2014

The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke

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The novel “The Sands of Mars” by Arthur C. Clarke was published for the first time in 1951.

Martin Gibson is a famous science fiction writer but has never traveled in space. Finally, he has an opportunity and leaves on the Ares, a starship that will be reach the Martian colony. First he has to go to “Space Station One”, in Earth’s orbit, where interplanetary trips start.

When he embarks on Ares, Martin Gibson is assigned Jimmy Spencer, a astronaut in training, whose task is to help him to settle in space and to answer his questions. The relationship between the two of them isn’t always easy but eventually they become friends. It’s also thanks to Jimmy Martin that he gets interested in the future of the Martian colony more than he imagined.

The Chang'e 5 T1 Capsule after its landing (Photo courtesy Xinhua. All rights reserved)

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It was morning in China when the Chinese test capsule Chang’e 5 T1 landed successfully in Mongolia. The mission was launched on October 23 and in the following days flew around the Moon before returning to Earth. The spacecraft was composed of a service module and a return vehicle, which is the capsule that has landed.

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Yesterday it was morning in California when the news came that Virgin Galactic’s spaceplane SpaceShipTwo crashed during a test flight in the Mojave Desert in California. The SpaceShipTwo crashed to the ground and in the hours after it was confirmed that, unfortunately, one of the two pilots died. The other pilot suffered injuries and was taken to a local hospital.

Marco van Basten in 2008

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Marcel “Marco” van Basten was born on October 31, 1964 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. During his career as a footballer, he won the Dutch and Italian titles and a number of European competitions. He also won a European Championship with the Dutch national team.

Marco van Basten’s elegance and extraordinary technique exalted his fans and gained the respect of his opponents. Despite his considerable height, 1.88 meters (6’2″), his ball control was great and in the course of his career he scored decisive goals in several occasions showing that he was a true champion.