NASA Considers Cheaper Ways To Retrieve Mars Samples | How Does A Hula Hoop Stay Up? · Science Friday summary

Key takeaways

NASA's Mars Sample Return mission faces significant cost and time challenges, potentially delaying sample retrieval until the 2040s.
Two new plans have been proposed to streamline the mission's costs and timelines, but no solid commitment has been made, leaving the issue to future decision-makers.
The complexity of the Mars mission is likened to a relay race or a game of Mouse Trap, illustrating the intricate coordination required among multiple spacecraft.
A recent study by mathematicians at NYU shed light on the physics of hula hooping, specifically how body shape affects the ability to keep the hoop from falling.
Hula hooping combines physical activity with complex physics, where specific body features—like hips and waist—create the necessary dynamics to support the hoop.

Summary

NASA's Mars Sample Return Mission: Current Challenges and Future Plans

In this segment, the podcast delves into NASA's Mars Sample Return mission, which seeks to collect Martian rocks, sand, and air using the Perseverance rover and return them to Earth. A recent review revealed that this ambitious mission will take longer and require more funding than previously thought. Consequently, NASA announced two potential plans to reduce costs and aim for sample retrieval by the late 2030s, but without a definitive commitment, the future of the mission may hinge on the incoming administration's decisions. Dr. Jim Bell, an expert on Mars missions, discusses the complexities involved in executing such a groundbreaking endeavor, likening it to a relay race, where multiple spacecraft must work together to successfully return the samples.

Understanding the Physics of Hula Hooping

Transitioning to a lighter topic, the episode explores the whimsical yet scientifically intriguing question of how hula hoops stay up. Olivia Pomerenk, a PhD candidate from NYU, explains that, despite its centuries-old history, the physics behind hula hooping has not been thoroughly understood. Her research identifies that a specific body shape—with a combination of slope and curvature from hips and waists—plays a crucial role in supporting the hoop while dancing around one's body. Pomerenk describes how they utilized robotic experiments to test various body shapes and unveil the hidden physics that keep a hula hoop in motion, revealing a blend of science and art in this timeless activity.

Show notes

Scientists investigated how the shape of the human body makes hula hooping possible—and what hips and a waist have to do with it. And, the decision for how to proceed with NASA's Mars Sample Return Mission will fall to the incoming administration.

What Makes A Hula Hoop Stay Up?

Hula hooping might appear to be a simple physical activity. But there’s some complex math and physics at play as the hoop goes around your body, and scientists haven’t had a clear understanding of those hidden forces—until now. A team of mathematicians at New York University recently published research into the science of hula hooping in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Flora Lichtman is joined by Olivia Pomerenk, a PhD candidate in mathematics at New York University, and a coauthor of that paper. She talks with Flora about why the motion of hula hooping prevents the hoop from falling down and which body types make for the best hooper.

NASA Considers Cheaper, Faster Ways To Retrieve Mars Samples

NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission is an ambitious project that aims to use the Perseverance rover to collect Martian rocks, sand, and even gulps of Martian air. Then, through a complicated handoff between different spacecraft, it would ferry those samples to Earth.

A 2023 assessment found that the original plan to retrieve the samples would be much more expensive, and take much longer, than initially expected.

This week, NASA announced two options for how to cut costs and bring the samples to Earth by the late 2030s. But the agency did not solidify a plan, leaving it to the next administration to sort out around 18 months from now. Is the project on the rocks?

To get up to speed on the mission, Flora Lichtman talks with Dr. Jim Bell, professor of earth and space exploration at Arizona State University, and distinguished visiting scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.

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NASA Considers Cheaper Ways To Retrieve Mars Samples | How Does A Hula Hoop Stay Up?