Countdown to Mars

It's close! Well, relatively speaking. At no time
in history have we had so many technically minded people available to
make these 'dreams' come true. Most of the information we need is
already sitting around in Science Journals, as well as some very well
written Science Fiction. We definitely need a plan, however, and
I think the biggest part of the plan is for common people to get there
before any military presence.

Going to Mars will be a test in cooperation and independence,
as well as innovation and originality. I forsee moving all heavy
industry to the Martian landscape, allowing us to clean up our own
Earth and using her resources as a 'greenhouse' for cultivating plants
for export to Mars and, eventually, points farther out.

It is my firm belief that humans will only become extinct as a
species if we allow ourselves to stagnate and continue fighting.
We're almost through our tumultous 'teen' years as a species. If
we manage to survive these times, nothing can stop us.

But worth mentioning here. NASA is calling for private sector companies to start offering space services. Read more HERE. This is a big step towards building an industry that will only help us on our push to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

When one goes pelting off into Space, a source of fuel for all the
little devices necessary is always a good thing to have. Now
researchers say they've built tiny fuel cells that run on propane that
can easily replace regular batteries. Read more HERE.

Sometimes there's just nothing to report.  No new ideas to
share.  No time to spend at the keyboard doing fun stuff. 
But that is over.  Let's continue examining the many different
facets of knowledge that's needed and already available.

In order to build, we need strong structures.  Read how Sea Sponges
have already mastered a perfect structure.  These concepts are
already used in buildings today, but the glue features that the sponges
use greatly assist in making their structures, made of glass, extremely
resilient and hard to break.

Another major concern is power.  How would transport ships and
construction equipment run?  The answer could be inside tiny bubbles.  Fusion power is still a dream, but it could come true within decades.

Why would we want to go?  Overcrowding.  New Frontiers. 
Adventure.  I envision perfecting the technology to safely house
humans on Mars, then building the perfect cities there.  Cities
built using power generating waste such as sewage. 
Using all of the knowledge we've gleaned over the centuries about
healthy work and play environments, mass transit systems and city
management. 

Once the structures are in place, residents of earth cities could be offered the opportunity to relocate to 'Nuevo
New York', 'Nuevo Mexico', or whatever naming technique is
developed.  The point is, our current cities are deteriorating
from the inside out.  Fixing the problems in some places means
dismantling them entirely, not a viable option at this point. 

Eventually, Earth could be cleaned up and returned to a more pristine,
garden-like state; useful for growing the many different plant types
that will help make Mars more homelike, and the Martian air inside the
cities much sweeter.  Move the industry to a dead planet where the
by-products of industry can do no damage to an already hostile
environment.  Greenhouse Earth can be used to seed many planetoids
this way.  The planetoids can be used to send products back to
Earth.

Before I go, here is an amazing link to the Top 10 Energy Sources
currently available or in development.  Some are old-hat, such as
coal.  Others will truly inspire you with their vision.

Enjoy, and keep the dream alive!

And you thought a $6 million dollar man was impressive!

More info...

It's come a long way, babies!

Nanotubes show their strength.

More technology under the belt to haul along with us.

Finally!  Someone else also has the vision.  SpaceDev Company Mission

Let's do this people.

Imagine this system in a spacesuit?

Backpack generates its own electricity

Cheers!
Meg

Not just a fancy sci-fi theory anymore.

This company is working on a prototype and plans on building the first Space Elevator.

I'm simply excited about how much rocket fuel this WON'T pollute the Earth with!

Wowzers!

NASA has prize money available for folks who can win their competitions. The information is hidden at the bottom of the link in the previous blog entry, but I thought I'd highlight it again.

Get off yer duff's, form a space company, and let's start building stuff, folks! ;-)

Every time I got out onto my front porch at night, right next to the
moon in the east is Mars.  Lately it's been getting bigger and
brighter, sparkling like a garnet in space.  I thought perhaps my
eyes were deceiving me, but then I found this article about retrograde Mars and it's closest conjunction with Earth, coming up in the next month or so.

Interestingly, the next closest conjunction between Mars and Earth will be in 2018.  The year the LiftPort Group have forecast as having their Space Elevator operational.  A subject I mentioned two blogs ago! ;-)

I love serendipity.

Meg

Moving water around using less energy would be a great bonus.

Check out this article and see if you can find where water can move itself.

Water Walking Insects.

The way the insects move is really cool, too.

Meg

A diesel powered fuel cell with no pollution.

Now, where did I put that recipe for home-made bio-diesel? ;-)

Oh! Here it is!

Plant based biodiesel can be used to run machines, the cellulose can be used to make fibrous materials.

Or not...
Meg

Two different spaceflight companies are offering the winner(s) of a skill game a seat on the next flight into space. 

SpaceShot and Virgin Group are both offering a seat to the winner of a yet unannounced skill game (oh, Virgin's game is called Virgin Galactic Quest,
as yet unreleased).  They will of course be different games for
each company offering this, but it is an interesting way to make your
space dreams come true.  And of course to help pay for the
projects, as there should be many players, but only one winner (each).

Good luck to all who choose to try!

Meg

For a while now, I've been intriguided by bubbles as the perfect shape.  If you've ever seen the documentary 'Aliens of the Deep' they have these submersible units that are built in partnership with NASA.  They are shaped like a bubble.  This imagery got me thinging even more. 

So I got to thinking about how strong a shape that really is.  It
works great in tubes, too, for transportation.  Say like, on
Mars.  :-D  Long cylindrical transport tubes connecting city
bubbles on the surface.  Bubbles that are strong enough to repel
space junk, but smart enough to detect them and deflect (or
catch?)  Energy could be gathered from the momentum of a falling
space object.  Hmm..

Anyways, you'd need an extremely strong material.  Something which
could be clear, filter sunlight,change the colour of itself, trap solar
energy and make electricity out of it.  I envision an electronic
program that could even create skins, much like in a video
game.   Download a new skin every week for your transport
bubble! :0)

And what better material to build this from than nanotubes.  Yes, they're doing it.  Check it out!

The techique is being perfected to create sheets of nanotube material
much as yarn is made.  And at the same rate of production.

Just think of the possibilities.  A fibre optic sheet with
electrical conductivity abilities.  Quantum computing takes a step
closer, as well.

Give us all something to think about, at any rate.

Cheers!
Meg

Everywhere?

According to the latest data received from the European Space Agency?s Mars Express,
there is more ice hidden under the surface of Mars than previously
thought.  Up to a kilometer deep in some places (1/2 mile), this
ice has many different implications, depending on where your interest
lies.  The link above may expire soon, so this info is also
reference HERE.

For those looking for signs of life, past or present, this ice may
contain the information or clues needed to solve the mystery.  For
folks who are seriously considering Mars as the newest frontier,
ice=water="don't have to bring it from home/find it in space/make it
ourselves".  Some interesting tidbits on the water cycle of Mars.

So perhaps this is where all that water went to.  The water that
Spirit and Opportunity found so many signs of, but cannot seem to
locate now.  Good thing we've got more than one agency on the job!
:-D  For a complete rundown on the happenings/findings on Mars,
check out the section front on MSNBC.

See you in (cyber)Space!
Meg