BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Hubble Telescope Journey Through Space&Time - ECPv6.17.3.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Hubble Telescope Journey Through Space&Time X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://redearthday.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Hubble Telescope Journey Through Space&Time REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20250309T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20251102T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20260308T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20261101T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20270314T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20271107T070000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260906 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260907 DTSTAMP:20251005T005831Z CREATED:20241030T213804Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T005831Z UID:10000335-1788652800-1788739199@redearthday.com SUMMARY:328-NASA Mars Evolution DESCRIPTION:Artist Concept of NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) \n \nBillions of years ago when the Red Planet was young\, it appears to have had a thick atmosphere that was warm enough to support oceans of liquid water – a critical ingredient for life. The animation shows how the surface of Mars might have appeared during this ancient clement period\, beginning with a flyover of a Martian lake. The artist’s concept is based on evidence that Mars was once very different. Rapidly moving clouds suggest the passage of time\, and the shift from a warm and wet to a cold and dry climate is shown as the animation progresses. The lakes dry up\, while the atmosphere gradually transitions from Earthlike blue skies to the dusty pink and tan hues seen on Mars today. URL:https://redearthday.com/event/328-nasa-mars-evolution/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/6589_maven-mars-sunrise-web.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260907 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260908 DTSTAMP:20251005T005858Z CREATED:20241030T214004Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T005858Z UID:10000336-1788739200-1788825599@redearthday.com SUMMARY:329-NASA Happy Birthday\, Curiosity! DESCRIPTION:NASA’s Curiosity rover celebrates its Martian birthday on August 5 (PDT)\, the day that it landed on Mars. In honor of this special ocassion\, engineers at Goddard Space Flight Center are using the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument to “sing” Happy Birthday to Curiosity. \n\nLanding Site: Gale Crater URL:https://redearthday.com/event/329-nasa-happy-birthday-curiosity/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/w460.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260908 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260909 DTSTAMP:20251005T005928Z CREATED:20241030T214211Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T005928Z UID:10000337-1788825600-1788911999@redearthday.com SUMMARY:330-NASA Take a "Swift" Tour of the Andromeda Galaxy DESCRIPTION:NASA’s Swift satellite has acquired the highest-resolution view of the neighboring spiral galaxy M31. Also known as the Andromeda Galaxy\, M31 is the largest and closest such galaxy to our own. It’s more than 220\,000 light-years across and lies 2.5 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. Between May 25 and July 26\, 2008\, Swift’s Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) acquired 330 images of M31 at wavelengths of 192.8\, 224.6\, and 260 nanometers. The images represent a total exposure time of 24 hours. Some 20\,000 ultraviolet sources are visible in the image\, including M32\, a small galaxy in orbit around M31. Dense clusters of hot\, young\, blue stars sparkle in the disk beyond the galaxy’s smooth\, redder central bulge. Star clusters are especially plentiful along a ring about 150\,000 light-years across. \n \n \n\nNASA has spotted “battling galaxies” in deep space\, courtesy of the Hubble Space Telescope. The government agency posted a picture to its website of dueling galaxies in what it describes as a “titanic battle.” The upper galaxy is known as UGC 1810\, but combined with the other galaxies\, it is collectively known as Arp 273. URL:https://redearthday.com/event/330-nasa-take-a-swift-tour-of-the-andromeda-galaxy/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10x9_jpegPIA16682-resized.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260909 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260910 DTSTAMP:20251005T005956Z CREATED:20241030T214402Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T005956Z UID:10000338-1788912000-1788998399@redearthday.com SUMMARY:331-NASA Dynamic Earth Excerpt: Viz Challenge Winner DESCRIPTION:Watch Earth’s magnetic shield protect the planet from a pelting by the solar wind. See how the sun’s energy drives a remarkable planetary engine\, the climate. \nThis video\, originally created by NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio as part of a full-length planetarium film called “Dynamic Earth\,” was awarded first place in the video category in the 2013 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge\, sponsored by the journal Science and the National Science Foundation.\nWhile the full movie highlights many aspects of the Earth’s complexity\, the contribution from the SVS depicts the vast scale of the sun’s influence on the Earth\, from the flowing particles of the solar wind and the fury of coronal mass ejections to the winds and currents driven by the solar heating of the atmosphere and ocean. \nThe data visualization in this excerpt represents a high point in the Scientific Visualization Studio’s work in recent years to show “flows” — ocean currents\, winds\, the movement of glaciers. Using data from sophisticated NASA models\, the studio’s visualizers have figured out how to illustrate the velocities of these natural phenomena. URL:https://redearthday.com/event/331-nasa-dynamic-earth-excerpt-viz-challenge-winner/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Dynamic-Earth.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260910 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260911 DTSTAMP:20251005T010030Z CREATED:20241030T214608Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010030Z UID:10000339-1788998400-1789084799@redearthday.com SUMMARY:332-NASA Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes Create Antimatter DESCRIPTION:  \n \nNASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected beams of antimatter launched by thunderstorms. Acting like enormous particle accelerators\, the storms can emit gamma-ray flashes\, called TGFs\, and high-energy electrons and positrons. Scientists now think that most TGFs produce particle beams and antimatter. \n \n\nFermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope URL:https://redearthday.com/event/332-nasa-terrestrial-gamma-ray-flashes-create-antimatter/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/spacecraft.