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===
Today on Mars: 0038/20/21 Saturday Days of the week OFFSET 1 with Earth. (count from Mars to Earth )
Sol 550 Business Month 20 Second month of Quarter 4 of Year 38
Today on Earth: 2026/05/31 Sunday Earth Date)
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To see how this calendar works, we show the standard 28 day month at the bottom of this daily report.
There are 20 months of 28 Sols and 4 months of 27 Sols at the end of the four six-month quarters.
New Years Eve is extended to align the Business Calendar for Mars with the Astronomical calendar.
Business and Astronomical both start at zero (to the nanosecond) on New Year's Day.
This calendar has been in operation for two full Mars years (36 and 37). We are in Year 38
This calendar is NOT the Darian Calendar!
Per http://www-mars.lmd.jussieu.fr/mars/tim … _time.html also see: in-the-sky.org for opposition/perigee/aphelion
Martian Year: 38 Martian Astronomical Interval in 12 interval format: 10 <<== The Astronomical interval
Check Longitude: the interval will increment when longitude reaches 300 degrees
===
Solar Longitude: 292.1 Sol Number: 550 Change in degrees is +.6 Julian date is: J0038550
Solar Longitude: 291.5 Sol Number: 549 Change in degrees is +.7 Julian date is: J0038549
Solar Longitude: 290.8 Sol Number: 548 Change in degrees is +.6 Julian date is: J0038548
#4>
Note that Solar Longitude measurement varies as a function of location in orbit. Ls 0 is the moment when the Sun appears to transit from one hemisphere to the other. Update from Mars.NASA.gov (The Sun crosses the equator of Mars (Vernal Equinox)). The transition itself is a function of the tilt of an object with respect to the Solar plane. Per squarewidget.com, Hipparchus created the celestial coordinate system we use today.
Note#2: https://theskylive.com/mars-tracker This web site shows the astronomical position of Mars as seen from Earth
Todo: At next Aphelion/Perihelion record the Mars date as J00##### (and set Search term)
Perihelion occurred in 2026 at Ls 251 on Sol 486 - Earth Date 2026/03/27 Next: (estimated) 2028/05/15
Perihelion occurred in 2024 at Ls 251 on Sol 485 - Earth Date 2024/05/08 Next: (estimated) 2026/03/06 (actual) 2026/03/26
Perihelion occurred in 2022 at Ls 251 on Sol 485 - Earth Date 2022/06/21 Next: (actual) 2024/05/08
Aphelion Earth Dates: Next: 2027/03/04 Earlier: 2025/04/16, 2023/05/30, 2021/07/12, 2019/08/25, 2017/10/07, 2015/11/20
Aphelion occurred at--- Ls 071 on Sol 152.
Aphelion occurred near Ls 070 on Sol 153 (per http://www.planetary.org)
Note#3: The computations below are dependent upon both the computations provided by the reference web site and by accuracy of recording of the time of observations. The calculations use tenths of hours. The Sun Distance needs to be captured at the moment the time increments to a given tenth.
Note on data below: The figure quoted after distance is a rate of progress along the orbital path [exact meaning to be determined]
Minus prefix means Mars is approaching the Sun. Plus prefix means Mars is moving away from the Sun.
The figure computed to the right of "Difference" is the rate of change of the distance to Sun. Increasing to Aphelion/Decreasing to Perihelion.
Aphelion of Mars is due March 04, 2027 Sol 151-152 Note velocity of Mars was 22.0 km/s nearing Aphelion (21.97 km/s)
Perhelion of Mars is due May, 2028 Sol 251 Note velocity of Mars was 26.5 km/s nearing Perhelion 2026/03/26
===
Distance: Mars >> Sun per theskylive.com: 211,145,156 km [26.0 km/s] Difference is +125992 <= +5361 km/hour at 12.0 on 05/31 (time 12:00) (23.5 hours)
Distance: Mars >> Sun per theskylive.com: 211,019,164 km [26.0 km/s] Difference is +125745 <= +5596 km/hour at 12.5 on 05/30 (time 12:30) (24.5 hours)
Distance: Mars >> Sun per theskylive.com: 210,889,419 km [26.0 km/s] Difference is +125447 <= +5527 km/hour at 12.0 on 05/29 (time 12:00) (24.0 hours)
====*====*=
Velocity along the orbit is NOT the same thing as velocity change of the radial distance to the Sun. Both are shown in the section above.
j
Observation: The sky view is ** filled ** with objects and some have been recorded and given identification by humans or their robot assistants
And! ** All ** the location assignments are from the perspective of Earth. The entire catalog needs to be adjusted when inter-stellar travel begins
The work that lies ahead for the astronomical community is daunting - there is work ahead for centuries
2022/01/19 - All current (existing) stellar catalogs are computed with reference to the Earth. Another civilization would use it's planet as reference.
Perhaps a Milky Way frame of reference will become necessary at some point. The Earth is as good a Zero point as any, for humans.
=== Mars is in Regular movement as seen from Earth.
Mars is in Pisces
Next ahead: In path at 9 hours marker PGC 1448630 RA 02h 29m 30.2s
No labels ahead of 9 hours – at 9 hours PGC 1440827 RA 02h Day 2 not found
====*====*====
Zoom Out Capability As a general observation ... I've become increasingly interested in knowing what the larger view of the sky might be like.
The site: theskylive.com does a terrific job of matching the view from Earth towards Mars, against a background of actual astronomical plates.
I wish there were a way (or rather, I wish I ** knew ** about a way that may exist) to enlarge the view until the entire galaxy is in view (Zoom out)
Update 2022/12/08 TheSkyLive.com provides a large view of selected objects: Select [Major Bodies] Then select [Information] in the body of interest
Update 2022/12/08 Scroll down to (body) Position and Finder Charts. Field of view is 50x30 degrees.
Light travel in one second is (about) 300,000 kilometers. The distance covered in one minute is about 18,000,000 kilometers. Estimated light times:
1:18,2:36,3:54,4:72,5:90,6:108,7:126,8:144,9:162,10:180,11:198,12:216,13:234,14:252,15:270,16:288,17:306,18:324, 19:342,20:360,21:378,22:396
Light travel time today is between 18 and 19 minutes. Communications delay would be 36+ minutes round trip.
=== Time estimate will change below 324 megakm
Earth Distance in km: 2026/05/31 326,895,488 (decreasing)
Earth Distance in km: 2026/05/30 327,219,508 (decreasing)
Earth Distance in km: 2026/05/29 327,554,547 (decreasing)
1<#
Maximum Earth-Mars distance is estimated to be 401 million kilometers (both at apogee and opposite vs Sun) Minimum is about 56 million kilometers
Mars and Earth were in Opposition (Earth center) in December of 2022. The date coincided with a (very rare) occultation of Mars by the Moon.
Mars and Earth were in Conjunction (Sun center) in November of 2023.
Mars and Earth appear to have been as close as they will get in Year 36. 81,454,323 kilometers on J0036644 Time: 4.53 minutes - 9 minutes round trip
In his online interview with Dr. Zubrin at the 2020 Mars Conference, Elon Musk reminded the audience that communications with Mars will necessarily include an intermediary station to handle traffic when the Sun is between Mars and Earth. Communications delays in that circumstance will increase due to the extra distance to be covered. Mr. Musk indicated he expects such communication will be handled by laser. Location would be optimum at poles of solar plane.
This web site offers an online model of the solar system: www.solarsystemscope.com It requires Chrome 57, Firefox 52 or Safari 10.1. Viewed 2022/10/13: Opposition will occur some time in December of 2022. Per earthsky.org, the date is December 8, 2022.
This web site offers an online orrery view of the Solar System: https://www.theplanetstoday.com/
===
Sol 550 is in Month 20 of a Proposed 24 month calendar. See Post 19 of Holidays topic for a summary.
Month 20 extends from Sol 530 through 557. <<== There are 28 days in Month 20. See post 82 of Holidays topic for current details.
Direct path to source: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 57#p154257
Sol 550 is Saturday in the Proposed Business calendar for Mars. Sol 522 was a Skip Day on Mars. Next is near 559 of Year 38
##
The Next New Year's on Mars will occur when Solar Longitude reaches 360 degrees. Year 38 started November 12, 2024 on Earth
Per www.planetary.org Year 36 started 2021/02/07 on Earth. Mars Year 37 began 2022/12/27 on Earth.
Days of the Week Alignment:
Days of the week fall behind Earth due to the longer Sol, but they also change when Friday is omitted at the end of a Quarter
337 Earth days were observed to elapse in the 2020 weekday cycle. There were 7 week day transitions and 2 Quarter ends.
The next cycle began on the first Sol of the period of coincidence. The alignment of weekdays interval is in the range: (310 - 337)
To find the first day of a period of coincidence: Set up: SearchTerm(colon) and (colon)Alignment and J0036* or J0037*
The most recent End-Of-Quarter change occurred: … The search specified above gave 11 pages of results.
