ASTRONAUTICS & SPACE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ASTRONAUTICS & SPACE - Essay Example The purpose of ISS includes functions like investigating affect of weightlessness on biological species, including crew members, over a period. In addition it will also study crystal growth in space. (Oberg, 2005). NASA had originally scheduled participating in ISS program until 2015, but with loss of STS-107, President Bush declared that the shuttle would be retired by 2010, which meant no support service for ISS. Hence, its plans for last module launch, as well as, de-orbiting procedures are not yet clear.(Catchpole: The international Space Station) These rovers have greater mobility than 1997 pathfinders. While each rover can trek up-to 100 meters, across the red surface on one Martian day, it could carry sophisticated instruments that can help in discovery of water on Mars. The landing procedure for both rovers and pathfinders are almost identical. (Mars Exploration Rovers). However, the landed portion of rovers has different design that allows carrying all instruments with rover. Pathfinders carried instruments on Lander and a small sojourner rover. Rovers are able to take color and infra-red images with 360 degree visibility. Possibility of presence of water on Martian surface has been the major discovery of the Mars Exploration Rover mission.(Mars Rovers Most Amazing Discoveries) Catchpole John, â€Å"The international space station: building for the future†, book,: Retrieved on 8th Dec 2010 from: