New Mars Forums

Scrubbed for today.

Starliner is "stacked" atop it's Atlas V for launch on Monday late afternoon/evening. I'm actually cheering for them to succeed and the crew members seem stoked to go!

In one of my very old posts, I mentioned that SpaceX needed to put some GPS and communications satellites in Mars orbit for more precise control of space vehicle landing accuracy.

This talk is being recorded for a link on Facebook to YouTube. A live Zoom isn't possible due to scheduling through the library!

Here's a very informative video about Callisto from Astrum:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yeay2nE_cI

Here's a "heads up" notice re: Yellowstone Valley Astronomical Association meeting and my upcoming presentation on Cosmochemistry:
This coming Saturday, 4 May 2024 at 3:00 PM MDT. All are invited and I'll post the Zoom information as soon as I have it from our IT specialist.

One assumption that is being made today is that any extraterrestrial intelligent life has already surpassed us in abilities, and has the technological basis for communication. It could be that we have surpassed several other civilizations in less developed states than our own?
I look back at my own scientific career of over 50 years and marvel at the discoveries and progress we've made in that time. 500 years ago, heretics were being burned at the stake for asking the questions we routinely discuss on the forum. Only since the 1900s have we even had a clear  understanding of the composition of matter and the structure of atoms! I post here as Oldfart1939, but in my lifetime I have had my personal understanding of the Universe and the composition of matter increase by orders of magnitude.

I'm currently working to prepare a 45 minute talk for the Yellowstone Valley Astronomy Association, in Billings, Montana. This talk will be titled "Cosmochemistry-the Chemistry of Where we Came From."
I'm basing this talk on a seminar I heard as a graduate student in 1970 given by Professor Harold C Urey (Nobel Laureate), as he was the founder of this field of endeavor. His Nobel was given in 1934 for the discovery of Deuterium, and his subsequent work on atomic isotopes gave us the Bomb in 1945. I was fortunate to be introduced to him prior to his lecture on the Urey-Miller experiment, which demonstrated that the molecules of life can be produced abiotically by natural phenomena, such as lightning.

I believe that in the future, all talks which are recorded will be available through the Yellowstone Valley Astronomy Association Facebook page.

Overall, the risk is similar to being an airline pilot who flies routinely around 36,000 feet approximately 300 days per year. The daily exposure would be far less on Callisto, as a regolith covered habitat needed for thermal protection, in addition to radiation, would be where most activity would take place. Figure maybe only 4-6 hours per day outside the habitat would reduce the radiation exposure by 75%.

GW-
That is for the most part correct; there is one period during the orbit around Jupiter where there's a radiation "plume" which greatly increases the effects with concurrent radiation. I may be in error writing this in it's details, as I've loaned my copy of Entering Space to a friend and can't check this. I will check these details and update as needed.

I would like to express my deep appreciation that both GW Johnson and tahanson43206 virtually attended Dr. Bell's excellent presentation. The attendance was below normal--probably due to a PBR (Professional Bull Riders) event at the local arena and a gun show in town. Our core group of regulars was there, tho'. The weather was also the first shirt-sleeve warm day this Spring.

I will make an effort to have the "lady asking questions" become a newmars forum member, as she's the President of the YVAA, and is a PA specializing in family medicine. She could help a lot with some of the health subjects in Mars colonization.