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THE SUITE OF space-age tools loaded on NASA’s next robotic vehicle, bound for the Red Planet in 2020, will include a device for making oxygen out of carbon dioxide.
Designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE), aims to see if Martian air could be converted for astronauts to breathe.
NASA has sent a series of robotic vehicles to Mars – the latest is the Curiosity rover which launched in 2012 – and hopes to have people exploring the surface of Earth’s neighbouring planet by the 2030s.
“The 2020 rover will help answer questions about the Martian environment that astronauts will face and test technologies they need before landing on, exploring and returning from the Red Planet,” said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA.
The Mars 2020 rover also aims to “identify and select a collection of rock and soil samples that will be stored for potential return to Earth by a future mission.”
It will “conduct geological assessments of the rover’s landing site, determine the potential habitability of the environment, and directly search for signs of ancient Martian life.”
Other proposals accepted for the unmanned 2020 rover include advanced cameras and spectrometers for analysing chemical composition, mineralogy and detecting organic compounds.
The rover will also carry a ground-penetrating radar and sensors for analysing temperature, wind speed and direction, pressure, relative humidity and dust, NASA said.
The proposals chosen by NASA as scientific tools are valued at $130 million.
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Stephen and David would make the marriage of the century, I love them they are fantastic.
I’m sure Stephen’s husband will thank you for that one!
The advice Norris gives at the end is spot on. And even if you’ve already read it the audio book is definitely worth checking out.
Yeah a version with lone narrator would be a bit jarring. But I think the audio book I have is the 1982 recordings, it has a complete cast of voice actors, sound effects, music etc. It’s very well put together.
try this audio tour , worth a listen me thinks ! https://archive.org/details/TheJamesJoyceHistoricalAndLiteraryTourOfMullingar
Or just find a quiet spot to yourself and read it aloud?
Don’t think it’s any of those Pontius, it’s an rte version so it’s probably not up on YouTube. I got a digital copy ages ago so not too sure where to get it now. I’m sure it’s available to download somewhere, can have a proper look when I get out of work
I haven’t read anything yet from Joyce, it’s on my bucket list though.
That aside, i would love to meet with Stephen Fry and Senator Norris for a chat.
Have to watch that
I have an audio book of Ulysses read by Jim Norton (Bishop Brennan). I highly recommend it!
a pair of headbangers.
I have time for Fry but none for Norris…
have your say