4-Billion-Pixel Panorama From Curiosity Rover Brings Mars to Your Computer Screen

4-Billion-Pixel Panorama From Curiosity Rover Brings Mars to Your Computer Screen
Wired, 28 March 2013
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/03/4-billion-pixel-mars-panorama/

In the meantime, we can enjoy this mosaic created by photographer Andrew Bodrov of Estonia, whose previous panorama let you stand on Mars next to Curiosity. The entire image stretches 90,000 by 45,000 pixels and uses pictures taken by the rover’s two MastCams. The best way to enjoy it is to go into fullscreen mode and slowly soak up the scenery — from the distant high edges of the crater to the enormous and looming Mount Sharp, the rover’s eventual destination.

The Artist Who Helped Invent Space Travel

The Artist Who Helped Invent Space Travel
IO9, 11 March 2013
http://io9.com/the-artist-who-helped-invent-space-travel-452436111

Bonestell's paintings not only anticipated 20th century space exploration, they helped to bring it about. So realistic were his depictions of other worlds that visiting them no longer seemed fantasy. His artwork looked like picture postcards taken by some future astronaut.

DIYRockets Motor Challenge

3D Printed Rocket Engine
Open Space University, 8 March 2013
http://www.openspaceuniversity.org/?_escaped_fragment_=rocketchallenge/c22xk#!rocketchallenge/c22xk

DIYROCKETS Challenges YOU to Collaboratively Design an Open Source 3D Printed Rocket Engine that Could Carry Nano-Satellites into Space

The purpose of the competition is to promote innovation and cost effectiveness in small payload delivery through the development of open source collaboratively designed 3D printed rocket engines. This competition focuses on promoting innovation and lowering costs through the collaborative design process, understanding the business cases, and exploring the possibilities of 3D printing for the space industry.