Category Archives: Space Exploration

This week, we kick off our Perseverance Prize giveaway. Celebrating space exploration even further, we talk about the next frontiers we'd like to see explored. Finally, community members take on a mind-bending theory about alternate universes!

If you haven't already, make sure to register for the Space.com forums and join a community of like minded space enthusiasts! Youll be able to join our launch watch parties and be the first to know about upcoming giveaways, AMAs and more!

Our latest giveaway kicked off this week, offering up a pack of commemorative prizes. One lucky winner will be walking away with:

All you have to do is follow the instructions over at this thread. Remember, following each step makes sure your entry is valid!

Our Community Question this week focused on preparing for space exploration. Suppose you were getting for a journey to a very distant planet, one that would mean a years worth of travel each way. What would you bring with you? The community came up with some fascinating answers:

Software to analyze the now very bright blue-shifted objects ahead of us, which were too dim for Earth scopes. Such relativistic speeds greatly brighten on-coming objects.

Extra Cheetos. - Helio

I would take Elon Musk with me. He would know how and where to navigate, getting us there safely and returning safely. He would make a great space partner. Plus, he'd be cool to hang out with! - Pearl

A very large amount of digital media including music, books and photographs and devices to use it. Toothbrushes with toothpaste to last two plus years and as much toilet paper I can carry. A handball and football if gravity is simulated along with my favorite baseball cap. Also if I could I would take extra fuel. - richWorld

Check out the rest of the thread here.

There arent very many things that can sink you down a rabbit hole the way that thinking about infinity can. However, what if a community of math aficionados and space enthusiasts got together and, say, debated it? How do you debate infinity, you ask?

Here's just a taste of the conversation:

Well infinity is a big number 🙂 Consider the universe size in the BB model, only 46.5 billion light years radius, How Big Is the Universe?

Presently telescopes can only see out to about 13.5 billion light-years from Earth (z ~ 12) so that leaves 33 billion more light-years presently not observable. Now this discussion introduces an infinite number of universes.

How do you plan to observe those infinite numbers of universes from Earth? - Rod

Rod

"How do you plan to observe those infinite numbers of universes from Earth?"

Who says that is possible? - Catastrophe

Head over to this thread for more.

The prevalence of extraterrestrial life.

Shooting asteroids for practice.

Bending the laws of physics.

Continued here:

In the Space.com forums this week: Perseverance prizes, exploration and breaking theories! - Space.com

Learn about pi and the history of Pi Day before exploring some of the ways the number is used at NASA. Then, try the math for yourself in our Pi Day Challenge.

Captured on Oct. 20, 2020, during the OSIRIS-REx missions Touch-And-Go (TAG) sample collection event, this series of images shows the SamCam imagers field of view as the NASA spacecraft approached and touched asteroid Bennus surface. Image credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona | Full image and caption

In this illustration, NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter stands on the Red Planet's surface as NASA's Perseverance rover (partially visible on the left) rolls away. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | Full image and caption

This artist's concept shows what Deep Space Station-23, a new antenna dish capable of supporting both radio wave and laser communications, will look like when completed at the Deep Space Network's Goldstone, California, complex. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

Expedition 52 Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA shared photos and time-lapse video of a glowing green aurora seen from his vantage point 250 miles up, aboard the International Space Station. This aurora photo was taken on June 26, 2017. Image credit: NASA | Full image and caption

As March 14 approaches, its time to get ready to celebrate Pi Day! Its the annual holiday that pays tribute to the mathematical constant pi the number that results from dividing any circle's circumference by its diameter.

Pi Day comes around only once a year, giving us a reason to chow down on our favorite sweet and savory pies while we appreciate the mathematical marvel that helps NASA explore Earth, the solar system, and beyond. Theres no better way to observe this day than by getting students exploring space right along with NASA by doing the math in our Pi Day Challenge. Keep reading to find out how students and you can put their math mettle to the test and solve real problems faced by NASA scientists and engineers as they explore the cosmos!

Dividing any circles circumference by its diameter gives us pi, which is often rounded to 3.14. However, pi is an irrational number, meaning its decimal representation goes on forever and never repeats. Pi has been calculated to 50 trillion digits, but NASA uses far fewer for space exploration.

Some people may think that a circle has no points. In fact, a circle does have points, and knowing what pi is and how to use it is far from pointless. Pi is used for calculating the area and circumference of circular objects and the volume of shapes like spheres and cylinders. So it's useful for everyone from farmers storing crops in silos to manufacturers of water storage tanks to people who want to find the best value when ordering a pizza. At NASA, we use pi to find the best place to touch down on Mars, study the health of Earth's coral reefs, measure the size of a ring of planetary debris light years away, and lots more.

In the United States, one format to write March 14 is 3.14, which is why we celebrate on that date. In 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution officially designating March 14 as Pi Day and encouraging teachers and students to celebrate the day with activities that teach students about pi. And you're in luck, because that's precisely what the NASA Pi Day Challenge is all about.

This year, the NASA Pi Day Challenge offers up four brain-ticklers that will require students to use pi to collect samples from an asteroid, fly a helicopter on Mars for the first time, find efficient ways to talk with distant spacecraft, and study the forces behind Earth's beautiful auroras. Learn more about the science and engineering behind the problems below or click the link below to jump right into the challenge. Be sure to check back on March 15 for the answers to this years challenge.

Take the NASA Pi Day Challenge

Educators, get the lesson here!

NASAs OSIRIS-REx mission has flown to an asteroid and collected a sample of surface material to bring back to Earth. (It will arrive back at Earth in 2023.) The mission is designed to help scientists understand how planets form and add to what we know about near-Earth asteroids, like the one visited by OSIRIS-REx, asteroid Bennu. Launched in 2016, OSIRIS-REx began orbiting Bennu in 2018 and successfully performed its maneuver to retrieve a sample on October 20, 2020. In the Sample Science problem, students use pi to determine how much of the spacecraft's sample-collection device needs to make contact with the surface of Bennu to meet mission requirements for success.

Joining the Perseverance rover on Mars is the first helicopter designed to fly on another planet. Named Ingenuity, the helicopter is a technology demonstration, meaning it's a test to see if a similar device could be used for a future Mars mission. To achieve the first powered flight on another planet, Ingenuity must spin its blades at a rapid rate to generate lift in Mars thin atmosphere. In Twirly Whirly, students use pi to compare the spin rate of Ingenuitys blades to those of a typical helicopter on Earth.

