Latest news with #MarsCuriosity
AllAfrica
3 days ago
- Science
- AllAfrica
Space race next: US, China rushing to nuclearize the moon
The first space race was about flags and footprints. Now, decades later, landing on the moon is old news. The new race is to build there, and doing so hinges on power. In April 2025, China reportedly unveiled plans to build a nuclear power plant on the moon by 2035. This plant would support its planned international lunar research station. The United States countered in August, when acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy reportedly suggested a US reactor would be operational on the moon by 2030. While it might feel like a sudden sprint, this isn't exactly breaking news. NASA and the Department of Energy have spent years quietly developing small nuclear power systems to power lunar bases, mining operations and long-term habitats. As a space lawyer focused on long-term human advancement into space, I see this not as an arms race but as a strategic infrastructure race. And in this case, infrastructure is influence. A lunar nuclear reactor may sound dramatic, but it's neither illegal nor unprecedented. If deployed responsibly, it could allow countries to peacefully explore the moon, fuel their economic growth and test out technologies for deeper space missions. But building a reactor also raises critical questions about access and power. Nuclear power in space isn't a new idea. Since the 1960s, the US and the Soviet Union have relied on radioisotope generators that use small amounts of radioactive elements – a type of nuclear fuel – to power satellites, Mars rovers and the Voyager probes. Nuclear energy in space isn't new – some spacecraft are nuclear-powered. This photo shows the nuclear heat source for the Mars Curiosity rover encased in a graphite shell. The fuel glows red hot because of the radioactive decay of plutonium-238. Photo: Idaho National Laboratory, CC BY The United Nations' 1992 Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space, a nonbinding resolution, recognizes that nuclear energy may be essential for missions where solar power is insufficient. This resolution sets guidelines for safety, transparency and international consultation. Nothing in international law prohibits the peaceful use of nuclear power on the moon. But what matters is how countries deploy it. And the first country to succeed could shape the norms for expectations, behaviors and legal interpretations related to lunar presence and influence. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, ratified by all major spacefaring nations including the US, China and Russia, governs space activity. Its Article IX requires that states act with 'due regard to the corresponding interests of all other States Parties.' That statement means if one country places a nuclear reactor on the moon, others must navigate around it, legally and physically. In effect, it draws a line on the lunar map. If the reactor anchors a larger, long-term facility, it could quietly shape what countries do and how their moves are interpreted legally, on the moon and beyond. Other articles in the Outer Space Treaty set similar boundaries on behavior, even as they encourage cooperation. They affirm that all countries have the right to freely explore and access the moon and other celestial bodies, but they explicitly prohibit territorial claims or assertions of sovereignty. At the same time, the treaty acknowledges that countries may establish installations such as bases — and with that, gain the power to limit access. While visits by other countries are encouraged as a transparency measure, they must be preceded by prior consultations. Effectively, this grants operators a degree of control over who can enter and when. Building infrastructure is not staking a territorial claim. No one can own the moon, but one country setting up a reactor could shape where and how others operate – functionally, if not legally. Building a nuclear reactor establishes a country's presence in a given area. This idea is especially important for resource-rich areas such as the lunar south pole, where ice found in perpetually shadowed craters could fuel rockets and sustain lunar bases. These sought-after regions are scientifically vital and geopolitically sensitive, as multiple countries want to build bases or conduct research there. Building infrastructure in these areas would cement a country's ability to access the resources there and potentially exclude others from doing the same. Dark craters on the moon, parts of which are indicated here in blue, never get sunlight. Scientists think some of these permanently shadowed regions could contain water ice. Photo: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Critics may worry about radiation risks. Even if designed for peaceful use and contained properly, reactors introduce new environmental and operational hazards, particularly in a dangerous setting such as space. But the UN guidelines do outline rigorous safety protocols, and following them could potentially mitigate these concerns. The moon has little atmosphere and experiences 14-day stretches of darkness. In some shadowed craters, where ice is likely to be found, sunlight never reaches the surface at all. These issues make solar energy unreliable, if not impossible, in some of the most critical regions. A small lunar reactor could operate continuously for a decade or more, powering habitats, rovers, 3D printers and life-support systems. Nuclear power could be the linchpin for long-term human activity. And it's not just about the moon – developing this capability is essential for missions to Mars, where solar power is even more constrained. The U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space sets guidelines to govern how countries act in outer space. Photo: United States Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, CC BY-NC-ND The United States has an opportunity to lead not just in technology but in governance. If it commits to sharing its plans publicly, following Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty and reaffirming a commitment to peaceful use and international participation, it will encourage other countries to do the same. The future of the Moon won't be determined by who plants the most flags. It will be determined by who builds what and how. Nuclear power may be essential for that future. Building transparently and in line with international guidelines would allow countries to more safely realize that future. A reactor on the Moon isn't a territorial claim or a declaration of war. But it is infrastructure. And infrastructure will be how countries display power – of all kinds – in the next era of space exploration. Michelle L D Hanlon is professor of Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Amid NASA cuts, popular social accounts for Mars rovers, Voyager going dark
