SpaceBlog Alpha

It takes a lot more to get a new Blogzine going than I once thought.
In the beginning, having met with some small success banging away at it all by myself, I believed it could be done with little or no interruption in the already busy lives of its contributors. But alas, that's not the case.

Not that it matters, we'll get it all together eventually.
You see, I believe in this project. I believe the world needs SpaceBlog Alpha; they need to be taught to care about Space exploration again, to worry about the fact the U.S. went to the Moon thirty years ago but can't put a spaceship in orbit today; that sooner or later someone, some nation, will conquer Space flight, and that nation will lead the world.
It doesn't matter to me who does it, only that it is done; That Space is open to anyone with the guts and the wits and the will to go there, not just a lucky few.
That's as it should be. Because the destiny of all humankind lies beyond the thin blue atmosphere that has blanketed us for eons. Our destiny is out there...somewhere...

Sorry to be gone so long...

Look, I know what you were thinking: The Space Ace is finished. No Posts, no witty criticism of NASA, no insight into the connection between carbon nanotubes and mowing your lawn (robotics) and no updates on the status of Venus Express; Just when you finally got around to saving me in your favorites list, I stop writing.

Well, fear not! The Space Ace is coming back, with a vengeance.

I have hitched my wagon to a new Blogzine called SpaceBlog Alpha. It seems I am not alone in my quest to make Space news available (and understandable) for everyone. Worldwide.

So stay tuned, keep your eyes open and fear not...

The Space Ace is here. Brought to you by:

SpaceBlog Alpha

It's all about Space, mon

Venus Express To Launch November 9

In today's Space Industry, no launch is a sure thing until it's over. So, when I say the Venus Express spacecraft is scheduled for launch Nov. 9, it means, tentatively, right?
Postponed once, the European Space Agency ship will eventually study Venus' atmosphere and magnetic field, helping unlock the mystery of why it's so darn hot.

Beyond that, it will simply expand our understanding of the worlds around us.

Russia, China Might Team-Up For Mars Mission

It seems likely: Russia and China will join forces to explore both the Moon and Mars. To their credit, the Russians have made no secret of their desire to support anyone else interested in helping pay the bills for a Space mission. So why not China? The mutual benefits would be enormous.
Both countries are agressively pursuing advancements in Space Technology, joining forces means sharing costs and saving money for more missions. Eventually, they'll have an infrastructure in place, and then making a profit will become a whole lot easier.
Whether its mining Helium3 or beaming solar energy down from the lunar surface, somebody will be controlling these ventures. It only remains to be seen which flag that person will salute.

Two More Moons For Pluto

Astronomers believe they have spotted two additional moons in orbit around Pluto, the most distant object in our Solar System. These photos are compliments of the Hubble Space Telescope.
It's hard to determine exactly what is going on at the edges of our Solar System, but scientists are increasingly finding more and more evidence it's much more crowded in the Kuiper belt than we had imagined. Good thing we have New Horizons.
Its mission is to scout Pluto and Charon (and now the two other potential satellites.) It will launch in 2007 and arrive sometime in 2015.
Not soon enough for me. I can't wait to see what new mysteries we discover right here in our celestial backyard...another atmosphere perhaps? Or liquid water in the freezing darkness, created by the tiny planets gravitational tug-of-war with its equally large moon.
Who knows?
We all will in 2015....

Five Year Mission Continues at ISS

Break out the Champagne: Sixteen nations are celebrating the successful habitation of the International Space Station for five consecutive years.
Yes, some people claim it's a waste of money. But if all it ever does it bring nations together, it's still quite an accomplishment.
And just think about what it means. We can survive there, in Space, live in orbit like a character in a novel or movie, or on television. Only it's not just fantasy anymore. It's real, now. We can do it.
And to paraphrase the immortal words of Rob Schneider: We can do it, all night long!
Go ISS!

SSETI Express: Mission Failure?

Come in SSETI Express...come in, over....
Just when everything was coming together, ground controllers have been unable to reach SSETI Express since its launch last week. Engineers suspect a power system problem and will attempt a fix, with results revealed later this week.
An ESA press release states the problem seems to be with the batteries not taking a charge, causing the satellite to shut down.
There were some mission successes: Amateur Radio Operators successfully downloaded a significant amount of housekeeping data, and all three CubeSats launched properly and are operating within assigned parameters.
Let's call it three steps forward, one step back. That's still a better record than most Space programs.