For current weather on Mars see:
***https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/weather/***
***Insight's weather info has been suspended and now is directing to msl*** <<-- Insight's mission is over (2022)
https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/weather/
Per SpaceNut: Here is another web page by NASA containing the latest news releases
https://mars.nasa.gov/news/?page=0&per_ … ope=Latest
All forum members are invited to post significant events for this day.
Events of interest will be ON Mars, or relate to Mars. Examples are launches, landings, discoveries
Standard Month in Mars Business Calendar Copyright ® 2023 NewMars.com Mars Society
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Recruiting text may be found at the bottom of this post: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 57#p154257
Copyright the Mars Society All Rights Reserved
Month 20 of 24: <<== Second month of Quarter 4
For RobertDyck ... thanks for taking a look at the D2-D2 topic. Please continue checking the topic occasionally. I am hoping to turn this into a substantial learning opportunity. We are dealing with probability, and even an incorrect opening premise can lead to increased understanding. The candidate says he understands the challenges of working with AI, and since the system is Grok, I have not been exposed to it. It is clear that fusion can occur when Deuterium atoms collide, but the default response (as you pointed out earlier) is a 50:50 distribution between protons and neutrons ejected from the event.
***
FYI... I've invited the candidate to tonight's Google Meeting but there is no acknowledgement so far.
(th)
United Launch Alliance successfully deployed another tranche of satellites for Amazon:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/arti … 00477.html
Space.com
Atlas V rocket launches 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites to orbit from Florida (video)
Josh DinnerFri, May 29, 2026 at 8:09 PM EDT
3 min readWhen you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites to orbit on May 29, 2026.
Credit: ULAA new batch of satellites for Amazon's internet constellation made it to orbit tonight (May 29).
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida today at 7:53 p.m. EDT (2353 GMT).
It was the seventh Amazon Leo mission to fly on an Atlas V, and tied, for the second time, the rocket's record for heaviest payload launched to orbit — about 18 tons. Overall, this was the 12th Amazon Leo mission to fly, and it added the 29 satellites to Amazon's existing network of 300 already in orbit.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites to orbit on May 29, 2026.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites to orbit on May 29, 2026. | Credit: ULAAmazon aims to raise that number more than tenfold. The company currently plans on launching about 3,200 broadband satellites to orbit to compete with SpaceX's Starlink internet megaconstellation, which currently consists of nearly 10,500 spacecraft.
The Amazon Leo constellation doesn't need that many, due to its planned infrastructure of relay stations on the ground, but will still require more than 80 launches to reach the number that Amazon is striving for. Those missions are spread across several launch providers, including SpaceX, ULA, Europe's Arianespace and Amazon's own sister company, Blue Origin, both of which were founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos.
Starlink has a significant head start in the broadband megaconstellation race, with SpaceX launching fresh batches weekly or even more frequently on its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket while also preparing to launch bigger payloads on the Starship rocket, which is currently under development. But Amazon is picking up the pace.
Today's launch was the fourth Amazon Leo mission so far this year. Another group was expected to launch on a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket next month, but that vehicle experienced a catastrophic event last night (May 28) during testing at Blue's launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which resulted in a massive explosion and fireball, and a complete loss of the rocket. While the Amazon Leo satellites were not aboard the rocket during the incident, it is unclear when Blue Origin will be able to support another New Glenn mission.
On today's launch, the Atlas V's second stage deployed the satellites as planned, releasing them in groups of three over the course of about 10 minutes, with the final two popping free about 38 minutes after liftoff.
The rocket's "551" configuration indicates that five solid rocket boosters supported the first stage, and that the upper stage sported a 5-meter payload fairing to house the Amazon Leo satellites. It's one of the Atlas V's most powerful flight setups, with each solid rocket engine providing 371,550 pounds (1.6 mega-Newtons) of thrust at liftoff on top of the main booster's RD-180 engine, which produces 860,200 pounds (3.83 mega-Newtons) of power itself.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 8 p.m. EDT on May 29 with news of successful liftoff, then again at 9:45 p.m. ET with news of satellite deployment.
(th)
Today is Google Meeting Day...
Use the link in Post 1 of this topic to attend.
Time is midnight UTC, 7 PM Houston, 8 PM New Hampshire and mid-morning Australia
Topics might include aircraft wing design, ramjets, Geiger counters and as many other topics as we have time for in an hour.
(th)
For SpaceNut ....
Our candidate is the inventor and manufacturer of a kind of Geiger counter.
I am the inventor and manufacturer of the NukAlert-ER wide range Geiger counter which achieved a range (verified by Oak Ridge) from background to 1000R/hr with a "peanut" GM tube by turning on the tube HV and measuring the time to first count. There wasn't enough demand to keep us in business, and we got little help from FEMA.
(th)
GW Johnson send me a link to a YouTube video about heat shields... The video is long because it covers a variety of heat shields, and it repeats itself quite a bit. Details are abundant. On balance I think it was worth my time. I played it without audio. GW played it with audio and reported that the AI voice mispronounced a few words.
URL here: I misplaced the link. I'll try to find it and will ask Dr. Johnson to send it again.
And! Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5xuB5DVS8U
(th)
Place holder for today's Calendar update:
[51.4792N, 0.0000E] 05/31/2026, 13:00:11 Europe/London
Object: Mars [open sky map]
RA 02h 28m 47.9s Dec +14° 01' 14.9" Appar J2000
Mag: 1.31 (Estimated: JPL) Const: Aries
Sun Dist: 211,145,156 km [26.0 km/s]
Earth Dist: 326,895,488 km [49.1 km/s]
Current ID 239585
Martian Year:
38
Martian Astronomical Month:
10
Solar longitude Ls:
292.1
Sol number:
550
Total number of registered users: 19,630
Total number of topics: 9,037
Total number of posts: 235,270
Newest registered user: Scarecrow2025
Registered users online: 1
Guests online: 148
Online: tahanson43206
This post is to offer the May 2026 issue of the Airloom newsletter for NewMars members...
Friends of Airloom,
Global energy disruptions and surging demand from data centers and electrification are making the case for resilient, flexible power louder than ever. At Airloom, we're heads-down on our pilot site in Wyoming, building the evidence that rethinking conventional power generation architecture can define a new era of energy: fast, flexible, reliable, and low-cost.
Eight of ten straight track sections in our pilot system are now up in Rock River, with curved track completing the stadium shape going up in June. A massive thank you to the entire Airloom team for keeping us on "track."
We're also building momentum beyond the pilot. A new STTR grant with the University of Wyoming give us anchors for our deployment and financing plans for the next 12-18 months.
Meanwhile, we're preparing our power curve performance studies, deepening relationships with our Wyoming neighbors, and moving commercial negotiations forward as federal and private capital pathways take shape.
More in our May update below.
? May Snapshot
8 sections of straight track have been installed at the pilot site; most of curved track is assembled; successful belt testing; wing fabrication is in progress; assembled first traveler – all major technical milestones toward pilot site completionWon STTR with the University of Wyoming
Data center category winner for the Trellis Startups to Watch 2026, pitching next at Trellis Impact in June in SF
mark-1
Pilot Site & Technical Progress
In big news from Rock River, we’ve completed the initial straight track installations at the pilot site!Airloom - straight track full
Figure: 8 of 10 straight track sections installed at the Rock River pilot site.Our team is also making progress on the first variable curvature section of track for fabrication and assembly. The team will finish the curved track assemblies and test them before shipping them to Wyoming for installation.
We're not aware of any another hardware team in the market that has made diamond cross-section track like this before, so this is a major accomplishment and a reflection of Airloom’s engineering capacity.
Airloom Inv Upd img 1
Figure: First curved track has finished fabrication and assemblyFabrication of the first elevator tail wing has also begun. The final molds are shown below and the first wing should be completed next week. This gives our team final center of gravity and polar updates for the system.
Airloom May Inv Upd img 2
Figure: Final elevator tail molds.The below are additional critical workstreams remaining for the pilot site.
Belt Testing: We’ve reached 60 hours for our most recent belt splice in our California test location with three sigma fatigue load testing complete - this is significant as it provides us with a solid basis for initial system testing.
