NASA engineers have tested a next-generation lithium-plasma electric propulsion system that reached 120 kilowatts, a new U.S. record and about 25 times the power of the electric thrusters on NASA's Psyche spacecraft. "Designing and building these thrusters over the last couple of years has been a long lead-up to this first test," said James Polk, who is a senior research scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "It's a huge moment for us because we not only showed the thruster works, but we also hit the power levels we were targeting. And we know we have a good testbed to begin addressing the challenges to scaling up." Universe Today reports: While 120 kilowatts is a new record, NASA estimates it a future human mission to Mars will require 2 to 4 megawatts of power consisting of several thrusters and requiring more than 23,000 hours (958 days/2.6 years) of operation. To accomplish this, the thrusters would have to withstand more than 2,800 degrees Celsius (5,000 degrees Fahrenheit), which the thrusters achieved during testing. The reason for the extended operation is due to the estimated time of an entire human mission to Mars, which is estimated to be approximately 2.6 years. This is because the launch window to Mars only opens once every two years due to the orbital behaviors of both planets. While no mission has ever returned from the Red Planet, this same launch window works from Mars to Earth, too. When launched within this window, robotic spacecraft have traditionally taken approximately 6-7 months to reach Mars. However, a human mission would require a much larger spacecraft to accommodate the astronauts, food, fuel, water, and other mission-essential items. For the approximate 2.6-year mission, this would entail approximately 6-9 months traveling to Mars, followed by approximately 18 months on the surface of Mars until the next launch window opens, then another approximate 6-9 months back to Earth. However, having much less fuel due to the electric propulsion system could potentially alter this timeframe.

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Pour expédier des astronautes vers Mars, la NASA mise sur un moteur digne de la science-fiction. L'agence spatiale a testé un propulseur électromagnétique au lithium d'une puissance de 120 kilowatts. Une avancée technologique qui concrétise le virage nucléaire américain pour l'exploration du Système solaire.

Pour préparer les futurs voyages vers la Lune et Mars, l'Agence spatiale européenne (ESA) vient de lancer SOLIS100. Six volontaires vont vivre enfermés pendant plus de trois mois dans un complexe allemand pour tester les limites du mental humain.

Pour préparer les futurs voyages vers la Lune et Mars, l'Agence spatiale européenne (ESA) vient de lancer SOLIS100. Six volontaires vont vivre enfermés pendant plus de trois mois dans un complexe allemand pour tester les limites du mental humain.

NASA's Curiosity rover has identified a diverse set of organic molecules on Mars, including a nitrogen-bearing compound similar in structure to DNA precursors. The finding strengthens the case that ancient organic material can survive in the Martian subsurface, though it does not prove past life because the compounds could also come from geology or meteorites. Phys.org reports: The study was led by Amy Williams, Ph.D., a professor of geological sciences at the University of Florida and a scientist on the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rover missions. Curiosity landed on Mars in 2012 to find evidence that ancient Mars had conditions that could support microbial life billions of years ago; the Perseverance rover, which landed in 2021, was sent to look for signs of any ancient life that might have formed. Among the 20-plus chemicals identified by the experiment, Curiosity spotted a nitrogen-bearing molecule with a structure similar to DNA precursors -- a chemical never before spotted on Mars. The rover also identified benzothiophene, a large, double-ringed, sulfurous chemical often delivered to planets by meteorites. "The same stuff that rained down on Mars from meteorites is what rained down on Earth, and it probably provided the building blocks for life as we know it on our planet," Williams said. The findings have been published in the journal Nature Communications.

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Après des années d'analyse, les scientifiques ont confirmé la détection de molécules organiques dans un échantillon de Curiosity sur Mars. Ce ne sont (toujours) pas des preuves de vie martienne, mais la Nasa estime que cette découverte est importante.

Longtemps considérée comme maudite, la mission européenne ExoMars voit enfin son horizon s’éclaircir. Épaulé par la NASA, le rover Rosalind Franklin s’envolera fin 2028 à bord du rare et surpuissant Falcon Heavy de SpaceX, prêt à traquer d'anciennes traces de vie sous le sol martien.

La photo de l'éclipse solaire observée par l'équipage d'Artémis II est spectaculaire. Mais cette image partagée par la Nasa est encore plus étonnante qu'on pourrait l'imaginer.