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THE PLANETARY SOCIETY
AUSTRALIAN VOLUNTEERS

Jump to Contents, Planetary News, Sydney Tsunami Risk

Alerts - see also Australian Diary

25 Mar 14 TPS: Urgent petition to restore funding to NASA's slashed science budget - see links for US and non-US residents.

Dr Mr President
I am the Australian Volunteer Co-ordinator of the US-based Planetary Society and have been personally following the brilliant US planetary science missions since the 1960s.
These missions have led to major improvements in our understanding of climate, the threat of asteroid/comet impacts with Earth and the uniqueness of the Earth as a home for life. These are all important for the long-term survival of our civilisation.
Unfortunately it seems that "long term" is not a term understood by the Office of Management and Budget and they have repeatedly slashed NASA's planetary science budget.
The thousands of Australian supporters of the Planetary Society urgently request that you:
* Restore funding for NASA's Planetary Science Division to its historical average of $1.5 billion per year for the next five years.
* Ensure that NASA pursues the goals defined in the National Research Council's "Decadal Survey" report for Planetary Science, including a sample return from Mars and a mission to Europa.
* Maintain operations of existing spacecraft to ensure the highest science return on investment.

19 Mar 14 TPS: Major donation to TPS - the Society will be able to do more worthwhile things but still needs a strong membership for advocacy. Please consider joining or donating the Society.
11 Nov 13: Australian TPS members who would like to participate in the Volunteer Network and assist with organising events in Australia should contact Casey Dreier at TPS HQ and inform Michael Paine in Australia.
30 Aug 13 TPS: Vale Bruce Murray (1931-2013)
10 May 13 ABC: Your guide to the 2013 'Ring of Fire' eclipse (starts at 7:50am in Sydney where one quarter of the Sun will be covered by the Moon - see Tips for safe observing)
18 Apr 13 (11 a.m. PDT) - NASA Hosts Media Briefing on Kepler Planetary Discovery.
11 Apr 13 (Sydney time): Emergency webcast about the NASA budget - Join Bill Nye tonight, April 10th, at 6:00pm PDT / 9pm EDT (or 0100h UTC - 11am 11 April in Sydney)
29 Mar 13 TPS: A Major Political Victory for The Planetary Society - New Funds for 2013 Restore $223 million to Planetary Science at NASA - BUT see above item
14 Nov 12 Total Solar Eclipse visible from Cairns, North Queensland. Note that it starts at 5.45 am and it is the start of the wet season so there is a risk of cloud. NASA info. ABC Science tips - in Sydney the partial eclispse starts at 7.07am and ends at 9am. It peaks at about two-thirds at 8am. Never ever look directly at the Sun or through a telescope or binoculars - see Tips for safe observing
17 Oct 12 SpaceDaily: Nearest Star Has Earth Mass Planet
26 Aug 12: Neil Armstrong - the Right Stuff.
6 Aug 12 Curiosity touchdown
2 Aug 12: Landing of Curiosity Rover on Mars will be covered by NASA TV at 05:31 Aug 6 Universal Time (3.30pm Aug 6 in Sydney) . The Planetary Society is holding Planetfest 2012 in Pasadena at this time. NASA Press Kit. Two live feeds of video during key landing activities from mission control rooms at JPL will be carried on NASA TV and on http://www.ustream.tv between 8:30 and 11:00 p.m. PDT (California) on Aug. 5 (11:30 p.m. Aug. 5 to 2:00 a.m. Aug. 6 US EDT), and between 12:30 and 1:30 a.m. PDT on Aug. 6 (3:30 to 4:30 a.m. US EDT).The NASA TV Public Channel and http://www.ustream. tv/nasajpl will carry a feed including commentary and interviews. The NASA TV Media Channel and http:// www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2 will carry an uninterrupted, clean feed.
1 June 12: Transit of Venus visible from Australia on Wed 6th June: The Conversation: Transit of Venus: a must-see for everyone … no seriously + An upcoming transit + NASA: The 2012 Transit of Venus + Table of timing for cities around the world + ASA Factsheet for Australia (From Sydney starts at 8:16am and ends at 2:44pm - plus see Tips for safe observing)
15 Jan 12 Lizard-tail: Real-time tracking of Phobos-Grunt spacecraft.
2 Oct 11: Carl Sagan's books are now available from Kindle - but only for residents of the USA :(
23 May 11 Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society: The detection of extra-terrestrial life and the consequences for science and society (Feb 2011- authors include: Paul Davies, Charles Cockell, Chris McKay, Frank Drake, Colin Pillinger...a who's who of astrobiology)
26 Apr 11 Mars Society: Paul Davies to Discuss 'One-Way Mission to Mars' at Dallas Convention (4-7 Aug 2011, Texas)
12 Apr 11 UT: Countdown to Yuri’s Night and the 50th Anniversary of Human Spaceflight
4 Jan 11 JB Hifi: Carl Sagan's Cosmos TV series on sale for AU$35 - this multi Emmy Award winning series is arguably the most popular and stunningly influential science programme ever produced.
3 Dec 10 NewSci: Arsenic-eating bacteria point to new life forms.
30 Nov 10 SpaceDaily: NASA To Announce Astrobiology Finding: Major Impact On Search For Life (6am 3/12 Sydney time)
3 Aug 10: Need a vehicle for astronauts in bulky spacesuits to make short (5km) trips on the surface of Mars? Try the Segway - it is highly manoeuvrable and surprisingly controllable - 2Mb WMV video.
1 May 10 TPS: New Headquarters for The Planetary Society
10 Mar 10 Scoop NZ: Chance to meet Buzz Aldrin at Auckland [technology] Conference - Planet 2010 (12-13 Mar)
12 Feb 10 TPS: The New NASA Plan -- a live Ustream interactive video, Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 11:00am (PST - or 6am 13 Feb in Sydney!).
21 Nov 09 TPS: BE A PART OF OUR MOST EXCITING CHALLENGE EVER...LIGHTSAIL! We’re taking solar sailing to the next level… Now we need your help to launch LightSail. A generous Planetary Society Member has given us
$1 million dollars, BUT he is challenging us to raise the rest ($420,000) and be ready for launch by the end of next year. It’s the biggest project in our history ... with your help our multi-part LightSail mission will launch NEXT YEAR.
2 Nov 09 TPS: An open letter to President Obama from the Executive Director
17 Sep 09 TPS: Planetary Society Urges Support for the Augustine Committee Conclusions.
1 Sep 09 TPS: MY ROAD LEADS TO MARS! CAMPAIGN 2009 - letter to President Obama.
9 May 09 TPS: Make a donation to the FINDS Exo-Earth instrument at the Lick Observatory.
15 Mar 09 Google Earth now has a great Mars exploration feature. First you need to install Google Earth 5. Then just click on the globe icon in the top toolbar. More instructions at Google.
8 Mar 09 Arizona State Uni Beyond Center lectures and conferences on astrobiology now on iTunesU.
26 Aug 08 TPS: Support The Planetary Society Phobos LIFE Project - urgent request for donations to send microbes on a round trip to the Martian moon to test the transpermia hypothesis.
26 May 08 NASA: Phoenix due to land on Mars this morning. First signal should be received just before 10am, Sydney time. NASA TV coverage starts at 8.30am (Sydney)
3 May 08: [Australian] Senate Economics Committee Inquiry into The Current State of Australia's Space Science & Industry Sector - submissions sought
22 Apr 08 Astrobiology Science Conference 2008, Santa Clara, California April 14–17, 2008 - papers available
2 Feb 08 Universe Today: “Across the Universe” Day for NASA and Beatles Fans - NASA will use its Deep Space Network to transmit a song across the universe. And fittingly, the song is “Across the Universe” by the Beatles. On Feb. 4 at 7 pm EST, the song will be beamed towards the North Star, Polaris, located 431 light years away from Earth. As part of the celebration, the public around the world has been invited to participate in the event by simultaneously playing the song at the same time as the transmission by NASA. That is Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at 11:00 AM in SE Australia.
20 Jan 07 Partial solar eclipse on 7 Feb 08. Starts at 14:52 in Sydney, peaks at 15:44 - see Paul Floyd's Fact Sheet. Tips for safe observing.
18 Jan 08 UT: Has a Signal from ET Really Been Detected? Bad Astronomy: No alien signal
14 Nov 07 Space.com: Wow! Moon Probe Captures 'Earth-rise' in High Definition - see also these other pictures of Earth from deep space. Australia is the most prominent Earth feature in this image, with the Moon's South Pole at the top.
25 Sep 07 SpaceDaily: NASA aims to put man on Mars by 2037.
9 Jun 07 The Australian: ACA closure 'short-sighted' - NASA's Australian-born astronaut Andy Thomas has joined international condemnation of the decision to shut down the Australian Centre for Astrobiology at Macquarie University in Sydney. Update 2008: ACA has moved to UNSW!
18 Apr 07 TPS: Life Experiment: Phobos - In an ambitious new initiative, the Society is studying the possibility of sending a collection of living organisms on a three-year trip to the Martian moon Phobos and back to Earth. This will be test of the Transpermia Hypothesis. Donations are sought.
25 Mar 07 TPS: Reports from the 2007 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
20 Jan 07 Science: Astrobiology Fights for Its Life - A decade after NASA pledged to create a robust program to find and understand life in the universe, researchers face a debilitating budget crunch and skepticism within their own agency.
28 Dec 06 Planetary Society: Visions of Mars: A Message to the Future - funds being sought to support this innovative project. TPS members should receive a letter about this project. They can fax their donation to +1 626 793 5528.
24 Dec 06 Planetary Society: Where Would We Be With Carl? by Ann Druyan + NASA: Pale Blue Orb - view of Earth from Saturn. More images of Earth from deep space. (updated URL)
23 Dec 06 SciAm: What Is a Planet? + Astronomical Journal What is a planet? by Steve Soter - see also Microplanets
7 Dec 06 BBC: Water flowed 'recently' on Mars + New Scientist: Water flows on Mars, before our very eyes + NASA multi-media.
9 Nov 06: For Eastern Australian residents the Transit of Mercury will be visible from just after dawn on Thursday 9th of November to late morning. See Paul Floyd's webcast. ASA Factsheet. Tips for safe observing. Thanks for the tips Ian Musgrave. SOHO live coverage.
7 May 06 Free Planetary Society Podcasts at Apple iTunes Store - search for "Planetary Radio".
26 May 06 Planetary Society: Don't Trash Space Science - please support this crucial campaign.
5 May 06 NASA: NASA and Partners Release New Movies of Titan (touchdown)
28 Mar 06 SpaceDaily: Eclipse of the Sun on 29 March - see these precautions about viewing the Sun.
10 Mar 06 Space.com: Commentary: Destroying Astrobiology Would be a 'Disaster'.
16 Feb 05 Planetary Society Charges Administration with Blurring its Vision for Space Exploration - It seriously damages the hugely productive and successful robotic exploration of our solar system and beyond.
27 Jun 05 TPS: The Story of Cosmos 1 is Not Over: A Personal Report - There seems to be some indication that the spacecraft was injected into a low orbit, one that would quickly decay and cause the spacecraft to fall back to Earth and burn up in the atmosphere...I do know that we are committed to trying again, for The Planetary Society exists to make space exploration happen. Dec 05; Solar Sail Update: Getting Started
17 May 05: PDF of talk given at Australian Centre for Astrobiology in 2003: Asteroids - now for the good news.
6 May 05 Nature: Fear and rambling at NASA (PDF) - Only a confused space agency would consider shutting down the Voyager spacecraft as they approach the uncharted edge of the Solar System...
10 Mar 05 Nature (Subs!): NASA's funding shortfall means journey's end for Voyager probes - Mission to the edge of the Solar System may shut down in October to save cash
10 Feb 05 Starry Night software now available for Mac OS X.
16 Jan 05 ESA: First Results from Huygens - first picture from the surface of another moon. Panoramic picture during descent.
3 Dec 04 Science: Special Issue: Opportunity at Meridiani Planum
22 Oct 04: Astronomy Online has opened a store in Brookvale (map) - Northern Sydney. Carl Sagan's Cosmos DVD is on special.
7 Oct 04 Abstracts for the proceedings of Bioastronomy 2002: Life Among the Stars now available at
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
The Planetary Society Aim for Mars! website
13 Aug 04 ABC: Site chosen for Mars training lab - The Mars Society of Australia is to begin searching for investors to help fund a proposed Mars research station at Arkaroola in northern South Australia.
Reports on Progress in Physics: Astrophysical and astrochemical insights into the origin of life (Abstract + full article is free!) - this is a milestone study + Quantum fluctuations and life by Paul Davies
Astrobiology Magazine: Interview with Ann Druyan and Steven Soter [coauthors of Cosmos and numerous other Carl Sagan books] - life, the Universe and everything! Plus the book Cosmic Connections, written by Carl Sagan in 1973 has been re-released with updates by Ann Druyan, Freeman Dyson and David Morrison - recommended reading.
Carl Sagan's brilliant Cosmos TV series is now available on DVD - still highly relevant after 20 years. Australian supplier.

