Important Innovations

  Perseverance   Mission Impossible Just Accomplished                                         Source:  NASA Perseverance Perseverance Free to Roam Mars For Two Years NASA's most advanced rover has defied the stiff Martian  odds and successfully landed on Mars.  Cheers erupted late today in the NASA control room as the Perseverance rover, NASA's most technologically advanced rover that the team built for ten years, touched down safely on the Red Planet.  Hundreds of major technological maneuvers had to go right for this historic accomplishment.  The most important:  what NASA calls "the last 7 minutes of terror" when Perseverance was out of contact with NASA because of an 11 minute delay in radio wave communications with the Red Planet.  Perseverance was on its own maneuvering down to the surface of Mars on a rocket powered j...

Curiosity Rover Takes an Action Picture Source:  NASA, JPL Caltech Space Shots NASA's Curiosity Mars rover snapped a picture of itself after drilling a hole into a rock structure on Mars.  The picture documents the tough job in rough terrain that this remarkable piece of robotic technology is performing.  Curiosity made its way up the steep rocky incline called the Greenheugh Pediment, as seen in the picture behind the rover. Space Renaissance 21st Century This is part of an 86 image series taken by the camera on the Curiosity Rover's robotic arm.  For Curiosity, today is day 2,687 roving the harsh and mysterious environment of the Red Planet and sending back images and samples to NASA  Part of that mission is to determine if life ever existed on Mars and if deep within the surface of Mars there is water that could sustain life.

China's Lunar Rover Makes Surprise Discovery Source:  China Lunar Exploration Project Mystery Substance on Far Side of the Moon China's historic exploration of the far side of the Moon has resulted in a remarkable discovery.  China's Yutu-2 lunar rover spotted an unusually colored, gel-like substance in a small crater on the lunar surface.  Chinese experts have not yet come up with an explanation of what it is.  For more details go to Important Innovations Collection: Exciting Discovery on Moon's Far Side : China's Chang'e 4 Lunar Rover Find Source:  China Lunar Exploration Project Unusual, Gel-Like Substance China's Chang&#3...

India Going to the Moon Second Lunar Mission On Monday, July 22 India plans to launch a rocket to the Moon.  By mid September it's scheduled to land on the Moon's South Pole, which is unexplored territory.  For a great news blog on this, go to Important Innovations Collection: India Going for the Moon : Second Lunar Mission in a Year Source:  NASA image of the Moon To Explore Moon's South Pole - Unchartered Territory India is gea...

India Launching Space Mission to the Unexplored South Pole of the Moon Source:Add caption Take-off on Monday, July 15 India is building up a space leadership position for itself.  On Monday, it will launch its second lunar mission within a year.  What is exciting about this one is there's a rover onboard and the destination is the unexplored South Pole of the Moon.  For more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: India Racing to the Moon : Second Unmanned Lunar Mission Source:  Stock Image Rover to Land at Unexplored South Pole "Boldly going to where no country has...

New Robotic Innovation Source:  Sphero RVR RVR , the Rover, that is Programmable by You Sphero has created an interesting and accessible piece of robotic innovation. It's called RVR - the Rover. And it drives out of its box, is programmable, has a diverse suite of sensors and it's totally customizable by you.  News headlines have called it the "Robot Made to be Hacked." Lots of Tech This robot has a powerful, high torque motor and 4, all terrain tires. It also includes the company's proprietary, closed loop system that lets the robot navigate based on heading.  That allows the user to focus on programming their robot through Sphero's Edu app.  More advanced programming can be approached through JavaScript and block programming.  The company calls this revolutionary technology on a mobile platform for students, elite educators, innovators and ,yes, elite hackers to create your personalized robot.  Would like to hear your reaction on this.  Le...

Global Space First China's The Chang'e 4 Spacecraft Historic Soft Landing on Far Side of Moon China's The Chang'e 4 spacecraft is set to land on the far side of the Moon between January 1 and January 3.  What a way to ring in the New Year.  This is a first in space exploration and a big win  for China.  No spacecraft has accomplished a soft landing on the far side of the Moon. Rover Onboard The spacecraft is equipped with a rover to explore the lunar surface.  China has launched several relay satellites to allow The Chang'e 4 to communicate with the China Space Agency. Next Space Shot:  The Chang'e 5 This is the second time that China has landed on the moon.  But it's the first time any spacecraft has landed on the far side of the moon.  The Chang'e 4's mission is to study the lunar surface's composition as well as the lunar terrain.  Next mission: The Chang'e 5 that will land on the Moon but also return to the earth with lunar ...

Mars' Dusty Skies and a "Selfie" Courtesy:  NASA   Panoramic View of the Red Planet NASA's Curiosity rover has captured a new and stunning view of its current location on Mars.  It's a 360 perspective at its location on Vera Rubin Ridge.  As you can see, the picture shows reddish brown dusty skies.  The skies are darkened by a fading global dust storm that has draped the planet for weeks.  Also there's a very rare "selfie" of Curiosity.   And you can see Curiosity's most recent drill target in the foreground. Exploring Mars Curiosity has been exploring Mars since 2012.  The rover has found evidence of an ancient lake on the planet.  It's currently being used to investigate how Mars transformed from a warm, wetter planet that could have sustained life to a dry, icy place.  Curiosity drills into Mars' surface because sedimentary rocks hold clues about environmental conditions going back deep into the past.