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spaceexp · 2 years
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NASA’s Mars Helicopter Spots Gear That Helped Perseverance Rover Land
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter recently surveyed both the parachute that helped the agency’s Perseverance rover land on Mars and the cone-shaped backshell that protected the rover in deep space and during its fiery descent toward the Martian surface on Feb. 18, 2021. Engineers with the Mars Sample Return program asked whether Ingenuity could provide this perspective. What resulted were 10 aerial color images taken April 19 during Ingenuity’s Flight 26.
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sudden-stops-kill · 2 months
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'A snapshot from Mars showing the damage to Ingenuity's rotor blade sustained during its Flight 72 landing. The #MarsHelicopter is no longer capable of flight, but we are celebrating its achievements – and its legacy.'
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unexplainedie · 2 months
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spacenutspod · 2 months
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Imagine remotely flying a drone or small aircraft from a great distance and loosing contact with it during flight. You’d likely assume the worst, that your aircraft was probably laying in a crashed heap in some remote location. That’s what engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory went through with the beloved Ingenuity helicopter on Mars, millions of miles away. During a recent quick pop-up flight that was supposed to last just 32 seconds, Ingenuity lost communications before it touched back down. The engineers back on Earth had no idea if the little helicopter landed safely or not. Communications were lost on January 18 when the tiny autonomous rotorcraft was flown on a short vertical flight to test its systems after an unplanned early landing during its previous flight, NASA reported in a status update. For some reason, the communications link was severed between Ingenuity and the Perseverance rover, which relays data between the helicopter and Earth during the flights. Data received showed that Ingenuity had climbed to its assigned maximum altitude of 12 meters (40 feet), but then the data link terminated early, prior to touchdown. Ingenuity captured this image of Mars on December 2, 2023 (Sol 990) with its high-resolution color camera. The shadow of the helicopter can be seen near the center of the images. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech But thankfully, after engineers had worked around the clock, on late on January 20 communications were able to be reestablished between the helicopter and rover, with engineers able to determine the helicopter was “power-positive” and sitting upright on Mars. The team is now running further diagnostic checks, and commanding Ingenuity to take photos of its location on the surface to help  pinpoint its location, and performing a spin test. “Ginny is back in contact!,” JPL Director Laurie Leshin posted on X. “Thanks to our team for working the issue so quickly and effectively. Still need to understand more about what happened. After far more flights than anticipated, no matter what, the #MarsHelicopter has been an extraordinary success!” NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover took a selfie with the Ingenuity helicopter, seen here about 13 feet (3.9 meters) from the rover. This image was taken by the WATSON camera on the rover’s robotic arm on April 6, 2021, the 46th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS. JPL did say that during the flight, Perseverance was out of line-of-sight with Ingenuity, and after communications were lost, the team considered driving the rover closer for a visual inspection. They did use the rover “to perform long-duration listening sessions for Ingenuity’s signal.” This was Ingenuity’s 72nd flight at the Red Planet – which is incredible given that only four flights were planned for the plucky little helicopter, the first aircraft to perform a powered, controlled extraterrestrial flight. But since becoming operational on April 19, 2021, it has blown away expectations, now completing 72 flights. Ingenuity operates in a harsh environment that no aircraft has ever flown in before. Mars is extremely cold and dry, and Mars’ very thin atmosphere has only about 1% the density of Earth’s. The thin atmosphere makes lift more difficult to generate, although the gravity is weaker, which helps. There’s also the time delay in communications between Mars and Earth which adds a layer of complexity to every endeavor. If we are practical, we realize that one day, Ingenuity will fly its last flight, never to be heard from again. But that day is not today. The post NASA Lost Contact With its Ingenuity Helicopter Briefly, but it's Back appeared first on Universe Today.
