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

Jan 15, 2025

Discover the fascinating science behind hula hooping, where body shape and physics intertwine to keep the hoop spinning. Researchers at NYU have unraveled the mechanics of balance and motion, shedding light on what makes for an effective hooper. Meanwhile, NASA faces exciting yet challenging decisions regarding the Mars Sample Return mission, exploring more cost-effective and efficient ways to bring Martian materials back to Earth. Join in on the conversation about the future of space exploration and the unexpected wonders of a simple toy.

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INSIGHT

Mars Sample Return Complexity

Returning Mars samples is the most complex robotic mission ever attempted.
It involves multiple spacecraft and intricate handoffs.

INSIGHT

Sample Transfer Complexity

The mission involves a complex transfer of samples between spacecraft and robots.
This resembles a relay race or the game 'Mousetrap'.

ANECDOTE

Mars Sample Locations

Perseverance collects samples from an ancient Martian delta, similar to Earth's Mississippi River Delta.
These locations are ideal for preserving evidence of past life and habitability.

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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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