Vision of SpaceX's Dragon 2 capsule entering Mars' atmosphere (if Red Dragon missions launched by Falcon Heavy hadn't been cancelled and replaced by much more powerful Starship mission architecture) by computer designer Chris Monson. More of his art here.
Showing posts with label Mars Mission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mars Mission. Show all posts
Monday, May 25, 2020
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Animation envisioning first human mission to Mars
Images and video animation envisioning first human mission to Mars created by Taylor James design studio for a health care campaign "Destination Survival" by Sudler & Hennessey London.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Candidate sites for SpaceX Starship Mars landings revealed
[on September 2 info & map updated with additional two possible landing sites]
Robert Zimmerman from BehindTheBlack.com has found several images labelled as "Candidate Landing Site for SpaceX Starship [..]" in the latest data release from University of Arizona's HiRISE camera (aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). It means that with help from NASA SpaceX is already quietly evaluating the best place where to land first Starships on Mars. Here are direct links to HiRISE image of: Site 1, Site 2, Site 3, Site 4, Site 5 (in Arcadia Planitia) & Site 6 (in Phlegra Montes).
For several years it hasn't been a secret SpaceX is considering four Martian regions for landings: Deuteronilus Mensae, Phlegra Montes, Utopia Planitia and southern Arcadia Planitia. But even in 2017 southern Arcadia Planitia looked "more promising", according to Paul Wooster, Principal Mars Development Engineer at SpaceX. So by now SpaceX may very well be down to evaluating more precise landing sites in that region.
All the candidate landing sites (except #6 in Phlegra Montes) are located on the border between Amazonis Planitia and Arcadia Planitia. According to latest data, Arcadia Planitia is one of the few regions where abundant shallow ice is present at relatively low latitudes. There is strong evidence that this location holds buried ice glaciers. So it has two critical elements looked by SpaceX for its Mars Base Alpha: solar energy and water. Those are critical not only for life support but also for refueling Starships. It's also in low altitude meaning a bit higher air pressure than in higher areas on Mars; that is beneficial for radiation protection and creates more atmospheric drag during the landing.
Robert Zimmerman from BehindTheBlack.com has found several images labelled as "Candidate Landing Site for SpaceX Starship [..]" in the latest data release from University of Arizona's HiRISE camera (aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). It means that with help from NASA SpaceX is already quietly evaluating the best place where to land first Starships on Mars. Here are direct links to HiRISE image of: Site 1, Site 2, Site 3, Site 4, Site 5 (in Arcadia Planitia) & Site 6 (in Phlegra Montes).
For several years it hasn't been a secret SpaceX is considering four Martian regions for landings: Deuteronilus Mensae, Phlegra Montes, Utopia Planitia and southern Arcadia Planitia. But even in 2017 southern Arcadia Planitia looked "more promising", according to Paul Wooster, Principal Mars Development Engineer at SpaceX. So by now SpaceX may very well be down to evaluating more precise landing sites in that region.
All the candidate landing sites (except #6 in Phlegra Montes) are located on the border between Amazonis Planitia and Arcadia Planitia. According to latest data, Arcadia Planitia is one of the few regions where abundant shallow ice is present at relatively low latitudes. There is strong evidence that this location holds buried ice glaciers. So it has two critical elements looked by SpaceX for its Mars Base Alpha: solar energy and water. Those are critical not only for life support but also for refueling Starships. It's also in low altitude meaning a bit higher air pressure than in higher areas on Mars; that is beneficial for radiation protection and creates more atmospheric drag during the landing.
We made a map of all of the candidate sites:
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Mission to Phobos by Ludovic Celle
Picture of the Day 30/7/2019 - Spacecraft approaching the largest and closest of the two [asteroid size] Martian moons - Phobos - by French graphic artist Ludovic Celle. More of his Mars art here.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
SpaceX. Raising the bar!
"Do it", as Elon Musk bluntly replied to the bragging of Boeing's CEO about "beating Elon Musk to Mars" 😁
These days SpaceX is the leading NewSpace company developing innovative and cost-effective rocket/space technologies and beating all the "space dinosaurs" in the field. Its ultimate goal is to colonize Mars. In the spirit of this reality Instagram user starjet_pilot has made this retro style poster (recalling the iconic photography of US soldiers raising the flag on Iwo Jima by Joe Rosenthal) of starmen raising the flag of SpaceX on Mars with the Starship in the background.
These days SpaceX is the leading NewSpace company developing innovative and cost-effective rocket/space technologies and beating all the "space dinosaurs" in the field. Its ultimate goal is to colonize Mars. In the spirit of this reality Instagram user starjet_pilot has made this retro style poster (recalling the iconic photography of US soldiers raising the flag on Iwo Jima by Joe Rosenthal) of starmen raising the flag of SpaceX on Mars with the Starship in the background.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Map of shallow subsurface water distribution on Mars
On March 10 ESA has revealed the first results from ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter orbiting Mars since October 2016. Among the data there is the best map of shallow subsurface water distribution on Mars ever created. The map is made by orbiter's neutron detector FREND mapping the distribution of hydrogen in the uppermost metre of the planet’s surface. Hydrogen indicates the presence of water, being one of the constituents of the water molecule; it can also indicate water absorbed into the surface, or minerals that were formed in the presence of water.