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chotanewsyt · 4 months
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Mars Helicopter Latest Updates | Mars Mission #nasaupdates #cnsa | NASA and CNSA | @chotanewstelugu
Mars Helicopter Latest Updates | Mars Mission #nasaupdates #cnsa | NASA and CNSA | @chotanewstelugu #marsmission #marshelicopter #latestnewsupdatetoday #spaceupdates #chotanewstelugu #shortnews #dailynews #viralnews ChotaNews Telugu offers a platform for viewers to explore the world of science and technology. Discover inspiring stories of triumph and discover the latest innovations. Join us on a…
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genebremerjr · 1 year
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nasa · 3 years
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Mars Helicopter: 6 Things to Know About Ingenuity
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When our Perseverance Mars rover lands on the Red Planet on Feb. 18, 2021, it will bring along the Ingenuity helicopter.
This small-but-mighty craft is a technology demonstration that will attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. Its fuselage is about the size of a tissue box, and it weighs about 4 pounds (1.8 kg) on Earth. It started out six years ago as an implausible prospect and has now passed its Earthbound tests.
Here are six things to know about Ingenuity as it nears Mars:
1. Ingenuity is an experimental flight test.
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This Mars helicopter is known as a technology demonstration, which is a project that aims to test a new capability for the first time with a limited scope. Previous technology demonstrations include Sojourner, the first Mars rover, and the Mars Cube One (MarCO) CubeStats that flew by Mars.
Ingenuity does not carry any science instruments and is not part of Perseverance’s science mission. The only objective for this helicopter is an engineering one – to demonstrate rotorcraft flight in the thin and challenging Martian atmosphere.
2. Mars won’t make it easy for Ingenuity.
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Mars’ atmosphere is around 1% the density of Earth’s. Because of that lack of density, Ingenuity has rotor blades that are much larger and spin faster than a helicopter of Ingenuity’s mass here on our planet. It also must be extremely light to travel to Mars.
The Red Planet also has incredibly cold temperatures, with nights reaching minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (-90 degrees Celsius) in Jezero Crater, where our rover and helicopter will land. Tests on Earth at the predicted temperatures indicate Ingenuity’s parts should work as designed, but the real test will be on Mars.
3. Ingenuity relies on Perseverance for safe passage to Mars and operations on the Martian surface.
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Ingenuity is nestled sideways under Perseverance’s belly with a cover to protect the helicopter from debris during landing. The power system on the Mars 2020 spacecraft periodically charges Ingenuity’s batteries during the journey to the Red Planet.
In the first few months after landing, Perseverance will find a safe place for Ingenuity. Our rover will shed the landing cover, rotate the helicopter so its legs face the ground and gently drop it on the Martian surface.
4. Ingenuity is smart for a small robot.
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NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will not be able to control the helicopter with a joystick due to delays communicating with spacecraft across interplanetary distances. That means Ingenuity will make some of its own decisions based on parameters set by its engineering team on Earth.
During flight, Ingenuity will analyze sensor data and images of the terrain to ensure it stays on a flight path designed by project engineers.
5. The Ingenuity team counts success one step at a time.
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Ingenuity’s team has a long list of milestones the helicopter must pass before it can take off and land in the Martian atmosphere.
Surviving the journey to and landing on Mars
Safely deploying onto the Martian surface from Perseverance’s belly
Autonomously keeping warm through those intensely cold Martian nights
Autonomously charging itself with its solar panel
Successfully communicating to and from the helicopter via the Mars Helicopter Base Station on Perseverance
6. If Ingenuity succeeds, future Mars exploration could include an ambitious aerial dimension.
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The Mars helicopter intends to demonstrate technologies and first-of-its-kind operations needed for flying on Mars. If successful, these technologies and flight experience on another planet could pave the way for other advanced robotic flying vehicles.
