Another Discovery At Gliese 581

Astronomers already knew the red dwarf star Gliese 581 had a planetary system. Now they've found a sixth world orbiting that tiny star, this one only three or four times the mass of Earth and circling the star completely within the "habitable zone"-- where temperatures would allow Earth-like life to flourish. For that reason, some astronomers think chances are good that the planet harbors life.

Red dwarfs are small, but they are also extremely stable for incredibly long periods. Scientists think, therefore, that if life ever did arise on a world like the one found, it would have a good chance to adapt and thrive.

There's also another possibility. Because red dwarfs are also extremely common, it's possible that a civilization intent on establishing interstellar branches would choose to put those branches around red dwarfs.

Phobos Ripped From Mars?

A new study using data from the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft argues that the Martian moon Phobos formed after something large struck Mars, sending material from the planet into space. A similar scenario is thought to have led to the formation of Earth's Moon.

Data shows that the material making up Phobos is similar to what makes up Mars, as opposed to the composition of asteroids; a leading theory of the origin of Phobos and Mars' other tiny moon, Deimos, has been that they were asteroids somehow captured by Mars' gravity.

The study also shows that the density of Phobos is extremely low, which again suggests a body loosely flung together as opposed to a solid body. Indeed, Phobos' density is so low that there must be huge caverns under the surface. That could be a big break for the future exploration of Mars. A manned base under the surface of Phobos, protected from radiation by miles of rock all around, might be the ideal place from which to direct the first comprehensive surface exploration of Mars.

Russian Commercial Space Station

Two Russian companies with vast experience in the Russian manned space program-- includng the one that builds Soyuz capsules and has built much of the hardware flown by that program-- are teaming up to build a commercial space station to be open for business by 2015 or 2016. CSS will accomodate seven people at a time. and will be serviced mainly by Russia's Soyuz and Progress spacecraft, though its docking ports will be able to handle other spacecraft, as well.

The two companies plan for CSS to be an all-purpose station, hosting everything from pleasure trips for individuals to cutting edge scientific research, and they expect it to last at least 15 years. They also see it as an emergency backup for ISS, and as a final staging point for future deep-space manned missions.

Earth's Future

This week on The History Channel's The Universe, the show examined the opposite of history-- the ultimate fate of Earth as the Sun cycles through its evolution to the white dwarf stage and beyond. Using the opportunity to examine the life cycles of stars no doubt had some value-- that topic is interesting enough to a science-oriented viewership to stand on its own-- the program went through various ways Earth might meet its demise, complete with neat computer depictions.

For all the computer gee-whiz and all the brainy professors involved in the program, however, it lacked real imagination. The Sun will not enter its final stages for a few billion years, as the program acknowledges. That's an awfully long time, and an awful lot will happen between now and then. To assume nothing much will happen, as the program does, is intellectually sloppy. For instance, the program assumes-- no doubt for dramatic purposes-- that a human civilization will still be on Earth billions of years from now. It's likely, from biology, that even highly successful complex species only last a few million years before evolving into something else or dying out. It's likely from our increasing mastery of genetic engineering and cybernetics that even in a few hundred years, a human will be something quite different from us. The program also seems to assume that the human civilization a few billion years into the future will have mastered interplanetary, but not interstellar space travel. While we're speculating-- just to pick one thing-- why not imagine something of a civilization descended from our own that has spread throughout the universe and had the ability to maintain stars in prime conditions?

Of course, that would have knocked out all the computer-generated images of a boiling Earth, an Earth frozen solid, etc.

Northern Springtime On Titan

Spring is breaking out all over the northern hemisphere of Saturn's magnificent moon, Titan. Because Titan orbits Saturn, and Saturn orbits the Sun once about every 30 Earth years, springtime on Titan will last roughly 7 Earth years-- good news for any young lovers that might be there.

Northern spring seems to be characterized by cloudless skies at both poles, that according to both computer models of Titan's atmosphere and direct observation of that atmosphere, especially by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Cassini's mission in the Saturnian system has been extended to 2017, so, if all goes well for the probe, Cassini will be able to monitor Titan through most of the new season.

Young lovers on Titan are not completely out of the question, either. Titan has a surface and atmosphere that are home to complex organic molecules. Energy drives an active and complex weather system. Liquid that could be the medium for early life-- methane, in this case, not water-- exists on the surface. Titan is incredibly cold, but we are learning life is incredibly tenacious and adaptable. If life got a start on Titan, and has had a relatively stable environment since, it may well have developed capabilities that allow it to thrive there.

Expanding Into Space

One approach NASA is considering for deep space exploration and settlement involves the custom genetic engineering of tiny, simple life forms. The idea is to engineer organisms that will thrive in an alien environment and produce necessities, like food, that would otherwise have to be brought from Earth.

The idea is not terraforming. The alien environment would not be altered in any wholesale way. Rather, the life would be designed to operate within specific confines to accomplish specific tasks. Carrying bacteria from Earth that could produce food or fuel at the destination could reduce the initial mass of an expedition by substantial amounts, for example, thus making a given expedition cheaper, or a larger expedition possible.

Another Possible Mars Meteorite

NASA's Mars rover Opportunity, on its way to Endeavour crater, has spotted what looks to be another meteorite on the surface. If the small, dark rock does in fact turn out to be a meteorite, it will be the fifth one Opportunity has found. The rover will be driven to the rock to make a final determination.

So far, in approaching seven years, Opportunity has traveled 14.5 miles over the surface. Finding that many meteorites in such a small area likely tells us that meteorites are fairly common on Mars. If that's accurate, human expeditions to the planet could not only learn Mars' history and build a future, they could also learn a lot about the history of the Solar System simply by picking up and analyzing the right rocks.