Contents (some link to other TPSAV pages)

Aims

Planetary News

daily updates

Planetary Science Web links

Australian Spaceguard Survey/NEO

Tip: This page is in good ol' plain HTML! Try Ctrl-F (Cmd F for Mac users) to find something. And the Back button works!

Aims

We promote education in planetary exploration and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
We promote space science and expand the knowledge of the universe by facilitating the communication of information and ideas between scientists.
We speak for earth and all life.
We cherish and develop the invaluable potential for intelligence of each member of our space-faring civilisation.
We joyously venture forth to the planets, stars and galaxies beyond.

There can be no thought of finishing, for 'aiming at the stars', both literally and figuratively, is a problem to occupy generations, so that no matter how much progress one makes, there is always the thrill of just beginning.

Is your name on Mars? (here is a Romanian translation of this page by Alexander Ovsov)
Join TPS

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Planetary News (planetary exploration, SETI, astrobiology, extra-solar planets...

For microplanet (NEO / comet / asteroid) news see Australian Spaceguard Survey.

TPS (US) News

Astronomy Online

Sky & Telescope

Victor Noto's News Links

NASA's live news broadcast

Panspermia What's New(CA)

NASA Astrobiology News

18 Apr 14 NASA: NASA's Kepler Telescope Discovers First Earth-Size Planet in 'Habitable Zone' + Exoplanets Soon to Gleam in the Eye of NESSI.
11 Apr 14 NASA: Faraway Moon or Faint Star? Possible Exomoon Found.
11 Apr 14 ESA: Beauty from chaos.
8 Apr 14 Space Review: Europa on the cheap + Competing forums: an asteroid or the Moon?
4 Apr 14 ESA: Icy moon Enceladus has underground sea.
3 Apr 14 EPSL: Formation of aqueous solutions on Mars via deliquescence of chloride–perchlorate binary mixtures (salty liquid water can exist under Mars conditions)
23 Mar 14 BBC: Doubt cast on evidence for wet Moon.
18 Mar 14 Space Review: Rebooting Cosmos (TV show)
18 Mar 14 Icarus ($): Evidence for very recent melt-water and debris flow activity in gullies in a young mid-latitude crater on Mars +
18 Mar 14 NewSci ($): Most Mars meteorites may be from same giant crater
10 Mar 14 Space.com: 'Cosmos' for a New Generation: Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains We Need It
4 Mar 14 Space Review: Apollo 9: testing the lunar module - a good review of the challenges of this important stepping stone to the Moon
4 Mar 14 ABC Science: No 'life as we know it' on super Earths.
28 Feb 14 JPL: NASA Scientists Find Evidence of Water in Meteorite, Reviving Debate Over Life on Mars - newly discovered different structures and compositional features within the larger Yamato meteorite suggest biological processes might have been at work on Mars hundreds of millions of years ago.
27 Feb 14 Space.com: Meteorite May Harbor Evidence of Mars Life: Study.
30 Jan 14 SpaceDaily: Ten years on Mars leads to liveable mud - ([Opportunity findings indicate that] around four billion years ago Mars had liquid water so fresh it could have supported life...
10 Jan 14 SpaceDaily: Gaia enters its operational orbit.
20 Dec 13 ESA: Liftoff for ESA's billion-star surveyor Gaia.
17 Dec 13 Space Review: Apollo 8: humanity’s first voyage to the Moon - Christmas 45 years ago!
16 Dec 13 SpaceDaily: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover sends first photos from moon - brilliant engineering!
10 Dec 13 NewSci: Surprisingly youthful Mars surface helps alien hunt + The 19 superbugs that rule Earth's hidden depths + Alien life could have basked in big bang's afterglow + Europa's choppy ocean looks friendly to life.
10 Dec 13 ABC: NASA's Curiosity rover uncovers evidence of freshwater lake on Mars.
13 Nov 13 ABC: Rock microbes found in WA's Pilbara could be earliest signs of life on Earth.
30 Oct 13 SpaceDaily: On the Path to Pluto, 5 AU and Closing.
18 Oct 13 NewSci ($): Cosmic chemistry: Life's molecules are made in space.
18 Oct 13 NYT: Scott Carpenter, One of the Original Seven Astronauts, Is Dead at 88.
16 Sep 13 The Space Reporter: NASA looks to Voyager’s future and how it prepares us for deep space.
16 Sep 13 The North West Star: Queensland scramjet aiming for Mach 8.
29 Aug 13 BBC: Earth life 'may have come from Mars' (see also Your ancestors may be Martian)
6 Aug 13 TPS: The Goal is Mars + Planetary Radio The Ancient Snows of Mars (see also snow on Mars)
1 Aug 13 ESA: [Past] Water in a martian desert.
31 Jul 13 Cosmic Ancestry: Did NASA's Opportunity rover find evidence for life on Mars in 2004? + ASU: The case for alien life.
20 Jul 13 NewSci ($): NASA urged to seek live Martians with 2020 rover (see also Viking Data Still Cause Stir About Mars Life - the late Harold Klein was the team leader for the Viking missions)+ There may already be aliens on Mars + Overprotection may be hampering hunt for Mars life + Lake Vostok may boast a thriving ecosystem + UK proposes piggy-backing to search for alien signals.
19 Jul 13 NASA: NASA Interplanetary Probes to Take Pictures of Earth (today) - see also Earth from Space
18 Jul 13 Space.com: Ancient Mars River May Have Flowed into Huge Ocean.
23 Jun 13 SpaceDaily: Mars had oxygen-rich atmosphere 4,000 million years ago.
19 Jun 13 SMH: 50th anniversary of first woman in space.
12 Jun 13 SpaceDaily: China launches its longest-ever manned space mission - Astronaut Wang will teach lessons to schoolchildren via video link from space...
9 Jun 13 SpaceDaily: The floodwaters of Mars
4 Jun 13 NewSci: Nearest exoplanet to Earth may be a ghost world - Doubt is cast on the apparent detection last year of an Earth-like planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri B, just 4.3 light years away
29 Apr 13 NewSci ($): Deep life: Strange creatures living far below our feet. See also Nanobes and Extremophiles
8 Apr 13 Washington Post: President Obama wants NASA to grab an asteroid, send astronauts to study it.
31 Mar 13 ZeeNews: Liquid water of frozen Alaskan sand dunes hints of a wetter Mars (see microbe colonisation of Mars by rocks launched into space from Earth )
24 Mar 13 New Scientist: Curiosity's discoveries hint at life's cradle on Mars (strengthens the case for microbe colonisation of Mars by rocks launched into space from Earth )
21 Mar 13 Space.com: NASA's Voyager 1 Probe May Have Left Solar System - congratulations to Ed Stone and the team UPDATE: spoke too soon: Spacedaily: NASA denies report that Voyager left solar system.
13 Mar 13 NASA: NASA Rover Finds Conditions Once Suited for Ancient Life on Mars.
28 Feb 13 BBC: US private sector hopes to send older couple to Mars.
23 Feb 13 NewSci ($): We need a piece of Mars to continue search for life (see also Viking Data Still Cause Stir About Mars Life) + Rusty rocks reveal ancient origin of photosynthesis - bacteria & iron 3.8Bya
23 Feb 13: SMH: Fresh hope for life on watery world
21 Jan 13 NASA: Martian Crater May Once Have Held Groundwater-Fed Lake - see also snow on Mars
18 Jan 13 ESA: Reull Vallis: a river ran through it - good 3D images
