Tweet
To Mars and Beyond
Hello sweethearts!
I have been away from these beloved forums for quite a while, and due to time constraints I have not been able to have any smashing Civilization fun.
I was, however, able to attend a presentation at the University of Toronto at which appeared a panel of professors along with astronaut Chris Hadfield...
I was obliged to send this message (e-mail) to a friend who wanted to attend but was unable to do so. It is a short summary of the proceedings. I do this for the sole purpose of providing some information in case any of you are interested. It's not particularily detailed or technical, but nevertheless, interesting.
-------------------------------------------
[The rest is cut]...I'll give you a commentary
(plus some random notes I took) on the event...
The evening began with introductions by the chairman of the Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics here at U of T followed by more introductions by the very nervous and shaky (clearly, this guy has not made too many
public appearances) founder of the U of T Space Society (which was founded this year).
The first speaker was Dr. Darlene Lim (Extreme Earthly environments/Life on Mars). Her main reasons for going to Mars are the following:
1. The Human Experience (implications for society)
2. Technological Spin-offs
3. Leaving Earth for survival reasons (being able to continue the human race in case of disaster: asteroids etc. (which is inevitable - sooner or later)
4. Responsibility (possible solutions to world problems, knowledge gained from voyages, natural instinct to explore).
I will include my own prime reasons for space development (not only Mars)
Reason #1: Exploitation of raw materials baby! (There is a plethora of information pertaining to this possibility).
Reason #2: Space tourism and economic benefits! (It's already happening - refer to X-Prize, albeit rather slowly, but not for long).
The current Mars missions are partially focused on atmospheric research.
The MARVEL (Mars Volcanic Emission and Life Scout) will try and answer the following questions...
1. What is the atmospheric composition of Mars?
2. Is Mars alive (microbes, bacteria etc...) or is it just a dead planet?
Earth is a bacterial planet. Mars can tell us alot about the origin of life on Earth.
Earth (warm planet) - quick evolution of life (100X faster than MARS) Mars (cold planet) - slow evolution of life (if it had any in the past?)
The only life on Mars (if found, fossilized or alive) would most likely be microbial/bacterial.
There is a possibility that life may be found on Mars, afterall, life is very adaptable. A camera lens left on the moon was later (a few years afterwards) found to have bacteria still clinging to it. Life is very adaptable indeed.
The current and future robotic missions to Mars are also interested in obtaining information pertaining to volcanoes and the atmosphere. The questions being asked are:
1. Is there an internal heat source on Mars?
2. Is there volcanic activity (plumes etc.)?
Current instrumentation on the Mars missions includes small devices used for detection of molecules, cloud and aerosol layers etc. There are also ultra-sensitive detection devices used to detect any signatures that may be coming from the smallest amount of gases produced by organisms.
If not found on the surface, is there life beneath the surface of Mars?
Dr. Dimitar Sasselov (Detecting Planets Beyond the Solar System) was the second to speak.
Dr. Sasselov was part of a team that used a revolutionary way of detecting planets beyond the solar system. Instead of trying to find planets by examining the wobble of the star (produced by a planet's
gravity), they focused on the slight change in the star's light emission.
Planets found to date (using both methods): 119 and 13 multiple planet systems (with more being found each month/week).
3 Questions:
1. How do planets form and survive?
2. What is the physical diversity of planets?
3. Is there life?
Is our solar system unique?
It is now known that planets form soon after their stars form.
There are two known methods for planet discovery:
1. Radial Velocity Measurement (Doppler Shifts - star's wobble.)
2. Transit Measurement (Periodic Dimming.)
The first method was actually pioneered in Canada (1980's) by Walker, Campbell, Yang and Richardson). The method, however, is limited as it requires the use of huge telescopes.
It has become popular to use both methods and compare results (if the same, then find was successfull).
The second method yields more results and tells us the following:
Directly - The radius
Indirectly - Density and even composition
MOST - Canada's first space telescope (the size of a small suitcase). ** They actually had a replica on display in Con Hall - pretty cool and small. Makes you wonder what we'll have in the next few years.
The next step is to build telescopes advanced enough to find earth-like planets/earth twins.
