DOCSLIB.ORG

Beijing Seeks to Plant Red Flag on Mars

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Beijing Seeks to Plant Red Flag on Mars 10 Strategic Vision vol. 9, no. 47 (September, 2020) Red Planet Ambitions Tonio Savina ! "# $%&', China launched its (rst Mars two major phases. +e (rst was from the )-,*s to the exploration mission, Tianwen-), which is )-.*s and basically coincided with the Space Race be- Oexpected to land on the Red Planet’s surface tween the United States and the Soviet Union. Despite in the (rst quarter of "*"). +e launch did not come numerous failures experienced by the two superpow- as a surprise: it was part of China’s step-by-step strat- ers, this phase saw the (rst US spacecra/ perform a egy to accumulate capabilities in outer space and was 0yby of Mars (Mariner-1), the (rst Russian probe to announced as far back as "*),. Most of the analysis successfully carry out a so/ landing on its surface conducted on Tianwen-) focused on the technologi- (Mars #), and the (rst US probe to orbit the planet cal and scienti(c aspects of the mission, while far too (Mariner -). It also includes the )-.2 launch of the little attention has been paid to the political signi(- lander Viking ): the (rst US probe to take a color im- cance of the launch and to the strategic rationale of age of the red Martian surface. such a risky program. China did not participate in this (rst phase of +e history of Mars exploration can be divided into Mars exploration; however, this does not imply that photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech Mars Ascent Vehicle deploying a sample container in orbit (Artist’s Concept). Tonio Savina is a PhD student from the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies at Sapienza University of Rome. He can be reached at tonio.savina@uniroma!.it Red Flag on Mars 11 photo: China Ministry of National Defense The launch pad at China’s Xichang satellite launch center stands illuminated at night. Chinese scientists were totally uninterested in the Surveyor, initiating a new era for exploration of the Red Planet. On the contrary, there is some evidence Red Planet. Furthermore, only one year later, the that they were already involved in studying Mars, United States deployed the (rst rover (Sojourner) while taking a close look at foreign experience with to the planet. the planet’s exploration. A paper published in )-,) by It was during this phase that the Chinese scienti(c Yi Zhaohua and Huang Tianyi calculated the mini- community began to seriously study the feasibility of mum time needed by a spaceship to reach Mars, a Mars mission. As revealed in the summer of "**# by while in November )-., the Chinese journal Foreign Liu Zhenxing, a researcher with the China Academy Trends in Space carried out a detailed analysis of the of Science, a voyage to Mars began to be part of the US Viking program in its Special Issue on the Mars Chinese planetary exploration ambitions from the Exploration of the Viking Space Vehicle. early )--*s. A mission to the Red Planet was con- ceived under the 3,# plan—a scienti(c program that, New era for exploration according to the o4cial narrative, was started in )-3, under the endorsement of Deng Xiaoping, but whose A/er several years of deadlock, the second phase history should more properly be re-written in a less of Mars exploration began in the second half of the propagandistic way, according to Julian Gewirtz. )--*s, evolving through the "***s. +e Soviet Union By the )--*s, however, China had not even launched had already collapsed, and this new phase was domi- its (rst man in space, and it lacked high-power data nated by NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. Indeed, transmission and communications systems to cover while in )--, Russia’s most ambitious interplanetary the large distances between Mars and Earth. Indeed, probe (Mars -,) failed to launch, NASA succeeded it was only in the "***s that China could participate in sending alo/ its robotic spacecra/ Mars Global more actively in Mars exploration. At that time, the 12 STRATEGIC VISION photo: Erica Bechard An MH-60S Sea Hawk delivers supplies to USS Ronald Reagan while taking part in Valiant Shield 2020. Russian space agency Roscosmos was working on of Yinghuo-) was merely a failure for China’s Mars its Phobos-Grunt spacecra/, which was intended program. On the contrary, the incident was only a to land on the Martian Moon Phobos and to collect training exercise for the Chinese planetary explora- samples. +is provided China with the (rst conve- tion ambitions. +erefore, a/er the failure, China’s nient opportunity to send a probe to Mars. interest in a Mars program rapidly increased. A new Since Beijing had been invited by Russia to join this proposal was presented to the Chinese government mission, the two countries signed an agreement on for a "*)2 mission, but it did not get approval and it ", March, "**., stating that China would develop a was eventually dismissed. small satellite—the Yinghuo-)—to be launched with the main Russian probe Phobos-Grunt. What was Renewed enthusiasm implicit in the agreement was that China would con- tribute economically to the Russian mission while +ere was renewed enthusiasm for the project at the same time it would take advantage of Russia’s when, during the International Planetarium Society experience in deep space exploration. Conference held in Beijing in July "*)1, geologist and In "**-, Yinghuo-) was moved to Moscow, but since cosmochemist Ouyang Ziyuan, the founding father the tests needed to assure the spacecra/’s safety could of China’s lunar program, announced that China was not be completed in time, Russia decided to postpone working on a Mars mission. At that time, the (nal the mission until