Monthly Archives: March 2024

Drilling for water ice on Mars: How close are we to making it happen? – Space.com

Posted: March 29, 2024 at 2:46 am

Things are looking up for digging deep on Mars. Progress is palpable on how best to extract subsurface ice to generate drinkable water, rocket fuel and other useful resources on the Red Planet.

But boring down from the topside of Mars to reach available icy reservoirs is no slam dunk.

Tackling that challenge is the company Honeybee Robotics, which calls its approach the RedWater concept.

Related: Mars ice deposits could pave the way for human exploration

"RedWater has proven to be the right architecture for deep drilling on Mars," said Kris Zacny, vice president of the exploration technology group at Honeybee Robotics in Altadena, California.

Zacny said that RedWater can serve dual purposes, drilling for scientific exploration and water mining. "It's a win-win. We are at a position where this technology can be infused into [the] next Mars missions," he told Space.com.

Recent revelations about subsurface water ice on the Red Planet mesh well with RedWater.

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Over the years, data gathered by Mars orbiters has revealed that a third of the Martian surface contains ice near the surface, as well as more deeply buried ice sheets.

For example, earlier this year, observations by the European Space Agency's Mars Express probe suggested that layers of water ice stretch several miles below ground in some places on the planet.

Adding to the Mars ice story is this month's report at the 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference of a previously unseen volcano.

The new research speculates that, beneath that greatly eroded feature, glacier ice is likely still present, preserved near the surface in a relatively warm equatorial region on Mars.

Related: The search for water on Mars (photos)

Meanwhile, Honeybee technologists have recently completed end-to-end testing of a RedWater system in the company's cold chamber, said Joey Palmowski, a systems engineer at the company.

That work was undertaken through a NASA Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-2) grant, Palmowski told Space.com.

The RedWater system utilizes two proven terrestrial technologies, already put into action in support of polar operations in both Greenland and Antarctica. They are coiled tubing that unspools from the surface into underlying ice, and what's termed the Rodriguez Well, or "RodWell" concept.

RodWell is a method of melting a well in subsurface ice and pumping the liquid water to the surface.

To cut to the chase: Water ice in the form of debris-covered glaciers or ice sheets, perhaps hundreds of meters thick, has been detected and mapped in the mid-latitudes of Mars. That's a favorable spot for a future human expeditionary outpost.

Nathaniel Putzig is associate director and senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute's office in Lakewood, Colorado.

As co-lead of the Subsurface Water Ice Mapping (SWIM) on Mars project team, Putzig and colleagues are busy charting the location and depth of mid-latitude ice on Mars.

They're now wrapping up a third phase of the SWIM work, which explicitly aimed to help establish targeting priorities for the prospective International Mars Ice Mapper (I-MIM) mission concept.

A radar-carrying orbiter, the I-MIM is a projected NASA undertaking in partnership with the Italian space agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Canadian Space Agency to develop an ice-scouting Mars orbiter.

I-MIM's key goal is to characterize the extent and volume of water ice in the mid- and low-latitude regions of the planet.

Putzig said he senses that NASA and the other international partners are anxious to pursue the I-MIM mission.

Nevertheless, there has been significant budget uncertainty regarding the endeavor, Putzig observed, certainly on the NASA side and perhaps with other agencies as well.

"This makes it difficult for the international partners to finalize their agreements and begin actively designing and building the mission hardware and instruments," Putzig noted.

There are uncertainties within present-day datasets, Putzig said, so more research and especially new orbital radar sounding capabilities are needed at Mars.

Once in hand, that information can definitively identify and characterize buried ice at landing-site scales for broad regions across the mid-latitudes of Mars, Putzig added.

"That said, one could in principle send landed missions to higher latitudes or to locations where fresh impacts have exposed ice and be assured of encountering ice in the subsurface using a drill without first acquiring that additional data," said Putzig. "However, even for such locations, the lateral and vertical extent and concentration of the ice will remain poorly constrained without new instruments."

Drilling even 1 meter (3.3 feet) into ice can be difficult, explained Isaac Smith, an associate professor at York University in Toronto, Ontario. He's also a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.

Such drilling on Earth requires loads of thermal or electrical power and a lot of human power. "It's especially hard when the ice is much colder than minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit), like all ice on Mars," Smith said.