Possible uses of a future helicopter on Mars include:
A unique viewpoint not provided by current orbiters, rovers or landers
High-definition images and reconnaissance for robots or humans
Access to terrain that is difficult for rovers to reach
Could even carry light but vital payloads from one site to another
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
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violetsystems · 3 years
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ridenwithbiden · 3 years
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MARS Helicopter INGENUITY
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lunarmoduleinfo · 3 years
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#congratulations 🍾 to @nasajpl & @nasaflightdirectors @perseverance.mars for #firstpoweredflight on another WORLD‼️ #Mars !! with #ingenuity & #perseverance 🚀 #nasa #space #helicopter #marshelicopter #aerospaceengineering #flight #stem #spaceexploration #mars2020rover #spacenews #artemis #spacecraft #lunarmodule #marsexploration (at Mars Planet) https://www.instagram.com/p/CN2OF6-BZmr/?igshid=1a56vdnhyhxwm
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gushaydon · 3 years
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#repost by @nasa The Little (Mars) Helicopter that could! 🚁💪 Ingenuity, the first helicopter to fly on a terrestrial planet other than Earth, has made its ninth flight on the Red Planet. The 2 minute and 46 second flight was a nail-biter, but broke records for longest flight duration, fastest cruise speed, and it nearly quadrupled the distance flown between two airfields. The terrain Ingenuity flew over, called “Séítah,” would have been difficult to navigate with a ground vehicle like the Perseverance rover, but the ability to fly over the area provided the first close-view of major scientific targets that the rover will not reach for some time. This was made possible by a team of @NASAAmes helicopter experts who assisted @NASAJPL's Ingenuity team in making sure the technology demonstrator had the best chance for success in flying in the super thin atmosphere of the Red Planet. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU #NASA #Ingenuity #RedPlanet #MarsHelicopter #TeamWork https://www.instagram.com/p/CRr8m6ugJdNdEa8Mco55juonDMsCyZI0rfs2bE0/?utm_medium=tumblr
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kornkidd · 3 years
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Posted @withregram • @nasa 🔴👀 We got the dirt on Mars Images snapped by our Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its ambitious flights have offered scientists and engineers working with the our Perseverance Mars rover an unprecedented opportunity to scout out the road ahead. Ingenuity provided new insight into where different rock layers begin and end, each layer serving as a time capsule for how conditions in the ancient climate changed at this location. Images in order: 🚁📸 Our Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on the turret at the end of the rover's robotic arm. 🚁📸 Ingenuity acquired this image using its high-resolution color camera. This camera is mounted in the helicopter's fuselage and pointed approximately 22 degree below the horizon. 🚁📸 Our small, but mighty Mars Helicopter captured this image of tracks made by the Perseverance rover during its ninth flight, on July 5. A portion of the helicopter’s landing gear can be seen at top left. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech #NASA #Mars #MarsHelicopter #Rover #Ingenuity #RedPlanet #DareMightyThings https://www.instagram.com/p/CRSE8xMn0PD/?utm_medium=tumblr
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spacenutspod · 8 months
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The Ingenuity helicopter continues to explore the landscape around Jezero Crater on Mars, now more than 800 days into its original 30-day demonstration mission. Recently, Ingenuity completed its 54th flight on the Red Planet. However, things haven’t gone exactly to plan the past several weeks. On its 53rd fight on July 22, 2023, the helicopter cut the flight short after one of its warnings was triggered, implementing the “LAND_NOW” protocol. Ingenuity should have flown for 136 seconds but was only in the air for 74 seconds before performing an emergency landing. The good news is that the emergency landing procedure worked as it should, and Ingenuity has ‘lived’ to fly another day. This image of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover – visible at the top, right of center – was taken at an altitude of about 16 feet (5 meters) by the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 54th flight on Aug. 3, 2023, 872nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech “Since the very first flight we have included a program called ‘LAND_NOW’ that was designed to put the helicopter on the surface as soon as possible if any one of a few dozen off-nominal scenarios was encountered,” said Teddy Tzanetos, team lead emeritus for Ingenuity at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, in a press release. “During Flight 53, we encountered one of these, and the helicopter worked as planned and executed an immediate landing.” While Ingenuity’s team back on Earth is still working to determine exactly why the emergency landing happened, for the 54th flight on August 3, the helicopter was instructed to make a short hop to see if the