Category: Blog

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Hibernation

Hibernation during space travel is a common sci-fi trope, but I wasn’t aware anyone was actively working on it. What I find particularly compelling here is that hibernation could have positive effects on bone density change as well as helping mitigate the effects of radiation exposure.

Another thought occurs to me, though it is not mentioned here. Keeping the travelers contained in a small area opens up options for radiation shielding that might otherwise be prohibitive. What about sleeving the hibernation quarters in water, for instance? If that water could be mined from the Moon, the cost of lifting it for use in the craft could be acceptable.

For that long, long trip to Mars, plan on a lot of hibernation
For that long, long trip to Mars, plan on a lot of hibernation

Human hibernation is in only very limited use today. One company with NASA's backing is working to make it part of future interplanetary travel plans.
CNET CNET
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Curiosity picture book

This looks like a nice book about Curiosity for kids. I like that, in the interview, the author/illustrator notes that he has no technical qualifications for writing this book, just an abundance of inspiration and a willingness to do the research. That’s the key, really.


'Curiosity' Tells the Mars Rover's Story with Beautiful Artwork

‘Curiosity’ Tells the Mars Rover’s Story with Beautiful Artwork

A new children’s book uses photos and illustrations to tell the story of the Curiosity rover on Mars.

Space.com Space.com
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Hopping on an asteroid

Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe is currently in orbit around the asteroid Ryugu. It has successfully deployed two rovers, MINERVA-II1a and MINERVA-II1b, designed to literally hop around on the surface of the asteroid. The pics sent back so far are rather trippy. In particular, check out the video of the sun moving across the asteroid’s sky.

Japan's asteroid hoppers deliver new batch of incredible images
Japan's asteroid hoppers deliver new batch of incredible images

Pics of Ryugu's surface show loose piles of gravel strewn with larger rocks and boulders.
The Planetary Society The Planetary Society
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Another Airbender?

We cast a wide net of interest here at Generation Mars. I think this warrants a quick mention. “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is one of the greatest animated series ever made. If you haven’t seen it, I encourage you to seek it out.

It’s enjoyable at any age. My kids cut their teeth on extended plot arcs and long-term character development with this series.

Netflix is apparently working on a live action remake. My first reaction was that this is something that doesn’t need to be redone: it was so perfect the first time around. But it seems that the original creators are heading up the effort. This could be interesting…

Netflix planning live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender with original creators
Netflix planning live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender with original creators

One of the best TV shows in history is getting an adaptation that involves the original creators and Netflix. Unlike the first Airbender live-action movie, there’s reason to be excited this time around.
The Verge The Verge
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No ordinary spacecraft

I’m not sure there is such a thing as an “ordinary spacecraft”, but there certainly has never been a spacecraft like SpaceX’s BFR. The sheer audacity of someone trying this is balanced by the earnestness of the effort, and the whole process is fascinating to watch unfold. This article investigates some of the challenges SpaceX is facing.

“To be able to launch, refuel in orbit, endure months of flying through space, land on Mars, leave that planet, and safely return to Earth — then do all that over again — the BFR can’t be an ordinary spacecraft.”

Elon Musk is building a spaceship that's so ambitious that some experts are calling it 'science fiction.' Here's what SpaceX and its engineers are up against.
Elon Musk is building a spaceship that's so ambitious that some experts are calling it 'science fiction.' Here's what SpaceX and its engineers are up against.

SpaceX plans to fly a tourist around the moon in a new launch system called Big Falcon Rocket, or BFR: a giant spaceship and rocket designed for Mars.
Business Insider Business Insider
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Mars PD

How will we keep law and order on Mars? This article digs into various facets of concern, from the physics of hand-to-hand combat in low gravity to the ethical implications of humans living in an environment controlled all the way down to the air they breath. There’s a lot to digest here, but it’s interesting to think about.

How Will Police Solve Murders on Mars?
How Will Police Solve Murders on Mars?

Mars P.D. will have to deal with new blood-spatter patterns, different body decay rates, and space-suit sabotage—and they won’t be able to fire guns indoors.
The Atlantic The Atlantic
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Bombarded with words

Geraldine McCaughrean recently won the UK’s Carnegie Medal for children’s literature. Her acceptance speech gives me a bit more confidence in my prose choices for Scratching the Surface.

“Accessible language is, to me, a euphemism for something desperate. Most of its tyrannies are brought to bear on younger books right now. But blink twice and today’s junior school readers will be in secondary school,armed only with a pocketful of single syllable words, and with brains far less receptive to the acquisition of vocabulary than when they were three or seven or nine… We master words by meeting them, not by avoiding them.”

https://www.geraldinemccaughrean.co.uk/carnegie-speech