That was found to be the case with the NASA Phoenix Mars lander mission in 2008, said Smith. The legged stationary spacecraft plopped down on the planet farther north than any previous mission, at a latitude equivalent to that of northern Alaska, then scooped up Martian soil and checked for and found water ice.

"That ice-cemented soil [at the Phoenix lander locale] is really hard to dig in, but anyone who lives in Canada during winter knows not to go digging in a backyard when the ground is frozen," Smith pointed out.

Carefully sampling any ice on Mars would yield a bonanza of science returns, Smith said.

"Polar ice can give you a detailed record of climate history; mid-latitude ice can become a resource for future space exploration and is the next frontier for seeking life on Mars," Smith advised. "Just as getting rock samples can provide clues to Mars' early history, ice will give us clues to Mars' recent history."

All good news, but reaching depths of tens of meters or more is a big task, Smith said. Doing so is very energy intensive, he said, and requires a lot of human intervention, even on Earth.

"For the foreseeable future, it will have to be done by robots on Mars, probably over long periods, requiring extra levels of robustness, which adds cost, and some power source that we don't have yet," Smith said. "It's feasible in the long term, and Honeybee Robotics is probably the company to build it."

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Bruno Mars and Las Vegas from those MGM debt rumours to his new bar – Style

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Bruno Mars rumoured MGM debt drama Bruno Mars, wearing one of his made-to-measure Giorgio Armani suits in 2022. Photo: @brunomars/Instagram

MGM pooh-poohed reports that Mars, 38, was in debt. According to Billboard, the entertainment company said that its relationship with the musician is long-standing and rooted in mutual respect. Back in 2016, Mars announced a long-term deal with MGM, which resulted in his Vegas residency at the Park MGM.

In mid-March, TV network NewsNation published a report claiming that Mars was in US$50 million debt with the company. The story went viral, sparking concern for the beloved musician. In the report, a source was quoted as saying, MGM basically own him, because of the debt he had allegedly racked up.

But MGMs statement clearly explains its partnership with Mars, adding, Together, we are excited to continue creating unforgettable experiences for our guests.

Who is Tori Spellings wealthy mum, Candy and does she help her daughter?

Mars and MGMs partnership has been well documented. His residency, which was supposed to end in August 2023, was extended until September 2024, per Vulture.

Additionally, Mars just opened The Pinky Ring cocktail bar in collaboration with MGM hotel and casino, the Bellagio, in February. According to Las Vegas Weekly, the venue even has some of the singers Grammy awards on display and Mars touch can be traced all over this penthouse-style party pad.

The title of Mars 2016 album 24k Magic was apparently well chosen. With his estimated net worth of US$175 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, theres no denying that he knows how to make money. He spent much of the following two years touring as part of his sold-out 24k Magic World Tour, which reportedly earned him more than US$237 million, reported Forbes.

In this corner 5 of the richest boxers in the world net worths, ranked

In 2021, Billboard reported that Mars was only the second to make over US$50 million from a Park MGM residency. Lady Gagas Enigma residency made US$53.9 million, making it the highest earning residency ever.

It was his upbringing in Hawaii that encouraged him to open a bar, the SelvaRey Rum Bar at the Fairmont Orchid. I grew up in Hawaii, and Ive been performing in Oahu my whole life, he told People magazine. As a young kid, you see all this joy, and when Im performing on stage, everybodys got a beautiful cocktail in their hand. The name of the bar is based on SelvaRey, a rum brand launched in 2014 co-owned by the musician.

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Mars as a Driver of Deep-Sea Erosion – Eos

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Subtle interactions between planetary orbits change Earths climate and geological processes. Scientists have picked up on such a signal in cyclic periods of heavy erosion on the floor of the deep sea.

The study, published in Nature Communications, found that gaps in sedimentation across the globe have occurred in 2.4-million-year cycles, which the authors say can be explained by the interactions of Marss and Earths orbits. The findings have implications for scientists understanding of Earths past and future.

Theres no other way to explain this cyclicity other than this orbital interaction between Earth and Mars.

The discovery came from an analysis of publicly available sedimentation data from the past 50 years of ocean drilling at hundreds of sites worldwide.

When analyzed together, data from 293 deep-sea drill holes showed a pattern: About every 2.4 million years, there was a gap in the sediment record, referred to as a hiatus.Researchers had initially identified the gaps as part of a study published in 2022 but only recently discovered their cyclicity after analyzing the patterns in the sediment record.

The hiatuses are likely a result of vigorous deep-sea currents that swept away sediment on a global scale, said geophysicist Dietmar Mller at the University of Sydney, a co-author on the new study. Overall, the researchers observed 27 cycles in the sedimentation data over the past 70 million years.

Because the pattern was cyclic, the team looked to the solar system for clues. Scientists have known for decades that other planets can influence Earths orbit and, subsequently, Earth systems, thanks to cycles on the order of 10,000100,000 years called Milankovitch cycles.

Longer cycles of millions to tens of millions of years, often called astronomical grand cycles, exist too, though less evidence has been found for them in the geological record.

A 2.4-million-year grand cycle involving the orbit of Mars is the most likely explanation for the patterns seen in the sedimentary data, according to the studys authors. Theres no other way to explain this cyclicity other than this orbital interaction between Earth and Mars, Mller said.

Benjamin Mills, a biogeochemist at the University of Leeds who was not involved in the research, said the data add to the limited records that show astronomical grand cycles affecting Earth.

Mills was part of a team that observed similar 2.4-million-year cycles in ocean oxygen levels and biodiversity. Hes working on new research that links these cycles of biodiversity to orbital changes. There are lots of interesting extensions of the work by Mller and his colleagues, Mills said.

The researchers methods were original, as most work to reveal orbital forcing on Earths paleoclimate is done by looking at sediment itself, rather than gaps in sediment, said Margriet Lantink, a geologist at the University of WisconsinMadison who was not involved in the new research. The data the team used to show the cyclicity are relatively convincing, she said.

The specific interaction the researchers point to involves Earths perihelionthe point in Earths orbit where its closest to the Sun. Every 2.4 million years, Marss orbit pulls Earths perihelion slightly closer to the Sun, increasing the solar radiation that hits Earth.

That extra solar radiation isnt much, but the researchers hypothesized that its enough to kick-start feedback loops on Earth that alter Earths processessuch as ocean currents. Warming spurred by the orbital changes could have led to an increase in cyclone activity that caused more vigorous ocean currents and seafloor erosion, Mller said.

The important thing for the rest of us in the field to do now is to start testing some of these ideas.

Scientists will need to do more work to demonstrate the link between orbitally forced warming and deep-sea currents, Mills said. The studys authors have done a good job in suggesting what might cause the actual hiatuses, but so far its just a suggestion, he said. The actual process of how you get from orbital change to what they see in the sedimentological recordthere could be many steps to that.

The important thing for the rest of us in the field to do now is to start testing some of these ideas, Mills said.

As well as offering an understanding of Earths past, the findings could help predictions of Earths future and, particularly, how Earth systems will respond to warming, Mller said. Humans are contributing to climate change much faster than any geological or astronomical processes, Mller said. But data on Earths past can still inform simulations of future climate effects by allowing scientists to rule out other drivers, such as Milankovitch cycles or astronomical grand cycles, he said.

Ultimately, it helps us differentiate anthropogenic changes to the system from naturally occurring changes, he said.

Grace van Deelen (@GVD__), Staff Writer

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A Song of Ice and Tectonics – NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

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Many craters in the mid-latitudes of Mars are partially filled with deposits that have been interpreted to be ice-rich. We expect the deposits to have formed at an earlier (but relatively recent) time when Mars' orbital parameters were different and allowed ice to condense and deposit in these locations. The ice is covered by dust layers protecting it from sublimating away.

The ice deposits are probably no older than a few million years, which is recent in geological terms. However, we can observe that these deposits have been affected by even more recent movement of the crust (the curving trough) that clearly post-dates the ice deposits because it is cutting through them. A wider view allows us to trace this crustal movement or "fault," and we can see it is also affecting the crater wall and the area surrounding it. This observation indicates that Mars' interior is still (or at least until recently was) warm enough to sustain such activity.

The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 50.2 centimeters [19.8 inches] per pixel [with 2 x 2 binning]; objects on the order of 151 centimeters [59.4 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.

This is a stereo pair with ESP_081856_1470.