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260911 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260912 DTSTAMP:20251005T010100Z CREATED:20241030T214803Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010100Z UID:10000340-1789084800-1789171199@redearthday.com SUMMARY:333-NASA Mona Lisa on the Moon DESCRIPTION:NASA sends Mona Lisa to the Moon. \n \nAs part of the first demonstration of laser communication with a satellite at the moon\, scientists with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) beamed an image of the Mona Lisa to the spacecraft from Earth. \nThe iconic image traveled nearly 240\,000 miles in digital form from the Next Generation Satellite Laser Ranging (NGSLR) Station at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt\, MD\, to the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) instrument on the spacecraft. By transmitting the image piggyback on laser pulses that are routinely sent to track LOLA’s position\, the team achieved simultaneous laser communication and tracking. URL:https://redearthday.com/event/333-nasa-mona-lisa-on-the-moon/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/download-3.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260912 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260913 DTSTAMP:20251005T010129Z CREATED:20241030T214952Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010129Z UID:10000341-1789171200-1789257599@redearthday.com SUMMARY:334-NASA WATER FALLS Trailer DESCRIPTION:The Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM). NASA \n \nThe Global Precipitation Measurement mission (GPM) is a massive\, multinational mission utilizing a fleet of spacecraft\, sophisticated ground based data processing systems\, and years of planning. To capture the essence of this immense undertaking and introduce it to broad audiences\, NASA’s GPM project office decided to do something out of the box. WATER FALLS is the result. Designed specifically for spherical screens\, WATER FALLS abstracts the complex mechanics of the GPM mission\, and explores the diversity of phenomena inherent to the water cycle. Presented in sensual\, evocative\, even surprising ways\, WATER FALLS offers vital information about GPM’s profound importance to everyone who lives on Earth. URL:https://redearthday.com/event/334-nasa-water-falls-trailer/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GPM-space-default.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260913 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260914 DTSTAMP:20251005T010159Z CREATED:20241030T215147Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010159Z UID:10000342-1789257600-1789343999@redearthday.com SUMMARY:335-NASA Vision. Hope. Triumph. DESCRIPTION:Since its 1990 launch\, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. \n \nDuring the STS-125 pre-launch press conference Heidi Hammel\, a Senior Research Scientist from the Space Science Institute in Boulder\, Colorado\, expresses her views on the past\, present\, and future of the Hubble Space Telescope and its upcoming repair mission. \n \n5 Things: Hubble Space Telescope \n \n \nThis giant cluster of about 3\,000 stars\, called Westerlund 2\, resides in a raucous stellar breeding ground located 20\,000 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Carina. NASA \n\nCenter of Galaxy M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy. NASA \n\nSombrero Galaxy (M104). NASA \n\nThe Small Magellanic Cloud\, or SMC\, is a small galaxy about 200\,000 light-years from Earth that orbits our own Milky Way spiral galaxy. NASA URL:https://redearthday.com/event/335-nasa-vision-hope-triumph/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/HST_1280.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260914 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260915 DTSTAMP:20251005T010231Z CREATED:20241030T215320Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010231Z UID:10000343-1789344000-1789430399@redearthday.com SUMMARY:336-NASA A Tour of NASA Goddard Photography on Social Media DESCRIPTION:Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory. \n \nImage Coordinator Rebecca Roth discusses the process in which she chooses images to be displayed in NASA Goddard’s Social Media presence. \nhttps://plus.nasa.gov/video/nasa-rocket-engine-fireplace/#fullscreen-player\nNASA Rocket Engine Fireplace. \n\nOutburst on the Sun\nThe Sun blew out a coronal mass ejection along with part of a solar filament over a three-hour period (Feb. 24\, 2015). While some of the strands fell back into the Sun\, a substantial part raced into space in a bright cloud of particles (as observed by the SOHO spacecraft). The activity was captured in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. Because this occurred way over near the edge of the Sun\, it was unlikely to have any effect on Earth. \nCredit: NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory \nNASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science\, Heliophysics\, Solar System Exploration\, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. \n \n  \n \nGPM Launch and Deploy Animation \n \nGPM Satellite Tested on Goddard’s Centrifuge \n \nGPM Core Spacecraft Beauty Passes \n \nGPM Rocket Launch! \n \nGlobal Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Constellation \n  URL:https://redearthday.com/event/336-nasa-a-tour-of-nasa-goddard-photography-on-social-media/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10860068536_ea1766eae1_b.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260915 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260916 DTSTAMP:20251005T010303Z CREATED:20241030T215355Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010303Z UID:10000344-1789430400-1789516799@redearthday.com SUMMARY:337-50 Years of Mars Exploration DESCRIPTION:Mariner 3\nNovember 5\, 1964\nGoal: Mars Flyby\nMission Status: Lost during launch \n \n2015 marks 50 years of successful NASA missions to Mars starting with Mariner 4 in 1965. Since then\, a total of 15 robotic missions led by various NASA centers have laid the groundwork for future human missions to the Red Planet. The journey to Mars continues with additional robotic missions planned for 2016 and 2020\, and human missions in the 2030s. \nMars Missions \n \nMars 2020: Perseverance Rover \nThe Mars 2020 mission Perseverance rover is the first step of a journey that would return Mars samples to Earth. (2020-present) \n \n\nMars Sample Return\n\nNASA and ESA (European Space Agency) are planning ways to bring the first samples of Mars material back to Earth for detailed study. \n \n\nEXOMars Program\n\nESA’s (European Space Agency) Exobiology on Mars program consists of two missions: Trace Gas Orbiter and the Rosalind Franklin rover. \n \n\nInSight\n\nInSight was the first space robotic explorer to study in-depth the “inner space” of Mars: its crust\, mantle\, and core. (2018-2022) \n \n\nMars Phoenix\n\nPhoenix carried a complex suite of instruments to look for signs of water-ice in a region farther north than any previous mission. (2007-2008) \n \n\nMars Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity\n\nA pair of Mars rovers that used field geology and atmospheric observations as they looked for signs of ancient water activity. (2003-2010) \n \n\nMars Express (ESA)\n\nNASA is contributing advanced radar and radio relay systems to this