The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to 3D-print parts for its next-generation rockets, a technique it says can save millions of dollars in manufacturing costs.

Dubbed selective laser melting (SLM), the technique is being used for the Space Launch System (SLS), a rocket to take humans, equipment and experiments beyond low Earth orbit to nearby asteroids and eventually to Mars.

"Basically, this machine takes metal powder and uses a high-energy laser to melt it in a designed pattern," said Ken Cooper, advanced manufacturing team lead at the Marshall Center.

NASA said it is eyeing using selective laser melting to manufacture parts on the first SLS test flight in 2017.

An article on NASA's website described SLN as "similar to 3-D printing and is the future of manufacturing."

It added the new technique offers two major benefits - savings and safety - which are major considerations for the Space Launch System Program.

Cooper said the laser will layer the melted dust to the parts from the ground up, creating intricate designs.

He added the process can produce parts with complex geometries and precise mechanical properties from a 3D computer-aided design.

Andy Hardin, the integration hardware lead for the Engines Office in SLS, added the process significantly reduces the manufacturing time to produce parts, from months to weeks or even days in some cases.

"It's a significant improvement in affordability, saving both time and money. Also, since we're not welding parts together, the parts are structurally stronger and more reliable, which creates an overall safer vehicle," he said.

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NASA to print parts for Mars-bound rockets

Washington, November 20 (ANI): A team of NASA engineers has created a highly porous, sprayable coating that that attracts and then traps outgassed contaminants that harm spacecraft components.

Outgassing - the physical process that creates that oh-so-alluring new car smell - isn't healthy for humans and, as it turns out, not particularly wholesome for sensitive satellite instruments, either.

Outgassed solvents, epoxies, lubricants, and other materials aren't especially wholesome for contamination-sensitive telescope mirrors, thermal-control units, high-voltage electronic boxes, cryogenic instruments, detectors and solar arrays, either.

As a result, NASA engineers are always looking for new techniques to prevent these gases from adhering to instrument and spacecraft surfaces and potentially shortening their lives.

A group of technologists has created a low-cost, easy-to-apply solution, which is more effective than current techniques.

Led by Principal Investigator Sharon Straka, an engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., the team has created a new, patent-pending sprayable paint that absorbs these gaseous molecules and stops them from affixing to instrument components.

Made of zeolite, a mineral widely used in industry for water purification and other uses, and a colloidal silica binder that acts as the glue holding the coating together, the new molecular absorber is highly permeable and porous - attributes that trap the outgassed contaminants. Because it doesn't contain volatile organics, the material itself doesn't cause additional outgassing.

"It looks promising," Straka said. "It collects significantly more contaminants than other approaches."

Technicians can spray the paint directly onto surfaces, no extra mounting equipment is necessary.

In addition, technicians can coat adhesive strips or tape and then place these pieces in strategic locations within an instrument, spacecraft cavity, or vacuum system, further simplifying absorber design.

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NASA's new sprayable paint protects spacecraft from 'harmful' new car smell

Full report

What GAO Found

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) 10 major spaceflight projects discussed in this report have not yet fully implemented earned value management (EVM). As a result, NASA is not taking full advantage of opportunities to use an important tool that could help reduce acquisition risk. GAO assessed the 10 projects against three fundamental EVM practices that, according to GAO's best practices cost guide, are necessary for maintaining a reliable EVM system. GAO found shortfalls in two of three fundamental practices. Specifically, we found that More than half of the projects did not use an EVM system that was fully certified as compliant with the industry EVM standard.

Only 4 of the 10 projects established formal surveillance reviews, which ensure that key data produced by the system was reliable. The remaining 6 projects provided evidence of monthly EVM data reviews; however, the rigor of both the formal and informal surveillance reviews is questionable given the numerous data anomalies GAO found.

GAO also found that 3 projects had reliable EVM data while 7 had only partially reliable data. For the EVM data to be considered reliable per best practices it must be complete and accurate with all data anomalies explained.