- Blue areas - more water
- Orange areas - less water
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
NASA's InSight lander on Mars by Charlie Burgess
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Concept art for The Martian by Steve Burg
Steve Burg did part of the concept art for sci-fi blockbuster The Martian (2015); his main focus was the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV). Here are some of his images (open link in new tab to view image in full HD resolution):
Friday, May 11, 2018
Images from Escape from Mars (1999) TV movie
Escape from Mars (1999) is a TV movie about first human mission to Mars in 2016. Five astronauts are flying with spaceship very similar to the Space Shuttle and the mission is financed by a private corporation setting profit-oriented goals. During the voyage and on Mars they encounter near-catastrophic events but in the end find bacterial life on Mars. Escape from Mars is a low-budget TV movie, having poor special effects and weak camera job, but the acting and script is decent. Here are some images from the movie:
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Lockheed Martin's Mars Base Camp concept
In a few hours at 2017 International Astronautical Conference American aerospace, advanced technologies and defense company Lockheed Martin will give an update to its Mars Base Camp concept. If accepted by NASA the Mars Base Camp would be a manned "Mars-orbiting science laboratory where astronauts can perform real-time scientific exploration, analyze Martian rock and soil samples, and confirm the ideal place to land humans on the surface in the 2030s." The proposed mission would send humans to Mars orbit by 2028 and is "designed to be led by NASA and its international and commercial partners."
Recently Lockheed Martin has released some concept images for the mission (open link in new tab to view in full resolution):
Recently Lockheed Martin has released some concept images for the mission (open link in new tab to view in full resolution):
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Lockheed Martin's Mars lander concept
To compete with SpaceX for a viable manned Mars mission concept aerospace heavyweight Lockheed Martin has presented a Mars lander. It would act as a manned shuttle between proposed Mars Base Camp orbital station and Martian surface.
(Open link in new tab to view ⇩ in full resolution)
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Map of possible landing sites for Red Dragon and Mars2020/ExoMars missions
Jake Robins from WeMartians Podcast has created a map of possible landing sites for SpaceX's first Red Dragon lander and NASA's Mars 2020 / ESA&Roscosmos's ExoMars rovers.
It is presumed that the most possible landing site for SpaceX's first Red Dragon lander is southern Arcadia Planitia. We will see.
- Red X = crashed/failed landings
- Green circle = successful landings
- Yellow ? mark = candidate sites for Mars2020/ExoMars
- Space "X" = candidate sites for Red Dragon
It is presumed that the most possible landing site for SpaceX's first Red Dragon lander is southern Arcadia Planitia. We will see.
Saturday, December 3, 2016
NatGeo's "Mars" TV series: full episodes of season 1

Episode 01 - Novo Mundo ( s01e01 )
Saturday, October 29, 2016
HD images from NatGeo's "Mars" TV series
Here are some HD images from National Geographic Channel's upcoming "Mars" TV series which will be broadcasted worldwide starting on November 14th. The fictional documentary series will depict the first human mission to Mars, the subsequent building of the first human base on Mars in a lava tube and the further steps for colonization of Mars till the end of 21st century.
Here are also a bunch of trailers and video clips from the upcoming series. Open link in new tab to view in full resolution:
Here are also a bunch of trailers and video clips from the upcoming series. Open link in new tab to view in full resolution:
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Red Dragon landing on Mars by Chris Monson
Picture of the Day 15/9/16 - Concept art for SpaceX's Red Dragon landing on Mars by computer designer Chris Monson.
More of his art here.
More of his art here.
(Open link in new tab to view ⇩ in full resolution)
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Soviet cosmonauts on Mars by Klaus Bürgle
Picture of the Day 16/8/16 - Soviet cosmonauts on Mars by German sci-fi artist Klaus Bürgle. More of his retro futuristic art here.
Monday, August 1, 2016
HD images from Journey to Space documentary
Journey to Space is a 2015 3D documentary which "unveils a new era of unprecedented deep space exploration" presented by Boeing and Toyota. In the ending it features a good animation of NASA's Journey to Mars mission. Here are some HD quality screens of it.
(Open link in new tab to view ⇩ in full resolution)
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Mars Colonial Transporter concept by Richard Heidmann
Picture of the Day 31/7/16 - Concept art for SpaceX's Mars Colonial Transporter by Richard Heidmann from the French chapter of The Mars Society (Association Planète Mars). You can also read his speculations of the possible MCP mission architecture details here.
As the day the SpaceX CEO Elon Musk intends to unveil (at the International Astronautical Congress 26-30 September 2016 in Guadalajara, Mexico) details of its 'Mars Colonial Transporter' (MCT) mission architecture is nearing, we will mostly dedicate our 'Picture of the Day' awards to the fan concept art of the MCT.
As the day the SpaceX CEO Elon Musk intends to unveil (at the International Astronautical Congress 26-30 September 2016 in Guadalajara, Mexico) details of its 'Mars Colonial Transporter' (MCT) mission architecture is nearing, we will mostly dedicate our 'Picture of the Day' awards to the fan concept art of the MCT.
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Astronauts exploring Mars by Balazs Agoston
Picture of the Day 10/7/16 - Astronauts exploring Mars by Balazs Agoston from Hungary. More of his concept art here.
(Open link in new tab to view ⇩ in full resolution)
Monday, May 30, 2016
Soviet lander on Phobos by Maciej Rebisz
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