President Trump's NASA budget plans look to cut its public relations funding by half, but already the agency is shuttering social media accounts that include those dedicated to popular missions including Mars Curiosity, Mars Perseverance and Voyager. Those three in particular have quite the fanbase on X with Curiosity's account touting more than 4 million followers, Perseverance and its little flying buddy Ingenuity have more than 2.9 million followers and Voyager nearly 900,000. The X handles for the robotic missions have taken whimsical approaches to posting over the years. And after NASA announced Monday the planned consolidation of accounts, prompting an outpouring of support online, each posted thankful responses. 'Wow, thank you all for the supportive messages. I may be a robot, but I felt every bit of love,' reads a post from @MarsCuriosity, the account created in 2008 on what was then Twitter ahead of its 2011 launch from Cape Canaveral and 2012 landing on Mars. 'Every single one of you has made this curious journey even more meaningful. This account isn't archived just yet — so stick around for some highlights these next few weeks.' The account for @NASAPersevere, created in 2020 for the mission that launched that year and landed on Mars in 2021, posted a 'Thank you' with a heart emoji and said, 'All of your supportive words are more meaningful to me than ones and zeroes could ever be. My work on Mars continues, and while this account will soon be archived, I'm going to share a few mission highlights before signing off.' The account for @NASAVoyager, created in 2010 for the nearly 50-year-old mission, posted, 'Thanks to everyone who sent messages of support after yesterday's announcement that this account will be archived in coming weeks. Until then, we'd love to take you on a trip down memory lane and highlight some of our grand adventures and discoveries. Sound OK to you?' Another mission-specific account to hear the death knell is for New Horizons, which flew by Pluto in 2015 and is now traveling through the Kuiper Belt. It's one of several active missions the proposed Trump budget looks to shut down. It similarly posted a farewell message @NASANewHorizons and like the others asks followers to look for updates on other NASA accounts that remain active. They are among the most popular accounts as NASA streamlines its message, according to the agency announcement. Some social media accounts shuttering include NASA's Launch Services Program (@NASA_LSP) and Exploration Ground Systems (@nasagroundsys) based at Kennedy Space Center. Also being consolidated are Orion (@NASA_Orion), Space Launch System (@NASA_SLS) and Gateway lunar station (@NASA_Gateway) accounts under the Artemis program. Others shuttering include ones dedicated to NASA's astronaut corps (@NASA_Astronauts), climate missions (@nasaclimate), the Commercial Crew Program (@Commercial_Crew), moon science (@NASAMoon) and atmosphere research (@NASAAtmosphere) among others. 'Over time, NASA's social media footprint has expanded considerably, growing to over 400 individual accounts across 15 platforms,' the agency posted. 'While this allowed for highly specialized updates, it also created a fragmented digital landscape that was challenging for both the public to navigate and for NASA to manage efficiently.' NASA will still give updates to the missions, but just on broader channels. So many will be deactivated, while some will merge and in a few cases some will be rebranded. The move is a precursor to plans to centralize communications in its headquarters and eliminate those at its nine space centers, including Kennedy Space Center, according to Trump's proposed 2026 budget. 'Beginning in FY 2026, the Office of Communications will restructure the organization to an Agency or centralized structure vs Center-specific to eliminate functions not statutorily mandated, except functions the Agency deems necessary, consolidate management layers and duplicative functions, and evaluate/implement technological solutions that automate routine tasks,' reads the proposal. The 2024 budget funded the Office of Communications with $76.2 million of the NASA's nearly $25 billion. The 2026 spending plan drops that to $33.8 million of the agency's $18.8 billion. That includes eliminating $7.8 million for KSC — the most of any space center's public relations budgets. The shuttering of individual accounts is part of a plan for a more uniform message, NASA stated, citing the 1958 law creating the agency that required the 'widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof.' 'The 2025 social media consolidation project is designed to fulfill this mandate more effectively. By reducing the number of agency accounts, NASA seeks to make its work more accessible to the public, avoiding the potential for oversaturation or confusion that can arise from numerous social media accounts bearing the NASA name and insignia,' it stated. Aside from fans who bemoaned losing the popular accounts, the change in approach has critics — including Jonathan McDowell. The British-American astronomer and astrophysicist works at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics' Chandra X-ray Center. 'So @NASA is consolidating media accounts for 'consistent messaging'. Which is bad the same way every cafe in town being a Starbucks forcing a consistent menu on you is bad. Much less chance of something interesting to *your* taste but not to HQ making it into the public domain,' McDowell posted on X. 'In my view the core strength of social media is letting individual voices and their quirks find their individual audiences. Making a bland uniform corporate account to replace individual @NASA voices is a mistake.'
