Biosphere 2 gets a new owner and a boost in funding
Biosphere 2 gets a new owner and a boost in funding.
Biosphere 2 gets a new owner and a boost in funding.
Tag: engineering
Biosphere 2 gets a new owner and a boost in funding
EPA approves 15% ethanol gasoline despite the risk of engine damage
We’re here to help you: The EPA has approved a warning label for its approval of 15% ethanol gasoline.
EPA says tests show E15 won’t harm 2001 and newer vehicles, which have hoses and gaskets and seals specially designed to resist corrosive ethanol. But using E15 fuel in older vehicles or in power equipment such as mowers, chainsaws and boats, can cause damage and now is literally a federal offense.
We’re here to help you: The EPA has approved a warning label for its approval of 15% ethanol gasoline.
EPA says tests show E15 won’t harm 2001 and newer vehicles, which have hoses and gaskets and seals specially designed to resist corrosive ethanol. But using E15 fuel in older vehicles or in power equipment such as mowers, chainsaws and boats, can cause damage and now is literally a federal offense.
China buys three Earth observations satellites from UK firm
Capitalism in space: China has purchased a three Earth observation satellite constellation from a United Kingdom firm.
Capitalism in space: China has purchased a three Earth observation satellite constellation from a United Kingdom firm.
Wallops launch delayed until Wednesday
The launch of a military satellite out of Wallops Island, Maryland has been delayed until Wednesday.
The launch of a military satellite out of Wallops Island, Maryland has been delayed until Wednesday.
Astronauts retreated to Soyuz lifeboats early today as debris zipped 1000 feet past the station
Astronauts retreated to their Soyuz lifeboats early today as a piece of space junk zipped less than 1000 feet past the station.
Astronauts retreated to their Soyuz lifeboats early today as a piece of space junk zipped less than 1000 feet past the station.
Rocket launch on Tuesday at Wallops will be visible for most of Mid-Atlantic
A rocket launch tonight at Wallops Island will be visible to most of the mid-Atlantic eastern United States.
A rocket launch tonight at Wallops Island will be visible to most of the mid-Atlantic eastern United States.
Plans to adjust frequency variations on electric grid could break appliances
We’re here to help you! A experiment with the nation’s electric grid could mess up traffic lights, security systems and some computers — and make plug-in clocks and appliances like programmable coffeemakers run up to 20 minutes fast. Then there’s this quote:
A lot of people are going to have things break and they’re not going to know why,
We’re here to help you! A experiment with the nation’s electric grid could mess up traffic lights, security systems and some computers — and make plug-in clocks and appliances like programmable coffeemakers run up to 20 minutes fast. Then there’s this quote:
A lot of people are going to have things break and they’re not going to know why,
Another private space plane moves forward
Another private space plane moves forward.
Another private space plane moves forward.
An engineer’s guide to cat yodeling
How to watch a shuttle launch
New Texas Giant roller-coaster
Want to send a probe to another planet? Cut costs!
Want to send a probe to another planet? Do it cheaply, as these scientists did.
Want to send a probe to another planet? Do it cheaply, as these scientists did.
the cost of solar energy is crashing down
The cost of solar energy is plummeting.
Though it can’t work in many places in the world and therefore can’t completely replace the electrical grid, this is still good news.
The cost of solar energy is plummeting.
Though it can’t work in many places in the world and therefore can’t completely replace the electrical grid, this is still good news.
Cockpit view of 747 takeoff
An evening pause: Note how long it takes for the 747 to get off the ground. The plane is big and heavy.
Cassini directly samples the plumes from Enceladus and finds an ocean-like Spray
Cassini has directly sampled the plumes from Enceladus and discovered a salty ocean-like spray.
The new paper analyzes three Enceladus flybys in 2008 and 2009 with the same instrument, focusing on the composition of freshly ejected plume grains. The icy particles hit the detector target at speeds between 15,000 and 39,000 mph (23,000 and 63,000 kilometers per hour), vaporizing instantly. Electrical fields inside the cosmic dust analyzer separated the various constituents of the impact cloud.
