Rocky stepped in to a puddle when he mixed things up regarding trading and hauling in New Eden. He first thought he needed a bunch of new skills to buy freight, but that is not the case. He learned to buy his freight from the market and to haul it quickly to the highest paying customer.
Hauling freight is a far more simple process than he realized.
There are no broker skills needed to haul freight in New Eden. You don’t need the Daytrading Skill, or other trade skills, to get started with hauling. You buy you freight one load at a time. You make one short term investment with each load you haul.
Hauling freight is an integral part of the New Eden economy. It is how products move from producer to customer with few middle men and limited storage. It is a very efficient delivery system as long as there are haulers available. That is where the Lone Miner fits in to the picture.
When a Lone Miner adds freight hauling to their income stream they diversify their income sources. Rocky works on the basis that it is best to have three sources of income. When work in one area gets slow, he moves to another. Rocky hauls freight, mines, and does salvage to create his income.
Diversity in your income producing activities reduces the boredom that comes with sitting on asteroid belts for long periods of time.
Rocky started by hauling freight that was inexpensive. He began by hauling water, oxygen, and soil. These are general commodities every station uses. He would check what each station he visited needed and sold. He found more products he could haul as his investment funds increased.
To find what a station sells and needs go to the upper right hand corner of your screen. Click on the information button for the station. Locate their market activity tab on the page that opens. Look for commodities for items they are selling and at the bottom of the page for what they need (Demand).
Rocky started with 1mil Isk in investment money on Day One and by Day Three of his hauling had over 20mil in his wallet. Putting his Mammoth to use hauling freight greatly decreased how much time it now takes Rocky to earn Isk.
A new Lone Miner can haul freight in his Probe and make money at it. You don’t need to wait to have a Mammoth.
Rocky now earns Isk hauling freight at the same rate of income that mining ore in a Covetor produces per hour. Using a ship costing 100k, Rocky now has earnings per hour in the Covetor range. Point is, hauling freight did not need months of skill training or 35mil Isk to make it happen.
Hauling is something you do as a part of mining and moving freight. It is hard to value what that part of the total transaction is worth. You make your money in hauling by your investment in your load. You sell it for more than you buy it for and that is how you make money hauling.
Try it out, it works.
Laters. ET
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
The Transport/Mining Income Mix
Rocky is currently in transition. That means he really isn’t sure where he is going, but he is having a blast getting there. For the first time in his career he is sitting back and watching one of his alts take the lead. Rocky’s understanding of New Eden is going beyond asteroid belts and refining.
Rocky hit a flat spot a week or two ago. He was making good money, but really didn’t have any use for it. He bought a Covetor and fully equipped it. Then he realized he had a long while to go before he could use it. He had far more skill training to accomplish than he realized.
The investment in the Covetor and equipment locked up almost 35mil Isk. That seemed OK at the time, because Rocky thought that he had little else important to buy. Then he found Jump Clones and Exploration Probes, and saw there were other fun places to spend his hard earned Isk.
Rocky makes good money Mining and Salvaging. The Isk continued to grow in his accounts. Rocky then learned he about hauling his own freight. He found he could invest 1mil Isk in a load and make a good profit on the haul. His loads now cost closer to 20mil Isk, but the return is enormous for the short investment time.
Rocky watches the Market and now knows a good price when he sees it. He looks where he can sell it and then will sometimes deliver it immediately. By purchasing his loads at good prices he can sell them anytime for a good profit. Rocky uses these loads for his back hauls frequently.
It is very clear now to Rocky that a Lone Miner who uses his Transport to make income, along with his mining activities, will move ahead financially much more quickly than a player doing solo mining.
There are many new things to explore in Eve. When your Lone Miner activities start to numb you out from the boredom, look around for new things to do in New Eden. You will find there are many other interesting things to do that can actually compliment your mining efforts.
You keep coming back now.
Laters. ET
Rocky hit a flat spot a week or two ago. He was making good money, but really didn’t have any use for it. He bought a Covetor and fully equipped it. Then he realized he had a long while to go before he could use it. He had far more skill training to accomplish than he realized.
