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Experts have suggested a number of ways to dispose the body, including 'jettison' it into the dark abyss or burying the person on Mars – but the remains would first need to be burned to not contaminate the surface. However, a worst case scenario has been presented where the space fairing heroes run out of food and the only thing edible is the dead body of their fallen crew mate. NASA does not have set protocols for dealing with death in space, but researchers around the world have put the work in to respectfully dispose of a fallen astronaut, as...

On Aug. 28, six scientists left the comforts of civilization, set to be gone for an entire year. Their mission will simulate what it might be like for astronauts journeying to Mars. In the confines of a 36-foot-wide and 20-foot-high solar-powered dome in a remote location on the island of Hawaii, the six team members will have to live together for 365 days. They will have no face-to-face contact with humans outside of the dome. This is the fourth and longest such mission carried out by the Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) program, and its goal is to find...

NASA has been talking about sending people to Mars by 2035. That goal is still on the books, despite recent upheaval in the space program, according to two of the agency's top scientists. "In the near term, Mars remains our primary focus," Ellen Stofan, NASA's chief scientist said May 15 in a talk at the Royal Institution in London ... ....scientists [also] decided to "redirect" an asteroid into an orbit of the moon and are searching for an asteroid that's an appropriate candidate. "Once we find the right one, we'll use all the technology we've got," he said. "We'll snag...

NEIL Armstrong's first footsteps on the moon in 1969 inspired universal wonder and excitement. In that moment, it seemed the unimaginable had become reality, and a course for an enterprise in space in which anything was possible was established. Today we know much more about the difficulties of space exploration by humans or machines, and our thinking about space has evolved with our growing awareness of its costs and hazards. Remarkably, those first footsteps continue to inspire. President Bush's remarks on the Columbia tragedy capture a widespread sentiment: "Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration...

<p>Author Ray Bradbury, who wrote the science fiction classic "The Martian Chronicles," says President Bush's announcement that he wants the United States to put an astronaut on Mars could have tremendous consequences centuries from now.</p> <p>Space exploration could open new worlds, just as European exploration 500 years ago led to the creation of the United States, Bradbury said.</p>

Last Update: Tuesday, January 27, 2004. 1:03am (AEDT) Russia, US can collaborate in Mars exploration: Putin Russia and the United States can collaborate in exploring Mars, Russian President Vladimir Putin told US Secretary of State Colin Powell in talks on Monday. Congratulating the envoy on the US mission that has seen two probes land on the surface of the Red Planet in the past three weeks, Mr Putin said that Russia "has noted with interest President Bush's ambitious plans for the conquest of Mars," the Interfax news agency reported. "I believe that in this area there are things we can...

Mars... a big step for womankind? (Filed: 21/01/2004) It's not just physical dangers astronauts have to contend with. Psychological friction is a big problem ? especially for men, says Raj Persaud The Bush space plan When President Bush announced plans to send humans to Mars last week, he talked of weightlessness and radiation as being the key dangers. But there is increasing evidence to show that one of the greatest hazards lies in the crew itself. Close confinement: an all-male crew can lead to stress linked to competition and aggression The hostile space environment and the hardware will, of course,...

NASA's tough little Mars lander phoned home yesterday to tell its makers it had done what its European counterpart failed to do and survived a 120km fall to the red planet. The Spirit spacecraft survived a hell ride through the thin martian atmosphere as it braked from 19,000km/h in six minutes while its heat shield reached temperatures similar to those on the surface of the sun. NASA scientists had devised a series of communication tones to allow them to confirm the lander, surrounded by a cocoon of airbags, had "bounced down". But there was a nail-biting 15-minute wait before the...

 Marvin The Martian and Daffy Duck (as Duck Dodgers) will appear on official patches that Warner Bros. has designed for two NASA Mars Exploration Rover Missions this summer. The special patches will act as the defining logo for the mission and will be worn by TEAM DELTA crews, comprising members from NASA, the United States Air Force, and Boeing. They will be featured on mission control and launch pad crew suits, jackets, and mugs. "Daffy Duck and Marvin The Martian struck us as such a perfect fit, capturing the fun and adventurous spirit of these important explorations, that we were...