ESA-ASI mission searching for sub-surface water from Mars orbit. (2003-present) \n \n\n2001 Mars Odyssey\n\nNASA’s longest-lasting spacecraft at Mars is making the first global map of the amount and distribution of chemical elements and minerals that make up the Martian surface. (2001-present) \n \n\nMars Polar Lander/Deep Space 2\n\nMars Polar Lander’s mission was to dig for water ice near the edge of the south polar cap and deploy two small surface probes\, but all spacecraft were lost on arrival. (1999) \n \n\nMars Reconnaissance Orbiter\n\nMRO studies the planet’s atmosphere and terrain from orbit and serves as a key data relay station for other Mars missions. (2005-present) \n \n\nMAVEN\n\nMAVEN is obtaining critical measurements of Mars’ atmosphere to help understand dramatic climate change over the planet’s history. (2013-present) \n \n\nMars Global Surveyor\n\nMars Global Surveyor studied the entire Martian surface\, atmosphere\, and interior\, discovering repeatable weather patterns\, gully formation\, new boulder tracks\, and recent impact craters. (1996-2006) \n \n\nMars Pathfinder\n\nMars Pathfinder demonstrated a new way to deliver an instrumented lander\, and the first robotic rover\, to the planet’s surface\, from which it returned data long past its primary design life. (1996-1997) \n \n\nMars Observer\n\nMars Observer was designed to study the geology\, geophysics\, and climate of Mars\, but contact with the spacecraft was lost shortly before it was set to enter orbit around the planet. (1992-1993) \n \n\nVikings 1 & 2\n\nThe first U.S. mission to land a spacecraft safely on Mars and return images of the surface\, Viking 1 was part of a pair of probes seeking signs of life on Mars. (1975-1982 ) \n \n\nMars Mariner Missions\n\nNASA’s Mariner 9\, launched days after Mariner 8\, was the first spacecraft to orbit another planet and to orbit Mars\, mapping 85% of the surface. (1971-1972) \n \n\nMars Science Laboratory: Curiosity Rover\n\nCuriosity is investigating Mars to determine whether the Red Planet ever was habitable to microbial life. (2011-present) \n \n\nMars Climate Orbiter\n\nDesigned to function as an interplanetary weather satellite and a communications relay for Mars Polar Lander\, Mars Climate Orbiter was lost on arrival after entering the atmosphere too low. (1999-1999) \nEntry\, Descent\, and Landing\n \n\n\n\nParachutes\, airbags\, sky cranes\, and more – NASA gets its Mars landers and rovers through the atmosphere\, past hazards and obstacles\, to a safe touchdown on the Red Planet. \n\n\n\n  URL:https://redearthday.com/event/337/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/mariner3_4.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260916 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260917 DTSTAMP:20251005T010339Z CREATED:20241030T215831Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010339Z UID:10000345-1789516800-1789603199@redearthday.com SUMMARY:338-The Insane Engineering of the Perseverance Rover DESCRIPTION:Views of Perseverance’s Wheels Wiggling: The animated GIFs show NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover wiggling its front left wheel on March 4\, 2021\, the day Perseverance completed its first drive on Mars. NASA/JPL-Caltech \n \n \nNeck and Head.\nA mast for the cameras to give the rover a human-scale view.\nThis image\, taken in the Spacecraft Assembly Facility’s High Bay 1 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena\, California\, on July 23\, 2019\, shows a close-up of the head of Mars 2020’s remote sensing mast. The mast head contains the SuperCam instrument (its lens is in the large circular opening). In the gray boxes beneath mast head are the two Mastcam-Z imagers. On the exterior sides of those imagers are the rover’s two navigation cameras.\nNASA/JPL-Caltech \n \n\nThe Rover’s “Body”\n\nThe Perseverance rover’s body is called the warm electronics box\, or “WEB” for short. Like a car body\, the rover body is a strong\, outer layer that protects the rover’s computer and electronics (which are basically the equivalent of the rover’s brains and heart). The body keeps the rover’s vital organs protected and temperature-controlled. \nThe warm electronics box is closed on the top by a piece called the Rover Equipment Deck. The Rover Equipment Deck makes the rover like a convertible car\, allowing a place for the rover mast and cameras to sit out in the Martian air\, taking pictures with a clear view of the terrain as the rover travels. \n \nIllustrated here\, the aluminum wheels of NASA’s Curiosity (left) and Perseverance rovers. Slightly larger in diameter and narrower\, 20.7 inches (52.6 centimeters) versus 20 inches (50.8 centimeters)\, Perseverance’s wheels have twice as many treads\, and are gently curved instead of chevron-patterned. April 03\, 2020.\nNASA/JPL-Caltech \n \n\nHow the Wheels Move \n\nLike NASA’s previous rovers\, Perseverance uses a “rocker-bogie” suspension system . The suspension system connects the wheels to the rover and controls how the rover interacts with the Martian terrain. \nPerseverance is designed to withstand a 45-degree tilt in any direction without tipping over. For added protection\, rover drivers avoid terrains that would tilt the rover more than 30 degrees. \n\n\n\n\nRover Speed\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBy Martian vehicle standards\, Perseverance is a standout. Its top speed on flat\, hard ground is just under 0.1 mph (152 meters per hour). On Mars\, it’s about the journey and destinations–not the speed. The energy-efficient slow pace  consumes less than 200 watts\, compared to nearly 150\,000 watts for a 200-horsepower car. \n\n\n\n\n\nTech Specs – Legs\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMaterials\n\n\nTitanium tubing formed with the same process in high-end mountain bike frames.\n\n\n\n\nOthers\n\n\nEnable the rover to drive over knee-high rocks up to 15.75 inches (40 centimeters).\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n \nBrains \nThe rover’s brains – its computer – are in its boxy body. The computer module\, the Rover Compute Element (RCE)\, has two identical RCEs so there is always a spare “brain.” The computer memory tolerates extreme radiation in space and on Mars. The RCE interfaces with the rover’s engineering functions over two networks that follow an aerospace industry standard for the high-reliability airline and spacecraft requirements. The RCEs directly interface with the rover instruments for command and science data exchange. \n\n\n\n\nTech Specs – Brains\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nProcessor\n\n\nRadiation-hardened central processor with PowerPC 750 Architecture: a BAE RAD 750\nOperates at up to 200 megahertz speed\, 10 times the speed in Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity’s computers\n\n\n\n\nMemory\n\n\n2 gigabytes of flash memory\n256 megabytes of dynamic random access memory\n256 kilobytes of electrically erasable programmable read-only memory\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n \n\nEyes and Ears\n\nRobots have replicated much of the human sensory experience on Mars. Cameras have given us sight\, robotic hands\, arms and feet have supplied touch\, and chemical and mineral sensors have let us taste and smell on Mars. \n\n\n\n\nEngineering Cameras\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSeveral cameras for engineering and science tasks serve as eyes for driving\, while others make science observations and help collect samples. robotic hands\, arms and feet supply. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEntry\, Descent\, and Landing Cameras\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSeveral cameras recorded stunning full-color views during the Perseverance entry\, descent\, and landing\, including videos that provided invaluable data to help the team address such questions as how precisely the rover touched down in the landing area\, how the landing system moved during landing\, how much sand and rock the retro rockets blew into the Martian atmosphere\, and how the landing system moves as it descends. These new eyes and ears of Perseverance were assembled from easily available commercial hardware. The cameras and microphone were an optional add-on. \n \n  URL:https://redearthday.com/event/338/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/gif:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/1004_PIA24489-1-ncamFLWheel-800px.gif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260917 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260918 DTSTAMP:20251005T010414Z CREATED:20241030T225240Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010414Z UID:10000346-1789603200-1789689599@redearthday.com SUMMARY:339-Starship Mission to Mars DESCRIPTION:On Mars\, two modest-sized hills\, dubbed Twin Peaks by scientists\, to the southwest of Pathfinder’s landing site.\nNASA URL:https://redearthday.com/event/339-starship-mission-to-mars/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/download-4.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260918 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260919 DTSTAMP:20251005T010628Z CREATED:20241030T225536Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010628Z UID:10000347-1789689600-1789775999@redearthday.com SUMMARY:340-New Horizons-Pluto DESCRIPTION:The Frozen Canyons of Pluto’s North Pole: This ethereal scene captured by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft tells yet another story of Pluto’s diversity of geological and compositional features – this time in an enhanced color image of the north polar area.\nNASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute. \n \nReady to explore Pluto? NASA’s New Horizons — the fastest spacecraft ever created — will speed past Pluto on July 14\, 2015\, beaming back high resolution photos (and invaluable data) of the dwarf planet’s surface for the first time in human history. \nWe\, the members of the National Space Society\, believe exploring the unknown for the betterment of all is among humanity’s most essential pursuits. We honor the historic New Horizons mission by commissioning the inimitable Erik Wernquist to create this video. \n \nNASA’s New Horizons captured this high-resolution enhanced color view of Charon just before the spacecraft made its closest approach to Pluto on July 14\, 2015. NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute \n  \n \nArtist concept of Pluto from one of its moons surface. URL:https://redearthday.com/event/340-new-horizons-pluto/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PIA20473_800w.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260919 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260920 DTSTAMP:20251005T010650Z CREATED:20241030T225741Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010650Z UID:10000348-1789776000-1789862399@redearthday.com SUMMARY:341-Mars Helicopter (before it went to Mars) DESCRIPTION:The Mars Helicopter\, Ingenuity aims to make the first powered flight on another planet when it takes off on Mars. It has now landed and safely checked in with the rover. It should detach and fly within the first 30-60 days of the mission. I learned a lot getting to visit the drone right before it was mounted on the rover at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. \nHow do you fly in 1% of Earth’s atmosphere:\nHave large rotors (they are 1.2m in diameter) and spin them very fast\, around 2500 RPM (5x the speed of a helicopter on Earth). \nPlus the aircraft has to be light:\nThe Mars helicopter weighs in at 1.8kg or around the same as a laptop. Every piece had to be stripped down for weight. Instead of using aerogel for insulation\, the craft makes use of CO2 gaps between components. Even aerogel was too heavy! \nOne of the major challenges is surviving the Martian night:\nTemperatures plunge to -80C to -100C so two thirds of the craft’s power is actually used to keep its electronics warm. Only one third is used for flying. The estimated flight time is 90 seconds. \nThe craft can’t be driven remotely\, it will have to fly autonomously\, using its own sensor suite to determine how to fly. The round trip 20 minute delay with Earth means steering the craft from mission control would be impossible. \n \nThe Legacy of Ingenuity\nOn April 19\, 2021\, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made history when it completed the first powered\, controlled flight on the Red Planet. It flew for the last time on January 18\, 2024. \nDesigned to be a technology demonstration that would make no more than five test flights in 30 days\, the helicopter eventually completed 72 flights in just under 3 years\, soaring higher and faster than previously imagined. Ingenuity embarked on a new mission as an operations demonstration\, serving as an aerial scout for scientists and rover planners\, and for engineers ready to learn more about Perseverance’s landing gear debris. \nIn its final phase\, the helicopter entered a new engineering demonstration phase where it executed experimental flight tests that further expanded the team’s knowledge of the vehicle’s aerodynamic limits. \n  URL:https://redearthday.com/event/341-mars-helicopter-before-it-went-to-mars/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/gif:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/heli_light.gif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260920 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260921 DTSTAMP:20251005T010710Z CREATED:20241030T225954Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010710Z UID:10000349-1789862400-1789948799@redearthday.com SUMMARY:342-The Curious Life of a Mars Rover - National Geographic Live DESCRIPTION:Having helped design the Mars rovers Spirit\, Opportunity\, and Curiosity\, NASA engineer Kobie Boykins reveals what these robots are telling us about the existence of life on the red planet. URL:https://redearthday.com/event/342-the-curious-life-of-a-mars-rover-national-geographic-live/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/perseverance-mars-rover-01.