Touching safely down on Mars is a true, nail biting event. Those terror gripping, heart-stopping moments of entry, descent, and landing (EDL) after months of cruising to the Red Planet are indeed frightening affairs.

The EDL community is busy at work on fresh ideas on how to breach Mars' atmosphere, put on the speed brakes, and plop down payloads. One big and new assignment is NASA's Mars Sample Return project and the challenges that initiative faces.

In the near and far-term, Mars is on tap to be on the receiving end of a load of landed hardware, not only to support further robotic investigations, but to reinforce a human presence on that world. But getting down, dirty and securely on Mars remains a delicate balance of technical skill, mixed in with hard-earned luck.

Related: Mars rover Perseverance spots shiny silver litter on the Red Planet (photo)

"I see two big challenges," said Zachary Putnam, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Landing really big things on the surface, for more advanced robotic missions and human exploration, and landing lots of smaller, less expensive things at relatively low cost," Putnam said.

What's ahead for Mars is clear, Putnam said.

Being able to send lots of smaller payloads to the Martian surface less expensively, Putnam added, would leverage excess payload capacity on launch vehicles used to send larger payloads and take advantage of the improving abilities of small satellite technology.

"It would allow us to accept more risk, since a few failures is less of an issue if there are a lot of landers, which could help us improve all our landing technology over time," said Putnam. "Also, there's the engagement of a larger, more diverse community of scientists and engineers, such as universities."

Alike in view is Bethany Ehlmann, a professor of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology and associate director of the Keck Institute for Space Studies in Pasadena, California.

"I think what is exciting is that Mars surface access technology is gaining new interest from companies and government technology programs," Ehlmann told Space.com. "Mars landing is the tallest tent pole in translating all of the commercial space systems investment at the moon to Mars, enabling lower cost and more frequent Mars exploration."

Ehlmann said that there is need for development at both the small size and the large size payloads. "This includes developing more cost-efficient means than sky cranes to deliver small science missions. At the large size, payloads that are human-rated also require different approaches," she said.

To Ehlmann's point, six companies received seven contracts from NASA in September to build inflatable aerodynamic decelerator systems for spacecraft entry, descent and landing operations and aerocapture missions. Potential NASA and commercial mission applications will benefit from this advanced technology.

For today, it all comes back to JPL's focus for the last 20 years, said JPL's Allen Chen, Mars Sample Return (MSR) program system engineering and integration manager. "And that is to land more on Mars and land it even more precisely than before."

In front of EDL experts is a key element of the MSR undertaking; A Sample Retrieval Lander totes with it a NASA-led Mars ascent rocket and a pair of Mars helicopters.

That lander would touch down close to the then location of Perseverance in Jezero Crater, load up with Mars collectibles and then rocket those bits and pieces (and atmospheric sample) back to Earth for detailed study.

"The Sample Retrieval Lander now weighs a little over two metric tons. That's almost twice the mass of what we put down with the Perseverance rover," Chen told Space.com. "That's a huge difference in terms of what we need to get to the ground. It's so much bigger than what we've landed before," he said.

Read more: Ingenuity helicopter on Mars heads toward ancient river delta on 31st flight

The sky crane concept used for the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars landings - is not in play this go-round for the Sample Retrieval Lander. Rather, the craft is to power itself down using built-in retro rockets.

As for the precise part of the MSR mission, Chen said that there's a "doubling-down" on the use of Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), a capability that provides a map-relative position fix that can be used to accurately target specific landing points on the surface of Mars while steering clear of hazards.

Using TRN, and adding a lot of fuel to the Sample Retrieval Lander, will allow the craft to land within 60 meters or better of a target. "We have to land an even bigger vehicle in a particular parking lot in a particular parking space," Chen said.

Additionally, an adaptive range trigger is to enable an even smarter self-decision about when the lander deploys its parachute.

And there's more. The lander's parachute itself is growing to an 80-foot (24-meter) design. "We want to beef up the parachute to be able to handle the load of a much bigger vehicle," said Chen.

The Mars Perseverance rover is already pre-scouting the landscape to help ascertain that primo parking space for a touch down. "For the first time we can see everything that's of a concern to the lander," Chen said. "We'll know exactly what's there and that's a huge advantage."

The goal is to land within a couple hundred meters of where the Perseverance rover will be, or a locale where the wheeled robot can easily drive up to deliver Mars specimens to the Sample Retrieval Lander. Care will be taken not to land directly near Perseverance, Chen said, due to concern about the ruckus created when the lander's rocket plume pitches out surface rock and sand.