November "*)). Despite this, on funding decisions had not yet been made. Indeed, launch day, two booster engines of the spacecra/ the mission was not formally approved until "*),, failed to ignite, and the Russian probe was lost. A/er as con(rmed by the "*), White Paper on China’s a month of orbital decay, Yinguo-) burned up in the Space Activities, which described China’s intention atmosphere. to “execute its (rst Mars exploration operation, and As the Australian space analyst Morris Jones wrote […] to launch the (rst Mars probe by "*"* to carry in Solar Daily, it would be naïve to think that the loss out orbiting and roving exploration.” Red Flag on Mars 13 Reaching Mars is very di4cult. Long-term expo- reason: a Mars mission would have a lot of economic sure to radiation, the presence of a toxic soil, and advantages and, like the Apollo program did for the a substantial communication delay between Mars United States and the Chang’e program did for China, and the Earth are only some of the problems a Mars it could provide the country with several spin-o5 ap- mission would have to contend with. Going to Mars plications, such as advancements in remote-sensing also requires an enormous amount of resources: an technologies. investment that would be unlikely to provide any ob- servable bene(ts in the short term at best, and may, “China could use a Martian mission if the mission fails, end in a public-relations disaster. to enhance its national prestige and Considering this risk, one might well wonder what present itself as a leader in space the strategic rationale is for the Chinese Communist exploration.” Party (CCP) to commit the country to a risky voyage to the Red Planet. +ird, Mars has always been fascinating, in that it In his book Mission Mars: India’s Quest for the Red has a particular attraction for humans and, above all, Planet, Ajey Lele points out that a State has (ve main is the major space challenge in the decades to come. reasons for seeking to reach Mars. First, as with every Furthermore, it could boost studies in space-related space mission, such a journey represents a formidable technologies and planetary science. CCP leaders are technological challenge, and would encourage indus- aware of the need to mold the younger generation try to develop new technologies that could serve as who will be the astronauts, engineers, and scientists a driver of innovation. In this sense, a trip to Mars that will serve the country in the future. To this end, could strengthen the Chinese path of innovation. in "*)3, China opened a Mars simulation base in the Lele, who is a space expert at the Institute of Defense vermilion sands of the Gobi Desert, as part of the so- Studies and Analyses in New Delhi, o5ers a second called Space C Plan: a project to inspire and motivate photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech In this illustration, NASA’s Mars 2020 rover uses its drill to core a rock sample on Mars. 14 STRATEGIC VISION photo: Jan David De Luna Mercado A P-8A Poseidon lands at Misawa Air Base after a maritime patrol and reconnaissance mission. young generations of potential engineers. It is impor- mentation and tracking. tant to note that the goal of inspiring new generations Despite this cooperative image, it is important to is strictly linked with the fourth reason for a State to evaluate the Tianwen-) mission from a competitive go to Mars as enumerated by Lele, that of national perspective, too. +is is not true for the two missions pride. Such a mission would build up citizens’ sense titled Hope and Perseverance, respectively launched of belonging to a great nation, and would enhance by the United Arab Emirates and the United States their loyalty to the Communist Party. during the same launch window of Tianwen-). +e timing has been interpreted as re0ecting the emer- “The new Chinese mission to Mars gence of a new Space Race, but a more scienti(c should also be evaluated in relation reason is that the timing was determined by orbital patterns.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Austrian Space Law Newsletter
    Austrian Space Law Newsletter Number 16 , June 2017 Editorial 2 Interview with Simonetta Di Pippo 3 The International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 6 Interview with Andreas Geisler 8 ”Big Data” at the Global Conference on Space and the Information Society (GLIS) 11 GLIS 11 Interview with David Kendall 13 NPOC Symposium ”Looking to the Future: Changing International Relations and Legal Issues Facing Space Activities” 17 Interview with Jean-Jacques Tortora 18 “Born to Explore”: the 29th Planetary Congress of the Association of Space Explorers 20 Interview with Franz Viehböck 23 Space Law at the Vienna Humanities Festival 26 “Born to Explore” 20 Women in Aerospace Europe: Vienna Local Group Launch Event 27 Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition 2016 28 25th ECSL Summer Course on Space Law and Policy 2016 29 NPOC Space Law Austria Subpoint Graz Outreach Activities 2016 30 Seminar on Space Law and Space Policy at the University of Graz 2016 30 Humanities Festival 26 Upcoming Events 31 EDITORIAL Irmgard Marboe The year 2017 marks the 50th Viehböck, the first and only Austrian astronaut, at the margins anniversary of the legal foun- of the 29th Planetary Congress of the Association of Space dation of international space Explorers which took place in Austria in autumn 2016, shares law, the Outer Space Treaty. experiences and perspectives 25 years after the Austromir Opened for signature on 27 mission with Cordula Steinkogler who did not only conduct January 1967, it entered into all the interviews but was also in the ÖWF (Österreichisches force on 10 October in the Weltraum Forum) organising team of the Planetary Congress.
    [Show full text]
  • Tianwen-1: China's Mars Mission
    Tianwen-1: China's Mars Mission drishtiias.com/printpdf/tianwen-1-china-s-mars-mission Why In News China will launch its first Mars Mission - Tianwen-1- in July, 2020. China's previous ‘Yinghuo-1’ Mars mission, which was supported by a Russian spacecraft, had failed after it did not leave the earth's orbit and disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean in 2012. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is also going to launch its own Mars mission in July, the Perseverance which aims to collect Martian samples. Key Points The Tianwen-1 Mission: It will lift off on a Long March 5 rocket, from the Wenchang launch centre. It will carry 13 payloads (seven orbiters and six rovers) that will explore the planet. It is an all-in-one orbiter, lander and rover system. Orbiter: It is a spacecraft designed to orbit a celestial body (astronomical body) without landing on its surface. Lander: It is a strong, lightweight spacecraft structure, consisting of a base and three sides "petals" in the shape of a tetrahedron (pyramid- shaped). It is a protective "shell" that houses the rover and protects it, along with the airbags, from the forces of impact. Rover: It is a planetary surface exploration device designed to move across the solid surface on a planet or other planetary mass celestial bodies. 1/3 Objectives: The mission will be the first to place a ground-penetrating radar on the Martian surface, which will be able to study local geology, as well as rock, ice, and dirt distribution. It will search the martian surface for water, investigate soil characteristics, and study the atmosphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Mars, the Nearest Habitable World – a Comprehensive Program for Future Mars Exploration
    Mars, the Nearest Habitable World – A Comprehensive Program for Future Mars Exploration Report by the NASA Mars Architecture Strategy Working Group (MASWG) November 2020 Front Cover: Artist Concepts Top (Artist concepts, left to right): Early Mars1; Molecules in Space2; Astronaut and Rover on Mars1; Exo-Planet System1. Bottom: Pillinger Point, Endeavour Crater, as imaged by the Opportunity rover1. Credits: 1NASA; 2Discovery Magazine Citation: Mars Architecture Strategy Working Group (MASWG), Jakosky, B. M., et al. (2020). Mars, the Nearest Habitable World—A Comprehensive Program for Future Mars Exploration. MASWG Members • Bruce Jakosky, University of Colorado (chair) • Richard Zurek, Mars Program Office, JPL (co-chair) • Shane Byrne, University of Arizona • Wendy Calvin, University of Nevada, Reno • Shannon Curry, University of California, Berkeley • Bethany Ehlmann, California Institute of Technology • Jennifer Eigenbrode, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center • Tori Hoehler, NASA/Ames Research Center • Briony Horgan, Purdue University • Scott Hubbard, Stanford University • Tom McCollom, University of Colorado • John Mustard, Brown University • Nathaniel Putzig, Planetary Science Institute • Michelle Rucker, NASA/JSC • Michael Wolff, Space Science Institute • Robin Wordsworth, Harvard University Ex Officio • Michael Meyer, NASA Headquarters ii Mars, the Nearest Habitable World October 2020 MASWG Table of Contents Mars, the Nearest Habitable World – A Comprehensive Program for Future Mars Exploration Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix 1: Venus Missions
    Appendix 1: Venus Missions Sputnik 7 (USSR) Launch 02/04/1961 First attempted Venus atmosphere craft; upper stage failed to leave Earth orbit Venera 1 (USSR) Launch 02/12/1961 First attempted flyby; contact lost en route Mariner 1 (US) Launch 07/22/1961 Attempted flyby; launch failure Sputnik 19 (USSR) Launch 08/25/1962 Attempted flyby, stranded in Earth orbit Mariner 2 (US) Launch 08/27/1962 First successful Venus flyby Sputnik 20 (USSR) Launch 09/01/1962 Attempted flyby, upper stage failure Sputnik 21 (USSR) Launch 09/12/1962 Attempted flyby, upper stage failure Cosmos 21 (USSR) Launch 11/11/1963 Possible Venera engineering test flight or attempted flyby Venera 1964A (USSR) Launch 02/19/1964 Attempted flyby, launch failure Venera 1964B (USSR) Launch 03/01/1964 Attempted flyby, launch failure Cosmos 27 (USSR) Launch 03/27/1964 Attempted flyby, upper stage failure Zond 1 (USSR) Launch 