Wings, travelers and spar build: These are in progress for July assembly, with installation to follow soon after.
mark-1
Community Relations
The Rock River Town Council gave the Airloom team a very warm welcome earlier this month as we shared an update on our pilot site under construction in their community. Thank you to the Town Council for the hospitality - we look forward to visiting again soon.Chief Product Officer Troy Follak and Director of Operations Phoebe Killea also represented Airloom’s sponsorship of the Wyoming Energy Authority’s Next Energy Frontier Summit hosted right in our backyard in Laramie. The theme of the week: progress. Investing in the communities, the local businesses, and the resource allocation to enable Wyoming’s future as an energy workhorse for the Cowboy State and beyond.
Keep an eye out for future Rock River and Laramie City Council meetings in the coming months!
mark-1
Airloom in the News
Neal Rickner represented Airloom in the Trellis Startups to Watch data center pitch webinar on May 20, where we were named the category winner by attendee vote!Hand-selection by the webinar audience signals a growing appetite for energy solutions that address NIMBY concerns while also meeting data center power demand.
Thank you to the Trellis team for leading a program that spotlights high-impact startups meeting real needs for our energy system, and for featuring Airloom as one of them.
Next up: Pitching on stage at Trellis Impact’s Startup Day on June 24 in San Francisco. Reply to us here or reach out to Neal directly if you’ll be attending and would like to join our pitch session!
Screenshot 2026-04-29 at 2.13.12 pm
Airloom was named the data center category winner! We're off to Trellis Impact in June to pitch onstage for the top recognition.
mark-1
On the Calendar
June 1-4: ACP Cleanpower, Houston
June 15-16: NATO DIANA Demo Day in Paris
June 15-18: Eurosatory in Paris, a global event for defense and security
June 23-25: Trellis Impact 2026 in San Francisco
August 18-20: Fed Supernova at Capital Factory in Austin, TX
Considering:DoD Energy & Power Summit, July 9-10
Data Center Frontier Summit, Aug. 4-6
AEE World Energy Conference, Sept. 16-18
Data Center World Power, Sept. 21-23
Thank you for your support and for following along with our progress every month. Keep up-to-date on the latest on our LinkedIn, and reply to this email with your thoughts and feedback – we’d love to hear from you!
— Team Airloom
The next era of resilient energy
airloom_energy_logo
Airloom.Energy
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Airloom Energy Inc., 5452 Hwy 130, Aerospace Drive, Laramie, Wyoming 82070, United States
(th)
The story at the link below is about desalination technology using laser cut ridges in aluminum:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topst … -out-salt/
This may be the same story as reported in Post #10
Engineers just built a solar still that pulls fresh water straight from the ocean — a laser-etched black metal that drinks brine and spits out salt
Story by Everett Sloane • 5h •
5 min readEngineers just built a solar still that pulls fresh water straight from the ocean — a laser-etched black metal that drinks brine and spits out salt
© adhitya_2505/UnsplashA sheet of aluminum, etched with billions of microscopic grooves by a femtosecond laser, sat angled toward the sun in a University of Rochester lab for seven straight days. Saltwater crept up its surface against gravity, evaporated without any pump or chemical input, and left behind neat ridges of crystallized salt along the panel’s edges. No concentrated brine dripped back into the water supply. No membrane needed replacing. The device just kept running.
The results, published in spring 2026 in Light: Science & Applications, a Nature Portfolio journal, describe what the Rochester team calls a “superwicking black metal” solar still. If the approach survives the jump from benchtop to coastline, it could give communities a way to desalinate seawater without producing the toxic brine that conventional reverse-osmosis plants dump back into the ocean.
How the panel actually works
The secret is in the surface. Femtosecond laser pulses, each lasting a quadrillionth of a second, carve micro- and nanostructures into ordinary aluminum. The resulting texture does two jobs simultaneously: it turns the metal nearly black, absorbing over 99 percent of incoming sunlight and converting it to heat, and it creates a network of tiny channels that pull a thin film of saltwater upward through capillary action alone.
As sunlight heats the film, water molecules evaporate off the surface. Dissolved salts, left behind, migrate along the wicking channels toward the panel’s edges, where they crystallize into solid deposits. Those deposits can be brushed or shaken off without shutting the system down.
That geometry solves the problem that has plagued solar evaporators for years: fouling. Most designs that absorb sunlight efficiently also clog with salt within hours or days, choking off evaporation. By routing crystallization away from the active evaporation zone, the Rochester panel kept its central surface clear for the full seven-day test without visible performance loss.
The technical lineage
The panel did not appear out of nowhere. The same Rochester research group, led by optics professor Chunlei Guo, laid the groundwork in a 2020 study published in Nature Sustainability.
That earlier paper demonstrated that femtosecond laser processing could create aluminum surfaces capable of rapid uphill water transport and showed that angled panels could maintain a thin evaporating film across a range of sun positions. The 2026 crystallizer builds directly on that foundation, adding the controlled salt-deposition step and proving the system can run continuously for a week under laboratory conditions.
Separately, a different research team tested a passive floating solar still in Atlantic waters near Halifax, Nova Scotia, and reported reductions of dissolved salts and heavy metals by orders of magnitude. That device used different materials and a different architecture, so its durability numbers do not transfer directly to the Rochester design. But the Halifax deployment does confirm a broader point: passive solar stills can function in real ocean conditions, not just under lab lighting.
Why zero liquid discharge matters
Conventional reverse-osmosis desalination plants push seawater through semi-permeable membranes at high pressure, separating fresh water from a concentrated brine stream. That brine, often laced with antiscalants and cleaning chemicals, gets pumped back into the sea. A 2019 study in the journal Science of the Total Environment estimated that global desalination plants produce roughly 142 million cubic meters of brine daily, raising salinity and chemical concentrations in discharge zones and stressing marine organisms from plankton to fish.
The Rochester panel sidesteps that problem entirely. Salt leaves the system as a solid, not a liquid. The researchers describe the process as “zero liquid discharge,” meaning no concentrated wastewater stream is generated at any point. At bench scale, the claim is supported by the published data. Whether it holds at larger scales and over longer periods is a different question.
What the research has not yet shown
Seven days is a proof of concept, not a track record. A practical desalination system would need to run for months or years, enduring fluctuating salinity, biofouling, storm waves, and seasonal temperature swings. No multi-month deployment data for the superwicking panel has been published.
Scale is an open challenge. The experiments used relatively small panels under controlled illumination. A community-scale installation would require many square meters of laser-textured metal, structural supports to keep panels oriented toward the sun, and protection against wind, salt spray, and corrosion. Whether edge crystallization still works cleanly when panels are joined into large arrays has not been tested in the peer-reviewed record.
Cost is perhaps the most pressing unknown. Femtosecond lasers are precision instruments typically found in research labs, and the energy and processing time required to texture aluminum at commercial scale have not been broken down in the published methods. The University of Rochester’s press materials describe the process in general terms but provide no per-panel cost estimates or energy budgets. Without those numbers, comparing the cost of water from these panels to that of existing RO infrastructure is not possible.
The researchers also describe “simultaneous complete mineral mining from ocean water,” but no published data breaks down the purity or commercial value of the recovered salt crystals. Whether those deposits are clean enough for industrial use or require further refining remains unaddressed. Claims about offsetting desalination costs through mineral sales are, for now, speculative.
And zero liquid discharge, while a genuine advance at bench scale, does not automatically mean zero environmental impact. Large fields of dark, heat-absorbing panels could alter local microclimates. Aluminum surfaces exposed to seawater will face corrosion and biological growth over time. Independent environmental assessments have not yet been conducted.
Where the technology stands in mid-2026
The physics are sound. Superwicking, high solar absorption, and edge-directed crystallization each have independent experimental support, and the Rochester team’s contribution is integrating all three into a single device that ran for a sustained period without fouling. That integration is genuinely new and addresses the specific failure mode that has stalled earlier solar evaporators.
But a seven-day lab demonstration and a deployable water system are separated by years of engineering, field testing, and cost reduction. The next milestones to watch for are multi-month ocean trials with continuous monitoring of water output rates, salt balance, and panel degradation, followed by independent third-party verification of the zero-liquid-discharge claim under variable real-world conditions. Until those results appear, the superwicking black metal panel is best understood as a compelling proof of principle: a device that shows laser-etched aluminum can turn sunlight and seawater into fresh water and solid salt, with no brine left over, and that keeps working long enough to suggest the approach deserves serious investment in scaling up.
===
Today on Mars: 0038/20/20 Friday Days of the week OFFSET 1 with Earth. (count from Mars to Earth )
Sol 549 Business Month 20 Second month of Quarter 4 of Year 38
Today on Earth: 2026/05/30 Saturday Earth Date)
====*====*====*=
To see how this calendar works, we show the standard 28 day month at the bottom of this daily report.
There are 20 months of 28 Sols and 4 months of 27 Sols at the end of the four six-month quarters.
New Years Eve is extended to align the Business Calendar for Mars with the Astronomical calendar.
