Mars exploration: Why ESA are testing tech in the Highlands
Scientists hunting for life on Mars are focussing their attention on somewhere a bit unexpected. They have been testing high-tech equipment - not in a special simulator or mock up of the red planet - but in the remote town of Lower Diabaig in the Scottish Highlands. And why? Because rocks on the banks of Loch Torridon are similar to those on the surface of Mars and perfect for testing their tech. And that tech includes parts from a special rover just like one they're aiming to drive on Mars itself."Before we send any technology to Mars, we want to put it through its paces, and understand how well it works and how [best] to use the data we get from it", said Dr Claire Cousins, who is part of the testing team.
Dr Claire Cousins is from the University of St Andrews and is working with the European Space Agency (ESA) on the ExoMars Mission. According to Dr Cousins, the team of international scientists are setting themselves a "big goal", trying to understand the ancient environment from about four billion years ago. The trials have included cameras of the type to be used as the rover's "eyes", and kit that can detect ancient biology preserved in the rock.Dr Cousins explains there are only a few places on Earth that are suitable for this kind of testing, and these billion-year-old mudstone are perfect. "They haven't been cooked and squeezed and crushed under mountain belts."They have been beautifully preserved - a slice of time," she said. "We don't know yet if there was ever life on Mars, but these are the kinds of rocks that are going to preserve it," Claire added.
What is the Mars mission all about and when will it take place?
The ExoMars rover was due to land on Mars back in 2021 but complications meant it's launch has had to be delayed until 2028. If all goes to plan, the rover will land on Mars in 2030. It is the first time scientists in Britain have built a rover. It will drill into the surface of Mars in order to study the composition of the planet, and investigate whether there was once life there.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
How and when to see June's Strawberry Moon, Summer Triangle and other celestial events
Skygazers are in for a treat this June as a number of potentially dazzling celestial events grace our include the Strawberry Moon the Summer Triangle, the longest day of the year, with other sights to behold along the north of Scotland has already been treated to displays of stunning aurora this month with the potential for more to come, thanks to a number of geomagnetic storms taking place on the ever the chances of seeing these sights is dependent on the capricious nature of the UK's weather which is definitely expected to be more changeable throughout June than it was in the spring. Summer Triangle It all begins with the Summer Triangle, external, a bright three-cornered pattern of stars, called Vega, Deneb, and Altair. The trio gets higher in the sky during the summer months and becomes more and more prominent. They form what is known as an asterism or noticeable pattern of stars, created from three different constellations - Cygnus the Swan, Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp, and Altair in the constellation Aquila the are best seen rising in the east after sunset, forming a huge triangle overhead. The Strawberry Moon June's full Moon comes next, rising in the east on 11 June. Known as the Strawberry Moon, it was named by Native American and European cultures to signal the time of year that wild strawberries were harvested, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, external. Historically it was a way to keep track of time and monitor the changing the northern hemisphere, it will be the lowest full Moon until 2043 staying unusually close to the horizon. Its position may mean it takes on an apt reddish tinge because of the way the thicker, lower layer of atmosphere diffracts the light. The Summer Solstice Ten days later on 21 June, it is the summer solstice, the day of the year in the northern hemisphere with most much you get will vary depending on where you are in the UK and the higher your latitude the more you will this point, the northern hemisphere is most tilted towards the Sun. In the southern hemisphere, however, the Earth will be tilted away from the Sun and experiencing a winter solstice or shortest period of daylight of the year. The summer solstice marks the start of astronomical summer - a time some people associate with the beginning of the season, although meteorologists mark it from the beginning of word solstice comes from the fact the Sun appears to stand still - from the Latin words sol (Sun) and sistere (to stand still).The date of the solstice shifts between 20 to 22 June because the calendar year doesn't match with the time it takes Earth to orbit the actually takes the Earth 365 full days and one quarter to orbit the Sun, which is why we have a leap year every four years to bring our calendar and Earth's movements back into alignment. Peak of Bootid meteor shower The June Bootid meteor shower will be active from 22 June until 2 July, peaking on the 27 June. Normally the shower is weak, but occasional outbursts can produce a hundred or more meteors in an hour. There will be a chance of seeing the showers whenever the radiant point in the constellation Boötes is above the horizon. The best time is likely to be before dawn or soon after dusk but check the weather where you are before venturing out - either by downloading the BBC Weather app or via the BBC Weather if you would like to share your pictures with us - and aren't already a BBC Weather Watcher - you can create an account and enjoy snapping away.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Conservationists abseil into 60-metre gorge to tackle invasive plant species