NASA uses radio signals to communicate with spacecraft across the solar system and in interstellar space. As more and more data flows between Earth and these distant spacecraft, NASA needs new technologies to improve how quickly data can be received. One such technology in development is Deep Space Optical Communications, which will use near-infrared light instead of radio waves to transmit data. Near-infrared light, with its higher frequency than radio waves, allows for more data to be transmitted per second. In Signal Solution, students can compare the efficiency of optical communication with radio communication, using pi to crunch the numbers.

Earths magnetic field extends from within the planet to space, and it serves as a protective shield, blocking charged particles from the Sun. Known as the solar wind, these charged particles of helium and hydrogen race from the Sun at hundreds of miles per second. When they reach Earth, they would bombard our planet and orbiting satellites were it not for the magnetic field. Instead, they are deflected, though some particles become trapped by the field and are directed toward the poles, where they interact with the atmosphere, creating auroras. Knowing how Earths magnetic field shifts and how particles interact with the field can help keep satellites in safe orbits. In Force Field, students use pi to calculate how much force a hydrogen atom would experience at different points along Earths magnetic field.

Pi Day is a fun and engaging way to get students thinking like NASA scientists and engineers. By solving the NASA Pi Day Challenge problems below, reading about other ways NASA uses pi, and doing the related activities, students can see first hand how math is an important part of STEM.

Plus, join the conversation using the hashtag #NASAPiDayChallenge on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

TAGS: Pi, Pi Day, NASA Pi Day Challenge, Math, Mars, Perseverance, Ingenuity, Mars Helicopter, OSIRIS-REx, Bennu, Asteroid, Auroras, Earth, Magnetic Field, DSOC, Light Waves, DSN, Deep Space Network, Space Communications

Lyle Tavernier, Educational Technology Specialist, NASA/JPL Edu

Lyle Tavernier is an educational technology specialist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. When hes not busy working in the areas of distance learning and instructional technology, you might find him running with his dog, cooking or planning his next trip.

See original here:

Take Math to Mars and Beyond With NASA's Pi Day Challenge - Teachable Moments | NASA/JPL Edu - NASA/JPL Edu News

Opinion: Spending on space is wasteful. The Appalachian

.innerbackgroundwrap, #fullwrap { background-color: #ffffff}h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 { font-family: Lora !important; font-weight: 500; }a, a:visited, a h3, h3 a, .widgetheadline a, a .widgetheadline { color: #ffcc00; }a:hover, a:hover h3, a:hover .widgetheadline, h3 a:hover, .widgetheadline a:hover { color: #ffcc00; text-decoration: underline; }a h3.homeheadline, a.homeheadline, a.headline, #content h1 a, .widgetheadline .headline, .storyheadline a, .searchheadline, h2.searchheadline, h2.searchheadline a, h2.catprofile a, #searchapge h2, #catpage h2, .maingridheadline, .homeheadline { color: #000000 !important; font-family: Lora !important; font-weight: 600; }.topboxsmallwide h3, topboxsmall h3, .desc h3, .relatedtitle {font-family: Lora !important; font-weight: 600; }a:hover h3.homeheadline { color: #000000 !important; text-decoration:underline !important; }#homepagefull h3.gridfallback, .bottom-row-blocks h3, .top-row-blocks h3 { font-family: Lora !important; font-weight: 600; }.storyheadline { font-family: Lora !important; font-weight: 600; }#storypage h1 {font-size: 4.6em !important;text-align: center !important;}#storyrails h1 {font-size: 4.6em !important;text-align: center;}#classic_story h1 {font-size: 4.6em !important;text-align: center !important;}.innerbackgroundwrap { background: #fff; }.sno-search-close{color: #fff; background: #ffcc00; }#sno_teaserbar { top: -80px; }.sno_teaserbar #stb-container { background: #fff !important; }.sno_teaserbar_home #stb-container { background: #fff !important; }.sno_teaserbar .stb_left:hover, .sno_teaserbar .stb_right:hover { color: #023597; }.sno_teaserbar_home .stb_left:hover, .sno_teaserbar_home .stb_right:hover { color: #023597; }.photo-container, .caption-container, .slideshow-caption-container a, .caption-container a, .photo-caption-container a { color: #fff !important; }.remodal-story-image, .remodal-story-image .flexslider, #sfi-email { background: #000 !important; }#sfi-email {border: 1px solid #fff; }#sfi_submit_email, #sfi_cancel_email { color: #000; }.sfi-title a, .sfi-title a:hover { color: #fff; }.sfi-title a:hover { border-bottom: 1px solid #fff;}.sfi-right:hover, .sfi-left:hover { color: #ffcc00;}@media only screen and (min-width: 1100px) and (max-width: 1199px) {#classic_story #contentleft p { font-size:17px; line-height:27px; }}#storyrails #content { margin: 0 auto; }@media only screen and (min-width: 1100px) {.full-width .postarea { width: 900px;}}.catlist-tile {border-radius: 5px;}.catlist-tile-inner {border: 0px solid #dddddd;border-radius: 5px;}.catlist-tile img {border-radius: 5px 5px 0 0;}.catlist-tile-media-video, .catlist-tile-media-photo {border-radius: 5px 5px 0 0;}.catlist-tile-media-photo {height: 253.33333333333px;max-height: 253.33333333333px;overflow: hidden;}.catlist-tile-textarea.sno-center-v-list {left: 15px;right: 15px;}.catlist_tiles_wrap .sno-infinite-scroll-button {margin-bottom: 20px;}.catlist-tile-media-photo {background: #dddddd;}.catlist-tile-media-photo img {object-fit: contain;}.catlist-tile-inner {padding-left: 15px;padding-right: 15px;}.catlist-tile-media-photo, .catlist-tile-media-video {margin-left: -15px;width: calc(100% + 15px + 15px);}@media only screen and (min-width: 980px) {.catlist_tiles_wrap div:nth-child(3n) { margin-right: 0; }.catlist-tile {width: calc((100% / 3) - 13.333333333333px);margin-right: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px;background: #efefef;}}@media only screen and (min-width: 600px) and (max-width: 979px) {.catlist-tile {width: calc((100% / 2) - 13.333333333333px);margin-right: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px;background: #efefef;}.catlist_tiles_wrap div:nth-child(2n) { margin-right: 0;}}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px) {.catlist-tile {width: 100%;margin-bottom: 20px;background: #efefef;}}#catpage .catlist-tile h2 {font-size: 20px;line-height: 1.35em;margin-bottom: 15px;margin-top: 15px;text-align: center;}#catpage .catlist-tile .catlist-meta {text-align: center;font-size: 14px;margin-bottom: 15px;}#catpage .catlist-tile .catlist-deck {text-align: center;font-size: 18px;line-height: 1.35em;margin-bottom: 15px;font-style: normal;}#catpage .catlist-tile .catlist-teaser, #catpage .catlist-tile .catlist-teaser p {font-size: 14px;line-height: 1.25;margin-bottom: 15px;}.catlist-tile ul.snotags {text-align: center;margin-bottom: 15px;}.catlist-tile .continue {margin-bottom: 15px;}@media only screen and (min-width: 980px) and (max-width: ) {#catpage #content {padding-left: 20px;padding-right: 20px;width: calc(100% - (2 * 20px));}}#staffpage .staffheading h1 {color: #000000;}.catlist-tile-media-photo {height: 253.33333333333px;max-height: 253.33333333333px;overflow: hidden;}#staffpage .catlist-tile {border-radius: 5px;border: 0px solid #cccccc;width: calc((100% / 3) - 13.333333333333px - 0px - 0px);}#staffpage .catlist-tile-inner {border: 0px solid #dddddd;border-radius: 5px;}#staffpage .catlist-tile-media-photo {border-radius: calc(5px - 0px) calc(5px - 0px) 0 0;}#staffpage .catlist-tile-media-photo img {object-fit: contain;}#staffpage .catlist-tile {background: #efefef;color: #000000;}#staffpage .catlist-tile-media-photo {background: #dddddd;}#staffpage .staffnameblock {text-align: center;}#staffpage .catlist-tile h2 {font-size: 20px;text-align: center;font-weight: normal;font-style: normal;}#staffpage .catlist-tile .catlist-teaser, #staffpage .catlist-tile .catlist-teaser p {font-size: 14px;line-height: 1.5em;}@media only screen and (min-width: 980px) {#staffpage .catlist_tiles_wrap div:nth-child(3n) { margin-right: 0; }#staffpage .catlist-tile {width: calc((100% / 3) - 13.333333333333px - 0px - 0px);margin-right: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px;background: #efefef;}}@media only screen and (min-width: 600px) and (max-width: 979px) {#staffpage .catlist-tile {width: calc((100% / 2) - 13.333333333333px) - 0px - 0px;margin-right: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px;background: #efefef;}#staffpage .catlist_tiles_wrap div:nth-child(2n) { margin-right: 0;}}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px) {#staffpage .catlist-tile {width: calc(100% - 0px - 0px);margin-bottom: 20px;background: #efefef;}}.profile_icon {margin-right: 10px;border-radius: 7px;width: 40px;height: 40px;}.profile_icon i {line-height: 40px;width: 40px;font-size: calc(40px * 3 / 4);}.profile_bio_wrap {margin-top: 40px;margin-bottom: 40px;width: calc(70% - 20px - 20px - 0px - 0px);background: #ffffff;color: #000000;padding: 20px;border-radius: 0px;border: 0px solid #eeeeee;}@media only screen and (max-width: 980px) {.profile_bio_wrap {width: calc(100% - 20px - 20px - 0px - 0px);}}.profile-panel-media {width: 200px;height: 200px;margin-bottom: calc(0px + 0px);margin-right: calc(15px + 0px + 0px);}@media only screen and (max-width: 800px) {.profile-panel-media {margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;float: unset;margin-bottom: 40px;}}.profile-textarea-with-media {width: calc(100% - 215px - 0px - 0px - 20px - 20px);padding-left: 20px;padding-right: 20px;}.profile-textarea-with-media.sno-center-v-outer {left: 20px;right: 20px;height: calc(200px + 0px + 0px);padding-left: 0;padding-right: 0;}.profile-textarea {padding-left: 20px;padding-right: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 800px) {.profile-textarea-with-media {width: calc(100% - 20px - 20px);}}@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {.profile-textarea-with-media, .profile-textarea {padding-left: 0;padding-right: 0;width: 100%;}.profile-textarea-with-media.sno-center-v-outer {left: 0;right: 0;height: auto;}.profile-textarea-inner.sno-center-v {position: relative;top: 0;transform: unset;}}.profile-panel-media img {border-radius: 5px;object-fit: cover;border: 0px solid #000000 !important;}#catpage .profile-panel-inner h2 {text-align: left;font-size: 24px !important;color: #000000 !important;}.profile-panel-inner p {font-size: 14px;}.profile-sharing-area {text-align: left;}.sno-staff-profile-bar {background: #ffffff;color: #000000;margin-top: 20px;}.sno-staff-profile-bar {border-top: 1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom: 1px solid #eeeeee;}#catpage .profilepreviewbox, #catpage .categorypreviewbox {background: #eeeeee !important;border: 1px solid #ffffff !important; }.catlist_fullwidth .catlist-panel-inner {background: #ffffff;}.catlist_fullwidth.catlist-panel {padding-top: 30px;padding-bottom: 30px;background: #ffffff;}.catlist_fullwidth.catlist-panel {border-bottom: 1px solid #eeeeee;}.catlist_fullwidth .catlist-panel-media {float: right;width: 33%;max-width: 33%;margin-left: 15px;background: #ffffff;}.catlist_fullwidth .catlist-panel-media {height: 264px;max-height: 264px;}.catlist_fullwidth .catlist-video-wrap { position: absolute; left: 0; right: 0; top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%); }.catlist_fullwidth .catlist-panel-media img {object-fit: contain;}.catlist_fullwidth .catlist-textarea-with-media {float: left;width: calc(67% - 15px - 80px);padding-left: 40px;padding-right: 40px;}.catlist_fullwidth .catlist-textarea {padding-left: 80px;padding-right: 80px;}#catpage .catlist_fullwidth.catlist-panel h2 {font-size: 28px;line-height: 1.35em;text-align: center;margin-bottom: 15px;}#catpage .catlist_fullwidth.catlist-panel .catlist-deck {text-align: center;font-size: 20px;line-height: 1.35em;margin-bottom: 15px;font-style: normal;}#catpage .catlist_fullwidth.catlist-panel .catlist-meta {text-align: center;font-size: 14px;margin-bottom: 15px;}#catpage .catlist_fullwidth.catlist-panel .catlist-teaser {font-size: 14px;line-height: 1.25;margin-bottom: 15px;text-align: left;}.catlist_fullwidth.catlist-panel ul.snotags {text-align: center;}.catlist_fullwidth.catlist-panel .continue {text-align: center;margin-bottom: 15px;}.catlist_fullwidth .catlist-textarea-with-media {position: absolute;left: 0;top: 50%;transform: translateY(-50%);}#catpage .postarea.catlist_with_sidebar {width: calc(100% - 320px - 20px); }.catlist_sidebar .catlist-panel-inner {background: #ffffff;}.catlist_sidebar.catlist-panel {padding-top: 30px;padding-bottom: 30px;background: #ffffff;}.category-pagination {background: #ffffff;}.catlist_sidebar.catlist-panel {border-bottom: 1px solid #eeeeee;}.catlist_sidebar .catlist-panel-media {float: right;width: 283px;max-width: 283px;margin-left: 15px;margin-bottom: 15px;background: #ffffff;}.catlist-textarea .catlist-teaser {float: left;}.catlist_sidebar .catlist-panel-media {height: 188.66666666667px;max-height: 188.66666666667px;}.catlist_sidebar .catlist-video-wrap { position: absolute; left: 0; right: 0; top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%); }.catlist_sidebar .catlist-panel-media img {object-fit: contain;}.catlist_sidebar .catlist-textarea-with-media {/*float: left; *//*width: calc(537px - 15px - 0px - 0px); *//*width: 537px; */}.catlist_sidebar .catlist-textarea {padding-left: 0px;padding-right: 0px;}#catpage .catlist_sidebar.catlist-panel h2 {font-size: 28px;line-height: 1.35em;margin-bottom: 15px;}#catpage .catlist_sidebar.catlist-panel .catlist-deck {font-size: 20px;line-height: 1.35em;margin-bottom: 15px;font-style: normal;}#catpage .catlist_sidebar.catlist-panel .catlist-meta {text-align: left;font-size: 14px;margin-bottom: 15px;}#catpage .catlist_sidebar.catlist-panel .catlist-teaser {font-size: 14px;line-height: 1.25;margin-bottom: 15px;}.catlist_sidebar.catlist-panel ul.snotags {text-align: left;}.catlist_sidebar.catlist-panel .continue {text-align: left;margin-bottom: 15px;}