May be the key to finding other life?
The third speaker was Dr. Vicky Hipkin (U of T's mission to Mars) and her discussion (being very technical) consisted of explaining the devices/equipment manufactured here at U of T and part of the Mars
missions. I did not get too many notes as I was striving to understand.
Between each speaker's discussion, journalist (CBC Quirks and Quarks) Bob McDonald provided much sought after comic relief.
The fourth speaker was of-course astronaut Chris Hadfield. I did not take too many notes as I was too captivated by what he was saying, but I got the impression that the space experience is unequalled by anything on Earth. I did manage to get down his summary of the U.S. Govt's recent timeline for space exploration:
2008 - New spaceship crew exploration vehicle will have been chosen. Robots to Mars.
2010 - Complete ISS. Retire space shuttle.
2014 - Humans fly in CEV (crew exploration vehicle).
2015 - Humans to the Moon to establish a permament moon base.
? - Humans to Mars (very possible within the next twenty to thirty years).
The loss of bone matter can be eliminated.
Reasons to go into space will determine what sort of space vehicles will be constructed.
Hadfield and the other scientists mentioned the importance of understanding human behaviour (critical to space missions and future settlement) - sociology, psychology etc, which of-course got me fired up as I'm in one of these fields myself.
After the presentation was over, the panel of experts were available for questions. I wanted to ask one (regarding the X-Prize and space tourism), later to deeply dissapointed (I did not get my chance at the
microphone) by the lack of time. Damn! Oh well, I was, however, very pleased by the presentation itself.
I will tell you know that there is going to be another presentation by another panel later on this year. It will focus on gov't funding for space exploration/development. I don't know of the date yet.
-------------------------------------------
If any Apolytoners live in the Canada area, the presentation was televised and if you have cable you may be able to see it on space news (the Space Network). Reporter Natasha Eloi (along with others) was there to record it.
I am very much involved in the role of the social sciences in space development and exploration. If any of you are interested in space development and settlement, please feel welcome to join the yahoo group, Spacesettlers, which is very much active.
------------------
~Dominik - Lord of the Putumayo~
I have been away from these beloved forums for quite a while, and due to time constraints I have not been able to have any smashing Civilization fun.
I was, however, able to attend a presentation at the University of Toronto at which appeared a panel of professors along with astronaut Chris Hadfield...
I was obliged to send this message (e-mail) to a friend who wanted to attend but was unable to do so. It is a short summary of the proceedings. I do this for the sole purpose of providing some information in case any of you are interested. It's not particularily detailed or technical, but nevertheless, interesting.
-------------------------------------------
[The rest is cut]...I'll give you a commentary
(plus some random notes I took) on the event...
The evening began with introductions by the chairman of the Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics here at U of T followed by more introductions by the very nervous and shaky (clearly, this guy has not made too many
public appearances) founder of the U of T Space Society (which was founded this year).
The first speaker was Dr. Darlene Lim (Extreme Earthly environments/Life on Mars). Her main reasons for going to Mars are the following:
1. The Human Experience (implications for society)
2. Technological Spin-offs
3. Leaving Earth for survival reasons (being able to continue the human race in case of disaster: asteroids etc. (which is inevitable - sooner or later)
4. Responsibility (possible solutions to world problems, knowledge gained from voyages, natural instinct to explore).
I will include my own prime reasons for space development (not only Mars)
Reason #1: Exploitation of raw materials baby! (There is a plethora of information pertaining to this possibility).
Reason #2: Space tourism and economic benefits! (It's already happening - refer to X-Prize, albeit rather slowly, but not for long).
The current Mars missions are partially focused on atmospheric research.
The MARVEL (Mars Volcanic Emission and Life Scout) will try and answer the following questions...
1. What is the atmospheric composition of Mars?
2. Is Mars alive (microbes, bacteria etc...) or is it just a dead planet?
Earth is a bacterial planet. Mars can tell us alot about the origin of life on Earth.
Earth (warm planet) - quick evolution of life (100X faster than MARS) Mars (cold planet) - slow evolution of life (if it had any in the past?)
The only life on Mars (if found, fossilized or alive) would most likely be microbial/bacterial.