Conservationists have abseiled down a 60-metre gorge in the Highlands to tackle invasive species such as Japanese knotweed in a bid to protect biodiversity in Scotland. Rope access specialists from the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) dealt with invasive plants which had grown in crags in Corrieshalloch Gorge National Nature Reserve in Wester Ross. The gravity-defying feat is part of efforts to tackle invasive non-native species (INNS), including Japanese knotweed and rhododendron ponticum, under NTS's new Plan for Nature, which identified it as the main driver of nature loss in Scotland. Property and conservation staff surveyed the gorge, identifying sites where invasive plants had established themselves on the cliff sides before applying a targeted dose of herbicide. The project aims to protect native flora from being crowded out of their natural habitats. NTS plans to remove the six most troublesome non-native invasive plants from its estate: rhododendron ponticum, Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed, salmonberry, skunk cabbages and New Zealand broadleaf, and to gradually remove non-native invasive shrubs where they are protecting gardens from coastal spray. It will also review emerging invasive species, targeting those which are most invasive and have the highest ecological impact. Rob Dewar, the trust's INNS project officer, said: 'Our work at Corrieshalloch is part of our ongoing nature conservation to remove invasive non-native species and demonstrates the extreme lengths we go to, to protect the places in our care. 'These gravity-defying feats are undertaken by our rope access specialists who support our conservation efforts in these hard-to-reach places where these species can quickly establish themselves, like on the vertiginous sides of the gorge. 'The INNS work is focused on eradicating invasive non-native plants, including Japanese knotweed, American skunk cabbage and rhododendron ponticum. 'The work helps to tackle these species and protect native flora from being crowded out of their natural habitat to safeguard the biodiversity of Scotland's wild landscapes. 'It is thanks to the continued generosity of our members and supporters, including players of People's Postcode Lottery, that we're able to continue our vital work to care for and protect Scotland's natural heritage at this special place for everyone to enjoy, now and into the future.' Players of People's Postcode Lottery have supported NTS's Love Our Nature project since 2022, which benefited from £900,000 last year, and have raised more than £3.4 million since 2014 to support the charity. Further funding will support nature conservation work across a variety of habitats including coastal and marine areas, peatlands, wetlands, woodland, and the eight national nature reserves cared for by the trust. Laura Chow, head of charities at People's Postcode Lottery, said: 'Players of People's Postcode Lottery will be delighted to know they are supporting the important work of NTS to protect the biodiversity of our beautiful landscapes. 'Tackling invasive non-native species is vital to ensure the survival of our native plant-life by protecting the natural habitats in which they thrive.'
Sky News
6 hours ago
- Sky News
Europe's first rover to land on moon - and it's carrying a tiny red house
The first lunar rover made in Europe is set to land on the moon tonight, carrying a tiny red house and a scoop. The rover, called Tenacious, is just 31.5cm wide and 54cm long and weighs 5kg - around the size and weight of an empty carry-on suitcase. It is one of the smallest and lightest rovers in the world and is operated by ispace EUROPE from Luxembourg. "It's a big deal," said ispace EUROPE's chief executive Dr Julien Lamamy to Sky News. "We've designed this rover, built it, tested a lot of it, and we're going to operate it all from Luxembourg." "We're showing that in Europe, [...] space companies have a startup mindset that can contribute a lot to the achievements of the European space." Tenacious will also be the first private rover to operate on the moon's surface, and will drive for around ten days before it "gets too cold and too dark", according to Dr Lamamy. The rover, which blasted off from Earth on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in January, is arriving on the moon with some fairly unusual cargo. A tiny red house, designed by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg, will be placed on the lunar surface and photographed to represent "an artistic and epic story of new possibilities", according to ispace. Mr Genbeg has been trying to get his art to the moon for 25 years, said Dr Lamamy, "but 25 years ago, only space agencies were going to the Moon". "To me, that reflects what we're here for," he said. "Of course, we're here to contribute to science and exploration and knowledge about the moon, but we're also here to give access to other folks that have cool projects." There's also a scoop on board to collect moon dust, which will be sold to NASA for $5,000 (£3,685) - the first ever sale of off-planet resources. The rover is being carried in a lander spacecraft called Resilience, which launched in January on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and entered lunar orbit on 6 May. Also aboard the lander is a water electrolyser, a module containing food production experiments, a deep space radiation probe and a commemorative plate. It is due to land on the Mare Frigoris region of the near side of the Moon at 7.17pm BST. This will be ispace's second attempt to land on the moon, after it tried in 2023, only to lose connection with its lander in the final stages of the mission. After spending 100 days in space and decelerating from 6,000 kilometres per hour to a walking pace a few metres above the moon's surface, the signal from the lander was lost. "We have to assume that we could not complete the landing on the lunar surface," said Takeshi Hakamada, CEO of ispace, at the time. Dr Lamamy said those issues have been rectified - for his team, now what remains is to experience "one of the biggest moments of our lives".