The investment in the Covetor and equipment locked up almost 35mil Isk. That seemed OK at the time, because Rocky thought that he had little else important to buy. Then he found Jump Clones and Exploration Probes, and saw there were other fun places to spend his hard earned Isk.
Rocky makes good money Mining and Salvaging. The Isk continued to grow in his accounts. Rocky then learned he about hauling his own freight. He found he could invest 1mil Isk in a load and make a good profit on the haul. His loads now cost closer to 20mil Isk, but the return is enormous for the short investment time.
Rocky watches the Market and now knows a good price when he sees it. He looks where he can sell it and then will sometimes deliver it immediately. By purchasing his loads at good prices he can sell them anytime for a good profit. Rocky uses these loads for his back hauls frequently.
It is very clear now to Rocky that a Lone Miner who uses his Transport to make income, along with his mining activities, will move ahead financially much more quickly than a player doing solo mining.
There are many new things to explore in Eve. When your Lone Miner activities start to numb you out from the boredom, look around for new things to do in New Eden. You will find there are many other interesting things to do that can actually compliment your mining efforts.
You keep coming back now.
Laters. ET
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Fear in New Eden
Rocky was born in New Eden to a world he hadn’t experienced before. The player who controls his destinies had no previous “gaming” experience. Rocky found he could pilot a ship and get back to his station without having to use a pod.
When he reached his first asteroid belt he felt like a little fish on a big reef.
When Rocky stopped worrying about attack, he stopped being attacked. He had good reason not to worry by then. His equipment was well equipped and he had learned to use it.
He had also learned a Primary Survival Lesson of Eve:
No one can attack you unless you attack them first.
You do need to react to that bully who rushes at you with his big ship or shoots missiles at an asteroid off to your right. Do not react to this behavior. They want you to “look” at them and hit the “target” button by mistake. They want you to launch a combat drone or scan them.
Any of these acts by you can be used by them as an excuse to attack you. Don’t give them the opportunity!
Rocky once sat and watched a gang of player pirates empty his Jetcan. He didn’t move a muscle until they left. He lost a load of ore, survived the experience, and learned a great deal about who they were and how they operated. It was a lesson well paid for.
As an early miner you will hear the term “Jetcan” being used. You will not find them in the market. You create them when you jettison an item from your cargohold when you are in space. You create them when you jettison ore from your mining ship. Do not create them until you have a way to haul their contents back home in one load.
Learning the Art of Jetcanning is a key to your success as a Lone Miner in Eve. Buy the Anchoring skill and train it. It will help you haul more freight in cargo containers when you are ready to use them. You use cargo containers to haul more ore in your transport ship and you use a Jetcan on an asteroid belt for ore storage before transport.
A Jetcan survives two hours in space. Take an inexpensive module with you to the mining site. Once you are set up to mine, jettison the module. Immediately name its container (Jetcan) and include the time it was created in its name.
Now you can fill your Jetcan and no one can remove anything from it without being labeled a thief. Rocky learned that small module can provide a lot of protection. He watched a thief use this trick on him so he couldn’t get to his own ore. Since including a small personal module in his Jetcans, Rocky has not seen a single ore thief.
Get out there and mine.
Don’t react to the bullies on the asteroid belts near the schools. Those guys love to eat newbie’s who have knee-jerk reactions to their antics. They frequently travel in pairs so don’t fall for their tricks. They have to be pretty slick to get a newbie and not fall from the good graces of Concord.
Don’t worry about the player pirates that prey on miners in low security areas and deep space. You aren’t going there just yet, but when you do, you will be ready and able to do it on your own.
Remember to not get out ahead of yourself. You will need to transport what you Jetcan, or have someone else haul your ore for you. Learn about Jetcans now, but do it later.
Get a friend to sign up for a 14 day Trial Account and you can mine together and help each other out.
Stick around Eve a bit longer and I will be happy to share with you how to do all this with ease and with no fear.
Laters. ET
When he reached his first asteroid belt he felt like a little fish on a big reef.
When Rocky stopped worrying about attack, he stopped being attacked. He had good reason not to worry by then. His equipment was well equipped and he had learned to use it.
