<p>In a series of revelations flowing in from our galactic backyard, geologists have now solved the mysteries surrounding glaciers on Mars. Turns out, our red neighbour has undergone at least 20 separate ice ages!</p>

<p><strong>Why is this important?</strong><br />
The majority of Mars' surface froze over hundreds of millions of years and remains covered in glaciers. For long, scientists wondered whether the glaciers formed as a result of a single Ice Age or by multiple ice ages that eclipsed the red planet over time.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-this-is-what-mars-sounds-like-366041/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Ice ages are caused by a change in obliquity, or put simply - changes in the tilt of a planet's axis. This realisation could help scientists better understand the secret of life on Mars. If the exact timelines of ice ages are ascertained by scientists, then they may also be able to decrypt what lies beneath all the ice on the planet. They may be able to understand what kind of rocks, microbes, gases, and fossils lie beneath the red planet's surface.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/nasa-releases-360-degree-panorama-of-mars-366636" hreflang="en">NASA releases 360-degree panorama of Mars</a></p>

<p>Scientists at Colgate University took up the study, which was led by&nbsp;geology professor Joe Levy. The scientists also received help from NASA, the University of Arizona, Fitchburg State University, and the University of Texas-Austin. "There are really good models for Mars' orbital parameters for the last 20 million years... After that the models tend to get chaotic", Levy said in a release from Colgate University.</p>

<p>Levy's team took into account 45 glaciers and employed high-resolution images which came from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite, which can successfully achieve a resolution of 25 cms per pixel.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/mars-landing-nasas-perseverance-sends-spectacular-new-colour-images-364943" hreflang="en">Mars landing: NASA's Perseverance sends spectacular new colour images</a></p>

<p>Using artificial intelligence, the scientists analysed over 60,000 rocks with a focus on how the rocks are placed on the planet and the sizes of these rocks. They were also looking for signs of erosion. They were able to pinpoint the location of boulders across glaciers on Mars.</p>

<p><strong>How did they reach the conclusion?</strong><br />
Instead of eroding in a fashion that is normally witnessed by scientists, the rocks were moving along the inside of glaciers. This meant that separate flows happened over time, instead of a one-off event.<br />
<br />
Based on this, scientists concluded that Mars underwent six to 20 ice ages in the last 300-800 million years. The scientists published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).</p>


In a series of revelations flowing in from our galactic backyard, geologists have now solved the mysteries surrounding glaciers on Mars. Turns out, our red neighbour has undergone at least 20 separate ice ages!

In a series of revelations flowing in from our galactic backyard, geologists have now solved the mysteries surrounding glaciers on Mars. Turns out, our red neighbour has undergone at least 20 separate ice ages! Why is this important? The majority of Mars' surface froze over hundreds of millions of years and remains covered in glaciers. For long, scientists wondered whether the glaciers formed as a result of a single Ice Age or by multiple ice ages that eclipsed the red planet over time. Ice ages are caused by a change in obliquity, or put simply - changes in the tilt of a planet's axis. This realisation could help scientists better understand the secret of life on Mars. If the exact timelines of ice ages are ascertained by scientists, then they may also be able to decrypt what lies beneath all the ice on the planet. They may be able to understand what kind of rocks, microbes, gases, and fossils lie beneath the red planet's surface. Also read: NASA releases 360-degree panorama of Mars Scientists at Colgate University took up the study, which was led by geology professor Joe Levy. The scientists also received help from NASA, the University of Arizona, Fitchburg State University, and the University of Texas-Austin. "There are really good models for Mars' orbital parameters for the last 20 million years... After that the models tend to get chaotic", Levy said in a release from Colgate University. Levy's team took into account 45 glaciers and employed high-resolution images which came from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite, which can successfully achieve a resolution of 25 cms per pixel. Also read: Mars landing: NASA's Perseverance sends spectacular new colour images Using artificial intelligence, the scientists analysed over 60,000 rocks with a focus on how the rocks are placed on the planet and the sizes of these rocks. They were also looking for signs of erosion. They were able to pinpoint the location of boulders across glaciers on Mars. How did they reach the conclusion? Instead of eroding in a fashion that is normally witnessed by scientists, the rocks were moving along the inside of glaciers. This meant that separate flows happened over time, instead of a one-off event. Based on this, scientists concluded that Mars underwent six to 20 ice ages in the last 300-800 million years. The scientists published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Turns out Mars underwent not one, but up to 20 separate ice ages!

<p>Since the &#39;Space Race&#39; era of exploration&nbsp;between United States and Soviet Union, space technology has witnessed major developments.</p>

<p>Astronomers have carried out the study of space with telescopes and have progressed to take forward&nbsp;physical exploration, both by unmanned robotic probes and human spaceflights.</p>

<p>Early space explorations were carried out for military, communications and security purposes&nbsp;but now space colonisation, or space humanisation, is also emerging as a new frontier.</p>

<p>If you want to know how we fare in terms of space travel in the future, have a look at some of the most kickass upcoming space missions:</p>

<h2>Asteroid mining technology</h2>

<p>This year, the world will witness the first flight in connection with the long-term goal of asteroid mining.&nbsp;The Prospector-X test flight&nbsp;is a precursor to the Prospector-1 mission&nbsp;and will test the company&rsquo;s water-based propulsion, avionics and navigation systems. If successful, the Prospector-1 mission will take place before the end of the decade.&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J0vkqQN44I4" width="970"></iframe></p>

<h2>Blue Origin&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Jeff Bezos&rsquo;s Blue Origin private space firm has a manned test flight dated for early this year. It will be a sub-orbital hop rather than a full-fledged journey into orbit. They also have a space capsule offering&nbsp;large windows and space for up to six people.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-YJhymiZjqc" width="970"></iframe></p>

<h2>Cassini&#39;s grand finale</h2>

<p>NASA&rsquo;s&nbsp;Cassini probe has been orbiting Saturn since 2004, and&nbsp;the space agency is set for a finale this year.&nbsp;Cassini will&nbsp;undertake 22&nbsp;orbits between the inner rings and the planet, capturing information and images. Once the&nbsp;orbits are complete, the probe will burn&nbsp;in Saturn&rsquo;s upper atmosphere.&nbsp;Cassini has made many important discoveries since its launch. It spotted liquid-hydrocarbon lakes on Titan and geysers of water ice blasting from the south polar region of Saturn&rsquo;s moon Enceladus.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/59Br_aZ5i3c" width="970"></iframe></p>

<h2>Chinese probe to&nbsp;land on moon and return with samples</h2>

<p>This is perhaps the most ambitious mission undertaken by the Chinese space agency. So far, China has sent a rover to the moon, but returning back with samples is risky. Chang&rsquo;e 5 mission will see a lunar lander touching down on the moon, gathering samples and bringing them back to Earth. Returning back is difficult as the probe needs to be protected during re-entry.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lBM5swBrKdY" width="970"></iframe></p>

<h2>Dawn&#39;s mission&nbsp;</h2>

<p>NASA&#39;s Dawn spacecraft will complete its task this year. The $467-million Dawn mission was launched in September 2007 to study Vesta and Ceres, the two largest objects in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft has revealed a lot&nbsp;about dry, rocky Vesta and icy Ceres&nbsp;and has found evidence of water ice being&nbsp;common just beneath the dwarf planet&#39;s surface.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5OFgJwdZxRc" width="970"></iframe></p>

<h2>Exoplanet hunter</h2>

<p>NASA will continue the search for exoplanets this year. It is teaming up with SpaceX to launch the TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) space telescope. TESS will monitor more than 200,000 stars for temporary drops in brightness caused by planetary transits. These planets range from gas giants to potential Earth-like planets. It will spend the early years looking for alien planets that cross the faces of their parent stars.&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZsPStvGgNuk" width="970"></iframe></p>

<h2>ESA to launch exoplanet telescope</h2>

<p>The year will witness&nbsp;two space telescopes being launched.&nbsp;CHEOPS, one of the telescopes, will be looking at nearby stars&nbsp;already known to host exoplanets. This will give new information about existing planets.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mwf-zJ0bRb8" width="970"></iframe></p>

<h2>Falcon Heavy</h2>

<p>Expected to launch in spring/summer, Falcon Heavy will be the most powerful rocket in the world. It will be&nbsp;capable of carrying 60 tons (54 metric tons) to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and 24.5 tons (22.2 metric tons) to the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u26-CIDaazQ" width="970"></iframe></p>

<h2>Green alternative to chemical propulsion</h2>

<p>NASA will be launching the Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM)&nbsp;for a new form of green propulsion, as an alternative to hydrazine, the fuel used today. It will lead to&nbsp;fuel loading becoming much safer, faster and less expensive. The alternative also has a higher density than hydrazine with a better thrust and a lower freezing point.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0rKYHLAThYc" width="970"></iframe></p>

<h2>Launching satellites from a Boeing 747</h2>

<p>We have had plenty of satellites being launched into space from a jet aircraft, but firing satellites from a Boeing is completely unheard of. Virgin Galactic will be testing its new LauncherOne&nbsp;programme, which aims to carry&nbsp;a 200 kg payload&nbsp;into a &#39;sun synchronous orbit&#39;&nbsp;for less than $10 million.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L2OT8Fvo1zw" width="970"></iframe></p>

<h2>Private moon landing</h2>

<p>For an award prize of&nbsp;$30 million, two companies will be fighting to land a robotic craft on the moon, a first for a private entity.&nbsp;Google&lsquo;s Lunar X Prize, in the form of Israel&rsquo;s SpaceIL and the USA&rsquo;s Moon Express programmes are looking to award the company which can achieve this feat. To win, they will not just land the spacecraft but will travel 500 metres and transmit HD video/pictures back to Earth.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cuXxBoSYmfc" width="970"></iframe></p>

<h2>Space debris</h2>

<p>The mission is set to launch this year and will test a device that is aimed at capturing&nbsp;orbiting space debris. There will also be a system of spacing junk with an attached dragsail that will allow&nbsp;the existing&nbsp;debris to be pushed out of the orbit. If successful, we might just have less&nbsp;space junk floating around our planet.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ADVlDRmuooA" width="970"></iframe></p>

<p>(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


From mining asteroids to private space flights and even space tourism, here's what you can expect in space exploration in 2017

Since the 'Space Race' era of exploration between United States and Soviet Union, space technology has witnessed major developments. Astronomers have carried out the study of space with telescopes and have progressed to take forward physical exploration, both by unmanned robotic probes and human spaceflights. Early space explorations were carried out for military, communications and security purposes but now space colonisation, or space humanisation, is also emerging as a new frontier. If you want to know how we fare in terms of space travel in the future, have a look at some of the most kickass upcoming space missions: Asteroid mining technology This year, the world will witness the first flight in connection with the long-term goal of asteroid mining. The Prospector-X test flight is a precursor to the Prospector-1 mission and will test the company’s water-based propulsion, avionics and navigation systems. If successful, the Prospector-1 mission will take place before the end of the decade. Blue Origin Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin private space firm has a manned test flight dated for early this year. It will be a sub-orbital hop rather than a full-fledged journey into orbit. They also have a space capsule offering large windows and space for up to six people. Cassini's grand finale NASA’s Cassini probe has been orbiting Saturn since 2004, and the space agency is set for a finale this year. Cassini will undertake 22 orbits between the inner rings and the planet, capturing information and images. Once the orbits are complete, the probe will burn in Saturn’s upper atmosphere. Cassini has made many important discoveries since its launch. It spotted liquid-hydrocarbon lakes on Titan and geysers of water ice blasting from the south polar region of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Chinese probe to land on moon and return with samples This is perhaps the most ambitious mission undertaken by the Chinese space agency. So far, China has sent a rover to the moon, but returning back with samples is risky. Chang’e 5 mission will see a lunar lander touching down on the moon, gathering samples and bringing them back to Earth. Returning back is difficult as the probe needs to be protected during re-entry. Dawn's mission NASA's Dawn spacecraft will complete its task this year. The $467-million Dawn mission was launched in September 2007 to study Vesta and Ceres, the two largest objects in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft has revealed a lot about dry, rocky Vesta and icy Ceres and has found evidence of water ice being common just beneath the dwarf planet's surface. Exoplanet hunter NASA will continue the search for exoplanets this year. It is teaming up with SpaceX to launch the TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) space telescope. TESS will monitor more than 200,000 stars for temporary drops in brightness caused by planetary transits. These planets range from gas giants to potential Earth-like planets. It will spend the early years looking for alien planets that cross the faces of their parent stars. ESA to launch exoplanet telescope The year will witness two space telescopes being launched. CHEOPS, one of the telescopes, will be looking at nearby stars already known to host exoplanets. This will give new information about existing planets. Falcon Heavy Expected to launch in spring/summer, Falcon Heavy will be the most powerful rocket in the world. It will be capable of carrying 60 tons (54 metric tons) to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and 24.5 tons (22.2 metric tons) to the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). Green alternative to chemical propulsion NASA will be launching the Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) for a new form of green propulsion, as an alternative to hydrazine, the fuel used today. It will lead to fuel loading becoming much safer, faster and less expensive. The alternative also has a higher density than hydrazine with a better thrust and a lower freezing point. Launching satellites from a Boeing 747 We have had plenty of satellites being launched into space from a jet aircraft, but firing satellites from a Boeing is completely unheard of. Virgin Galactic will be testing its new LauncherOne programme, which aims to carry a 200 kg payload into a 'sun synchronous orbit' for less than $10 million. Private moon landing For an award prize of $30 million, two companies will be fighting to land a robotic craft on the moon, a first for a private entity. Google‘s Lunar X Prize, in the form of Israel’s SpaceIL and the USA’s Moon Express programmes are looking to award the company which can achieve this feat. To win, they will not just land the spacecraft but will travel 500 metres and transmit HD video/pictures back to Earth. Space debris The mission is set to launch this year and will test a device that is aimed at capturing orbiting space debris. There will also be a system of spacing junk with an attached dragsail that will allow the existing debris to be pushed out of the orbit. If successful, we might just have less space junk floating around our planet. (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

Out-of-the-world space expeditions

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Turns out Mars underwent not one, but up to 20 separate ice ages!

Out-of-the-world space expeditions