The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

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Grateful Dead From The Mars Hotel (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) – Shore Fire Media

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The Self-Released Album That Produced Eternal Classics Like "Scarlet Begonias," "Ship of Fools" & "China Doll," Newly Remastered & Expanded With Unearthed Material

Listen To Previously Unheard Demo of "Wave That Flag,"

The Song That Became "U.S. Blues":

HERE

3CD & Digital Set Out June 21st, Featuring Unreleased Live Show From 5/12/1974; Black Vinyl, Zoetrope Picture Discs & Other Limited Edition Variants Available To

Pre-Order Now:

HERE

Good Ol' Grateful DeadcastLaunches Season 9 Tomorrow, Focusing onFrom The Mars Hotel& Story Behind The Grateful Dead's Famed Wall of Sound

50 years ago, theGrateful Deadwere cooking with gas. It was spring 1974, the band had successfully emerged from a series of hectic, harrowing times, and would soon follow their transformativeWake Of The Floodwith the second acclaimed album release on their very own Grateful Dead Records:From The Mars Hotel. During the mere eight months that had passed between those two beloved LPs, the group also played some of their most exploratory live music and largest venues to date, famously amplified by the homemade, 75-tonWall of Soundthat they debuted on March 23rd, 1974, at their hometown Cow Palace in Daly City, CA. Eternal staples such as "Scarlet Begonias," "Ship Of Fools" and "U.S. Blues" would first be introduced into setlists along that season's tour, before the Grateful Dead spent two months recording and honing them in the studio forFrom The Mars Hotel. Not to mention perennial classics like "China Doll" and "Loose Lucy," or "Pride of Cucamonga" and "Unbroken Chain" the final two tracks Phil Lesh would sing on a Grateful Dead studio album. Now, as Grateful Dead members and tributaries continue to celebrate and bring so many of these formative songs to the masses,From The Mars Hotelhas been remastered and expanded with newly unearthed material and rarities, in honor of its 50th Anniversary.

OutJune 21stvia Rhino, six days before the album's original release on June 27, 1974,From The Mars Hotel (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)features remastered audio by GRAMMY Award-winning engineer David Glasser, with Plangent Processes tape restoration and speed correction. Produced for release by Grateful Dead Legacy Manager and Audio Archivist, David Lemieux, the deluxe edition also includes demos of"China Doll"and"Wave That Flag" the song that became "U.S. Blues" as well as a previously unreleased live performance of the Grateful Dead atUniversity of Nevada-Renoon5/12/1974. As the band filled an outdoor football stadium with epic highs like a huge "China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider,"Mars Hotelcuts including "U.S. Blues" and classics such as "Brown-Eyed Women," "Tennessee Jed," "Mississippi Half-Step," "Truckin'" and "Sugar Magnolia," a massive wind storm was no match for the Wall of Sound. Designed to improve the listening and performance experience at what were becoming larger gigs and longer, more dynamic and varied sets, the Wall of Sound required 21 stage hands, and underlined the resounding effect the Grateful Dead were having on American audiences and culture at the time, even as the entire operation remained homespun and humble.

Pre-orderFrom The Mars Hotel (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)on 3CD and digital formats, and hear"Wave That Flag (Demo),"available on DSPs for the first time today

In addition to the50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition,From The Mars Hotel (50th Anniversary Remaster)will be released on June 21st as a single 180-gram black vinyl LP, limited edition Neon Pink vinyl, limited edition "Ugly Rumors" custom vinyl exclusive toDead.net, and a specially-designed picture disc created in partnership with zoetrope pioneerDrew Tetz. When viewed with a camera or strobe, the zoetrope LP will appear to animate, and can be pre-ordered along with the rest ofFrom The Mars Hotel (50th Anniversary Remaster)variantsHERE.

Recorded in San Francisco's Coast Recorders studio,From The Mars Hotelfinds Keith Godchaux particularly shining across a variety of keys, from the "China Doll" harpsichord to the pounding piano on Bob Weir's "Money Money," to the churchy organ that elevates "Ship Of Fools." Lyricist Robert Hunter packs "U.S. Blues" with a barrage of imagery, pop-culture references and sardonic asides as Canadian author Ray Robertson writes in the50th Anniversary Edition's liner notes, it "carries an undeniable whiff of late-capitalism ennuiit's the most fun you'll ever have dancing to the end of the American Empire." Jerry Garcia's jaunty lead guitar drives bouncing melodies across the LP, while guests include Ned Lagin's unnerving synth effects on "Unbroken Chain," Clover member John McFee's country-rock pedal steel on "Pride Of Cucamonga," and more.

