Tag: engineering
“Moon will be in the focus of our activity this decade.”
Despite protests from the U.S. and South Korea, North Korea is continuing preparations for the launch an Earth observation satellite.
Despite protests from the U.S. and South Korea, North Korea is continuing preparations for the launch an Earth observation satellite.
North Korea recently entered into a food aid agreement with the U.S., which requires the Asian nation to halt long-range rocket launches in exchange for critical resources to stem the country’s widespread poverty and famine.
Officials from the U.S. and South Korea have said that the Unha-3 launch is a violation of this agreement, and could carry significant consequences. South Korean officials have said they may even shoot down parts of the Unha-3 rocket if they breach the state’s borders.
Despite protests from the U.S. and South Korea, North Korea is continuing preparations for the launch an Earth observation satellite.
North Korea recently entered into a food aid agreement with the U.S., which requires the Asian nation to halt long-range rocket launches in exchange for critical resources to stem the country’s widespread poverty and famine.
Officials from the U.S. and South Korea have said that the Unha-3 launch is a violation of this agreement, and could carry significant consequences. South Korean officials have said they may even shoot down parts of the Unha-3 rocket if they breach the state’s borders.
SpaceX is planning its own spaceport about three miles north of Mexico at the southern tip of Texas.
SpaceX is planning its own spaceport about three miles north of Mexico at the southern tip of Texas.
SpaceX had been looking at sites at various potential sites, including ones in Florida, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Company officials have said they plan to operate out of Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Air Force Base as well. A third, commercial launch site frees them from range restrictions that exist at the other two locations.
SpaceX is planning its own spaceport about three miles north of Mexico at the southern tip of Texas.
SpaceX had been looking at sites at various potential sites, including ones in Florida, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Company officials have said they plan to operate out of Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Air Force Base as well. A third, commercial launch site frees them from range restrictions that exist at the other two locations.
The virtual aircraft museum
What happens when you put a koosh ball in liquid nitrogen?
The actual cost to launch
In writing this short post on the efforts of Lockheed Martin and Orbital Sciences to launch rockets for the small satellite market, Clark Lindsey made this comment:
It costs around $50 million to launch a Orbital Sciences Minotaur 4, which can put 1,730 kg into LEO while the Lockheed’s Athena 2 will cost around $65 million to put 1,712 kg into LEO. SpaceX currently posts charges $54M – $59.5M for launching to LEO 10,450 kg (equatorial) and 8,560 kg (polar). If SpaceX is able to sustain these prices in routine operation, it will obviously result in some disturbance to the launch industry.
Let’s deconstruct these numbers again, this time listing them by the cost per kilogram:
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How to make water float on oil.
How to make water float on oil.
How to make water float on oil.
The world’s quietest room.
Decision day for the SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon test flight will be April 16.
Mark your calendar: Decision day for the SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon test flight on April 30 will be April 16.
Mark your calendar: Decision day for the SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon test flight on April 30 will be April 16.
Boeing today successfully completed an 11,000 foot parachute drop test of its CST-100 reusable manned capsule.
Boeing today successfully completed an 11,000 foot parachute drop test of its CST-100 reusable manned capsule.
Another success for commercial space, which based on the opinions of our elected officials means they must cut this program’s budget.
Boeing today successfully completed an 11,000 foot parachute drop test of its CST-100 reusable manned capsule.
Another success for commercial space, which based on the opinions of our elected officials means they must cut this program’s budget.
Chinese workers put finishing touches on the world’s highest and longest suspension bridge.
Chinese workers put the finishing touches on the world’s highest and longest suspension bridge.
Link fixed. Sorry about that.
Chinese workers put the finishing touches on the world’s highest and longest suspension bridge.
Link fixed. Sorry about that.
A radio telescope 5,000 miles wide.
A radio telescope 5,000 miles wide.
A radio telescope 5,000 miles wide.
According to Indian officials, Russia and India are near agreement on a preliminary design for the joint development of a hypersonic cruise missile.
Leaving us in the dust: According to Indian officials, Russia and India are near agreement on a preliminary design for the joint development of a hypersonic cruise missile.