04/02/1964 Venus flyby, contact lost May 14; flyby July 14 Venera 2 (USSR) Launch 11/12/1965 Venus flyby, contact lost en route Venera 3 (USSR) Launch 11/16/1965 Venus lander, contact lost en route, first Venus impact March 1, 1966 Cosmos 96 (USSR) Launch 11/23/1965 Possible attempted landing, craft fragmented in Earth orbit Venera 1965A (USSR) Launch 11/23/1965 Flyby attempt (launch failure) Venera 4 (USSR) Launch 06/12/1967 Successful atmospheric probe, arrived at Venus 10/18/1967 Mariner 5 (US) Launch 06/14/1967 Successful flyby 10/19/1967 Cosmos 167 (USSR) Launch 06/17/1967 Attempted atmospheric probe, stranded in Earth orbit Venera 5 (USSR) Launch 01/05/1969 Returned atmospheric data for 53 min on 05/16/1969 M.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction
    Introduction The Georgia Historical Society is excited to offer “And That’s the Way It Is: Television and the Cold War” inquiry kit. This inquiry-based resource includes activities designed to meet the Georgia Standards of Excellence for fifth grade U.S. history. Based on the Inquiry Design Model from C3 Teachers, this resource explores primary sources and utilizes relevant strategies to investigate the Cold War era of the late 20th Century in Georgia and the United States by focusing on the rise of mass media and its relationship to the Cold War including events such as the Vietnam War, the Space Race, and the Civil Rights Movement. The contents of the Inquiry Kit are a series of inquiry-based strategies and activities designed to help teachers guide students to explore a curated set of primary sources. The inquiry format is based on the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) from the C3 Framework for the Social Studies. The inquiry element emphasized in the C3 Framework is centered on asking a compelling question. Compelling questions are meant to address issues found across the social studies disciplines. They engage students by evoking their interests and highlighting the content with which students might have little experience. For example, the compelling question in the “And That’s the Way It Is: Television and the Cold War” inquiry kit “How was the Cold War shaped by television?” The compelling question is open-ended and is meant to engage students in critical thinking and creativity. It challenges students to examine the focus-of-study, the Cold War, through a multi-disciplinary lens.
    [Show full text]
  • Educator's Guide
    EDUCATOR’S GUIDE ABOUT THE FILM Dear Educator, “ROVING MARS”is an exciting adventure that This movie details the development of Spirit and follows the journey of NASA’s Mars Exploration Opportunity from their assembly through their Rovers through the eyes of scientists and engineers fantastic discoveries, discoveries that have set the at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Steve Squyres, pace for a whole new era of Mars exploration: from the lead science investigator from Cornell University. the search for habitats to the search for past or present Their collective dream of Mars exploration came life… and maybe even to human exploration one day. true when two rovers landed on Mars and began Having lasted many times longer than their original their scientific quest to understand whether Mars plan of 90 Martian days (sols), Spirit and Opportunity ever could have been a habitat for life. have confirmed that water persisted on Mars, and Since the 1960s, when humans began sending the that a Martian habitat for life is a possibility. While first tentative interplanetary probes out into the solar they continue their studies, what lies ahead are system, two-thirds of all missions to Mars have NASA missions that not only “follow the water” on failed. The technical challenges are tremendous: Mars, but also “follow the carbon,” a building block building robots that can withstand the tremendous of life. In the next decade, precision landers and shaking of launch; six months in the deep cold of rovers may even search for evidence of life itself, space; a hurtling descent through the atmosphere either signs of past microbial life in the rock record (going from 10,000 miles per hour to 0 in only six or signs of past or present life where reserves of minutes!); bouncing as high as a three-story building water ice lie beneath the Martian surface today.
