Tag: Science

NASA: Space Agency Releases Gravity Map That Shows Interior of Mars

liesbeek Leave a comment

Using spacecrafts’ orbital irregularities to “see” beyond the surface of Mars.

A new map of Mars’ gravity made with three NASA spacecraft is the most detailed to date, providing a revealing glimpse into the hidden interior of the Red Planet.

“Gravity maps allow us to see inside a planet, just as a doctor uses an X-ray to see inside a patient,” said Antonio Genova of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts. “The new gravity map will be helpful for future Mars exploration, because better knowledge of the planet’s gravity anomalies helps mission controllers insert spacecraft more precisely into orbit about Mars. Furthermore, the improved resolution of our gravity map will help us understand the still-mysterious formation of specific regions of the planet.”

Engine Test Marks Major Milestone on NASA’s Journey to Mars

liesbeek Leave a comment

NASA successfully tested the first deep space RS-25 rocket engine for 500 seconds March 10, clearing a major milestone toward the next great era of space exploration. The next time rocket engine No. 2059 fires for that length of time, it will be carrying humans on their first deep-space mission in more than 45 years.

“What a great moment for NASA and Stennis,” said Rick Gilbrech, director of NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. “We have exciting days ahead with a return to deep space and a journey to Mars, and this test is a very big step in that direction.”

The hot fire marked the first test of an RS-25 flight engine for NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS), being built to carry humans on future deep-space missions, including an asteroid and Mars. Four RS-25 engines will help power the SLS core stage.

The engines used on initial SLS missions are flight engines remaining from the Space Shuttle Program, workhorse engines that are among the most proven in the world, having powered 135 space shuttle missions from 1981 to 2011. For the SLS vehicle, the engines will fire at 109 percent thrust level and provide a combined two million pounds of thrust.

(more…)

Tall people more likely to be successful in life, study finds

liesbeek Leave a comment

The findings are the strongest evidence yet that size matters when it comes to future success.

Being taller really does make a difference in terms of being one of life’s winners or losers, according to a major new study which will be welcomed by the 6′ 3″ tall Donald Trump.

For people who are short or fat are destined to do less well in life. They are less likely to have a good education, job, and standard of living, according to a major new study published in the British Medical Journal.

(more…)