RocketSTEM Issue #4 - November 2013 | Page 3

Contents 08 12 20 22 36 44 Gravity’s Math Bullock and Clooney star in this spectacular space movie, but does the math add up? Invading Mars An ever increasing fleet of robots are leaving ‘no stone unturned’ on Mars. India’s MOM The Mangalyaan probe will mark India’s first attempt to reach the Red Planet. Go MAVEN NASA prepares to lauch an obital spacecraft to study the Martian atmosphere. Scott Carpenter A tribute to Scott Carpenter, a member of the original Mercury Seven astronaut class. Astronomy Top 10 We’ve curated a list of the top 10 celestial views for beginning astronomers. Also Inside: ISS Tweets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC Mars Spinoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Titan’s Lakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Carbon Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Student Launch . . . . . . . . . . 04 Love For Endeavour . . . . . . 40 Martian Sediment . . . . . . . . 18 High Above Saturn . . . . . . . 42 The Mars Society . . . . . . . . . 24 Einstein’s Fiery End . . . . . . . . 48 Inspiration Mars . . . . . . . . . . 28 Juno Infographic . . . . . . . . IBC Mars One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Juno Flyby . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC www.RocketSTEM.org Sorry we missed you on Halloween, but we’ve still got a treat for you. Yes, another issue of RocketSTEM, just one month removed from the last one. Call it feeling ambitious, or just plain insanity, but here it is. This issue shines the spotlight on Mars and humanity’s attempts to better understand the Red Planet. This digital publication is available for free download as a PDF file. www.rocketstem.org All of our issues are available via a full-screen online reader at: www.issuu.com/rocketstem Editorial Staff Managing Editor: Chase Clark Astronomy Editor: Mike Barrett Photo Editor: J.L. Pickering Contributing Writers Mike Barrett • Paul Geissler Loretta Hall • Rich Holtzin Mary Kanian • Ken Kremer Joe Maness • Sherry Valare Nicole Willett • Amjad Zaidi Contributing Photographers Mike Barrett • Marco Di Lorenzo Loretta Hall • Ken Kremer Julian Leek • Krista Minor Walter Scriptunas II • Kim Shiflett Sherry Valare RocketSTEM Board of Directors Chase Clark • Brenden Clark Tim Brown • Nicole Solomon Anthony Fitch RocketSTEM • November 2013 Vol. 1 No. 4 (ISSN: 2326-0661) © 2013 All Rights Reserved (Classroom use permitted) RocketSTEM Media Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 304409 Pensacola, Florida 32507 email: [email protected] On the Cover: An artist’s concept shows NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft in orbit around the Red Planet, with a fanciful image of her home planet in the background. Image: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center 01 01