6 Jan 13 Icarus ($): 3D modelling of the early martian climate under a denser CO2 atmosphere: Temperatures and CO2 ice clouds + Global modelling of the early martian climate under a denser CO2 atmosphere: Water cycle and ice evolution
5 Jan 13 NASA: Billions and Billions of Planets
4 Jan 13 Nature: Meteorite carries ancient water from Mars (thanks Paul Curnow)
2 Jan 13 WP: Bacterial traces from 3.5 billion years ago are ‘oldest fossils,’ experts say. Comment: This appears to support findings reported in "Earliest Life on Earth" where microbial remains ~3.49 Ga-ago have been studied in detail from black cherts from the North Pole dome in the central Pilbara of Australia.
1 Jan 13 [Happy New Year] Space Review: Last thoughts about working with the First Man + Youtube: Apollo 11 Descent: Film and LRO Imagery [stunning reconstruction that impressed Neil Armstrong]
29 Dec 12 Space.com: First 'Alien Earth' Will Be Found in 2013, Experts Say.
20 Dec 12 SciAm: The Fight to Save Planetary Science, and Why the New Mars Rover Doesn’t Mean Victory.
20 Dec 12 SpaceDaily: Nearby star is good candidate for Earth-like planets - the Sun-like star has five planets that orbit it in a balmy zone
8 Nov 12 Nature: Hopes linger for Mars methane - But negative signal from the Curiosity rover raises questions about planned European mission.
17 Oct 12 SpaceDaily: Nearest Star Has Earth Mass Planet
12 Sep 12 Space.com: Hunting for Life's Building Blocks on Mars: Q&A With Danny Glavin.
12 Sep 12 NASA: [Very] Extreme Life Forms Might be Able to Survive on Eccentric Exoplanets.
5 Sep 12 Space Review: The next best thing (robotic missions) + Farewell, Mr. Armstrong + Many steps
29 Aug 12 NASA: NASA Rover Returns Voice and [superb] Telephoto Views from Mars.
2 Aug 12 NewSci: Meteorite's left-handed molecules a blow to ET search.
26 Jul 12 SciAm ($): NASA's Planetary Science Program Endangered by Budget Cuts "In a fraught fiscal climate, NASA should focus on what it does best and on what offers the best return on investment. Solar system exploration meets both criteria..."+ Curiosity Rover Zeroes In on Traces of Past Habitats on Mars.
26 Jul 12 TPS: Notes from the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
25 Jul 12 TPS: Sally Ride, 1951 - 2012.
18 Jun 12 NASA: Study Finds Heat is Source of 'Pioneer Anomaly' .
29 Jun 12 NewSci: SETI chief still waiting for ET to call - After 35 years of searching, Jill Tarter is retiring as Earth's top alien hunter.
29 Jun 12 NASA: Cassini Finds Likely Subsurface Ocean on Saturn Moon.
25 Jun 12 SpaceDaily: Extensive Water in Mars Interior.
19 Jun 12 EPSL: Modelling the liquid-water vein system within polar ice sheets as a potential microbial habitat + Water storage and early hydrous melting of the Martian mantle.
1 Jun 12 UT: Meteorites Could Provide New Explanation for Mars Methane (thanks Paul Curnow)
30 May 12 NewSci: Buried microbes exist at limit between life and death (see extremophiles) + The outermost ocean in the solar system.
16 May 12 TPS: Earth’s toughest life could survive on Mars (see also Transpermia and Potential for microbe colonisation of Mars by rocks launched into space by the Chicxulub impact)
5 May 12 ESA: Signs of ancient flowing water on Mars.
3 May 12 ABC: Mission hopes to find fish on Jupiter's moons.
2 May 12 Space.com: Mars Volcanic Glass May Be Hotspot for Life.
2 May 12 NewSci: California meteorite is rare rock laden with organics.
27 Apr 12 UT: We Really Hope ET is Out There, But There’s Not Enough Scientific Evidence, Researchers Say.
17 Apr 12 Space.com: Asteroid Impacts Could Help out Underground Life + BBC: Asteroid craters could provide clue to life on Mars (see also Asteroids - now for the good news - 2003)
16 Apr 12 SpaceDaily: NASA Planning Group Takes Key Steps For Future Mars Exploration.
14 Mar 12 SpaceDaily: Meteorites Reveal Another Way to Make Life's Components.
27 Feb 12 Yomiuri: Construction firm aims at space elevator in 2050.
23 Feb 12 BBC: Distant 'water-world' confirmed.
23 Feb 12 NewSci: Rolling stones could mean Mars still rocks - and has warm, wet hydrothermal systems?
2 Feb 12 PSRD: A Summer Fall - Martian meteorite, Tissint, fell in Morocco in July, 2011.
30 Jan 12 UT: Large Amounts of Water Ice Found Underground on Mars (see also Glaciers on mars)
28 Jan 12 NewSci: [Claims that ]Arsenic life does not exist after all.
28 Jan 12 SciAm: Dozens and Dozens: NASA's Kepler Spies Packs of New Exoplanets.
28 Jan 12 SpaceDaily: Mars Rover Finds New Evidence of Water.
28 Jan 12 BBC: Newt's long shot at the Moon.
18 Jan 12 BBC: Alien hunters: What if ET ever phones our home?
12 Jan 12 SpaceDaily: Russia was well aware of Phobos-Grunt mission risks.
12 Jan 12 Space.com: 160 Billion Alien Planets May Exist in Our Milky Way Galaxy.
31 Dec 11 Space.com: Martian Life Might Thrive in Lava Tubes, Study Suggests.
30 Dec 11 Daily Mail: Any search for [intelligent] extra-terrestrial life should begin with the Moon - see also this extract from an early Carl Sagan book "Planets" (1966!) + China reveals five-year 'space plan'... and putting a man on the Moon is a top priority.
22 Dec 11 PSRD: Formation of Carbonate Minerals in Martian Meteorite ALH 84001 from Cool Water Near the Surface of Mars - carbonate minerals in Martian meteorite ALH 84001 formed at 18 ± 4C!
22 Dec 11 Seattle PI: Astronomers say Earth may have two moons right now (captured asteroids)
22 Dec 11 NewSci: Earth, life's only home + Icy 'hand' moves boulders on Mars.
22 Dec 11 Space.com: Surface of Pluto May Contain Organic [carbon] Molecules.
21 Dec 11 UANews: Meteorite Shockwaves Trigger Dust Avalanches on Mars (thanks Paul Curnow)
21 Dec 11 NASA: NASA Discovers First Earth-Size Planets Beyond Our Solar System.
14 Dec 11 Nature: Super-Earths give theorists a super headache - An abundance of medium-sized worlds is challenging planet-formation models.
13 Dec 11 SpaceDaily: Life possible on 'large parts' of Mars: [Australian] study (see also Potential for microbe colonisation of Mars by rocks launched into space by the Chicxulub impact )
13 Cec 11 Space Review: Innovations in exoplanet search.
8 Dec 11 UT: Not Giving Up Yet: ESA Resumes Effort to Communicate with Phobos-Grunt.[but it seems dire]
8 Dec 11 NASA/JPL: NASA Mars Rover Finds Mineral Vein Deposited by Water - "This tells a slam-dunk story that water flowed through underground fractures in the rock..."
6 Dec 11 NASA/JPL: NASA's Kepler Confirms Its First Planet In Habitable Zone.
15 Nov 11 UT: Mars Likely Not Ever Warm and Wet Enough for Life – At Least on Surface + Were Martian Rocks Weathered by Water?
15 Nov 11 Space Review: An uncertain future for solar system exploration + Phobos-Grunt: a legal analysis of potential liability and options for mitigation + Review: Astrobiology: A Brief Introduction + (previous week) Red moon around a Red Planet + Will Russia end its curse at Mars?
4 Nov 11 NewSci: China's space lab links up with the Heavenly Palace [congratulations to the Chinese space agency ]
3 Nov 11 UT: Mars Likely Not Ever Warm and Wet Enough for Life – At Least on Surface.
30 Oct 11 UT: Russia Fuels Phobos-Grunt and sets Mars Launch for November 9.
22 Oct 11 Icarus Volume 216, Issue 1, November 2011 ($):

