Three astronauts safely returned from ISS today.
Three astronauts safely returned from ISS today.
Three astronauts safely returned from ISS today.
Tag: engineering
Three astronauts safely returned from ISS today.
SpaceX is about to finalize a deal with the Air Force to launch satellites on both its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
SpaceX is about to finalize a deal with the Air Force to launch satellites on both its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
For the Dscovr mission, scheduled for late 2014, a Falcon 9 will be used to launch an Earth and space weather satellite to the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L1, a location approximately 930,000 mi. from Earth. The Dscovr program, which will provide warning of space weather events, is a joint effort between the Air Force, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The STP-2 mission, which is targeted for launch on a Falcon Heavy in mid-2015, includes two space vehicles: the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate-2 (Cosmic-2), designed to monitor climate behaviors; and the Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX), which will conduct radiation research. [emphasis mine]
The big story here is that even before it has flown the Falcon Heavy once SpaceX already has a customer for it.
SpaceX is about to finalize a deal with the Air Force to launch satellites on both its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
For the Dscovr mission, scheduled for late 2014, a Falcon 9 will be used to launch an Earth and space weather satellite to the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L1, a location approximately 930,000 mi. from Earth. The Dscovr program, which will provide warning of space weather events, is a joint effort between the Air Force, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The STP-2 mission, which is targeted for launch on a Falcon Heavy in mid-2015, includes two space vehicles: the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate-2 (Cosmic-2), designed to monitor climate behaviors; and the Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX), which will conduct radiation research. [emphasis mine]
The big story here is that even before it has flown the Falcon Heavy once SpaceX already has a customer for it.
The engineering test prototype of Dream Chaser has been shipped to California for drop tests this summer.
The engineering test prototype of Dream Chaser has been shipped to California for drop tests this summer.
The engineering test prototype of Dream Chaser has been shipped to California for drop tests this summer.
Checking the cracks on the first Orion capsule to fly.
Checking the cracks on the first Orion capsule to fly.
Checking the cracks on the first Orion capsule to fly.
In replacing a pump during today’s spacewalk it appears the astronauts have fixed the coolant leak.
In replacing a pump during Saturday’s spacewalk it appears the astronauts have fixed the coolant leak.
In replacing a pump during Saturday’s spacewalk it appears the astronauts have fixed the coolant leak.
Astronauts will replace a pump tomorrow on their spacewalk in the hope this will fix the leak in ISS’s solar panel cooling system.
The astronauts will replace a pump tomorrow on their spacewalk in the hope this will fix the leak in ISS’s solar panel cooling system.
The spacewalk has still not been approved, though it seems likely it will happen.
Update: As of this morning the spacewalk has been approved, set to begin at 8:15 am (Eastern).
The astronauts will replace a pump tomorrow on their spacewalk in the hope this will fix the leak in ISS’s solar panel cooling system.
The spacewalk has still not been approved, though it seems likely it will happen.
Update: As of this morning the spacewalk has been approved, set to begin at 8:15 am (Eastern).
In a science fair project that came in third, a fourteen year old has discovered that the magnets inside IPADs can interfere with heart devices like implanted defibrillators.
In a science fair project that came in third, a fourteen year old has discovered that the magnets inside IPADs can interfere with heart devices like implanted defibrillators.
In a science fair project that came in third, a fourteen year old has discovered that the magnets inside IPADs can interfere with heart devices like implanted defibrillators.
A high energy laser beam destroys a rocket from a distance of a little less than a mile.
A high energy laser beam destroys a rocket from a distance of a little less than a mile.
Reagan was right: His proposed SDI laser-based defense system was a reasonable proposal, despite the ridicule of the leftwing elites in the 1980s. I have posted the video of this test below the fold.
» Read more
A high energy laser beam destroys a rocket from a distance of a little less than a mile.
Reagan was right: His proposed SDI laser-based defense system was a reasonable proposal, despite the ridicule of the leftwing elites in the 1980s. I have posted the video of this test below the fold.
» Read more
Astronauts today spotted an ammonia coolant leak in ISS’s left-side power truss.