He had also learned a Primary Survival Lesson of Eve:
No one can attack you unless you attack them first.
You do need to react to that bully who rushes at you with his big ship or shoots missiles at an asteroid off to your right. Do not react to this behavior. They want you to “look” at them and hit the “target” button by mistake. They want you to launch a combat drone or scan them.
Any of these acts by you can be used by them as an excuse to attack you. Don’t give them the opportunity!
Rocky once sat and watched a gang of player pirates empty his Jetcan. He didn’t move a muscle until they left. He lost a load of ore, survived the experience, and learned a great deal about who they were and how they operated. It was a lesson well paid for.
As an early miner you will hear the term “Jetcan” being used. You will not find them in the market. You create them when you jettison an item from your cargohold when you are in space. You create them when you jettison ore from your mining ship. Do not create them until you have a way to haul their contents back home in one load.
Learning the Art of Jetcanning is a key to your success as a Lone Miner in Eve. Buy the Anchoring skill and train it. It will help you haul more freight in cargo containers when you are ready to use them. You use cargo containers to haul more ore in your transport ship and you use a Jetcan on an asteroid belt for ore storage before transport.
A Jetcan survives two hours in space. Take an inexpensive module with you to the mining site. Once you are set up to mine, jettison the module. Immediately name its container (Jetcan) and include the time it was created in its name.
Now you can fill your Jetcan and no one can remove anything from it without being labeled a thief. Rocky learned that small module can provide a lot of protection. He watched a thief use this trick on him so he couldn’t get to his own ore. Since including a small personal module in his Jetcans, Rocky has not seen a single ore thief.
Get out there and mine.
Don’t react to the bullies on the asteroid belts near the schools. Those guys love to eat newbie’s who have knee-jerk reactions to their antics. They frequently travel in pairs so don’t fall for their tricks. They have to be pretty slick to get a newbie and not fall from the good graces of Concord.
Don’t worry about the player pirates that prey on miners in low security areas and deep space. You aren’t going there just yet, but when you do, you will be ready and able to do it on your own.
Remember to not get out ahead of yourself. You will need to transport what you Jetcan, or have someone else haul your ore for you. Learn about Jetcans now, but do it later.
Get a friend to sign up for a 14 day Trial Account and you can mine together and help each other out.
Stick around Eve a bit longer and I will be happy to share with you how to do all this with ease and with no fear.
Laters. ET
Hello from Rocky
Rocky was born in New Eden to a rough and tough mining career. He got to be a bit of a “junk yard dog” when he took to salvage work as a sideline. He is nasty with pirates and well-liked by Concord. Sadly he doesn’t play well with others and wisely has kept to himself.
Rocky doesn’t have many friends in New Eden, but the ones he has, he will keep for life. Having a lot of quiet time alone, Rocky has gathered his lessons and even written them down. He’s a good teacher in his more quiet moments.
Get too close to him in person and you might find him a bit of a gruff teacher. Rocky doesn’t like to repeat himself, so he shares what he has to give in this blog. The lessons he has learned in his early career as a Lone Miner in New Eden are here.
Rocky knows that a lot of 14 day Trial players of Eve spend their early days being victims to older, more aggressive players. That can be a wasted and frustrating period for a player that wishes to get on with the game.
New Players need mentors. They find mentors in older players who share their knowledge and experience with them. At first you need do little more than gain basic skills and knowledge. Fly around and meet people. Get active in you chosen profession. If you are a miner, get out there and mine.
When you become a steady player you will meet other players regularly. Lurk on chat and get a feel for who is who. Stay out of anything but brief conversations on corp chat channels. They are a victim zone.
Rocky pays for an email if he wishes to have a private conversation with someone. This is a good way to clear misunderstandings with other players before problems arise. It is also a good way to do it in private. And it is a good way to keep a record of the conversation for later reference.
Rocky suggests that a New Player uses their time to get past fear of attack. The best way to do this is to get a better ship quickly. The Minmatar Slasher is a small, fast, and well-armed frigate that Rocky still uses regularly. Rocky suggests it is a good early choice for a well defended ship.