problem persisted. The team is still analyzing the data, but the 25-second up-and-down hop hopefully provided information that could help determine why flight 53 ended early. Flight 53 was a complicated flight. The plan was for Ingenuity to collect imagery of a rocky outcrop to scout ahead for the Perseverance Mars rover science team. The complex flight profile included flying north 666 feet (203 meters) at an altitude of 16 feet (5 meters) and a speed of 5.6 mph (2.5 meters per second), then descending vertically to 8 feet (2.5 meters), where it would hover and obtain imagery of the outcrop. Ingenuity would then climb straight up to 33 feet (10 meters) to allow its hazard divert system to initiate before descending vertically to touch down. Look who it is! I recently drove right past Ingenuity and got a pic after it ended its 53rd flight early. Happy to say it’s since completed a 54th flight to check out its systems. (Even caught a glimpse of me too!) Latest #MarsHelicopter status: https://t.co/CL280i0K6k pic.twitter.com/vJsHZUEk9z— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) August 8, 2023 Instead, the helicopter executed the first half of its autonomous journey, flying north at an altitude of 16 feet (5 meters) for 466 feet (142 meters). Then the flight-contingency program was triggered, and Ingenuity automatically landed after 74 seconds. Based on the data so far, Ingenuity team is fairly confident that the early landing was triggered when image frames from the helicopter’s navigation camera didn’t sync up as expected with data from the rotorcraft’s inertial measurement unit. This glitch in the image pipeline threw the timing sequence off and confused the craft about its location. The IMU measures Ingenuity’s acceleration and rotational rates – data that makes it possible to estimate where the helicopter is, how fast it is moving, and how it is oriented in space. This glitch happened before. Back on May 22, 2021, multiple image frames were dropped, resulting in excessive pitching and rolling near the end of Flight 6. After that flight, the team updated the flight software to help mitigate the impact of dropped images. The fix worked well for the subsequent 46 flights. However, on Flight 53 the quantity of dropped navigation images exceeded what the software patch allows. “While we hoped to never trigger a LAND_NOW, this flight is a valuable case study that will benefit future aircraft operating on other worlds,” said Tzanetos. “The team is working to better understand what occurred in Flight 53, and with Flight 54’s success we’re confident that our baby is ready to keep soaring ahead on Mars.” Keep tabs on Ingenuity at the Mars Helicopter blog. The post NASA's Mars Helicopter Had an Unscheduled Landing, But Flew Again appeared first on Universe Today.
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chopshopstore · 3 years
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Repost from @planetarysociety • Ingenuity completed its 9th flight yesterday! @NASA's #MarsHelicopter broke its records for distance flown, time in the air, and groundspeed, traveling 625 meters (2,051 feet) at 5 meters (16 feet) per second for 166.4 seconds. The helicopter flew across potentially hazardous terrain and took images of the Séítah region, which would have been difficult to capture otherwise. This picture of Ingenuity was taken on June 15th by the Perseverance rover. (📸 : NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU) #nasa #mars #space https://www.instagram.com/p/CRAXEU3jdlx/?utm_medium=tumblr
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genebremerjr · 3 years
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The Mars Helicopter is the gift that keeps on giving . News from the Red Planet not only excites me, but also leaves me wanting more. Good things are happening
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nasa · 3 years
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Pioneering with Perseverance: More Technology Firsts
From launching the largest, heaviest, most sophisticated vehicle we have ever sent to Mars, to its elegant landing at Jezero Crater – a treacherous yet promising location for finding signs of ancient life – the journey of our Perseverance rover has already been and continues to be a bold one.
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But let’s not forget, building new tools and instruments or designing ways to study other worlds is not easy. Before engineers even dreamt of sending their hardware for a spin on Mars, they spent years doing all they could to validate tech on Earth – modeling in labs, flying experiments on suborbital rockets or high-altitude balloons, or testing in various facilities to simulate the harsh conditions of space.
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We know that technology demonstrations – that test a new capability in space – can be risky, but trying new things is how we forge ahead, learn for future missions, and reach new heights in space.
Perseverance has already accomplished some amazing “firsts” but there are more to come. Here are four more trailblazing technologies on the Mars 2020 mission.
1. First Powered Flight on Another World
This week, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, a small, autonomous rotorcraft originally stowed beneath the rover, will make the first-ever attempt at powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet.