Astronauts today spotted an ammonia coolant leak in ISS’s left-side power truss.
They are monitoring it, but have so far not made any decision about what to do about it, if anything.
This problem is a perfect illustration of why a flight to Mars is more complicated in terms of engineering than first appears. We might at this time be able to build that interplanetary spaceship (with the emphasis on the word “might”) but could its passengers maintain it millions of miles from Earth? Right now I’d say no. We need to learn how to build an easily repaired and self-sufficient spaceship. ISS is neither. It is also not a very good platform for testing this kind of engineering.
Update: The astronauts on ISS are preparing for a possible spacewalk on Saturday to deal with the problem. More details here.
Astronauts today spotted an ammonia coolant leak in ISS’s left-side power truss.
They are monitoring it, but have so far not made any decision about what to do about it, if anything.
This problem is a perfect illustration of why a flight to Mars is more complicated in terms of engineering than first appears. We might at this time be able to build that interplanetary spaceship (with the emphasis on the word “might”) but could its passengers maintain it millions of miles from Earth? Right now I’d say no. We need to learn how to build an easily repaired and self-sufficient spaceship. ISS is neither. It is also not a very good platform for testing this kind of engineering.
Update: The astronauts on ISS are preparing for a possible spacewalk on Saturday to deal with the problem. More details here.
The International Space Station has switched all its computers from Windows to Linux.
The International Space Station has switched all its computers from Windows to Linux.
I love this quote:
“We migrated key functions from Windows to Linux because we needed an operating system that was stable and reliable.”
I’ve been on Linux for almost six years, It crashes, but that is usually user error.
The International Space Station has switched all its computers from Windows to Linux.
I love this quote:
“We migrated key functions from Windows to Linux because we needed an operating system that was stable and reliable.”
I’ve been on Linux for almost six years, It crashes, but that is usually user error.
Real vs imagined human spaceflight.
Real vs imagined human spaceflight.
He gets it. This was the same problem the Russians discovered when they were operating Mir.
Real vs imagined human spaceflight.
He gets it. This was the same problem the Russians discovered when they were operating Mir.
SpaceX is moving its Grasshopper test program to New Mexico’s spaceport.
SpaceX is moving its Grasshopper test program to New Mexico’s spaceport.
The move confirms big plans for the test bed. Flights to date have been conducted at SpaceX’s engine test site in McGregor, Texas. SpaceX received a waiver from the FAA to fly Grasshopper up to 11,500ft from McGregor, but Spaceport America is an FAA-certified spaceport where no where no waivers are required. “Spaceport America offers us the physical and regulatory landscape needed to complete the next phase of Grasshopper testing,” says SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell.
SpaceX is moving its Grasshopper test program to New Mexico’s spaceport.
The move confirms big plans for the test bed. Flights to date have been conducted at SpaceX’s engine test site in McGregor, Texas. SpaceX received a waiver from the FAA to fly Grasshopper up to 11,500ft from McGregor, but Spaceport America is an FAA-certified spaceport where no where no waivers are required. “Spaceport America offers us the physical and regulatory landscape needed to complete the next phase of Grasshopper testing,” says SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell.
Japan’s entire space program faces a major overhaul.
Feeling the heat of competition: Japan’s entire space program faces a major overhaul.
In the last few decades Japan has not done very well in space when compared to other Asian countries like China and India. Thus, this overhaul. Yet, based on this article, it doesn’t seem to me that they are making the real changes they need to do to successfully compete. If anything, it sounds instead like the actions of a bureaucracy that is merely rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship, in the hope that this will somehow save it.
Feeling the heat of competition: Japan’s entire space program faces a major overhaul.
In the last few decades Japan has not done very well in space when compared to other Asian countries like China and India. Thus, this overhaul. Yet, based on this article, it doesn’t seem to me that they are making the real changes they need to do to successfully compete. If anything, it sounds instead like the actions of a bureaucracy that is merely rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship, in the hope that this will somehow save it.
North Korea has withdrawn two missiles from their launch site.
Good news: North Korea has withdrawn two missiles from their launch site.
