Weekly Space Hangout – May 1, 2015: Prof. Coel Hellier, WASP & SuperWASP

TL;DR

• Exoplanet updates, water discovery on Mars, Messenger mission concludes, Blue Origin test, Pluto animation.

Transcript

foreign happy Friday everyone my name is Fraser Kane I'm the publisher of universe today and this is your weekly space hangout for Friday May 1st 2015. happy Mayday I think um so this week we've got news about new photos of Pluto uh a progress uh spacecraft that's uh spinning out of control we're going to be talking about uh water on Mars sort of u... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ Messenger spacecraft disengages as data remains.
• 💦 Mars reveals daily water cycle through frost and evaporation.
• ❓ Blue Origin embarks on human spaceflight with reusable technology.
• 😥 Pluto's variegated surface points toward a dynamic environment.

Questions & Answers

Q: How is the Messenger spacecraft mission coming to an end?

Messenger recently ran out of fuel leading to a loss of control, resulting in its impending crash onto Mercury.

Q: How was liquid water found on Mars?

By studying the daily cycle of humidity and temperature, NASA's Curiosity rover uncovered evidence of water vapor transitioning to surface frost, revealing the existence of water on Mars.

Q: What is the significance of Pluto's surface variations?

An animation from New Horizons shows distinct color variations on Pluto's surface, indicating intriguing features that will be further explored in upcoming missions.

Q: How does Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft differ from SpaceX's approach?

Blue Origin focuses on sub-orbital human travel, while SpaceX aims for orbital missions, both working towards reusable spacecraft to lower costs.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Messenger spacecraft ends its mission as Cassini goes out of control.

• Water discovered on Mars through surface frost and evaporation in a daily cycle.

• Blue Origin tests new spacecraft for human sub-orbital travel.