How is space travel faring in the age of austerity?

Nasa’s panoramic image [see below] is the latest from the historic Mars mission which is still underway. In another pioneering project, British engineers are developing jet engines capable of going anywhere in the world in just four hours. But as aerospace executives from Nasa and around the world gather for the airshow in Farnborough, many are fearful of the impact of the global economic crisis, as Science Editor Tom Clarke has been finding out.

Nasa’s panoramic view

The picture [below] shows the terrain surrounding Nasa’s rover while it was stationary for four months during its most recent Martian winter from 21 December 2011 to 8 May 2012.

The rover, Opportunity, was placed on a north-facing sloped outcrop called “Greeley Haven,” angling its solar panels toward the sun which was low in the northern sky during southern hemisphere winter.

Mars north is at the centre of the image, while south is at both ends (click here to see an aerial view of the area). On the far left at the horizon is “Rich Morris Hill,” which was informally named in memory of John R. Rich Morris (1973-2011) – an aerospace engineer and musician who was a Mars rover team member.

The platforms at the bottom and left of the image are solar panels which power the rover, and show an accumulation of dust that has built up since the rover started monitoring the planet.

The tracks in the centre and left of the image were made by the Opportunity’s movement to investigate various parts of the landscape and position the rover at Greeley Haven.

The pictures were taken through Pancam filters and are presented in false colour, to emphasise the contrast between various materials.