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260921 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260922 DTSTAMP:20251005T010729Z CREATED:20241030T230410Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010729Z UID:10000350-1789948800-1790035199@redearthday.com SUMMARY:343-Mars Sample Return: Bringing Mars Rock Samples Back to Earth DESCRIPTION:NASA advances plans to bring samples back from Mars. \n \nNASA and the European Space Agency are developing plans for one of the most ambitious campaigns ever attempted in space: bringing the first samples of Mars material safely back to Earth for detailed study. The diverse set of scientifically curated samples now being collected by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover could help scientists answer the question of whether ancient life ever arose on the Red Planet. \nBringing samples of Mars to Earth for future study would happen in several steps with multiple spacecraft\, and in some ways\, in a synchronized manner. This short animation features key moments of the Mars Sample Return campaign: from landing on Mars and securing the sample tubes to launching them off the surface and ferrying them back to Earth. URL:https://redearthday.com/event/343-mars-sample-return-bringing-mars-rock-samples-back-to-earth/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/hq720-9.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260922 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260923 DTSTAMP:20251005T010750Z CREATED:20241030T230612Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010750Z UID:10000351-1790035200-1790121599@redearthday.com SUMMARY:344-NASA’s Gold Box Will Make Oxygen on Mars DESCRIPTION:Perseverance’s MOXIE Generates Oxygen on Mars. \n \nIf you saw the 2015 film ‘The Martian\,’ you might recall main character Mark Watney (played by Matt Damon) mentioning something called an oxygenator…well\, NASA’s newest device isn’t so far off from the sci-fi tech. \nThe Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment\, better known as MOXIE\, uses a technology called solid oxide electrolysis\, and the goal? To produce oxygen from the Martian carbon-dioxide atmosphere for both propellant and breathing. \nNASA is continuing to prepare for human exploration of Mars and is set to launch its next rover to the red planet in 2020. Seven instruments will be aboard the rover\, six of which are focused on sample analysis like this SuperCam and a spectrometer called PIXL that’ll measure chemical signatures of Martian rocks. And MOXIE is the seventh. \nWe sat down with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Instrument Systems Engineer Asad Aboobaker to find out more about how exactly MOXIE will make oxygen on Mars\, check out this Focal Point to find out more. \n \nTechnicians at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory lower the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) instrument into the belly of the Perseverance rover. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech \n \n  \n\n\n\n\nIllustration of the MOXIE instrument\, depicting the elements within the instrument. Credits: NASA/JPL URL:https://redearthday.com/event/344-nasas-gold-box-will-make-oxygen-on-mars/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Perseverances-MOXIE-Successfully-Generates-Oxygen-from-the-Martian-Air-1619x1024-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260923 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260924 DTSTAMP:20251005T010812Z CREATED:20241030T231103Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010812Z UID:10000352-1790121600-1790207999@redearthday.com SUMMARY:345-New: Mars In 4K DESCRIPTION:NASA rovers capture stunning Mars in 4K. \n \nA world first. New footage from Mars rendered in stunning 4K resolution. We also talk about the cameras on board the Martian rovers and how we made the video. \nThe cameras on board the rovers were the height of technology when the respective missions launched. \nA question often asked is:\n‘Why don’t we actually have live video from Mars?’ \nAlthough the cameras are high quality\, the rate at which the rovers can send data back to earth is the biggest challenge. Curiosity can only send data directly back to earth at 32 kilo-bits per second. \nInstead\, when the rover can connect to the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter\, we get more favourable speeds of 2 Megabytes per second. \nHowever\, this link is only available for about 8 minutes each Sol\, or Martian day. \nAs you would expect\, sending HD video at these speeds would take a long long time. As nothing really moves on Mars\, it makes more sense to take and send back images. URL:https://redearthday.com/event/345-new-mars-in-4k/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/YF5DPPQJ65H57A2YDPUETEK4LM.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260924 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260925 DTSTAMP:20251005T010831Z CREATED:20241030T231434Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010831Z UID:10000353-1790208000-1790294399@redearthday.com SUMMARY:346-The History of Mars Rovers - Mission to Mars DESCRIPTION:In a clean room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena\, California\, engineers observed the first driving test for NASA’s Mars 2020 rover on December 17\, 2019. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. \n \nPerseverance is the next rover to head to the Red Planet to search for signs of life. This is the history of those that came before it. URL:https://redearthday.com/event/346-the-history-of-mars-rovers-mission-to-mars/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/figure-1-24732_pia23499-16-1024x576-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260925 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260926 DTSTAMP:20251005T010855Z CREATED:20241030T231826Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010855Z UID:10000354-1790294400-1790380799@redearthday.com SUMMARY:347-NASA at Saturn: Cassini's Grand Finale DESCRIPTION: \nThe final chapter in a remarkable mission of exploration and discovery\, Cassini’s Grand Finale is in many ways like a brand new mission. Twenty-two times\, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft will dive through the unexplored space between Saturn and its rings. What we learn from these ultra-close passes over the planet could be some of the most exciting revelations ever returned by the long-lived spacecraft. This animated video tells the story of Cassini’s final\, daring assignment and looks back at what the mission has accomplished. \n \n\nAn illustration of Cassini diving between Saturn and its innermost ring.\nNASA URL:https://redearthday.com/event/347-nasa-at-saturn-cassinis-grand-finale/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/gif:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/desktop_light-1.gif END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260926 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260927 DTSTAMP:20251005T010913Z CREATED:20241030T232120Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010913Z UID:10000355-1790380800-1790467199@redearthday.com SUMMARY:348-How SpaceX and NASA Plan To Build A Mars Colony! DESCRIPTION:How SpaceX and NASA Plan To Colonize Mars! \niframe width=”1250″ height=”703″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/V2AyDjcGRrk” title=”How SpaceX and NASA Plan To Build A Mars Colony!” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen> \nHow SpaceX and NASA Plan To Build A Mars Colony! URL:https://redearthday.com/event/348-how-spacex-and-nasa-plan-to-build-a-mars-colony/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/maxresdefault-7.