"Given what we have right now, and the need to land a huge amount of mass very precisely, what you're seeing for us is a big step, but really an evolution of what we have been doing in the past. We're excited for the opportunity to show what we can do," Chen concluded.

Since the early 1990s, Rob Manning, now chief engineer at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has been actively engaged in plotting out EDL at Mars.

As for the MSR effort ahead, "I won't say the word is risk because I don't know how to quantify the risks, but there are a lot of developmental challenges," Manning said. "I hope we don't bump into new physics."

In looking beyond MSR, Manning said there's a "kink in the curve" for EDL.

"Supersonic Retro Propulsion is a whole new game," Manning said. Supersonic retro propulsion, SRP for short, is a method to decelerate a vehicle using retrorockets in the supersonic regime.

"I think the big step function in the future is taking a stab and try SRP on Mars, and actually get that to work. I think it will work. Everyone agrees that it could work. It's just that we're all kind of chicken," said Manning.

SRP work at JPL has benefited by cooperation with SpaceX and Elon Musk, the company's chief. "They've allowed us to monitor the quality of their booster returns which fly exactly in the right domain," Manning said, noting complicated phenomenon, like the interaction of rocket plume with the supersonic wake that's being generated around the re-entering booster.

"It's so hard to get your arms around it computationally very hard to analyze," Manning said.

For the EDL community there's much work ahead in terms of new research, new know-how and hardware to showcase new capabilities.

"Especially the push by MSR, the Sample Retrieval Lander fits squarely between where we've going with the large landing system and where we are going after that, in human scale," Manning said.

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Landing on Mars: Keep straight and fly right for Martian touchdown success - Space.com

While the world is marveling over the first images and data now coming from NASAs Perseverance rover mission seeking signs of ancient microscopic life on Mars, a team of UNLV scientists is already hard at work on the next step: What if we could one day send humans to the Red Planet?

Theres a lot to consider when sending people, though. Human explorers, unlike their rover counterparts, require oxygen and food, for starters. It also takes about six to nine months both ways just in travel time. And then theres the air itself. Martian air is roughly 98% carbon dioxide (Earths is a fraction of 1% for comparison) and the air temperature averages an extremely frigid -81 degrees.

Its these challenges that UNLV geochemist and NASA Mars 2020 team scientist Libby Hausrath and postdoctoral researcher Leena Cycil, a microbial ecologist, are exploring. And a big part of the answer? Algae.

Extremophilic algae are types of algae known for their ability to thrive in extreme environments such as high-altitude snowy mountains or hypersaline lakes. These algae love carbon dioxide and can use it to produce oxygen. They also are edible, dense with nutrients, and grow quickly. Extremophiles helpful characteristics allow them to grow in some of the most inhospitable environments on Earth, possibly even in conditions similar to Mars.

If we want to accomplish long-term space exploration with people instead of rovers and robots, it will require developing a self-sustaining life support system food and breathable air, says Cycil.

Hausrath and Cycil are among a handful of scientists looking at growing algae under the low-pressure, low-light conditions seen on Mars, and are pursuing different species than previous studies.

Early results are promising. So far, theyve identified three species of algae that show substantial growth under extreme conditions. They used a low-pressure vacuum chamber to simulate atmospheric pressures relevant to Mars and topped it with a plate of tempered glass to allow light in at half the sun exposure present on Earth.

The three strains of algae are Dunaliella salina, which is typically found worldwide in salt lakes; Chloromonas brevispina, which exists in snowy climates; and Chlorella vulgaris, primarily used as a protein supplement or protein-rich food additive, which is often found in natural and engineered freshwater and soil habitats.

We actually were surprised the algae grew at these low pressures. They may be thriving in these extreme environments on Earth, but the atmospheric pressure on Mars is considerably lower, so we were skeptical of what the outcome would be, says Cycil.

Their findings on low pressure growth were published in Frontiers of Microbiology, with another publication on growing algae in low light levels coming in early 2023.

The team strategically studies one variable at a time to understand exactly how each affects growth.

They're isolating certain traits in each algae species to learn what combination of algae characteristics are best suited for Mars. For example, having algae that grow at low pressure is potentially more important than growth with a specific type of lighting because lighting is easier to manipulate than pressure. The hope is that the lab conditions could be recreated in greenhouses on the surface of the Red Planet.

Understanding genetic adaptations that allow the algae to grow can help with the design of eventual life support systems and potential greenhouses on Mars, says Hausrath.

Hausrath and Cycil are already working with a NASA engineer on applications for their work. Their study shows these organisms can produce oxygen at levels comparable to what people need to survive, but engineers will be the ones to put that into practice.

