Jump to content
Join the Alien Search, login or register FREE on Aliens and Space Forum
Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site

Rocky roads through Lanzarote

European Space Agency
 Share

Recommended Posts

European Space Agency Experienced

European Space Agency

Posted
Posted
Rocky_roads_through_Lanzarote_card_full. Image:

Take away the clouds, bulk up the humans with suits and add an orange-red filter and this could be an image from a future mission to Mars.

The actual site, the Corona lava tube in Lanzarote, Spain, is closer than one might think to the Red Planet.

That’s why participants of ESA’s Pangaea course came here this week for the third session of their planetary geology training.

ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, ESA engineer Robin Eccleston and NASA astronaut Kathleen Rubins are this year’s students learning from geologists how to best explore the Moon and Mars right here on Earth.

Before ending up in one of Europe’s volcanic hotspots, Andreas, Kathleen and Robin learned how to describe geological sites, and how to classify rocks and identify traces of life during field trips to the Italian Dolomites and the Ries crater in Germany in September.

Lanzarote’s volcanic landscapes are exceptionally well-preserved, and the long history of geological activity make it a unique open-air museum. Here, basaltic lava flows resemble vast plains on the lunar maria and volcanoes are similar to those in some regions of Mars.

For an astronaut whose day job is the daily operations of the International Space Station at Mission Control in Houston, USA, Andreas admits that looking at rocks sounded kind of boring at first.

But in Lanzarote, Andreas and his crewmates were set loose on the Mars-like terrain to follow pre-planned geological investigation routes and analyse the mineralogy of the soil all while remaining in constant communication with the science and training teams with dedicated tools.

Now, Andreas has learned to see the rocks in a new light. “It’s intriguing to interpret the layers of the Earth where the rocks come from, and from there begin to understand the evolution of our planet,” he says.

Looking at rocks has led to an interesting three weeks for the astronaut, who would choose Mars as a destination for future spaceflight. Mars exploration might be in the distant horizon, but “still a fascinating place to visit,” he adds.

Pangaea – named after the ancient supercontinent – prepares the astronauts for geological expeditions to other planets. Trainees acquire skills and knowledge both in the field and in the classroom, tailored towards the needs of future planetary explorers.

View the full article

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Similar Topics

    • Space Force
      Space Force Generative AI Challenge empowers Guardians through education, collaboration
      By Space Force
      Three finalists from the Generative AI Challenge that will present their generative AI solutions and compete for first place at this year’s Space Power Conference.

      View the full article
    • Space Force
      Artemis Moon Tree Finds Home at USAFA Through STARCOM Partnership
      By Space Force
      The U.S. Air Force Academy unveiled a plaque for its first Artemis Moon Tree — an American Sweetgum sapling grown from seeds that orbited the moon on NASA’s Artemis I mission.

      View the full article
    • USH
      Sky-watcher films flashing anomaly traveling through space near the Orion Nebula
      By USH
      While observing the Orion Nebula with his 12-inch Dobsonian telescope, a sky-watcher noticed an unusual flashing object. As stars appeared to drift due to Earth's rotation, this particular object while flashing approximately every 20 seconds clearly travels through deep space. 

