Shuttle Discovery Back in Hangar

Space Shuttle Discovery is getting a new new external fuel tank (No, that's not a typo.) The new fuel tank had some foam application modifications, but the new new external fuel tank is equiped with a heater to prevent ice and temperature and vibration sensors to measure tank performance.
It remains to be seen whether Discovery will fly again as planned, but NASA is doing its very best, for the astronauts first and then for the program. As it should be.

Ion Thrusters Are the Future

Ion Thrusters, yes those things from Star Trek, are real and making a big splash in Spacecraft propulsion. Excite the ions in an inert gas like xenon, and wham! you're moving. Granted, you are traveling very, very slowly at first. The force exerted out the rear nozzle is about as strong as $6 in quarters resting in the palm of your hand, but in the vacuum of Space inertia allows that force to build to the limits of physics.
The nuclear powered version will provide speeds up to 200,000 mph when it's throttled up, give the pilot full throttle control and provide enough electricity for a practically limitless amount of experimentation.
Prometheus is only the beginning...

W. Mark Felt, Downing Street Memo Pale in Comparison

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More Data From Cassini: Water on Phoebe?

Phoebe, the outermost large moon of Saturn has been the latest subject of scrutiny by Cassini as it continues its mission around the Saturnian system, taking pictures and conducting experiments.
Scientists have detected what they believe to be sheets of water-ice on the surface, iron-bearing minerals, organics, nitrites, silicates, trapped carbon dioxide and cyanide compounds, in abundance. Some are saying the only more compositionally diverse body in the Solar System is Earth.
What's most incredible is the mission is just getting started and already look at what scientists have discovered. Water! On Phoebe, no less.
I remember when some in the scientific community theorized we'd only find water on earth-like planets....
Time makes all the difference, don't you think?
And if you think that's cool, wait until you see what they found on Iapetus!

Odyssey: Double the Science for 1/8 the Price

NASA scientists have chosen to renew the mission of the Mars Odyssey orbiter, by all accounts a resounding success, for at least one more year (through Sept. 2006.)
Each day twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity transmit data to Odyssey which relays that information to Earth. It will also provide critical mission data for NASA's Phoenix mission to Mars, scheduled to land in 2008 and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, scheduled to reach orbit in 2006. (Current MRO mission status.)
Although its original approximately three year-mission cost was a whopping $297 million, NASA is getting a bargain with its mission renewal: just $35 million for almost two more years.
In addition to discovering vast quantities of water ice, determining higher than expected radiation levels were present and providing the most detailed surface maps to date, Odyssey has shown some surface features continue to defy explanation. Like these olivine-rich layers of rock.

Keep in mind, everyone is racing to find water on Mars. Water means a future permanent human colony. How soon that would happen (if there's even enough water-ice present to support one) is unknown, especially given what they have recently discovered about higher than expected radiation levels (about three times Earth normal) but it's a start.
And no matter what else happens from this point forward, NASA scientists have shown the dangers of Mars exploration can be overcome through old-fashioned hard work and human perseverance.

iRobot Corp.: No Doubting Their Success Now

Around 1990 I recall reading a story in USA Today about three MIT grads starting their own robot company...now look at them!
With more than 1 million Roomba vacuums sold, at least one successful military robot so far--PackBot--and $50 million worth of defense department design contracts to go.
Their latest 'bot, Scooba, was revealed last week and should go on sale by Christmas. Like Roomba only not for carpet, it mops your floors while you do other things.
It's really been an incredible success story for iRobot Corp. And a boon for robot junkies worldwide as they customize the little 'bots for style and substance, and fun. Like the Zoomba.

I can't wait to see what they come up with next--I mean, after the autonomous killing machines they are designing for the D.O.D....

U.S. Space Program Losing Partners Fast Due to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)

The same legal regime that has been preventing the licensing of SpaceShipOne technology to Virgin Galactic has now chased off the European Space Agency.
ITAR--International Traffic in Arms Regulations--was intended to protect militarily sensitive U.S. projects from any foreign government, foe or ally. Now, through some strange circumstance, it is suddenly being used to prevent cooperation on Space projects.
Despite prior agreements, NASA may be faced with abandoning the International Space Station partly because of its inability to share information with its international partners, Russian, Europe and Japan, and also because it wants those countries it shares with to promise not to share at all with certain other countries.
A true political quagmire disguised as an effort to protect our security when all it's doing is making us more isolated and causing more distrust among what few allies we have left.

China and India Now BFF

As India continues to seek international allies other than the U.S.A. some analysts are concerned this could marginalize our role as a Space technology leader--or Superpower.
I say, it's about time.
It's interesting that some would view the improved relations between China and the world's largest democracy as a bad thing. After all, it's no secret the U.S. has been channeling funds, eliminating debt for and selling weapons to India's neighbor and long-time feuding partner, Pakistan, what did we think India would do?
I don't view a India-China alliance as a threat to world peace, I see it as a step in the right direction. Improved relations between these countries will help increase stability in the region, fight terrorism and improve the international economy.
I think it will also lead to a merging of Space programs, or at least joint missions. Combining India's successful satellite launch capabilities with China's emerging manned Space program could create a one-two punch that will shift the balance of Space power with West to East.
If that concerns anyone, then maybe they should consider getting more involved in world affairs so they have a better understanding of what is truly at stake: Not U.S. dominance of the Earth, but humanities' ascension to the stars.
We shouldn't have to wait decades for NASA to get something going. If someone can do it better, and sooner, I say, have at it.

Falcon I Engine Test Success! Now See the Movie...

SpaceX conducted a successful 5-second test firing of its Falcon I engine on Friday. If all continues to go well for Elon Musk and his crew, they expect a full launch with a Department of Defense payload in late July or early August, and a slate of subsequent launches to follow. Keep in mind, Musk is the only person right now concentrating on (and showing some of success with) reducing launch costs.
While we're waiting for Musk to revolutionize the Space industry, why not watch this cool video of Friday's successful test firing.
And three cheers for Musk-- Congratulations!

Time Travel, Hyperspace, Wormholes -- It's All Possible!

I am far from a scientific genius. In fact I have trouble grasping even the must fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics. So when a physicist says something about the constant speed of a neutrino, I tend to believe her and go about my business as usual.
Here's an exception: A story about the instability of wormholes and the inability of engineers to control them. There are some who disagree, but even they claim some fundamental hurdles will never be overcome because of human limitations.
I find this notion utterly and completely ridiculous.
A century ago we were unable to fly 300 people at a time, watch television or have reliable telecommunications. Computers? The idea was unknown to all but a few. At that time most people on the planet were still going to the bathroom in the woods and wiping with leaves and grass. And they liked it that way.
So, the idea that 21st Century physics is the end-all of what we can know and understand about the Universe and how we can exert our influence over it, is wrong.
Anything is possible. Some things are more improbable than others, but nothing is impossible.

Space Tourist Gregory Olsen Back to Training

U.S. Millionaire Gregory Olsen, 58, was originally slated to fly to the International Space Station this past April, but according to this 2004 NASA internal memo, a mystery health ailment derailed his training and sent Space Adventures (the company responsible for Olsen's, Dennis Tito's, and Mark Shuttleworth's Space trips) looking for a new candidate.
Fast-forward one year and Olsen's trip is back on schedule. And not a moment too soon.
Unlike most past and potential Space tourists, Olsen is a true scientist, intending to conduct actual scientific research that he hopes will yield meaningful results in the near future.
Olsen will surely get a thrill out of flying up and back to the station. Considering he's paying upwards of $20 million for the trip, he better get a thrill!
But I'm glad to see someone doing it for reasons other than the view. I can't believe more scientists aren't clamoring for the opportunity to work in Space. Crystal growth, imaging experiments, physiological examination---there is research a-plenty in orbit.
Now, if we can just get the cost down to something more reasonable...

