By Mark S. Kuhar Three U.S. university-led proposals have been selected by NASA to develop technologies for living and working on the Moon, from using lunar resources for construction to developing electronics that can work in the Moon’s extremely cold temperatures. “Creating the technologies we need to explore the Moon requires leveraging expertise from and partnering with academia and industry…
Read MoreTag: NASA
Lunar Rocks Celebrate 50th Anniversary
By Mark S. Kuhar Inside a locked vault at Johnson Space Center are hundreds of pounds of moon rocks collected by Apollo astronauts a half-century ago. And for the first time in decades, NASA is about to open some of the pristine samples and let geologists take a crack at them with 21st-century technology.
Read MoreInSight Engineers Made a Martian Rock Garden
By Mark S. Kuhar NASA’s InSight lander set its first science instrument on Mars but engineers here on Earth already saw it happen. Like NASA’s Curiosity rover, InSight has a full-scale working model at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. This sister lander, aptly named ForeSight, lets the team test all operations before they happen on Mars.
Read MoreSME Annual Conference & Expo Held in Phoenix
The 2016 Annual Conference and Expo of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. (SME) was held at the Phoenix Convention Center Feb. 21-24, and brought together mining industry professionals from around the globe. More than 38 countries were represented during the Society’s four-day event, which featured 751 professional papers presented in 121 technical sessions and four professional short…
Read MoreWhere Did That Rock Come From?
According to space.com, after a decade of exploring the Martian surface, the scientists overseeing the rover Opportunity thought they’d seen it all. That was until a rock mysteriously appeared a few feet in front of the six-wheeled rover.
Read MoreWant to Mine the Moon?
February 12, 2014 – There’s GOLD in them thar craters! NASA has now started inviting applications from private companies to take the first steps in exploring the moon for resources such as helium 3 and rare earth metals.
Read More