The Martian Ministry of Silly Walks
Wheels, legs, tracks, hoppers and flying scouts: a comic look at why Mars robots still roll, and why Optimus may be the wrong animal.
Mars
18posts
Neuralink and the Moon Stack: Less Mind Reading, More Control
Neuralink looks different when viewed not as mind reading, but as a control interface for future off-world work.
Moon First, Mars Later: The Fast Feedback Path to a Spacefaring City
The Moon-first argument reframes lunar missions as the fastest feedback loop for building a real spacefaring civilization.
Mars Probes Ghosting NASA: A Tale of Fading Signals and Future Fixes
Aging Mars orbiters reveal the quiet fragility of the communication network that keeps robotic exploration alive.
Sending Your Name to Space: A Cosmic Journey of Connection
NASA’s name-to-space campaigns turn public participation into a small but surprisingly powerful emotional link with exploration.
Reading a Rock for Ghosts: On Defining “Life” and Inferring It from Mars
A Martian rock forces a hard question: what would count as evidence for life when certainty is out of reach?
Landing on Mars: No Chopsticks, No Problem! How Starship Will Stick the Landing Without a Red Carpet
Landing Starship on Mars will not need launch-tower chopsticks, but it will demand a very different kind of precision.
The Hadamard Code: From Mars to Single-Pixel Cameras
The Hadamard code links deep-space imaging and clever cameras through a beautiful trick of mathematics.
The Power of Ten: A Decade of Wisdom in Safety-Critical Coding
NASA’s Power of Ten rules show how disciplined software habits become survival tools in safety-critical systems.
Mars Weather Misconceptions: Debunking Hollywood Myths and Exploring Real Opportunities
Mars storms are less Hollywood than legend suggests, but the real weather still matters for future explorers.
How NASA is Using Unreal Engine 5 to Train for Mars
NASA’s use of Unreal Engine shows how game technology can become serious preparation for Mars operations.
The Genius of Buckminster Fuller: Mathematics, Geodesic Domes and Spaceflight
Buckminster Fuller’s geometry still feels futuristic because efficient structures matter on Earth and even more beyond it.
The Quest for Life Beyond Earth: A Scientific Exploration
The hunt for life beyond Earth depends on instruments, patience, and the humility to recognize ambiguous evidence.
The Risks and Challenges of a Mission to Mars - Part 2
A Mars mission’s second layer of risk involves human limits, logistics, and the harsh details slogans leave out.
The Risks and Challenges of a Mission to Mars - Part 1
Getting to Mars is not one problem but a chain of hazards, each waiting to test the mission design.
The Dusty Chronicles: From Stardust to Moon Dust and Martian Mayhem
Dust links comets, moons, Mars, and spacecraft trouble in ways that are messy, beautiful, and surprisingly consequential.
The Subtle Dance with Relativity in Space Travel
Relativity is not just a science-fiction flourish; even practical space travel brushes against its subtle effects.
Radiation Exposure in Space Travel: Risks and Remedies for the Journey to Moon and Mars
Radiation is one of the hardest barriers to deep-space travel, demanding shields, strategy, and biological realism.