By the way, in case you are considering taking the trip yourself, consider these Space tourist guidelines prepared by Russian and US Space administrators.

Titan Revealed: Hear it for Yourself

Scientists are learning more and more about Titan, now that Cassini has completed the first of more than 40 flybys and Huygens has touched down.
The theories about "oceans of hydrocarbons" and "methan rain" didn't pan out, but some other really intriguing discoveries have been made, leading to a scientific impasse about the age of the surface they are getting glimpses of. Is it millions or billions of years old? And what about that bright spot. What is that?
All of these questions lead me to call for an orbiting probe. It's time we start thinking about long-term mapping missions, rather than slip-shod flybys. We need steady streams of data to make conclusions. And if we're not making conclusions why are we even bothering to go in the first place?

Extraterrestrial on National Geographic Channel

Discovery Channel had a great special a few weeks ago, "Alien Planet" that used computer generated animation to show us what a future inter-planetary robotic exploration mission might be like and what it might encounter.
I watched it. It was interesting but there's only so much to get excited about. If it were actual footage, that would be exciting, as it was I felt like I was watching some English-dubbed Japanese Anime.
Not to be outdone, National Geographic Channel is offering its own version of alien life in Extraterrestrial, a two-hour CGI special airing Monday--May 30, 9 p.m. et/pt.
I feel a little insulted. Do the NGC people think their aliens will be even more astounding, or are they postulating a completely different encounter scenario, or what?
I guess I'll be forced to watch just so I can find out for myself. Ok, fine, I was going to watch it anyway--but it better be cool.
Speaking of cool, there is some pretty cool info to be found at the NGC site. Like this poll. I guess I'm not a complete nut-job for believing in life on other planets. Or, we're ALL a bunch of nut-jobs...either way I'm off the hook.

Deep Impact Mission Info Cache

Space.com has a nifty area devoted to NASA's Deep Impact mission to smash a probe into the comet Tempel-1 and determine its composition. The two parts of the probe, Flyby and Impactor will function as their names imply: Impactor, an 820-pound camera and sensor equipped probe will be left to collide with the comet while the other half, Flyby, will maintain a safe distance and capture the whole thing on video. It should be interesting. Even if nothing happens, that will be interesting.
More likely though, there will be fireworks of some sort. Personally, I think comets could be veritable petri dishes of microbial life, perhaps suspended in ice until crashing into something else, and finding a safe place to grow again. There's definitely ice and rocks at the core; something to come in contact with Impactor other than gas.
Different comets could be made of different stuff. But in little more than a month we will get our answer as to exactly what's at the center of this particular comet. And scientists will get enough data to keep them happy for a while. At least until they get to safely smash a Spaceship into something else.
For more information on Deep Impact, check out the official NASA/JPL homepage.

LOLA Maps the Moon

The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter that's hitching a ride aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, will give us the best view of the Moon any of us have ever seen. Its information data bank will be used to create highly detailed surface maps for future lunar exploration missions. Soon, someone will begin building a permanent facility on the Moon. Who do you think will be first?
Incidentally, have you ever wondered what will become of all those people who have been buying pieces of "actual lunar real estate"? Can they build on that land? Is it suddenly valuable?
Read this article for a serious look at extraterrestrial real estate in all its fabled glory.

Free Ticket to Space!

Buzz Aldrin has done more for the advancement of Space technology than simply landing on the Moon. Over the past 30 years he has courageously thrown his support behind numerous efforts to commercialize Space exploration, but none has been as exciting as his most recent partnership: A deal with Diet 7Up to send one lucky winner to Space aboard an FAA approved commercial Spaceship.
The contest runs until the end of August, 2005 and the winner will be announced in October. To play is easy: enter codes found on specially marked packages into the "First Free Ticket to Space" section of the Diet 7up Web site at www.7UP.com

Are you still here? You should be out there drinking 7Up and trying to win a free ticket to Space. What's wrong with you? Don't you have a sense of adventure? Now get out there and win that ticket!
And when you get back, drop me an e-mail and tell me all about it...

NASA Really Needs A Tricorder

If you ask me, a NASA effort to create a handheld mass spectrometer is just another step toward an actual "Tricorder"; a small computerized scanning device that links to a central data base for analysis and information. (Trekkies everywhere know exactly what I'm talking about- Sorry for the rest of you.)
All the essential parts have almost been gathered: metal detection, Geiger counter, wireless connectivity, infra-red and ultraviolet detection--add a mass spectrometer, which is used to analyze the air we breathe, and you have your compact, multi-use, computerized scanning device that links to a central data base.
But if it walks like a Tricorder, acts like a Tricorder, and works like a Tricorder, can't they just call it a Tri-corder? After all, that's a lot cooler name than miniaturized mass spectrometer.
Of course knowing those crazy NASA scientists, they'll end up calling it something wild like---Miniaturized Mass Spectrometer....

White Knight Moonlighting for DARPA

White Knight, the airplane built by Burt Rutan to carry SpaceShipOne to launch altitude, now has a part-time job with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) working with the X-37. According to this story at Space.com it's been conducting a slew of tests, including high-speed taxiing, all toward an eventual lift and launch of the new Spaceplane.

Oddly enough, not long ago the X-37 was all but dead, a victim of cost-cutting measures at NASA. Then it was transferred to DARPA who announced the eventual involvement of Scaled Composites but made no promises.
Now, it's being tested for flight: A cutting edge prototype Spaceship utilizing the latest propulsion, avionics and material technology.
Nifty, but let's see what becomes of it and how long it takes them.

Russian Kliper Gets Needed Funds

I am very excited about this new Russian Kliper. It's based on a discarded NASA design that I had also been very excited about at the time, but was quickly cancelled. It's a vertical take-off and landing Spaceship. Like Buck Rogers, only this one really flies.
Anyway, the Russians got a hold of some the plans, although they deny their design is based on the "Delta Clipper" it surely is, and built their own version. The Kliper. It's been enough to cause a resurgence in interest in the Russian Space program, and has perhaps led to this recent call for more funding.
Who cares where they got the idea, at least they're building something. Supposedly, this craft will replace the VERY successful Soyuz Spacecraft, being used today.
Russian engineers must be very confident in their design; The Soyuz has been a workhorse, the closest thing we've ever had to regular space access.
Ever.

A few facts about Space junk

So low Earth orbit is crowded with Space Junk. Is this really news to anyone? We need to develop our satellites from far tougher stuff anyway. Soon, it won't matter if there's anything in orbit smaller than a Volkswagon; we'll plow a path with ships made from carbon nanofiber, and blast our way through the debris field.
Now that's a cool image.

Sounds of Voyager I

University of Iowa Professor Don Gurnett has some new sounds for us. (Here) These are of Voyager I crossing into the solar wind termination shock. I had a post on that last week. It's here.
Prof. Gurnett has quite a collection of sounds on his site. He was also the guy who brought us the Cassini sounds--WOW! And the Huygens probe too, I believe. The sound of that little probe dropping slowly to the surface; the sound of winds blowing so strong and loud they almost drown the proximity alert, bleeping a series of ever more urgent tones until the craft touched the surface. Amazing.
Nothing to see, just listening to a probe land on an alien world.
Believe it.

Anyway, SpaceDaily has a neat story on Prof. Gurnett and his sound collection. Check it out. It's here.

Twixt Spelunking and Space Travel

I never knew cavers used carbide lamps as late as the 1980s. I guess it makes sense, after reading this story by Robert Zimmerman for UPI. After all, we still use 19th Century technology to heat our homes, fuel our cars and power our 21st Century technology. Most U.S. cities still have ugly electrical lines strung across the landscape!