Rocky speaks from his experience. He is a successful Miner and Trader in New Eden. He has an extensive fleet of transport and mining ships. He has over 3mil skill points and is highly trained in numerous areas. He personally owns and has flown every ship he discusses.
Rocky has mined with Caldari and Minmatar ships. He recommends the Slasher as an excellent entry level fighter and courier ship for new players. It is a ship that has use potential in your fleet activities later. For mining Rocky recommends the Minmatar Probe as a first purchase for a serious mining ship.
Rocky knows that it is difficult for a New Player to find a sincere mentor who is available when he needs him. Rocky knows he can’t always be present for others, but he can place his knowledge where they can reach it without him needing to teach the same class over and over again.
That is what this blog is about. Rocky is pretty good at organization so the information will be available in a number of different ways so you can find what your looking for.
Rocky will start out with some basic information for beginning Lone Miners. He’ll talk about a few basics every player needs to learn, and some other resources you can use for further study of what he is discussing.
Keep coming back and Rocky will have you on the New Eden mining fast track in no time.
Later. ET
Rocky doesn’t have many friends in New Eden, but the ones he has, he will keep for life. Having a lot of quiet time alone, Rocky has gathered his lessons and even written them down. He’s a good teacher in his more quiet moments.
Get too close to him in person and you might find him a bit of a gruff teacher. Rocky doesn’t like to repeat himself, so he shares what he has to give in this blog. The lessons he has learned in his early career as a Lone Miner in New Eden are here.
Rocky knows that a lot of 14 day Trial players of Eve spend their early days being victims to older, more aggressive players. That can be a wasted and frustrating period for a player that wishes to get on with the game.
New Players need mentors. They find mentors in older players who share their knowledge and experience with them. At first you need do little more than gain basic skills and knowledge. Fly around and meet people. Get active in you chosen profession. If you are a miner, get out there and mine.
When you become a steady player you will meet other players regularly. Lurk on chat and get a feel for who is who. Stay out of anything but brief conversations on corp chat channels. They are a victim zone.
Rocky pays for an email if he wishes to have a private conversation with someone. This is a good way to clear misunderstandings with other players before problems arise. It is also a good way to do it in private. And it is a good way to keep a record of the conversation for later reference.
Rocky suggests that a New Player uses their time to get past fear of attack. The best way to do this is to get a better ship quickly. The Minmatar Slasher is a small, fast, and well-armed frigate that Rocky still uses regularly. Rocky suggests it is a good early choice for a well defended ship.
Rocky speaks from his experience. He is a successful Miner and Trader in New Eden. He has an extensive fleet of transport and mining ships. He has over 3mil skill points and is highly trained in numerous areas. He personally owns and has flown every ship he discusses.
Rocky has mined with Caldari and Minmatar ships. He recommends the Slasher as an excellent entry level fighter and courier ship for new players. It is a ship that has use potential in your fleet activities later. For mining Rocky recommends the Minmatar Probe as a first purchase for a serious mining ship.
Rocky knows that it is difficult for a New Player to find a sincere mentor who is available when he needs him. Rocky knows he can’t always be present for others, but he can place his knowledge where they can reach it without him needing to teach the same class over and over again.
That is what this blog is about. Rocky is pretty good at organization so the information will be available in a number of different ways so you can find what your looking for.
Rocky will start out with some basic information for beginning Lone Miners. He’ll talk about a few basics every player needs to learn, and some other resources you can use for further study of what he is discussing.
Keep coming back and Rocky will have you on the New Eden mining fast track in no time.
Later. ET
My Changing Blog Experience
When I found the Phoenix Mars Lander Shovel was the size of a flour scoop in my kitchen, I got bored with the Project. I was really hoping for nano scouts and miniature bulldozers. Alas, I have had to find other interests.
My wanderings and desire for new adventurers has taken me in to the world of New Eden to be found in the Eve. It is a complex and varied world filled with any level of excitement you wish to attain.