    [Show full text]
  • India and China Space Programs: from Genesis of Space Technologies to Major Space Programs and What That Means for the Internati
    University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2009 India And China Space Programs: From Genesis Of Space Technologies To Major Space Programs And What That Means For The Internati Gaurav Bhola University of Central Florida Part of the Political Science Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Bhola, Gaurav, "India And China Space Programs: From Genesis Of Space Technologies To Major Space Programs And What That Means For The Internati" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 4109. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4109 INDIA AND CHINA SPACE PROGRAMS: FROM GENESIS OF SPACE TECHNOLOGIES TO MAJOR SPACE PROGRAMS AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY by GAURAV BHOLA B.S. University of Central Florida, 1998 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Summer Term 2009 Major Professor: Roger Handberg © 2009 Gaurav Bhola ii ABSTRACT The Indian and Chinese space programs have evolved into technologically advanced vehicles of national prestige and international competition for developed nations. The programs continue to evolve with impetus that India and China will have the same space capabilities as the United States with in the coming years.
    [Show full text]
  • View Pdf for Soviet Space Culture
    Volume 19, Number 3 2012 OUEST THE HISTORY OF SPACEFLIGHT QUARTERLY www.spacebusiness.com/quest Photo Credit: Robert Markowitz, NASA RECOVERING A KH-99 AN INTERVIEW NATIONAL PRESTIGE AND NACA/NASA ANALYZING TASS HEXAGON CAPSULE WITH HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT RESEARCH AIRCRAFT ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM 16,400 FEET YANG LIWEI AND AND THE BIRTH OF ON THE SOVIET BELOW THE HAI HIGANG A CHINESE PERSPECTIVE Z Z SPACE PROGRAM PACIFIC OCEAN SPACEFLIGHT Contents Volume 19 • Number 3 2012 www.spacebusiness.com/quest 4 An Underwater Ice Station Zebra More Reviews Recovering a KH-99 HEXAGON Capsule from 16,400 Feet Below the Pacific Ocean 64 Into the Blue: American Writing on Aviation and Spaceflight By David W. Waltrop Edited by Joseph J. Corn 18 National Prestige and Human Spaceflight Review by Dominick A. Pisano A Chinese Perspective 65 Destination Mars: By Liang Yang New Explorations of the Red Planet Book by Rod Pyle 31 China’s Great Leap into Space Review by Bob Craddock An Interview with Yang Liwei and Zhai Zhigang By John Vause 66 Soviet Space Culture Cosmic Enthusiasm in Socialist Societies 36 NACA/NASA Research Aircraft and the Edited by Maurer, Richers, Rüthers, and Scheide Review by Michael J. Neufeld Birth of Spaceflight By Curtis Peebles 67 The Space Shuttle: Celebrating Thirty Years of NASA’s First Space Plane Managing the News: 44 Book by Piers Bizony Analyzing TASS Announcements on the Review by Roger D. Launius Soviet Space Program (1957-11964) By Bart Hendrickx 68 The Astronaut: Cultural Mythology and Idealised Masculinity Book Reviews Book by Dario Llinares Review by Amy E.