This huge change in human civilization that is happening all around us will only become more evident as time goes on. All the things we have been hearing about--flying cars, lunar bases, foldable computer screens you can slip in your pocket--are being developed now. We are standing at the threshold of an Age of Discovery unlike any known before.
And I can't wait...what about you?

NASA: Live and in Color!

Check out these live NASA- Kennedy Space Center video feeds compliments of Spaceref.com. There are links here from the International Space Station, launch pads, mission control, the processing center and the official KSC weather service.
It's cool to watch the people in mission control, just sitting around, watching screens and drinking coffee. It's 11:30 p.m. there when I'm writing this. I wonder what they are doing. Monitoring the ISS or some mundane weather satellite. Or maybe several missions all at once; watching our baby Spacecraft gingerly float their way through the Solar System.


Also, here's a story on the payload for the STS-114, Return to Flight mission, Raffaello. Talk about interesting: Who knew loading cargo for a Spaceflight required so much care. I would think you'd just load it like luggage, but apparently dozens of people in "Moon suits" using ultra slow moving cranes, pulleys and conveyors work for hours to load each single piece.
Check it out.

Titan Activity Mystifies Scientists

This story from SpaceDaily.com makes the case for me that a mission to Titan should be on someone's agenda. I suggest they eventually place multiple probes. But start simple with something similar to our present spy satellites. Multiple capabilities, like weather studies, surface mapping and spectral analysis, but nothing too technical or complicated that the mission takes us 40 years to put together.
Like Rutan said, if NASA can just slap a capsule on top of a solid rocket booster, why aren't they doing it already?

Anyway, the story offers a great picture, some great links and a planetary mystery that could drive us on that mission sooner rather than later. Here's a snippet from the story:

Saturn's moon Titan shows an unusual bright spot that has scientists mystified. The spot, approximately the size and shape of West Virginia, is just southeast of the bright region called Xanadu and is visible to multiple instruments on the Cassini spacecraft.
The 483-kilometer-wide (300-mile) region may be a "hot" spot - an area possibly warmed by a recent asteroid impact or by a mixture of water ice and ammonia from a warm interior, oozing out of an ice volcano onto colder surrounding terrain.
Other possibilities for the unusual bright spot include landscape features holding clouds in place or unusual materials on the surface.


I'm convinced it's a life form. What about you? A giant methane breathing moss, or a grove of ice-eating lichen. We won't know if we don't go. Check out the Cassini-Huygens homepage for more information.

I Dare You To Read This Article

Holy Cow, this is story almost put me to sleep. It seems interesting enough, something about a new rocket engine. But upon careful inspection you realize the author's true intent is to lull you into some sort of "Sleeping Beauty" state of consciousness.
At least that's what it seemed like to me. Here's the story lead and the first graph:

An engine developed to demonstrate advanced rocket technologies for future launch vehicles was successfully ignited April 28 at 9:10 p.m. CDT during its test firing at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss.
The initial tests on the engine, known as the Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator (IPD), were conducted at the Stennis Center's E-1 test stand.


It just gets more convoluted and boring from there; something about doubling the "capability of state-of-the-art cryogenic booster engines" without further explanation and how it will eventually benefit one of the "cornerstones of the Vision for Space Exploration, without telling us how. I'm sure something really significant AND cool happened, but I'm not sure what it is. There's a nice picture though. The story and the picture are here.

NASA to abandon International Space Station

Ok, so maybe I'm jumping to conclusions, but I'm sure it got your attention. What's really happening is this: NASA may not be permitted to pay the Russians for Soyuz flights there and back. The following is from a story at Space.com:



The Iran Nonproliferation Act bans U.S. payments to Russia for services related to the $100 billion international station unless the president confirms Russia is working to prevent its scientists and engineers from passing weapons technology to Iran.



What that means is NASA is not currently permitted to pay the Russians for flights to and from ISS. And the Russians have already advised NASA they will be demanding payment for future flights.
Leaders on Capital Hill have promised they'll find a way to exempt NASA from the ban, if they can keep from killing each other...
But this may be a moot point anyway. If the shuttle resumes flights as planned we won't have to worry about catching a ride with anyone.

Rutan Slams NASA -- again

And I'm glad he did. It's been too long since NASA has faced any serious criticism. Which is to say, criticism from someone who is doing the job better--faster and cheaper too.
And since Rutan was being awarded for his recent achievement it seems only fair he get in a few cheap shots at his competition. Like this gem from the SpaceDaily.com story:



Rutan voiced the frustration that the big aerospace companies are wasting taxpayers time and money repeatedly testing spaceflight technologies that have changed relatively little over the last 40 years.
"If you're just going to build capsules that are going to go on your expendable boosters then why don't you just start doing it on Thursday?" he asked.
Rutan said the public needs to not only be inspired by NASA, but reminded that it has the ability to take chances. "The public is not excited to send money to an agency ... that doesn't have the courage to go back to the Hubble telescope." That comment was rooted in NASA's decision, so far, to not service the Hubble Space Telescope, which without new batteries and gyroscopes will likely stop working by 2008.



"...doesn't have the courage..." Ouch!
Let's see, that makes the score, Rutan 2, NASA 0. Double Ouch!!

Make The Space Ace Your Home Page

Every little bit counts, so if you make The Space Ace your homepage, every time you log on, you'll have the latest Space news at your disposal, with handy links to other relevant themes. I've added a Google search bar, so you do your searching after scanning the posts. It's convenient and fun!
It will also boost my site traffic and speaking as a starving writer, this is a good thing!

And now for the news...

The latest announcement from NASA administrator, Mike Griffin, was a bit of a surprise to me, only because I'm not an engineer and I hadn't thought of it. They are apparently ready to go with a new CEV by 2010 by using the existing shuttle propulsion system with a new crew capsule. One solid rocket booster to low-earth orbit. The shuttle uses two, plus the main engines. Ingenious, I must admit.

They suggest in this article at SpaceDaily.com they can utilize one reusable solid rocket motor for a crew capsule, or stack the boosters for more lift. Also, the shuttle main engines can be utilized as further propulsion; both have already been rated for human-lift capability and are well known to scientists, engineers, crew and technicians.

According to the article, Griffin made the point much better than I ever could:

"I report to the president," Griffin said. "The president has said we're retiring the orbiter by 2010, and that's what we're doing."
In addition to speeding up development of the CEV, which is NASA's next passenger ship, Griffin is examining alternative ways to fly components of the space station to orbit if delays or problems preclude delivery by the shuttle.
"The shuttle is inherently flawed," Griffin testified recently before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee.
"It does not have an escape system for its crew. We all know that since human perfection is unattainable, sooner or later there will be another shuttle accident. I want to retire it before that flight can occur."

In fact, I firmly believe in they can do what they say and design a better Space vehicle, by making use of the technology they have right now. It is time to tear the shuttle apart and build a better mousetrap. The shuttle is a bus; it's time for a touring sedan.

FAA Cutting Red Tape for Experimental Space Launches--Finally!

It's amazing what the U.S. government can do when it sets its mind to it. Seems someone at the FAA has been paying attention to recent developments and is taking action. Here's a clip from a Space.com story:

...
the word from Patricia Grace Smith, Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation within the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Smith’s office is responsible for licensing, regulating and promoting the U.S. commercial space transportation industry – including the evolving public space travel sector.
"What we’ve come up with is a means by which space launch vehicle developers will be able to experiment and test their vehicles in much the same way that airplane developers do," Smith told an audience at the 24th International Space Development Conference. The event is being held here May 19-22, and sponsored by the National Space Society.


(Read the entire story here.)
Better late than never. Let's hope they arrive at a fair system, that takes into account the inherrent danger in Space travel of any sort, yet allows for a reasonable amount of experimentation and risk.