Leaving us in the dust: According to Indian officials, Russia and India are near agreement on a preliminary design for the joint development of a hypersonic cruise missile.
The universe as seen by astronauts on ISS.
The universe as seen by astronauts on ISS.
The universe as seen by astronauts on ISS.
Europe has shut down the production line producing their ATV cargo craft for ISS.
Is this good or bad news? Europe has shut down the production line producing their ATV cargo craft for ISS.
Confronted by parts obsolescence and waning political support, the European Space Agency has shut down subsystem production lines for the Automated Transfer Vehicle as member states debate how they will contribute to future international space exploration efforts, according to top spaceflight officials.
ESA has launched three of the five ATVs it agreed to launch, with the remaining two scheduled in 2013 and 2014. What happens after that remains unclear. It seems from the article the European partners don’t seem interested in upgrading the ATV, and instead seem willing to let the as-yet untried U.S. commercial companies carry the load.
Commercial flights by U.S. spacecraft will make up the rest of the lost capacity with the end of the ATV program.
The pressure continues to build on a successful Falcon 9/Dragon flight on April 30.
Is this good or bad news? Europe has shut down the production line producing their ATV cargo craft for ISS.
Confronted by parts obsolescence and waning political support, the European Space Agency has shut down subsystem production lines for the Automated Transfer Vehicle as member states debate how they will contribute to future international space exploration efforts, according to top spaceflight officials.
ESA has launched three of the five ATVs it agreed to launch, with the remaining two scheduled in 2013 and 2014. What happens after that remains unclear. It seems from the article the European partners don’t seem interested in upgrading the ATV, and instead seem willing to let the as-yet untried U.S. commercial companies carry the load.
Commercial flights by U.S. spacecraft will make up the rest of the lost capacity with the end of the ATV program.
The pressure continues to build on a successful Falcon 9/Dragon flight on April 30.
Ten amazing treetop walkways from around the world.
Ten amazing treetop walkways from around the world.
Ten amazing treetop walkways from around the world.
French engineers have designed a tiny ion motor that nano-satellites could use as a thruster to adjust their orbits.
Swiss engineers have designed a tiny ion motor that nano-satellites could use as a thruster to adjust their orbits.
The motor weighs only seven ounces, and could work on satellites as small as four inches cubed.
Up to now, it wasn’t possible to reduce the size of maneuverable satellites below a certain point because of the size of their large thruster engines. If it is now possible to provide nano satellites with thrusters, it will be possible to significantly reduce the cost, and more importantly, the payload weight, of satellites. And with a lower payload weight, it will be possible to create a market for smaller rockets, which are much easier to build and far cheaper.
This kind of news makes me more confident that the new commercial space industry truly has a future.
Swiss engineers have designed a tiny ion motor that nano-satellites could use as a thruster to adjust their orbits.
The motor weighs only seven ounces, and could work on satellites as small as four inches cubed.
Up to now, it wasn’t possible to reduce the size of maneuverable satellites below a certain point because of the size of their large thruster engines. If it is now possible to provide nano satellites with thrusters, it will be possible to significantly reduce the cost, and more importantly, the payload weight, of satellites. And with a lower payload weight, it will be possible to create a market for smaller rockets, which are much easier to build and far cheaper.
This kind of news makes me more confident that the new commercial space industry truly has a future.
The NASA administrator, Charles Bolden, has balked at the Europe-China negotiations for docking a Chinese manned craft at ISS.
The NASA administrator, Charles Bolden, has balked at the Europe-China negotiations for docking a Chinese manned craft at ISS.
I don’t know what Bolden can do about this, however, as we don’t have the ability to get to our own space station, while Europe and the Chinese do.
The NASA administrator, Charles Bolden, has balked at the Europe-China negotiations for docking a Chinese manned craft at ISS.
I don’t know what Bolden can do about this, however, as we don’t have the ability to get to our own space station, while Europe and the Chinese do.
The Buzz Lightyear toy that flew on space shuttle has been donated to the Smithsonian.
The Buzz Lightyear toy that flew on space shuttle has been donated to the Smithsonian.