The data suggest a layer of water between the moon’s rocky core and its icy mantle, possibly as deep as about 50 miles (80 kilometers) beneath the surface. As this water washes against the rocks, it dissolves salt compounds and rises through fractures in the overlying ice to form reserves nearer the surface. If the outermost layer cracks open, the decrease in pressure from these reserves to space causes a plume to shoot out. Roughly 400 pounds (200 kilograms) of water vapor is lost every second in the plumes, with smaller amounts being lost as ice grains. The team calculates the water reserves must have large evaporating surfaces, or they would freeze easily and stop the plumes.
Cassini has directly sampled the plumes from Enceladus and discovered a salty ocean-like spray.
The new paper analyzes three Enceladus flybys in 2008 and 2009 with the same instrument, focusing on the composition of freshly ejected plume grains. The icy particles hit the detector target at speeds between 15,000 and 39,000 mph (23,000 and 63,000 kilometers per hour), vaporizing instantly. Electrical fields inside the cosmic dust analyzer separated the various constituents of the impact cloud.
The data suggest a layer of water between the moon’s rocky core and its icy mantle, possibly as deep as about 50 miles (80 kilometers) beneath the surface. As this water washes against the rocks, it dissolves salt compounds and rises through fractures in the overlying ice to form reserves nearer the surface. If the outermost layer cracks open, the decrease in pressure from these reserves to space causes a plume to shoot out. Roughly 400 pounds (200 kilograms) of water vapor is lost every second in the plumes, with smaller amounts being lost as ice grains. The team calculates the water reserves must have large evaporating surfaces, or they would freeze easily and stop the plumes.
Branson says Virgin Galactic will fly a suborbital flight within a year
From Clark Lindsey: Branson says Virgin Galactic will fly a suborbital flight within a year.
From Clark Lindsey: Branson says Virgin Galactic will fly a suborbital flight within a year.
ATV burns up, Progress launched
Busy day for travel to and from ISS: The European unmanned ATV freighter Johannes Kepler burned up in the atmosphere even as a Russian Progress freighter was launched.
In related news, the U.S. and ESA are in negotiations to merge the European unmanned ATV freighter program with NASA’s manned Orion derivative. At the same time, Europe has announced its plans to test fly a reusable space plane.
Busy day for travel to and from ISS: The European unmanned ATV freighter Johannes Kepler burned up in the atmosphere even as a Russian Progress freighter was launched.
In related news, the U.S. and ESA are in negotiations to merge the European unmanned ATV freighter program with NASA’s manned Orion derivative. At the same time, Europe has announced its plans to test fly a reusable space plane.
The first Soyuz launch from French Guiana is set for October 20, 2011
The first Soyuz launch from French Guiana has now been scheduled for October 20, 2011.
The first Soyuz launch from French Guiana has now been scheduled for October 20, 2011.
Energia not to produce Soyuz spaceship for space tourists
According to the chief of the Russian space agency, it presently does not have the capacity to produce additional Soyuz capsule for tourist flights.
According to the chief of the Russian space agency, it presently does not have the capacity to produce additional Soyuz capsule for tourist flights.
The cost of rare earth metals has soared as China limits supplies
The cost of rare earth metals used in electronics has soared to record levels in the past two weeks as China clamps down on illegal mining and limits supplies.
The cost of rare earth metals used in electronics has soared to record levels in the past two weeks as China clamps down on illegal mining and limits supplies.
Unmanned sail prototype prepares for launch
A prototype of an unmanned sailing ship will begin a test voyage this fall.
Although Harbor Wing will operate without a captain and crew by sailing on a pre-programmed course, “the man is always in the loop,” Ott said. An operator, seated at a computer that could be hundreds of miles away, can control the craft with keystrokes that relay commands via satellite. The transmission gap, from order to receipt, is only 18 seconds, which “on the open ocean is not much,” he said, “so you have very close control.”
A prototype of an unmanned sailing ship will begin a test voyage this fall.
Although Harbor Wing will operate without a captain and crew by sailing on a pre-programmed course, “the man is always in the loop,” Ott said. An operator, seated at a computer that could be hundreds of miles away, can control the craft with keystrokes that relay commands via satellite. The transmission gap, from order to receipt, is only 18 seconds, which “on the open ocean is not much,” he said, “so you have very close control.”
Deep well inspection
An evening pause: Let’s take a strange journey, down 275 feet deep into a well. No sound, but fascinating nonetheless.