Since NASAs Perseverance Rover landed on Mars last week, it seems like space has been on everyones minds. Theres no doubt about it, space is cool. The idea that we are one tiny speck in the ever-expanding universe is hard to wrap our heads around, but humans are naturally curious creatures so we are inclined to try. The U.S. may be a prominent figure in space exploration but is sending robots into space the best use of our tax dollars, especially with the serious challenges our country faces such as COVID, climate change and income inequality?

Since the founding of NASA in 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, federal dollars have been going toward researching and exploring space. A little over a decade later, the U.S. landed a man on the moon or maybe not depending on who you ask. Space exploration is incredible, but we have to remember that NASAs funding comes from the pockets of everyday Americans.

The U.S. is the richest country in the world, but thats not to say it doesnt have problems. In 2020, more than 50 million Americans experienced food insecurity, which increased due to COVID-19. Closer to home, Watauga County experienced a food insecurity rate of 16.8% last year. The pandemic has been hard on Americans and food insecurity is just one example of how people are struggling.

With people struggling to eat in the richest country in the world, is exploring space how our tax dollars should be spent? About 5.9% of the federal budget is spent on Medicare and healthcare, 5.7% is spent on housing and community and 6.3% on education. Spending for these programs is in the single digits so where is all our money going? The military which receives over half of all discretionary spending. Of course, Americas outrageous military spending is a whole different issue. Only 0.5% of the federal budget goes to NASA but 0.5% of a $4.5 trillion budget is a lot of money, $23.3 billion this year to be exact.

$23.3 billion is a lot of money for NASA, which has little to no direct impact on everyday Americans lives. Sure, space is cool to learn about and the advancement of science and technology is very important, but parents who cant feed their children probably dont care about some rocks on Mars.

NASA should not be a priority when issues such as poverty, food insecurity and homelessness exist in America. Our tax dollars should be spent on us improving our infrastructure, helping the poor, bettering education and solving climate change. To be clear, government funding for research is very important and NASA should not be abandoned. Knowledge should be accessible and space shouldnt be treated like a personal playground for the ultra-rich. Right now we need to focus on fixing the problems here on Earth before we try to figure out the age-old mysteries of space.

See the original post here:

Opinion: Spending on space is wasteful. The Appalachian - The Appalachian Online

Long before SpaceX's self-landing rockets, Tesla-riding space mannequin or Starship prototype tests for future Mars missions, the California company was already doing daring things in space exploration.

Veteran Houston-based space reporter Eric Berger, now of Ars Technica and formerly of The Houston Chronicle, tackles the early years of SpaceX in his new book "Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX" (William Morrow, 2021). The book, while focusing heavily on SpaceX's early years, shows the roots of the daring steps the now-famous company is taking into even newer frontiers: human missions and Mars exploration.

You'll read about the development of SpaceX's first rocket, the Falcon 1, built at a time when few companies dared to create these flying machines themselves. It took four tries to even get the rocket safely into orbit, and Berger's book shows the conversations and innovation that SpaceX embraced over several years to get Falcon 1 launched safely.

Related: See the evolution of SpaceX's rockets in pictures

Berger told Space.com that when Falcon 1 finally made it to space on Sept. 28, 2008, he didn't notice. But he did have a valid excuse Hurricane Ike had just hit Houston and he, along with many other reporters in the city, pulled many extra hours to keep the community informed.

"I was completely swamped in coverage for that storm and I was completely oblivious," he told Space.com in an interview. Even Berger's home field of space was busy, as at least one space station delivery was delayed due to Ike and NASA was working extra hours itself to keep space shuttle flights running on time and safely.

But Berger has been following SpaceX closely in the years since, and decided to write the book after witnessing the spectacular debut launch of the company's new Falcon Heavy rocket at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in 2018. That mission saw the booster rockets safely self-land near the launch site, as a Tesla soared into space with a mannequin nicknamed "Starman."

"I realized not just that SpaceX was a super interesting company, but this really was a transformative space company of my generation," Berger said. "There's been a lot of efforts in the past to do what SpaceX has done, but they failed. I wanted to see how they succeeded."

