When the Inspiration Mars proposal was originally introduced, at least from a NewSpace perspective, the inspirational part was the fact that Dennis Tito and company seemed intent on using commercial hardware to achieve the first human circumnavigation of Mars, thereby showing that significant accomplishments could be made without the use of hyper-expensive launch systems and […]
When Dennis Tito went to Washington last fall to lobby Congress to engage NASA in his Inspiration Mars concept for the 2018 crewed flyby of the Red Planet, the reception was cool at best. Hoping to salvage something from the idea, which had started off as a private mission concept using commercial hardware but quickly […]
Displaying a some ironic sense of timing regarding his faith in the federal government’s ability to put together complex programs in a short time frame, the world’s first space tourist and founder of Inspiration Mars, Dennis Tito went to Washington yesterday, where in a prepared statement, he essentially asked NASA to assume Inspiration Mars concept […]
The Humans2Mars Summit in Washington D.C. wrapped up today, and almost all of the proceedings recorded on Livestream, either already are, or will be, posted on the ExploreMars.Org website, and are certainly worth a look. A couple of points stand out. One: Dr. John Logdson noted a distinction in the current program of record which was introduced as NASA’s […]
Inspiration Mars made a presentation to the Future In Space Working Group on Wednesday, and wasted little time in dispelling reports that NASA is applying heavy pressure to select the Space Launch System as the launch vehicle. The presentation, complete with audio, can be found here, and it is certainly worth a listen. What emerges is a refreshing […]
Keith Cowing reported on March 28th, that the Inspiration Mars Foundation is being heavily pressured by elements at JSC and MSFC to base its plans for a 2018 circumnavigation of Mars on a single launch of the agency’s yet to be flown Space Launch System. Although Cowing did not reveal the source of his information, given NASAWatch’s role in bringing other […]
For what is now the fourth time, a Space Exploration Technologies Dragon spacecraft has successfully returned from Earth orbit to a well executed landing in the Pacific ocean. Following its release from the International Space Station, which took place in the early morning hours, the SpaceX CRS-2 Dragon performed three inital burns, followed by a sustained 10 minute de-oribit burn […]
Source : RIA Novosti In his groundbreaking book, The Case for Mars, Robert Zubrin discussed the role of “dragons” in influencing perception of the various hazards of travelling to and living on the Red Planet. It is an analogy drawn from the beginning of European mapmaking early in the age of exploration and the tendency to assign all sorts of horrors […]
Source : CASIS CASIS, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, which operates the U.S. national laboratory aboard the International Space Station, awarded two grants for protein crystallization this week. The two grants, totalling $600,000 went research to which could significantly improve the quality and pace of Earthbound medical research. They winners were: “Edward Snell, […]
Conditions on Ancient Mars Could Have Supported Life The announcement yesterday was almost anticlimactic. The components identified in an analysis of Martian rock by the Curiosity rover indicates that the planet was once capable of supporting life. Although there has yet to be any evidence of ancient microbial life uncovered, excluding the controversial ALH4001 meteorite found here on Earth, could we […]
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