NASA's Mission to Mars - An Event to be Remembered

The Icarus Syndrome

The aspiration of man to travel in the sky is early recorded in the times of Icarus in Greek mythology. He is the son of a master craftsman Daedalus. His attempt to escape the island of Crete by using wings (made of feathers and wax) created by his father. He fell because he didn't followed his father's instruction not to fly too close to the sun.

Today, due to Icarus' popularity, the Hellenic Air Force Academy is named after him. It is also the manifestation how Greece is aiming to conquer the skies.

As we all know, it evolved into the fierce competition between the United States of America and former USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republic) by sending mission to the moon (the nearest satellite on Earth) and rocket ships navigating the skies since the 1960s.

As the Cold War ended, the two super power nations joined missions in order to have successful landings on the moon and build facilities on space in order to monitor weather, the sun and other planets of the system, including foreign bodies entering the Earth's atmosphere (like meteors).

Space explorations brought mankind to a new level of understanding regarding our solar system and other features of the space or galaxies.

Based from the Biblical account, God created all the things we are appreciating and discovering.

Scientists continue to oppose this as Big Bang theory came into the scene of our existence.

Man's curiosity is endless, so every year, space scientists or astronomers continue to discover new things.

Planet Mars is not an exception.

The red planet, also visible in the naked eye, is the focus of the recent mission initiated by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) of the USA.

This hubber is excited to partake in this spectacular endeavor.

It's not only for the benefit of Americans. It will be credited to all mankind.

It started on the "Leap of Mankind" to the moon.

Now, the next destination will be Mars.

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is spending the seventh anniversary of its landing on Mars investigating a crater called "Santa Maria," which has a diameter about the length of a football field. (Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/ASU)

The Mission of Mars Rover Curiosity

On August 5, 2012, citizens of USA or perhaps, enthusiasts all over the world will converge as Mars Rover Curiosity will descend on the soil of Planet Mars for the following missions:

1. evidence that Mars had environments
2. chemical ingredients favorable for microbial life

Since its launching on November 26, 2011, the public have been invited at NASA Ames Exploration Center through its mobile laboratory.

As the mission progresses and comes to culmination on the said date, the public is once again called upon to witness another exciting event.

The whole day and night of August 5th, 2012 will be a very busy day to interested US residents and the scientists who are stationed at the mobile laboratory of the said NASA facilities.

Included in the activities will be the registration of the participants and the answers that will be provided by NASA personnel for the questions that will be given by participants (the public) about the situation on the surface of Mars as relayed by Rover Curiosity.

As for me, I'll be joining Filipinos who will be watching on television for updates regarding the mission to the red planet.

This time, questions about Mars will truly be answered as our eyes will focus on the progress of Rover Curiosity's discovery on its atmosphere.

Is there life on Mars?

In time it will be answered.

     Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover Animation c/o JPLnews

          Mars, The Red Planet

There are lots of similarities that this planet, Mars, possess when compared to Earth.

Early astronomers and scientists drawn many hypothesis and assumptions that the qualities that this planet manifest will hold and support life, from microbial or human existence.

However, due to a very minimal oxygen and water content of the planet, a lot of skeptics are arguing regarding the bold ambition of mankind to invade the planet for occupancy in the future.

Factors that will hinder such ambition will be time travel and human body composition that is solely adopted to planet Earth only.

It will need more research, trial and error testing in order for this ambition to be successful.

The question is how far mankind's ambition will go.