Berger focused on the Falcon 1's development, testing and launch as SpaceX being such a small company at the time didn't receive nearly as much media coverage about that rocket as subsequent generations. He recalls, like many other reporters of the era, having a "healthy skepticism of all the grand claims" SpaceX was discussing at the time like building a spaceship called Dragon (which has now flown 20 cargo missions and two crewed missions to the International Space Station and counting) or making launches happen with reusable, landable rockets now a fairly routine thing after many failed, explosive tests.

Looking back at SpaceX's claims, Berger says he has come to realize those claims had value and vision: "It wasn't going to be done on time, but they probably would get there," he said. Berger urged everyone to therefore keep an eye on the early Starship development; while prototypes are exploding now, SpaceX is just getting started.

Fortunately for the book, the early part of Berger's research in 2019 took place well before the novel coronavirus pandemic, allowing Berger to make several visits to the SpaceX factory in Hawthorne, California and to do interviews in person. Once the pandemic erupted in the spring of 2020, naturally he pivoted the remaining work to phone interviews and remote research. Berger added he was able to find time for writing in between his normal duties at Ars Technica, as he has a flexible work schedule but a lot of writing also took place at night, away from family duties that normally take up much of his time.

Readers new to SpaceX may be disappointed that Berger stops the story after Falcon 1's first flight, but he said he hopes to one day carry on the tale to the modern day in more depth; the book briefly touches upon the last decade of SpaceX work, but more could be said.

"I think the key message is the world's most interesting space company almost didn't exist, and if it hadn't been for these crazy adventurers for a small group of engineers SpaceX would not exist," Berger added. "You wouldn't see drone ship landings on the Atlantic Ocean, or the Falcon Heavy launches, or Crew Dragon missions to the International Space Station. SpaceX is a great American success story and it was fun to go back and find out how it happened."

You can buy "Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX" by Eric Berger on Amazon.com as hardcover book ($23.79), Kindle e-book ($14.99), or an audiobook narrated by Rob Shapiro ($21.55). You can also read excerpts of "Liftoff" on Ars Technica and Space News.

Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Continued here:

'Liftoff': Eric Berger's tale of the wild years of SpaceX's youth - Space.com

Along with millions of others, I was elated when the Perseverance Mars 2020 rover touched down safely on Mars a couple of weeks ago. That was followed by being awestruck with the picture of Perseverance dangling below the sky crane just above the surface with the wisps of dust blowing from the sky cranes thrusters and then actual video of the entry, descent and landing from various cameras on the rover, sky crane and back shell the following day. It was absolutely awesome, jaw-dropping, breathtaking and magnificently wonderful!

In addition to the unveiling of the landing video as seen by the various cameras, there were two other segments from the press briefing that stood out for me. The first was when the question was asked about why we explore, why we spend money on exploring other planets and how does that benefit humanity.

This question about NASA spending is raised usually because NASA is very open about the costs of its research and exploration and also because most people have a significant misunderstanding of the proportion of the U.S. budget that is devoted to NASA. Of the almost-$5 trillion federal budget, NASA accounts for just 0.5 percent; for every federal dollar spent, just half of one penny goes to NASA. The U.S. economy is about $20 trillion, so one calculation found that U.S. citizens spend more on dog biscuits than we spend on NASA.

Most of NASAs budget is directed to aeronautics (making flying more fuel-efficient and safer with improved air traffic control systems and better airplanes) and Earth-observing science missions (looking down instead of looking up) to give us the data we need to predict how energy, water and nutrients will flow in the near future as well as the long-term future. A minority of NASAs half penny is devoted to space exploration. With that less than half a penny, Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate of NASA noted that we want to address questions that have driven humanity truly historic questions in so many ways are what were really about. He continued that as humans we want to be sure that the contributions of our generation are things that really move humanity forward of what we know and that we really affect how we think about ourselves that so often comes through our research. He also noted the commercial spinoffs that result from developing the technologies needed to answer the basic (fundamental) science questions, e.g., GPS, weather forecasting satellites, dialysis machines, freeze-dried food, etc. (see spinoff.nasa.gov for other examples).

Matt Wallace, Perseverance deputy project manager at JPL, has given public talks during the 25-plus years hes been landing things on Mars. He used to give a long list of reasons to explore the planets but now hes come to the conclusion of how can we not explore? Its just who we are, its what we are. Its in our DNA. You couldnt stop us as a species from exploring. We want to answer questions we dont know the answer to and we even want to find the questions we dont even know need to be asked. I hope we can be OK with spending at least half a penny on things like that.

About five minutes later, a young person asked if there was a point they thought the mission was going to be impossible. Wallace said for him it was last March when COVID-19 shut things down just after they had shipped the rover to Kennedy Space Center for launch. How were they going to do all the reassembly of the spacecraft pieces after they arrived in Florida and test it as they put everything together in the rocket that had to launch in July (or theyd have to wait another 26 months for the launch window)? How could they do all that and keep the workers and their families safe from the virus?

A lot of smart, passionate people came together to figure it out. Justin Maki, Perseverance imaging scientist and instrument operations team chief, and Jessica Samuels, Perseverance surface mission manager, noted that JPL is a team of really smart people who ask a lot of tough questions of any project (withering reviews) of what could go wrong to make sure that they are thinking about all the things they need to think about for that project to work. As a community, as a team, they help each other make sure theyre covering all those bases.

If youre going to build a rover that has to land itself in a dangerous location without help because the humans are over 11 light-minutes away, that critical review is what you need to do. If were going to be successful in pushing the envelope to develop the techniques and analytical tools necessary to answer fundamental questions and solve global problems, were going to need to adopt that same attitude of critical examination of assumptions and evidence-based decision-making by a team working together. Yes, thats worth at least half a penny!

Contributing columnist Nick Strobel is director of the William M. Thomas Planetarium at Bakersfield College and author of the award-winning website AstronomyNotes.com.

Read more:

NICK STROBEL: Awe-inspiring exploration worth every half-penny - The Bakersfield Californian

A Laconia company is hoping to fill a vacuum and is willing to send a satellite you might think of it as a Roomba for low-earth orbit into space to do it. If their plans pan out, the owners of Rogue Space Systems expect their venture might make space a little tidier and, by extension, a safer place to operate.

One of the two worst days in the history of space exploration occurred on Feb. 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart as it re-entered the Earths atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard and grounding the Space Shuttle program.

