Posted by tourdemars to Technology at March 3, 2004 12:00 PM

Four University engineering students travel to Houston today to run an experiment that could benefit future space exploration. Seniors Arianne Liepa, Travis Palmer and Christy Schroeder and junior Greg Hukill were selected by NASA to conduct experiments in its zero gravity airplane KC-135. The students believe that they have found a new source of energy to be used on Mars. Within a carbon dioxide environment similar to that of Mars, magnesium mixed with iodine may combust to produce energy. The energy would particularly help people who might be on the planet for an extended period of time.