Business and Astronomical both start at zero (to the nanosecond) on New Year's Day.
This calendar has been in operation for two full Mars years (36 and 37). We are in Year 38
This calendar is NOT the Darian Calendar!
Per http://www-mars.lmd.jussieu.fr/mars/tim … _time.html also see: in-the-sky.org for opposition/perigee/aphelion
Martian Year: 38 Martian Astronomical Interval in 12 interval format: 10 <<== The Astronomical interval
Check Longitude: the interval will increment when longitude reaches 300 degrees
===
Solar Longitude: 291.5 Sol Number: 549 Change in degrees is +.7 Julian date is: J0038549
Solar Longitude: 290.8 Sol Number: 548 Change in degrees is +.6 Julian date is: J0038548
Solar Longitude: 290.2 Sol Number: 547 Change in degrees is +.6 Julian date is: J0038547
#4>
Note that Solar Longitude measurement varies as a function of location in orbit. Ls 0 is the moment when the Sun appears to transit from one hemisphere to the other. Update from Mars.NASA.gov (The Sun crosses the equator of Mars (Vernal Equinox)). The transition itself is a function of the tilt of an object with respect to the Solar plane. Per squarewidget.com, Hipparchus created the celestial coordinate system we use today.
Note#2: https://theskylive.com/mars-tracker This web site shows the astronomical position of Mars as seen from Earth
Todo: At next Aphelion/Perihelion record the Mars date as J00##### (and set Search term)
Perihelion occurred in 2026 at Ls 251 on Sol 486 - Earth Date 2026/03/27 Next: (estimated) 2028/05/15
Perihelion occurred in 2024 at Ls 251 on Sol 485 - Earth Date 2024/05/08 Next: (estimated) 2026/03/06 (actual) 2026/03/26
Perihelion occurred in 2022 at Ls 251 on Sol 485 - Earth Date 2022/06/21 Next: (actual) 2024/05/08
Aphelion Earth Dates: Next: 2027/03/04 Earlier: 2025/04/16, 2023/05/30, 2021/07/12, 2019/08/25, 2017/10/07, 2015/11/20
Aphelion occurred at--- Ls 071 on Sol 152.
Aphelion occurred near Ls 070 on Sol 153 (per http://www.planetary.org)
Note#3: The computations below are dependent upon both the computations provided by the reference web site and by accuracy of recording of the time of observations. The calculations use tenths of hours. The Sun Distance needs to be captured at the moment the time increments to a given tenth.
Note on data below: The figure quoted after distance is a rate of progress along the orbital path [exact meaning to be determined]
Minus prefix means Mars is approaching the Sun. Plus prefix means Mars is moving away from the Sun.
The figure computed to the right of "Difference" is the rate of change of the distance to Sun. Increasing to Aphelion/Decreasing to Perihelion.
Aphelion of Mars is due March 04, 2027 Sol 151-152 Note velocity of Mars was 22.0 km/s nearing Aphelion (21.97 km/s)
Perhelion of Mars is due May, 2028 Sol 251 Note velocity of Mars was 26.5 km/s nearing Perhelion 2026/03/26
===
Distance: Mars >> Sun per theskylive.com: 211,019,164 km [26.0 km/s] Difference is +129745 <= +5596 km/hour at 12.5 on 05/30 (time 12:30) (24.5 hours)
Distance: Mars >> Sun per theskylive.com: 210,889,419 km [26.0 km/s] Difference is +125447 <= +5527 km/hour at 12.0 on 05/29 (time 12:00) (24.0 hours)
Distance: Mars >> Sun per theskylive.com: 210,763,972 km [26.0 km/s] Difference is +123935 <= +5164 km/hour at 12.0 on 05/28 (time 12:00) (24.0 hours)
====*====*=
Velocity along the orbit is NOT the same thing as velocity change of the radial distance to the Sun. Both are shown in the section above.
j
Observation: The sky view is ** filled ** with objects and some have been recorded and given identification by humans or their robot assistants
And! ** All ** the location assignments are from the perspective of Earth. The entire catalog needs to be adjusted when inter-stellar travel begins
The work that lies ahead for the astronomical community is daunting - there is work ahead for centuries
2022/01/19 - All current (existing) stellar catalogs are computed with reference to the Earth. Another civilization would use it's planet as reference.
Perhaps a Milky Way frame of reference will become necessary at some point. The Earth is as good a Zero point as any, for humans.
=== Mars is in Regular movement as seen from Earth.
Mars is in Pisces
Next ahead: No labels ahead of 9 hours – at 9 hours PGC 1440827 RA 02h
Galaxy below path PGC 1432735 RA 02h 23m 24.5s Still visible by raising view
Galaxy in path PGC 2816312 RA 02h 20m 56.7s Day 2 9 hours past Day 3 still visible because screen not refreshed
====*====*====
Zoom Out Capability As a general observation ... I've become increasingly interested in knowing what the larger view of the sky might be like.
The site: theskylive.com does a terrific job of matching the view from Earth towards Mars, against a background of actual astronomical plates.
I wish there were a way (or rather, I wish I ** knew ** about a way that may exist) to enlarge the view until the entire galaxy is in view (Zoom out)
Update 2022/12/08 TheSkyLive.com provides a large view of selected objects: Select [Major Bodies] Then select [Information] in the body of interest
Update 2022/12/08 Scroll down to (body) Position and Finder Charts. Field of view is 50x30 degrees.
Light travel in one second is (about) 300,000 kilometers. The distance covered in one minute is about 18,000,000 kilometers. Estimated light times:
1:18,2:36,3:54,4:72,5:90,6:108,7:126,8:144,9:162,10:180,11:198,12:216,13:234,14:252,15:270,16:288,17:306,18:324, 19:342,20:360,21:378,22:396
Light travel time today is between 18 and 19 minutes. Communications delay would be 36+ minutes round trip.
=== Time estimate will change below 324 megakm
Earth Distance in km: 2026/05/30 327,219,508 (decreasing)
Earth Distance in km: 2026/05/29 327,554,547 (decreasing)
Earth Distance in km: 2026/05/28 327,879,956 (decreasing)
1<#
Maximum Earth-Mars distance is estimated to be 401 million kilometers (both at apogee and opposite vs Sun) Minimum is about 56 million kilometers
Mars and Earth were in Opposition (Earth center) in December of 2022. The date coincided with a (very rare) occultation of Mars by the Moon.
Mars and Earth were in Conjunction (Sun center) in November of 2023.
Mars and Earth appear to have been as close as they will get in Year 36. 81,454,323 kilometers on J0036644 Time: 4.53 minutes - 9 minutes round trip
In his online interview with Dr. Zubrin at the 2020 Mars Conference, Elon Musk reminded the audience that communications with Mars will necessarily include an intermediary station to handle traffic when the Sun is between Mars and Earth. Communications delays in that circumstance will increase due to the extra distance to be covered. Mr. Musk indicated he expects such communication will be handled by laser. Location would be optimum at poles of solar plane.
This web site offers an online model of the solar system: www.solarsystemscope.com It requires Chrome 57, Firefox 52 or Safari 10.1. Viewed 2022/10/13: Opposition will occur some time in December of 2022. Per earthsky.org, the date is December 8, 2022.
This web site offers an online orrery view of the Solar System: https://www.theplanetstoday.com/
===
Sol 549 is in Month 20 of a Proposed 24 month calendar. See Post 19 of Holidays topic for a summary.
Month 20 extends from Sol 530 through 557. <<== There are 28 days in Month 20. See post 82 of Holidays topic for current details.
Direct path to source: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 57#p154257
Sol 549 is Friday in the Proposed Business calendar for Mars. Sol 522 was a Skip Day on Mars. Next is near 559 of Year 38
##
The Next New Year's on Mars will occur when Solar Longitude reaches 360 degrees. Year 38 started November 12, 2024 on Earth
Per www.planetary.org Year 36 started 2021/02/07 on Earth. Mars Year 37 began 2022/12/27 on Earth.
Days of the Week Alignment:
Days of the week fall behind Earth due to the longer Sol, but they also change when Friday is omitted at the end of a Quarter
337 Earth days were observed to elapse in the 2020 weekday cycle. There were 7 week day transitions and 2 Quarter ends.
The next cycle began on the first Sol of the period of coincidence. The alignment of weekdays interval is in the range: (310 - 337)
To find the first day of a period of coincidence: Set up: SearchTerm(colon) and (colon)Alignment and J0036* or J0037*
The most recent End-Of-Quarter change occurred: … The search specified above gave 11 pages of results.