Voyager I at the Space Frontier

For almost 30 years Voyager I and Voyager II have been soaring around our Solar System, taking readings and pushing the boundaries of explored Space. Today, NASA scientists announced Voyager I has entered the transistional phase between our Solar System and Interstellar Space. In my opinion, there has been no better or cost effective mission to date, except, maybe, the current Mars probes. And the Voyager probes are showing no signs of slowing.
Here's a clip from the story at CNN.com:


The Voyager probes were equipped with three radioisotope thermoelectric generators to produce electrical power for the spacecraft systems and instruments.
Barring hardware failure, Voyager I and II boast enough power and communications capability to keep radioing back to Earth until 2020, NASA says.



To get a better idea of where Voyager I and II are and where they're heading, check out this interactive story, also from CNN.com. And here's a CGI movie compliments of NASA.

And if you're still hungry for knowledge check out this Voyager I and II fact sheet from the Encyclopedia Astronautica, the Wikipedia listing and the official NASA/JPL Voyager site.

Shuttle Tank Test: Go! For Launch July 13

The second time's the charm for shuttle engineers. Last month's shuttle fuel tank test revealed faulty hydrogen sensors (fuel gauges). But this recent test showed they must have been merely "poorly connected" in last month's test, resulting in intermittent readings.
According to a May, 21, story at SpaceDaily.com:


"Everything went without a hitch this time," said space shuttle program manager Bill Parsons. "Nothing we saw today should prevent a launch July 13."

Thanks for the update Parsons, but for God's sake don't jinx yourself!

Survival at Plesetsk Cosmodrome

Great story at Space.com on the scavenging that has been going on around the Russian Cosmodrome for years. Almost 2000 launches, Soyuz, Molniya, Cosmos-3M, Cyclone-3, and Rockot launch vehicles among them, have been performed there with a near perfect success rate.
Manufacturing, assembly, testing, telemetry and tracking are also conducted in the village surrounding the Cosmodrome. To supplement their harsh existence, locals have taken to scavenger whatever leftover pieces of Space junk they can get their hands on.
This is from the Space.com story:



Tons of "cosmic garbage" - mostly first stages jettisoned from Soyuz carrier rockets - have provided a vital economic boost to the impoverished villages surrounding the cosmodrome, including the main local town Mirny ("Peaceful"). As a suspected ICBM site, Plesetsk was a primary surveillance target on the flight plan for Gary Power's ill-fated reconnaissance flight on May, 1, 1960.
Local administrators notify the citizenry several days prior to each launch; all "hunters, mushroom pickers, fishermen and reindeer breeders" are strongly advised to leave the dangerous area (yes, that's a quote). Within days, however, scores of local residents go looking for valuable spoils, including "little-damaged Soyuz first stages. Souyz carrier rockets are propelled by kerosene and oxygen, and their parts have a reputation for safety. Older Tsiklon and Rokot carriers propelled by poisonous heptyl leave scraps that people avoid for the time being. 'Self-cleaning', as locals put it, is just a matter of years for them, after which the metals are considered safe to extract."


Anyone who gets a charge out of combing through piles of wrecked vehicles at their local junkyard can surely appreciate this story. Just imagine the things they have recovered. Who knows, next week some Russian farmer might launch himself into Low Earth Orbit in a homebuilt Spacecraft.
After all, Burt Rutan has already proven it's possible.

Shenzhou to the Rescue?

This story from SpaceDaily.com postulates an interesting scenario: What if the only crew to mount a shuttle rescue mission was Chinese?
Not that their nationality matters, but the origin of their spacecraft does. Currently, China is still trying to position itself as a partner in the International Space Station, and the U.S. is still disallowing that.
Human rights questions, a currency value tied directly to the U.S. dollar and other socio-political challenges stand between us and a new global spacefaring partner.
Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, Space exploration will be the bridge that crosses the gap between all the nations of earth.
Until then, we'll have to cross our fingers, hope for the best, and wish the Chinese much success with their Shenzhou program!

Elon Musk: Falcon 1 to Fly in August

After three years of research and development Elon Musk, chairman and CEO of Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) of El Segundo, California, just announced a flight date of Falcon 1 sometime in August.
Here's a bit of the story from Space.com:


While Falcon 1 remains yet to fly, Musk said he and his team have focused for the past year on the Falcon 5 booster – the firm’s medium-lift launcher that is roughly in the class of a Boeing Delta 2-heavy vehicle. "It will be safe enough to carry people," he added, having an "engine out" capability and still make orbit.
Musk has eyes on a bigger prize. To build even larger vehicles beyond the Falcon 5, but added: "We’d like to get some things accomplished before we claim we’re going to do other things."
"We’ll be announcing something fairly significant later this year as far as much more capability than is currently represented. But we’d like to have one launch before making any big announcement in that direction. But you can expect that…expect that from a strategy standpoint. Call it the 7/11 strategy. We’re going small, medium, large and extra-large, or big gulp, or whatever it is."


(Read the entire story here.)
It's an exciting time. I keep saying it, and it just keeps getting more and more exciting...

NASA's Centennial Challenge MoonROx

If you can squeeze Oxygen from a pile of Moon dirt, NASA has a $250,000 for you. Specifically, you must extract breathable oxygen from simulated lunar regolith (that's DIRT to us layman) by June 1, 2008.
The idea of extracting usable materials from lunar soil, composite materials for fuel, water and other resources for instances, is hardly new.
The idea of starting an Ansari X-Prixe race to see who can do it first, is. NASA and the Florida Space Research Institute are offering the contest as part of their Centennial Challenges which present exciting opportunities to earth-bound inventors.

Here's a little snippet from a story at SpaceDaily.com:



For the MoonROx challenge, teams must develop hardware within mass and power limits that can extract at least five kilograms of breathable oxygen from simulated lunar soil during an eight-hour period.
The soil simulant, called JSC-1, is derived from volcanic ash. The oxygen production goals represent technologies that are beyond existing state-of-the-art.
NASA's Centennial Challenges promotes technical innovation through a novel program of prize competitions. It is designed to tap the nation's ingenuity to make revolutionary advances to support the Vision for Space Exploration and NASA goals.

The ability to produce some resources from the environment is a key part of extra-terrestrial exploration. Astronauts can't take everything with them. Limits on lifting capability, weight, and cargo space, make it impossible. The result is a renewed push to create tools that will help future Space explorers get what they need from wherever they are.

Right now scientists believe water will be much easier to find on the Moon than first suspected. Read this story to find out more.

Crazy though, huh? Just a few short steps until living on the lunar surface is Old Hat. Wow.

Airplanes on Venus

It seems absolutely crazy. The very notion that humans might one day walk on the surface of Venus, if only for an hour or so, is incredible.
As a precursor to any sort of human mission, NASA researchers are suggesting the use of a robotic airplane. Like the Mars Rovers currently exploring the Red Planet, a Venusian airplane exploration robot would perform various experiments and beam results back to an orbiter then on to Earth.
Here's a snippet from the story at CNN.com:


As well as taking atmospheric measurements, the airplane would use radar to probe the surface of Venus from an altitude that would give scientists a tenfold improvement in resolution compared with data from an orbiting probe.
The aircraft would also carry a "flying brain" for a more durable surface rover that could emulate the success of NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars, team leader Greg Landis told the New Scientist magazine.




Check out the entire story here.
A robotic airplane on Venus? Wow. Not since the Magellan spacecraft has a Venus trip stirred such excitement. That little probe successfully mapped 98 percent of the Venusian surface before being ordered into the atmosphere for a final analysis, and the obligatory "burn-up upon re-entry."

