Category Archives: Space Travel / Exploration

Astronomy News, Space Travel / Exploration

Elon Musk’s Starship goes ‘farther than ever’

 SpaceX launches Starship for the third time.

By Jonathan Amos,Science correspondent, BBC
US company SpaceX’s Starship rocket made major progress in its third test flight on Thursday, completing many of its objectives.

The two-stage vehicle produced a clean getaway from its Texas launch site, to send its upper portion around the globe to a re-entry over the Indian Ocean.

Radio contact was lost towards the end but the firm said it was “incredible to see how far we got this time around”.

SpaceX boss Elon Musk was delighted with the outcome of the flight, too.

He posted on X, formerly Twitter, that “Starship will take humanity to Mars”.

 Huge crowds had gathered on nearby beaches to watch the launch

When the 120m-tall (395ft) vehicle launched in April and November last year, it blew apart not long into the missions.

Mr Musk was looking for significant improvement from his SpaceX team this time – and he got it.

The rocket left its launch mount with a huge rumble from its 33 engines, and the vehicle then proceeded to step perfectly through all of the anticipated phases in the climb to space.

Separation of the bottom half, the booster, from the top half, the Ship, occurred right on cue, two minutes and 44 seconds into the flight.

The ship then powered on, crossing the Atlantic and southern Africa.

Video cameras sent back spectacular views of Earth from more than 100 miles up.

SpaceX Ship above the Earth
SpaceX The Ship was aiming for a splashdown in the Indian Ocean

Then came the task of re-entry, when the ship needed to descend to a splashdown in the ocean.

Video imagery once again captured incredible scenes as hot gases enveloped the vehicle, just before radio contact was interrupted.

Controllers reported shortly after that the Ship had been “lost”, presumably because it had broken up.

SPACEX Plasma
SPACEX The hot gases (plasma) of re-entry surrounded the ship as it came down

Not every milestone was ticked off. It was hoped the booster after separation might have been able to power its way back to a controlled drop into the sea just off the Texas coast. It got close but it looked as though the vehicle came in way too fast and was lost before hitting the water.

The Ship, too, was expected to re-ignite an engine to initiate the re-entry, but this was skipped for a reason not immediately apparent.

READ MORE  Video, photos

 

Space Travel / Exploration

McGill the 8th Interstellar Symposium

We received an invitation to the Interstellar Symposium hosted by McGill. I have seen Karl and Eric at various conventions. Both are interesting speakers on SF and space travel, I’m sure the other two are as well. The SF authors public event is FREE. -CPL
Montreal Science Fiction & Fantasy Association:

I am a professor at McGill University working in the area of interstellar flight. This July, we will be hosting at McGill the 8th Interstellar Symposium, the premier international forum discussing the science, engineering, and societal implications of interstellar travel.

As part of this event, we will be having a Science Fiction Author Panel that might be of interest to your members. The Science Fiction Author Panel will be free and open to the public on Tuesday, July 11 at 6:00 pm in the Delta Hotels Montreal (475 President-Kennedy Avenue, Montreal).

Please find an infographic here that describes the event, which is free and open to the public. If you feel your members would be interested, I would encourage you to distribute the existence of this event widely. You are welcome to repost this infographic on your website or social media platforms.Create appointment

8th Interstellar Symposium
REGISTER HEREPROGRAMHOTEL INFORMATION IRG’s 8th Interstellar Symposium, in collaboration with the International Academy of Astronautics and Breakthrough Initiatives, will take place July 10 – 13, 2…
irg.space
The entire Interstellar Symposium might be of interest as well:

https://irg.space/irg-2023/

Registration is required, but is very affordable at the student rate, and includes breakfast and lunch for all the days of the Symposium. The Interstellar Symposia series evolved out of the science fiction community, and we strive to keep all presentations accessible to a non-technical audience. Please feel free to distribute the conference information as well.

Thank you for assisting in promoting the 8th Interstellar Symposium and associated SF Author Panel. Hope to see some of your members at our event in July!

Regards,

Andrew Higgins
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
https://interstellarflight.space/
Chair of Local Organizing Committee
8th Interstellar Symposium

Space Travel / Exploration

Rocket plane returns to spaceflight

Virgin Galactic: Sir Richard Branson’s rocket plane returns to spaceflight

By Jonathan Amos, BBC Science Correspondent

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic rocket plane is back in action after a gap of almost two years.

The Unity vehicle, with two pilots and four passengers aboard, climbed high over the New Mexico desert to the edge of space – before gliding back down.

It was billed as the plane’s final test outing before entering commercial service in June.

Galactic has sold over 800 tickets to individuals who want to ride more than 80km (260,000ft) above Earth.

The company expects to start working through this passenger list with Unity flights initially occurring at the rate of one a month. New rocket planes are being designed for service in 2026 that should each be capable of increasing the cadence to one a week.

Flight profile

Unity is a sub-orbital vehicle. This means it can’t achieve the velocity and altitude necessary to keep it up in space to circle the globe.

The spaceship is designed to give its passengers stunning views at the top of its climb, and allow them a few minutes to experience weightlessness.

