Tag: engineering
ESA is revamping how it builds rockets in order to compete with SpaceX.
The competition heats up: ESA is revamping how it builds rockets in order to compete with SpaceX.
ESA officials have been spooked by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., which has demonstrated its technical prowess with the launch of its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo vehicle to the international space station. SpaceX officials say one of the keys to its success is that Falcon 9 is built in one factory owned by SpaceX.
Read the whole thing. The way ESA builds the Ariane rocket requires too many participants (what we in the U.S. call pork), raising its cost. ESA is now abandoning that approach to cut costs and thus compete with SpaceX.
Bad training of the astronauts led to the failure of the student experiments recently on ISS.
Bad training of the ISS astronauts by the company supplying the experiments was the reason the student experiments were never turned on.
“Previous crews were given on the ground review and personal interaction prior to launch,” Manber said. “For this mission, the astronaut received hardware training solely via video while on the space station. Clearly, there was a miscommunication resulting from the video instruction.”
An new material has claimed the record as the world’s lightest solid.
An new material has claimed the record as the world’s lightest solid.
Developed by a team from the Technical University of Hamburg and Germany’s University of Kiel, the material is composed of 99.99 percent air, along with a three-dimensional network of porous carbon nanotubes that were grown into each other. Aerographite has a density of less than 0.2 milligrams per cubic centimeter, which allows it be compressed by a factor of 1,000, then subsequently spring back to its original state. Despite its extremely low density, it is black and optically-opaque in appearance. By contrast, the density of metallic microlattice sits at 0.9 mg per cubic centimeter.
Researchers have concluded that the dust on the Moon’s surface there pose serious health risks for lunar colonists.
Researchers have concluded that the dust on the Moon’s surface might pose serious health risks for lunar colonists.
It seems that more than one experiment was not turned on during their stay on ISS this past month, and an investigation has begun as to why.
It seems that more than one experiment was never turned on while on ISS this past month, and an investigation has begun as to why.
The Virginia spaceport at Wallops Island is on schedule to hand control of its launchpad sometime this month so that Orbital Sciences can begin ground tests of its Antares rocket.
The Virginia spaceport at Wallops Island is on schedule later this month to hand control of its launchpad over to Orbital Sciences so it can begin ground tests of its Antares rocket.
The irony of this press release story is that Orbital has actually been running things, as it took over prepping the launchpad last year when the spaceport was unable to handle it.
Sierra Nevada has successfully completed testing of the nose landing gear for its Dream Chaser manned reusable spacecraft.
The competition heats up: Sierra Nevada has successfully completed testing of the nose landing gear for its Dream Chaser manned reusable spacecraft.
From Virgin Galactic come two announcements today
The competition heats up: From Virgin Galactic come two announcements today:
- Richard Branson and family will be the first tourists to fly on SpaceShipTwo.
- They are developing an orbital launcher to work with WhiteKnightTwo capable of putting 500 pounds in orbit.
The second is really the big news, especially as it appears they already have some customers.
LauncherOne will be a two-stage vehicle capable of carrying up to 500 pounds (225 kilograms) to orbit for prices below $10 million. The rocket will be launched from Virgin Galactic’s proven WhiteKnightTwo, the uniquely capable aircraft also designed to carry SpaceShipTwo aloft to begin her suborbital missions. Thanks to the extreme flexibility of air launch, Virgin Galactic’s customers will enjoy reduced infrastructure costs in addition to the wide range of possible launch locations tailored to individual mission requirements and weather conditions. Branson and other senior executives announced that work has already begun on the vehicle.
India is in the process of biometrically identifying every one of it 1.2 billion citizens.
Orwell would be proud: India is in the process of biometrically identifying every one of it 1.2 billion citizens.
An indoor climbing wall that never ends.
An indoor climbing wall that never ends.
The rise and fall of Germany’s solar power industry.
The rise and fall of Germany’s solar power industry.
The Russian company building that country’s Glonass GPS system is under investigation by the police for the embezzlement of more than a half billion rubles.
The Russian company building that country’s Glonass GPS system is under investigation by the police for the embezzlement of more than a half billion rubles.
A student experiment that was successfully flown up and down to ISS by Dragon is apparently a failure because no one on ISS ever turned it on.
A student experiment — successfully flown up and down to ISS by Dragon — is apparently a failure because no one on ISS ever turned it on.
Per instructions from NanoRacks, the Houston company that works with NASA to integrate such deliveries, Warren packed his worms, or C. elegans, into a glass ampule, or tube, then packed that tube into a larger one containing a liquid “growth medium” for the worms. An astronaut aboard the space station was to crack the outer ampule in a way that would release the worms into the surrounding liquid. It never happened.
The article is very diplomatic about this, but it is very clear that either the astronauts on ISS screwed up, or NASA did by not giving them clear instructions.
Cassini has shifted its orbit so that it can look down on Saturn and its rings.
Saturn from above: Cassini has shifted its orbit so that it can look down on Saturn and its rings.
A hotel for stargazers
Life before air conditioning.
Human ingenuity at its best.
Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of duct tape involved.
Cool images of the opening of the floodgates of a Chinese dam.
Cool images of the opening of the floodgates of a Chinese dam.
Scientists can now use neutron detectors at the south pole to warn astronauts on ISS of incoming dangerous radiation.
Scientists can now use neutron detectors at the south pole to warn astronauts on ISS of incoming dangerous radiation.