SpaceDev reveals plan details

It's no secret SpaceDev is "currently focused on the commercial and military development of low-cost micro-satellites, nano-satellites and related subsystems" but what that means exactly has been a bit confusing.
On the one hand, they design rocket motors, like the one that lofted SpaceShipOne into Space. Jim Benson, Chairman and CEO of SpaceDev, is an innovative guy, so it's no wonder he has his fingers in a lot of pies. But why "micro-sats" and "nano-sats"?
We know they are far cheaper than full-sized versions, but there's more at stake than craft size. The secret to SpaceDev design modifications could mean a 30 percent reduction in the amount of aviation electronics required. Or more.
This is from a story at SpaceDaily.com:


SpaceDev's goal is to leverage its successful "microcomputer-like" corporate culture to increase the responsiveness of launch vehicles and to reduce the mass of the avionics. On a medium-size launch vehicle, SpaceDev estimates that the total mass of the avionics is up to 500 kg.
If the mass of the avionics is reduced by 30%, roughly two more SpaceDev CHIPSat-type microsats could be launched on the same vehicle.
SpaceDev intends to develop miniature, low-cost, highly reliable launch vehicle avionics weighing considerably less than that of existing, heavier systems.



(Read the entire story here.)
The implications of what they aim to do will be far reaching. Thirty-percent is thirty percent, whether you're flying a SpaceDev CHIPSat or the Millennium Falcon. That's more weight to spend on cargo, science experiments, passengers--just about anything.
Or it's less weight to have to push around, meaning longer duration flights and less fuel consumption. It's a true "win-win" for everyone.

DARPA has Micro-Thruster Success

From a SpaceDaily.com story:

With DARPA Phase II Small Business Innovation Research funding, researcher Dr. Amish Desai of Tanner Research, Pasadena, Calif., has demonstrated micro-thrusters that generate 40 milli-Newton seconds of impulse by combusting 35 milligrams of propellant, primarily composed of black powder.
This yields a specific impulse of 116 seconds, and represents the highest known level of specific impulse achieved to date for micro-thrusters.


Like micro-thrusters with the performance of macro-thrusters. Basically: A narrow aluminum tube ( 4 millimeters) that achieves 50 to 100 times the level of thrust previously achieved with synthetic polymers (i.e., plastic, epoxy and silicon.)
So what? Well, even the Starship Enterprise needed to first maneuver out of space dock before engaging the Warp Drive. Thrusters were always the first propulsion system to be engaged, followed closely by Impulse Engines, then the Warp Drive.
But it starts with thrusters...
Those DARPA researchers, always coming up with new and amazing scientific achievements. It's incredible what they can accidentally discover in the name of national defense.

Bedresting for Space Science

And to think, were I female, I could have spent this past week advancing research into the prolonged effects of weightlessness on human physiology as a part of the Women International Space Simulation for Exploration (WISE) study. Instead I just went to bed...

It's a beautiful day and I am watching television...

It's finally a nice day here in the Circle City, Indianapolis, Indiana. The sun is shining, the air is relatively warm and it's not raining.
But I am inside watching television, still trying to free myself from a recent self-indulgent funk. It's tough being an unemployed writer... starvation is not as inspiring as one might imagine it to be. Depressing is the word that first comes to mind.
Anyway, at least the down time has afforded me the opportunity to watch some enlightening television.
Most likely riding the coattails of the current Star Wars craze, Discovery Channel has lined up another great weekend of Space fare.
Tonight is Voyage to the Planets and Beyond and tomorrow is Science of Star Wars: Space Cowboys. Two other "Science of Star Wars" episodes also air tomorrow, War, Weapons and The Force and Man and Machines.
If you're currently in a funk yourself, why not check them out, They are practically guaranteed to inspire us all off the couch and back out into the real world...

Canadian Arrow Takes a Shot

These guys just won't quit. I like that in an engineer!

Despite losing the Ansari X-Prize the Canadian Arrow Team has continued trying to loft a V-2 rocket powered spaceship of its own. According to a story at SpaceDaily.com all they needed was a little money:


"We have found our Paul Allen," Canadian Arrow team leader Geoff Sheerin told United Press International.
The team is renaming its venture PlanetSpace, a 50-50 partnership with investor Chirinjeev Kathuria, an Indian-American physician-turned-businessman and aspiring politician.... Kathuria is no stranger to commercial space projects. He was a founding director of a company formed to lease Russia's now-defunct Mir space station. MirCorp paid for one commercial mission by cosmonauts to Mir and arranged to fly the world's first fare-paying tourist, Dennis Tito, to the outpost.



Read the entire story here.

Whatever it takes to make it happen, I guess. But, is it just me or do they sound more grateful to Kathuria's money than they do to him?

Several NASA Projects on Chopping Block

WOW! Mike Griffin is putting the brakes on a lot of stuff at Lockheed Martin and Boeing. It's part of his plan to fast-track the shuttle replacement vehicle, CEV (Crew Exploration Vehicle.) According to a story at Space.com:



A previous Broad Area Announcement, issued by the directorate last year, attracted thousands of responses and hundreds of formal proposals. In November, NASA selected 70 of the proposed projects for contract awards collectively worth more than $1 billion. Seven of those projects, worth a combined $70 million over three years, were suspended the week of May 9 before they could be put under contract. However, industry sources said they have been told that any of the remaining projects, even those already under contract, could be canceled or put on hold as NASA reconsiders its technology investment strategy.




I say, good for him! Let's focus on the most pressing problem, rather than experiments testing the effects of long-term radiation exposure on satellite equipment. They still don't know what the CEV will look like, much less what it will be able to do. And 2008 is just around the corner...

More Women in Science Please

Having been a community journalist I am quite familiar with the effects of Title IX of the Education Act on the public school sports programs. Boys have their own locker room, showers and etcetera? Girls get theirs too--no matter the cost--or both programs are cancelled. Summer boys football camp? Better be a summer girls sports program too. Same number of instructors, availability of equipment and opportunities for both sexes, no exceptions or no more federal money.
I have seen entire school buildings remodeled so the boy's football team didn't lose it's astroturf money.
It's a shame there has not been as much enforcement on the academic side of that law, but maybe that's about to change.
Listen to this from a story on CNN.com:


(Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon) Wyden and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, last year requested a report looking at whether women are receiving equal opportunities in math, science and engineering under Title IX of the Education Act. The report by the Government Accountability Office found inadequate federal enforcement of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in all aspects of federally funded education programs, including academics.
"At a time when our country is in need of more scientists and engineers, and when women and girls are most underrepresented in the hard sciences, the time to close this gender gap is now," Wyden said.



(Read the entire story here.)

It's hard to believe we're living in 21st Century American when we're still fighting for equal rights for women. Hopefully this problem will be fixed quick, fast and in a hurry; Before my daughter starts school and the administrators have to start dealing with me...

Professional Thinkers at Work

Those of you reading this Blog at work, or those of you who read this Blog after returning home from work, consider this: some people get paid to do what they love, to think up new and exciting things that will impact all of humanity.
And some of us, don't.
Here's The Top 10 Imaginations at Work from Space.com.
Read the story and find out how the other half lives....

Return to Flight: The Series

I should be on the payroll at Discovery Channel, but alas I am not. That said, they are following last night's spectacular special Alien Planet, with a pair of documentaries on NASA: "Return to Flight" and "Astronaut Diaries: Remembering the Columbia Shuttle Crew."
The latter aired on The Science Channel last night, but will certainly be airing again, just in case, like me, you missed it. "Return to Flight" airs tonight at 8 p.m. est.

"Alien Planet" was great; a realistic peek at the future of interstellar Space exploration. Although I was surprised that thousands of nano-bots didn't come streaming out of the probes upon arrival, perhaps dispersed in the atmospere to float freely; a more likely scenario, I believe, than just a few probes exploring a small area. But it was still great.
Watching it last night I was reminded of something I heard years ago: When considering what to expect when we venture out into the Universe, we should consider not just what we can imagine, but also what we cannot.
(If you know who I can attribute that phrase to, please drop me an e-mail.)