From The Mars Hotelpeaked at #16 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1974, contributing to the Grateful Dead's historic achievement last month, when they broke the all-time record forMost Top 40 albums on the Billboard 200.

In tandem with today's announcement, theGood Ol' Grateful Deadcastwill premiere its ninth seasontomorrow, March 28th. Following 5 million downloads and counting, the official Grateful Dead podcast will now unlock the many secrets ofFrom The Mars Hotel. Along with a track-by-track breakdown of the album, this season will tell the story of the game-changing Wall of Sound, with archival audio of its mastermind legendary LSD chemist Owsley Stanley and new interviews with those who made the larger-than-life speaker system a reality.

Listen toGood Ol' Grateful Deadcast'sSeason 9 Trailer, and subscribe here for new episodes on a weekly basis:https://www.dead.net/deadcast

Photo by Richie Pechner

From The Mars Hotel (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)Tracklist

Disc 1

U.S. Blues

China Doll

Unbroken Chain

Loose Lucy

Scarlet Begonias

Pride Of Cucamonga

Money Money

Ship Of Fools

-Bonus Tracks-

China Doll (Demo)

Wave That Flag (Demo)

Disc 2

-Live From The University Of Nevada-Reno, 5/12/74-

Sugaree

Mexicali Blues

Tennessee Jed

Jack Straw

Brown-Eyed Women

Beat It On Down The Line

China Cat Sunflower>

I Know You Rider

El Paso

U.S. Blues

Greatest Story Ever Told

It Must Have Been The Roses

Me And Bobby McGee

Disc 3

-Live From The University Of Nevada-Reno, 5/12/74-

Deal

Around And Around

Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo

Truckin'>

The Other One>

Row Jimmy

Big River

Ship Of Fools

Sugar Magnolia

About the Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead is a social and musical phenomenon that grew into a genuine American treasure. In 1965, an entire generation was linked together by common ideals, gathering by the hundreds and thousands. This movement created a seamless connection between the band and its fans. As the band toured, Dead Heads would follow. Not because it was a part of popular culture but because it is a true counterculture that exists to this very day-one that earnestly believes in the value of its beliefs. By 1995, the Grateful Dead had attracted the most concertgoers in the history of the music business, and today remains one of the all-time leaders in concert ticket sales. Eventually, the caravan evolved into a community with various artists, craftsmen and entrepreneurs supplying a growing demand for merchandise that connected them to the music. Today, the connection is as strong as ever. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and received a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. Their final tally of 2,318 total concerts remains a world record. The Grateful Dead recently celebrated their 59th Top 40 album on the Billboard chart, a feat no other group has achieved.

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Historic water bomber, Hawaii Martin Mars, to be displayed in BC museum – The Nelson Daily

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The Province is supporting the preservation of a historic piece of B.C.s aviation history to ensure its story can be shared with residents and visitors for generations to come.

The Hawaii Martin Mars water bomber is a proud symbol of B.C.s ingenuity and innovation, representing cutting-edge technology in aviation firefighting of its time, said Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. We recognize the value the Hawaii Martin Mars water bomber holds for many people and have heard their desire to have it housed in the British ColumbiaAviation Museum, where it can be displayed and protected as an important piece of our provinces history.

To protect and preserve the Hawaii Martin Mars water bomber as a significant part of B.C.s aviation history, the Province is providing $250,000 in one-time funding to the British ColumbiaAviation Museum to establish the aircraft as the centrepiece of its new B.C. wildfire aviation exhibit. The new exhibit will be interactive, inviting visitors to explore the features of the aircraft up close, and foster an appreciation for its historical, cultural and aeronautical significance. The Hawaii is one of only two Martin Mars water bombers left in existence.

This is great news for people with an interest or who work in the aviation industry, and for B.C.s cultural and tourism sectors, said Bob DEith, Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film. Our government is pleased to support this co-operative effort to add this iconic water bomber to British ColumbiaAviation Museums permanent collection, where it is sure to become a part of the signature attractions B.C. has to offer our visitors and residents.