The article is very vague, unfortunately, about the rockets themselves and whether either were the orbital rockets that North Korea had been threatening to launch several weeks ago.
Good news: North Korea has withdrawn two missiles from their launch site.
The article is very vague, unfortunately, about the rockets themselves and whether either were the orbital rockets that North Korea had been threatening to launch several weeks ago.
Europe’s new Vega rocket made its second successful commercial launch today, placing three satellites in orbit.
The competition heats up: Europe’s new Vega rocket made its second successful commercial launch today, placing three satellites in orbit.
The competition heats up: Europe’s new Vega rocket made its second successful commercial launch today, placing three satellites in orbit.
Russia has confirmed Sarah Brightman’s tourist flight to ISS, now scheduled for October 2015.
The competition heats up: Russia has confirmed Sarah Brightman’s tourist flight to ISS, now scheduled for October 2015.
The competition heats up: Russia has confirmed Sarah Brightman’s tourist flight to ISS, now scheduled for October 2015.
The first Cygnus/Antares demo flight to ISS has been delayed at least one month, to no earlier than August.
The first Cygnus/Antares demo flight to ISS has been delayed at least one month, to no earlier than August.
Overall, this delay is not a big deal. They want to swap out an engine to check a seal, plus they then have to coordinate the flight date with other missions to ISS.
The first Cygnus/Antares demo flight to ISS has been delayed at least one month, to no earlier than August.
Overall, this delay is not a big deal. They want to swap out an engine to check a seal, plus they then have to coordinate the flight date with other missions to ISS.
Video of a successful test firing of Liberator, the first working 3D printed gun.
Video of a successful test firing of Liberator, the first working 3D printed gun.
Not surprisingly, the Democrats in Congress are rushing to outlaw this weapon, as is their typical approach to anything they don’t like: outlaw it, ban it, prohibit it, control it, restrict it.
In other related news, a news paper editor in Colorado has decided that the only fair way to debate the NRA is to send every member of the organization to prison.
No more due process in the clear-cut case of insidious terrorism. When the facts are so clearly before all Americans, for the whole world to see, why bother with this country’s odious and cumbersome system of justice? Send the guilty monsters directly to Guantanamo Bay for all eternity and let them rot in their own mental squalor.
No, no, no. Not the wannabe sick kid who blew up the Boston marathon or the freak that’s mailing ricin-laced letters to the president. I’m talking about the real terrorist threat here in America: the National Rifle Association. [emphasis mine]
Our modern liberal community: Restrict freedom, dump due process, imprison your opponents.
Video of a successful test firing of Liberator, the first working 3D printed gun.
Not surprisingly, the Democrats in Congress are rushing to outlaw this weapon, as is their typical approach to anything they don’t like: outlaw it, ban it, prohibit it, control it, restrict it.
In other related news, a news paper editor in Colorado has decided that the only fair way to debate the NRA is to send every member of the organization to prison.
No more due process in the clear-cut case of insidious terrorism. When the facts are so clearly before all Americans, for the whole world to see, why bother with this country’s odious and cumbersome system of justice? Send the guilty monsters directly to Guantanamo Bay for all eternity and let them rot in their own mental squalor.
No, no, no. Not the wannabe sick kid who blew up the Boston marathon or the freak that’s mailing ricin-laced letters to the president. I’m talking about the real terrorist threat here in America: the National Rifle Association. [emphasis mine]
Our modern liberal community: Restrict freedom, dump due process, imprison your opponents.
The three phonesats launched piggyback on Antares several weeks ago beamed down images of Earth that have now been released.
The three phonesats launched piggyback on Antares several weeks ago beamed down images of Earth that have now been released.
The three cube-shaped satellites were launched on Sunday, April 21, 2013 atop Orbital Science Corporation’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia. The three satellites were all built around a standard cubesat frame about four inches (10 cm) square, with a larger, external lithium-ion battery and a radio powerful enough to reach Earth. The smartphone components not only provided cameras for snapping pictures of the Earth, but also acted as the spacecrafts’ avionics for maintaining attitude control.
