Astronauts on long Mars missions face medicine expiration. A UC San Diego study proposes growing pharmaceuticals mid-flight, cultivating cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) on plants in simulated microgravity. This method could provide fresh medicine, addressing issues like blood clots and routine ailments experienced on the ISS.
The United States plans to launch the SR-1 Freedom spacecraft, equipped with a nuclear fission reactor, to Mars in late 2028. The mission, estimated to cost $2.1 billion, aims to deliver three robotic helicopters to the Red Planet, building on the success of the Ingenuity helicopter.
Claire Parfitt, now leading Mars exploration teams, began her space career at 14 cleaning space toilets and unpacking artifacts at the National Space Centre in Leicester. After studying physics and spacecraft engineering, she worked on missions like ExoMars and SMILE before joining the European Space Agency.
NASA has awarded Relativity Space a contract to build and launch a spacecraft, named Aeolus, to Mars in 2028. The mission aims to provide daily global views of Mars' atmosphere, enhancing safety for future human missions. This public-private partnership model leverages commercial innovation for ambitious space exploration.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory tested a new magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster, achieving a record 120 kilowatts of power, a significant leap towards enabling crewed Mars missions by reducing travel time and propellant use.
Chun Wang, founder of F2Pool, has purchased a ticket for SpaceX's first planned interplanetary mission to Mars, a two-year journey that will fly by the Red Planet. Wang also bought a ticket for a commercial lunar flyby mission, aiming to encourage continued focus on Mars exploration.
SpaceX has selected Chun Wang, co-founder of F2Pool, for its first private crewed mission to Mars. The announcement was made during a Starship launch attempt. Wang, who has prior spaceflight experience, will command a Mars flyby mission, with a lunar flyby planned beforehand.