You can reach Eve by clicking on the banner above and it doesn’t cost you anything to play your first fourteen days. During that time I hope you have a great time playing the game and get to the fun stuff quickly. Read what you find here and I think your trial period will help you on your way to becoming a successful Lone Miner in New Eden.
This information represents the best I have learned and experienced along the paths I have followed finding my own success. You may find that on my travels I have gone places others have not explored.
My paths have been varied, but they all support my central career as a Lone Miner. I will share with you what I have learned while I await my Internet connection to return. I have become a more patient man through this experience.
As I read through my many notes (this Internet connection thing has been a problem for quite awhile), I hear different voices. Rocky, who speaks for me, has developed a more mature tone to his speech these past months.
Rocky has become an avid reader of Eve Mining Guides and has used his new knowledge to advantage. He speaks only from his experience in these posts. He has tried to use a strategy in New Eden that does not involve confrontation. He likes to walk softly while carrying a big shovel. That might be a miner thing.
Laters. ET
My wanderings and desire for new adventurers has taken me in to the world of New Eden to be found in the Eve. It is a complex and varied world filled with any level of excitement you wish to attain.
You can reach Eve by clicking on the banner above and it doesn’t cost you anything to play your first fourteen days. During that time I hope you have a great time playing the game and get to the fun stuff quickly. Read what you find here and I think your trial period will help you on your way to becoming a successful Lone Miner in New Eden.
This information represents the best I have learned and experienced along the paths I have followed finding my own success. You may find that on my travels I have gone places others have not explored.
My paths have been varied, but they all support my central career as a Lone Miner. I will share with you what I have learned while I await my Internet connection to return. I have become a more patient man through this experience.
As I read through my many notes (this Internet connection thing has been a problem for quite awhile), I hear different voices. Rocky, who speaks for me, has developed a more mature tone to his speech these past months.
Rocky has become an avid reader of Eve Mining Guides and has used his new knowledge to advantage. He speaks only from his experience in these posts. He has tried to use a strategy in New Eden that does not involve confrontation. He likes to walk softly while carrying a big shovel. That might be a miner thing.
Laters. ET
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Phoenix Mars Lander Update
Despite all the reported electrical problems on the Mars rovers, NASA has released positive results on the Martian soil tests performed Sunday July 5, 2008 by the Phoenix rover.
There had been concerns that this might be the last sample that the TEGA (Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer) could process due to electrical circuit problems on the Phoenix rover.
There has been one sample previously delivered to the TEGA two weeks ago. Current samples will be compared to these previous sample results. The third sample to be sent to the TEGA will not be soil.
NASA plans to gather a pure sample of the white substance we see in the trenches the Phoenix scoop has been digging in the Martian soil. They have been practicing sample recovery methods today.
All indications are that the third test will complete the data needed to determine the question of whether there is, or ever has been, water on the surface of Mars. This sample will be placed in the Phoenix TEGA later this week.
Success with these tests will hopefully remove NASA concerns about further TEGA electrical problems. There has been no further mention of circuit problems on the Phoenix rover main circuit boards.
Do check the Blogroll on the right side of the page for the latest posts and articles on space exploration.
Recently here on Galaxy Voyager, we have focused our posts on the Mars Expedition rovers. Soon we shall report the latest news on plans to repair the Hubble Telescope, and a story about finding Earth-like planets in deep space.
As always, we thank NASA for their great images and animations. We also hope all you folks at NASA get a good nights’ rest tonight.
You deserve a break today.
Smiles. ET
Monday, July 7, 2008
Mars Rover Circuit Problem News
The latest news from Mars is that circuits on the Mars Exploration Rover Mission equipment are not doing well. There are actually several rovers currently active on Mars and each are having their own problems.
There is currently no news on the success or failure of the TEGA equipment on the Phoenix rover. The Phoenix is at the Mars Polar Ice Cap and scraping soil samples for testing in the TEGA. Those tests will determine the presence of water on Mars, past or present.
A second MER (Mars Expedition Rover) is called Spirit. Spirit has been moving very slowly, but it is making progress towards a place called Home Plate. Once there it will be looking for evidence of water movement in the area.