This news item illustrates the sad state of the American space program, when the arrival at a museum of a foot-high plastic toy that had been in space merits major news coverage. Worse, if we instead wanted to bring this toy back to ISS, we can’t, at least not without begging help from someone else.
The Buzz Lightyear toy that flew on space shuttle has been donated to the Smithsonian.
This news item illustrates the sad state of the American space program, when the arrival at a museum of a foot-high plastic toy that had been in space merits major news coverage. Worse, if we instead wanted to bring this toy back to ISS, we can’t, at least not without begging help from someone else.
The Russians are building nuclear powered engines for long range space travel, and announced today that they expect to have the first engine ready by 2017.
The Russians are building nuclear powered engines for long range space travel, and announced today that they expect to have the first engine ready by 2017.
The Russians are building nuclear powered engines for long range space travel, and announced today that they expect to have the first engine ready by 2017.
Europe’s ATV freighter has successfully docked with ISS.
Europe’s ATV freighter has successfully docked with ISS.
Europe’s ATV freighter has successfully docked with ISS.
An expedition financed by Jeff Bezos, the founder of amazon.com, has found the rocket engines of the Apollo 11 Saturn 5 rocket.
An expedition financed by Jeff Bezos, the founder of amazon.com, has found the rocket engines of the Apollo 11 Saturn 5 rocket at the bottom of the Atlantic.
An expedition financed by Jeff Bezos, the founder of amazon.com, has found the rocket engines of the Apollo 11 Saturn 5 rocket at the bottom of the Atlantic.
An incandescent light bulb, stored in a time capsule for one hundred years, still worked
An incandescent light bulb, stored in a time capsule for one hundred years, still worked!
I wonder: Did the EPA try to arrest anyone for using it?
An incandescent light bulb, stored in a time capsule for one hundred years, still worked!
I wonder: Did the EPA try to arrest anyone for using it?
Ringed clouds at the edge of space.
How to make a potato gun
Two new skyscrapers being built in Milan are designed to allow trees to grow on the outside of every floor.
A vertical forest: Two new skyscrapers being built in Milan are designed to allow trees to grow on the outside of every floor.
A vertical forest: Two new skyscrapers being built in Milan are designed to allow trees to grow on the outside of every floor.
A toy company has designed building blocks that make it possible to combine multiple brands, from Legos to Tinkertoys.
A toy company has designed building blocks that make it possible to combine multiple building block brands, from Legos to Tinkertoys.
By downloading free designs and using a 3D printer, you could have your very own pieces to connect ten different brands of building toys to each other and construct even more elaborate contraptions and structures.
As the first commenter on the webpage noted, “This is the next singularity.”
A toy company has designed building blocks that make it possible to combine multiple building block brands, from Legos to Tinkertoys.
By downloading free designs and using a 3D printer, you could have your very own pieces to connect ten different brands of building toys to each other and construct even more elaborate contraptions and structures.
As the first commenter on the webpage noted, “This is the next singularity.”
Crossing the Wabash Cannonball Bridge
An evening pause: Driving across the Wabash Cannonball Bridge going from Indiana to Illinois. The bridge is single lane, with a wooden deck, and over a hundred years old.
What’s really cool is how the driver is able to drive while holding his camera overhead through his sun roof.
The first Russian weather satellite, launched in 1969, is about to burn up in the atmosphere.
Some history comes to Earth: The first Russian weather satellite, launched in 1969, is about to burn up in the atmosphere.
Not only that, but the U.S. research satellite Explorer 8, launched in 1960, is also about to come down.
Some history comes to Earth: The first Russian weather satellite, launched in 1969, is about to burn up in the atmosphere.
Not only that, but the U.S. research satellite Explorer 8, launched in 1960, is also about to come down.
Want a job designing and building spaceships? Scaled Composites is holding a jobs fair and open house at the Mohave Air and Space Port.
Want a job designing and building spaceships? Scaled Composites is holding a jobs fair and open house at the Mohave Air and Space Port.
Want a job designing and building spaceships? Scaled Composites is holding a jobs fair and open house at the Mohave Air and Space Port.