NASA EVM focal points, headquarters officials, project representatives, and program executives cited cultural and other challenges as impediments to the effective use of EVM at the agency. Traditionally, NASA's culture has focused on managing science and engineering challenges and not on monitoring cost and schedule data, like an effective EVM system produces. As a result, several representatives said this information traditionally has not been valued across the agency. This sentiment was also echoed in a NASA study of EVM implementation. Also cited as a challenge to the effective use of EVM was NASA's insufficient number of staff with the skills to analyze EVM data. Without a sufficient number of staff with such skills, NASA's ability to conduct a sound analysis of the EVM data is limited. However, NASA has not conducted an EVM skills gap analysis to determine the extent of its workforce needs.

NASA has undertaken several initiatives aimed at improving the agency's use of EVM. For example, NASA strengthened its spaceflight management policy to reflect the industry EVM standard and has developed the processes and tools for projects to meet these standards through its new EVM system. While these are positive steps, the revised policy contains only the minimum requirements for earned value management. For example, it lacks a requirement for rigorous surveillance of how projects are implementing EVM and also does not require use of the agency's newly developed EVM system to help meet the new requirements. NASA has attempted to address EVM shortcomings through policy changes over the years, but these efforts have failed to adequately address the cultural resistance to implementing EVM.

Why GAO Did This Study

NASA historically has experienced cost growth and schedule slippage in its portfolio of major projects and has taken actions to improve in this area, including adopting the use of EVM. EVM is a tool developed to help project managers monitor risks. GAO was asked to examine (1) the extent to which NASA is using EVM to manage its major space flight acquisitions, (2) the challenges that NASA has faced in implementing an effective EVM system, and (3) NASA's efforts to improve its use of EVM. To address these questions, GAO obtained contractor and project EVM data and used established formulas and tools to analyze the data and assess NASA's implementation of EVM on 10 major spaceflight projects; interviewed relevant NASA headquarters, center and mission directorate officials on their views on EVM; and reviewed prior reports on EVM and organizational transformations. GAO compared NASA policies and guidance on EVM to best practices contained in GAO's cost estimating best practices guide.

What GAO Recommends

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NASA: Earned Value Management Implementation across Major Spaceflight Projects Is Uneven (GAO)

NASA is studying a plan for astronauts above the far side of the moon to control a rover on the surface. But justifying such a mission won't be easy.

The demise of the space shuttle has forced NASA to scale back its human activities in space. Without its own vehicles for launching astronauts into space, there is little the organisation can do but dream of better times ahead.

Its current plan is to build a vehicle called Orion that will have the capability to support a small crew for up to 21 days, long enough to get to the moon and back. NASA is also greedily eyeing other potential destinations, such as near Earth asteroids.

Today, Jack Burns at NASA's Lunar Science Institute in Moffet Field, California, and a few buddies have come up with another suggestion. These guys say that a moon landing is a risky goal so why not try an easier, intermediate mission first.

Their idea is to send an Orion spacecraft on a lunar fly-by past the moon to the L2 Lagrange point some 65,000 kilometres beyond. This is the place where gravitational forces exactly balance the spacecraft's centripetal force, allowing it to seemingly hover above the moon (although in reality it will orbit the L2 point).

The advantage, say Burns and co, is that from L2, the astronauts will be able to see both Earth and the far side of the moon at the same time.

From here, the astronauts will operate a remote-controlled rover on the far side of the moon that will be sent ahead of the crewed mission.

Remote control from L2 will be much better than from Earth, say Burns and co. That's because the round-trip communication time between the rover and L2 is only 0.4 seconds, compared to the almost 3-second round-trip time to Earth.

Experiments on Earth suggest that an 0.5 second delay is the maximum "cognitive horizon" that humans can cope with and still achieve a telerobotic presence.

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Astronauts Could Remotely Control Moon Rovers from Lunar Orbit, Says NASA Plan

NASA spacecraft captured HD video of a giant plasma eruption on the surface of the Sun Friday. This plasma eruption is not headed toward Earth, so isn't expected to cause any communication problems. The sun is currently in the middle of an active phase of its 11-year solar weather cycle.

