Mercury pollution occurs when factories burn coal or mining operations release run-off into lakes and rivers, where microorganisms convert it to methylmercury that is taken up by plants and small fish; as these fish become consumed by larger ones, more methylmercury accumulates throughout their food chains and becomes concentrated further up. Learn about how mercury…
Mercury released into the air from coal-fired power plants, burning household waste or mining ore deposits can reach soil and water resources where bacterial processes may transform it into organic mercury-methylmercury forms. Methylmercury travels up the food chain, poisoning fish and wildlife that humans then ingest as well as finding its way into our drinking…
SpaceX finally achieved orbit with its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft after years of failure, fulfilling their ambitious plans to transport people and cargo to Mars and other solar system destinations. At the core of these vehicles are powerful rocket engines which use methane and oxygen fuel for thrust, with any excess being recycled…
Spacecraft designers craft hardware specifically tailored for outer space travel. Ranging from orbiting satellites and space vehicles that travel between planets to missions that explore distant corners of space, each piece must withstand its challenging surroundings. After adopting a mission, detailed designs are drawn up and Engineering Models (EM) and Qualification Models (QM) constructed. These…
JPL launches spacecraft into orbit via launch vehicles like Soyuz or NASA’s shuttles; each one designed for specific tasks. They must generate enough thrust to counter the force of gravity pulling down on them, but to do that they require lots of fuel. How a Spacecraft is Launched Spacecraft may be efficient machines, but their…
