BBC Focus – April 2021
English | 93 pages | pdf | 51.77 MB
Earlier this year, while most of us were scraping the bottom of the TV-streaming barrel to keep ourselves entertained during the third lockdown, Mars came to life. A fleet of spacecraft descended upon the Red Planet to learn its secrets, past and present. The missions arrived in convoy since Mars and Earth had practically rubbed shoulders the summer before, giving space agencies around the world the opportunity to make the shortest trip possible between the two planets.
Of all the missions, Perseverance and its daredevil descent to Martian soil garnered the most attention. It felt like the whole world was watching. The same was true a few years ago, as everyone waited for the New Horizons probe to switch back on as it approached its ultimate destination, Pluto. After all, who doesn’t love a daring tale of exploration? Whether we’re putting people on the Moon or taking a submarine to the bottom of the ocean, there are no bigger, more popular stories in science than those that take us to new frontiers.
So, inspired by the incredible tales of Martian exploration, we decided to dedicate this entire issue to the projects and missions that are pushing the boundaries of what we know and where we can go. From deep-sea mountains to deep space, we hope you enjoy this tour of what we think is some of the most mind-blowing science out there right now.
Daniel Bennett, Editor
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