Spirit has been experiencing problems keeping its batteries solar charged. The MER website has a great series of pictures that show the source of the problem. The images show what appears to be a broken hard wire connection on a solar panel. That will definitely affect the output of that panel.
Spirit is moving slowly and has made 4.7 miles progress toward Home Plate. Spirit has soft rubber wheels that have been slipping in the loose Martian soil.
Spirit has been doing as much travel backwards, as it has forwards recently due to loose soil conditions it is currently experiencing. NASA is not reporting any expectations that Spirit will not complete its basic mission.
With a bit of chagrin I also report that there is a third MER operating on the Martian surface. In an earlier post I corrected a CNN reporter for saying there was only one functioning Rover on Mars. Turns out there is actually a third rover functioning on the Martian Plains.
The third MER is called Opportunity. It has completed 7.25 miles on its journey to the Victoria Crater. The Opportunity has a robotic arm with four tools for soil sampling. The motor that controls the sideway motion of the robotic arm on the Opportunity has been stalling recently.
From the MER website we have this report:
"Even under the worst-case scenario for this motor, Opportunity still has the capability to do some contact science with the arm," said JPL's John Callas, project manager for the twin rovers Opportunity and Spirit. "The vehicle has quite a bit of versatility to continue the high-priority investigations in Victoria Crater and back out on the Meridiani plains after exiting the crater."
The Phoenix rover is having circuit problems with the TEGA. The Spirit rover has a broken wire on its solar panels, and the Opportunity rover has an electrical motor experiencing problems. Electrical problems appear to be a constant theme on all the Mars rovers.
There are currently great images on the Mars Expedition Rover homepage. The photos show where the Spirit and Opportunity are heading and there are articles giving a more detailed explanation of each mission.
You will find information on the Phoenix Mars Mission rover at the University of Arizona website. That link is also on the blogroll to the right of this page.
The good news from Mars today is that the Jet Propulsion Labs out of Pasadena, CA are stating that they now believe that an asteroid that will approach Mars in January will not strike the Martian surface.
That is one less problem for the NASA MER teams to be concerned about. They have their hands full as it is.
We wish them success.
Smiles. ET
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Mars Lander Problem Update
The latest update from NASA reports that the Phoenix Mars Lander’s Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA) is experiencing serious circuit problems.
It seemed as if the Phoenix was impatiently pawing in the Martian soil last week. What was delaying the movement of those soil samples in to the TEGA? Now we know.
There have been hints of circuit problems since the Phoenix arrived on the Martian surface 35 Sols ago. The Mars Lander went to the computer back-up operating system immediately upon arrival.
As I followed this story over the past several weeks I have found the basic mother board on the Phoenix was made by IBM, and is running UNIX software.
The Operating System is installed on the mother board in a chip, much like the Bios on your personal computer. I have seen the mother board on the Phoenix Lander described on Tech blogs as “twice today’s Xbox and running at 128 MHz”.
NASA team engineers recently did a software fix completely using the one flash drive available for the Mars Lander. The software fix appeared to take care of known “circuit” problems at the time.
The TEGA circuit problems appear to be related to a faulty circuit. I don't know if this circuit is hard wired, or on a board. A circuit with a fault can short circuit, and a short circuit can burn out your wiring. When you burn out your wiring, nothing works.
Concerns are that the soil samples gathered last week have dried out.
The NASA team understands they may have only one test performed by the TEGA before the circuits go. They want that one soil sample to tell them about the Martian soil substance believed to be ice.
NASA is planning to deliver a fresh soil sample to the TEGA Sunday morning. The NASA team then plans to send the signal for the TEGA to begin testing immediately.
Soon we will all have more answers.
Smile. ET
Friday, July 4, 2008
This Week on Mars
Success sometimes comes in small packages. Scientists are learning to operate the Phoenix scoop with precision and gathering specific samples of the Martian soil.
This week the team made 50 scrapes with the Phoenix Lander scoop in the Snow White Trench. They gathered these in to small piles equaling only teaspoons of material.
Each pile of soil comes from a particular sample area within the Snow Trench. Some of the piles are believed to have a high enough ice content to show water in the tests.