Hausrath and Cycils work is part of preparing for future short-term human exploration of Mars, where astronauts instead of rovers will conduct further experiments and gain more knowledge of the planet and its history. Ultimately, these visits will help determine if Mars can support human habitation.

You could compare it to the space station missions paving the way for what we are seeing now in the commercialization of space flights. In time, commercial corporations will take our research toward manned long-term space travel and expand on it and what we know will grow exponentially, explains Cycil. We are learning from the rock and soil samples being returned from the rover mission, but there are other things we cant accomplish with robotics.

Future human exploration of Mars may need to depend on algae for both oxygen and food. Hausrath and Cycil believe algae could offer a great solution, as they do not take a lot of space to grow and can do well in microgravity situations too tough for traditional plants to survive. Theyre healthy too, providing antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and have the potential to provide both oxygen and nutrients to astronauts during spaceflight and while exploring the planet.

Although explorers of Mars would likely still rely on supply missions from Earth, the researchers believe that, considering the lengthy journey between planets, algae could bridge any gaps.

Continued here:

Algae Could be Instrumental in Making Human Exploration of Mars Possible - UNLV NewsCenter

In 2017, Philip Walker was working at a job he loved as a software engineer for Raytheon Technologies. The commute was long, but he enjoyed what he did and admired his colleagues.

Then one day I got a call, Walker said. The person on the line, he said, told him Hey, I got your name from someone youre currently working with. Were working on the Orion mission that is going to send astronauts to Mars.

And I was like, OK, youve got my interest, Walker said.

Walker ended up being recruited for the mission. The Wyoming-raised engineer, who lives in Denver with his wife and two kids, works for Stellar Solutions under contract with NASA. He describes it as a dream job, and his sincerity is palpable even over the phone. Some days I pinch myself for sure, he said.

Walker, 42, loves space. Wherever he finds himself family functions, standing in line for food, waiting for a launch on the NASA Causeway in Cape Canaveral when people find out he works as a systems engineer on human spaceflight, an enthusiastic conversation ensues, he said.

Ill talk anyones ear off. I enjoy it, Walker said.

Growing up in Big Horn, Walker always had an interest in space. One of his earliest memories is of seeing the Challenger explosion on television. His dad told him stories about the Apollo missions and was crazy good at pointing out constellations during family camping trips.

Yet, Walker never would have predicted, he said, that someday he would be intimately involved in the historic return of humans to the moon and beyond.

In 2002, Walker was a senior at the University of Wyoming preparing to graduate with an electrical engineering degree. Looking at the job market, he decided to spend an extra year taking a few more coding classes, fulfilling the requirements to also earn a computer engineering degree. He thought it might make his rsum more appealing.

He was right. His first job, doing classified work for the multinational aerospace and defense conglomerate Raytheon on ground systems for satellites, relied heavily on his software skills.

So that whole extra year that I took, Walker said, well it turns out that the software side, the coding side, was more valuable to the job market at large.

That theme has continued throughout his career. Software evolves much more rapidly than hardware does, he said.

Finding experienced hardware engineers is fairly easy, because the stuff they did 20 years ago still applies, Walker said. If you found a computer science person who last coded 20 years ago, its not going to work out.

Walker was content at Raytheon, staying 14 years. Then came the phone call.

Since commercial space companies burst onto the scene in the early 2000s, NASA has set its sights on putting people back into space. Numerous programs and initiatives have come and gone, but one thing has been a constant: the Orion spacecraft.

Orion has the same basic shape as the Apollo command and service module that originally carried astronauts to the moon, but the similarities end there. Everything else is leading-edge and requires the best in the business to develop. Thats how, in 2017, Walkers name came up.

The more Walker listened to the voice on the phone that day, the more excited he became. It was much closer to home, he said. I could work from home if I needed to, because it was all unclassified work now It was human spaceflight! Come on!

Walker jumped at the opportunity.

Today, Walker works as an avionics tester doing hardware/software integration for the Orion spacecraft. He sees the work as taking him back to his roots. So, I take the code, I take the block of hardware, he explained, and I make sure the code can command the hardware.

Walker described the variety of cool stuff his team does on a regular basis. I might have an oscilloscope hooked up one day, he said. I might have NASA representatives looking at our mission run another day. So, it can be very low level or very high level. Its super interesting.

