Speaking of the cracks on the first Orion capsule, here’s a story on the capsule’s state of construction.
Speaking of the cracks on the first Orion capsule, here’s a story on the capsule’s state of construction.
Tag: engineering
Lockheed Martin will begin intensive stress tests on its Orion capsule on April 22.
The competition heats up: Lockheed Martin will begin intensive stress tests on its Orion capsule on April 22.
Though the article makes no mention of the cracks that had previously been found in that capsule, nor the repair work that was done to fix them, I strongly suspect that these stress tests are aimed at testing these repairs.
Canada’s first earth observation radar satellite, Radarsat-1, went into safe mode more than a week ago and is not expected to recover.
Canada’s first earth observation radar satellite, Radarsat-1, went into safe mode more than a week ago and is not expected to recover.
Radarsat-1 was launched in 1995. Radarsat-2 was launched in 2007, so the older satellite was essentially a back-up anyway.
India is looking to privatize its commercial launch vehicles.
The competition heats up: India is looking to privatize its commercial launch vehicles.
Boeing is about to begin wind tunnel tests of its CST-100 manned capsule.
The competition heats up: Boeing is about to begin wind tunnel tests of its CST-100 manned capsule.
This is good, but there is something about the pace of development of the CST-100 that seems mighty slow to me. Last September there were indications that Boeing might shelve the project, which were countered in November by word that they were instead considering increasing their investment.
The slow pace suggests to me that management has rejected the latter. It also suggests that while they haven’t shelved the project, they are not pushing it hard, which means that eventually it will die because it will fail to compete with other more ambitious and competitive efforts.
The words of NASA’s chief: “NASA is not going to the Moon with a human as a primary project probably in my lifetime.”
The words of NASA’s chief: “NASA is not going to the Moon with a human as a primary project probably in my lifetime.”
He’s right. Instead, others will do it. And the ones who do it from the United States, privately financed for profit, will do it quickly, efficiently, and often, three things NASA has not been able to do at all since the 1960s.
NASA has indicated that the first manned launch using a commercial space carrier has slipped by a year.
NASA has now indicated that the first manned launch using a commercial space carrier has slipped by a year.
The reasons are as yet unclear, though it is suspected that the main cause is the decision by the Obama administration to cut the funds of this program under sequestration. As Clark Lindsey notes, however, there is no reason that some of these private companies won’t go forward and fly other passengers on their spaceships, ahead of the NASA flights. Specifically, SpaceX and its Dragon capsule should easily be ready to go well ahead of 2017, and will likely be earning enough cash from its commercial launches to pay for development even if the NASA subsidies get delayed.
The first launch of Antares has now been scheduled for April 17.
The first launch of Antares has now been scheduled for April 17.
World’s Roundest Object!
An evening pause:
Antares is on the launchpad, being readied for its first launch in about 10 days.
The competition heats up: Antares is on the launchpad, being readied for its first launch in about 10 days.
India has delayed the first test flight of its human-rated GSLV Mark 3 rocket until the spring of 2014.
India has delayed the first test flight of its human-rated GSLV Mark 3 rocket until the spring of 2014.