In Case You Missed It: More Trash, This Time on Mars

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Illustration of the Opportunity rover on Mars. The rover was declared dead in 2019. (NASA, JPL/ Cornell University)

In an earlier post, I noted the amount of poop as well as other trash left behind on the Moon from prior lunar missions. Well, Cagri Kilic, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at West Virginia University, also ventured a guess at the amount of human trash that has already accummulated on the surface of Mars.

In the article he authored for The Conversation back in September, “Mars is Littered with 15,694 Pounds of Human Trash from 50 Years of Robotic Exploration,” he provided a figure as well as his methodology:

When you add up the mass of all spacecraft that have ever been sent to Mars, you get about 22,000 pounds (9979 kilograms). Subtract the weight of the currently operational craft on the surface – 6,306 pounds (2,860 kilograms) – and you are left with 15,694 pounds (7,119 kilograms) of human debris on Mars.

That’s a fair amount of trash and defunct equipment. And we are still adding to this toll, with plans to eventually send humans and material for settlements to the Red Planet. The same goes for the Moon, with multiple bases planned by the US, China, and Russia.

I expect we will see some other estimates in the future on what has been left on other planets, moons, and asteroids. And let’s not forget the five spacecraft we have shot beyond Pluto.

We humans do tend to leave a mess where ever we go. We may be explorers, but Boy Scouts would take issue given their principle “Leave No Trace.”

NASA Claims U.S. in a Space Race with China, Again

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B, Monday, August 29, 2022. (NASA)

A recent Politico interview with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson covered old ground about the Chinese taking possession of the Moon and yet seemed to get some media play in the quiet post-holiday period. As I said, it is nothing new (see this earlier news clip) nor should it be a surprise. Yes, the U.S. is in a space race again, and it is a good thing. We needed the pressure in the 1960s and apparently we need it again today, 50 years after the last man stepped on the lunar surface.

For some reason, Administrator Nelson has a thousand excuses for why the Chinese may get to the Moon first – the Orion capsule from Artemis I needs to be reused for Artemis II (which should be seen as a good thing, at least by those that want to reduce costs and increase efficiencies), the space suits may not be ready, SpaceX may need more time, and on and on. Get a grip, man!

And then the Administrator has this comment regarding Chinese behavior: “If you doubt that, look at what they did with the Spratly Islands.” That is not the only model available. One only needs to look the Outer Space Treaty to see that China and others have agreed not to make claims on the Moon. Another treaty worth viewing is the Antarctic Treaty that relates to real exploration on a cold, distant body. About 50 permanent active research stations representing 32 countries are already conducting science on Antarctica without issue. China, the U.S., Russia and others have shown that they can play well together.

So maybe we need less chest-pounding and more attention to the Artemis project at hand. The U.S. dropped the ball 50 years ago. It seems a little silly to get all upset now when other nations have shown an interest all these years later.

Image: Emblem represents the Antarctic Treaty System.

Passengers on the “Uncrewed” Orion

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Orion Lego passengers. (NASA)

Much has been discussed about the test dummies used on the Orion capsule during the recent Artemis I mission. And stories abound about the snoopy doll (show below) being the “zero-gravity” indicator on the Orion. But have you heard about the four Danish passengers on the capsule?

The Danish company Lego had four toy astronauts on the Orion capsule as well – Kate, Kyle, Julia, and Sebastian. It’s part of an educational series for children. NASA and Lego have been educational partners for a while now.

Are these the first toys in Space? Absolutely not. For instance, space shuttle astronauts have brought a teddy bear and Star Wars light saber into into orbit, among other things. And last year a SpaceX capsule sent to the International Space Station contained a stuffed penguin, which was also used as a “zeroed-gravity” indicator.

I support any endeavors to excite children about the space program. Soon enough we will see what else the Artemis program might have in store for children as well as the kids at heart.

Image (Credit): Snoopy doll floating on the Orion (color adjusted to highlight Snoopy). (NASA)

A Day in Astronomy: The Last Lunar Footprint

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Official emblem of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission. (NASA)

On this day in 1972, Apollo 17 commander Eugene Cernan was the last human to be on the Moon. He was the eleventh human to ever step on the Moon.

Here is the full crew of Apollo 17:

  • Eugene A. Cernan, Commander
  • Harrison H. Schmitt, Lunar Module Pilot
  • Ronald E. Evans, Command Module Pilot

Mr. Cernan, who passed away in 2017, was also part of the Apollo 10 mission that orbited the moon without landing (similar to the upcoming Artemis II mission).

With the successful orbit of the Orion spacecraft around the Moon this month, let’s hope the 50 year dryspell is finally over and the United States can again be the nation putting humans back on the lunar surface. Of course, we will be followed by others, including the Chinese. Yet it’s important the first space-faring nation get back in the game and restart the human exploration of the Moon, and then Mars soon thereafter.

Space Stories: Bezos on the Moon, Strange Oort Objects, and Europe Visits Venus

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Artist’s rending of the Blue Origin lunar cargo lander. (Blue Origin)

Here are some recent stories of interest.

—Reuters: “Bezos’ Space Company Teams with Lockheed, Boeing for NASA Moon Lander Pitch“

Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin is partnering with Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp to pitch a lunar lander to NASA as the agency seeks to send humans to the moon again, the companies announced on Tuesday. The joint moon lander proposal, led by Blue Origin, marks the companies’ second attempt to win a coveted moon lander contract as NASA seeks more options for getting astronauts to the lunar surface under its multibillion dollar Artemis program.

—Western University: “‘Unexpected’ Space Traveller Defies Theories About Origin of Solar System“

Researchers from Western have shown that a fireball that originated at the edge of the Solar System was likely made of rock, not ice, challenging long-held beliefs about how the Solar System was formed. Just at the edge of our Solar System and halfway to the nearest stars is a collection of icy objects sailing through space, known as the Oort Cloud. Passing stars sometimes nudge these icy travellers towards the Sun, and we see them as comets with long tails. Scientists have yet to observe any objects in the Oort Cloud directly, but everything detected so far coming from its direction has been made of ice. Theoretically, the very basis of understanding our Solar System’s beginnings is built upon the foundation that only icy objects exist in these outer reaches and certainly, nothing made of rock.

—Universe Today: “ESA’s Upcoming Mission Will Tell us if Venus is Still Volcanically Active“

The EnVision mission is ESA’s fifth medium-class mission to Venus. It’s being planned in a partnership between NASA and ESA, and NASA will be providing the synthetic aperture radar instrument, which will map the surface (much as Magellan did). In addition to the two radars, the orbiter will carry spectrometers to study the atmosphere and surface. They will monitor trace gases in the atmosphere and analyze surface composition. The idea is to look for surface changes that might be linked to signs of active volcanism. Along with the VERITAS and DAVINCI missions, EnVision should reveal all we need to know about volcanic activity on Venus.