In keeping with the PhoneSat’s mission’s goal of getting into space on a budget, the images were transmitted back to Earth in the form of image-data packets that were received not just by NASA’s Ames Research Center but also by amateur radio operators around the world, who volunteered their services to collect 200 of these packets.
The three phonesats launched piggyback on Antares several weeks ago beamed down images of Earth that have now been released.
The three cube-shaped satellites were launched on Sunday, April 21, 2013 atop Orbital Science Corporation’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia. The three satellites were all built around a standard cubesat frame about four inches (10 cm) square, with a larger, external lithium-ion battery and a radio powerful enough to reach Earth. The smartphone components not only provided cameras for snapping pictures of the Earth, but also acted as the spacecrafts’ avionics for maintaining attitude control.
In keeping with the PhoneSat’s mission’s goal of getting into space on a budget, the images were transmitted back to Earth in the form of image-data packets that were received not just by NASA’s Ames Research Center but also by amateur radio operators around the world, who volunteered their services to collect 200 of these packets.
A solar-powered airplane landed safely in Phoenix today on its first leg of an attempt to fly across the United States.
A solar-powered airplane landed safely in Phoenix today on its first leg of an attempt to fly across the United States.
I totally support this effort to develop new technology, but must note that the capabilities of this solar-powered plane, as described in this article, are woefully limited. Nonetheless, I can see many applications where these liabilities will not be an issue, so all power to them. I hope they succeed.
A solar-powered airplane landed safely in Phoenix today on its first leg of an attempt to fly across the United States.
I totally support this effort to develop new technology, but must note that the capabilities of this solar-powered plane, as described in this article, are woefully limited. Nonetheless, I can see many applications where these liabilities will not be an issue, so all power to them. I hope they succeed.
Private space is winning
Today I attended an space industry conference here in Orange County, California, sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Unlike the Space Hackers conference which also occurred today and to which I was also invited, this was not a New Space get-together, but a standard aerospace event which included a lot of old time engineers from the big old-time companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Most of the talks today were engineering related. For example, one described in detail the engineering advantages of building ion engines and solar sails at the molecular level, nanotechnology to the max. Another talk, which I found astonishing and exciting, was an analysis of the orbital mechanics of getting to Mars. This analysis found that using constant acceleration as low as .01 G it would be possible to get to Mars in weeks, not years, and without the necessity of waiting for the perfect launch window. You could launch almost anytime. Though we don’t have engines that as yet can provide this much constant low acceleration, these numbers are not so high as to make it impossible. With some clever refinements, it might be possible to come up with propulsion systems capable of these constant Gs, and to do it in the near future. If so, it will open up the entire solar system to manned exploration very quickly. Not only will we be able to travel to the planets in a reasonable time, the constant Gs would overcome the medical problems caused by prolonged weightlessness.
It wasn’t these interesting engineering presentations that got my juices flowing however. Instead, it was presentation on public policy issues that completely surprised me and made me think the future of the American aerospace industry is really going in the right direction. This significant take-away was further reinforced by the audience’s reaction to my lecture in the evening.
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A 3D-printed handgun has now been made.
A 3D-printed handgun has now been made.
A 3D-printed handgun has now been made.
The robotic demonstration of remote satellite repair on ISS resumed this week.
The robotic demonstration of remote satellite repair on ISS resumed this week.
The latest round of demos follows a breakthrough round of ground-controlled activities in January using the 70-ft.-long Canadian robot arm/Dextre combination to sever lock wires and remove a mock fuel cap to flow 1.7 liters of ethanol fuel into the RMM.
The new tests will see if the robot arm can do even finer and more difficult tasks, such as unscrewing and storing a small screw.
The robotic demonstration of remote satellite repair on ISS resumed this week.
The latest round of demos follows a breakthrough round of ground-controlled activities in January using the 70-ft.-long Canadian robot arm/Dextre combination to sever lock wires and remove a mock fuel cap to flow 1.7 liters of ethanol fuel into the RMM.
The new tests will see if the robot arm can do even finer and more difficult tasks, such as unscrewing and storing a small screw.
After four tries the Air Force X-51A Waverider test craft finally succeeded in achieving sustained, scramjet-powered, air-breathing hypersonic flight above Mach 5 in its final test flight on May 1.
