International Space Station - Case Study Example

Radio signals are used by earth scientists to operate laboratory equipment at ISS. The purpose of ISS includes functions like investigating the affect of weightlessness on biological species, including crew members, over a period. In addition, it will also study crystal growth in space. (Oberg, 2005). NASA had originally scheduled participating in ISS program until 2015, but with loss of STS-107, President Bush declared that the shuttle would be retired by 2010, which meant no support service for ISS.

Hence, its plans for the last module launch, as well as, de-orbiting procedures are not yet clear. (Catchpole: The International Space Station) Mars Exploration Rovers (MER): These rovers have greater mobility than 1997 pathfinders. While each rover can trek up-to 100 meters, across the red surface on one Martian day, it could carry sophisticated instruments that can help in the discovery of water on Mars. The landing procedure for both rovers and pathfinders are almost identical. (Mars Exploration Rovers).

However, the landed portion of rovers has a different design that allows carrying all instruments with the rover. Pathfinders carried instruments on Lander and a small Sojourner rover. Rovers are able to take color and infra-red images with 360-degree visibility. Possibility of the presence of water on the Martian surface has been the major discovery of the Mars Exploration Rover mission. (Mars Rovers Most Amazing Discoveries)