For current weather on Mars see:
***https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/weather/***
***Insight's weather info has been suspended and now is directing to msl*** <<-- Insight's mission is over (2022)
https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/weather/
Per SpaceNut: Here is another web page by NASA containing the latest news releases
https://mars.nasa.gov/news/?page=0&per_ … ope=Latest
All forum members are invited to post significant events for this day.
Events of interest will be ON Mars, or relate to Mars. Examples are launches, landings, discoveries
Standard Month in Mars Business Calendar Copyright ® 2023 NewMars.com Mars Society
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Recruiting text may be found at the bottom of this post: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 57#p154257
Copyright the Mars Society All Rights Reserved
Month 20 of 24: <<== Second month of Quarter 4
Place holder for today's Calendar update:
[51.4792N, 0.0000E] 05/30/2026, 13:30:11 Europe/London
Object: Mars [open sky map]
RA 02h 25m 58.3s Dec +13° 46' 49.7" Appar J2000
Mag: 1.32 (Estimated: JPL) Const: Aries
Sun Dist: 211,019,164 km [26.0 km/s]
Earth Dist: 327,219,508 km [49.2 km/s]
Martian Year:
38
Martian Astronomical Month:
10
Solar longitude Ls:
291.5
Sol number:
549
Current ID 239576
Total number of registered users: 19,630
Total number of topics: 9,037
Total number of posts: 235,260
Newest registered user: Scarecrow2025
Registered users online: 2
Guests online: 160
Online: RobertDyck, tahanson43206
We have a number of topics that contain the word "food". I selected this one by Void in hopes it might blend into the flow.
I am looking for ingredients to add to recipes to increase fiber content, and asked Google Search for ideas. Google Search seems to have been enhanced a bit, so the conversation quoted below reminds me of Gemini, but I understand they are not the same thing.
You said: find plant pith as food ingredientPlant pith is utilized globally as a versatile food ingredient, functioning primarily as a starchy staple, a fibrous vegetable, or a functional food additive. While often discarded in modern Western kitchens, the spongy central tissue of specific plant stems and fruit linings is highly prized in various culinary traditions for its unique texture and nutritional benefits.Here are the most common plants where pith is harvested and used as a food ingredient:? Stem and Stalk PithsBanana Pith (Vazhaithandu): The inner core of the banana pseudo-stem is a popular ingredient in South Indian cuisine. It is finely chopped, soaked in buttermilk to prevent oxidation, and cooked into stews, stir-fries, or blended into healthy smoothies.Sago Palm Pith: The spongy center of the sago palm stem is a major carbohydrate staple in Melanesia and Micronesia. The raw pith is highly toxic and must undergo an intensive crushing and washing process to extract pure, edible starch, which is then used similarly to tapioca.Sugarcane Pith: The inner fibrous pith can be processed into a novel sugarcane powder. It is used as a sustainable, high-fiber food formulation ingredient to partially replace sugar while maintaining product texture.Sunflower Stalk Pith: While not typically cooked directly at home, industrial food science utilizes sunflower stalk pith due to its exceptionally high pectin content. It serves as a natural thickener and moisture-binding agent in commercial food manufacturing.? Fruit Linings (Albedo/Pith)Citrus Pith: The bitter, white spongy layer (technically the albedo) between the zest and the fruit flesh is packed with vitamin C, dietary fiber, and immune-boosting flavonoids like hesperidin. It can be scraped, dehydrated, and ground into powders for smoothies, or left intact when making candied citrus peels and marmalades.If you would like to source or cook with plant pith, let me know:Which specific plant pith are you trying to track down?Are you looking for step-by-step cooking recipes or industrial food-additive data?Do you prefer fresh, powdered, or dehydrated ingredients?15 sitesPolysaccharides from sunflower stalk pith: Chemical, structural and ...Overall characterization of the sunflower by-products has been conducted by Marechal and Rigal (1999) who found that stalk pith ha...ScienceDirect.comPith - WikipediaThe pith of the sago palm, although highly toxic to animals in its raw form, is an important human food source in Melanesia and Mi...WikipediaStudy on the production of powdered sugarcane pith as a novel ...Highlights * Sugarcane pith powder is a nutritious and safe ingredient with potential applications in food production. * Partial r...ScienceDirect.comShow allYou said: Are there commercial suppliers for products such as citrus fruit pith? The high fiber content is the most important feature, since other food ingredients provide vitamins and minerals, protein and starch.Yes, there are major commercial suppliers for citrus fruit pith, though in the commercial food industry, this ingredient is officially manufactured and sold under the name "Citrus Fiber" or "Citrus Flour".Because you are prioritizing high fiber content over vitamins and starches, commercial citrus fiber is ideal. It is made by upcycling the washed, dried, and mechanically ground albedo (pith) and peel leftovers from the citrus juicing industry. This creates a clean-label, white-to-cream powder that consists of an optimal mix of soluble fiber (like pectin) and insoluble fiber (cellulose and hemicellulose).? Major Commercial and Wholesale SuppliersIf you are sourcing this ingredient for food formulation, product development, or bulk production, you can acquire it through these primary industrial ingredient suppliers:Fiberstar, Inc. (Product: Citri-Fi®): This is the industry gold standard for upcycled citrus fiber. Fiberstar uses a patented physical process (no chemicals) to open up the fiber cells, giving it an incredibly high surface area. It is available in bulk and even offers Fiberstar USDA Certified Organic Citrus Fiber options.Ingredion (Product: FIBERTEX® CF): A massive global ingredient distributor that supplies Ingredion FIBERTEX® Citrus Fibers. Their product is heavily utilized in commercial baking, meat alternatives, and sauces to improve texture and shelf-life while boosting fiber.Gillco Ingredients: A premier distributor that partners with top manufacturers to supply clean-label Gillco Ingredients Citrus Fiber in bulk quantities to food processors.Silvateam: An international business that manufactures clean-label Silvateam Citrus Fiber optimized for water-binding and gelling capabilities in food formulations.Rainforest Supply: If you need wholesale quantities but aren't ready for massive industrial truckloads, you can purchase bulk Rainforest Supply Citrus Fiber Powder, which they specifically market as a neutral filler for its high fiber density.? Functional Benefits of Citrus Pith FiberWhen formulating with commercial citrus fiber, it behaves differently than standard starches or proteins:Extreme Water-Holding Capacity: Because the native pectin structure is kept intact, it can hold up to 10–12 times its weight in water, which prevents food from drying out.Natural Emulsification: It binds water and oil together smoothly, allowing you to replace synthetic chemical stabilizers or E-number emulsifiers on your ingredient label.Neutral Flavor and Color: Unlike whole orange peel powder (which is yellow, strong, and bitter), commercial citrus fiber is heavily washed to remove volatile oils, leaving a neutral filler that won't compromise your food’s flavor profile.Are you looking to purchase a small amount for R&D / prototyping, or do you need pallet-level commercial volumes? I can help you find specific distributor contact channels based on your production scale.12 sites Clean label citrus fiber producer | Food ingredients - SilvateamWhat it is made of. Citrus fiber is a dietary fiber derived from the indigestible part of citrus fruit which mostly passes through...www.silvateam.comCitrus Fiber | Gillco IngredientsCitrus fiber provides multiple functionalities that can improve product texture, nutrition, costs, and labeling. This fiber is cre...Gillco IngredientsCitrus Fiber Powder - Rainforest SupplyExplorer's Recommendation. Citrus fiber powder is derived from the pith of citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. ...Rainforest SupplyShow allYou said: Thank you for your assistance with this inquiry. I appreciate your focus on the fiber value while showing additional values for a variety of products, and for listing suppliers. I'll save your report for study. No further suggestions are needed at this time.You are very welcome! I am glad the breakdown of citrus fiber and the supplier list will be useful for your study. It sounds like you have a solid foundation for your research.Whenever you are ready to take the next steps with your formulation or sourcing, feel free to reach back out. Good luck with your project!
The nice formatting I am used to when working with Gemini was NOT provided by this entity.
(th)
The article at the link below is NOT about "open source" hardware at this point.
It is about remarkable research and development of reconfigurable computer chips.
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/computing/ar … 00605.html
Apparently, engineers can configure these devices in short periods of time, and I assume this means product development can accelerate.
I am hoping NewMars readers will help to build up knowledge/understanding of whatever this is.
SearchTerm:chips reconfigurable
(th)
===
Today on Mars: 0038/20/19 Thursday Days of the week OFFSET 1 with Earth. (count from Mars to Earth )
Sol 548 Business Month 20 Second month of Quarter 4 of Year 38
Today on Earth: 2026/05/29 Friday Earth Date)
====*====*====*=
To see how this calendar works, we show the standard 28 day month at the bottom of this daily report.
There are 20 months of 28 Sols and 4 months of 27 Sols at the end of the four six-month quarters.