Investigators determined that the disaster was caused by a piece of foam that broke off one of the fuel tanks during launch. The foam, which can be seen on a video recording, strikes one of the shuttles wings, and likely caused a hole in the ceramic heat shield on the exterior of the wing. That damage allowed heat caused by the re-entry to penetrate into the wing, destroying the internal structure of the wing and causing the rest of the vehicle to disintegrate in the skies over Texas.

In the years since, damage from debris has only increased, as small particles left behind in low-Earth orbit number in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. One article published on NASAs Headquarters Library website notes that theres more than 6,000 pounds of debris in orbit around the Earth, and each of those pieces is traveling at more than 17,000 miles per hour.

On Union Avenue, in an old mill building across the Winnipesaukee River from downtown, a small start-up is aiming to create and operate satellites that make space safer for other satellites. Rogue Space Systems is less than a year old, but it already has the attention of NASA and the Air Forces Research Laboratory.

The company was founded by Jeromy Grimmett, who left the information technology world to step into what he sees as the biggest business opportunity that is being completely unserved.

Grimmett is a Louisiana native who worked on missile guidance systems for the U.S. Army. He moved to Alton to take an IT job based in Kittery, Maine, then in 2018 decided to go back to school so he could find a new career path.

He never finished his degree, though, because he attended a space conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on March 15, 2019. He traces the beginning of Rogue to the moment that conference ended.

I left the MIT space conference, called my partner and said, Im starting a space company.

In less than the span of a lifetime, human civilization has become deeply dependent on satellites, and that dependency only grows with each rocket launch. Grimmett said there are more than a trillion dollars worth of assets in orbit at any given time, and no one offering to take care of them.

Theres nobody providing the services Rogue does, Grimmett said.

Rogue Space Systems is designing orbital robots orbots, they call them as well as an artificial intelligence system they will use to approach satellites. The orbots which can also be controlled by engineers on Earth can provide close-up visual inspection and can listen to the internal operations of the satellite. The orbots will be able to provide maintenance and repairs without taking them out of service.

Grimmett said that, in the case of the Columbia, one of his orbots could have been dispatched to inspect the shuttles exterior prior to its re-entry into the atmosphere and therefore could have saved the lives of those astronauts.

Rogues orbots are also being designed to address the plague of space debris. Rogue engineers are designing the orbots to be able to encounter space debris, caused by accidental or intentional destruction of satellites, and use a laser to change their mass. That state change would cause the particle, which could be smaller than one millimeter, to fall out of orbit and burn up in the atmosphere. Grimmett envisions a fleet of his orbots flying in formation ahead of particularly valuable assets, such as the International Space Station, and sweeping a path through its orbit.

It might sound like science fiction, but Grimmett and his team are serious about bringing their idea into reality, and theyve attracted some powerful believers.

When youre doing something like this, first, everyones skeptical, Grimmett said. Among his first believers was another space entrepreneur, someone whose business was already successful. That contact said he could see about getting Rogue a meeting with NASA scientists who, if they thought the project could work, would be willing to give a prototype a ride into orbit on one of their rockets. Sure, said Grimmett.

Some time went by, and then one Sunday afternoon he got an email. NASA would meet with them that Thursday, June 4. He was told he would be meeting with a team from NASA, who would pepper them with questions and look for holes in their plan they didnt want to waste a spot on the rocket on something that wasnt ready for prime time.

It was a make-or-break moment, and Grimmett and his team had less than 100 hours to prepare.

I was nervous as hell. I was scared out of my mind. I was talking to heroes, people who are doing what you dream of doing, Grimmett said. To top it all off, their internet connection was flaking out the morning of the meeting, so he called in a favor and moved his whole team to the Huot Technical Center, and it went off without a hitch, he said.

The team from NASA liked what they heard and gave him a verbal OK. Shortly afterward, though, he was contacted by another space-minded governmental body, the Air Force.

At the end of February, Rogue announced the signing of a three-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory. The agreement means the Air Force and Rogue will work together on testing and development in areas where Rogues interests overlap with the Air Forces mission. It also means that the Air Force will be the one to give a Rogue orbot its first ride into space. Grimmett said he and his team are working toward a launch sometime in 2022.

Rogue currently has about 20 employees, a mix of full-time and part-time, some of whom are working on salary but most of whom are laboring in exchange for equity in the company. Grimmett said he expects to have about 25 workers, almost exclusively engineers, when fully staffed.

Rogue is currently in fundraising mode. Rather than chase venture capitalists, Grimmett is hoping to raise $5.5-million through the crowdfunding site TruCrowd.

It might be unconventional, but that is how Grimmett got to the point where he is today.

We break the rules, he said, explaining the name he gave his company. While other satellites are made to last for years, Rogues are disposable by design. They are built to get as much done as they can with the fuel they carry, reserving the last bit of energy in its tank to shove it out of orbit to be burned up by the atmosphere.

The way that we solve problems and develop solutions is not the same way that traditional space and engineering firms do. Theres a lot of chaos engineering, Grimmett said.

See the article here:

Laconia tech company eyes the vacuum of space - New Hampshire Business Review

The founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk, is currently the second richest man on Earth. In the last few months, Elons company has prepared for and launched a few rockets aiming to explore the space, but has faced failure upon their crashing and destruction soon after launch. However, the ambitious engineer appears to have an everlasting determination to win over space with his company and aerospace rocket projects.

Watch the video here:

Also read: Covid-19 Vaccine News: Arvind Kejriwal Receives The First Dose Of Covishield Along With His Family

Not too long ago, a Mars-bound rocketship was launched by the worlds second-richest man, Elon Musks company SpaceX. The rocket prototype, named SN10 was launched for testing from a launching pad situated in Texas, the United States of America. Upon launch, this rocket made its way up to around 10 kilometres above the earth, which took about 5 minutes. Loaded with around 100 tonnes of weight inside, to ensure its capacity to transport human beings to the Moon and Mars in the future, it began its landing procedure next. 6 minutes and 20 seconds post-launch, the rocket made a soft touchdown at the pad. However, soon after the announcement of its successful landing, it exploded. This made for the third time that one of Elon Musks rockets failed.