      The observer wonders whether it might be a rotating satellite or not. However, this isn’t the first sighting of cigar-shaped UFOs or other mysterious objects traveling through space near the Orion Nebula, so it is quite possible that it could be an interstellar craft. 
      Over the years, I have shared several articles, complete with images and videos, documenting similar UFO sightings around the Orion Nebula. You can explore these under the tag: Orion Nebula. 
      Interestingly, these sightings have all occurred between November and February, suggesting there may be a seasonal pattern to these observations.
        View the full article
    • NASA
      Journey Through Stars with NASA in New Minecraft Game
      By NASA
      A preview image of the Minecraft world inspired by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: Minecraft NASA invites gamers, educators, and students to grab their pickaxe and check out its latest collaboration with Minecraft exploring a new world inspired by the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope. The partnership allows creators to experience NASA’s discoveries with interactive modules on star formation, planets, and galaxy types, modeled using real Webb images.
      The James Webb Space Telescope Challenges were developed to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and technicians. Through the game, students can immerse themselves in the science and technology behind Webb, deepening their understanding of NASA’s mission and sparking an interest in the real-world applications of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
      “We’re thrilled to bring the wonders and science of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope into the hands of the Artemis Generation through this exciting Minecraft collaboration,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “This collaboration is yet another way anyone can join NASA as we explore the secrets of the universe and solve the world’s most complex problems, making space exploration engaging for learners of all ages.” 
      NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope launched to space Dec. 25, 2021, and has gone on to make detailed observations of the planets within our own solar system, peer into the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars outside our solar system, and capture images and spectra of the most distant galaxies ever detected.
      “NASA’s collaboration with Minecraft allows players to experience the excitement of one of the most ambitious space missions ever,” said Mike Davis, Webb project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “No matter where Webb looks, it sees something intriguing, setting the stage for amazing discoveries yet to come. As people explore the Minecraft world of Webb, we hope they will be inspired to carry that interest further and maybe someday help NASA build future space telescopes.”
      Webb is the world’s premier space science observatory. The space telescope is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
      NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement provides unique opportunities for students to learn about STEM. In 2023, NASA partnered with Minecraft on an Artemis Challenge where users could build and launch a rocket, guide their Orion spacecraft, and even establish a lunar base alongside their team. Through collaboration with partners such as Microsoft, NASA can share the excitement of space exploration with even more students who are part of the Artemis Generation.
      Learn more about how NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement is inspiring the next generation of explorers at:
      https://www.nasa.gov/stem
      View the full article
    • NASA
      NASA’s Roman Space Telescope’s ‘Exoskeleton’ Whirls Through Major Test
      By NASA
      4 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      A major component of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope just took a spin on the centrifuge at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Called the Outer Barrel Assembly, this piece of the observatory is designed to keep the telescope at a stable temperature and shield it from stray light.
      This structure, called the Outer Barrel Assembly, will surround and protect NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from stray light that could interfere with its observations. In this photo, engineers prepare the assembly for testing.NASA/Chris Gunn The two-part spin test took place in a large, round test chamber. Stretching across the room, a 600,000-pound (272,000-kilogram) steel arm extends from a giant rotating bearing in the center of the floor.
      The test itself is like a sophisticated version of a popular carnival attraction, designed to apply centrifugal force to the rider — in this case, the outer covering for Roman’s telescope. It spun up to 18.4 rotations per minute. That may not sound like much, but it generated force equivalent to just over seven times Earth’s gravity, or 7 g, and sent the assembly whipping around at 80 miles per hour.
      “We couldn’t test the entire Outer Barrel Assembly in the centrifuge in one piece because it’s too large to fit in the room,” said Jay Parker, product design lead for the assembly at Goddard. The structure stands about 17 feet (5 meters) tall and is about 13.5 feet (4 meters) wide. “It’s designed a bit like a house on stilts, so we tested the ‘house’ and ‘stilts’ separately.”
      The “stilts” went first. Technically referred to as the elephant stand because of its similarity to structures used in circuses, this part of the assembly is designed to surround Roman’s Wide Field Instrument and Coronagraph Instrument like scaffolding. It connects the upper portion of the Outer Barrel Assembly to the spacecraft bus, which will maneuver the observatory to its place in space and support it while there. The elephant stand was tested with weights attached to it to simulate the rest of the assembly’s mass.
      This photo shows a view from inside the Outer Barrel Assembly for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The inner rings, called baffles, will help protect the observatory’s primary mirror from stray light.NASA/Chris Gunn Next, the team tested the “house” — the shell and a connecting ring that surround the telescope. These parts of the assembly will ultimately be fitted with heaters to help ensure the telescope’s mirrors won’t experience wide temperature swings, which make materials expand and contract.
      To further protect against temperature fluctuations, the Outer Barrel Assembly is mainly made of two types of carbon fibers mixed with reinforced plastic and connected with titanium end fittings. These materials are both stiff (so they won’t warp or flex during temperature swings) and lightweight (reducing launch demands).
      If you could peel back the side of the upper portion –– the house’s “siding” –– you’d see another weight-reducing measure. Between inner and outer panels, the material is structured like honeycomb. This pattern is very strong and lowers weight by hollowing out portions of the interior.
      Designed at Goddard and built by Applied Composites in Los Alamitos, California, Roman’s Outer Barrel Assembly was delivered in pieces and then put together in a series of crane lifts in Goddard’s largest clean room. It was partially disassembled for centrifuge testing, but will now be put back together and integrated with Roman’s solar panels and Deployable Aperture Cover at the end of the year.
      In 2025, these freshly integrated components will go through thermal vacuum testing together to ensure they will withstand the temperature and pressure environment of space. Then they’ll move to a shake test to make sure they will hold up against the vibrations they’ll experience during launch. Toward the end of next year, they will be integrated with rest of the observatory.
      To virtually tour an interactive version of the telescope, visit:
      https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/interactive
      The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech/IPAC in Southern California, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems, Inc in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.
      By Ashley Balzer
      NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
      ​​Media Contact:
      Claire Andreoli
      NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
      301-286-1940
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Oct 08, 2024 EditorJamie AdkinsContactClaire Andreoli Related Terms
      Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Goddard Space Flight Center Science-enabling Technology Technology Explore More
      2 min read Tech Today: Spraying for Food Safety
      Article 19 hours ago 5 min read NASA: New Insights into How Mars Became Uninhabitable
      NASA’s Curiosity rover, currently exploring Gale crater on Mars, is providing new details about how…
      Article 20 hours ago 2 min read Hubble Observes a Peculiar Galaxy Shape
      This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals the galaxy, NGC 4694. Most galaxies fall into…
      Article 4 days ago View the full article

  • Check out these Videos

×
×
  • Create New...