According to Walker, his work involves integrating the output of a multitude of individual teams, testing the system end to end. The hardware and software available in his lab is as close as it gets to the real thing, he said i.e., what is being built at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

This verisimilitude, Walker said, allows his team to run interesting scenarios NASA officials wouldnt want to test on the real vehicle because they dont want to risk damaging it. He and his colleagues simulate stressful, off-nominal situations all the time: What if the battery disconnects? What if it shorts out? What happens if they must reboot the computer while in orbit?

Communication and coordination define his job, he said. On any given day, I gotta talk to four experts to find out how the overall thing is going to come together and make sure I understand what NASA really wants, Walker said. How should this work? Heres how it does work, is that right?

Walker appreciates that not many jobs exist where politics dont come into play. I have a job where we all have a common enemy, and that is space, he said.

With Orion now a part of NASAs Artemis program, Walkers last five and a half years of work have come to the brink of fruition. The plan is to establish comfortable routines for a long-term human presence in orbit around the moon, on the surface of the moon and, eventually, on Mars.

On Aug. 29, Walker traveled to the Kennedy Space Center with his coworkers (and 400,000 other people) to witness the maiden launch of the Orion space capsule. Unfortunately, the launch was scrubbed due to technical issues and weather conditions, but Walker didnt let it get him down. He posted on Facebook:

Long day that didnt end the way we wanted. Still got to hang out with a bunch of fellow space enthusiasts, so a day well spent. Youre bonded forever with people who you wake up at 1:15 in the morning with, surviving on 15 minutes of sleep on wet causeway grass.

The launch was rescheduled for Sept. 3, and Walker stayed in Florida a few extra days. This time, a hydrogen leak caused the launch to be canceled.

Walker, again on Facebook, described the situation as a tough outcome but followed it up with his characteristic positivity: but getting it right is the most important thing, as this rocket will be used for several years and launches to come.

When Walker spoke to Wyofile in late September, he was excited that another launch attempt was scheduled for Sept. 27, but the approach of Hurricane Ian forced NASA to postpone the next attempt until mid-November.

According to Walker, perseverance, dedication and patience are essential characteristics of a successful engineer.

I would say you have to learn to not get frustrated, Walker said. The stuff thats hard is going to take some time, and youre going to hit a few bumps in the road, but its super worth it. Just dont give up.

Walker has worked with engineers from all kinds of backgrounds, and in his experience, those who possess a true passion often accomplish more than those with natural talent but no drive.

Those folks are super successful, Walker said, because a lot of times the intangibles are crazy important in this job. Engineers who can communicate, engineers who are empathetic, engineers who have some of those soft skills can be a rare breed.

Walker said some of the best engineers he has worked with have come up from associate-level degrees or small colleges.

I find that blue collar, hard-work background to be a common thread. Even for the ones that went to MIT, they seem to have this, I had to sling hay, I had to work construction, I worked at fast food restaurants for three years, sort of story.

They dont take it for granted, I guess, Walker continued. They have that hard work ethic and some common sense that is sorely needed a lot of days.

Walker is employing that patience as he awaits the next launch window. In the meantime, hell enjoy conversing with anyone who shares his passion, always seeking what he describes as an instant bond forged over space.

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To Mars: Wyo-raised engineer on what it takes to work NASA mission - WyoFile

What will Africa look like by 2050? Will the present tale of missed opportunities persist? Or will the continent become a superpower securing a pole position in the new race to reach new frontiers of technology and of our imagination? Will, it, for instance, become a leading space-faring continent?

Todays forecasts paint a dire picture of the continents future. Conflict. Poverty. Unemployment. The plagues of yesterday creep into tomorrow. On the face of it, there appears to be little reason to expect a miracle a sudden awakening that could herald the rapid transformation that Singapore and South Korea, for instance, have gone through in the past six decades.

Yet this pessimistic narrative has obvious consequences. It scares investors. It demotivates African expatriates who might otherwise have considered returning home. Most critically, it robs African youth of a chance to dream of a better life right here on the continent. All of this perpetuates a vicious cycle where a presumption of future failures denies Africa the opportunities and resources it needs to truly deliver on the potential of its 1.2 billion people in turn reinforcing prejudices about the continent.

In my new book,From Africa to Mars, I counter this negative narrative. From Africa to Mars tells the story of a technologically advanced African continent that takes on a seemingly impossible challenge: flying to Mars within a decade. However, myriad challenges arise causing the world to wonder: Will they make it on time?

I sent an early version of the manuscript to a friend basedin the United Kingdom. When he read through it, he noted that it felt somewhat utopic. I asked him whetherIron ManorWonder Womanfelt utopic too. He said no. Its Westerners. Flying cars. Lasers. Interstellar travel.Theycan do all that, he said, pausing and cocking his head before adding, Would you ever get on a rocket built by an African?

