Water Bears: These are Real, Microscopic, Beings!

In 2007, a little known creature called a tardigrade became the first animal to survive exposure to space.

It prevailed over sub-zero temperatures, unrelenting solar winds and an oxygen-deprived space vacuum.

...

Its mission: to help scientists understand more about how this so-called "hardiest animal on Earth" can survive for short periods off it.

Tardigrades join other microscopic organisms selected to be part of a project into extreme survival.

Read more here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/12855775

NASA lands on Mars Again!

Check out the videos of NASA's Rover named "Curiosity" -- successfully landing on Mars to start two years of research in search of ingredients for life, such as water, energy, and carbon.  Some good animated videos of the expected landing....







Here's the direct YouTube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oLaC1VYoTM


Another good link:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/robotics-hardware/first-color-image-from-curiosity-in-descent-phase/?utm_source=roboticsnews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=080712