NASA about to decide on its shuttle heavy-lift replacement
NASA is about to decide on its shuttle heavy-lift replacement, and it looks like it will be almost entirely shuttle-derived.
As I have said previously, this rocket will almost certainly never fly. NASA has to start over after spending billions and years developing Constellation, and is being given less money and time to do it.
And even if I am wrong and this rocket does fly, I bet it will do only one flight and then be retired as too costly.
NASA is about to decide on its shuttle heavy-lift replacement, and it looks like it will be almost entirely shuttle-derived.
As I have said previously, this rocket will almost certainly never fly. NASA has to start over after spending billions and years developing Constellation, and is being given less money and time to do it.
And even if I am wrong and this rocket does fly, I bet it will do only one flight and then be retired as too costly.
SpaceX Sues Expert Who Questioned Safety of Falcon 9 Rocket
Turf war: SpaceX has sued a NASA safety expert (with ties to the Ares rocket program) who questioned the safety of the Falcon 9 rocket.
Turf war: SpaceX has sued a NASA safety expert (with ties to the Ares rocket program) who questioned the safety of the Falcon 9 rocket.
ESA controllers buy time to solve problems on comet probe Rosetta
This ain’t good. One of the reasons ESA controllers recently put the comet probe Rosetta into hibernation for two and a half years was in order to buy time to solve a serious technical problem.
Mission managers said the hibernation will permit Rosetta to rest its four reaction wheels, two of which have shown signs of degradation. The satellite needs three to function, and one of the two problem wheels will be used only as a spare when the satellite is awakened in January 2014 in preparation for its approach to a comet.
This ain’t good. One of the reasons ESA controllers recently put the comet probe Rosetta into hibernation for two and a half years was in order to buy time to solve a serious technical problem.
Mission managers said the hibernation will permit Rosetta to rest its four reaction wheels, two of which have shown signs of degradation. The satellite needs three to function, and one of the two problem wheels will be used only as a spare when the satellite is awakened in January 2014 in preparation for its approach to a comet.
A tanking test for the last shuttle flight encounters problems
During a tanking test of the space shuttle Atlantis today a valve to the main engines leaked, requiring replacement and raising questions whether the July 8 launch date can be met.
During a tanking test of the space shuttle Atlantis today a valve to the main engines leaked, requiring replacement and raising questions whether the July 8 launch date can be met.
Second X-51 hypersonic flight crashes prematurely
Second X-51 hypersonic flight crashes prematurely.
After what the US Air Force described as a ‘flawless’ flight to the launch point aboard a Boeing B-52 mothership, the X-51 was successfully boosted to Mach 5.0 by a rocket booster. The Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne scramjet engine successfully ignited using its initial fuel, ethylene. During the immediate transition to JP-7, the conventional fuel that makes the X-51 unique, an inlet unstart occurred. A subsequent attempt to restart and reorient to optimal conditions was unsuccessful.
Second X-51 hypersonic flight crashes prematurely.
After what the US Air Force described as a ‘flawless’ flight to the launch point aboard a Boeing B-52 mothership, the X-51 was successfully boosted to Mach 5.0 by a rocket booster. The Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne scramjet engine successfully ignited using its initial fuel, ethylene. During the immediate transition to JP-7, the conventional fuel that makes the X-51 unique, an inlet unstart occurred. A subsequent attempt to restart and reorient to optimal conditions was unsuccessful.
SpaceShipTwo completes two glide test flights within twenty-four hours
SpaceShipTwo completes two glide test flights within twenty-four hours.
SpaceShipTwo completes two glide test flights within twenty-four hours.
The world’s oldest functioning light bulb: 110 years old
The world’s oldest functioning light bulb: 110 years old.
The world’s oldest functioning light bulb: 110 years old.
Memo Marks Official End of Constellation
Don’t bet on it: A memo signed today by a senior NASA official marks the end of the Constellation program.
All this does is make the name change of the program-formerly-called-Constellation official. The pork continues nonetheless!
Don’t bet on it: A memo signed today by a senior NASA official marks the end of the Constellation program.
All this does is make the name change of the program-formerly-called-Constellation official. The pork continues nonetheless!