He probably meant it as a joke but his query showed just how much the cancer of stereotypes has metastasised. We live in a world where tales of African genius are not just missing, they are discouraged and subconsciously banned.

A few years ago, I was working on a communications campaign in Burkina Faso. Our goal? To encourage youth in the capital, Ouagadougou, to train for STEM careers. I crafted a series of illustrated posters on the outcomes of science and engineering studies. In one poster, a child started as an electrician and ended up as a space engineer. When I shared the poster with colleagues, one sent a reply that left me utterly shocked.

She remarked that it was impossible for a child in Burkina Faso to become a space engineer. I informed her that the West African nation was already building its first satellite, Burkina Sat-1. Hence, there was no reason why a Burkinabe child couldnt join the countrys nascent space programme.

Indeed, Africas space sector is reaching new heights.In January 2022, South Africa made history by launching three nanosatellites that were the first to be wholly designed and produced on the African continent. Cocoa farmers in Ghana will soon be able to receive agricultural advice thanks to the SAT4Farming initiative, a programme that leverages satellite imagery to monitor environmental conditions in the country. Angolas second telecommunications satellite, Angosat-2, launched last week.

In other areas of tech too, African innovators are showing why it would be a mistake to ignore them.M-PESA, the pioneering mobile money payment service, was launched by Kenyan company SAFARICOM in 2007 and has since become a model for mobile banking services globally. While there were no unicorns on the continent a decade ago, Africa now boasts seven startups valued at over $1bn. More than 600 tech hubs across the continent support startups and in 2021 alone, African startups attracted more than $10bn in funding.

Africa urgently needs nuanced future narratives that, without masking the challenges that the continent faces, deviate from the standard scripts of refugees on boats and rebels in bushes.

This is not just a requirement for attracting tourists and investors. I believe this will be critical to inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists, statisticians, astronauts and science enthusiasts who will help resolve Africas most pressing developmental challenges and help the continents potential take off.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.

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Will Africa send the first human to Mars? - Al Jazeera English

October 18, 2022

The Barry Art Museum soared to new heights with Mars Fest 2022. This year's festival featured artist Luke Jerram's large-scale sculpture of Mars, a realistic depiction of the red planet that hovered above 43rd Street and was nearly 23 feet in diameter. Activities included dance performances, glassblowing and a special red beer from Cova Brewing Co. In addition, NASA hosted special events at the museum. Photos Chuck Thomas, Nicholas Clark and Aaron Hodnett/ODU

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Grace Potter sings "Rocket Man" during the opening reception for Mars Fest on Oct. 13. Photo Chuck Thomas/ODU

An opening reception is held in the Barry Art Museum to kick off Mars Fest. Photo Chuck Thomas/ODU

The big red planet is put in place the morning of Oct. 14. Photo Chuck Thomas/ODU

Costume contestants pose for a group photo at the end of the competition. Photo Aaron Hodnett/ODU

Visitors line up around Mars to view the costume contest. Photo Aaron Hodnett/ODU

The United Souls Band performs Oct. 14 on the Super Nova Stage. Photo Aaron Hodnett/ODU

Members from the Chrysler Museum demonstrate glassblowing techniques during Mars Fest. Photo Aaron Hodnett/ODU

Guests pose for photos in their space outfits. Photo Aaron Hodnett/ODU

Members from the ODU Marching Band dance under Mars. Photo Aaron Hodnett/ODU

Planetarium Director Justin Mason sports his astronaut costume as he discusses what life on Mars could be like. Photo Aaron Hodnett/ODU

Barry Art Museum Executive Director Charlotte Potter Kasic welcomes visitors to Mars Fest on Oct. 14. Photo Aaron Hodnett/ODU

The Chrysler Museum hosts a glassblowing exhibition. Photo Nicholas Clark/ODU

Members of the Norfolk State University Dance Theater perform under the Mars installation. Photo Nicholas Clark/ODU

Red lights reflecting off the parking garage enhance Mars. Photo Nicholas Clark/ODU

Lead singer Nakia Madry-Smith from the Rocky 7 band performs. Photo Nicholas Clark/ODU

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Looking Back at the Mars Fest News @ ODU - Old Dominion University

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mars Agency, an industry leader in connected commerce, today announced a new strategic partnership with Analytic Index, a next-generation data platform, that is intended to bring new and unprecedented levels of data and commerce intelligence to Mars' proprietary martech platform, Marilyn.

The partnership brings together The Mars Agency's leadership and unrivaled success in helping brand clients drive growth through connected commerce experiences with Analytic Index's highly differentiated retail search and digital shelf intelligence platform.