Click https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65714340 to read the full article with video and pictures.
Astronomy News, Space Travel / Exploration

Our Long range sensors detect…

Interesting news items!

  • James Webb telescope fully focused
  • If we make contact with aliens, how will religion be affected?
  • Watch NASA roll mega Artemis I moon rocket out to the launchpad

James Webb: ‘Fully focused’ telescope beats expectations

Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent
@BBCAmos

Star
Image source, NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI Image caption, The test star has the ungainly name 2MASS J17554042+6551277. A red filter optimises the visual contrast

The American space agency has achieved a major milestone in its preparation of the new James Webb Space Telescope.

Engineers say they have now managed to fully focus the $10bn observatory on a test star. The pin-sharp performance is even better than hoped, they add.

READ MORE

If we made contact with aliens, how would religions react?

The discovery of life on another planet might seem incompatible with faith in a deity. Yet many theologians are already open to the existence of extraterrestrials, argues the writer Brandon Ambrosino.

In 2014, NASA awarded $1.1M to the Center for Theological Inquiry, an ecumenical research institute in New Jersey, to study “the societal implications of astrobiology”.

Some were enraged. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which promotes the division between Church and state, asked NASA to revoke the grant, and threatened to sue if NASA didn’t comply. While the FFR stated that their concern was the commingling of government and religious organisations, they also made it clear that they thought the grant was a waste of money. “Science should not concern itself with how its progress will impact faith-based beliefs.”

The FFR’s argument might well be undermined, however, when the day comes that humanity has to respond to the discovery of aliens. Such a discovery would raise a series of questions that would exceed the bounds of science. For example, when we ask, “What is life?” are we asking a scientific question or a theological one? Questions about life’s origins and its future are complicated, and must be explored holistically, across disciplines. And that includes the way we respond to the discovery of aliens.  READ MORE

Watch NASA roll mega Artemis I moon rocket out to the launchpad

Ashley Strickland-Profile-Image

By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Updated 7:36 PM ET, Thu March 17, 2022

The NASA Artemis I stack, including the SLS rocket (right) topped with the Orion spacecraft, leaves the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 17.
The NASA Artemis I stack, including the SLS rocket (right) topped with the Orion spacecraft, leaves the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 17

(CNN)The Artemis I mission is another step closer to its lunar launch.

The massive 322-foot-tall (98 meters) stack, which includes NASA’s Space Launch System rocket topped by the Orion spacecraft, rolled out for its testing debut at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday.
The integrated stack, which sits on a mobile launcher, began its slow-moving crawl into launch position Thursday afternoon, with live coverage available on NASA’s website. The rollout officially began at 5:47 p.m. ET.
The rocket stack is seen inside the building before emerging on the crawler.
The rocket stack is seen inside the building before emerging on the crawler.
The 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) ride aboard one of the Apollo-era giant NASA crawlers from the assembly building to the launchpad could take up to 11 hours, according to NASA. The estimated arrival at the pad is around 4:30 a.m. ET on Friday.
Space Travel / Exploration

Canada to launch moon rover by 2026

Canada to launch moon rover by 2026

By

The project will be a partnership with NASA.

Canada’s moon plans keep getting more ambitious.

After this, cost viagra online http://amerikabulteni.com/2015/05/24/abd-baskanlarinin-bitmeyen-komik-kabusu/ you will not want to miss the startling interview with sculptor Alonzo Clemons that highlights his astonishing talent to replicate animals that he has seen for barely a few moments. This was a purchase cheap viagra amerikabulteni.com matter of wills and stamina. Some are loved that cheapest levitra bit genuine and they require obtrusive treatment and hospitalization also and can be managed with vitamin B6, vitamin B9 and vitamin B12 supplementation. tadalafil without prescriptions For those adversely affected by tadalafil male sexually enhancement pill, they should avoid it altogether. The nation will develop a robotic lunar rover in partnership with NASA and launch it by 2026, François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced on Wednesday (May 26).

“The rover will be carrying at least two science instruments, Canadian and American. The mission will aim to gather imagery and measurements and data of the surface of the moon, as well as to have the rover survive an entire night on the moon,” Canadian Space Agency (CSA) officials said in a statement Wednesday. (One lunar night lasts about 14 Earth days.)

READ MORE

Space Travel / Exploration

Missions to Mars

Mars, the planet most likely to stir the blood of an SF fan!

And it’s a real busy place. Three nations took advantage of the close orbit of Mars in 2020 to send missions to the Red Planet. NASA’s mission to look for signs of life is already underway. https://www.nasa.gov

The press is covering the Perseverance mission, almost to the exclusion of the other two which are equally interesting.

The Chinese Satellite is in parking orbit today. It has a lovely name taken from the title of an ancient poem: Tianwen, which means Quest for Heavenly Truth. It will also be looking for water and signs of life.  https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/china-s-mars-craft-enters-parking-orbit-before-landing-rover-1.5321743
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The United Arab Emirates has a satellite in orbit since the ninth of February. It’s called Hope, and will be focussed on learning more about the atmosphere, and possibly understanding how the climate changed.