India Joins Elite Five Nations; Builds Cryogenic Engine

Running a successful business ain't rocket science; Understanding the importance of having the capability to build your own parts is just common sense in India.
Hence their development of the nation's first indigenous cryogenic upper stage engine. This makes them the sixth nation, after the US, Russia, France China and Japan, able to build cryogenic engines on their own. It also means they are no longer required to purchase such engines from the Russians, creating new jobs, new industry and new potential for the future of their people.
Cheers to the Indian Space Research Organisation! Keep up the good work...

Asteroid 99942 Apophis To Impact Earth? Maybe Not, NASA Says

It's not every day astronomers identify an asteroid on a near-collision course with Earth. Maybe once a week, but certainly not every day...
The folks at The B612 Foundation have some very real concerns about the potential for what they call an "unacceptable collision" sometime this century. Trouble is, unlike say a 100-year flood when thousands of people lose their homes, an "unacceptable collision" would destroy thousands of miles of coastal areas, possibly destroy a continent or even set our species' evolution back a few hundred thousand years--yep, makes us cavemen again.
NASA (at the urging of Congress) has been relying on the Spaceguard detection program for early detection and tracking of near-Earth objects since 1998.
Of course Spaceguard is only tracking 90 percent of NEAs 1km or larger in diameter.
Anything else is ignored.
Noticing a gaping hole in Space coverage, The B612 Foundation is filling the niche quite nicely.
Thank goodness.

Seven Asian-Pacific Nations Form Space Organization: APSCO

Anyone interested in achieving Space Technology prowess should take note: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Mongolia, Peru, Thailand and China have officially joined forces to create the Asian-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (Apsco.)
Pakistan, China and Thailand have pursued the creation of Apsco since 1992. China has lead the way in the formation of a manned Space program but many other nations, including Iran, Pakistan and Thailand are vigorously pursuing advanced satellite technology on their own.
It remains to be seen if Apsco will create a surge in Space Tech development for its member countries, but at the very least, it should make everyone else in the world pause a moment and take serious stock of the situation.
When the ink dries on the charter Apsco will set up shop at Beijing.

Japanese Investor and "Gundam otaku" Next Space Tourist

Daisuke Enomoto, a Japanese investor and former board director of the Livedoor Internet firm headed by Takafumi Horie, is the latest tourist to cough up $20 million for a week-long stay at the International Space Station.
He might be the fourth paid tourist to visit ISS, but if he has his way he will be the first one to go dressed as "Char Aznable" of Gundam fame.
The Russians have yet to approve his wearing of a phony uniform, but it's likely they will. After all, people may scoff and newscasters will likely have a field day, but there's really no such thing as bad publicity.
Especially when it comes to Space.

Next Generation Technology: "Space Tug" Built for Hardware That's Not Disposable

The CX-OLEV or "Space Tug" built by Orbital Recovery has received its first contract to service an in-orbit telecommunications satellite. This marks a milestone in satellite technology: it's finally cheaper to re-fuel the old one than throw it away and build a new one.
With the exception of the mildly successful Shuttle Transport System (Shuttle) operated by NASA, and a couple multi-use components of the Soyuz program, most Space hardware is disposable. Not intended for re-fueling or re-using in any way.
More than one scientist has publicly lamented this "disposable" type of Space program, arguing non-renewable means non-sustainable.
With the "Space Tug", however, a company can extend the life of a satellite by up to eight years, through autonomous navigation and flight control. It remotely attaches to the craft and takes over all control flight functions, then is turned over to the operator of the satellite for regular control.
Of course it's a European Space Agency program. They seem to be mastering the art of recycling in all facets of modern society.

Mars Ready For Its Close-Up

For only the second time in 60,000 years (or since 2003--depending on who you ask)Mars will be coming within 43 million miles of Earth. Plus, since it will be slightly higher above the eastern horizon, more people will get a glimpse. Look for a bright yellow "star" rising above in the eastern sky just after dark.
Try not to miss it but don't worry if you do. We'll all get another close-up in 2018. Or so they say...