...unmatched actionable insights to clients across multiple ecommerce environments.

The powerful combination of Marilyn and Analytic Index will enable Mars to deliver unmatched actionable insights to clients across multiple ecommerce environments.

The partnership expands and enhances the robust suite of shopper insights, retailer intelligence and performance measurement tools that The Mars Agency already provides to clients through Marilyn. The pact is the latest example of the agency's ongoing commitment to lead the industry in data intelligence and actionable insights through the continuous advancement of Marilyn'scapabilities.

"Ecommerce and retail media are critical aspects of the connected commerce landscape, and our practices in those areas are already best in class," says Rob Rivenburgh, CEO of The Mars Agency. "Now, combining Analytic Index's retail search and media knowledge with Marilyn's shopper insights and performance data will enable our clients to make even better decisions, create more connectedexperiencesand drive even stronger results."

In only two years, Analytic Index has become a critical technology solution for many of the world's largest brands and agencies by providing unique insights into the digital media activity taking place on Amazon, Walmart, Target and Kroger. The company will soon extend its Amazon coverage into Europe and Canada and expand its U.S. purview to track Albertsons, Lowe's, The Home Depot, Best Buy and Chewy.

The company was co-founded by Nathan Rigby and Mike Karlsven, the team that previously launched and operated One Click Retail, a pioneer in the measurement of Amazon sales and market share."We are thrilled to be partnering with Mike and Nathan, two proven innovators in the ecommerce and data intelligence space," says Rivenburgh.

"We're excited to be building a more strategic relationship with The Mars Agency, which has already been a great partner for us," says Rigby. "Their experience and expertise will help us become an even more trusted source for reliable data and next-generation technology for the global commerce ecosystem."

The partners will continue to serve clients independently while also joining forces as needed to deliver an unmatched set of insights on connected commerce.

The Mars Agencyis an award-winning, independently owned, global commerce marketing practice. With talent around the world, they connect people, technology and intelligence to create demand and drive profitable, sustainable growth. Mars' industry leading martech platform, Marilyn, enables marketers to make better decisions, create connected experiences and drive stronger results. Learn more at http://www.themarsagency.com and meetmarilyn.ai.

Analytic Indexis a next-generation data platform that empowers brands and agencies to measure and optimize retail media and organic search across online retailers. These actionable insights empower vendors to accelerate sales and profitability through benchmarking performance, improving organic and paid search effectiveness, and measuring overall impact and returns on investment. Analytic Index provides holistic insights across all departments, relevant keywords, and performance items making it an ideal competitive intelligence tool. Learn more atwww.analyticindex.com.

Media inquiries:Sarah Jo SautterDirector of Marketing, The Mars Agency[emailprotected]248-506-5829

SOURCE The Mars Agency

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The Mars Agency Forges Partnership with Analytic Index to Further Enhance the Marilyn Martech Platform USA - English - USA - English - PR Newswire

People who enjoy looking up at the night skymay besurprised to see a bright dot accompanying the moon on Friday night.

Oct. 14'swaninggibbous moon will be visible as the sun goes downaround 6 p.m.Arizona time. Abright, reddish dot ofMarswill be shining several finger widths to its lower rightaround 10 p.m.

If you are looking up at the sky you should be able tosee Mars by3.6 degreesbeneath the 73%-lit waning gibbous moon.

For folks unfamiliar or who needa quick refresher on what"waning gibbous"means, it's when the moon isbetween a Full Moon and a Half Moon. "Waning" means that the light on the moon is getting smaller. "Gibbous" refers to theobservable illuminated part of the moon.

The moon is projected to risearound 9 p.m.

How to see the moon and Mars

Using a pair of binocularswill help you get a better view of the moon and Mars.

Once the sun is rising at around 6:30 a.m. Oct. 15, the moon will be further and too far awayto see.

The red planet isbrightening as it waxes until thebiannualsuper bright opposition in early December. This means that Earth will be exactly between Mars and the Sun as we rotate around the sun faster.Thiswill be atits closest to Earth for just over two years.

Have a question you need answered? Reach the reporter at rromeroruiz@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter@raphaeldelag.

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Moon and Mars tonight: What time and how to see them in Arizona - The Arizona Republic

Astronomers and skywatchers are sharing their images and videos of Nasas Lucy spacecraft as it buzzed close by Earth on Sunday.

The large school bus-sized Lucy spacecraft passed within 220 miles of Earth on Sunday morning, and was visible to viewers in Western Australia and the western US. Lucys flyby came on the one-year anniversary of its launch, the first high-speed close encounter of a planned 12-year mission to visit the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.