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260927 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260928 DTSTAMP:20251005T010936Z CREATED:20241030T232340Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010936Z UID:10000356-1790467200-1790553599@redearthday.com SUMMARY:349-NASA's Mars 2020 Mission Everything You Need To Know DESCRIPTION: \nThis is Mars as viewed on NASA’s awesome web-based portal\, Mars Trek.\nAnd this point here is the Jezero Crater\, where NASA’s Mars 2020 Mission will take place.\nThe launch window for the mission is between July 17th and August 5th of this year and centers around the Perseverance Rover. \nThe Perseverance is nearly identical to the Curiosity Rover except for redesigned wheels.\nReusing Curiosity’s design makes sense because Curiosity is an engineering marvel and saves NASA a lot of money in development costs. \nAside from the redesigned wheels\, Perseverance also has a unique set of instruments needed for the mission. \nThe Mars 2020 Mission is just a part of NASA’s overarching Mars Exploration Program.\nThe program has four key science Goals\, in which the Perseverance will play a significant role in their achievement. \nThe first goal is to determine whether life ever existed on the planet\, and this is why the Jezero Crater was chosen to be the site. \nThe crater may have contained a large 800-foot lake connected to rivers.\nTo help achieve this goal\, the Perseverance is equipped with three amazing instruments. \nThe Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry or PIXL. \nThe Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals or SHERLOC. \nAnd the SuperCam.\nPIXL is an X-ray Spectrometer\, which allows Perseverance to detect signs of biofilm made by microbes that may have lived on the planet long ago when the climate was warmer. \nAt just 10 lbs\, it is 50 times lighter than the typical lab spectrometer used for the same purpose. \nSHERLOC also has a spectrometer\, but it uses an ultraviolet laser to determine the chemical makeup of surfaces. \nLast but not least is the SuperCam\, which examines rocks and soils with a camera\, laser\, and spectrometers to seek organic compounds. \nIt can identify the chemical and mineral makeup of targets as small as a pencil point from a distance of more than 7 meters! \nThe second goal is to characterize the climate of Mars.\nThe rover will perform astrobiological investigations using the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer or MEDA. \nMEDA will continuously measure the characteristics of the Martian atmosphere\, including the direction and wind speed\, temperature\, and humidity\, and also measures the amount and size of dust particles. \nDust storms can block out the sun for weeks every seven to 10 years\, there are enormous dust storms that cover the entire planet. \nAnd the data collected from MEDA will help predict weather conditions that the first astronauts will face and the eventual colonists. \nThe third goal is to Characterize the Geology of Mars by studying the rock record.\nIt will do this using the Radar Imager for Mars’ Subsurface Experiment or RIMFAX. \nRIMFAX uses radar waves to uncover what lies beneath the Martian surface\, capable of detecting ice or salty brines. \nAdditionally\, the rover will use its percussive coring drill to collect rock samples and place them in sealed tubes. \nThe samples will eventually be placed on the planet’s surface and possibly be collected on a future mars mission to be returned to Earth for further study. \nLearning the Geology of Mars is foundational knowledge that is important for future colonists. \nLastly\, the fourth goal of the Mars 2020 mission is to Prepare for Human Exploration.\nThe Perseverance has four sub-objectives for this goal\, but we are going to zero in on the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment or MOXIE. \nMOXIE is an experiment that aims to demonstrate the ability to produce oxygen from the Martian Atmosphere. \nThis is critical for two apparent reasons as astronauts and colonists need oxygen to breathe and it can be used as propellant for return trips back to Earth. \nThe MOXIE takes the Mars atmosphere and heats it up to 800 degrees Celsius\, which allows the oxygen to be separated from the Carbon dioxide. \nIf this experiment is successful\, NASA may send a dedicated mission to produce Oxygen on Mars\, which would lay the groundwork for human missions and a colony. \nSo\, all the instruments on the Perseverance are astonishing in their own right but to top it off\, the rover is equipped with a helicopter. \nIf successful\, the idea is for future Mars rover missions to be outfitted with drones that can scan the surrounding area for interesting objects and places for the rover to explore. \nNASA has a long succession of successful Mars rover missions going back 23 years.\nHopefully\, the Perseverance continues the succession of successful Mars rovers. \nAnd hopefully\, through its discoveries and experiments\, it paves the way for the human missions to come. URL:https://redearthday.com/event/349-nasas-mars-2020-mission-everything-you-need-to-know/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mars-Rover-Mission-2020_-Things-you-need-to-know-e1614427507277.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260928 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260929 DTSTAMP:20251005T010958Z CREATED:20241031T010800Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T010958Z UID:10000357-1790553600-1790639999@redearthday.com SUMMARY:350-The Stunning Images Of Mars: Curiosity Rover DESCRIPTION:This artist’s concept shows how NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover was lowered to the planet’s surface using the sky crane maneuver.\nNASA / JPL-Caltech \n \nThis is the Curiosity rover. Designed initially to explore the crater Gale on Mars as part of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission\, Curiosity was launched from Cape Canaveral on November 26\, 2011\, and landed inside Gale on Mars on August 6\, 2012. \nThe landing site of the car sized-rover was less than 1 ½” miles from its touchdown target after completing a 350 million mile journey. Its goal was to investigate Martian climate and geology and assess if environmental conditions were favorable for microbial life. It would also go on to conduct planetary habitability studies in preparation for human exploration of Mars. \nCuriosity’s two-year mission was would be extended indefinitely and continues to send back images and data to this day. This is a visual tour of its mission. \nImage 2 –\nThis mosaic taken at the rover’s landing site in the Gale Crater was created by using 27 images from its mast-mounted Left Navigation Camera. \nImage 3 –\nLooking at Curiosity’s landing site in color reveals the gravelly area surface of the Gale Crater. The terrain falls off into a depression and beyond that is the boulder-strewn\, red-brown rim of a moderately-sized impact crater. Farther off in the distance\, there are dark dunes and then the layered rock at the base of Mount Sharp. \nImage 4 –\nThis image from the Mars Hand