Having turned its 90 day mission into six years, the Mars' rover Spirit became bogged down in some very loose soil about 15 months ago, and has been unable to extricate itself.

Overwintering with its energy generating panels poorly positioned to collect the available light to keep its internal processes going, the doughty rover may have been overcome by the cold. Is "Spirit gone for good?"

No matter what happens, it has exceeded all expectations.

Wayne

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Slated for launch in late 2011, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Project, dubbed "Curiosity," will arrive, should that launch date hold up, at the planet in August 2012. Pictured here is the first test drive on July 23.

The SUV-sized rover will "study whether an intriguing area of Mars has offered environmental conditions favorable for supporting microbial life and for preserving evidence of whether life existed there," according to JPL's photojournal.

Wayne

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Space News published a piece on Kentucky Space, pointing out the growth the program is experiencing. 

Since it was founded in 2006, Kentucky Space has been working to carve a niche for itself as a leader in the development of CubeSats, the miniature satellites that measure 10 centimeters on all sides and weigh 1 kilogram or less. 'We have been building up capacity and the intellectual infrastructure to be able to design, develop and operate small, entrepreneurial, high-value spacecraft,' said Kris Kimel, Kentucky Space founder and chairman.

Wayne

NASA has issued a release about the installation of the first NanoRacks Platform, "Commercial Facility Activated on U.S. National Laboratory onboard International Space Station," pointing out, among other things, that the achievement went from "concept to on-orbit capability in less than 10 months."   

Video of the install can be viewed here.

Wayne