"Astronaut Diaries" is comprised mainly of never-before-seen video taken by Astronaut Dave Brown . For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past decade, Brown and his six STS-107 crewmates, Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark, Michael Anderson and Ilan Ramon were killed during a re-entry tragedy.
The documentary promises to show us how close the crew was, almost like family, and through the camera lens offers us a glimpse at their true humanity.
Because even astronauts--risk takers, daredevils, heroes that they are--are still human beings just like you and me.
So, check these shows out...if you're going to watch television all weekend at least try to learn something.

Words of wisdom for future Space Tour Operators

I happened across this interesting story on Space.com and thought I should pass it along. Jane Reifert, President of Incredible Adventures, Inc. believes future Space Tourism Operators are in for a rude awakening when it comes to dealing with the public. Here's her Top Ten "need-to-knows" for future tour operators:


Drawing from a range of experiences that her firm has gathered since 1993, Reifert has crafted a 10-point “Profile of a Space Tourist” - and for those hankering to mold the space travel business, her points about space thrill seekers are well worth noting:

1) They aren’t rocket scientists.
2) They may be “super-sized”.
3) They won’t really care where you put your spaceport.
4) They shouldn’t be expected to meet stringent physical requirements.
5) They don’t like surprises and expect perfection.
6) They aren’t overly concerned with price or safety.
7) They’re short on time.
8) They’ll likely be men over 50.
9) They will come from around the globe.
10) They’re nothing like the tourists that show up at Disney parks.


Speaking as a former restaurant manager (yes, 12 years of near- indentured servitude) I can attest to everything she says and much, much more; People are generally rude, ill-tempered and prone to violent outbursts if their coffee isn't "just right." (Don't believe me? Checkout Waiterrant to get a better idea of what I mean.)
Given the reaction of some people when things don't go as planned at Denny's, I wonder how they will react if there is a slight pressure leak or if the Spacecraft starts to roll unexpectedly?
Engineers are great at building things. Let's just hope they hire some people that are great at building customer relationships too. Or at least install multiple ejection seats...

Jim Benson: From Computers to Rocketships

Click on the post title above and go here. That's a photo of Jim Benson staring back at you. He's an average looking guy, no "S" emblazoned on his shirt like some comic book hero. But he sure is a super man in my opinion.
The guy started out tinkering with algorithms (I can't even spell it without help) and wound-up creating the first commercially successful PC-based text searching and retrieval software. Software that would lead to today's large Web-based search engines like Yahoo and Google.
Of course Benson wasn't really interested in that. No, he wanted to expand his horizons. So, after a couple years of research he decided to plunge into the realm of what had been up to that point, science fiction. He started SpaceDev LLC in 1997.
That was eight years ago, and boy, has he come a long way. You'll never guess what SpaceDev is up to these days. From a press release at their site dated May, 12, 2005:


Last September, SpaceDev announced it had signed a Space Act agreement with NASA Ames Research Center to explore various designs for safe, affordable sub-orbital and orbital human space flight. SpaceDev’s initial study analyzed and compared various higher performance hybrid-based propulsion modules and passenger vehicle designs. Detailed, comparative launch trajectory and re-entry analyses were performed in conjunction with the NASA Ames thermal protection team in order to evaluate the performance requirements for the propulsion modules, and to define a thermal protection system design that would provide the cost, performance and safety necessary for routine passenger flights to low orbit and back.

This preliminary study resulted in the conceptual design of a six passenger vehicle combined with a set of hybrid propulsion modules that burn rubber and laughing gas, as in SpaceShipOne, that together could meet the needs of the quickly emerging commercial space tourism market. NASA’s need for routine, safe and affordable access to the International Space Station and its proposed Crew Exploration Vehicle, and other possible, future government and commercial low Earth orbit destinations could be incorporated into this project.


Read the whole article here.
The guy is living a Virginia Slims commercial (look it up if you don't get it.) And that's not all. Here's a little story about their Spaceship, called DreamChaser. It will use the same non-toxic fuel system used by SpaceShipOne, probably because it uses the same engine design. (Both were built by SpaceDev engineers, of course.)
All of this seems too much like science fiction to be real, but it is. I guess when you take the business acumen of someone like Benson and combine it with a great imagination, the sky is not the limit.

Discovery Channel tonight: Alien Planet

I know I mentioned this a few weeks back, but thought I would remind you: Tonight at 8 p.m. EST, Discovery Channel is showing a CGI production called "Alien Planet." According to the promotional material researchers, exo-biologists, crypto-zoologists and assorted other Space and Terrestial scientists have collaborated to create a "realistic" view of what we might find on an alien planet.
Since there are billions of stars in our galaxy, millions of galaxies in our universe and at least 12 universes (that we know of so far), life is most likely out there, somewhere.
What form it takes and how it would respond to contact from us is the focus of this special.
If you're like me and plan to sit at home alone tonight, tune in Discovery Channel and see for yourself.
If nothing else, it should be wildly entertaining to Space nuts like us...

Anti-matter in use today

Info: Antimatter

It may sound like science fiction (and still is if you are thinking of Warp Drives) but antimatter is in use today. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans utilize a form of extremely short-lived radioactive isotopes (essentially antimatter) to measure the emission of positrons from the brain.
That's a lot of gobbledy-gook, but the point is, antimatter is NOT completely science fiction. It's real and getting more real all the time.
But this post is really about a neat little story I saw on Livescience.com. It's called "Power of the Future: 10 Ways to Run the 21st Century" and essentially spotlights the most likely fuel sources for the coming century.
Maybe not-so-surprisingly antimatter was on the list. Along with several old-pals, including petroleum and nuclear, but with new uses and technologies high-lighted. It's pretty surprising what they can do with a lump of coal these days...
Of course, given what we know about human nature and our ability to constantly innovate, all 10 may be replaced by Mr. Fusion next Christmas.

Colonial Living in the 21st Century

There's nothing I like better than a race. And a Space Race is the best race of all.
Oh sure, we already raced to the Moon and won, but that was small potatoes compared to what is at stake this time around. It's not just the U.S. and the Russians competing for preeminence in Space, this time the entire world is competing for a piece of the pie.
Good thing it's a big pie.
Here's a wake-up call from a story by Robert Zimmerman for Space-Travel.com:


We are at the dawn of a new colonial age. The growing space competition between nations is in many ways very reminiscent of the 19th century competition between the European powers to colonize Africa and the South Pacific.
In the 1800s, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom aggressively competed to carve up the undeveloped world. The result was foreign-run colonies controlling most of the Third World, for both good and ill, for almost a century.
Today, a new list of nations - India, China, Japan, Russia, Europe and the United States -- are throwing their resources at space exploration in much the same way.
Their goal, unstated but indisputable, is similar to the colonial powers of the 19th century: to obtain future domination over unclaimed territories in space.



It's not too late for the U.S. to remain on top, or at least competitive. I believe NASA has already take some steps to remedy the situation. I just hope it's not too little, too late.

Commercial Space Travel in 2006?

Image:Altairis Rocket (cgi); Spirit of Liberty 2 (cgi)
Info: American Astronautics (w/pics); AERA Corp. details

They were American Astronautics when they were competing for the Ansari X-Prize, now they are AERA Corp. They still haven't shown anyone a single piece of actual hardware (first named Spirit of Liberty, now renamed Altairis) but today they announced tickets are on-sale ($250,000 each) for a December 2006 commercial Space tourism launch. Here's a snippet from the SpaceDaily.com story:


Altairis will lift off from Cape Canaveral beginning in December 2006. Tickets go on sale this morning.
"With our design completed and our agreements in place to use Cape Canaveral for launch, flight logistics and landing, we are now ready to begin ticket sales," said Bill Sprague, founder, president and chief scientist behind the Altairis Rocket.
Altairis is designed to comfortably launch six passenger astronauts and one mission commander into space and bring them safely back to earth.




Supposedly, it's a seven passenger Spacecraft capable of vertical take-off and landing, but no one has seen it yet. In fact, it may not exist anywhere but on paper.
Unfortunately, announcements such as this one often cause disappointment when it's discovered there is no funding and no actual craft, just a bunch of smoke and mirrors. Let's think about this for a moment: How can they go from never having tested the craft or making a single attempt at the X-prize, to successfully launching a seven-passenger craft in less than 18-months? On their site is a cool animated video of what their ship can do, but anyone can make an animated video these days. Why should we get excited about that?
Personally, I don't think they will come anywhere close to an actual launch; they just want to siphon some potential Space tourist dollars from Virgin Galactic.
I hope I'm wrong, but the odds are this bird will never fly.
Though if it does, I'll be the first one to tell you about it!

Next Generation Ion Engines

Info: Hall Thrusters w/pics (great site!)

The next generation ion engine is being prepared. Hall Thrusters. We have successfully used ion engines before but these are something even better. I think the facts, as stated in this SpaceDaily.com story, speak for themselves:


When the new system is delivered to NASA, Aerojet's work will represent a 30-fold increase in total power and thrust delivered over current state-of- the-art systems, which are approximately 18kW...


The system will require approximately one-third the propellant of equivalent propulsion systems. Industry studies predict a vehicle mass savings of up to 30 metric tons.



This is being brought to you by those fine folks at Aerojet. And GenCorp. Not that I'm on their payroll or anything. I support the science. I support the research. I support the engineering and design work. I support the people doing the science, research, engineering and design work.
With engines like these, ships will travel to Mars and back in weeks. And we won't need to wait half a year for the orbits to match correctly either. It's the difference between crossing the Atlantic by sail and crossing by modern cruise liner.
Such a tremendous leap forward and we haven't even begun the journey yet...simply amazing.

Space Technology affects us all

Images: Stratellite; Sanswire fleet proposal
Info:What is a Stratellite?; Why should I care?; Sanswire.com

The technology for exploring Space provides rewards to those of us who will never set foot off the planet. Sure, we know about Tang and solar panels, but what have they done for us lately?
Well, the same technologically advanced materials once only developed for NASA are now available to private companies looking to discover the "next big thing."
Sanswire Networks, LLC seems to be leading the pack. Here's a blurb from their Web site:


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--May 9, 2005--Sanswire Networks, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GlobeTel Communications Corp., today announced that the Stratellite prototype, Sanswire One, has been completed, floated and tested. The new design increased the overall size of the airship to 188 feet in length and is believed to be the largest rigid frame airship in existence.


So What? Read this, from their main page:


Our goal from the time we made our first wireless connection, has been to create a way that our subscribers could move freely around the country while staying connected to the Internet at high-speed....


Telephone, Internet, any telecommunications whatsoever; All of it will soon travel uninterrupted around the planet. Think it's a small world now? Just wait a few more years...

See the Waves in Saturn's Ring

Image:Cassini under construction; Cassini detailed; Keeler Gap
Info: Cassini doomed? No.; ESA Cassini image bank

Something cool is happening within the rings of Saturn: A previously unknown moon, orbiting in an area between rings called the Keeler Gap is causing the tiny bits of debris in adjacent rings to ripple, like waves on the water.
I'm sure there is some fantastic scientific knowledge to be gained from this information, but I'm more excited about how cool it looks!
Here's a movie from NASA. If you watch the top of the large white band at the bottom of the image, you will notice a small white dot cruising along, casting out waves as it goes; making the top of the white band ripple ever so slightly. There's a close-up view on the SpaceDaily.com story here.
Pretty cool, huh?

Russia to help Brazil rebuild Alcantara

Image: Alcantara Launch Center (post explosion); ALC
Info: Brazilian launch capabilities

Ok, so they had a major mishap that cost them lives and equipment dedicated to their Space endeavors. Brazil is still years ahead of many other industrialized nations when it comes to making money with Space technology. Now they have enlisted the help of the Russians to rebuild Alcantara Launch Center and train a Brazilian astronaut to fly aboard International Space Station next year.
If we are not careful, U.S. Astronauts will be hitching a ride with the Brazilians when the shuttle fleet is finally grounded.

Lockheed Martin CEV a piece of junk?

In a story at SpaceDaily.com, Jeffrey F. Bell, a retired Space scientist living in Honolulu, makes some not-so-surprising points about the Lockheed Martin plan. He basically says it's a piece of junk, but who didn't already know that?
Listen to a few choice snippets from his Op/Ed piece:

The LockMart CEV is laden with a variety of weighty systems that Apollo somehow got along without: wings, airbags, super-expensive titanium structure, an absurdly thin "Orbital Debris Shield", reusable RCC thermal protection, "active thermal control", elevons driven by huge electric motors, even a "Fire Depression System". This kind of massively overweight grab-bag design is often derided by space engineers with the term "Battlestar Galactica" after a huge spaceship in a cult 1978 TV series (not the pretentious low-budget remake now running on the SciFi Channel).


(Read the whole thing here.)
I'll say one thing, he sure hit the nail on the head about that new Sci/Fi Channel BattleStar Galactica. What a piece of garbage that show is. I don't know who is in charge of programming over there, but they need to be fired....and that Lockheed Martin planned CEV? Well, I said all I need to say about that right here.

Get excited!

The Space Ace goes on vacation to Lake Michigan for a few days and those NASA goons immediately start stealing his best ideas. Thank God!

Read this excerpt from the story on SpaceDaily.com:

To garner National Aeronautics and Space Administration support for its program, however, aircraft designer Burt Rutan, creator of the first privately built passenger spaceship, will have to aim higher.
Rutan's firm, Scaled Composites of Mojave, Calif., is partnered with a diverse team of former X Prize contenders, business people, researchers, technical gurus and even a former astronaut to take a stab at designing part of a space transportation system to replace NASA's space shuttles.



(It's worth reading the whole story. Find it here.)
Call me crazy but this seems to be the foundation of a FEDERATION of Space enthusiasts; Scientists, engineers, mathematicians, astronauts, corporate and private industry, all coming together with the aim of creating a system for traveling in Space that will open the door to the Solar System for anyone willing to step through.
We are experiencing Space History in the making and this is only the beginning...

I am just returning from a brief hiatus (did anyone even miss me?) so the posts will be fast and furious as I try to keep you up on what's happening right now in the Space field. So pay attention--there's a lot to report....

Rutan Vs. Rutan: Rocket Plane to fly in Space

Image: XCOR Rocket Plane gallery; X-15; X-24B
Info: Letter from an XCOR investor (w/excellent links)

The XCOR Rocket Plane, a modified Long-EZ push-prop kit plane designed by Burt Rutan and flown by his brother and experienced pilot Dick Rutan, continues to astound and amaze spectators at Mojave Airport.
It uses non-toxic fuel, can be turned off and on at the pilot's discretion and has a track record of 2,000 firings without a mishap.
The plane itself is not quite suited for Space travel however, but the design information gleaned from years worth of test flights has given them an edge. In fact, nobody has come close to doing what they've done in decades. Listen to this snippet from a story in the Valley Press:


In addition to the EZ-Rocket, XCOR also has a government contract with the National Reconnaissance Office, creating satellite rockets that use nontoxic fuels.
Wednesday's flight was the first time since the 105th flight of the X-1 program that a rocket plane completed a flight after taking off from the ground on its own power. Other rocket-powered aircraft such as the X-15 were carried aloft by a larger airplane then launched in the air.
It was also the first flight of a rocket-powered aircraft since the final flight of the X-24B - the last of NASA's lifting body program - in 1975.

Who knows, we may be witness to the beginning of a Space Empire. Rutan Space Rockets--it's a figment of my imagination, but it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

Dean Koontz and the fate of the world...

