Although Mars is a small planet – its radius is just a little over half of Earth's – we now know that it boasts scenery on a scale that makes Mount Everest and the Grand Canyon seem unimpressive by comparison.
Posted on Thursday June 15th, 2023 by Laura
Have you ever wondered how researchers test space equipment or conduct experiments in low gravity conditions before going to space? One way to achieve this is through parabolic flights, which offer short periods of reduced gravity. These flights started as a way to train astronauts, but now are mainly used for scientific experiments and testing new technologies.
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Posted on Tuesday October 4th, 2022 by Nadjejda
Rovers are made to roam, and what better place to roam than the great outdoors?
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Posted on Tuesday February 8th, 2022 by Nadjejda
A small rocket to launch samples from the surface of Mars, the first one to fire off from another planet, has a builder – NASA has awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin Space to make the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV).
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Posted on Wednesday July 29th, 2020 by Nadjejda
There is something in the frozen lands of Antarctica that lures her. Vinciane Debaille cherishes forgotten rocks that have landed in the midst of the white desert. More than 250 martian meteorites have fallen under the scrutiny of this geochemist who dates rocks using natural radioactivity to understand how planets formed and evolved.
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Posted on Tuesday July 28th, 2020 by Nadjejda
Half a century ago humans stepped on the Moon for the first time. The lunar rocks the Apollo astronauts bought back to Earth are still being investigated and analysed by researchers all over the world. As lab techniques improve, new revelations help us better understand our natural satellite.
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Posted on Tuesday July 28th, 2020 by Nadjejda
She feels at ease in the lab, surrounded by microscopes to unveil the inner secrets of rocks. As she swings back and forth between a meteorite sample, the eyepiece and the screen, she is looking for the organic compounds that will tell her more about life in the Universe.
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Posted on Monday July 27th, 2020 by Nadjejda
If aliens looked for life on a future Earth with its oceans and fertile lands lost to time, where would they start?
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Posted on Monday July 27th, 2020 by Nadjejda
The crime scene is an impact crater and the mystery is an elusive one for scientists – detecting life’s fingerprints on Mars.
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