Nasa encouraged people to share images of Lucy on social media using the hashtag #SpotTheSpacecraft, or images of themselves waving at the passing Lucy using the hashtag #WaveToLucy.

Members of the Lucy mission team based on Colorado had to drive to Nebraska to get out from under cloud cover in order to capture the video of Lucy streaking overheard that they then shared on the social media website Twitter.

Pluto researcher Marc Buie took an image of Lucy that was shared by French space-blog Twitter account @RevesdEspace, while the Virtual Telescope Project, an international robotic telescope cooperative, also capture Lucy images.

Nasas Goddard Space Flight Center, meanwhile, has shared animations on Twitter illustrating Lucys Earth flyby and subsequent mission. The animations also highlight the spacecrafts unique, circular solar panels, each 24 feet in diameter large enough to supply Lucy with the 500 watts of power the spacecraft will need while traveling through the dark reaches of space among the asteroids near Jupiter.

Launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 16 October 2021, Lucy is Nasas first mission to the Trojan asteroids of Jupiter. The asteroids are large populations of space rocks that share the gas giants orbit, but precede and follow the planet by 60 degrees along that orbit.

Sundays flyby of Earth gave Lucy added momentum, slingshotting the spacecraft out toward the orbit of Mars in a maneuver known as a gravity assist. Lucy will make another gravity assist pass by Earth in 2024 before finally heading out toward its first targets.

The spacecraft will first fly by an asteroid known as Donaldjohanson in the main asteroid belt in 2025, a space rock that is not a Jupiter Trojan, but is conveniently located along the way.

Lucy will then reach the leading population of Jupiter Trojans in 2027, flying by four space rocks, Eurybates, Polymele, Leucus, and Orus, each named for characters in the Homeric epic The Iliad.

Lucy will then head back to Earth for another gravity assist flyby of our planet in 2031, which will put the spacecraft on a course to visit the trailing population of Jupiter Trojans in 2033.

Seen from above, Lucys flight path looks like a figure eight twisted up like a pretzel, according to Nasa.

An illustration of the unusual flight path of Nasas Lucy mission, which will flyby Earth several times during its 12-year mission to the Jupiter Trojan asteroids

(Nasa)

You can follow Lucys current trajectory and watch an animation showing its future motion relative to Earth, asteroid targets, and the planet Jupiter by going to Nasas whereislucy.space website.

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NASAs Lucy spacecraft just passed Earth on its way to Mars and wont be back for another two years - The Independent

Scientists and engineers have difficulty coming up with estimated mission timelines for their space exploration projects. Most dont even reach the first day after succumbing to one form or another of technical failure, sometimes resulting in a dramatic fireball. Others have missions that extend orders of magnitude longer than they were originally designed for. Such is the case for Indias first mission to the Red Planet, which finally seems to have run out of fuel eight years into its original six-month mission.

The mission, known colloquially as the Mars Orbiter Mission, or MOM, was initially launched in 2013 and entered an orbit around Mars in 2014. While in orbit, it spent the better part of eight years collecting data to send back to its operating scientists at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Though technically planned as a technology demonstrator, MOM, also known as Mangalyaan (or Mars craft in Sanskrit), carried five scientific instruments, which, while they were relatively small and inexpensive, weighing in at just over 15 kilograms for the whole payload, they also provided critical insight into areas that scientists didnt understand about Mars at the time.

One of those critical areas was methane there was a long-standing debate about the sources of methane in Mars atmosphere, and MOM helped to provide some insight into that. It acted as an excellent complement to other more advanced, and therefore more expensive, western orbiter efforts such as Maven, which was launched around the same time.

But all good things must come to an end, and that was no exception for MOM. The spacecraft was designed to withstand many of the challenges associated with orbiting around the Red Planet, including using a limited supply of fuel to dodge out of the way of eclipses so that its batteries wouldnt be too diminished before being recharged by its on-board solar panels.

However, the fuel it used for maneuvering eventually ran out, and it was unable to dodge out of the way of an eclipse that lasted more than seven hours. Its batteries were designed to withstand an eclipse that lasted less than two hours. So when the craft finally emerged from the eclipse, its batteries were below the critical threshold that would allow it to restart. ISRO eventually declared the craft as officially decommissioned on October 3.

It leaves a generally positive legacy, though. India was one of the first countries to successfully introduce a craft to the Mars system on its first try. America and the Soviet Union suffered plenty of setbacks before the current round of successful rovers (and helicopters) traversing the planet.