There's nothing like a scary book to make your skin crawl for days. So it is with Dean Koontz newest release, The Taking. Without giving away too much, I'll give you a snapshot: Something bad is happening to our planet. Really bad.
On a related note (hint hint), some people are already preparing for the day we Terraform Mars. In fact, Terraforming is bigger than I realized. Dozens of sites are dedicated to the idea of transforming a non-habitable planet into a habitable one. The Terraforming Information Pages has links to all sorts of reference material for Terraforming. And the Astrobiology Web has links to dozens of scientific papers on the subject of Terraforming Mars.
My question is this: If it's Terraforming when we turn another planet earth-like. What do we call it when someone tries to make earth more non-earth-like?
Just curious.

Small Aircraft Transportation System will change your life!

I didn't see last week's episode of 60 Minutes, but they featured a few different versions of cutting-edge personal aircraft. In the next few years--not decades, just years--new, smaller, easier to fly personal aircraft will become available to the general public. Some, such as the AirScooter will offer full flight, a gasoline powered engine, a range of over 100 miles at 50 mph and cost around $50,000.
That's less than a new Escalade (fully loaded, of course.) It's a new idea brought to us by self-taught inventor Woody Norris, 66, the guy who brought us wireless headsets and digital recorders.
Other craft, like Dr. Paul Moller's Skycar, have been around for years but are suddenly preparing to make the short hop from theory to floor models.
All of this is possible because of a little thing NASA has been working on for a while. The Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) will revolutionize air travel as we know it. Think of how George Jetson got to work. That's the very near future.
Basically, it makes flying a lot less complicated by using technology to remove some of the trickier elements. Flying in the future will be very much like operating a video game aircraft today; controls are fly-by-wire, images digitized and enhanced; a virtual CGI of the sky will be superimposed on your dashboard, with traffic lines, route markers and warning signals.
Once that becomes a reality, the sky will be filled with Carter Copters, Flying Platforms and all sorts of personal, practical, reliable and safe aircraft.

India celebrates "Two for Tuesday" on Thursday

Image: Launch pic

India successfully place two (that's right, TWO) satellites into orbit after a successful launch atop a 44-metre (147-foot) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. That's the ninth consecutive successful launch of India's PSLV and one step closer to their planned launch of a Moon probe by 2008.
Interestingly enough, so far all of India's satellites have been designed with the rural population in mind. The best story was at SpaceDaily.com. They had a good pre-story too. Here are some examples from their most recent story:

(The first two were launched Thursday)
The biggest satellite, the 1.5-ton CARTOSAT-1, will supply high-resolution pictures for more precise maps for planning towns, laying new roads, digging canals, disaster assessment and water resources management.
The smaller 42.5-kilogram (94-pound) HAMSAT communications satellite will provide ultra-high and very-high radio frequencies to broaden bandwidth that Indian home operators had been seeking for years.

India has grabbed headlines with its commitment to send a probe to the moon in two or three years time. But its space programme has mainly been aimed at harnessing high technology for its population of more than one billion, particularly its rural masses.
The CARTOSAT-1 is India's 11th remote-sensing satellite on top of several broadcast satellites. India's other remote sensing satellites supply information for use in irrigation, agriculture and disaster management.
India has the world's biggest civilian cluster of remote sensing satellites.
Thursday's blast-off was the second since September when India launched Edusat, a distance learning satellite to allow teachers to broadcast primary and secondary classes to remote regions via television.

Since India is the world's largest Democracy it seems only fitting their Space program would first serve the needs of its people.

Opportunity prepares to dig out--hopefully

Images: JPL rover site
Info: Cornell rover site (w/pics, journal and video)


After several practice attempts with an Earth-based rover, JPL scientists hope to extricate Opportunity from its Martian sand trap very soon. How soon is unknown as engineers continue to replicate the current situation and practice various techniques for escape.
Let's all cross our fingers...
Even though Opportunity has been stuck for the past several days, critical data continues to stream in from its sister rover, Spirit. Here's a snippet from the Spacedaily.com story:


The really good news is that we now have emerging the first true stratigraphy that we've seen in the Columbia Hills... a suite of stratified rocks that we can put together into a time-ordered sequence and work out a history of geologic events. We don't have the whole story yet, but it's really coming together now. I'm hoping to be able to report on it at the American Geophysical Union meeting that's coming up in New Orleans in a few weeks.

Ok, I admit it: Martian rock-hunting is boring to anyone but a geologist...Still, exploration is exploration and what we are learning from these little "wonder-bots" is changing our understanding of the Solar System and the planet we live on.
That's excitement enough for me!

Happy Space Day--what's left of it!

Info: Space Day Web site


Did you know today was Space Day? Did you know there was such a thing as Space Day?
Me neither.
Lockheed Martin founded Space Day (celebrated May 5) eight years ago as a way to get kids interested in science, math and technology and continues to sponsor various educational events for the annual celebration. According to NASA 140,000 schools will participate today and countless students will be influenced.
So don't delay! If you're just hearing about this now, it's not too late: Grab the closest kid and show them something cool about Space.
Start by taking them here and showing them just what's so interesting out there, hiding in the darkness of Space....
...and start planning something better for next year!

Solar Sails: Catching the waves of the future

Image:Cosmos 1 (deployed); Construction series
Info: Solar Sail basics; NASA/JPL solar sail

Space.com ran a story this week about new solar sail material being tested at a NASA funded laboratory in Sandusky, Ohio. According to the story, NASA is keen on using the technology to power exploration at the fringe of the solar system and beyond:


The plastic-like fabric used to make the sails is a spin-off from technology used to develop spacecraft paint.
First missions -- scientific payloads of a few hundred pounds -- are likely to be to the inner planets, Venus and Mercury, and to the sun. But NASA scientists think the technology is a good bet for eventually powering spacecraft into deep space.
Since its fuel is free and doesn't have to be stored, a craft with solar sails would not have to slingshot around the moon or other planets for a gravity boost to reach distant destinations, as other craft do.
Craft propelled by solar sails could be launched on conventional rockets or released from space stations. In space, the force of sunlight would push the reflective sails, causing the craft to move, said NASA Marshall physicist Les Johnson.

An interstellar probe is certainly exciting news for NASA. Especially when you consider they are embracing a technology that was complete science fiction a decade ago. But there was no mention of Cosmos 1 in the story. That's the privately funded solar-sail powered spacecraft being launched in Russia this month by The Planetary Society. According to their Mission Homepage:

Cosmos 1 is part of a grand new age of exploration that is unfurling about us. This is not a government funded mission -- nor do we expect a huge cash prize at the end. This is a mission of true exploration, sponsored by Cosmos Studios, and supported by Members of The Planetary Society from all over the world. What do we expect? We expect to test a truly new type of technology – a Solar Sail Spacecraft. A technology that could some day take us to the stars.

Not a "government funnded mission" has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I wish them the best of luck with Cosmos 1.
Oh, and best of luck to NASA in catching up...

Christa McAuliffe was one...

Image:Christa's Portrait, Challenger crew
Info: Christa's bio, Teacher in Space program

It's all well and good to talk about how important teachers are and how they are terribly underpaid for the work they do, but I have seen little done to remedy the situation in my lifetime. In fact, during that same time period I have seen the media (just feeding America's appetite) elevate athletes, rock stars and movie actors to near god-like status, and yet still nothing has been done for our educators.
We have high school basketball and football games covered 365 days-a-year; everything from pre-season games, to next year's varsity picks are required reading in every local paper--check yours right now, you'll see. A school near me recently approved spending $1 million to replace it's grass football field with astro-turf. Yet science, math and music programs are underfunded in almost every school district. When was the last time you cheered on the Debate Team?
Our priorities are misplaced, and will continue to be so until we force ourselves to recognize true role-models, real achievments and actual heroes.
Until then, read articles like this one and pass them along to everyone you know.