NASA – Page 8 – NerdBeach

NASA Hyperwall 2 is a Super Visual Display

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NASA has shown its latest cool toy, the Hyperwall 2, and I want one. The wall of visual delight is the world’s highest resolution visualization system, a 128 screen display capable of rendering a quarter billion (with a “B”) pixel graphics. Of course, it’s not just detailed, it’s also big,coming in at 23 feet wide by 10 feet tall.

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NASA will be using the impressive display wall to:

“view, analyze, and communicate results from NASA’s high-fidelity modeling and simulation projects supporting the safety of new space exploration vehicle designs, atmospheric re-entry analysis for the space shuttle, earthquakes, climate change, global weather and black hole collisions.”

Nice, you could step back and see the whole picture, or walk up close and see the details, a feat not possible with a simple projection system that ends up stretching the dots to fit the size. The wall can also be segmented to show different activities on different parts of its display, or each of the 128 screens can be independent. Did I mention that I wanted one?

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Phoenix Mars Mission Arm Okay, All Systems Go for Digging

Greg Chaffins

PhoenixLander

NASA and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory breathed a collective sigh of relief on Friday when the Phoenix Lander was able to move its robotic arm. At first the concern was that a piece of plastic protective casing that did not fully unwrap after landing would prohibit use of the arm, but those fears proved to be unfounded.

The 7 ft arm is needed for planned drilling experiments which will dig beneath the Mars surface. It is believed that an ice layer exists a few inches below the surface in the northern plains, and the data from the Phoenix Mission experiment could show a wetter and warmer Mars in recent history. Such an environment would have been more conducive to sustaining life. With luck the drilling will start sometimes next week.

Although it is hard to tell from the photographs, the conditions at the Mars polar cap is not that inviting – Phoenix reports a temperature high of minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of minus 112. Even in those conditions the photographs from the mission are inspiring. If you are interested in more media please check out the Phoenix Mars Mission website.

Aloha

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NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander Sends Back First Arctic Photo

Greg Chaffins

Mars Aactic

Welcome to the Northern Arctic plain of Mars. The first photos have been sent back by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, and it shows a polygonal cracking pattern, something seen in permafrost terrains on Earth. The distinct cracking is believed to happen due to seasonal freezing and thawing. According to Peter H. Smith, the missions's principal investigator,

“I guarantee it. There’s ice under this surface,It doesn’t look like it. You don’t see ice, but it’s down there.”

Phoenix will dig down to the ice layer and extract a sample for examination. The examination involves heating the sample to 1,800 degrees and analyzing the vapors. This could provide clues to determine if this regions was ever habitable.

Phoenix's mission is scheduled to last three months, with a possible two month extension. The information retrieved from the Phoenix Mars Lander take us another great step forward in understanding our closest planet neighbor.

Aloha from the Beach

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Join the Hunt for the Missing Mars Polar Lander

Greg Chaffins

MarsPolarLander

If you enjoy I Spy or Where's Waldo, and consider yourself pretty good at it, then NASA may have a need for your services. After the tragic loss of the Mars Polar Lander in 1999 there has been no trace of it found. There are plenty of photographs from flybys that should indicate the wreckage, but so far no one has pinpointed the lander remains. Computer analysis and searching has proven to be of little help due no doubt to the varied terrain images.

So NASA, or more exactly the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), is opening up the picture archive for talented individuals to aid in the ongoing search. The image above shows the lander from the top down view, which may be of assistance for anyone looking for the Mars Polar Lander (MPL). Potential finds are invited to be posted and shared at the HiRISE project blog. For more information, or to start searching, go to the project blog. Happy Sleuthing.

Aloha from the Beach

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