The scoop will now move a sample of the Martian soil from one of the small piles in to the TEGA for analysis.
The team appears to be getting the more mechanical aspects of the Phoenix Lander Mission under control. Next we see how the testing equipment does. And then, we'll have more answers.
For more information on the this story, check out the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab website for their press release on the Snow White scrapings.
Smiles. ET
Monday, June 30, 2008
Latest Mars Pix Shows a Wet Spot
The latest pictures from Mars show that space exploration is proceeding as planned for the Phoenix Lander. Primary focus this week is the digging being done in the Snow White Trench. The Team has been moving the soil around and seeing if they can flatten the red dirt in to layers for easier testing in the TEGA.
Several while clumps were visible in early picutures from digs in Snow White. Now, we see clearly that those white clumps have melted and left wet spots. More evidence for water it seems NASA won't make a clear claim until the TEGA results are in. Do do state now that the soil samples from the Snow Trench will show whether water is present at that location.
Here's the link to the latest Mars Mission News Release.
I was thinking about what else that white material reminded me of. It looks like snow found in a glacial ice pack here in Earth. The scoop could dig cleanly in that type of snow, and the red Maritian soil may only be dust on a big ice ball.
The Phoenix Mars Lander will provide answers that we can trust much better than our personal guesses. I is fun to guees though, It is part of the wonder of Space Exploration!
Smiles.ET
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Latest Phoenix Mars Lander NASA News Release
Latest news on the Phoenix Mars Lander is mostly positive. We keep getting whiffs of problems, those problems disappear, and the next we hear is the problem is solved.
We are getting some fresh whiffs in this release.
NASA and the University of Arizona, held a joint media teleconference at 10:30 a.m. PDT (1:30 p.m. EDT) on Thursday, June 26, 2008 and provided information on the Mars Mission.
Yesterday, the Phoenix put its first scoop of Martian soil into the TEGA. It is an instrument designed to test the soil samples for alkalinity and The TEGA can also determine whether water had ever been present in the soil.
In yesterdays post, I commented that I don’t think the white substance we see in the Martian pictures from the Mars Lander is ice. I think we are looking at a salt bed.
I got more validation for this idea today when I ran across an article at NASA website on called, “ “. It explains how salts can prevent life from ever developing on a planet.
The article is a good read and gives information on several of the Mars Rover Missions. It will help you better understand the numerous missions that are part of exploring Mars.
There are actually “Two Rovers Operating on Mars” at this moment. You don’t read much about the Spirit Rover, but this article will give you an update on its slow but persistent life on Mars.
The oven doors on the Phoenix Lander are not opening properly, though NASA get enough soil into the TEGA ovens to do the tests. The first batch arrived as a clump and it four days to sift it in to the TEGA oven.
Interesting NASA says that are holding the TEGA ovens with the largest door openings for “ice” samples. We shall see.
Our “whiff” of a new problem comes with news that:
“Engineers have identified possible problems in the mechanical and electrical operation of that instrument, the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer, or TEGA.”
More on this story as it unfolds.
You can view some really great pictures of the Phoenix Mars Lander when you have the NASA Mars Screensaver. It is free and is updated regularly with the latest Mars Mission photos. Right now, it has a lot of images showing the TEGA.
Check it out. The images will give you a lot better idea of what this instrument looks like. I am curious if each oven has its own TEGA. We will get a better idea how this all works as we go along.
Anyone have an opinion on the “ice/salt” question? Let us all know what it is.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Water on Mars?
Isn't the NASA Mars Mission screensaver great!
I have had a chance to look at the pictures real closely, and I have my own guesses on what that white substance is in the Martian soil. I am not a scientist, but I have pretty good deductive reasoning skills.
First, I can see where those small white pieces in the troughs may be ice. These could be pieces of ice, and do you notice they are rounded. They look like ice.
Now that white sheet of whatever that we see may be something quite different.
I have wintered over in Alaska. I have experienced 40 degrees below zero for days at a time. You go to dig in ice at that temperature and it cracks all over the place, It is crystalline.
