Tag Archives: #MARS

A NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars may be dead

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NASA lost communication with its MAVEN probe almost a month before and attempt to re establish a connection have been futile.

For nearly a month NASA has been scrambling to make contact with spacecraft in orbit around Mars that fell silent.

The space agency lost communication with MAVEN probe on Dec. 6 and attempt to re establish a connection have been futile.

The ALMA Array is completed with 145 New Low Noise Amplifiers

Based on bits of data received that day mission controllers think the probe was spinning unexpectedly.

MAVEN spacecraft entered orbit around Mars in 2014 it has been studying the red planet upper atmosphere including plasma layer famous as ionoshphere and investigating how and why Mars has been losing its atmosphere over billion of years.

The spacecraft has been instrumental in relaying communication between two rovers on surface of Mars, curiosity and perservance and earth.

NASA has not able to reach MAVEN since it experience what agency called a loss of signal with ground station on Earth on Dec 6.

At time the spacecraft was orbiting behind Mars so signal loss was routine.

Mars always blocks Maven from phoning home during maneuver.

Probe re emerged from behind red planet NASA could not pick up any signals from it.

Nasa added it was investigating the anomaly in statement on Dec. 9 but provided few details.

Mission controllers reported that all of Maven subsystem had been working normally before it passed behind Mars.

The Maven mission was designed to last two years but it has been operating continously for over a decade.

NASA celebrated the probe 10th anniversary orbiting Mars.

The process of atmospheric loss on Mars MAVEN was helping scientist to get clearer picture of planet past and present climate and how it transformed from potential habitable world with liquid water on its surface to cold and barren planet that is today.

Lunar Rover

Appolo

The spacecraft is one of three NASA currently has in orbit around Mars.

The space agency also operated the Mars Orbiter which launched in 2005 and Mars Odyseey which lifted off in 2001.

The ALMA Array is completed with 145 New Low Noise Amplifiers

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For decades scientists have observed the cosmos with radio antennas to visualize the dark distant regions of the Universe.

This consist of the gas and dust of the interstellar medium ISM planet forming disks and objects that cannot be observed in visible light.

In this field the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array ALMA in Chile stands out as one of world powerful radio telescopes.

Using its 66 parabolic antennas, ALMA observes the millimeter and submillimeter radiation emitted by  cold molecular clouds from which new stars are born.

Each antenna is equipped with high frequency receivers for ten wavelength ranges 35-50 GHZ and 787-950 GHZ known as Band 1.

The ALMA Array is completed with 145 New Low Noise Amplifiers

Thanks to Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF and the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy MPIFR, ALMA has received upgrade with addition of 145 new low noise amplifiers LNAs.

These amplifiers are part of facilities Band 2 coverage ranging from 67 to 116 GHz on the electromagnetic spectrum.

This coverage will allow researchers to study and gain better understanding of Universe.

They hope to gain new insights into cold interstellar medium the dust, gas radiation and magnetic fields from which stars are born.

Scientist will be able to study planet forming disk in better detail.

But certainly not least they will be able to study complex organic molecules COM in nearby galaxies which considered precursors to building blocks of life DNA, RNA.

These studies will allow astronomers and cosmologists to witness how stars and planetary systems form and evolve and how presence of organic molecules can lead to emergence of life.

Each LNA consist of a series of monolithic microwave integrated circuits MMICs developed by Frauhofer IAF using the semiconducting material indium gallium arsenide INGAAS.

The ALMA Array is completed with 145 New Low Noise Amplifiers

MMICs are based on metamorphic high electron mobility transistor mHEMT technologt a method for creating advance transistors that are flexible and allow for performance in high frequency receivers.

The addition of LNAs equipped with these circuits will amplify low noise signals and minimize background noisce increasing the sensitivity of ALMAs receivers.

Frauhofer IAF and MPIFR were commissioned by the European Southern Observatory ESO to provide amplifiers.

Frauhofer IAF was responsible for designing, testing and manufacturing the MMICs at room temperature, MPIFR was task with assembling and qualifying the LNA modules, then testing them in cryogenic conditions.

This is wonderful recognition of our fantastic collaboration with Fraunhofer IAF which shows that amplifiers are not only made in Germany but best in world said Prof Dr. Michael Kramer executive director at MPIFR.

Dr Fabian Thome head of subproject at Frauhofer IAF explained in IAF press release.

The performance of receivers depend on the performance of the first high frequency amplifiers installed in them.

Our technology is characterized by an average noise temperature of 22 K which is unmatched worldwide.

The ALMA Array is completed with 145 New Low Noise Amplifiers

New LNA signals can be amplified more than 300 fold in first step.

This enables the ALMA receivers to measure millimeter and submillimeter radiation from depths of universe much more precisely and obtain better data.

We are proud that our LNA technology is helping us to better understand the origin of stars and entire galaxies.

What Happened to Mars’ Water? A latest Study offers a mindblowing answer

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An analysis done by the University of Chicago of Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover data may added why the planet was probable a harsh desert for most of latest past.

The deep canyons on Mars shaped by ancient rivers showed that planed was once warm enough to help flowing liquid water.