The sun unleashed a monster eruption of super-hot plasma Friday (Nov. 16) in back-to-back solar storms captured on camera by a NASA spacecraft.

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The giant sun eruption, called a solar prominence, occurred at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT), with another event flaring up four hours later. The prominences was so large, it expanded beyond the camera view of NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which captured high-definitionvideo of the solar eruption.

In the video, a colossal loop of glowing red plasma erupts from the lower left of the sun, arcing up and out of frame as it blasts away from the star.

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"The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas made of electrically charged hydrogen and helium," officials with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, which oversees the SDO mission, explained in a description. "The prominence plasma flows along a tangled and twisted structure of magnetic fields generated by the suns internal dynamo. An erupting prominence occurs when such a structure becomes unstable and bursts outward, releasing the plasma."

Friday's solar eruption does not appear to be aimed at Earth, so will likely have little effect on our planet. But that was not the case earlier this week when a powerful solar flare erupted on Monday (Nov. 12). That flare registered as an M6-class eruption, a moderate but still intense solar event.

On Tuesday and Wednesday (Nov. 13 and 14), space weather conditions sparked a geomagnetic storm that supercharged the Earth's auroras, creating spectacular northern lights displays for observers at high latitudes.

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NASA video captures massive solar eruption

Sending astronauts to a deep-space outpost beyond the moon's far side could help lay the groundwork for more ambitious manned missions to Mars, some researchers say.

Such a lunar effort would take humanity farther from Earth than it's ever been before, allowing scientists and engineers to work their way up to even more distant targets such as asteroids and Marsin a stepwise fashion, advocates say.

"It's a really good way to basically dip your toes in deep space," Josh Hopkins, a space exploration architect for Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver, said during a Nov. 14 presentation with NASA's Future In-Space Operations working group.

Beyond the lunar far side

NASA is apparently thinking seriously about launching astronauts to Earth-moon L2, a spot in space beyond the moon's far side. EML-2 is a so-called libration point where the gravitational pulls of the moon and Earth roughly balance out, allowing spacecraft to essentially park there. [Visions of Deep-Space Stations (Gallery)]

Astronauts would ride to EML-2 aboard NASA's Orion capsule, which is being built by Lockheed Martin. Orion would get off the ground atop the Space Launch System(SLS), the agency's huge new deep-space rocket.

The launcher's first unmanned test flight is slated for 2017, and NASA hopes the SLS-Orion combo will begin carrying crews by 2021.

EML-2 is an interesting target in its own right, Hopkins said. From there, astronauts could teleoperate rovers on the far side with relative ease, helping explore a part of the moon that remains little-studied to date.

Such rovers could gather samples for a possible return to Earth, he said, which could shed light on the moon's mysterious impact history.

The robots could also deploy huge antennas, helping set up a powerful instrument that would take advantage of the radio "quiet zone" found on the lunar far side to investigate some of the universe's deepest mysteries.

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NASA Outpost Beyond Moon Could Lead to Mars

11/18/2012 mdash; M-Class Flare Today mdash; after Large Solar Prominence eruption yesterday
Had to start a NEW youtube channel mdash; make sure to subscribe http://www.youtube.com mdash; new videos being uploaded there until this account clears up!! --------------- Full website post here including the large Solar Prominence which erupted early AM on the 17th --- both will be grazing Earth: sincedutch.wordpress.com mdash; mdash; mdash; M-Class Flare mdash; Earth Directed mdash; not large enough to cause problems on its own. The prominence yesterday WILL be grazing earth in the next several days . Not seeing much on the sites yet about this current M-class though.. showing up about 3 hours ago (1am CST 11/18/2012) Viewable at: http://www.helioviewer.org (date Nov. 18, 2012) Multiple views using AIA 335, 131, 304 also viewable at sdo.gsfc.nasa.govFrom:dutchsinseViews:1143 43ratingsTime:01:12More inScience Technology

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11/18/2012 — M-Class Flare Today — after Large Solar Prominence eruption yesterday - Video