Also read: Celeb Spotting: Nora Fatehi, Kriti Sanon Make A Style Splash In The City

Before this, SpaceX had launched another rocket prototype named SN8 from the Texas launching pad. And something very similar had happened then too with the rocket exploding upon its landing on the pad. The explosion was massive and it led to the rocket bursting into numerous pieces. While most people feel disappointment upon the failure of their missions, Elon Musk seemed to have felt nothing like it. Instead, he was seen tweeting out to congratulate the team while explaining what had gone wrong and led to the failure of the rockets safe and sound landing. Due to his determination and zeal, the team of SpaceX succeeded in preparing for another rocket testing within the next two months as well. Later, the company sent out satellites into space, which successfully installed itself there.

Also read: Amazon Changes Its Mobile App Icon Again After Users Compare The Previous One To Adolf Hitlers Moustache

Stay updated with thelatest trending news only on ZEE5!

The rest is here:

Elon Musks Ultimate Dream And Goal Is To Succeed at Space Exploration And Transport; Read - Zee Kannada

Since July, a small helicopter drone named Ingenuity had been hitched to the underbelly of the Perseverance rover as it made its way to Mars. The drones arrival this February marked the first time an autonomous aerial platform is operated outside Earths atmosphere.

The drone was also the first to be used in space science exploration and other firsts will likely follow. Ingenuitys planned experiential flights on Mars will aim to prove the effectiveness of aerial exploration for future interplanetary missions to scout areas once considered out of sight and reach.

The project like any other scientific advancement leverages decades of scientific expertise. But the drone, based on Qualcomms Snapdragon Flight platform, also leverages private sector knowledge and guidance. This advancement would not have been possible unless the two core collaborators NASA and Qualcomm Technologies had not connected at the right time and in the right way.

To fully understand the scientific achievement Ingenuity represents, its necessary to detail the challenges that Mars exploration presents. First, Mars atmosphere is 99% less dense than Earths, which means achieving lift is very difficult. Second, because of the time it takes for communication signals to pass between Earth and Mars anywhere from 3 to 22 minutes remote controlled flight is not possible.

To enable this mission in the face of these challenges, Ingenuity required high computational performance at extremely low power for autonomous navigation via computer vision, intelligent decision making, and a small, lightweight design. Such a project required not just NASAs expertise in space science exploration, but also required knowledge of cutting-edge technologies. These technologies included flight navigation based on computationally-complex flight algorithms and a rich array of computer vision enablement technologies for drone location determination and object avoidance, something only a private sector company could provide.

The World Economic Forum was the first to draw the worlds attention to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the current period of unprecedented change driven by rapid technological advances. Policies, norms and regulations have not been able to keep up with the pace of innovation, creating a growing need to fill this gap.

The Forum established the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network in 2017 to ensure that new and emerging technologies will helpnot harmhumanity in the future. Headquartered in San Francisco, the network launched centres in China, India and Japan in 2018 and is rapidly establishing locally-run Affiliate Centres in many countries around the world.

The global network is working closely with partners from government, business, academia and civil society to co-design and pilot agile frameworks for governing new and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles, blockchain, data policy, digital trade, drones, internet of things (IoT), precision medicine and environmental innovations.

Learn more about the groundbreaking work that the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network is doing to prepare us for the future.

Want to help us shape the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Contact us to find out how you can become a member or partner.

NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) approached Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI) in 2015 as the Qualcomm Snapdragon Flight platform was being developed. The Flight Platform was designed to enable drone manufacturers to build drone platforms quickly and efficiently.

These specifications fit with JPLs needs: a commercial-based platform with the correct size and power constraints that could manage flight, control, and the ability to take and store images that would ultimately prove the utility of drones on another planet for the betterment of space science.

Through this process, it became evident that the autonomous capabilities Qualcomm was commercializing for next generation automotive experiences were in lockstep with the mission requirements JPL was seeking for aerial space exploration and that QTI could understand its program objectives. As a result, QTI was brought on as a consult to act as a sounding board while JPL was integrating a solution.

Several factors led to the successful partnership, revealing elements any collaborators in the public and private sector could put into place. They include:

This two-way engagement enabled QTI and JPL to take an empathetic view that unified their collective thinking toward a common goal. Early open discussions and brainstorming sessions revealed how commercial technology could best address mission specifications. By focusing on the needs of the mission, the teams could guide one another through in-person visits early on. Later, a cadence of collaboration via teleconference and email was created to help answer questions as they arose.

Conventional wisdom suggests that public sector and private sector ecosystems are vastly different in structure, composition, language and priorities. Common ground can be found, however, because many of the problems each ecosystem tries to solve for its constituents are often remarkably similar.

"Engagement cannot be one and done it must be continual, ensuring that the key collaborators can keep problem solving through different phases of development."

Still, the opportunity for public and private partnerships isnt just to find short-term solutions that benefit both parties. As the public sector cannot match the scale at which the private industry invests in developing new capabilities, the public sector needs to find ways tap into that momentum and dynamic expertise, enabling government to move at the speed of innovation.

Governments that continually work with industry do not limit themselves to waiting for technology when it is productized and available commercially on the shelf (COTS). As this partnership with Qualcomm and JPL shows, by utilizing an early engagement point with the commercial industry, governments can dramatically shift the cycle of change and innovation. In this case, the cycle shrank from almost 20 to just 5 years.

The more the public and private sector learn how to leverage their strengths, the better technology will address existing and anticipated needs. Ingenuity provides a perfect reminder of collaborative power a pioneering technology thats the unique product of great minds coming together.

Follow this link:

The first drone on Mars shows what the right collaborations make possible - World Economic Forum

For All Mankind, the alternative space race story from Apple TV+, returns with US-Soviet relations at a new low and NASA under pressure to militarise the moon

By Bethan Ackerley

Molly Cobb (played by Sonya Walger) faces some tough choices

Apple TV

For All Mankind

Created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi

Advertisement

Apple TV+

EARLY in the second season of For All Mankind, Ronald D. Moores counterfactual take on the space race, astronaut Molly Cobb is faced with an impossible decision: let a friend die on the lunar surface as a massive solar storm hits, or rescue him and risk getting a fatal dose of radiation. Viewers know Cobb has beaten tougher odds before, but as she is forced to choose, you fear that she is living in a world that no longer rewards heroics.

The shows alternative history began with one key change: in this universe, the US was beaten to the moon by the Soviet Union in 1969. The rivalry between the nations grew and accelerated progress in space, with NASA sending women to the moon in the early 1970s and establishing a base, Jamestown, there in 1973.