The water bombers final flight from Coulson Aviation Tanker Base in Port Alberni to Victoria International Airport is expected before the end of 2024 and will be a multi-phased process. This includes passing federal inspections, crew training and test flights.

The Hawaii Martin Mars can land and take off only on water. Therefore, its last flight will be from Sproat Lake to the Saanich Inlet beside Victoria International Airport. The final stage will take place on the Canadian Coast Guard Base Patricia Bay, a former seaplane port, where the aircraft will be brought up on a ramp, mounted on a trailer and transported across Victoria International Airport runways.

Quick Facts:

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To learn more about British ColumbiaAviation Museum, visit:https://bcam.net/

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Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) – NASA – NASA Mars Exploration

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Mars 2020's SHERLOC Instrument: A close-up view of an engineering model of SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals), one the instruments aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. Full image and caption

The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals has a nickname: SHERLOC. Mounted on the rover's robotic arm, SHERLOC uses cameras, spectrometers, and a laser to search for organics and minerals that have been altered by watery environments and may be signs of past microbial life. In addition to its black-and-white context camera, SHERLOC is assisted by WATSON, a color camera for taking close-up images of rock grains and surface textures.

Turret: 6.86 pounds (3.11 kilograms)

Body: 3.55 pounds (1.61 kilograms) body

Turret: 32.2 watts

Body: 16.6 watts

10.2 by 7.8 by 2.6 inches (26.0 by 20.0 by 6.7 centimeters)

2 Cameras

Autofocus and Context Imager: 10.1 micrometers

WATSON Camera: 15.9 micrometers

1 Laser: 100 micrometers

Imaging: 0.9 to 0.5 inches (2.3 by 1.5 centimeters)

Spectroscopy: 7 by 7 millimeters (0.275 inch)

"Key, driving questions are whether Mars is or was ever inhabited, and if not, why not? The SHERLOC investigation will advance the understanding of Martian geologic history and identify its past biologic potential."

SHERLOC Works All Shifts SHERLOC operates day or night.

SHERLOC: No Touch Required Perseverance places SHERLOC about two inches above its target to gather data. That way, it is close, but doesn't contaminate the scene of the investigation.

SHERLOC Has an Eye for Detail SHERLOC has a magnifying glass just like the fictional detective to see fine detail.

SHERLOC Collects Clues SHERLOC uses ultraviolet laser light to spot organic chemicals in much the same way modern crime scene investigators look for forensic clues.

SHERLOC Tests Spacesuits SHERLOC carries small pieces of spacesuit material. It targets them to test its accuracy and to see how they hold up in the harsh Martian environment.

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As Texas students clash over Israel-Hamas war, Gov. Greg Abbott orders colleges to revise free speech policies – The Texas Tribune

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Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribunes daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

As the Israel-Hamas war continues to ignite tensions among Texas college students, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order requiring schools to discipline what he described as the sharp rise in antisemitic speech and acts on university campuses.

Higher education institutions are expected to update their free speech policies to include the definition of antisemitism, as well as establish and enforce punishments for violating those policies. Expulsion from the college could be considered an appropriate punishment, Abbott said.

Texas supports free speech, especially on university campuses, but that freedom comes with responsibilities for both students and the institutions themselves, Abbott wrote in the Wednesday executive order.

The Israel-Hamas war has tested free speech policies at universities in Texas and across the country. As pro-Palestine and pro-Israel students engage in protests and heated discussions, school leaders have struggled to strike a balance between their roles as moderators and facilitators of intellectual debate on campus.

In the Wednesday executive order, the governor singled out Palestinian student groups on campuses including the Palestine Solidarity Committee and Students for Justice in Palestine who he says have violated free speech policies and should be subject to discipline.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, an advocacy group for free speech on college campuses, said Texas colleges can and should go after antisemitic harassment, threats and violence. But Abbotts executive order goes too far and leans on a definition of antisemitism that would involve punishing students for core political speech, including any criticism of Israel, the group said.

State-mandated campus censorship violates the First Amendment and will not effectively answer anti-Semitism, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression said in a statement. By chilling campus speech, the executive order threatens to sabotage the transformative power of debate and discussion.

Abbott has been unequivocal in his support of Israel, even traveling to Jerusalem in November to offer the states help. And in December, he told Texas colleges they had a responsibility to protect Jewish students.