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In the last few weeks, Ingenuity safely deployed from Perseverance, charged up its solar panel, survived its first bone-chilling Martian night and firmly planted four legs on the ground. Once the team on Earth confirms that the rover drove about 16 feet (about 5 meters) away, and that both helicopter and rover are communicating via their onboard radios, preflight checks will begin, and Ingenuity will be on its way skyward.
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Perseverance will receive and relay the final flight instructions from mission controllers at our Jet Propulsion Laboratory to Ingenuity. Ingenuity will run its rotors to 2,537 rpm and, if all final self-checks look good, lift off. After climbing at a rate of about 3 feet per second (1 meter per second), the helicopter will hover at 10 feet (3 meters) above the surface for up to 30 seconds. Then, the Mars Helicopter will descend and touch back down on the Martian surface. With a smooth landing and continued operability, up to four more flights could be attempted, each one building on the success of the last.
Ingenuity could pave the way for other advanced robotic flying vehicles. Possible uses of next-generation rotorcraft on Mars include:
A unique viewpoint not provided by current orbiters, rovers or landers
High-definition images and reconnaissance for robots or humans
Access to terrain that is difficult for rovers to reach
Could even carry light but vital payloads from one site to another
Here’s how to follow along as this flight makes history.
2. First Production of Oxygen from Martian Atmosphere
The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, better known as MOXIE, is preparing us for human exploration of Mars by demonstrating a way to extract oxygen directly from the Martian atmosphere. That could mean access to air for breathing, but also the ability to produce vast quantities of rocket fuel to return astronauts to Earth.
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Located inside the body of Perseverance, the car battery-sized instrument works like a miniature electronic tree on the rover, inhaling carbon dioxide, separating the molecule, and exhaling carbon monoxide and oxygen.
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MOXIE is the first demonstration of its kind on another planet – the first test of an in-situ resource utilization technology, meaning it generates a usable product from local materials. The farther humans go into deep space, the more important this will be, due to the limited immediate access to supplies.
MOXIE will give a go at its first operations soon, a huge first step in proving it’s feasible to make oxygen, in situ, on Mars. Future, larger versions of MOXIE (something about the size of a washing machine) could produce oxygen 200 times faster by operating continuously.
3. First Weather Reporter at Jezero Crater
The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) system makes weather measurements including wind speed and direction, temperature and humidity, and also measures the amount and size of dust particles in the Martian atmosphere.
Using MEDA data, engineers on Earth recently pieced together the first weather report from Jezero Crater. Measurements from MEDA sensors are even helping to determine the optimal time for Ingenuity’s first flight.
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The weather instrument aboard the Curiosity rover – currently located a good 2,300 miles away from Perseverance on Mars – provides similar daily weather and atmospheric data. But MEDA can record the temperature at three atmospheric heights in addition to the surface temperature. It also records the radiation budget near the surface, which will help prepare for future human exploration missions on Mars.
MEDA’s weather reports, coupled with data gathered by Curiosity and NASA’s Insight lander, will enable a deeper understanding of Martian weather patterns, events, and atmospheric turbulence that could influence planning for future endeavors like the landing or launch of the proposed Mars Sample Return mission.
4. First Radar Tool to Probe Under the Martian Surface
On Earth, scientists use radar to look for things under the ground. They use it to study Mars-like glacial regions in the Arctic and Antarctic. Ground-penetrating radar helps us locate land mines; spot underground cables, wires, and pipes; or reveal ancient human artifacts and even buried treasure! On Mars, the "buried treasure" may be ice, which helps scientists understand the possibilities for Martian life and also identifies natural resources for future human explorers.
Perseverance's Radar Imager for Mars' Subsurface Experiment (RIMFAX) uses radar waves to probe the ground and reveal the unexplored world that lies beneath the Martian surface.
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It’s the first ground-penetrating radar on the surface of Mars. RIMFAX will provide a highly detailed view of subsurface structures down to at least 30 feet (10 meters). With those measurements, the instrument will reveal hidden layers of geology and help find clues to past environments on Mars, especially those with conditions necessary for supporting life.
Stay tuned in to the latest Perseverance updates on the mission website and follow NASA Technology on Twitter and Facebook.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
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