After a slow start, the first season did a terrific job of conveying the importance of space travel, while killing off astronauts left and right to show what a grim endeavour it can be. All the same, despite the thrills, it felt a little soulless at times.

When the second series begins, after a jump to 1983, life on Earth doesnt look too rosy. In its version of world events, Ronald Reagan became president earlier than he really did and superpower relations curdled, prompting yet more resources to be poured into space exploration. History fans should comb through the opening montage to catch all the ways this drama diverges from the real timeline: the Camp David Accords that brought peace between Israel and Egypt, the Three Mile Island nuclear accident and the Iran hostage crisis among them.

Politicking threatens to scupper plans for an astronaut and a cosmonaut to shake hands while in orbit

In this version of the 1980s, the moon is just another front of the cold war. Up to 30 astronauts at a time now live at Jamestown while looking for lithium at Shackleton crater, but the Russians edge ever closer to US mining operations. On Earth, the Johnson Space Centers director Margo Madison and other NASA officials are under pressure to militarise the moon. Politicking even threatens to scupper plans for an astronaut and a cosmonaut to shake hands while in orbit, the lone gesture of peace in a world on the brink of annihilation.

For All Mankind is hardly the most nuanced take on the US-Soviet relationship aside from a few scenes between Madison, astronaut Danielle Poole and their Russian counterparts, almost no common ground is acknowledged between the nations. Yet the cold war setting has made the show a leaner, darker beast.

Underdeveloped characters like Ed Baldwin, the sour-faced, square-jawed lead, have fewer but better things to do this time around. Ed, for instance, is now unhappily settled in his role as head of the astronaut office, sartorially muzzled by milquetoast sweaters and clearly longing for adventure.

And despite the streamlining, key plot threads from last season arent left dangling. Take Pooles decision to break her own arm to hide a fellow astronauts declining mental health. Though she was the first African-American person in space, Pooles accident gave NASA an excuse to sideline her like the few other black astronauts.

As the season progresses, it is clear the astronauts and the NASA team are at the mercy of natural and geopolitical forces almost entirely outside their control almost. It is in the small moments of defiance and sacrifice, whether that is staring down a solar storm or shaking an enemys hand, that For All Mankind proves it has figured out what kind of show it wants to be.

TV

Battlestar Galactica (2004-9)

Ronald D. Moore

When human civilisation is decimated, survivors must travel the galaxy in search of a home. Moores thoughtful series doesnt shy away from the grim practicalities of space exploration.

Film

The Martian Ridley Scott

Stranded on Mars, astronaut Mark Watney goes to ingenious lengths to survive. A rare space blockbuster in terms of its homage to realism or something close.

More on these topics:

Read more from the original source:

For All Mankind season 2 review: The cold war is raging on the moon - New Scientist

As a high school student, Terry Himes dreamed of exploring space. Today, the Spartan who graduated in 1975 from Michigan State Universitys College of Engineering is living his dream.

Himes is helping NASA communicate with its robotic spacefaring explorers.

Just today, I was building the relay commands for Mars 2020, but also Curiosity and InSight, says Himes, a spacecraft and software engineer for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

NASAs Perseverance rover arrived on Mars, landing safely on Feb. 18, joining the missions Himes references. The InSight lander touched down on Mars in 2018, and Curiosity is a rover thats clocked more than 3,000 Martian days on the red planet.

The Mars 2020 mission is unique, however, in that it became the first to successfully beam footage of landing on another planet back to Earth. And this footage of Perseverances dramatic descent has captivated the globe.

But this monumental landing was also, in a way, Perseverances morning commute, albeit a one-way trip. The rover has clocked in and is getting to work, looking for evidence that life once existed on the planet and collecting Martian rock and soil samples.

And Himes is on the team working to bring those samples to Earth. He's no stranger to retrieving extraterrestrial samples, having helpedgather specimens from a comet and the Sun's solar wind as part of the Stardust and Genesis missions, respectively. Now, he's joinedthe Mars Sample Return mission, a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency that aims to bring pieces of Mars to our planet in the early 2030s.

In the meantime, Himes is helping care for a fleet of rovers, landers and orbiters exploring our solar system.

Terry Himes at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in 2008, working on the Phoenix Mars Lander mission. Courtesy of Terry Himes.

Most of the days are really looking at the health and welfare of the spacecraft, then getting prepared for the next time we have to uplink something, he says.

NASA also has satellites orbiting Mars that, among other things, help relay communications to and from the missions on the Martian surface as the orbiters fly over. Over the next two weeks, there are dozens of planned flyovers, so Himes is a busy guy.

Flight operations is not for everyone. Its a little more intense, its a little more stressful than some of the other things, he says. I like to say that an hour is forever and a day is an eternity.

Fortunately, Himes always has liked keeping busy. Hes also a musician and, during high school, he played gigs around southeast Michigan even crossing paths with the likes of Bob Seger to help pay for college.

He chose to pursue a degree at MSU in computer science, which he saw as his ticket to NASA.

I was kind of gearing my whole education around working for NASA. I was shooting rockets up when I was 14, he says. I was looking at pictures of galaxies and thinking, NASA is where I gotta be.

When Himes finished his education, though, the Jet Propulsion Lab wasnt hiring. But in 1990, when Himes was running his own company, a former colleague reached out with an opportunity.

I got a call from a computer science guy that I worked with and he said, Hey, were building this spacecraft that you always wanted to do. Its called the Mars Observer.

Himes joined the mission as a consultant and has been working with space exploration spacecraft ever since. In 2001, he began working as a direct employee of JPL, and then, he says, 20 years flew by.

Thats what started it. It was just pure fate, Himes said. A fate of his own making, though, which is why Himes encourages students to start cultivating their own paths as soon as they can.

Work as hard as you can in the area that youre interested in, Himes says, urging current Spartan students to take advantage of summer internships if they can. The internships are invaluable for not only the work experience, he says, but also growing a network and developing interpersonal skills, which make job candidates stand out.

You dont have to be the top person in your class, Himes says. But if youve worked on projects and you know how to communicate, work in teams and present your ideas, thats what people are looking for.

Himes says his education at Michigan State helped prepare him to be the driven team player that NASA needs for its missions.

I always thought that Michigan State had a top-notch computer science department, he says. It prepared me for the idea that you have to work in teams if you want to get big jobs done. Thats all there is to it.

Continued here:

Meet the Spartan who helped NASA go to Mars (again) - MSUToday