Abbott has not commented on if and how universities should protect pro-Palestine students, who have also faced threats and harassment since the start of the war.

The governor said in a statement Wednesday that the executive order will mean campuses are safe spaces for the Jewish community. It comes months after the state dismantled diversity, equity and inclusion offices, whose responsibilities included making college more inclusive to students of all cultures and backgrounds.

Per Abbotts order, the chair of the board of regents at each college has 90 days to share documentation verifying revisions were made to free speech policies and evidence that those policies have been enforced.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

We cant wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.

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As Texas students clash over Israel-Hamas war, Gov. Greg Abbott orders colleges to revise free speech policies - The Texas Tribune

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Opinion | The Debate Over Free Speech, Disinformation and Censorship – The New York Times

Posted: at 2:45 am

To the Editor:

Re Trump Allies Are Winning War Over Disinformation (front page, March 17):

The U.S. Supreme Court put limits on free speech, saying you cant falsely shout fire in a crowded theater. Fundamental to our democracy is an informed electorate. Yet our courts seem to be OK with a flood of lies and propaganda masquerading as news and aimed at burning down our democracy.

This should concern every American for several reasons, including the surge of social media sites that contain much misinformation, the closure of many local newspapers, a decline in the number of real journalists, and an increase in the amount of misinformation spread by adversaries like Russia and China in an attempt to affect the outcome of our elections.

Richard Dickinson Richmond Hill, Ga.

To the Editor:

In the same way that semiautomatic guns and bump stocks were never foreseen by the founding fathers when establishing the Second Amendment, social media and A.I. escaped their prescience when it came to issues of free speech.

The commerce of ideas as they addressed it consisted primarily of public discourse via the printed or spoken word at social, political and religious gatherings. The idea that citizens would someday own portable electronic devices that facilitated both the easy manufacture and distribution of subjective realities certainly surpassed anything imagined in the Sedition Act.

America must now address two pressing questions that Madison, Hamilton and others were spared. How do we prevent the yelling of fire in a crowded theater when there is neither an actual theater nor an assembled crowd? And how do we stop domestic and foreign profiteers who would embrace the resultant turmoil?

Anthony Nannetti Philadelphia

To the Editor:

There is a difference between supporting the First Amendment and hiding behind it. A presidential campaign that uses disinformation to subvert a fair and legal election is undermining the very democracy for which free speech is a bulwark.

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Opinion | The Debate Over Free Speech, Disinformation and Censorship - The New York Times

Posted in Free Speech | Comments Off on Opinion | The Debate Over Free Speech, Disinformation and Censorship – The New York Times

Free speech hangs in the balance in 3 Supreme Court cases – The Hill

Posted: at 2:45 am

This month, the Supreme Court reviewed a trifecta of free speech cases that has government and civil libertarians alike on edge. While each of the cases raises an insular issue, they collectively run across the waterfront of free speech controversies facing this country.

For some of us, what was most chilling from oral arguments were the sentiments voiced by justices on the left of the court, particularly Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. The court may now be reflecting the shift among liberal scholars and politicians away from freedom of speech and in favor of greater government speech regulation.

In my forthcoming book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,” I explore the evolution of free speech in the United States, including the failure of the Supreme Court to protect free speech during periods of political unrest. Although a new revolutionary view of free speech emerged at the founding of the republic, it was quickly lost due to the regressive views of the federal courts over centuries of conflicted decisions.

We are now living through one of the most anti-free speech periods in our history. On our campuses, law professors are leading a movement to limit free speech under the pretext of combating hate speech or disinformation. A dangerous triumvirate has formed as government, corporate and academic interests have aligned to push limitations of free expression.

That triumvirate is now before the Supreme Court, which is looking at cases where government officials targeted critics, dissenting websites and revenue sources.

What was disconcerting was to hear many of those same voices from our campuses echoed this week on the court itself.

In Murthy v. Missouri, the court is considering a massive censorship system coordinated by federal agencies and social media companies. This effort was ramped up under President Joe Biden, who is arguably the most anti-free speech president since John Adams. Biden has accused companies of “killing people” by resisting demands to censor opposing views. Even though the administration was dead wrong on many pandemic-related issues, ranging from the origin of COVID-19 to the efficacy of masks, thousands were banned, throttled or blacklisted for pointing this out.