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA satellite spies Curiosity chugging along on Mars
NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has traveled over 21.33 miles since it first landed on the Red Planet in 2012. That might not seem like very far, but it's an impressive trek considering the vehicle only averages about 98 feet per hour and mission engineers must remotely steer it from over 140 million miles away. Curiosity's most recent journey began on February 2, when it started inching away from the Gediz Vallis channel towards a region with honeycomb-like boxwork formations potentially created billions of years ago by groundwater. On February 28—Curiosity's 4,466th Martian day—another NASA mission orbiting far overhead managed to snap what is believed to be the first image of the rover actively driving across the Red Planet. Taken by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the black-and-white picture shows the desolate planetscape interrupted by a small, dark speck trailed by a weaving line of tire tracks. According to NASA, the path stretches back roughly 1,050 feet to chart Curiosity's estimated 11 drives while en route to the boxwork formations. Curiosity was preparing to ascend a steep slope at the time of the latest satellite photo, which NASA says it has since scaled. 'By comparing the time HiRISE took the image to the rover's commands for the day, we can see it was nearly done with a 69-foot drive,' said Doug Ellison, Curiosity's planning team chief at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. HiRISE is one of six observational instruments on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter that are used to document the planet's surface in high detail. The camera primarily produces black-and-white images with a colorized strip running down the middle to ensure optimal spatial resolution. It previously spotted Curiosity in color in 2023. NASA's rover is making the most of the ground it's covering on Mars. Earlier this month, researchers announced that sediment samples collected by Curiosity and analyzed in its onboard mini-lab contained a key ingredient required for life to once exist on the planet. In March, another study confirmed the rover had detected the largest-ever organic molecules inside what is likely a dried lakebed. Curiosity's mission team expects it to reach its next intended destination within the next month, depending on conditions on Mars. Once it arrives, Curiosity's most recent tracks will remain embedded in the terrain for a few months–until Martian winds erase them completely.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Curiosity finds largest-ever organic molecules on Mars
The Mars Curiosity rover's onboard mini-lab has helped confirm the existence of the largest organic molecules ever found on the Red Planet. The trio of long-chain compounds preserved in Martian soil are believed to be the remnants of prebiotic components required for life to develop on Earth. Researchers published evidence on March 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which builds on their work that began over a decade ago. In May 2013, Curiosity started drilling into an area known as 'Yellowknife Bay' in the Gale Crater. Scientists were interested in examining the region not for what it is today, but for what it may have been millions of years ago. Yellowknife Bay wasn't a randomly chosen name—the arid and desolate landscape's features still hint at a large, long-evaporated lakebed. Curiosity's soil survey, nicknamed 'Cumberland,' has been analyzed multiple times inside its Sample Analysis on Mars (SAM) onboard mini-lab and has yielded a trove of new information about the planet's past. In particular, it is rich in clay minerals that often form in water, and contains sufficient amounts of sulfur to help preserve organic molecules. Cumberland also features nitrates crucial to healthy animal and plant life, as well as methane containing a specific type of carbon associated with biological processes. Most striking, though, was conclusive confirmation that Yellowknife Bay once hosted an ancient lake, further supporting the theory that Mars was once home to life of some kind. Experts have since spent years examining data gleaned from SAM mini-lab analyses. In one recent experiment, a team including Glavin and Caroline Freissinet, an astrobiologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research worked to locate evidence of amino acids inside the Cumberland sample. While they didn't find them that time, something else caught their eye: trace amounts of three carbon-chain molecules known as a decane, undecane, and dodecane. With 10, 11, and 12 carbons respectively, researchers believe these organic compounds may be residual fragments of fatty acids needed for cell membrane formation and other biological functions. These fatty acids aren't always definitive proof of life, however. Geological events like water-mineral interactions in hydrothermal vents can also produce similar molecules. That said, the length of many of the Cumberland soil carbon-chains could suggest otherwise. Depending on the molecule, organic life fatty acids often contain chains of 11-13 carbon atoms, while non-biological fatty acids usually contain 12 or fewer carbons. This means that at least some of the large organic molecules detected by Freissinet's team may have once existed in organic life. What's more, the discovery eases worries that Martian biosignatures couldn't survive tens of millions of years of exposure to destructive oxidation and radiation. 'Our study proves that, even today, by analyzing Mars samples we could detect chemical signatures of past life, if it ever existed on Mars,' Freissinet, who also served as the latest study's lead author, said in a statement. 'There is evidence that liquid water existed in Gale Crater for millions of years and probably much longer, which means there was enough time for life-forming chemistry to happen in these crater-lake environments on Mars,' added Daniel Glavin, study co-author and sample return senior scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Unfortunately, Freissinet and colleagues can only discover so much using Curiosity's SAM mini-lab. Organic fatty acid chains are often much longer than just 12 carbons, but the rover's equipment isn't designed to detect those. Luckily, NASA is ready and willing to assist in the next chapter of Martian exploration. 'We are ready to take the next big step and bring Mars samples home to our labs to settle the debate about life on Mars,' Glavin said. Glavin, Freissinet, and colleagues may be waiting a while for that next step, however. While NASA has long planned on a Mars Sample Return mission, a ballooning budget and an uncertain future may push the project as far back as 2040.