There is a possibility that life may be found on Mars, afterall, life is very adaptable. A camera lens left on the moon was later (a few years afterwards) found to have bacteria still clinging to it. Life is very adaptable indeed.
The current and future robotic missions to Mars are also interested in obtaining information pertaining to volcanoes and the atmosphere. The questions being asked are:
1. Is there an internal heat source on Mars?
2. Is there volcanic activity (plumes etc.)?
Current instrumentation on the Mars missions includes small devices used for detection of molecules, cloud and aerosol layers etc. There are also ultra-sensitive detection devices used to detect any signatures that may be coming from the smallest amount of gases produced by organisms.
If not found on the surface, is there life beneath the surface of Mars?
Dr. Dimitar Sasselov (Detecting Planets Beyond the Solar System) was the second to speak.
Dr. Sasselov was part of a team that used a revolutionary way of detecting planets beyond the solar system. Instead of trying to find planets by examining the wobble of the star (produced by a planet's
gravity), they focused on the slight change in the star's light emission.
Planets found to date (using both methods): 119 and 13 multiple planet systems (with more being found each month/week).
3 Questions:
1. How do planets form and survive?
2. What is the physical diversity of planets?
3. Is there life?
Is our solar system unique?
It is now known that planets form soon after their stars form.
There are two known methods for planet discovery:
1. Radial Velocity Measurement (Doppler Shifts - star's wobble.)
2. Transit Measurement (Periodic Dimming.)
The first method was actually pioneered in Canada (1980's) by Walker, Campbell, Yang and Richardson). The method, however, is limited as it requires the use of huge telescopes.
It has become popular to use both methods and compare results (if the same, then find was successfull).
The second method yields more results and tells us the following:
Directly - The radius
Indirectly - Density and even composition
MOST - Canada's first space telescope (the size of a small suitcase). ** They actually had a replica on display in Con Hall - pretty cool and small. Makes you wonder what we'll have in the next few years.
The next step is to build telescopes advanced enough to find earth-like planets/earth twins.
May be the key to finding other life?
The third speaker was Dr. Vicky Hipkin (U of T's mission to Mars) and her discussion (being very technical) consisted of explaining the devices/equipment manufactured here at U of T and part of the Mars
missions. I did not get too many notes as I was striving to understand.
Between each speaker's discussion, journalist (CBC Quirks and Quarks) Bob McDonald provided much sought after comic relief.
The fourth speaker was of-course astronaut Chris Hadfield. I did not take too many notes as I was too captivated by what he was saying, but I got the impression that the space experience is unequalled by anything on Earth. I did manage to get down his summary of the U.S. Govt's recent timeline for space exploration:
2008 - New spaceship crew exploration vehicle will have been chosen. Robots to Mars.
2010 - Complete ISS. Retire space shuttle.
2014 - Humans fly in CEV (crew exploration vehicle).
2015 - Humans to the Moon to establish a permament moon base.
? - Humans to Mars (very possible within the next twenty to thirty years).
The loss of bone matter can be eliminated.
Reasons to go into space will determine what sort of space vehicles will be constructed.
Hadfield and the other scientists mentioned the importance of understanding human behaviour (critical to space missions and future settlement) - sociology, psychology etc, which of-course got me fired up as I'm in one of these fields myself.
After the presentation was over, the panel of experts were available for questions. I wanted to ask one (regarding the X-Prize and space tourism), later to deeply dissapointed (I did not get my chance at the
microphone) by the lack of time. Damn! Oh well, I was, however, very pleased by the presentation itself.
I will tell you know that there is going to be another presentation by another panel later on this year. It will focus on gov't funding for space exploration/development. I don't know of the date yet.
-------------------------------------------
If any Apolytoners live in the Canada area, the presentation was televised and if you have cable you may be able to see it on space news (the Space Network). Reporter Natasha Eloi (along with others) was there to record it.
I am very much involved in the role of the social sciences in space development and exploration. If any of you are interested in space development and settlement, please feel welcome to join the yahoo group, Spacesettlers, which is very much active.
------------------
~Dominik - Lord of the Putumayo~
Comment