Mars Short Stories – The Write Stuff is an initiative by NASA to engage writers to put technology-based fiction to paper. The aim is to help visualize the potential reality of, in particular, the first human missions to Mars.
Category Archives: Risk and Exploration
The Sea Women of South Korea
Read about the women in the South Korean island province of Jeju who make their living from diving to collect seafood from the ocean floor using no breathing equipment.
In a First, Gravitational Waves Linked to Neutron Star Crash
Imagine the elation at witnessing a cosmic event that occurred millions of years ago! That’s what happened in October this year when scientists announced the ripple effect (literally) of two neutron stars crashing into each other around 130 million years ago.
Check out the United Arab Emirates’ plans for building a Martian city—on Earth
Building a city on Mars is full of unknown risk. The United Arab Emirates plan to build a Martian city…on Earth…within the next ten years or so to plan for the real thing.
Where’s left to explore on Earth?
Seasoned adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes shares his ideas about where future explorers should focus their efforts.
Cold-water coral reef found in Irish waters is deepest yet
Scientists gathering data recently came upon the deepest-known cold water coral reef. It is located in Irish waters, specifically in the Atlantic Ocean. With this discovery comes the surprise and excitement of finding new species.
How caves give astronauts a preview of life in space
Interestingly, caves provide a great training ground to prepare astronauts for outer space. In the cave a multicultural team spend six days of training in the isolation and confinements of the underground.
John F. Kennedy: The Space Program
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This site highlights major achievements in President Kennedy’s expansion of the space program. Learn more about the “space race” between the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as access historic speeches online.
Life at the Bottom: The Prolific Afterlife of Whales
After a whale dies, its sunken carcass becomes home to hundreds of species of underwater creatures. This in-depth article from Scientific American describes the phenomenon known as whale fall.
Underwater robot vacuums up lionfish
Lionfish are among some of the creatures taking over waters across the world, killing off native wildlife. As invasive species have no natural predators they multiply rapidly. Read about how the use of technology is now vital to combat the problem of extinction of native species.
These Wild Robots Will Compete to Explore the Last Frontier on Earth
Who dreams up the next, great technology devices? Well, sometimes they are born out of teams of people competing against each other for some serious prize money. The Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE is one such global competition searching for the latest ocean exploration technology to help scientists, and us, learn more about the world’s vast oceans.
The Path to Mars: Deep Space Mission
When this video was produced it was thought that the person who will become the very first person to set foot on Mars is probably sitting in a classroom right now. The SLS spacecraft is due to make an unmanned flight in November 2018 but more recently NASA are investigating the risks and feasibility of sending a crew at this time instead of holding off for 2030.
Fighting for Visibility
Hidden Figures, first a book and now a movie, brings to light the significant role of some of the female African-American mathematicians at NASA during the 1960s, and the challenges faced by the women at that time.
Amelia Earhart didn’t die in a plane crash, investigators say
One of the most daring Americans of the 1930s, pilot Amelia Earhart disappeared somewhere in the south Pacific during an attempted around-the-world flight. Here is one theory of what may have happened to her.
Why We Explore
Our goals and technology for space exploration have changed, but our pursuit of knowledge is just as active today as it was during President Kennedy’s era. Discover the future of space exploration by accessing videos and interactive infographics on NASA’s website.
What Hardships Did Early Explorers Face?
When early European explorers set sail around the world in search of new discoveries and to hunt for riches, the probability of never returning home was extremely high! Not only had they to contend with the unpredictable nature of the sea, but the unsanitary living conditions aboard their vessels were a major threat to their lives.
New ‘Selfie’ MicroSatellite Captures Images of Chinese Space Station
In mid October two Chinese astronauts set off into Space to begin a 30-day stay at the Tiangong II space station. Keeping an eye on the condition of the station is a companion satellite with a 25 megapixel camera.
Under Arctic Ice
Take a look at these stunning photos that depict some amazing marine life that lies under the Arctic ocean. These pictures might give a little insight into why researchers plunge into freezing temperatures for science.
NASA Finally Found A Spacecraft It Lost Almost 2 Years Ago
Stereo B is a spacecraft that was sent out to record the energy omitted from the sun. Scientists couldn’t track a signal and lost communication with the spacecraft almost 2 years ago. What might the impact of losing a spacecraft be for NASA?
How Terraforming Mars Will Work
What would it take and how long might it take to transform another planet where people, plants and animals can survive?