Latest news with #MarsMission
Digital Trends
3 days ago
- Science
- Digital Trends
New Glenn rocket all set for grand mission on only its second launch
Blue Origin has officially announced that its next-generation New Glenn rocket will launch NASA's ESCAPADE Mars mission in a flight targeted for no earlier than mid-August 2025. Lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, NASA's ESCAPADE mission to the red planet will achieve several notable milestones, including becoming the first multi-spacecraft orbital science mission sent to Mars. Two spacecraft, called Blue and Gold, will orbit the distant planet while conducting coordinated, simultaneous observations of Mars's magnetic field as it interacts with the solar wind and drives the escape of elements from Mars' very thin atmosphere into space. Recommended Videos It'll also be the first interplanetary mission for the New Glenn rocket, whose inaugural flight earlier this year involved the deployment of a prototype spacecraft to medium-Earth orbit. Additionally, we'll see Blue Origin attempt to land New Glenn's first-stage booster for the first time, similar to how SpaceX brings home its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket minutes after deploying satellites to space or sending astronauts to orbit. A successful landing would put the New Glenn on a path to first-stage reusability, enabling it to cut costs and increase launch frequency with its heavy-lift rocket. New Glenn's inaugural flight took place in January 2025 and while the rocket successfully reached orbit and deployed its payload, the first-stage booster was lost during descent and so had no chance of attempting a propulsive landing. Blue Origin's 98-meter-tall rocket is powered by seven BE-4 engines that together create almost 4 million pounds of thrust as the vehicle leaves the launchpad, making it around 2.5 times more powerful than the Falcon 9. Adding extra buzz to the mission is the fact that it's NASA's first voyage to Mars since the 2020 launch of the Perseverance rover, which arrived at the planet in spectacular fashion early the following year. Dave Limp, Blue Origin CEO, said in a post on X that the upcoming endeavor will be 'an exciting mission for New Glenn and Mars exploration,' and thanked NASA for 'riding with us to space.'
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Science
- Khaleej Times
'Marhaba Mars!': When UAE's Hope Probe entered the Red Planet's orbit 5 years ago
On July 20, 2020, the UAE embarked on a bold journey of ambition and discovery— the launch of the Hope Probe, the Arab world's first interplanetary mission. Less than seven months later, on February 9, 2021, the UAE stunned the world by successfully inserting the spacecraft into Martian orbit, making the country only the fifth in history after the US, Russia, the EU, and India to reach the red planet. Today, five years since that daring launch from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre, the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) is being celebrated as one of the UAE's most remarkable scientific achievements. The stakes were sky-high. In February 2021, as the Hope Probe neared Mars, the atmosphere back home was electric. UAE leaders, scientists, and citizens gathered at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and at Burj Plaza, anxiously following the probe's delicate Mars Orbit Insertion. Burj Khalifa stood illuminated in the background as a towering witness to the event. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. With a 22-minute communication delay, no real-time commands could be sent. The spacecraft had to autonomously fire its thrusters and slow down from 121,000 km/h to just 18,000 km/h to avoid either crashing into Mars or missing its orbit and vanishing into deep space. Then came the words that resonated across the UAE and the Arab world: 'Marhaba Mars!' Mission accomplished The timing was symbolic. The Hope Probe's arrival at Mars coincided with the UAE's Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years of the nation's union. Since entering Martian orbit, the Hope Probe has far exceeded its original mission goals, collecting more than 1.7 terabytes of scientific data and freely sharing it with the international community. To date, over 688.5 gigabytes of processed data have been released publicly, helping scientists worldwide better understand Mars' atmosphere and weather patterns. To recap, here are some of the mission's key accomplishments: Capturing never-before-seen images of Martian dust storms billowing across the surface. Observing remarkable concentrations of oxygen and carbon monoxide in Mars' atmosphere. Recording the sinuous discrete aurora, a mysterious 'worm-like' aurora on Mars' nightside, something no previous Mars mission had documented. Providing new insights into the escape of hydrogen and oxygen from Mars' upper atmosphere, contributing to theories about how the planet lost its once-thick atmosphere over time. N ew era for the UAE From its unique orbit ranging from 20,000 to 43,000 km above the Martian surface, the Hope Probe completes one revolution around the planet every 55 hours, providing global coverage of the Martian atmosphere every nine days. For the UAE, the Hope Probe represents far more than a single scientific mission; it's a symbol of the country's shift toward a knowledge-based economy and a driver of national pride in scientific achievement. 