After four tries the Air Force X-51A Waverider test craft finally succeeded in achieving sustained, scramjet-powered, air-breathing hypersonic flight above Mach 5 in its final test flight on May 1.
After four tries the Air Force X-51A Waverider test craft finally succeeded in achieving sustained, scramjet-powered, air-breathing hypersonic flight above Mach 5 in its final test flight on May 1.
The European Space Agency is investigating the possibility that the Progress docking to ISS on April 26 might have damaged equipment needed by their ATV cargo ship.
The European Space Agency is investigating the possibility that the Progress docking to ISS on April 26 might have damaged equipment needed by their ATV cargo ship.
The damage, caused by the undeployed Progress antenna, appears to have involved a navigational aid needed for ATV-4 … the Laser Radar Reflector (LRR) target. The LRR is needed for the automatic docking of the European ATV during the last part of the rendezvous operations. If the damage is confirmed, the device, recently replaced during an EVA by the Russian crew due to contamination of the optical section, will need to be replaced again. In this event, the European cargo ship could potentially be delayed for several months. ATV-4, named Albert Einstein, has been already delayed from April to June because of a glitch in an avionics box.
The European Space Agency is investigating the possibility that the Progress docking to ISS on April 26 might have damaged equipment needed by their ATV cargo ship.
The damage, caused by the undeployed Progress antenna, appears to have involved a navigational aid needed for ATV-4 … the Laser Radar Reflector (LRR) target. The LRR is needed for the automatic docking of the European ATV during the last part of the rendezvous operations. If the damage is confirmed, the device, recently replaced during an EVA by the Russian crew due to contamination of the optical section, will need to be replaced again. In this event, the European cargo ship could potentially be delayed for several months. ATV-4, named Albert Einstein, has been already delayed from April to June because of a glitch in an avionics box.
NASA revealed Tuesday that last April the Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope barely avoided a collision with an abandoned Russian satellite.
NASA revealed Tuesday that last April the Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope barely avoided a collision with an abandoned Russian satellite.
Fermi mission scientists first learned of the space collision threat on March 29, 2012 when they received a notice that the space telescope and Cosmos 1805 would miss each other by just 700 feet (213.4 meters). The mission team monitored the situation over the next day and it became clear that the two spacecraft, traveling in different orbits, would zip through the same point in space within 30 milliseconds of one another, NASA officials said.
They used Fermi’s thrusters to shift its orbit enough so the two spacecraft missed each other by 6 miles.
NASA revealed Tuesday that last April the Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope barely avoided a collision with an abandoned Russian satellite.
Fermi mission scientists first learned of the space collision threat on March 29, 2012 when they received a notice that the space telescope and Cosmos 1805 would miss each other by just 700 feet (213.4 meters). The mission team monitored the situation over the next day and it became clear that the two spacecraft, traveling in different orbits, would zip through the same point in space within 30 milliseconds of one another, NASA officials said.
They used Fermi’s thrusters to shift its orbit enough so the two spacecraft missed each other by 6 miles.
Opportunity is out of standby mode and has resumed normal operations.
Good news: Opportunity is out of standby mode and has resumed normal operations.
Good news: Opportunity is out of standby mode and has resumed normal operations.
Eight abandoned and truly gigantic construction projects.
Eight abandoned and truly gigantic construction projects.
Probably the most amazing is the one in North Korea.
Eight abandoned and truly gigantic construction projects.
Probably the most amazing is the one in North Korea.
Schools from Puerto Rico dominated the competition at this past weekend’s Great Moonbuggy Race.
Schools from Puerto Rico dominated the competition at this past weekend’s Great Moonbuggy Race.
Schools from Puerto Rico dominated the competition at this past weekend’s Great Moonbuggy Race.
Better buy your tickets now because in a week the price for a flight on SpaceShipTwo is going up 25%.
The competition heats up: Better buy your tickets now because in a week the price for a flight on SpaceShipTwo is going up 25%.
The competition heats up: Better buy your tickets now because in a week the price for a flight on SpaceShipTwo is going up 25%.