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NASA Scraps VIPER Rover Project – What’s Next for Moon Exploration?
NASA has decided to stop the development of its VIPER rover, which was intended to explore the Moon's polar regions. This decision comes after a thorough review that highlighted cost overruns, launch delays, and future financial risks. Originally set to launch in late 2023, VIPER's timeline had been pushed to 2025 due to various delays, including issues with the Astrobotic lander.
Continuing with VIPER would have significantly increased costs, potentially affecting other missions under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Nicola Fox, associate administrator at NASA, emphasized the agency's commitment to lunar exploration and mentioned that other missions to search for ice and resources on the Moon are planned for the next five years.
NASA plans to disassemble VIPER and reuse its components for future missions. Before disassembly, NASA is open to proposals from U.S. and international partners interested in using the existing VIPER system at no cost. Interested parties can contact NASA by August 1.
Astrobotic will proceed with its Griffin Mission One, scheduled for a launch no earlier than fall 2025, without the VIPER rover. This mission will still test the Griffin lander and its engines.
NASA will continue to seek alternative ways to achieve VIPER's objectives, such as the upcoming PRIME-1 mission set to land at the lunar South Pole in late 2024. This mission will search for water ice and demonstrate resource utilization. Future instruments on NASA's crewed missions, like the Lunar Terrain Vehicle, will also explore the Moon's surface and allow astronauts to access shadowed regions for sample collection.
The VIPER rover was originally designed to search for ice and other resources on the Moon, supporting NASA's broader lunar exploration goals under the Artemis program and CLPS. These efforts include using advanced robotics, commercial partners, and international collaborations to explore more of the Moon than ever before.
Penguin and Egg Galaxies in a Cosmic Dance
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured a vivid image of the interacting galaxies known as Arp 142, also called the Penguin and the Egg. This discovery marks the second anniversary of the telescope's science operations. These two galaxies began their interaction 25 to 75 million years ago and are expected to merge into one galaxy over the next few hundred million years.
The Webb Telescope uses infrared light to reveal details invisible to the naked eye. In its latest observation, it shows the Penguin galaxy (NGC 2936) and the Egg galaxy (NGC 2937) in a slow cosmic dance. The Penguin, originally a spiral galaxy, now resembles a bird with a beak, head, and tail, while the Egg remains mostly unchanged due to its elliptical shape and older star population.
Webb’s detailed images highlight a blue haze of mingling stars and gas between the galaxies. The Penguin’s unwound arms and newer star formations are clearly visible, showing the gravitational effects of their interaction.
Astrophotography enthusiasts will find that Webb's image also includes numerous distant galaxies and an edge-on galaxy, PGC 1237172, situated 100 million light-years closer to Earth. Webb’s infrared capabilities have revealed more details and distant galaxies than previous telescopes, offering unprecedented insights into the universe.
Over the past year, Webb has made significant discoveries, including insights into rocky planet formation, icy ingredients for worlds, and ancient cosmic events like black hole mergers. These achievements continue to expand our understanding of the universe and its origins.
Arp 142 is located 326 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra. The Webb Telescope's ongoing operations promise to uncover more cosmic wonders, enhancing our knowledge of the universe’s mysteries.
Mars’ Mysterious 600-Km Snaking Scar
ESA’s Mars Express has captured a stunning image of a dark, uneven scar on Mars, known as Aganippe Fossa. This feature, a 600-km-long ditch with steep walls called a ‘graben,’ cuts through the lower flank of Arsia Mons, one of Mars's largest volcanoes.
Arsia Mons, located in the Tharsis region, stands over 9 km high and measures 435 km in diameter. For comparison, Earth’s tallest dormant volcano, Ojos del Salado, is under 7 km high.
The origins of Aganippe Fossa are still unclear, but it likely formed as magma from the Tharsis volcanoes caused Mars's crust to stretch and crack. The High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on Mars Express reveals two distinct terrains: hummocky terrain with irregular mounds and valleys, and lobate terrain with gently sloping cliffs and rocky debris.
These terrains form part of a ring-shaped ‘aureole’ around Arsia Mons, potentially linked to ancient glaciers. Windblown dust and sand have also shaped the area, creating zebra-like patterns. The surface shows signs of past lava flows from when the volcano was active.
Mars Express, orbiting Mars since 2003, has provided invaluable data about the planet's surface, minerals, atmosphere, and subsurface. The HRSC has captured diverse features, from wind-sculpted ridges to impact craters, enriching our understanding of Mars over the past two decades.
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4 个月Very informative