The Mars Lander is scooping that white stuff up very smoothly. It isn't cracking or looking crystalline at all. The Mars Lander scoop is cutting through that stuff like it is butter.
My thought is that white substance at the bottom of the trench looks more like a salt bed, or possibly a limestone formation.
So that's my two cents on the matter. Now we wait for the facts to be shared with us from NASA.
What are your thoughts on this?
Next up; lunar land transportation!
Smiles. ET
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Phoenix Mars Lander Successfully Lands On Mars: 5.25.08
CNN reporting the actual landing on Mars of the Phoenix Lander.
A Free Gift From NASA
The other day I was visiting the Phoenix Mission website operated by the University of Arizona. It is where to find the most current information on the project, and they have great resources for students and teachers. They also issue the news releases for the Phoenix Mars Mission.
You will find a lot of interesting stuff there and it is well worth a visit. Personally, I was trying to get some perspective on the size of things that we sent to Mars. I wished to see how big the Phoenix Mars Lander is. I was curious about the shovel.
Turns out the Mars Lander shovel is a scoop you can hold in two hands. It really is quite fascinating. I need remember we are dealing with robotics here.
I had visions of a backhoe loading Martian soil into huge ovens for testing on the Mars Lander. I had been brought up with visions of a couple of astronauts driving around on the surface of the Moon in a vehicle. Why not a backhoe on Mars?
I have mentioned I am not a scientist, a professor, or space authority. I am a member of the Public. I am a student, and sometimes a teacher. And sometimes I need more information to get the facts straight on more technical matters.
I found my answer in an interesting place. NASA, and the folks at the University of Arizona had an interesting solution to my problem.
They presented me with a gift on their website that helped me put things in better perspective regarding the size of things concerning the Phoenix lander.
Their gift is a screensaver with stunning images. The images are changed occasionally as NASA adds new photos. There are up close pictures of the team members working on the Phoenix, and actual photos of the work now being done on Mars by the Lander.
This is a screensaver I actually look at a lot. The photography is fabulous. And, it doesn't make me dizzy!
You too can get your free screensaver and check out the other great add-ons related to this mission, by going to: "Mars Mission Screensaver"
While there you will also find widgets that will keep you updated on the current weather conditons on Mars, and a timer that keeps you posted on passing Sols.
A Sol is one day on Mars, and it about 12 hours different than our days on the Earth. I will have to check if it is longer or shorter. Answer for that question anyone?
Smiles. ET
Opps CNN...there are two rovers on Mars
Just wanted to note that the commentator in the CNN video of the Phoenix Mars Lander says it is the first landing on Mars in thirty years. Not sure he had his info straight on that.
Turns out there are actually two rovers active on Mars at this moment. Admitedly, the Spirit rover is moving in slow motion, but it is on Mars and in communication with NASA.
You will find more on this story in the article "Two Rovers Active on Mars" over at Uduzit.
I have another interesting story or two to share with you from my space exploration surfing this week.
Normally, I will post on Galaxy Voyager about five times a week, and more often with breaking news. I am on a roll this weekend.
Do enjoy!
Smiles. ET
Welcome to Galaxy Voyager
It is nice to have you drop by. Let me explain where the Galaxy Voyager blog is going.
We will scour the Internet for the latest news, best blogs, and the greatest websites on the subject of Space Exploration. We will update regularly so you will be assured you will find the latest information on a variety of subjects.
The Blog List at the bottom of this page represents the best resources I can currently find on the Internet related to Space Exploration. You have the classic NASA and Hubble websites, and others with a great deal of information on space exploration and space travel.
I also have mentioned several blogs that cover Space. You will find basic coverage of the Phoenix Mars Lander Mission on Uduzit.
The current hot story is yesterdays' NASA news release concerning mounting evidence of water on Mars. Uduzit covers that story, though Ethan over at Starts With A Bang has quite a different take on the subject.
We will be watching the Mars Mission closely, so to start you out I have included the original news clip for the successful landing of the Phoenix Mars Lander 23 days ago. We will use plenty videos, images, and animations to tell our news here.
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