'This is the future of the UAE,' said Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency and Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, after the successful launch in 2020. Since then, the nation has doubled down on its space ambitions: In 2022, the UAE launched the National Space Fund, a Dh3 billion ($817 million) initiative to support space innovation, startups, and radar satellite development. The UAE has also expanded its human spaceflight programme, with astronaut Saleh Al Ameri completing an eight-month isolation mission simulating conditions for future Mars missions. Plans are underway for the UAE's Lunar Mission, as part of the country's broader goal of building a human settlement on Mars by 2117. Looking ahead With the Hope Probe still operational and continuously delivering data, the Emirates Mars Mission has already left a lasting legacy. It has opened doors for regional scientists, inspired a new generation of Emirati engineers, and contributed vital information to the global scientific community. As Hessa Al Matroushi, EMM Science Lead, put it: 'The latest insights reaffirm that there is much to discover. With every new data release, we're not only learning about Mars, we're building the future of space exploration for the UAE and the world.' Five years on, the Hope Probe is still living up to its name, carrying the dreams of a nation and the promise of discovery far beyond Mars.
The Guardian
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Send them to Mars': Led By Donkeys Glastonbury exhibit takes aim at Musk
In the psychedelic south-east corner of the Glastonbury festival site a rocket has been built to carry Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos on a one-way journey to Mars. The construction is not a hallucinatory vision but a installation designed by the political campaign group Led By Donkeys in collaboration with Block9, an area of Worthy Farm known for its immersive stage designs and diverse music genres. 'Send them to Mars … while we party on Earth,' reads the giant billboard, with Musk dressed in an orange astronaut-could-be-prison inmate jumpsuit positioned in the circular window of the rocket. The billionaire's hand is thrown skyward, recreating a gesture he made at a rally celebrating US president Donald Trump's second inauguration, which appeared to be in the manner of a fascist-syle salute. Fellow billionaires Zuckerberg and Bezos, followed by Trump and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, are seen queueing to board the rocket. Next to the rocket installation is a Tesla with the licence plate 'fascism' recently crushed by the 98-year-old second world war veteran Ken Turner in a tank; a giant shipping container adorned with the Block9 logo is now placed upon the decimated electric vehicle. Speaking to the Guardian, the Led By Donkeys collective – Ben Stewart, James Sadri, Oliver Knowles and Will Rose – explained the thinking behind their latest work: 'Elon Musk and the tech bros say they want humans to become an interplanetary species. They say the great priority of humanity should be to colonise Mars. That's not just mad, it's dangerous. 'It encourages the notion that Earth is temporary and expendable, that we don't need to cherish and protect it because we can just move on. In reality Earth is the only place where humanity can thrive. The problem is, we're trashing it. 'If Musk and Bezos really want to live on Mars, fine, go for it, do it. Just don't expect the rest of us to come with you. That's why we've built a rocket at Glastonbury so we can send them to Mars while we party on Earth.' Led By Donkeys explained why they chose the festival for their latest installation. 'Glastonbury is a pretty special place,' they said. 'It has enormous cultural heft. Even if you've never been, you probably have a Glastonbury moment you remember. It's a place where artists feel free to come and say something and despite what some commentators would have us all believe, it still has a radical edge.' A series of mugshot-style images of Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg complete the work, each clutching a placard. This year's Glastonbury festival, renowned for its activism, is expected to be politically charged against the fraught geopolitical backdrop. The Irish rap trio Kneecap have drawn controversy over alleged statements they made concerning Gaza. One of the members has been charged with a terror offence and senior politicians, including Starmer, have said they should not be performing at the festival. 'The right gets terribly exercised about what it calls 'cancel culture' but the single most policed and punished area of commentary is around Palestine,' Led By Donkeys said. 'Kudos to Glastonbury for not canning the Kneecap slot despite huge pressure, including from the prime minister. Starmer's got a country to run, yet there he is telling us all who should and shouldn't be allowed to play the West Holts stage. It's nuts.' Led By Donkeys started by flyposting over billboards and posting its work on social media. Within weeks, it had raised hundreds of thousands of pounds from donations, and became more ambitious in its messaging. Among its most well-known action was the lowering of a remote-controlled banner reading: 'I crashed the economy' behind Liz Truss in the middle of an onstage talk voicing her support for Trump's re-election, prompting the short-lived former PM to leave.
