A subsurface ocean of water on Titan
Scientists have found evidence that a subsurface ocean of water and ammonia exists within Saturn’s moon Titan.
Year: 2011
How shall Europe’s ATV freighter to ISS be upgraded?
How shall Europe’s ATV freighter to ISS be upgraded?
Dark matter: light or heavy?
Dark matter: light or heavy?
Later today I will be attending press conference at a symposium on dark matter that is being held this week at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. I will post more on this subject then.
FAA wants your opinion about commercial space rules
The government marches on! The FAA wants your opinion about its future commercial space regulations.
Or to put it another way, how to stifle a newborn in the womb. In 2004 I said the new law allowing this kind of regulation was going to hurt the new space industries. We are about to see, with the FAA’s regulatory effort here, exactly how that will play out.
And I don’t think it will be good.
Finding anti-matter from ISS
How space technology helped kill Osama bin Laden
Elon Musk defends his vision and success
Elon Musk defends his vision and success. Key quote:
For the first time in more than three decades, America last year began taking back international market-share in commercial satellite launch. This remarkable turn-around was sparked by a small investment NASA made in SpaceX in 2006 as part of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. A unique public-private partnership, COTS has proven that under the right conditions, a properly incentivized contractor — even an all-American one — can develop extremely complex systems on rapid timelines and a fixed-price basis, significantly beating historical industry-standard costs.
China has the fastest growing economy in the world. But the American free enterprise system, which allows anyone with a better mouse-trap to compete, is what will ensure that the United States remains the world’s greatest superpower of innovation.
To put it simply, Musk is right, on all counts.
Endeavour launch could be as late as May 13
The last launch of Endeavour could be delayed to as late as May 13.
El Condor Pasa – Chinese E-Wu and Flute w/ Peruvian flute
An evening pause: El Condor Pasa, played by a Peruvian flute and a Chinese E-Wu and Flute. As the youtube webpage notes, “This is possibly the best-known Peruvian song worldwide, partly due to a cover version by Simon and Garfunkel in 1970 on their Bridge over Troubled Water album, which is called “El Condor Pasa (If I Could)” in full.”
Inside the heart of the volcano
Arne Saknussemm would be proud: Inside the heart of the volcano.
SpaceShipTwo’s First “Feathered” Flight
SpaceShipTwo’s has successfully completed its first “feathered” flight.
After a 45 minute climb to the desired altitude of 51,500 feet, SpaceShip2 (SS2) was released cleanly from VMS Eve [WhiteKnightTwo] and established a stable glide profile before deploying, for the first time, its re-entry or “feathered” configuration by rotating the tail section of the vehicle upwards to a 65 degree angle to the fuselage. It remained in this configuration with the vehicle’s body at a level pitch for approximately 1 minute and 15 seconds whilst descending, almost vertically, at around 15,500 feet per minute, slowed by the powerful shuttlecock-like drag created by the raised tail section. At around 33,500 feet the pilots reconfigured the spaceship to its normal glide mode and executed a smooth runway touch down, approximately 11 minutes and 5 seconds after its release from VMS Eve.
According to Rasmussen poll, the Ryan Plan is losing support nationally
According to a new Rasmussen poll, the Ryan Plan is losing support nationally.
If this is so, we are really in trouble, especially since there presently is no other realistic option on the table.