It’s amazing that all three launched in 2020 have succeeded, so far. There have been more failures than successes over the years.

Adding to the drama, there are probably 8 derelict satellites in orbit also, and their exact positions are not known.

Astronomy News, Space Travel / Exploration

It landed-in one piece! Whew!

7 minutes of terror–like Schrodinger’s cat, no one knew if the lander was dead or alive.  What makes Perseverence of particular interest to us is that it’s primary job is to look for signs of life. It will also conduct experiments to make oxygen from the carbon dioxide. This will be critical for a human landing on the planet.

 https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/timeline/landing/watch-online/
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Mars is a really busy place right now. There are 18 artificial satellites in orbit, 8 of them active.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mars_orbiters

Astronomy News, Space Travel / Exploration

What does it take to become an astronaut?

From Astronomy Magazine :

Have you got what it takes to become an astronaut in the new era of human spaceflight?

Empathy and scientific knowledge will be key for astronauts looking to travel to Mars.

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By Adam Hawkey, The Conversation  |  Published: Saturday, November 14, 2020
RELATED TOPICS: CREWED SPACEFLIGHT | HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT
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Astronauts Bob and Dough made it to the International Space Station in a privately funded vehicle. NASA
Millions of people watched breathlessly as astronauts for the first time successfully travelled to the International Space Station (ISS) in a privately funded spacecraft, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule, on May 30. The historic launch, which marks a new chapter in human spaceflight, is likely to lead to renewed interest in spaceflight.

So, what exactly does it take to become an astronaut? And can we expect the requirements to change as more private companies get involved and we go on longer journeys?

During the space race of the 1960s, NASA selected an elite group of air force and test pilots to orbit the Earth and to ultimately land on the moon. These pioneers were well accustomed to taking risks and pushing their hardware to the limit. They were later described as having “The Right Stuff” when it came to the physical and psychological characteristics required to be a space farer – a term that is now synonymous with astronaut selection.

file20200611807843fweuh
Crew dragon docks with the ISS. NASA
Nowadays, thanks to advances in technology and a greater understanding of the requirements of spaceflight, scientists, doctors, engineers and even journalists have all joined the most exclusive club on (and off) Earth. Of the estimated 100 billion people who have ever lived, fewer than 600 individuals have travelled into space. It is therefore a unique profession and one that not all of us are suited to.

Current criteria

Currently, NASA stipulates that applicants must meet certain criteria. First, you must be a US citizen, though some have changed their nationality to fulfil this requirement – including UK-born Michael Foale and Piers Sellars.

You must also possess a master’s degree in science, technology, engineering, or maths, or a Doctor of Medicine degree. In addition to that, you should have at least two years of related professional experience. Alternatively, 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time on a jet aircraft will do, which is particularly important for the pilot and commander roles. And finally, you have to pass NASA’s long-duration flight astronaut physical test.

Similar criteria are set by other nations, including the European Space Agency (ESA). Essentially, candidates must demonstrate aptitude in a range of attributes. These can generally be broken down into four distinct areas, and may change going forward.

Astronomy News, It came from the Internet, MonSFFA Website, Science and technology, Space Travel / Exploration

Fifty-one Years of Hoaxes

As we celebrate the 51st anniversary of the first Moon Landing, it bears repeating that it really did happen and that it is the Deniers that are perpetrating an hoax.

The debunking Website Snopes.com has published a list of some of the more persistent false claims, as well as their rebuttal.
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Space Travel / Exploration

DC-X: The NASA rocket that inspired SpaceX and Blue Origin

1 Comment

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DC-X: The NASA rocket that inspired SpaceX and Blue Origin

The rocket looked like it was out of a science fiction movie. A gleaming white pyramid resting on four spindly legs, the experimental craft was NASA’s ticket into a new era of space exploration.
By Hailey Rose McLaughlin  |  Published: Wednesday, October 30, 2019
RELATED TOPICS: NASA | PRIVATE SPACEFLIGHT | SPACEX
deltaclippertestflight
The first flight of the second version of the Delta Clipper, the DC-XA, at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. NASA
The rocket looked like it was out of a science fiction movie. A gleaming white pyramid resting on four spindly legs, the experimental craft was NASA’s ticket into a new era of space exploration.

With a series of built-in rockets on its underside, the ship could rise from the ground and touch back down again vertically — the first of its kind.

The Delta Clipper Experimental, or DC-X, could have formed the basis for a new generation of spacecraft. Indeed, a string of successful tests in the desert during the mid-1990s bore that promise out, hinting at future missions to low-Earth orbit and even the Moon.

Today, spaceflight companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are flying rockets based on the same vertical launch and landing concept that DC-X pioneered. The ability to reuse rockets in this way, rather than have them crash into the ocean, promises to bring costs down exponentially.

But almost 25 years ago, that dream of reusable spacecraft seemed quite far away. The DC-X, NASA’s futuristic spacecraft, ended its life in a fiery explosion on the launchpad.

Read More, see Diagrams, Video