The InSight lander carries a variety of instruments, one of which is RISE, which is used to measure the rotation rate of Mars. It consists of a radio transceiver and antenna that can receive and reflect radio signals from NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) on Earth. By analyzing the signal’s Doppler effect (the change in signal frequency with distance), scientists can determine the speed and direction of the planet’s rotation.

The researchers found that the speed of Mars’ rotation accelerated by about 4 milliarcseconds per year, equivalent to a reduction of a few tenths of a millisecond per year in the Martian day, or the length of a day on Mars. It’s a tiny acceleration, and scientists aren’t entirely sure why, but they speculate it may have something to do with the buildup of polar ice caps, where changes in the planet’s mass cause it to spin faster like an ice skater.

RISE data is also used to measure the sway of Mars due to core liquefaction (called nutation), which allows scientists to determine the size of the Martian core: According to RISE data, the radius of the Martian core is about 1140 miles (about 1835 kilometer). The researchers also compared this figure to two previous measurements taken by the InSight lander’s seismometer, and taking the three measurements together, they estimated the radius of the Martian core to be between 1,112 and 1,150 miles (1,790 and 1,850 kilometers). Mars itself has a radius of 2,106 miles (3,390 kilometers), about half that of Earth.

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In the interview, Gates talked about the difference in focus between himself and Elon Musk. When asked if he would encourage Elon Musk to join the “Super Rich Philanthropists Club,” Gates made the comment. The club includes Gates, Warren Buffett and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

“Yes, I think he’s going to be a great philanthropist one day,” Gates said of Elon Musk. “Obviously, companies like Tesla have a positive impact even if it’s not in the form of charity. But anyway, I don’t think he’ll spend the money on himself, except for a couple of trips to Mars, which might cost a little bit of money. Elon Musk will eventually use his ingenuity and become a philanthropist.”

Gates also said that, in his opinion, going to Mars is not putting money to good use. “Going to Mars is actually quite expensive. You can buy a measles vaccine and save lives for $1,000 per life saved, so that’s just kind of a reason to be like saying, ‘Don’t go to Mars.'”

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NASA will be responsible for the development of the rocket engine itself, while DARPA is responsible for building the rocket carrying the engine. NASA hopes to demonstrate the nuclear thermal rocket technology in 2027 and prepare for future missions to Mars.

Image source NASA

The company’s main goal is to develop a new nuclear-powered rocket that will be ready for future missions to Mars.

The nuclear-powered rocket NASA is trying to develop does not burn nuclear material directly as fuel, but only uses the nuclear reactor as a “heater”. The actual thrust is generated by piping hydrogen gas through the reactor, which expands rapidly when heated and is ejected by nozzles to generate thrust. This technology was already proposed in the 1940s, and the U.S. began experimenting with it in the 1950s.

Unlike direct fueling by nuclear reactions, the nuclear reactions of a nuclear thermal rocket engine are closed and, if fully operational, no nuclear material will leak. However, if the rocket explodes accidentally before reaching outer space, there is still a possibility of spreading nuclear material into the atmosphere. To avoid unnecessary risk and to avoid funding shortfalls, NASA ended research on nuclear heat engines in 1972.

Now with decades of experience in miniaturizing nuclear power systems, improved rocket safety, and a better understanding of nuclear safety, NASA believes that the risks of nuclear thermal rocket engines have come to a manageable level and are worth trying to shorten the voyage to Mars. Nuclear thermal rocket engines can be used without carrying oxidizers because they are not powered by chemical reactions. This allows the nuclear thermal rocket engine has more than three times the efficiency of ordinary chemical engines, in addition to providing more power, but also allows the spacecraft to Mars to carry more supplies.

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This image was taken of an ancient delta in Jezero Crater, where the Trail is searching for signs of life as part of its second science campaign. The delta was formed by a river that flowed into Lake Jezero some 3.5 billion years ago, depositing mud and sand on the floor of the crater.

Trailblazer used its Mastcam-Z camera system to capture no less than 1,118 individual images in mid-July, which were stitched together to form a 2.5 billion pixel image.

The Trailblazer probe’s footprint can be seen on the far left of the image, with a 32-foot (10-meter) rocky cliff directly in front of it. These rocks have been around for billions of years and have withstood wind erosion, slowly forming the jagged shapes shown in the image.

These rocks are thought to be some of the finest grained sedimentary rocks in the delta and are therefore a good place to look for life. As part of its scientific operations in the region, the Trail is drilling these rocks to analyze their chemistry and mineralogy.

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Musk shared an article on his Twitter account and commented, “This will happen again – it’s just a matter of time.”

The article shared by Musk talks about the extinction of the dinosaurs caused by the impact of a 10-kilometer diameter asteroid on Earth, which struck where Mexico is today with the force of more than a billion nuclear bombs.

Musk has been known to support the settlement of Mars in order to prolong the human presence as long as possible.

In an interview earlier this year, Musk said, “Human consciousness is like a little faint candle in the void, and we don’t want that little candle in the darkness to be extinguished.”

More recently he said, “Mars may be a planet to be fixed, but it has a lot of potentials.”

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