Copy link for NASA Scientists Want to Send This Robot Dog to Mars
Boston Dynamics robot dog Spot has an eclectic resume it s herded sheep in New Zealand, scouted factories for Ford, and even helped the NYPD during a recent hostage situation.
However, the multi-talented bot s next job might be the most remarkable yet: exploring Mars for NASA.
Limitations of a Wheeled Mars Rover
NASA has landed four rovers on Mars so far, and because they ve all used wheels to move around, they ve only been able to explore the parts of the planet that are relatively flat.
Scientists want to be able to scope out the entire planet, though and the parts they can t reach with a wheeled Mars rover are some of the most enticing.
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Pleistocene Park
One Russian scientist hopes to slow the thawing of the Arctic
Sergei Zimov is a polarising figure, but the results from his Pleistocene Park seem promising so far
P
ERCHED ON top of a cliff on the northern edge of Russia, Sergei Zimov doffs his beret, letting his long grey hair tumble down his back. His eyes glow as he leans his weathered face toward the frozen ground. Under the haze of never-ending northern days, he looks like a figure lifted from the golden background of a Russian Orthodox icon.
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Published 23 December 2020
As wildfires burn more often across the Western United States, researchers are working to understand how extensively blazes burn. Their investigation not only reveals that the risk of wildfire is rising, but also spells out the role moisture plays in estimating fire risk.
As wildfires burn more often across the Western United States, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are working to understand how extensively blazes burn. Their investigation, aided by machine learning techniques that sort fires by the conditions that precede them, not only reveals that the risk of wildfire is rising, but also spells out the role moisture plays in estimating fire risk.
Juno Spacecraft Peers Into Jupiter s Strange Hot Spots That Have Boggled Astronomers For 25 Years
KEY POINTS
The new findings shed light on a 25-year long mystery
Juno will continue to explore Jupiter for 37 more orbits
Jupiter is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful planets in the solar system, but there are still many so many things we just don t know about the largest planet. One mystery that’s been brewing for the past 25 years involves Jupiter’s temperature, which turns out to be much hotter in certain spots than previously believed.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has brought some answers, providing new insights into how atmospheric hot spots interact with the rest of the massive planet’s atmosphere.