By Kailey Franklin, staff writer
As it’s turning out, 2015 is going to be an exciting year for astronomers and space enthusiasts alike.
The first of two major missions in 2015 is “Dawn.” Dawn was launched from Cape Canaveral in 2007. The mission’s goal is to orbit and send back information about Vesta and Ceres, the two largest protoplanets in our solar system.
Dawn seeks to answer questions regarding the evolution of the planets. Since Ceres and Vesta are so different in nature, (Vesta being evolved and dry, and Ce- res being extremely primitive and wet), astronomers hope to be able to figure out what controls the formation and overall evolution of a planet.
Dawn reached Vesta in 2011. Scientists at NASA stated that Vesta is probably one of the few remaining asteroids that came together to form the terrestrial planets in our solar system.
Currently, Dawn is on its way to its other target, Ceres. It’s expected to reach it on March 6, 2015.
The other mission in 2015 is called “New Horizons” and was built by John Hopkins University. It’s designed to fly by Pluto and its moon, Charon, and then continue on into the Kuiper Belt and transmit back data to Earth.
Scientists want to use New Horizons to find out more about Pluto, since very little is known. Astronomers at NASA expect surprises, much like past missions have surprised them about the other planets.
New Horizons was launched in 2006 and is expected to reach Pluto in July. While Dawn and New Horizons may be the only major missions in 2015, in 2024, the first crew of the Mars One mission will depart from Earth.
Mars One is a mission designed to send actual living people to Mars. The nonprofit organization is to choose from online applicants from around the world to go. The catch is that those chosen will not come back. It’s a one-way ticket. From the 200,000 people that applied, only 24 will be selected for the final crew. Those 24 people will be launched in teams of six every two years starting 2024. The journey to Mars will take around seven months.
The Mars One mission hopes to use current technology to proceed with the project. However, if the team only uses current technology, the first crew will only survive on Mars for about 68 days.
Alison Rigby, a 35-year-old lab technician, is one of the 100 people still being considered for the final crew. Rigby said in an interview with CNN that she was of course scared of the risks that come with Mars One.
“When people ask me why I am going to Mars to die, I say we are all going to die,” Rigby said. “But it’s important what you do before you die.”