Lens Imager camera shows a small bright object on the ground beside the rover. The object is about half an inch long and the rover team believes this object to be debris from the spacecraft\, possibly from the events of landing on Mars. \nImage 5 –\nThis is the “Shaler” outcrop taken during the 120th day of Curiosity’s mission. Its dramatically layering patterns suggested evidence of past streamflow in some locations. \nImage 6 –\nThis is a view of the “John Klein” location selected for the first rock drilling by NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity taken during the afternoon of the 153rd Martian day of Curiosity’s mission. The veins giving rise to evidence of a wet past are common in the flat-lying rocks of the area. \nImage 7 –\nCalled the “mini drill test\,” Curiosity used its drill to generate this ring of powdered rock for inspection in advance of the rover’s first full drilling. Curiosity performed the mini drill test during the 180th Martian day of its mission. \nImage 8 –\nThis is Mount Sharp\, also known as Aeolis Mons\, its a layered mound in the center of Mars’ Gale Crater\, rising more than 3 miles above the floor of the Gale crater. Lower slopes of Mount Sharp were a major destination for the mission where it searched evidence of a past environment favorable for microbial life. \nImage 9 –\nThis the view of an outcrop called “Point Lake.” The outcrop is about 20 inches high and pockmarked with holes. Curiosity recorded the 20 component images for this mosaic on the mission’s 302nd Martian day. \nImage 10 –\nThis scene combines seven images from the telephoto-lens camera onboard Curiosity. The images were taken on the 343rd Martian day of the mission. The rover had driven 205 feet the day before to arrive at the location providing this vista. The center of the scene is toward the southwest. A rise topped by two gray rocks near the center of the scene is informally named “Twin Cairns Island.” \nImage 11 –\nThis mosaic of images are from geological members of the Yellowknife Bay formation\, and the sites where Curiosity drilled into the lowest-lying member\, called Sheepbed\, at targets “John Klein” and “Cumberland.” The scene has the Sheepbed mudstone in the foreground and rises up through Gillespie Lake member to the Point Lake outcrop. These rocks record superimposed ancient lake and stream deposits that offered past environmental conditions favorable for microbial life. Rocks here were exposed about 70 million years ago by removal of overlying layers due to erosion by the wind. \nImage 12 –\nThis scene combines images taken during the midafternoon of the mission’s 526th Martian day. The sand dune in the upper center of the image spans a gap\, called “Dingo Gap\,” between two short scarps. \nImage 13 –\nThis look back at a dune that the Curiosity drove across was taken during the 538th Martian day. The rover had driven over the dune three days earlier. \nImage 14 –\nThe scene combines multiple images taken with both cameras of the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on Curiosity during its 1\,087th Martian day. Taken at the lower slope of Mount Sharp and Spanning from the east\, to the southwest it shows Large-scale crossbedding in the sandstone. This is a feature common in petrified sand dunes even on earth. \nImage 15 –\nCuriosity recorded this view of the sun setting at the close of the mission’s 956th Martian day. This was the first sunset from the martian surfaced\, observed in color by Curiosity. \n\nThis image from a map of Jezero Crater shows the area NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is currently exploring\, including Belva Crater\, just below the center of the image.\nNASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/USGS-Flagstaff/JHU-APL \n\nNASA’s Perseverance Mars rover looks back at its wheel tracks on March 17\, 2022\, the 381th Martian day\, or sol\, of the mission. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech URL:https://redearthday.com/event/350-the-stunning-images-of-mars-curiosity-rover/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/pia14839.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260929 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260930 DTSTAMP:20251005T011020Z CREATED:20241031T010951Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T011020Z UID:10000358-1790640000-1790726399@redearthday.com SUMMARY:351-Mars - Life on the Red Planet? DW Documentary DESCRIPTION:NASA mission would dig deep into ice to hunt for Mars life. \n \nIn February 2021\, the robot “Perseverance” landed successfully on Mars. However\, this success was never a given. The film shows the difficult work involved in developing the robot\, right up to its successful landing. \nThe new robot NASA sent to Mars is called “Perseverance”. Its mission? To search for evidence of past life on the Red Planet – an important and ambitious endeavor. It took years to design the space probe and its small helicopter drone\, called “Ingenuity”. This documentary follows the rover’s development\, right up to its landing in the Jezero Crater on February 18\, 2021. \nThe mission proved to be a complete success: the robot landed safely and all the instruments on board functioned smoothly. As a result\, “Perseverance” was able to deliver high-resolution images of Mars. But getting there was an arduous journey for all involved. \nOn site\, “Perseverance” takes samples from the crater\, which scientists believe was once a river delta. Geological traces of past life – so-called biosignatures – could be hidden in the rock. Eventually\, these samples will be brought back to Earth for analysis. Among other things\, they could provide insights into possible life on Mars. \nThe four-pound mini-helicopter “Ingenuity”\, which traveled in the belly of the rover\, is now carrying out a series of test flights. These are the first of their kind to be undertaken on another planet. Another task of “Perseverance” is to test an innovative technology for extracting oxygen from the atmosphere. It is hoped that the gas can be used as fuel — or to supply oxygen for future manned flights to Mars. \n \n\nAlthough the surface of Mars is presently cold and dry\, plenty of evidence suggests that the red planet was once partly covered with water. Researchers have theorized that life might have evolved on Mars when it was wet\, and life could even be there now\, hidden in subterranean aquifers. URL:https://redearthday.com/event/351/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/azmoAAdm8Qoq3QMS8vDBZj-1200-80.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260930 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261001 DTSTAMP:20251005T011045Z CREATED:20241031T011203Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251005T011045Z UID:10000359-1790726400-1790812799@redearthday.com SUMMARY:352-Mars: Secrets of the Red Planet The Universe (S1\, E2) Full Episode DESCRIPTION:NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to Reveal Secrets of the Red Planet \n \nIt has been fifty years since man first ventured into space\, but the greatest secrets are yet to be revealed. Mars is the planet in our solar system most similar to Earth. See more in Season 1\, Episode 2\, “Mars: The Red Planet.” \n\nThe dust storm was first detected back on May 30 but is starting to clear to the point NASA believes the solar-powered Opportunity rover will receive enough sunlight to “automatically initiate recovery procedures.” In a recent update\, NASA says that it has developed a two-step plan “to provide the highest probability of successfully communicating with the rover and bringing it back online” if this automatic recovery procedure fires back up. (NASA) URL:https://redearthday.com/event/352/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/mars-6.