The 2016 scientific calendar will include missions to Mars, genetic breakthroughs and a fond farewell to one of Britain's favourite dinosaurs
When Commander Tim Peake woke up on New Year’s
Day his view was, literally, out of this world. Britain's first
official astronaut blasted off for the International Space Station in
mid-December and his mission for the European Space Agency (ESA) as part
of a combined Russian, American and European crew, marks the start of
what promises to be a stellar year for science.
Although there have been other British-born astronauts, the others have
flown as part of either the US or Russian space programmes.
Elsewhere in space, Nasa’s New Horizons craft is continuing its mission beyond Pluto into the Kuiper Belt, and ESA will launch its Mars orbiter and lander ExoMars, which is due to arrive in October 2016.
Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/ces/12080692/ces-2016-best-gadgets.html
With last year’s Pluto flyby completing the
mapping of the solar system, the focus of space exploration has now
shifted towards getting humans to Mars. So for six months Commander
Peake is embarking on a gruelling set of experiments aimed at monitoring
the damage of space flight on the human body.
Nasa has said it wants humans living and working on Mars in colonies
entirely independent of Earth by the 2030s – but a Martian mission is
likely to take a huge physical toll. Hearing and sight loss are common
for astronauts, and there are fears that extended time in space will
lead to premature ageing, dementia and fertility problems.
Commander Peake will be conducting experiments on the impacts of
radiation and microgravity on the bones, immune system, stomach, skin,
muscles, eyes, brain and circadian rhythms. Elsewhere in space, Nasa’s New Horizons craft is continuing its mission beyond Pluto into the Kuiper Belt, and ESA will launch its Mars orbiter and lander ExoMars, which is due to arrive in October 2016.
Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/ces/12080692/ces-2016-best-gadgets.html