OCC Week FIFTY-SEVEN~By FbrZFX | NASA
****READ MAI DESCRIPTION**** Sooo, this was a really quick edit, please don #39;t judge it #39;s pretty sloppy, well i suppose i can only spot the mistakes cause it didn #39;t turn out the way I planned... BUT ENJOY! Editing Time: 20 Minutes Song:www.youtube.com NASA (Feat. Kanye West, Santigold _ Lykke Li) - Gifted (Masuka Remix)-Dubstep LessThanThreeFrom:FbrZFXViews:94 24ratingsTime:00:35More inGaming

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OCC Week FIFTY-SEVEN~By FbrZFX | NASA - Video

Chaos Theory - Wiki Article
Chaos theory is a field of study in mathematics, with applications in several disciplines including physics, engineering, economics, biology, and philosophy. Chaos theory studies the behavior of dyna... Chaos Theory - Wiki Article - wikiplays.org Original @ http All Information Derived from Wikipedia using Creative Commons License: en.wikipedia.org Author: Unknown Image URL: en.wikipedia.org ( Creative Commons ASA 3.0 ) Author: Unknown Image URL: en.wikipedia.org ( Creative Commons ASA 3.0 ) Author: Radagast3 Image URL: en.wikipedia.org ( This work is in the Public Domain. ) Author: Radagast3 Image URL: en.wikipedia.org ( This work is in the Public Domain. ) Author: Unknown Image URL: en.wikipedia.org ( Creative Commons ASA 3.0 ) Author: Unknown Image URL: en.wikipedia.org ( This work is in the Public Domain. ) Author: DSP-user Image URL: en.wikipedia.org ( Creative Commons ASA 3.0 ) Author: DSP-user Image URL: en.wikipedia.org ( Creative Commons ASA 3.0 ) Author: NASA Langley Research Cent...From:WikiPlaysViews:0 0ratingsTime:33:31More inEducation

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Chaos Theory - Wiki Article - Video

Giant Sun Eruption Video - Friday 16th Nov 2012
Video Giant sun eruption - NASA video. Watch the red plasma burst out of the sun. The sun unleashed a giant sun eruption of super-hot plasma Friday 16th November in back-to-back solar storms captured on camera by a NASA spacecraft. This giant sun eruption is known as a solar prominence. This sunburst was filmed by a NASA spacecraft at 6am in the morning GMT. (1am EST). The eruptions were so large they could not all be captured on the camera used by the Solar Dynamics Obervatory. This is my understanding of the significance of this video. For those who understand ascension and the transition we are going thru now into 5th density - the suns eruptions are caused by the powerful energy burst from our galactic centre. This cosmic energy is heading for earth and as it passes through the sun it causes the sun to erupt solar plasma. For those not convinced of this and need more facts take a look at this blog post and do some more research: one-unifiedtheoryofmetaphysics.blogspot.co.ukFrom:inoeoViews:1 0ratingsTime:00:10More inNews Politics

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Giant Sun Eruption Video - Friday 16th Nov 2012 - Video

NASA Conspiracies Secrecy - Nick Redfern - Coast to Coast AM Classic
http://www.jetnews.us Date: 02-14-11 Host: George Noory Guests: Nick Redfern British ufologist and author Nick Redfern argued that NASA has hidden from the public, evidence of UFO visitations to the Earth, and astronaut sightings of UFOs in space, as well as been involved in cover-ups such as with the Roswell Incident, and the Face on Mars. "The more you look into it, the more we do find profound and fascinating stories that link NASA with UFOs, alien encounters, conspiracies...and different phenomena," he reported. One document from 1965 detailed a joint FBI/NASA effort to catch a NASA whistleblower who was leaking UFO information and photographs to NICAP. Around that time, the Gemini 4 spacecraft was said to have a UFO detection system built into it, he added. A former NASA employee, Donna Hare, revealed that NASA actively covered up and altered or airbrushed photographic evidence, said Redfern. Similarly, an employee at Langley Field, Virginia, Karl Wolfe, said there was an effort to cover-up photographic evidence of a large base on the far side of the moon. It was Donna Hare #39;s story that inspired Gary McKinnon to hack into NASA #39;s computer system to look for photos, and he reportedly ran across the phrase "non-terrestrial officers," Redfern noted. NASA has also been interested in alien abductions. They #39;ve been clandestinely monitoring this scenario with their own think tank, said Redfern, and concluded the abductions are of a rather ominous nature. In general, NASA may be ...From:C2CPlanetViews:12 1ratingsTime:02:31:01More inEducation

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NASA Conspiracies

Hymn To Space
A Hymn to the vastness and majesty of space designed to evoke spaces of the Heart and great opening. It also contains beautiful images from the NASA website. Composed and performed by Matthew Holt.From:PointSpaceViews:5 1ratingsTime:02:15More inMusic

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Hymn To Space - Video

3MIN News November 18, 2012
All Images and Information found at the Links Below, with gratitude. TODAY #39;S LINKS Cali Cap Trade: news.nationalgeographic.com Brain Waves: http://www.mpg.de Mars Water: http://www.astrobio.net REPEAT LINKS Spaceweather: spaceweather.com [Look on the left at the X-ray Flux and Solar Wind Speed/Density] HAARP: http://www.haarp.alaska.edu [Click online data, and have a little fun] CERES JPL: ssd.jpl.nasa.gov SDO: sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov [Place to find Solar Images and Videos - as seen from earth] Helioviewer: http://www.helioviewer.org SOHO: sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov [SOHO; Lasco and EIT - as seen from earth] Stereo: stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov [Stereo; Cor, EUVI, HI - as seen from the side] SunAEON: http://www.sunaeon.com [Just click it... trust me] SOLARIMG: solarimg.org [All purpose data viewing site] iSWA: iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov [Free Application; for advanced sun watchers] NASA ENLIL SPIRAL: iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov NOAA ENLIL SPIRAL: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov US Wind Map: hint.fm NOAA Buoys: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov RADIATION Network: radiationnetwork.com NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory: http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov RSOE: hisz.rsoe.hu [That cool alert map I use] GOES Xray: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov JAPAN Radiation Map: jciv.iidj.net LISS: earthquake.usgs.gov Gamma Ray Bursts: grb.sonoma.edu [Really? You can #39;t figure out what this one is for?] BARTOL Cosmic Rays: neutronm.bartol.udel.edu [Top left box, look for BIG blue circles] TORCON: http://www.weather.com [Tornado Forecast for the day] GOES Weather: rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov [Clouds over America] RAIN RECORDS ...From:Suspicious0bserversViews:1132 291ratingsTime:03:27More inNews Politics

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3MIN News November 18, 2012 - Video

DJ Mystik - Let #39;s Close Our Eyes
Photo from NASAFrom:syntehtixViews:0 0ratingsTime:02:39More inMusic

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ALERT: NASA To Confirm The Existence of a UFO Sighting And Alien Life In Late November 2012 BBC
A video has been leaked showing footage captured by an American amateur astronomer of an Unidentified Flying Object. Apparently this footage will be released to the general public in late November 2012. It has been suggested that this is part of a NASA acclimatization program preparing the world for confirmation of the existence of extra-terrestrials. It has also been hinted that an exciting revelation will be forthcoming regarding NASA #39;s Mars Curiosity mission. It is believed proof that the Red Planet was once populated by an advanced civilisation will be revealed. It has long been postulated that NASA has been routinely manipulating images to remove such things as ruined structures and artefacts from photographs prior to them being released in to the public domain.From:BasriMusaViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:15More inScience Technology

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ALERT: NASA To Confirm The Existence of a UFO Sighting And Alien Life In Late November 2012 BBC - Video