21 Oct 11 SMH: Birth of a planet caught on camera.
21 Oct 11 EPSL($): Abiotic [non-biological] methane flux from the Chimaera seep and Tekirova ophiolites (Turkey): Understanding gas exhalation from low temperature serpentinization and implications for Mars + Columbia Hills — An exhumed layered igneous intrusion on Mars?
21 Oct 11 Nature: Finding puts brakes on faster-than-light neutrinos.
21 Oct 11 Space.com: Comet-Seeded Alien Oceans Could Be Common.
21 Oct 11 UT: Paul Spudis’ Plan for a Sustainable and Affordable Lunar Base - see also Moon Base
6 Oct 11 BBC: Impacts 'more likely' to have spread life from Earth - see also Transpermia.
6 Oct 11 UT: Were Martian Rocks Weathered by Water?
6 Oct 11 Space.com: Huge Mars Crater an 'Intriguing' Target for Next NASA Rover.
8 Sep 11 NewSci: Giant Mars crater hints at steamy past + ($) Scour Earth for traces of intelligent aliens
8 Sep 11 Acta Astronautica ($): Footprints of alien technology + SETI: The transmission rate of radio communication and the signal's detection + Flight status of IKAROS deep space solar sail demonstrator + SETI and astrobiology: The Rio Scale and the London Scale
3 Sep 11 BBC: Volcanic rock rafts 'could have been cradles of life'.
2 Sep 11 Space.com: At Mars Crater, NASA Rover Finds Evidence of Ancient Water Hotspot - see also Asteroids - now for the good news
31 Aug 11 SpaceDaily: Epic search for evidence of life on Mars heats up with focus on high-tech instruments.
31 Aug 11 UT: Human Mission to an Asteroid: Asteroid Field Testing + Jaw-Dropping 3-D Rock Garden on Mars.
26 Aug 11 The Australian: Neil Armstrong urges return to the moon to train for Mars.
26 Aug 11 Icarus ($):

24 Aug 11 WP: Oldest ‘microfossils’ raise hopes for life on Mars.
24 Aug 11 BBC: Impacts 'more likely' to have spread life from Earth. (see also Swapping Rocks)
24 Aug 11 UT: Human Mission to an Asteroid: Why Should NASA Go? - “The human mission to an asteroid is an extremely important national goal,” Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart told Universe Today. “It will focus both NASA’s and the nation’s attention on we humans extending our capability beyond Earth/Moon space and into deep space. This is an essential capability in order to ultimately get to Mars, and a relatively short mission to a near-Earth asteroid is a logical first step in establishing a deep space human capability.”
23 Aug 11 NewSci: Evidence for Mars floods all dried up? Lava, not water, may have carved the biggest channels on Mars. [maybe both sources? Many channels end in huge alluivial deposits from water]
22 Aug 11 NewSci: Oldest reliable fossils show early life was a beach- The oldest compelling fossil evidence for cellular life has been discovered on a 3.43-billion-year-old beach in western Australia...But the new find does open a new line of inquiry for astrobiologists looking for life on Mars...
9 Aug 11 NASA: NASA Research Shows DNA Building Blocks Can Be Made in Space + Space.com Video.
7 Aug 11 NYT: For NASA, Return Trip to Jupiter in Search of Clues to Solar System’s Origins.
7 Aug 11 ABC: Flowing water on Mars could hold key to life - interview with Phil Christensen
5 Aug 11 NASA: NASA Spacecraft Data Suggest Water Flowing on Mars. See also Potential for microbe colonisation of Mars by rocks launched into space by the Chicxulub impact [my estimate for Earth-life-bearing meteoroids landing in liquid water on Mars might be way too conservative]
1 Aug 11: Watch Amazon for the release of Carl Sagan's many books in Kindle format.
26 Jul 11 Space.com: Evidence Builds For Water on Mars - plus NASA: Next Mars lander headed for Gale Crater.
22 Jul 11 (back from vacation!) SpaceDaily: NASA's Hubble Discovers Another Moon Around Pluto + Dawn Spacecraft Beams Back New Photo [of Vesta].
1 Jun 11 SciAm: What's Flinging Comets Out of the Oort Cloud? A planet-size object could be behind the odd departure of some comets from the Oort Cloud--and toward us
1 Jun 11 Nature: Enceladus named sweetest spot for alien life.
30 May 11 BBC: Robots and humans target asteroids
30 May 11 Nature: Critics weigh in on arsenic life.
26 May 11 SciAm: A Mars Panorama Mosaic: Bidding Farewell to NASA's Spirit Rover.
25 May 11 Nature: Evidence mounts for liquid water on [Saturn's] Enceladus.
25 May 11 SciAm: Change Rattles Arecibo Radio Telescope.
24 May 11 Space Review: A transorbital railroad to Mars.
23 May 11 SciAm: The Myth of Evil Aliens + Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society: The detection of extra-terrestrial life and the consequences for science and society (Feb 2011- authors include: Paul Davies, Charles Cockell, Chris McKay, Frank Drake & Colin Pillinger...)
20 May 11 NewSci: Where should NASA land its next Mars rover?
18 May 11 Space.com: Is the Rocky Alien Planet Gliese 581d Really Habitable?
8 May 11 UT: More Evidence of Liquid Erosion on Mars?
8 May 11 SpaceDaily: A Water Ocean on Titan [?]
21 Apr 11 Space.com: One Possible Small Step Toward Mars Landing: A Martian Moon - see also Phobos mission
8 Apr 11 Catalyst: Where Are All the Aliens?
6 Apr 11 Cosmos Magazine: Pioneer anomaly solved.
5 Apr 11 Space Review: Review: First Contact.
30 Mar 11 ABC Science Show: Gemini images distant planets - maybe this telescope can also detect asteroid impacts with rocky extrasolar planets
29 Mar 11 EPSL ($): Mud volcanoes in the geologic record of Mars: The case of Firsoff crater.
28 Mar 11 SciAm: The Origin of Life (a bit lean on detail)
22 Mar 11 NewSci: NASA and ESA 'divorce' over money - space missions in jeopardy
22 Mar 11 Space.com: New Estimate for Alien Earths: 2 Billion in Our Galaxy Alone
18 Mar 11 Space.com: NASA Probe Becomes First Spacecraft to Orbit Mercury.
8 Mar 11 Space Review: A dark future for exploration by Lou Friedman
8 Mar 11 UT: Claim of Alien Life in Meteorites Needs Further Review + Space.com: Scientists Dubious Over Claim of Alien Life Evidence in Meteorite.
8 Mar 11 NewSci: NASA should bring Mars rocks back to Earth, says panel.
18 Feb 11 Space.com: Meet Mimas: Saturn's Death Star Moon.
3 Feb 11 Space.com: NASA Identifies 54 Potentially Habitable Alien Planets
3 Feb 11 NASA: Earth-Size Planet Candidates Found in Habitable Zone - "Candidates require follow-up observations to verify they are actual planets..."
3 Feb 11 UT: Martian Meteorite Reveals Ancient Water Flows, Methane.
2 Feb 11 Acta Astronautica Volume 68 (selection):

Apollo: Learning from the past, for the future
Project Icarus: A review of local interstellar medium properties of relevance for space missions to the nearest stars
A gravity loading countermeasure skinsuit (Dr James Waldie)
A novel autonomous low-cost on-board data handling architecture for a pin-point planetary lander
Europa Orbiter tour design with Io gravity assists
Ultralight deployable booms for solar sails and other large gossamer structures in space
Investigation of nuclear electric powered interstellar precursor missions
Northern light drill for Mars: Performance evaluation

28 Jan 11 Space.com: Mars Hides More Water [near equator] Than Thought, Study Suggests. See also ice on Mars.
27 Jan 11 BBC: 'Life chemicals' may have formed around far-flung star.
27 Jan 11 SpaceDaily: New images of martian moon [Phobos] released.
13 Jan 11 Australian Science ($): Is Intelligence Out There? + Fossilised Stromatolites Push Back Date for the Great Oxidation Event + Fool’s Gold: The Search for Early Life
11 Jan 11 NASA: NASA's Kepler Mission Discovers Its First Rocky Planet.
11 Jan 11 Space Review: Review: Talking About Life + Human operations beyond LEO by the end of the decade: An affordable near-term stepping stone.
6 Jan 11 NewSci: Mysteries of Lake Vostok on brink of discovery + Apollo 13: Houston, we've had a problem (new transcripts) + The solar system spins onto the iPad (vendor)
4 Jan 11 Space.com: Surface of Mars Possibly Shaped By Plate Tectonics In Recent Past.
4 Jan 11 SciAm: Contact: The Day After - Frank Drake
30 Dec 10 SpaceDaily: Viking Results Revisited - see also Viking Data Still Cause Stir About Mars Life (2001)
24 Dec 10 NewSci: Did 'Martian' methane signal come from Earth?
24 Dec 10 NASA JPL: Phobos Passes in Front of Sun's Face (video) + Opportunity Studying a Football-Field Size Crater
23 Dec 10 EPSL($): Earliest microbially mediated pyrite oxidation in ~ 3.4 billion-year-old sediments
21 Dec 10 SpaceDaily: NASA's arsenic life-form scientist answers critics. More at www.ironlisa.com (Fe + lisa!)
21 Dec 10 Space Review: Rocket to nowhere (by Lou Friedman) + How I Killed Pluto (book review)
15 Dec 10 NewSci: Voyager 1 probe reaches new solar system frontier.
14 Dec 10 Space Review: 2010 the year commercial human spaceflight made contact + The case for a human asteroid mission + Breaking the shackles of Apollo.
10 Dec 10 NASA: Odyssey Orbiter Nears Martian Longevity Record - excellent slide show of Odysssey images.
7 Dec 10 The Space Review: Searching for ET - by Lou Friedman (TPS co-founder)
3 Dec 10 NewSci: Arsenic-eating bacteria point to new life forms.
3 Dec 10 Space.com: Martian Meteorite Not Evidence of Extraterrestrials, Scientists Say.
3 Dec 10 NewSci: Hardy bugs could survive a million years on Mars - see also Potential for microbe colonisation of Mars by rocks launched into space by the Chicxulub impact
17 Nov 10 SpaceDaily: A Strategy To Search For Life On Mars.
17 Nov 10 Space.com: Search for Life on Mars a Top Priority for Robot Probes, Scientists Say + Dwarf Planet Eris May Be Smaller Than Pluto After All.
8 Nov 10 UT: Sagan Day Essays + NASA Kepler: Sagan Celebration (Sagan Day is 9th November) . TPSAV links.
4 Nov 10 BBC: Gravity suit mimics Earth's pull for astronauts.
1 Nov 10 NewSci: Superhero suit to strengthen astronauts' bones - congratulations to Australian Dr James Waldie for this method of overcoming bone wastage on long spaceflights
1 Nov 10 UT: Ancient Hot Springs Spotted on Mars + SpaceDaily: Ancient Mars Was Wet, Cozy And Life Friendly + NASA: Silica on a Mars Volcano Tells of Wet and Cozy Past.
1 Nov 10 TPS: Like Sand on a Beach: New Study Suggests Earth-Size Planets are “Everywhere”.
30 Oct 10 NASA: Study Links [some] Fresh Mars Gullies to Carbon Dioxide + Trapped Mars Rover Finds Evidence of Subsurface Water.
22 Oct 10 Space.com: Meteorite-Based Debate Over Martian Life Is Far from Over.
18 Oct 10 NewSci ($*): Arctic bugs may have the longest life-cycle on Earth - with a hibernation period of up to 100 million years, [thermophile] bacteria discovered on the Arctic sea floor may have the longest life cycle of any known organism. Perfect for transpermia * New Scientist has "improved" its online services and I now find it impossible to log-in and view full articles. If you also have problems let them know by clicking on the Contact link at the foot of their pages.
18 Sep 10 Acta Astronautica: Special Issue on Searching for Life Signatures
14 Sep 10 Space Review: Debating the future of human spaceflight + The real mistakes of the space shuttle program.
14 Sep 10 Space.com: Building Blocks for Life on Mars Possibly Seen By Viking Probes, Study Suggests (see also Viking Data Still Cause Stir About Mars Life )
10 Sep 10 NASA: NASA Data Shed New Light About Water and Volcanoes on Mars.
1 Sep 10 Space.com: NASA Narrows List of Asteroid Targets for Manned Mission.
25 Aug 10 6 Meeting on Oct 10 in Sydney: Buzz [Aldrin] at Australian Geographic Annual Awards Dinner
20 Aug 10 SpaceDaily: Mud Volcanoes On Mars (another place for microbe-laden Earth rocks to land)
18 Aug 10 Dymocks has a book with great pictures of Mars on special (at stores only): Visions of Mars by Oliver de Goursac
18 Aug 10 NewSci: Found: World's oldest animal fossils - Flinders Ranges South Australia.
17 Aug 10 Space.com: Proof of Aliens Could Come Within 25 Years, Scientist Says.
7 Aug 10 Space.com: Solar Sail Spacecraft Steers with Sunlight for First Time.
5 Aug 10 NSA JPL: Hundreds of New Views from Telescope Orbiting Mars.
5 Aug 10 SciAm: Mercury Rising: MESSENGER Reveals Volcanism, Magnetic Storms and a Complex Exosphere on the Solar System's Smallest Planet.
31 Jul 10 TPS: Update on the NASA Authorization Bill - "a mess"
30 Jul 10 BBC: Mars site may hold 'buried [fossilised] life' - not sure what is meant by "dark side of Mars"? See also Potential for microbe colonisation of Mars by rocks launched into space by the Chicxulub impact
24 Jul 10 NASA: NASA Spacecraft Camera Yields Most Accurate Mars Map.
20 Jul 10 Space.com: New Planet-Hunting Method Could Find Earth-Like Alien Worlds - maybe even exoplanet impacts?
20 Jul 10 UT: Developers Say Lunar Elevator Could be Built Within a Decade.
3 Jul 10 Nature: [Very] Early multicellular life + ($) Large colonial organisms with coordinated growth in oxygenated environments 2.1 Gyr ago (thanks Duncan Steel)
2 Jul 10 White House: NATIONAL SPACE POLICY of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA - The Administrator of NASA shall: Set far-reaching exploration milestones

By 2025, begin crewed missions beyond the moon, including sending humans to an asteroid. By the mid-2030s, send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth...
Pursue capabilities, in cooperation with other departments, agencies, and commercial partners, to detect, track, catalog, and characterize near-Earth objects to reduce the risk of harm to humans from an unexpected impact on our planet and to identify potentially resource-rich planetary objects (thanks Duncan Steel)

25 Jun 10 ESA: Was Venus once a habitable planet? (see also transpermia)
25 Jun 10 NASA: New Clues Suggest Wet Era on Early Mars Was Global.
22 Jun 10 Space Review: The true benefit of human Mars exploration + The need to elevate the debate + Making the path for human spaceflight less rocky.
8 Jun 10 BBC: Huge seas 'once existed on Mars' (4 billion years ago!)
8 Jun 10 Space.Daily: Experts Say Life Could Survive On Mars.
8 Jun 10 UT: Alien Life on Titan? Hang on Just a Minute…
3 Jun 10 UT: Voyager 2 Update from Dr. Ed Stone.
27 May 10 NASA: NASA Orbiter Penetrates Mysteries of Martian Ice Cap.
22 May 10 National Space Society's International Space Development Conference: Zubrin to Debate Rusty Schweickart on New Space Policy at ISDC - May 27 Chicago
18 May 10 NewSci: Mysterious ball lightning may be a hallucination - a plausible explanation for UFOs on Earth and in space?
11 May 10 BBC: 'Cosmonauts' chosen for Mars test [simulation]
11 May 10 Space Review: Destination: onward - Reinventing NASA to meet the challenge of its new mission + The post-American Moon.
8 May 10 Icarus ($): Testing the survival of microfossils in artificial martian sedimentary meteorites during entry into Earth’s atmosphere : The STONE 6 experiment - living organisms probably need to be protected by at least 5 cm of rock in order to be shielded from the intense heat of entry. (see also transpermia)
30 Apr 10 Space.com: Seeing [meeting?] Aliens Will Likely Take Centuries.
29 Apr 10 (busy morning for planetary news!) Nature: Asteroid ice hints at rocky start to life on Earth - "The old-fashioned picture of the Solar System in which asteroids are asteroids and comets are comets is getting harder to sustain." (see microplanets) + BBC: Asteroid Themis has 'frosted surface'
29 Apr 10 Space.com: Search for Alien [microbe] Life Set to Take Giant Leap Forward
29 Apr 10 SpaceDaily: Earth Microbes May Contaminate Search For Life On Mars
29 Apr 10 NewSci: We're flying to an asteroid – but which one? + Common Mars rock can preserve microfossils after all.
27 Apr 10 NewSci: Stephen Hawking says Earth should not phone ET [a bit late - they have been watching "I Love Lucy" for decades!] + Obama: Asteroid is NASA's next stop in space + Martian tubes could be home for 'cavenauts' + Self-starter: Life got going all on its own [seems a little optimistic]
26 Apr 10 SpaceDaily: Poor Pluto: Number Of Dwarf Planets Increases (see my essay on "microplanets" from 1999)
25 Apr 10 WSJ: Is Anybody Out There? by Paul Davies - based on the book The Eerie Silence: Are we Alone in the Universe - a great introduction to astrobiology and SETI
16 Apr 10 SpaceDaily: Obama aims to send astronauts to Mars orbit in 2030s + BBC: Obama sets Mars goal for America + UT: Obama Wants Mission to Asteroid by 2025, Mars by mid-2030's (see Phobos mission and the TPS 2008 Roadmap)
16 Apr 10 Space.com: Oldest Mars Meteorite Younger Than Thought. (ALH84001!)
4 Apr 10 Icarus: Temporary liquid water in upper snow/ice sub-surfaces on Mars? + A photohabitable zone in the martian snowpack? A laboratory and radiative-transfer study of dusty water–ice snow (See also snow on Mars + Glaciers on Mars - a safe landing for hitchhiking microbes from Earth) + Methane adsorption on a martian soil analog: An abiogenic explanation for methane variability in the martian atmosphere +
31 Mar 10 UT: Astronaut Explains Why We Should Return to the Moon.
26 Mar 10 Nature: Comet crash creates potential for life.
26 Mar 10 NewSci: Microbes thrive in harsh, Mars-like lakes.
25 Mar 10 NASA: Mars Rover Examines Odd Material at Small, Young Crater - if only it was "desert varnish"
24 Mar 10 NASA: NASA Mars Rover Getting Smarter as it Gets Older.
19 Mar 10 Science ($): An Evolving View of Saturn’s Dynamic Rings + Saturn: Atmosphere, Ionosphere, and Magnetosphere
18 Mar 10 BBC: New exoplanet like 'one of ours'.
18 Mar 10 EPSL: Tungsten isotopic evolution during late-stage accretion: Constraints on Earth–Moon equilibration + Magnetic properties of lunar materials: Meteorites, Luna and Apollo returned samples
16 Mar 10 ESA: Phobos flyby images + BBC: Mars moon Phobos seen in detail by European probe.
16 Mar 10 Nature: Japan prepares for Venus countdown.
14 Mar 10 BBC: Obama Nasa plans 'catastrophic' say Moon astronauts.
10 Mar 10 Nature: Old rocks drown dry Moon theory - Samples collected during Apollo missions suggest a wet interior, raising questions about lunar origins.
3 Mar 10 UT: Buzz Aldrin Says We Can Get to Mars by 2019.
3 Mar 10 NASA: Radar Map of Buried Martian Ice Adds to Climate Record - Extensive radar mapping of the middle-latitude region of northern Mars shows that thick masses of buried ice are quite common beneath protective coverings of rubble.
3 Mar 10 UT: Follow Closest Flyby of Phobos in Real Time + Phoenix Still Silent as Martian Ice Recedes.
3 Mar 10 BBC: Ice deposits found at Moon's pole.
27 Feb 10 NASA: NASA Announces 2010 Carl Sagan Fellows.
26 Feb 10 Science ($): Iceball Mars Proving a Tough Place to Find Liquid Water.
25 Feb 10 ABC: There's iron in them thar Martian hills - research by Malcolm Walter, Michael West and Jonathan Clarke published in Planetary and Space Science special issue: Exploring other worlds by exploring our own: The role of terrestrial analogue studies in planetary exploration.
19 Feb 10 NewSci: [Frank] Drake wants off-world listening post for alien messages.
19 Feb 10 BBC: Nasa rides 'bucking bronco' to Mars (Mars Science Laboratory)
17 Feb 10 Space.com: Martian Hunting: The Search for Extraterrestrial Genomes - see also Your ancestors may be Martian
17 Feb 10 ESA: Phobos flyby season starts again.
16 Feb 10 NewSci: Dusty mirrors on the moon obscure tests of relativity.
12 Feb 10 NewSci ($): Martian sheen: Life on the rocks + Space 2020: what NASA will do next + NASA moon plan was an illusion, wrapped in denial.
11 Feb 10 Selected LPSC2010 papers:

6 Feb 10 BBC: Could life exist on Jupiter moon? See also Estimated flux of rocks bearing viable lifeforms exchanged between Earth and Mars (discusses chances of Earth-life reaching the ocean of Europa)
4 Feb 10 New Scientist: Destination Phobos: humanity's next giant leap (see Phobos mission)
29 Jan 10 Space.com: President Obama to Propose Abandoning NASA's Moon Plan (and Mars?)
28 Jan 10 Acta Astronautica ($): A concept for the entry, descent, and landing of high-mass payloads at Mars + Update on the Ares V to support heavy lift for U.S. space exploration policy.
28 Jan 10 NewSci: Destination Phobos: humanity's next giant leap (see Phobos mission)
27 Jan 10 Nature: Plans for alien contact found wanting.
27 Jan 10 UT: No More Roving for Spirit + Popular Australian Astronomer Honored For Service to Astronomy
24 Jan 10 NewSci: Hello ET, we come in peace + Exolanguage: do you speak alien? + Ares 1 is 'safest choice' to replace shuttle.
12 Jan 10 Space.com: Arthur C. Clarke's '2010' Still Beyond Reality.
12 Jan 10 Space Review: Complexity and danger + The exoplanet explosion + The future of American human space exploration and the “Critical Path”.
5 Jan 10 BBC: Mars' ancient lake beds spied by Nasa probe
5 Jan 10 Space Review: Why should humans go to Mars?
1 Jan 10 Science ($): Obama Backs New Launcher And Bigger NASA Budget - President Barack Obama plans to ask Congress to cancel work on a new rocket and instead fund a heavy-lift launcher to take humans to the moon, asteroids, and the moons of Mars.

News archive (from Nov 1997)

Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan in Ithaca 1995.

Carl Sagan is one of the founders of TPS. He died on Dec.20, 1996 after 62 revolutions around our star. Carl and Ann's main works include

1. Billions and Billions (new),
2.Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
3. The Demon-Haunted World
4. Cosmos (TV series and book) Now available on DVD.

review

New

"Carl Sagan's Universe"

extract from an early Sagan book "Planets"

"We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers."
[Carl in Cosmos 1980]
"May your husband be an inspiration to all for the search for truth."
[Horst to Ann 1/1/97]

Horst's Tribute to Carl Sagan - updated 14 Feb 1998.

24 Dec 06 Planetary Society: Where Would We Be With Carl? by Ann Druyan

Contact details: Carl Sagan Productions (West) Inc.
7165 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, California 90046-4417 USA
Contact: Kent Gibson or Ann Druyan
www.carl-sagan.com
Quote:"The COSMOS series has recently been fully acquired by Carl Sagan Productions but it cannot be sold until the music rights have been re-cleared. We are planning to re-issue it on DVD and VHS after the legal work is complete." (20 Oct 1999)
12 Nov 2000 Project Voyager: OneCosmos represents the realization of a shared lifelong hope to organize and lead a team that will deliver the vision of Cosmos through every available screen: spectacular living Internet, engaging television and cinematic works of art.

Related sites:

Links with rankings
Astronomy magazine Oct 1999 Carl Sagan's Coming of Age
ONE LIFE, TWO TAKES (Scientific American, Sept 1999)
Planetary Society Tribute
Cornell University press release on Dr Sagan's death
NASA's Carl Sagan page
Carl Sagan Home Page
WWW Places of Interest to Dr. Sagan
CSICOP/Skeptical Inquirer (Dr Sagan was one of the founders)
'Kidnapped by UFOs?' Nova interviews Sagan
Carl Sagan's Honors
Interview with Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan Photo Gallery
Clark Chapman's tribute
The Baloney Kit from the Demon Haunted World
Scientific American's Review of 1997 is a tribute to Carl Sagan - many of the scientific achievements of the year were linked to him.
Marie Smith's webpage.
NASA Solar System Exploration - Solar System missions could not exist without the brilliant minds behind them. Carl Sagan and Donna Shirley represent two such minds. They have been among the most important contributors to the efforts of space exploration.
1 Aug 11: Watch Amazon for the release of Carl Sagan's many books in Kindle format.

Top of page

Founders of The Planetary Society

The founders of the Planetary Society: Bruce Murray, Carl Sagan and Louis Friedman in front of the TPS home in Pasadena, California.

Top of page

About TPS Australian Volunteer Coordinators

The Australian Volunteer Coordinators are members of The Planetary Society (an international non-profit organisation based in the USA). They help with planetary-science related events in Australia. There are several such groups around the world (see web links).