Mars Needs Weather-Man

Canadian Space Agency has written a check to MDA Space Missions to build a permanent extraterrestrial weather station which will be launched aboard NASA's Phoenix Lander Mission to Mars in 2007.
The mission is the first exploration of the planet's arctic region, where annual spring thaws create a moisture rich environment, which scientists believe is at least partially responsible for the formation of thick ice clouds in the lower atmosphere.
The probe will also perform tests for the existence of mircrobial life, the ability of the soil to sustain life and the existence of several other life-sustaining forces on the surface.

Titan Mysteries Slowly--Very Slowly--Revealed

Titan has an atmosphere, unlike any other moon in our Solar System. It's atmospheric pressure is only one-and-a-half times as great as it is on Earth, but the hydrocarbon and carcinogenic orange-colored haze is thick as pea soup. Scientists believe they have even found a cloud covered, methane-filled lake.
Understanding why this happened there and no place else, is helping us better understand how the Solar System itself was formed. Analyzing all the data received so far from Huygens and Cassini will take years, and there's more data coming.
And in the meantime, mysterious convective cloud bands, liquid natural-gas rainfall and ice-volcanoes, are giving us all something to say "wow" about.

Liquid Metal: For Robots and racquets

They call it Liquid Metal, and engineers everywhere can't wait to get their grubby little hands on it. And I can't blame them. The synthetic blend of metals is twice as strong as titanium and hardens at room temperature; it possesses all the strength of steel and the flexibility of plastic.
NASA engineers are using the stuff in an Electrostatic Levitator to test the materials in a contamination-free environment--no contact with a container.
Liquid Metal is just one of a whole host of new materials spewing out of labs all around the globe. A new metallic laminate may soon serve as a replacement for armor, given its higher strength and much lower density than steel.
Most applications for these new materials are mundane; everything from racquets to baseball bats to water skis.
Of course in my opinion, it's only a matter of time until its being used as Spaceship skin....aerospace applications are being devised even as you read these words...

Russia To Build New Space Transport System

Energia administrators announced plans for a new Moon mission launch site, practice on long-term interplanetary flight missions and the development of a new "space transport system."

I don't really have anything to add to this story. Just my utter astonishment at how quickly some countries have not only grasped the importance of the advancement of Space Technology to their bottom line, but also managed to implement changes in their administration of that technology.
It seems to me NASA should have a reliable Space Transport System by now....or at least something close to one.

Iran Joins the Space Race; Launches First Satellite

Iran has officially joined the Space Race.
Iranian officials claim the country's first satellite will be used strictly for telecommunciations; they plan to launch five more satellites, three in the next three years.
It is the 18th largest country, with almost 70 million people living on about 1 million square miles of land. Maybe they do need five telecommunications satellites.
Given the recent political battles over its nuclear future, I can't help but wonder if they view the ability to launch Spaceships as a matter of national security or simply as the next logical step toward the future.
After all, scholars claim astronomy is the national pastime in Iran so it only makes sense.

S.S.E.T.I. Express: Launch Successful!

S.S.E.T.I. Express is currently happily transmitting signals from its place in low-Earth-orbit. It was launched without incident Thursday morning from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia, and university students from a dozen different European countries are probably still rejoicing--between e-mails and data crunching, that is.
Among the experiments currently taking place: testing a cold-gas attitude control system, and a networked ground control system using amateur radio operators. More than 400 students contributed directly to the project and hundreds more have been involved with or motivated by the project in other ways.
Congratulations S.S.E.T.I. Express!

Greatest Threat To US Homeland Security: Lack of Engineering Students

It's no wonder the US House of Representatives is getting involved, aerospace engineering degrees for US students have become almost as scarce as the carrier pigeon. If this latest legislation passes, 11 US executive branches including NASA and the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, will be required to develop a task force which would find new aerospace workforce opportunities through scholarship and advanced training programs and in partnership with public and private organizations. Each year the taskforce would come before Congress and report on its progress.
The goal is to increase the talent pool in the US workforce when it comes to math, science, engineering and technology.
That's a great start! Now, if they could just guarantee those jobs will stick around...