That’s The Thing About Girls. Every Time They Do Something Pretty, Even If They’re Not Much To Look

Million-mile high club, nice!

Major Rick Martinez, Andy Weir's The Martian

Mosaic of Mercury images, taken from 125,000 miles away by the Mariner 10 space probe in 1974. (NASA)

Behold Tharsis Montes, three massive shield volcanoes in the Tharsis region of Mars. In this illustration by Dutch artist Kees Veenenbos, using data from NASA’s Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter, we can see the volcanoes Arsia Mons, Pavonis Mons and Ascraeus Mons, southwest to northeast.

(Space 4 Case)

History is a journey. As we continue our journey, we think of those who traveled before us, and we see and hear again the echoes of our own past.

Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United Sates of America

European Scientists Want to Shoot a Giant Bullet at Europa

Europa has been calling to astrobiologists for years. Although its surface is frigid and bombarded with radiation, inside it contains a vast liquid ocean that might be capable of supporting life. NASA is planning to launch an orbiter and lander to Europa in 2022, and during today’s meeting of NASA’s Outer Planets Assessment Group, scientists expressed interest in getting the European Space Agency (ESA) involved in the mission.

The most exciting proposal is for ESA to build a projectile that could penetrate a few meters below the surface of the icy Jovian moon, to learn about its geophysics and search for hints about the moon’s ability to support life.

Read about the full plan here.

Image Credit: Geraint Jones

I can’t wait till I have grandchildren. “When I was younger, I had to walk to the rim of a crater. Uphill! In an EVA suit! on Mars, ya little shit! You hear me? Mars!

Mark Watney (via themartianquotes)

Good ol’ Rory