TPSAVC Seminars

SETI from Australia, Canberra, October 9, 1993.
Dr Roberta Vaile, late CSIRO Honorary Fellow, University of Western Sydney.
Dr Jeff Kingwell, CSIRO Office of Space Science & Applications, Canberra.
Mr Ted Ankrum, NASA Senior Representative in Australia, Canberra.
Dr Guillermo Lemarchand, The Planetary Society, University of Buenos Aires, S.A.
Mr Wilson da Silva, Reuters and 21C Magazine, Melbourne.

SETI SEMINAR, Australian Science Festival, Canberra, May 1994.
Professor Marcus Price, Director, Parkes Radiotelescope, ATNF CSIRO.

PLANETARY SOCIETY SEMINARS, Australian Science Festival, Canberra, May 1995.
Dr Jill Tarter, Chief Scientist, Project Phoenix, SETI Institute, California.
Ms Erica Sloan, NSSS - ANU, Russian Soyuz Society, Canberra.
Dr Malcolm Walter, Macquarie University, NASA-Mars Pathfinder, Sydney.

PLANETARY SOCIETY SEMINAR, Australian Science Festival, Canberra, May 1996.
Dr Raghbir Bhathal, Chair, SETI Australia Centre, University of Western Sydney.

PLANETARY SOCIETY SEMINAR, Australian Science Festival, Canberra, May 1997.
Dr Malcolm Walter, Macquarie University, NASA-Mars Pathfinder, Sydney.

PLANETARY SOCIETY SEMINAR, Australian Science Festival, Canberra, May 5, 1998.
Dr Miriam Baltuck, NASA Senior Representative in Australia, Canberra.

"Collision Course" seminar, Australian Science Festival, Canberra, May 5, 1999. Dr Ken Russell, Anglo-Australian Observatory, asteroid hazards.

"Australian Astronomy in the New Millennium", Australian Science Festival, Canberra, May 3, 2000
Prof Ray Norris, Head, Astrophysics and Computing Group, CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility.

Is there water on Mars? Lecture by Dr Nick Hoffman, 7:30 pm, April 5th, 2001 Old ArtsTheatre D (Building 149, ground floor), University of Melbourne. Tickets $2 at the door - contact Kevin Walsh

Diary - Planetary Events in Australia

See also Ian Musgrave's 'Southern Sky Watch' page and Paul Floyd's Space Events for amateur astronomy events. See this TPS page for (mostly) US events.

28 Nov 11 Sydney: Jonathan Nally, freelance astronomy and space writer and broadcaster will bring us up to date on the Russian Phobos-Grunt mission.Monday 28 November 2011 from 7pm at the Discovery Room (basement), Sydney Observatory, Watson Road, The Rocks. All welcome.
29 Aug 11 Sydney ObServatory: Bernie Davison from the Australian Space Research Institute will talk about their Woomera launch campaigns. Free.
Sydney Space Association meeting at Sydney Observatory, Monday 29 August 2011 at 7pm, Watson Rd, The Rocks.
26 August 11 Sydney Powerhouse Museum: Your chance to sleep on Mars! Two children (and two friends) will win a free sleepover with an extra twist – they will be allowed exclusively to sleep on the museum's amazing simulated Martian landscape. Details at Ultimo Science Festival's Big Science Sleepover.
25 July 11 Sydney: Professor Salah Sukkarieh, Australian Centre for Field Robotics, University of Sydney - Sydney Space Association meeting, Sydney Observatory, Discovery Room, The Rocks, Monday 25 July from 7pm.
30 May 11 Sydney - Sydney Space Association: The Space Station – speaker Wayne Short NSSA, Monday, 30 May 2011 from 7pm at Sydney Observatory.
7-15 Mar 11 Most major cities: Engineers Australia: Advanced Composites Technologies for Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles by Dr Mark Shuart from NASA.
28th Feb-3rd Mar 2011 Australian International Aerospace Congress in Melbourne
16 Feb 11 Sydney Space Association meeting, 7pm sharp, Powerhouse Museum Learning Centre, Harris Street, Ultimo.
17 Nov 10 Sydney: Sydney Space Society - Great Expectations. Powerhouse Museum. 7pm.
6 Oct 10 Sydney: Nemesis: The Search for Antimatter in the Universe - Presented by Professor Joss Bland-Hawthorn, Federation Fellow at the University of Sydney, Wednesday 6 October 2010, 5:45pm - 6:45pm
6 Oct 10 Sydney: Buzz [Aldrin] at Australian Geographic Annual Awards Dinner
19 Sep 10 Sydney Observatory: Walking in Space: NASA astronaut Dr. James Reilly
18 Aug 10 Sydney - Sydney Space Association: ‘Situation of wonder’ the evolution of the universe presentation. Wednesday, 18 August at 7pm sharp Powerhouse Museum Ultimo.
15 Jul 2010 Canberra: Prof Jim Bell will be speaking about the Mars rovers at the CSIRO Discovery Centre, North Science Rd, 6pm Thu 15th July.
20 Aug 09 Sydney Space Association Public meeting, Thursday 20 August 2009, 7pm sharp at the Powerhouse Museum, Learning Centre 2nd level. Continues the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing with a video.
17-19 Jul 2009 Adelaide Mars Society of Australia: 9th Australian Mars Exploration Conference, Adelaide.
10 Jul 09 Melbourne: Mars Exploration Rovers: Overview of Geologic, Geochemical, and Mineralogic Results
Dr. Jim Bell, President, The Planetary Society, Friday July 10, 2009, 4:00 pm, Fritz Loewe Theatre School of Earth Sciences
University of Melbourne Corner of Swanston and Elgin Sts. Free
9 Jul 09 Sydney: Sydney Space Association special video evening. Thursday, 9 July at 7pm sharp. Powerhouse Museum Learning Centre, 2nd level, Harris St Ultimo.
23 Apr 09 Sydney MSA: "Analogue Mars Base Scenario" by Dr Jason Held, Time: 5:30 pm, Location: Lecture Room 5, Physics Building, University of Sydney
28 Jan 09 AAO + CSIRO + Science in Public: Launch and update of events for the International Year of Astronomy in Australia, to be held at the National Science and Technology Centre, Questacon, 10:00-11:00 am on Wednesday 28 January.
20 Aug 08 Sydney Space Association: Extraordinary Meeting at Powerhjluse Museum, 6.30pm. Contact Val Rogers: 4367 2408.
4 Jul 08 Mars Society of Australia: The 8th Australian Mars Exploration Conference will be held in Adelaide over the weekend of 4th - 6th July, 2008.
7 Feb 08 East Coast of Australia: Partial solar eclipse. Starts at 14:52 in Sydney, peaks at 15:44 - see Paul Floyd's Fact Sheet. Tips for safe observing.
9 Oct 07 Sydney: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Exploring Mars: The Journey of the Mars Exploration Rovers - Dr Mark Adler, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Tuesday 9th October 2007. Free. Please be seated by 6:20pm. For further information, contact Ron Houghton or Jeff Lock
6-14 Oct Sydney: 50th Anniversary of Space Celebrations at the Powerhouse Museum:

Australia in Space, Sat 6 October, 1.30pm , Prof. Iver Cairns, Research Professor in Space Physics, University of
Sydney.
The Drake Equation: a modern review, Sat 6 October, 3.30pm, Wilson da Silva, Editor-in-Chief, Cosmos Magazine
Blast Off: adventures from the dawn of the Space Age to the present , Sun 7 October, 2.00pm , Dr. Ken McCracken, Research Fellow, University of Maryland
50th Years of Spaceflight: the highlights, Wed 10 October, 12.30pm , Kerrie Dougherty, Curator, Space Technology, Powerhouse Museum
The Spitzer Space Telescope, Sun 14 October, 3.30pm, Robert K. Wilson, the Spitzer Project Manager
Surfing the Solar System with Lucy Hawking - the young person's guide to
the universe Sunday 14 October 2.00 - 3.00pm