That being said, the next step for ISRO in its Mars exploration program remains unclear. While the organization solicited ideas for a follow-up mission to Mars in 2016, no discernible progress has come through on that front in the last six years.

Despite that stagnation, ISRO should be proud of the work they already put in on MOM and of the scientific data that it collected. The more countries that can interact with Mars in one way or another, the better.

This article was originally published on Universe Today by Andy Tomaswick. Read the original article here.

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8 years later, Indias first mission to Mars has finally run out of fuel - Inverse

Spencer Harding, head of brewing operations at Riverside Brewing, pours one of the company's micro brews for beer goers during the Mars Brew Fest Saturday. Harold Aughton/Special to the Eagle

MARS Brown Paper Tickets, the online ticketing company that owed Mars Borough $25,000 in revenue from the 2022 Mars Brew Fest, said the owed funds would be paid to the borough this week.

At a Mars borough council meeting on Monday, Mayor Gregg Hartung said that the borough had been officially notified by the company Oct. 12 that the missing $25,000 would be deposited within the next week.

They said that they would be processing the check, and they would put it into our bank, and it might take three or five days to clear for that amount, Hartung said. Were hoping that making it public and doing some things to put pressure on helped us to get the $25,000 to us from the Brew Fest. Well see at the end of the week if we have it. Hopefully, we will.

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Ticket company says it will pay Mars owed Brew Fest funds - Butler Eagle

Accenture is working with Mars, the confectionery, food, and pet care products and services company, to transform and modernize its global manufacturing operations with AI, cloud, edge technology, and digital twins.

Global professional services company Accenture has collaborated with confectionery giant Mars to modernize manufacturing operations in its factories through the deployment of artificial intelligence, cloud, and digital twin technology.

Collaboration started in late 2020 with the first trials of digital twin technology, which is a virtual representation of machines, products, and processes. With this, businesses are able to improve productivity and optimize machine performance, through constant experimentation and testing of a virtual factory floor.

SEE ALSO: 80% Organizations Had A Cloud Security Incident in 2021

One of the first tests for the digital twin technology was aimed at reducing the amount of overfilled packages, which is a common issue in the food industry. The digital twin, paired with a predictive analytics model, was successful in reducing overfilling, which led to more collaborative efforts.

Our work with Mars is about using the power of data, cloud and edge computing to modernize factories, boost business agility in response to change, and put power in the hands of Mars Associates so they can make informed decisions faster, said Larry Thomas, senior managing director at Accenture.

Accenture and Mars introduced the technology across Mars factories in the United States, and plan to roll it out to its pet care business in Europe and China. Deployment of the technology into more of Mars factories is expected in the future, with Mars planning to apply them to dozens of use cases over the next three years.

Our collaboration with Accenture, combined with our partnership with Microsoft, enables us to scale digital twin technology to reach this goal, delivering not just significant cost savings and sustainability, but preparing our manufacturing operations for the future of work, said William Beery, vice president and global CIO at Mars Wrigley.

Major market players are beginning to adopt digital twin solutions, alongside predictive maintenance and other AI solutions, to reduce downtime and improve productivity on the factory floor. Vantage Market Research projects that this industry will grow from $6.5 billion in 2021 to $53.5 billion in 2028.

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Accenture Builds Factory of the Future With Mars - RTInsights

Photo: CasarsaGuru via Getty Images

Photo: CasarsaGuru via Getty Images

Venus is in Libra now and forming what is called a trine with Mars, which is in Gemini. This is a very positive event in astrology. It is one of the rare days when love at first sight is possible.

Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius are favored, but Leo and Sagittarius can also rejoice. However, Leo and Aquarius tend not to get along with each other. Click here for the zodiac sign love test.

Take the chance tonight and let us surprise you with what the love messenger Armor has in store for you today.

But before you do that, you must avoid a few hurdles and be especially careful. There is trouble in the aircaused by a Sun square Pluto. But also an increased danger of accidents is indicated. So don't take risks and try to get through the day calmly. Perhaps a positive Moon Mercury aspect will help you with this, it makes you quick-witted and helps with learning today.

The Moon has two more tense positions to offer (Moon opposition Saturn and Moon square Uranus) that try to affect our beautiful Venus Mars position negatively. But if we are in a positive frame of mind, it can't hurt us.

We wish you good stars all the time!

Miguel ngel Asturias (1899 - 1974), John le Carr (1931), Philip Pullman (1946), Tracy Chevalier (* 1962), Patrick Simmons (*1948)

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Venus and Mars Make Hearts Beat Faster for These Zodiac Signs - astrosofa.com