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?
Category Archives: Risk and Exploration
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?
How Deep is Too Deep to Dive?
Being aware that there is a potential risk of getting into difficulties and knowing what to do when things go wrong could save a diver’s life.
Clare Students on Top of the World after Claiming NASA Prize with Radical Idea
Four Irish students from a school in Co. Clare beat 4,000 other students from around the world to scoop the NASA prize at the International Space Development Conference in Puerto Rico.
All Systems Go for NASA’s Mission to Jupiter Moon Europa
In the 1990s NASA sent Galileo to Jupiter and as a result believe strongly that there is an ocean beneath the frozen crust of Jupiter’s moon Europa. Another mission is planned for the 2020s to discover more about Europa’s potential to host life.
Explorer Vasco da Gama’s Shipwreck Found
Vasco da Gama, a 16th century Portuguese explorer, was the first European to reach India by sea. In 1998 archaeologists first discovered a shipwreck that is believed to be from da Gama’s second voyage to India. Browse through the photos of treasures found on the wreck and when you’ve finished reading the article click on the link How Satellites Find Shipwrecks From Space.
Personal submarine brings ocean exploration to all
The oceans are still relatively unexplored, not to mention inaccessible to the majority of people. In this video you’ll see a glimpse of how it could be possible for us all to “fly” underwater.
What are the dangers of living on Mars?
Are you keen on taking the one-way trip to Mars in 2020 as part of the Mars One mission? What do you think the potential risks of such a feat might be?
Why bother leaving the house?
Ben Saunders, the youngest person ever to ski solo to the North Pole, discusses the rewards of pushing the limits of human potential.
2015 Emerging Explorers
National Geographic’s Emerging Explorers Program supports today’s explorers, from archaeologists to urban agriculturalists, biologists to neuroscientists and many more. Read some of the bios that interest you and learn about the impact of their work on our lives.
Beyond: What drives the urge to explore?
Why do some people feel driven to explore, while others are content to remain at home? Learn how these variations benefit humans.
Deep-Sea Sub Crushed Under Pressure
Nereus, a highly advanced and costly deep-sea robotic submarine, was about 6.2 miles deep in the ocean when it was crushed under the pressure of the deep waters.
Risks and Challenges
Can you imagine the phenomenal planning, testing, and effort it would take to establish a human settlement on Mars? Mars One gives a brief idea of the risks and challenges involved. The FAQ page answers questions about the potential psychological and physical effects of the mission on astronauts.
Silent Darien: The gap in the world’s longest road
Ambitious travelers hoping to traverse the Americas from Alaska to Argentina can travel the Pan-American Highway, with one notable exception—the impassable Darien Gap in Panama.
Meet the Incredible Woman Who Seeks to Be the First Female to Row from Japan to San Francisco
Learn about Sonya Baumstein’s proposed expedition to row 6,000 nautical miles alone from Choshi, Japan to San Francisco.
Kepler Discovers Solar System’s Ancient ‘Twin’
Astronomers studying data from NASA’s Kepler spacecraft have discovered a star that’s 11.2 billion years old and has at least five Earth-size planets.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes in Marathon des Sables record bid
Renowned explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes is to complete the “toughest footrace on Earth” – the Marathon des Sables in Morocco.
Photographing on Top of the World
Joe McNally takes photographs in hard-to-reach and risky places. Recently, he made it to the top of the world’s tallest building in Dubai to take a photo of the view. Read about it, and watch a video of how he did it, here.
Decade-Old Rover Adventure Continues on Mars and Earth
The rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in 2004. Ten years later, Opportunity is still exploring. Learn about the team behind the rovers, and what they have accomplished.
Georgia Douglas Johnson
Georgia Douglas Johnson wrote a poem about taking a risk and soaring into the sky. Learn about the life of this important writer of poems, plays, and stories.