But how did it transform into cold dry desert we see today and what caused this dramatic shift.

A latest study led by Edwin Kit scientist at University of Chicago offers latest explanation for this long standing mystery

Mars

Mars

Due to planet unqiue conditions these warm phases were short lived and Mars reverted to its dry inhospitable state.

Unlike Earth which has remained steadily habitable Mars appear to follow natural pattern that favors deser like condition over time.

The study builds on findings from NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosirt mission that were revealed in April the rover ultimately found rocks rich in carbonate mineral which could explain where Mars atmosphere went.

A Martian mystery

The explanation was made possible by Curiosity discovery revealed earlier this year of carbonate rich rocks on Mars surface.

This had been missing piece of puzzle for years the scientists added.

To have had liquid water, Mars had have a thicker atmosphere made up of greenhouse gas like CO2.

There is little atmosphere leaving a puzzle of where the carbon went.

“People have been looking for tomb for atmosphere for years” said Kite.

“It really is somethign you cannot know untile you have rover on surface” said study coauthor Benjamin Tutolo professor at University of Calgary

“The chemistry and mineralogy measurement they provide really are essential in our continuing quest to understand how and why planet stay habitable in order to search for hospitable wolrd out in universe”.

Mars has same makeup as Earth its a rocky planet with plenty of water and carbon near to sun to warmed but not cooked by it and today its a frozen desert while Earth fill with life.

Mars

Mars

For years scientists have searching for reply to why you are reading this from Earth and not Mars.

The mystery deepened when we were able to see river carved valley and old lakebeds on surface of Mars showing planet at some point did have climate that was warm enough for liquid water.

“Mars preserves a trace of that enviromental catastrophe in rocks on its surface” Kite said

“And today we are in golden age of Mars science with two plutonium powered rovers on surface and international fleet of spacecraft in orbit that permit us to deeply explore the planet for these traces”

When it comes to keeping planet balmy and mild is not enough to begin out that method there need to mechanism for stability over time that can reply to changes on and around the planet.

Scientist think Earth does this throug finely balance system that moves carbon from sky to rock and back again.

CO2 in atmosphere warms the planet but warmer temperature speed up reactions that lock up carbon dioxide into rock which finally counteracts the temperature rise.

Finally carbon leaks back out into atmosphere via volcanice eruptions.

Over million of years this cycle seems to have kept Earth stable and hospitable for life.

On Mars researchers said a similar cycle could take place but self limiting one.

It hinges on fact that our sun brightness rises very slowly over time about 8 percent per billion years.

As the sun brightens the scientist hypothesize liquid water starts running on Mars. But this water starts causing co2 to get lockied into rocks as it does on Earth which swings the planet back to cold and barren desert.

“In contrast to Earth where there are some volcanoes erupting. Mars right now is dormant and average rate of volcanic outglassing on Mars is slow

Kite said

“So in that situation you really have balance between carbon dioxide in and carbon dioxide out because if you have little bit of liquid water you are going to draw down carbon dioxide through carbonate formation”

Mars

Mars

The group buil models showing how these swings could occur.

They said that Mars experience short periods of liquid water followed by 100 million year long periods of desert.

Needless to added a 100  million year long gap in habitability is worse for life.

Why does Mars look yellow, purple and orange in ESA’s surprising latest satellite photos?

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Stunning colors and features are captured in latest image of Mars’ surface.

Mars shows off its swirling yellows oranges browns in latest satellite images from European Space Agency ESA.

The Earth toned surface reveals an impace crater and four sneaky dust devils making their method across the region.

The Rothko like photo was taken by high resolution camera on ESA Mars Express orbiter and captures Arcadia Planitia an area of Mars critical to research about planet past and its potential to house humans in future.

tianwen-2

space epoch

Arcadia Planitia

Northwest of the tallest volcanoes in solar system Arcadia Planitia is region of intrigue.

Its fill with solidified lava flows that are 3 billion years old.

The region is thought to host water ice close to planet surface making it region of interest when planning futrure mission to Mars according to statement from ESA.

Arcadia Planitia is home to dust devils short lived columns of wind akin to little tornadoes.

Dust devils from when the Martian surface warms air just above it leading air to climb and pulling dust with it.

The new photo shows four dust devil as snake their method across the plains of area.

Easy to overlook you can spit them whitish puffs of dust near center of photos straddling the boundary between darket brown and lighter red parts of plain.

A mega impact crater sits in right corner of images and measure 9 miles across according to ESA.

The formation of layered material around crater is evidence that ground encompassed amounts of water ice during impace and lack of erosion of crater dates it relatively latest on geological timeline.

Chinese Space

CSA

Is the image out of focus?

Guts of air pick up and carry small particles of debris from planet surface which creates a minor visual haze.

Below the red section is purplish brown terrain which has high concentration of silicates and low concentration of iron notes.

The difference in colors stems from properties of sand like size and density which affect how grains accumulate and travel across Mars.

The wind cause haze is responsible for reddish region at top of images.

The red area is covered in ridges called vardangs which formed when wind erodes vulnerable rock and leaves resistant rock still standing.