New Years Eve is extended to align the Business Calendar for Mars with the Astronomical calendar.
Business and Astronomical both start at zero (to the nanosecond) on New Year's Day.
This calendar has been in operation for two full Mars years (36 and 37). We are in Year 38
This calendar is NOT the Darian Calendar!
Per http://www-mars.lmd.jussieu.fr/mars/tim … _time.html also see: in-the-sky.org for opposition/perigee/aphelion
Martian Year: 38 Martian Astronomical Interval in 12 interval format: 10 <<== The Astronomical interval
Check Longitude: the interval will increment when longitude reaches 300 degrees
===
Solar Longitude: 290.8 Sol Number: 548 Change in degrees is +.6 Julian date is: J0038548
Solar Longitude: 290.2 Sol Number: 547 Change in degrees is +.6 Julian date is: J0038547
Solar Longitude: 289.6 Sol Number: 546 Change in degrees is +.6 Julian date is: J0038546
#4>
Note that Solar Longitude measurement varies as a function of location in orbit. Ls 0 is the moment when the Sun appears to transit from one hemisphere to the other. Update from Mars.NASA.gov (The Sun crosses the equator of Mars (Vernal Equinox)). The transition itself is a function of the tilt of an object with respect to the Solar plane. Per squarewidget.com, Hipparchus created the celestial coordinate system we use today.
Note#2: https://theskylive.com/mars-tracker This web site shows the astronomical position of Mars as seen from Earth
Todo: At next Aphelion/Perihelion record the Mars date as J00##### (and set Search term)
Perihelion occurred in 2026 at Ls 251 on Sol 486 - Earth Date 2026/03/27 Next: (estimated) 2028/05/15
Perihelion occurred in 2024 at Ls 251 on Sol 485 - Earth Date 2024/05/08 Next: (estimated) 2026/03/06 (actual) 2026/03/26
Perihelion occurred in 2022 at Ls 251 on Sol 485 - Earth Date 2022/06/21 Next: (actual) 2024/05/08
Aphelion Earth Dates: Next: 2027/03/04 Earlier: 2025/04/16, 2023/05/30, 2021/07/12, 2019/08/25, 2017/10/07, 2015/11/20
Aphelion occurred at--- Ls 071 on Sol 152.
Aphelion occurred near Ls 070 on Sol 153 (per http://www.planetary.org)
Note#3: The computations below are dependent upon both the computations provided by the reference web site and by accuracy of recording of the time of observations. The calculations use tenths of hours. The Sun Distance needs to be captured at the moment the time increments to a given tenth.
Note on data below: The figure quoted after distance is a rate of progress along the orbital path [exact meaning to be determined]
Minus prefix means Mars is approaching the Sun. Plus prefix means Mars is moving away from the Sun.
The figure computed to the right of "Difference" is the rate of change of the distance to Sun. Increasing to Aphelion/Decreasing to Perihelion.
Aphelion of Mars is due March 04, 2027 Sol 151-152 Note velocity of Mars was 22.0 km/s nearing Aphelion (21.97 km/s)
Perhelion of Mars is due May, 2028 Sol 251 Note velocity of Mars was 26.5 km/s nearing Perhelion 2026/03/26
===
Distance: Mars >> Sun per theskylive.com: 210,889,419 km [26.0 km/s] Difference is +125447 <= +5527 km/hour at 12.0 on 05/29 (time 12:00) (24.0 hours)
Distance: Mars >> Sun per theskylive.com: 210,763,972 km [26.0 km/s] Difference is +123935 <= +5164 km/hour at 12.0 on 05/28 (time 12:00) (24.0 hours)
Distance: Mars >> Sun per theskylive.com: 210,640,037 km [26.0 km/s] Difference is +122277 <= +5095 km/hour at 12.0 on 05/27 (time 12:00) (24.0 hours)
====*====*=
Velocity along the orbit is NOT the same thing as velocity change of the radial distance to the Sun. Both are shown in the section above.
j
Observation: The sky view is ** filled ** with objects and some have been recorded and given identification by humans or their robot assistants
And! ** All ** the location assignments are from the perspective of Earth. The entire catalog needs to be adjusted when inter-stellar travel begins
The work that lies ahead for the astronomical community is daunting - there is work ahead for centuries
2022/01/19 - All current (existing) stellar catalogs are computed with reference to the Earth. Another civilization would use it's planet as reference.
Perhaps a Milky Way frame of reference will become necessary at some point. The Earth is as good a Zero point as any, for humans.
=== Mars is in Regular movement as seen from Earth.
Mars is in Pisces
Next ahead: Galaxy below path PGC 1432735 RA 02h 23m 24.5s
Galaxy in path PGC 2816312 RA 02h 20m 56.7s Day 2 9 hours past
====*====*====
Zoom Out Capability As a general observation ... I've become increasingly interested in knowing what the larger view of the sky might be like.
The site: theskylive.com does a terrific job of matching the view from Earth towards Mars, against a background of actual astronomical plates.
I wish there were a way (or rather, I wish I ** knew ** about a way that may exist) to enlarge the view until the entire galaxy is in view (Zoom out)
Update 2022/12/08 TheSkyLive.com provides a large view of selected objects: Select [Major Bodies] Then select [Information] in the body of interest
Update 2022/12/08 Scroll down to (body) Position and Finder Charts. Field of view is 50x30 degrees.
Light travel in one second is (about) 300,000 kilometers. The distance covered in one minute is about 18,000,000 kilometers. Estimated light times:
1:18,2:36,3:54,4:72,5:90,6:108,7:126,8:144,9:162,10:180,11:198,12:216,13:234,14:252,15:270,16:288,17:306,18:324, 19:342,20:360,21:378,22:396
Light travel time today is between 18 and 19 minutes. Communications delay would be 36+ minutes round trip.
=== Time estimate will change below 324 megakm
Earth Distance in km: 2026/05/29 327,554,547 (decreasing)
Earth Distance in km: 2026/05/28 327,879,956 (decreasing)
Earth Distance in km: 2026/05/27 328,203,019 (decreasing)
<<#
Maximum Earth-Mars distance is estimated to be 401 million kilometers (both at apogee and opposite vs Sun) Minimum is about 56 million kilometers
Mars and Earth were in Opposition (Earth center) in December of 2022. The date coincided with a (very rare) occultation of Mars by the Moon.
Mars and Earth were in Conjunction (Sun center) in November of 2023.
Mars and Earth appear to have been as close as they will get in Year 36. 81,454,323 kilometers on J0036644 Time: 4.53 minutes - 9 minutes round trip
In his online interview with Dr. Zubrin at the 2020 Mars Conference, Elon Musk reminded the audience that communications with Mars will necessarily include an intermediary station to handle traffic when the Sun is between Mars and Earth. Communications delays in that circumstance will increase due to the extra distance to be covered. Mr. Musk indicated he expects such communication will be handled by laser. Location would be optimum at poles of solar plane.
This web site offers an online model of the solar system: www.solarsystemscope.com It requires Chrome 57, Firefox 52 or Safari 10.1. Viewed 2022/10/13: Opposition will occur some time in December of 2022. Per earthsky.org, the date is December 8, 2022.
This web site offers an online orrery view of the Solar System: https://www.theplanetstoday.com/
===
Sol 548 is in Month 20 of a Proposed 24 month calendar. See Post 19 of Holidays topic for a summary.
Month 20 extends from Sol 530 through 557. <<== There are 28 days in Month 20. See post 82 of Holidays topic for current details.
Direct path to source: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 57#p154257
Sol 548 is Thursday in the Proposed Business calendar for Mars. Sol 522 was a Skip Day on Mars. Next is near 559 of Year 38
##
The Next New Year's on Mars will occur when Solar Longitude reaches 360 degrees. Year 38 started November 12, 2024 on Earth
Per www.planetary.org Year 36 started 2021/02/07 on Earth. Mars Year 37 began 2022/12/27 on Earth.
Days of the Week Alignment:
Days of the week fall behind Earth due to the longer Sol, but they also change when Friday is omitted at the end of a Quarter
337 Earth days were observed to elapse in the 2020 weekday cycle. There were 7 week day transitions and 2 Quarter ends.
The next cycle began on the first Sol of the period of coincidence. The alignment of weekdays interval is in the range: (310 - 337)
To find the first day of a period of coincidence: Set up: SearchTerm(colon) and (colon)Alignment and J0036* or J0037*
The most recent End-Of-Quarter change occurred: … The search specified above gave 11 pages of results.
For current weather on Mars see:
***https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/weather/***
***Insight's weather info has been suspended and now is directing to msl*** <<-- Insight's mission is over (2022)
https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/weather/
Per SpaceNut: Here is another web page by NASA containing the latest news releases
https://mars.nasa.gov/news/?page=0&per_ … ope=Latest
All forum members are invited to post significant events for this day.