5 Oct 07 Sydney WEA: Sputnik: 50 Years in Space. 6pm $35.
28 Aug 07 Total Lunar Eclipse - visible from most of Australia. Partial eclipse starts 6.50pm AEST, full eclipse starts 7.52pm. Ends 9.22pm. See Paul Floyd's newsletter.
18 July 07 Sydney 7pm: Astrophotography and the Discovery of the Universe - free talk by Prof David Malin at Warringah Council Chambers - Dee Why.
13-15 July 2007 Perth: 7th Annual Mars Exploration Conference (AMEC) by the Mars Society of Australia.
7 April 07 Eastern Australia around 8.30pm: The Moon will pass in front of or 'occult' Antares (the brightest star in the ancient Greek constellation Scorpius The Scorpion) on the evening ofSaturday 7 April 2007. Information Sheet from Paul Floyd.
18-21 Jan 07 Hunter Valley NSW: The IceInSpace AstroCamp at Lostock is a new star party, in only it's 2nd year, being organised by the IceInSpace community. The event will be held over 3 nights, from the 18th to the 21st of January 2007, at Lostock Scout Camp, Lostock in the beautiful Hunter Valley area of NSW.
9 Nov 06: For Eastern Australian residents the Transit of Mercury will be visible from just after dawn on Thursday 9th of November to late morning. See Paul Floyd's webcast. ASA Factsheet. Tips for safe observing. Thanks for the tips Ian Musgrave.
13-15 Oct 06 Melbourne: MSA - Australian Mars Exploration Conference - AMEC 2006
2 Sep 06 Sydney: Powerhouse Museum, "Roving on Mars: The Continuing Saga of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover
Missions" - Dr. James W. Rice, Jr, Arizona State University, 2:00pm - 3:00pm, Target Theatre, Powerhouse Museum (thanks MSA)
21-22 Jun 06 Canberra: From Stars to Brains: pathways to consciousness in the natural world - Manning Clark House, 20-21 June, 2006, at the Academy of Science, Canberra, A.C.T
5 Apr 06 Sydney Uni: Sydney Science Forum with Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.
13 Mar 06 Sydney Uni Dean's Annual Lecture: "My personal experiences as an astronaut" by Andy Thomas + "Astronaut Training" by Shannon Walker. Mon 13 Mar at 5.30pm. Invitation (PDF)
26-30 Jan 06 Star Party DownUnder at Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, Northern Flinders Ranges, South Australia - magnificant scenery, geology and astronomy.
1 Dec 05 Uni Sydney: Time: 6.30pm, Location: Eastern Avenue Auditorium, F19, Camperdown campus , Cost: Free "Seeking extraterrestrial physics and intelligence during the international year of physics" by Dr Jill Tarter, of the SETI Institute, (thanks for news tip Michael West)
7 Nov 05 MSA: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter - Jim Graf, Project Manager for the Mission, NASA JPL - Common Room, School of Physics, Old Main Building, UNSW,Monday November 7, 3pm
13-16 Sep 05 Melbourne: NSSA 5th Australian Space Science Conference.
25 Aug 05 Brisbane: "Spirit, Opportunity, and the Exploration of the Red Planet" by Steve Squyres, 3.15pm for 3.30pm, Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, Please phone 3403 2578 after 11am, Tue to Sun. (thanks Paul Floyd)
19-21 Aug 05 Canberra: MSA 5th Australian Mars Exploration Conference (AMEC) - keynote speaker Steve Squyres from the Mars Rover mission.
13-21 Aug 05 Everywhere: National Science Week 2005 - Astronomy resources from Paul Floyd.
13 Jul 05 Sydney: MSA "Beyond FMARS: The Next Required Evolution of the Mars Analogue Program" by
Jason Held, 6pm, Engineering Conference Room, Level 3, Mechanical Engineering Building, University of Sydney. Contact
nswATmarssociety.org.au
4 Jul 05 Sydney: CSIRO/UniSyd: The Brightest Explosion in History: Amazing Magnetars and the Giant Flare of 27th December by Bryan Gaensler (Harvard), Monday 4 July, 7:30pm - 9:00pm.Webster Theatre, Veterinary Conference Centre, University of Sydney, Contact outreach@physics.usyd.edu.au (thanks Paul Floyd)
23-26 Jun 05 Everywhere, Paul Floyd: [Very] rare June planetary conjunction - see three planets close together just after sunset.
21 Jun 05 Sydney: MSA "AstroVision: The Future of Satellite Imagery or Australia's First Weather Satellite" by Shubber Ali, 6pm , Engineering Conference Room, Level 3, Mechanical . Details from Michael West, NSW MSA.
Engineering Building, University of Sydney - Map Ref N25
17 & 18 Jun 05 Sydney: Sydney Observatory Festival of the Stars
16 Jun 05 ABC TV: Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets - from the producer of Walking With Dinosaurs
16 Jun 05 Queensland: Paul Floyd Daytime occulation of Jupiter bythe Moon - starts around 3.30pm.
17 May 05 Sydney: MSA "Hydrothermal Systems on Mars - the latest from ESA Mars Express and the NASA
Rovers" Location: Engineering Conference Room, Level 3, Mechanical Engineering Building, University of Sydney at 6pm. See also this ACA talk.
14 Apr 05 Frankston, Vic: National Australian Convention of Amateur Astronomers (NACAA)
4 Apr 05 Sydney AIAA: Sydney Section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics will be holding a guest lecture on Monday 4th April at Sydney University. The speaker will be Dr. Allan J. McDonald recently retired as the Science
and Engineering Deputy and Technical Director for Thikol Propulsion. Dr McDonald will speak on his involvement in attempting to delay the launch of the Challenger and the lessons learned from his experiences with the media, the Presidential Commission and the US Congress investigation.
Details: Monday 4th April 2005, Time: 5.30pm for 6.00pm
Venue: Sydney University, Camperdown, Lecture theatre N 205
Off the main quadrangle, opposite side to the clock tower. For more information contact Ron Houghton
14 Feb 05 Perth, MSA: Weathering, erosion and landscape processes on Mars identified from recent rover imagery, and Earth analogues by Dr Colin Pain. Senior Lecture Theatre, Trinity College, Trinity Ave, East Perth. Tuesday, 15th February 2005, 7 for 7.30pm, $5 for Adults, $2 for Under 18s. Further information from Dave Cooper outreach@marssociety.org.au
8 Feb 05 Sydney: SSFS: The Nasa Plan for Space Exploration - Sydney Space Frontier Society Chapter Meeting, 7:30 pm,
SCHOOLS Briefing Room, Level 3, POWERHOUSE Museum, 500 Harris St, Ultimo. Contact Wayne Short.
22 Jan 05 Sydney: Cosmology talk by Paul Davies at Sydney Observatory.
14 Jan 05 Mornington Peninsula, Vic: Starry Nights Forever - Astronomy on the Move (and many more throughout the year)
14 & 15 Jan 05 Sydney: Sydney Observatory Open Night - Saturn viewing. Note that Hugyens lands on Titan on 14 Jan.
28 Nov 04 Sydney: Powerhouse Museum, 'Australia from Space' by NASA Astronaut Dr Story Musgrave. 12.30pm at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.
21 Nov 04 Perth: Monthly Meeting of Mars Society, WA branch. Guildford 6pm.
20 Nov 04 Sydney: Australian Museum TAMS lecture: Mars Attacks! - Dr Phil Plait (the "Bad Astronomer")
17 Nov 04 Melbourne: ANZAAS, Victorian Division: "Exploring Mars with robotic rovers Spirit and Opportunity"MARION ANDERSON (School of Geosciences, Monash University). All welcome, free entry. No booking needed. Kaleide Theatre (RMIT), 360 Swanston Street, Melbourne. Refreshments following the talk. Starting 8 pm.
16 Nov 04 Sydney: Geological Society of Australia free public lecture: 'The Search for Life on Mars, Professor Malcolm Walter (plus other topics), Australian Museum, 6pm.
15 Nov 04 Canberra: Australian Skeptics Society:The Face on Mars - Dr Phil Plait (the "Bad Astronomer"), 8pm, Haydon-Allen Tank, ANU, Canberra
13 Nov 04 Sydney: Australian Skeptics Society: "The Moon Landing Hoax" - Dr Phil Plait (the "Bad Astronomer"), Convention at UTS.
11 Nov 04 Sydney: National Space Society of Australia (and others): Spacecraft to Mars - Garry Lyles, NASA Office of Exploration Systems, Thursday 11th November 2004, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm, Rex Vowels Theatre (Electrical Engineering), University of New South Wales. For RSVP or more details, please contact Jenny Simpson by Ph: 02 9934 5133 or jenny.simpson[AT]weirwarman.com
10 Nov 04 Melbourne: The Planetary Society would like to invite you to a lecture by Dr. Nick Hoffman. Dr. Hoffman is a well-known Mars expert and the originator of the 'White Mars' hypothesis. The exciting new results from NASA's Mars rovers seem to show 'water, water, everywhere', and yet the story is not quite that simple. Although there are widespread signs of the action of water on Mars, the duration of that activity is quite limited. There is also no evidence for an Earth-like climate on Mars, and instead we need to invoke highly acidic solutions that would flow in the ultra-cold conditions that characterise Mars even today. Orbital and surface images are studied to determine the present and past environment of Mars, to learn more about our neighbour in space and our place in the Universe. Is Earth truly a lonely planet?
The talk will be held in the Prince Phillip Theatre, School of Architecture, University of Melbourne, 7:30 pm, Wednesday Nov. 10. The lecture is free and open to the public. For further information, including directions and parking information, please e-mail Kevin Walsh at kevin.walsh[AT]unimelb.edu.au.
9 Nov 04 - Adelaide: National Space Society of Australia (and others): The Spacecraft for Mars - A free public lecture by Garry Lyles, Deputy Director, Development, Division, Office of Exploration Systems, Tuesday 9th November 2004 6:30 to 7:45 pm University of South Australia. Registration at http://www.unisa.edu.au/itee/ (thanks MSA)
9 Nov 04 - Melbourne: Australian Risk Engineering Conference, Engineers Australia. RISK 2004.Keynote Speaker - Duncan Steel,
20 Oct 04 Sydney: Geological Society of Australia free public lectures: 'Are we alone? - Earliest life on Earth, life on Mars and the search for the extra-terrestrial life' Dr Charley Lineweaver and Professor Malcolm Walter (also Canberra 26 Oct, Brisbane 27 Oct)

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