Biden’s sole nominee on the court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, has long been an enigma on the issue of free speech. That is why these oral arguments had some alarming moments. While her two liberal colleagues suggested that some communications may not be coercive as opposed to persuasive, Jackson would have none of it. She believed that coercion is perfectly fine under the right circumstances, including during periods like a pandemic or other national emergencies claimed by the government. When dangerous information is spotted on social media sites in such periods, she seemed to insist, the government should feel free to “tell them to take it down.”

The sweeping quality of Jackson’s remarks shows that the relativistic views of free speech may now have a new champion on the court.

In a second case, National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo, the court considered an effort by a New York regulator to discourage banks and insurers from working with the NRA. Maria Vullo, who ran New York’s Department of Financial Services, allegedly used her office to pressure these businesses to cut off financial support for the nation’s leading gun rights organization.

As with Murthy, the Vullo case captures one of the principal tactics used by the anti-free speech movement in attacking the advertisers and businesses of targeted individuals and groups. One such government grant resulted in a list of the 10 most dangerous sites for advertisers to avoid, a list that happened to consist of popular conservative and libertarian news sites. 

The idea of a Democratic New York regulator targeting a conservative civil rights organization did not appear particularly troubling in oral argument for some of the justices. In fact, the views expressed by some of the justices were appallingly dismissive. Justice Elena Kagan asked, “if reputational risk is a real thing, and if gun companies or gun advocacy groups impose that kind of reputational risk, isn’t it a bank regulator’s job to point that out?” 

In the third case, Gonzalez v. Trevino, the court was considering the arrest of Sylvia Gonzalez, a 72-year-old former councilwoman in Castle Hills, Texas. She earned the ire of the sheriff, mayor and other officials with her criticisms of their conduct. She was subsequently charged with inappropriately removing a government document (a citizen petition) that she had mistakenly put with other papers. The charges were later dropped. The case smacked of retaliation — there is no evidence that anyone else has faced such a charge in similar circumstances. 

The case resonates with many who believe that the legal system is being politically weaponized in this country. Many of us are appalled by the Gonzales case. However, in this case, the support for the government seemed to come from the right of the court, including the author of a prior decision limiting such challenges, Chief Justice John Roberts.

The free speech trifecta, therefore, covers the three areas of greatest concern for the free speech community: censorship, blacklisting and weaponization. The resulting opinions could curtail or magnify such abuses. For example, the social media case (Murthy) seemed to trouble the justices as to where to draw a line on coercion. If the court simply declines to draw such a line and rules for the government, it will likely fuel new censorship efforts by federal agencies.

What is disconcerting about the views expressed by Justices Kagan, Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor in two of the cases is not that they are outliers. The problem is that liberal justices long acted as the bulwark for free speech on the court. They are now viewed as the weakest link, often dismissive or hostile to free speech arguments.

When Justice Jackson defends the right of the government to coerce speech, she follows a long legacy of speech relativists on the court, including the earlier Justice Robert Jackson. He had warned that the court needed to approach speech prosecutions with “a little practical wisdom,” so as not to “convert the constitutional Bill of Rights into a suicide pact.”

The current Justice Jackson seemed to channel the same practicalities over principle in stressing that “you’ve got the First Amendment operating in an environment of threatening circumstances from the government’s perspective.”

The view of speech as harm or violence is all the rage on college campuses, and also in many Western countries where free speech is in a free fall. France, Canada and the United Kingdom now regularly arrest people for expressing hateful or controversial viewpoints. Those same anti-free speech arguments are now being heard in our own Congress and colleges in the U.S.

It is not clear how the court will decide these cases. One fear is that it could retreat to blurry lines that leave us all uncertain about what speech is protected. In an area that demands bright lines to prevent the chilling effect on speech, such vague outcomes could be lethal.

The government loves ambiguity when it comes to speech regulation. It now may have found new voices on the left side of the court to join in the ignoble effort of combating free speech. That renewed effort to introduce “a little practical wisdom” could mean a lot less freedom for Americans. 

Jonathan Turley is the J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro professor of Public Interest Law at the George Washington University Law School, where he teaches a class on the Constitution and the Supreme Court.

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Free speech hangs in the balance in 3 Supreme Court cases - The Hill

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