Events of interest will be ON Mars, or relate to Mars. Examples are launches, landings, discoveries
Standard Month in Mars Business Calendar Copyright ® 2023 NewMars.com Mars Society
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Recruiting text may be found at the bottom of this post: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 57#p154257
Copyright the Mars Society All Rights Reserved
Month 20 of 24: <<== Second month of Quarter 4
For SpaceNut ....
Here are the topics we have about Blue Origin.... I hope that one of these will be acceptable for discussion of the recent launch failure (May 2026)
Blue Origin by louis [ 1 2 3 4 5 ]
Human missions 123 Yesterday 23:18:10 by Oldfart1939
2
Blue Origin test flight by louis
Human missions 12 2026-04-19 16:32:42 by Oldfart1939
3
Blue Origin Unmanned Missions by tahanson43206
Unmanned probes 18 2026-04-19 16:10:49 by GW Johnson
4
Blue Origin by louis [ 1 2 ]
Human missions 26 2025-12-21 14:14:48 by SpaceNut
5
Could Blue Origin offer its own rocket to the Moon? by RGClark
Interplanetary transportation 6 2025-06-05 21:30:58 by Void
6
Blue Origin Press Release by Oldfart1939 [ 1 2 3 ]
Interplanetary transportation 58 2023-03-25 18:52:35 by GW Johnson
7
Mars Society Selected to Receive $1 Million from Blue Origin by EdwardHeisler
Mars Society International 3 2021-07-14 21:15:23 by SpaceNut
(th)
It is time for an update to this topic created by Mars_B4_Moon and seconded by SpaceNut...
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/arti … 00052.html
The article at the link above provides details about plans to land Chinese crew on the Moon by 2030. This is a determined national effort. The article describes how all agencies are being coordinated to achieve the stated goal. A Moon lander is in preparation for launch this year. That should be fun to watch.
(th)
For kbd512 re build-it-yourself aviation...
Here is an example of a foam based aircraft that flies with electric fans for propulsion ...
https://www.popsci.com/technology/world … eing7779x/
I wonder how the details of the wing might look. The article only shows what appears to be part of the fuselage.
A detail from the article is that the builder used CADCAM to scale the original Boeing drawings to 1/7 scale. That way, he did not have to calculate the structure of the wing. That would have been done by the Boeing engineers.
(th)
For Oldfart1939 re post about Blue Origin:
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 58#p239558
Thank you for this report. It's been a while since we've seen an anomaly of this magnitude in launch rehearsal.
Since the mantra of Blue Origin is "slow and careful" it is out of character for something like this to occur.
Something like static electricity buildup might cause an event like this but there had to have been a leak of propellant, so perhaps a failure in one of the hoses or connections. I hope there were video cameras covering the loading process.
All of us Amazon customers will be helping to put the company back on track.
(th)
Place holder for today's Calendar update:
[51.4792N, 0.0000E] 05/29/2026, 13:00:11 Europe/London
Object: Mars [open sky map]
RA 02h 23m 01.6s Dec +13° 31' 39.0" Appar J2000
Mag: 1.32 (Estimated: JPL) Const: Aries
Sun Dist: 210,889,419 km [26.0 km/s]
Earth Dist: 327,554,547 km [49.3 km/s]
Martian Year:
38
Martian Astronomical Month:
10
Solar longitude Ls:
290.8
Sol number:
548
Current ID: 239559
Total number of registered users: 19,630
Total number of topics: 9,037
Total number of posts: 235,243
Newest registered user: Scarecrow2025
Registered users online: 1
Guests online: 125
Online: tahanson43206
This topic is the only one I found that includes "farm" and "solar" in the title.
The video at the link below shows a solar power system designed and built by residents at a farm in Virginia.
Our newest candidate for admission to the forum sent the link in connection with his current work on a circuit board for this system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hJdQYv5Q40
The gent shown in the video is related to our candidate.
(th)
For SpaceNut .... thank your upgrading our member to inactive!
Here is a tip I just learned.... There are web sites where we can show BBCode files. I tested this one and it worked:
https://netnestlab.com/bbcode-viewer/
I'm planning to let our candidate know about this site, so I can send a copy of the BBCode generated by Gemini about the fusion process. My hope is to build up a set of educational posts in the new topic in Projects.
(th)
Today we have another reminder of the poster contest:
New Mars Forums Mailer
·
Thu, May 28 at 9:01 AM
MARS SOCIETY ANNOUNCEMENTLast Chance: Students Have Until June 1 to Apply for Mission to Mars Competition
Time is running out for high school students around the world to apply for the Mars Society’s 2026 International Mission to Mars Engineering Design Competition, with the extended application deadline now set for Monday, June 1st at 5:00 pm PST.
Open to students ages 13–19, the virtual summer program challenges participants to work in teams to design a realistic human mission to Mars lasting up to 18 months. Students will explore key topics including habitat systems, crew operations, power generation, sustainability, scientific research, and surface mobility while interacting with experts from NASA, industry, and academia.
Running from June 8 through July 10, the program offers students a unique opportunity to collaborate with peers from around the world who share a passion for space exploration, STEM, and the future of humanity on Mars. The competition is supervised by Mars Society Education Director Nicole Willett and is designed to encourage innovation, teamwork, and real-world problem solving.
Students, parents, and educators interested in participating are encouraged to apply soon before the June 1st deadline. Full details about the program and application process are available online.
Educators and parents are encouraged to share this opportunity with interested young people, and the poster for the program may be printed and distributed to help inspire participation.
If you have questions about the 2026 summer design competition, please contact Nicole Willett at nicolew@marssociety.org as soon as possible.
If you’ve ever dreamed of helping humanity reach Mars, Summer 2026 may be your launch window.
The Mars Society
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(th)
===
Today on Mars: 0038/20/18 Wednesday Days of the week OFFSET 1 with Earth. (count from Mars to Earth )
Sol 547 Business Month 20 Second month of Quarter 4 of Year 38
Today on Earth: 2026/05/28 Thursday Earth Date)
====*====*====*=
To see how this calendar works, we show the standard 28 day month at the bottom of this daily report.
There are 20 months of 28 Sols and 4 months of 27 Sols at the end of the four six-month quarters.
New Years Eve is extended to align the Business Calendar for Mars with the Astronomical calendar.
Business and Astronomical both start at zero (to the nanosecond) on New Year's Day.
This calendar has been in operation for two full Mars years (36 and 37). We are in Year 38
This calendar is NOT the Darian Calendar!
Per http://www-mars.lmd.jussieu.fr/mars/tim … _time.html also see: in-the-sky.org for opposition/perigee/aphelion
Martian Year: 38 Martian Astronomical Interval in 12 interval format: 10 <<== The Astronomical interval
Check Longitude: the interval will increment when longitude reaches 300 degrees
===
Solar Longitude: 290.2 Sol Number: 547 Change in degrees is +.6 Julian date is: J0038547
Solar Longitude: 289.6 Sol Number: 546 Change in degrees is +.6 Julian date is: J0038546
Solar Longitude: 289.0 Sol Number: 545 Change in degrees is +.6 Julian date is: J0038545
#4>
Note that Solar Longitude measurement varies as a function of location in orbit. Ls 0 is the moment when the Sun appears to transit from one hemisphere to the other. Update from Mars.NASA.gov (The Sun crosses the equator of Mars (Vernal Equinox)). The transition itself is a function of the tilt of an object with respect to the Solar plane. Per squarewidget.com, Hipparchus created the celestial coordinate system we use today.
Note#2: https://theskylive.com/mars-tracker This web site shows the astronomical position of Mars as seen from Earth
Todo: At next Aphelion/Perihelion record the Mars date as J00##### (and set Search term)
Perihelion occurred in 2026 at Ls 251 on Sol 486 - Earth Date 2026/03/27 Next: (estimated) 2028/05/15
Perihelion occurred in 2024 at Ls 251 on Sol 485 - Earth Date 2024/05/08 Next: (estimated) 2026/03/06 (actual) 2026/03/26
Perihelion occurred in 2022 at Ls 251 on Sol 485 - Earth Date 2022/06/21 Next: (actual) 2024/05/08
Aphelion Earth Dates: Next: 2027/03/04 Earlier: 2025/04/16, 2023/05/30, 2021/07/12, 2019/08/25, 2017/10/07, 2015/11/20
Aphelion occurred at--- Ls 071 on Sol 152.
Aphelion occurred near Ls 070 on Sol 153 (per http://www.planetary.org)
Note#3: The computations below are dependent upon both the computations provided by the reference web site and by accuracy of recording of the time of observations. The calculations use tenths of hours. The Sun Distance needs to be captured at the moment the time increments to a given tenth.
