Tag

Surface Exploration

All articles tagged with #surface exploration

"Surprising Discovery: Cave-Dwelling 'Baby Dragons' Surface, Baffling Scientists"
nature1 year ago

"Surprising Discovery: Cave-Dwelling 'Baby Dragons' Surface, Baffling Scientists"

Researchers have discovered that blind cave-dwelling salamanders known as olms are venturing aboveground in northern Italy, contrary to previous belief. They have been observed in aboveground springs, with some even found during the daytime, suggesting they may not be strictly bound to life below the ground. The olms were seen feeding on earthworms at the surface, and there is evidence to suggest they may even breed there. Despite the energy required for these excursions, the olms appear to be faring well, with some found to be surprisingly plump.

VERITAS Venus Mission: Testing Key Technology in Iceland (Photos)
space2 years ago

VERITAS Venus Mission: Testing Key Technology in Iceland (Photos)

NASA's VERITAS Venus mission, currently on hold, has been using field campaigns in Iceland to test technologies and techniques for exploring the planet's surface. The mission's science team collected samples of rocks and surfaces near an active volcano in Iceland to study volcanic areas as analogs for Venus. The team also used lidar scanners and airborne radar images to gather data for refining algorithms onboard VERITAS. The mission, which was supposed to provide fundamental information about Venus, has been delayed, but NASA is developing another Venus mission called DAVINCI, scheduled to launch in 2029.