Manned vs. Unmanned Space Exploration (Part 2)

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This is an artist's concept depicting a possible scene of astronauts walking on Mars during a dust storm. (Credit NASA)
Watching the Apollo landings on the moon as a child I could hardly have imagined I was seeing the end of an era – that of manned exploration of space. Shuttle trips to low earth orbit not withstanding; the human race has stopped reaching for the stars – with manned missions, of course. Now, the new explorers are robots. Will they be the ultimate space traveler? Or will man, with all faults and flexibility, take back this role? Read Part 1


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All News summaries from Space & Earth science news
All News summaries for November 25, 2005

Using neutron-computed tomography techniques, scientist measure in-situ water content

1 hour ago | User rating: not rated yet
Scientists at the University of California in Davis present results from a newly developed non-invasive technique that uses thermal neutron attenuation to measure spatial and temporal distribution of water in soils. The study, ...

Mind the gap: VLT instrument hints at the presence of planets in young gas discs

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Astronomers have been able to study planet-forming discs around young Sun-like stars in unsurpassed detail, clearly revealing the motion and distribution of the gas in the inner parts of the disc. This result, ...

Steins: A diamond in the sky

3 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(PhysOrg.com) -- The first images from Rosetta's OSIRIS imaging system and VIRTIS infrared spectrometer were derived from raw data this morning and have delivered spectacular results.

Launch of GOCE Satellite delayed

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(PhysOrg.com) -- The preparatory activities for the launch of ESA's GOCE satellite from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia had to be stopped yesterday afternoon (Sunday 7 September) by Eurockot due ...

Tracking down the menace in Mexico City smog

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A new report by scientists who are part of the international MILAGRO Campaign indicates that some of the most harmful air pollution in Mexico City may not come from motor vehicles but instead originates with ...