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261002 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261003 DTSTAMP:20260110T172637Z CREATED:20241031T011852Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T172637Z UID:10000361-1790899200-1790985599@redearthday.com SUMMARY:354-What NASA Discovered on Jupiter’s Icy Moon Europa Is Stunning! DESCRIPTION:Europa Glows: Radiation Does a Bright Number on Jupiter’s Moon. \n \nCrisscrossing Europa\, one of Jupiter’s mysterious icy moons\, are vast cracks and discoloured streaks that combine to create a complex\, yet beautiful world. And when looked at even closer\, many more strange features can be seen\, such as Europa’s mysterious “freckles”. So what are these “freckles? And what is causing the chaotic fractures that weave across Europa’s frozen landscape? Join me as we take a look at real images of the solar system’s most promising place for life beyond Earth. We will take a look at what NASA’s Galileo spacecraft saw as it passed by. We will look at future missions that may make new and exciting discoveries about Europa\, and we will peer below the ice as we take a look at the evidence that might reveal a massive secret ocean. \n\n Europa Clipper – NASA Science. \n\nThis color image of Europa was taken by Voyager 2 during its close encounter on July 9\, 1979.\nNASA/JPL-Caltech URL:https://redearthday.com/event/354-what-nasa-discovered-on-jupiters-icy-moon-europa-is-stunning/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/jpegPIA24028.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261003 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261004 DTSTAMP:20260110T172704Z CREATED:20241031T012109Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T172704Z UID:10000362-1790985600-1791071999@redearthday.com SUMMARY:355-Human Exploration of Mars DESCRIPTION:Humans on Mars – NASA Science. \n \nThe scientific knowledge and technologies needed to make human exploration of Mars happen are within our reach. \nNASA 360 joins Dr. Jim Green\, Director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division\, as he discusses how NASA is preparing for human exploration of the Red Planet. \n\nCrazy Engineering: Making Oxygen on Mars with MOXIE URL:https://redearthday.com/event/355-human-exploration-of-mars/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/37776_mars-human-exploration-art-astronauts-outpost-vehicle.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261004 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261005 DTSTAMP:20260110T172734Z CREATED:20241031T012158Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T172734Z UID:10000363-1791072000-1791158399@redearthday.com SUMMARY:356-Solar System: Strange Worlds DESCRIPTION:The Weirdest Solar System We’ve Found So Far? You May Be In It – NASA Science. \n\nFormation of the Solar System: Birth of Worlds – NASA \nhttps://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SolarSystem_H264_1080p.webm\nFormation of the Solar System: Birth of Worlds – NASA URL:https://redearthday.com/event/356/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/newplanets_in_solar_system1280.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261005 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261006 DTSTAMP:20260110T172803Z CREATED:20241031T012703Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T172803Z UID:10000364-1791158400-1791244799@redearthday.com SUMMARY:357-NASA’s $93BN Plan to Return to the Moon DESCRIPTION:NASA’s Exploration Campaign: Back to the Moon and on to Mars – NASA Science. \n \nIn two years\, NASA plans to land humans on the Moon! NASA’s Artemis Program\, which will establish a permanent human presence on the Moon\, is currently underway. It has 4 main components: The space launch system\, or SLS\, which will launch astronauts into orbit. The Orion spacecraft\, which will transport them to and from the Moon. The human landing system\, which will transport them to and from the lunar surface. And Gateway\, a space station that will support ground operations. \nAlready\, Artemis 1\, which launched in November 2022\, has successfully demonstrated the SLS and Orion\, by sending an un-crewed Orion around the Moon and back to Earth. The next mission\, in 2024\, will launch astronauts around the Moon and finally\, in 2025\, they will land on the surface. After this\, many more missions will establish a permanent human lunar presence\, serving as a stepping stone to Mars and other destinations even further into the solar system! \n \n\nNASA’s new class of astronauts – the first to graduate since the agency announced its Artemis program – appear on stage during their graduation ceremony at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Jan. 10\, 2020. The class includes 11 NASA candidates\, as well as two Canadian Space Agency (CSA) candidates\, selected in 2017. They will join the active astronaut corps\, beginning careers in exploration that may take them to the International Space Station\, on missions to the Moon under the Artemis program\, or someday\, Mars. Pictured from left are: Kayla Barron of NASA\, Zena Cardman of NASA\, Raja Chari of NASA\, Matthew Dominick of NASA\, Bob Hines of NASA\, Warren Hoburg of NASA\, Jonny Kim of NASA\, Joshua Kutryk of CSA\, Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA\, Loral O’Hara of NASA\, Jessica Watkins of NASA\, Jennifer Sidey-Gibbons of CSA\, and Frank Rubio of NASA. Credits: NASA URL:https://redearthday.com/event/357-nasas-93bn-plan-to-return-to-the-moon/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Moon_Infographic-1-1.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261006 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261007 DTSTAMP:20260110T172825Z CREATED:20241031T012842Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T172825Z UID:10000365-1791244800-1791331199@redearthday.com SUMMARY:358-Can Nuclear Propulsion Take Us to Mars? DESCRIPTION:Illustration of a Mars transit habitat and nuclear propulsion system that could one day take astronauts to Mars. Credits: NASA. \n \nCan Nuclear Propulsion Take Us to Mars? \n\nIllustration of a spacecraft with a nuclear-enabled propulsion system. Credits: NASA \n\nThe Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville\, Alabama\, tests nuclear rocket fuel prototypes using non-nuclear heating instead of fission. Credits: NASA/Mick Speer URL:https://redearthday.com/event/358-can-nuclear-propulsion-take-us-to-mars/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://redearthday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/nep_mars_no_planets-1.webp END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR