Mars, located four planets from the Sun and second in size behind Mercury in our solar system, is an icy desert planet approximately half as big as Earth. Mars has less mass, leading to less gravity pull; therefore, you would weigh approximately 38 percent as much on Mars than you would on Earth. Mass Mars,…
Like Earth, Mars rotates and completes one day every 24 hours; however, their solar day, known as sol is 39 minutes longer. Astronomers typically refer to Mars days in terms of solar days. This can lead to confusion when planning space missions. Seasons Mars may often be considered Earth’s twin, yet its features remain distinct….
Spacecraft are vehicles designed to travel through outer space. They may be unmanned or manned and carry cargo or passengers. As part of the SpaceTex experiment, astronauts tested clothing designed to manage heat and sweat during exercise in microgravity. These fast drying garments had antibacterial and deodorizing properties as well. Spacesuits Spacesuits (also known as…
Astrobiologists have long dreamed of finding another planet similar to our Earth in order to explore whether life could exist elsewhere, and new research shows that such planets may be far more widespread than once believed. Thanks to advanced planet-hunting techniques, astronomers have discovered thousands of planet candidates outside our Solar System – many Earth-sized…
Computer control of spacecraft systems assisted Armstrong during descent. At certain altitudes, an abort was no longer an option and an abort procedure could only be carried out with clearance from NASA. On 20 July, Armstrong detached Eagle from Collins and began its powered descent towards the lunar surface, eventually conducting his inaugural two and…
An exciting new website provides diehard space fans with an incredible way to relive the moon landing as it happened. A wealth of audio recordings has long been accessible online; air-to-ground communications between controllers have also been preserved. But thousands of hours of supplementary conversations between controllers have remained unseen for decades – until now….
