he said. Conley said he is 'putting out a challenge to my fellow hoteliers in San Francisco' to create a new destination for rockers. 'San Francisco deserves a rock 'n' roll hotel,' he said. 'There needs to be one.'
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL Playmaker Retires at 32-Years-Old to Go Back to College
NFL Playmaker Retires at 32-Years-Old to Go Back to College originally appeared on Athlon Sports. A former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver is retiring from the NFL, but he already has a new career path. Advertisement NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that receiver Chris Conley is hanging up his cleats. Instead of playing football this fall, the former wideout will go back to the University of Georgia to earn a film degree. "Veteran NFL WR Chris Conley, who most recently played for the 49ers, has decided to retire after 10 seasons to follow his dream his agent Jonathan Perzley of Sportstars said," post Rapoport on X. "Conley is heading to film school back at UGA to pursue dreams of being a film maker. So cool." Conley is retiring after 10 seasons in the NFL. He played his first four years with the Kansas City Chiefs. Advertisement Over the next six seasons, Conley appeared in games for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers. Former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Chris Conley© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Conley's best statistical season came with the Jaguars in 2019 when he had 47 catches for 775 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Conley also had five touchdowns with the Chiefs in 2018, which was Patrick Mahomes' first season as a starter. In 2024, the 32-year-old had six catches for 76 yards while playing 239 offensive snaps. Conley spent four years with the Bulldogs from 2011-14. He increased his yardage output after every season at Georgia. As a senior, Conley averaged 18.3 yards per catch and scored eight touchdowns. In 49 career college games, he had 117 receptions, 1,938 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. Advertisement Conley represented the University of Georgia well in the NFL. In his next chapter, he'll try to represent the school in Hollywood. Related: Ex-Georgia QB Carson Beck's Massive NIL Deal With Miami Revealed This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