ABC News
21-06-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Broken Hill teenager Molly Molloy selected for NASA program in Texas
Outback New South Wales teenager Molly Molloy is no stranger to the vast, glittering expanse of the night sky and next month she will pursue that interest on the other side of the world. The 17-year-old from Broken Hill is one of two Australian students selected to take part in an annual education program at the United Space School (USS) in Houston, Texas. Run by the Houston Association for Space and Science Education (HASSE) and operated in partnership with several international education organisations and NASA's Johnson Space Centre, the program immerses students in a NASA-like environment to plan a simulated mission to Mars. Molly, who learnt of the program in early primary school, said she was thrilled to find out her application was successful. "I was very, very excited," she said. "It came at a good time to hear some good news — I'd just lost my grandfather earlier that day. "It's such a great opportunity, especially to go to America … to learn so much." Molly's interest in the stars began at an early age and has also been motivated by local amateur astronomer Trevor Barry, who has worked with NASA. "She heard his story when he won the Australia Day Award [in 2021] … he really inspired her," Molly's mother Kellie Molloy said. Mr Barry, a former mine worker, swapped underground darkness for planets and galaxies decades ago and built an observatory in his backyard. His research, particularly his observations of gas giant Saturn, is used by NASA, has been published in peer-reviewed science journals and has earnt him the highest national and international awards achievable by a non-professional. But the 73-year-old said his various accolades paled in comparison to seeing young people develop an interest in astronomy. "I always make the point that 90 per cent of the population or more never look up, aren't interested," Mr Barry said. "It's a goal in my life to inspire young people to actually head towards the sciences, particularly space astronomy. "There's going to be so many opportunities going for [Molly] and it's great to see this young lass embrace that." Molly is not sure what awaits her in America, but she is looking forward to learning new skills that she hopes will help with her long-term goals. "At the moment, I'm looking at a career in engineering — I'd like to be an electrician," she said. "When [the program] accepted me, they asked what career path I wanted to take and they were very surprised [but] excited that someone wanted to be an engineer." Ms Molloy said there was a chance her daughter would come back home with a new dream. "This is something that will be an eye opener for [Molly]," she said.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Another Starship blast sets back Musk's Mars hopes
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. SpaceX's massive Starship rocket exploded late Wednesday in a fireball that could be seen for miles. It was the latest in a series of setbacks for founder Elon Musk's hopes to send a mission to Mars as soon as next year and NASA's plans to fly astronauts back to the moon in 2027. SpaceX said nobody was killed in the "major anomaly," which occurred as the company was test-firing the upper-stage spacecraft at the company's South Texas Starbase before a planned 10th test flight of the world's largest and most powerful rocket. Musk is "making an enormous bet on Starship," but it is running behind schedule and has "suffered several setbacks," The Wall Street Journal said. During the last test flight in May, the Starship rocket "spun out of control about halfway through a flight without achieving some of its most important testing goals," Reuters said, even while "flying beyond the point of two previous explosive attempts earlier this year that sent debris streaking over Caribbean islands and forced dozens of airliners to divert course." Boaters passing by Starbase on Thursday morning "shared video footage showing substantial damage to the test site," The New York Times said Musk and NASA are "eager" to get Starship flying, but the spacecraft "still has a long way to go" before carrying humans into space, The Washington Post said. "In addition to being able to fly without blowing up," it "needs to be able to refuel in orbit, an exceedingly difficult endeavor that's never before been accomplished," and "land autonomously" on the lunar surface.