Best Of Just For Laughs Gags - Science Fiction Galore
gags.justforlaughs.com | Subscribe! http The truth is out there! These pranks are out of this world! All the sci-fi you can shake a stick at, and then some. Beam me up because these might just be the droids you #39;re looking for!This video will self-destruct in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...NASA Satellite Falls On CarJFL Hidden Camera Gags: Flying SaucerCrashed UFO PrankAlien Autopsy PrankSputnik Crashed! A presentation of JustForLaughsTV, the official Just For Laughs Gags YouTube channel. Home of the funniest, greatest, most amazing, most hilarious, win filled, comedy galore, hidden camera pranks in the world! Visit our other channels: JUST KIDDING PRANKS: http://www.youtube.com Hidden Camera Classics: http://www.youtube.com Social Animal? Here are a few interesting links: Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: facebook.com Puppies: http://www.youtube.comFrom:JustForLaughsTVViews:301 558ratingsTime:07:21More inComedy

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Best Of Just For Laughs Gags - Science Fiction Galore - Video

LASCO C2 Combo 11/14-11/18/2012 02:46 UT
Solar Flares 6-hr max: C1 0815 UT Nov18 24-hr: C5 0407 UT Nov18 GOES X-ray Flux plot (updates every 5 minutes) http://www.swpc.noaa.gov Sunspot number: 163 11 active regions today. New region 11619 emerged on November 15 (was noticed by SWPC 2 days later) and has been developing quickly since then. C flares are possible. http://www.solarmonitor.org NOAA predicts this region most likely to flare Probabilities: X(2%) M(11%) C(38%) Region 11618 in the Northeast rotated into view on November 15 and was numbered by SWPC 2 days later. Region 11615 was mostly quiet and stable (the region was the source of a C5.7 flare at 04:07 on Nov.18). Region 11613 still has a Beta-Gamma magnetic configuration but continues to decay slowly and was mostly quiet. Near Earth object 2012 VE77 will safely pass by the Earth today. View trajectory plot from JPL: ssd.jpl.nasa.gov Observing Leonid meteor shower and a poetry reading: http://www.examiner.com Estimated 3-hour Planetary Kp-index (Updates every 5 mins) http://www.swpc.noaa.gov Sources:NOAA/ http://www.spaceweather.com http SOHO (ESA NASA) How conservationists are using science to help protect rare plants found only in Bristol #39;s Avon Gorge, and are feminised fish changing wild fish populations? Science podcast: planetearth.nerc.ac.uk Cracker Jacks to start marketing Cracker Jacked (a new trend of adding caffeine to products that were already unhealthy) http://www.freep.com Thanksgiving week heatwave? Spring like temperatures for Thanksgiving in much of the middle of the country ...From:MichelleHill711Views:3 0ratingsTime:00:12More inScience Technology

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LASCO C2 Combo 11/14-11/18/2012 02:46 UT - Video

Real UFO on Mars Captured by NASA Rover from Surface
Real UFO on Mars Captured by NASA Rover from SurfaceFrom:TechInfo7Views:0 0ratingsTime:01:37More inScience Technology

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Real UFO on Mars Captured by NASA Rover from Surface - Video

My 24. Mars Video bull; NEW Proofs about Life on MARS!
As I allready said in my 13 Video, "Curiosity" was not really necessary, here is Evidence for Life on Mars! Not all what we dont understand can #39;t be impossible. Here are more different proofs for life on Mars.Take a look and make your own decision. See also my other Videos... SPECIALLY 14 + 19 + 22 Copyright by Traveler in Space 2012 Pictures are Property of NASA, ESA or taken by Google Earth.From:TravelerinSpaceViews:0 0ratingsTime:19:43More inScience Technology

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My 24. Mars Video • NEW Proofs about Life on MARS! - Video

2/2 NASA | OIB: Sea Ice Interlude - 1/2 pls see link intro
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com videos about topics addressed are available in favourites, play lists on my channels and complementary video responses. Mirrored: http://www.youtube.com Sea ice doesn #39;t always hold the allure of a massive ice sheet, or a crevassed blue glacier spilling between mountains, but it comes in array of shapes and sizes and has its own ephemeral beauty. Operation IceBridge studies sea ice at both poles, and also runs across interesting formations on route to other targets.From:AlphaOmegaParadigmViews:6 0ratingsTime:02:36More inScience Technology

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2/2 NASA | OIB: Sea Ice Interlude - 1/2 pls see link intro - Video