Note on data below: The figure quoted after distance is a rate of progress along the orbital path [exact meaning to be determined]
Minus prefix means Mars is approaching the Sun. Plus prefix means Mars is moving away from the Sun.
The figure computed to the right of "Difference" is the rate of change of the distance to Sun. Increasing to Aphelion/Decreasing to Perihelion.
Aphelion of Mars is due March 04, 2027 Sol 151-152 Note velocity of Mars was 22.0 km/s nearing Aphelion (21.97 km/s)
Perhelion of Mars is due May, 2028 Sol 251 Note velocity of Mars was 26.5 km/s nearing Perhelion 2026/03/26
===
Distance: Mars >> Sun per theskylive.com: 210,763,972 km [26.0 km/s] Difference is +123935 <= +5164 km/hour at 12.0 on 05/28 (time 12:00) (24.0 hours)
Distance: Mars >> Sun per theskylive.com: 210,640,037 km [26.0 km/s] Difference is +122277 <= +5095 km/hour at 12.0 on 05/27 (time 12:00) (24.0 hours)
Distance: Mars >> Sun per theskylive.com: 210,517,760 km [26.0 km/s] Difference is +120613 <= +5026 km/hour at 12.0 on 05/26 (time 12:00) (24.0 hours)
====*====*=
Velocity along the orbit is NOT the same thing as velocity change of the radial distance to the Sun. Both are shown in the section above.
j
Observation: The sky view is ** filled ** with objects and some have been recorded and given identification by humans or their robot assistants
And! ** All ** the location assignments are from the perspective of Earth. The entire catalog needs to be adjusted when inter-stellar travel begins
The work that lies ahead for the astronomical community is daunting - there is work ahead for centuries
2022/01/19 - All current (existing) stellar catalogs are computed with reference to the Earth. Another civilization would use it's planet as reference.
Perhaps a Milky Way frame of reference will become necessary at some point. The Earth is as good a Zero point as any, for humans.
=== Mars is in Regular movement as seen from Earth.
Mars is in Pisces
Next ahead: Galaxy in path PGC 2816312 RA 02h 20m 56.7s
Galaxy above path PGC 1429195 RA 02h 19m 09.5s Day 2 Standing above Mars
====*====*====
Zoom Out Capability As a general observation ... I've become increasingly interested in knowing what the larger view of the sky might be like.
The site: theskylive.com does a terrific job of matching the view from Earth towards Mars, against a background of actual astronomical plates.
I wish there were a way (or rather, I wish I ** knew ** about a way that may exist) to enlarge the view until the entire galaxy is in view (Zoom out)
Update 2022/12/08 TheSkyLive.com provides a large view of selected objects: Select [Major Bodies] Then select [Information] in the body of interest
Update 2022/12/08 Scroll down to (body) Position and Finder Charts. Field of view is 50x30 degrees.
Light travel in one second is (about) 300,000 kilometers. The distance covered in one minute is about 18,000,000 kilometers. Estimated light times:
1:18,2:36,3:54,4:72,5:90,6:108,7:126,8:144,9:162,10:180,11:198,12:216,13:234,14:252,15:270,16:288,17:306,18:324, 19:342,20:360,21:378,22:396
Light travel time today is between 18 and 19 minutes. Communications delay would be 36+ minutes round trip.
=== Time estimate will change below 324 megakm
Earth Distance in km: 2026/05/28 327,879,956 (decreasing)
Earth Distance in km: 2026/05/27 328,203,019 (decreasing)
Earth Distance in km: 2026/05/26 328,523,444 (decreasing)
<<#
Maximum Earth-Mars distance is estimated to be 401 million kilometers (both at apogee and opposite vs Sun) Minimum is about 56 million kilometers
Mars and Earth were in Opposition (Earth center) in December of 2022. The date coincided with a (very rare) occultation of Mars by the Moon.
Mars and Earth were in Conjunction (Sun center) in November of 2023.
Mars and Earth appear to have been as close as they will get in Year 36. 81,454,323 kilometers on J0036644 Time: 4.53 minutes - 9 minutes round trip
In his online interview with Dr. Zubrin at the 2020 Mars Conference, Elon Musk reminded the audience that communications with Mars will necessarily include an intermediary station to handle traffic when the Sun is between Mars and Earth. Communications delays in that circumstance will increase due to the extra distance to be covered. Mr. Musk indicated he expects such communication will be handled by laser. Location would be optimum at poles of solar plane.
This web site offers an online model of the solar system: www.solarsystemscope.com It requires Chrome 57, Firefox 52 or Safari 10.1. Viewed 2022/10/13: Opposition will occur some time in December of 2022. Per earthsky.org, the date is December 8, 2022.
This web site offers an online orrery view of the Solar System: https://www.theplanetstoday.com/
===
Sol 547 is in Month 20 of a Proposed 24 month calendar. See Post 19 of Holidays topic for a summary.
Month 20 extends from Sol 530 through 557. <<== There are 28 days in Month 20. See post 82 of Holidays topic for current details.
Direct path to source: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 57#p154257
Sol 547 is Wednesday in the Proposed Business calendar for Mars. Sol 522 was a Skip Day on Mars. Next is near 559 of Year 38
##
The Next New Year's on Mars will occur when Solar Longitude reaches 360 degrees. Year 38 started November 12, 2024 on Earth
Per www.planetary.org Year 36 started 2021/02/07 on Earth. Mars Year 37 began 2022/12/27 on Earth.
Days of the Week Alignment:
Days of the week fall behind Earth due to the longer Sol, but they also change when Friday is omitted at the end of a Quarter
337 Earth days were observed to elapse in the 2020 weekday cycle. There were 7 week day transitions and 2 Quarter ends.
The next cycle began on the first Sol of the period of coincidence. The alignment of weekdays interval is in the range: (310 - 337)
To find the first day of a period of coincidence: Set up: SearchTerm(colon) and (colon)Alignment and J0036* or J0037*
The most recent End-Of-Quarter change occurred: … The search specified above gave 11 pages of results.
For current weather on Mars see:
***https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/weather/***
***Insight's weather info has been suspended and now is directing to msl*** <<-- Insight's mission is over (2022)
https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/weather/
Per SpaceNut: Here is another web page by NASA containing the latest news releases
https://mars.nasa.gov/news/?page=0&per_ … ope=Latest
All forum members are invited to post significant events for this day.
Events of interest will be ON Mars, or relate to Mars. Examples are launches, landings, discoveries
Standard Month in Mars Business Calendar Copyright ® 2023 NewMars.com Mars Society
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Recruiting text may be found at the bottom of this post: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 57#p154257
Copyright the Mars Society All Rights Reserved
Month 20 of 24: <<== Second month of Quarter 4
For Void re Artificial Womb ...
Thank you for adding new reports to your important topic:
https://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.ph … 38#p239538
(th)
For RobertDyck re new discussion of D2-D2 Fusion ...
I ** really ** appreciate your support of this new initiative.
We were approached by a Mars Society member who has an idea for (possibly) improving the performance of D2-D2 reactions.
I am deeply skeptical this gent is the Galileo of our time, but on the other hand, he might be, so your support is greatly appreciated.
You have provided the summary of nuclear fusion reactions that is so important for us to review the new ideas on offer.
I scanned the document last night.
It was disappointing to find there are no references. This is a strong signal that our inventor is NOT an academic.
OK ... Galileo may not be the best example, because Gemini reminds me that Galileo was most definitely an academic in his time. He was a professor of mathematics before he took employment with the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
That said, the paper is short. It contains computer generated images that appear to be of good quality, and I should be able to display those using our image server.
We ** just ** heard back from our correspondent. He explained that he did not include references because he felt that prior work had not been done. What this tells me is that he did not have access to papers already published in this field. He clarified that his background is in fields that are familiar to us (such as IT) but not academic (as is true for many of us).
I'll follow up with post of the next section of the paper.
Update: I just sent copies of your two posts to our correspondent.
Update(2): After pondering your refresh on nuclear physics, it occurred to me that if the probability of getting a proton from the reaction is 50% and the probability of getting a neutron from the reaction is 50%, then discovery of a way of changing the probability of the reaction results would be helpful. Naturally I have no idea how that might be done, but I point it out as something worth study.
Update: Our candidate wrote to say that the proposal does indeed involve probability. Humans have been altering probability for thousands of years, so the concept makes sense. We alter the probability of plants growing where we want them by planting seeds. Whether that sound principle can translate to fusion is the question at hand.
In this case we want to alter the probability of a fusion reaction yielding a proton or a neutron. The default (as you have reported) appears to be 50/50.
(th)