Journalism

Is Curiosity the key to life on Mars?

Posted by on November 29, 2012 at 8:36 pm
MSL doing science!

It’s the ultimate detective story: The case of the missing molecules on Mars. But in this mystery it’s not Sherlock Holmes playing the master detective, but a team of scientists studying the origins of life. “Our story really begins more than thirty years ago when Viking lands on Mars and tries to detect organics” says […]

OMG: JPL for MSL landing!

Posted by on August 8, 2012 at 6:49 pm
MSL landed here

It was a somewhat cheeky email I sent, just lightly mentioning that I was hoping to be at JPL for the Mars Science Laboratory landing, but was in a pickle about what to do since I was travelling with a friend who couldn’t get media credentials. There was no guarantee that he and I would […]

How the Canadian Space Agency punches above its weight – advice for other small space-faring nations

Posted by on June 13, 2012 at 5:11 pm

In comparison to NASA’s (approximately) $18 billion budget, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) budget of $300 million looks like small change. Despite this, Canada has a presence in all of the major space disciplines and is a highly regarded international player. In a world where “No bucks, means no Buck Rogers” (so said Gus Grissom), […]

Spacewalking – like giving birth to yourself

Posted by on April 3, 2012 at 5:59 pm

  I’m grinning from ear to ear. As I type this, cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Oleg Konenenko are engaged in a Russian spacewalk, whilst orbiting the Earth at 17,500 mph. Cameras on the international space station, and also mounted on the cosmonauts’ helmets, are showing me their every move. It’s fascinating. A translator relays the […]