NASA scientists discovered water flows on the surface of Mars. The water is salty, and is only there part of the year. But it is an important discovery for the effort to send humans to live on Mars.
Michael Meyer is the lead scientist for the NASA Mars Exploration Program. He says water is one of the key things needed for sending humans to Mars. Meyer explains: “Not only for the astronauts to drink, but also to make oxygen, to make fuel, and so having a ready resource there on the planet makes a big difference in terms of how much stuff you have to bring with you.” NASA hopes to send humans to Mars in the 2030s. Now, the space agency is recruiting new astronauts. Both the U.S. government and private industry are developing rockets and spacecraft to take those astronauts to Mars. Meanwhile, astronaut Scott Kelly is spending a year in space with Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko.
NASA is studying Kelly to see how humans survive long periods of time in the weightlessness of space. What they learn will help them plan human travel to Mars. Kelly and Kornienko are scheduled to return to earth in March 2016. We got our first close up of one of the farthest away objects in our solar system last July. It took the New Horizons spacecraft nine years to travel nearly 5 billion kilometers to Pluto. It sent back pictures, showing the dwarf planet’s detailed icy landscape including mountains, glaciers and craters.
Speaking of space there was this good news: Not to worry-- researchers say do not fear an alien invasion. People have been searching and listening for life on other planets. They say we should not be concerned about alien beings any time soon.