    [Show full text]
  • Institutional Patterns in the Austrian Space Sector Wong, Annie; Van Burg, Elco; Giannopapa, Christina
    VU Research Portal Institutional patterns in the Austrian space sector Wong, Annie; van Burg, Elco; Giannopapa, Christina published in Acta astronautica 2018 DOI (link to publisher) 10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.10.030 document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record document license Article 25fa Dutch Copyright Act Link to publication in VU Research Portal citation for published version (APA) Wong, A., van Burg, E., & Giannopapa, C. (2018). Institutional patterns in the Austrian space sector. Acta astronautica, 142, 201-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.10.030 General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. E-mail address: [email protected] Download date: 02. Oct. 2021 Acta Astronautica 142 (2018) 201–211 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Acta Astronautica journal
    [Show full text]
  • Chang'e 5 Samples (Mexag) (Head-Final)
    Chang’E 5 Lunar Sample Return Mission Update James w. Head Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Brown University Providence, RI 02912 USA Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Spring Meeting: April 7 - 8, 2021. Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Spring Meeting Barbara Cohen, ExMAG Chair. 2/10/21 • 1. Please provide an update on the Chang'e 5 Sample Return Mission. • 2. What is known of the collection so far? • 3. Please provide an overview of allocation procedures. • 4. Since US federally-funded researchers cannot work directly with China - Who outside of China is working with the mission team? • 5. We'd also appreciate your thoughts on: What NASA might be able to do to enable the US analysis community to collaborate on this sample collection? Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Spring Meeting Barbara Cohen, ExMAG Chair. 2/10/21 • 1. Some Myths and Realities. • 2. Organization of the Chinese Space Program. • 3. Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) context for Chang’e 5. • 4. Chang’e 5 Landing Site Selection, Global Context, Key Questions, Mission Operations and Sample Return. • 5. Returned Sample Location, Storage, Preliminary Analysis and Distribution. • 6. Opportunities for International Cooperation. Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Spring Meeting Barbara Cohen, ExMAG Chair. 2/10/21 • 1. Some Myths and Realities. • 2. Organization of the Chinese Space Program. • 3. Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) context for Chang’e 5. • 4. Chang’e 5 Landing Site Selection, Global Context, Key Questions, Mission Operations and Sample Return. • 5. Returned Sample Location, Storage, Preliminary Analysis and Distribution. • 6. Opportunities for International Cooperation.
    [Show full text]
  • Planetary Science
    Mission Directorate: Science Theme: Planetary Science Theme Overview Planetary Science is a grand human enterprise that seeks to discover the nature and origin of the celestial bodies among which we live, and to explore whether life exists beyond Earth. The scientific imperative for Planetary Science, the quest to understand our origins, is universal. How did we get here? Are we alone? What does the future hold? These overarching questions lead to more focused, fundamental science questions about our solar system: How did the Sun's family of planets, satellites, and minor bodies originate and evolve? What are the characteristics of the solar system that lead to habitable environments? How and where could life begin and evolve in the solar system? What are the characteristics of small bodies and planetary environments and what potential hazards or resources do they hold? To address these science questions, NASA relies on various flight missions, research and analysis (R&A) and technology development. There are seven programs within the Planetary Science Theme: R&A, Lunar Quest, Discovery, New Frontiers, Mars Exploration, Outer Planets, and Technology. R&A supports two operating missions with international partners (Rosetta and Hayabusa), as well as sample curation, data archiving, dissemination and analysis, and Near Earth Object Observations. The Lunar Quest Program consists of small robotic spacecraft missions, Missions of Opportunity, Lunar Science Institute, and R&A. Discovery has two spacecraft in prime mission operations (MESSENGER and Dawn), an instrument operating on an ESA Mars Express mission (ASPERA-3), a mission in its development phase (GRAIL), three Missions of Opportunities (M3, Strofio, and LaRa), and three investigations using re-purposed spacecraft: EPOCh and DIXI hosted on the Deep Impact spacecraft and NExT hosted on the Stardust spacecraft.
    [Show full text]
  • Signature Redacted Signature of Author: History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology Affd Society August 19, 2014
    Project Apollo, Cold War Diplomacy and the American Framing of Global Interdependence by MASSACHUSETTS 5NS E. OF TECHNOLOGY OCT 0 6 201 Teasel Muir-Harmony LIBRARIES Bachelor of Arts St. John's College, 2004 Master of Arts University of Notre Dame, 2009 Submitted to the Program in Science, Technology, and Society In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology September 2014 D 2014 Teasel Muir-Harmony. All Rights Reserved. The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. Signature redacted Signature of Author: History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology affd Society August 19, 2014 Certified by: Signature redacted David A. Mindell Frances and David Dibner Professor of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics Committee Chair redacted Certified by: Signature David Kaiser C01?shausen Professor of the History of Science Director, Program in Science, Technology, and Society Senior Lecturer, Department of Physics Committee Member Signature redacted Certified by: Rosalind Williams Bern Dibner Professor of the History of Technology Committee Member Accepted by: Signature redacted Heather Paxson William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor, Anthropology Director of Graduate Studies, History, Anthropology, and STS Signature
    [Show full text]