China’s Lunar Probe to Complete Four Missions
China's first Lunar probe "Chang'e 1" has a plan to complete four missions.
Chang'e 1's first mission is to obtain 3D images of the lunar surface. Its second task is to analyze the distribution of 14 useful elements and materials below the lunar surface. The third job of the lunar probe is to assess the thickness of the lunar soil and reserves of helium-3 resources. The fourth task is to explore the space environment 400,000 kilometers away from the moon, obtain data about solar winds, and study the impact of solar activity on the space environment between the earth and the moon.US Military wants Space Based Interceptors
The US Military has asked congress for $10 million to study the use of space based interceptors to augment the missile defense program.
Lieutenant General Trey Obering, head of the MDA, told the House Armed Services Committee
missile defense "could be greatly enhanced" by adding space-based interceptors.Virgin Galactic and New Mexico Reach Pact
New Mexico and Virgin Galactic have reached a pact on the use of Spaceport America. Virgin Galactic will pay $27.5 million over 20 years to lease launch facilities in southern New Mexico. New Mexico hopes to fund the spaceport with a property tax increase in Dona Ana County, the location of [...]
Genesis II is off to Russia
From Bigelow Aerospace:
Las Vegas, NV 03/27/07 – Bigelow Aerospace announces its second pathfinder space complex module Genesis II has been shipped to a launch site in Russia and is expected to be lofted into orbit in mid-April.
Genesis II will be enclosed in a payload shroud and put atop a Dnepr rocket [...]
SpaceX Demo Flight 2 Updates
Here is China’s take on SpaceX:
Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, is offering the rocket, as well as an untested heavy-lift booster, for sale at about one-fifth current market rates.
So for the curious here is what happened:
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has noted that the preliminary assessment of the Falcon I flight [...]
Update On Bigelow Aerospace’s Genesis 2
Here is an update on all the updates to the upcoming successor to Genesis, Genesis 2.
Apparently ITAR is getting even worse:
While Bigelow Aerospace is making strides in the development of its modules, one ongoing headache is the export control and regulatory process, be it International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or telemetry [...]
SpaceX Confirms Stage Bump
Today, SpaceX confirmed that when Stage 1 separated from their Falcon 1 demonstration launch, it bumped the stage 2 engine. However, he said “Yes, the stage sep bump will obviously need to be addressed, however it does not appear to have caused damage.”
It has been conjectured by many that this was the cause of [...]
Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies
Robot Guy has his list of to 25 Movies so I am jumping on the bandwagon with both feet.
BTW: I am using my own definition of what makes Sci-Fi and what makes a movie, if you don’t agree with it, it’s my show, my rules.
1. Serenity (was there any doubt)
2. The Fifth [...]
Final Update on SpaceX Falcon 1 Launch
So here is the analysis from SpaceX:
The following technology risks were proved out:
- 1st stage ascent past max dynamic pressure
- avionics operation in vacuum and under radiation
- stage separation
- 2nd stage ignition
- fairing separation
- 2nd stage nozzle/chamber at steady state temp in vacuum
Also the Falcon made it to approximately 200 miles, 50 miles below [...]
B612 Foundation Believes NASA can Defect Nearth Earth Objects with Current Budget
The B612 Foundation has written a report on how to devert a NEO and points out the difference with to NASA’s 2006 Near-Earth Object Survey and Deflection Study.
They believe that a Gravity Tractor or Kenetic Impactor on the scale of the Deep Space 1 mission, which cost NASA ~$150 million, could handle 98% [...]
Fly With Stephen Hawkings on Zero-G
The Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation is auctuioning tickets to be on the same Zero-G flight as Professor Stephen Hawkings. The auction is taking place on E-Bay. Here is the release:
Experience history in the making with an amazing opportunity to join Professor Stephen Hawking, the world-renowned physicist and expert on gravity, [...]
SpaceX Falcon 1 is Up and Away
[update 9:16 CST] Elon says 90% of the objectives were met and the rocket reaches 300km. They will not need another test flight before launch a satellite later this year. Boo-Ya!
[update: 9:09 CST] According to Elon Musk, the second stage most likely re-entered atmosphere before entering orbit. It was still a good [...]
SpaceX Launch-2 Update
At present, it appears that we are on track for a launch next week, possibly as soon as Monday. We had a very successful static fire yesterday that proceeded smoothly with no aborts.
Our initial review of the data showed that the rocket functioned almost perfectly. The only remaining concern is [...]
Orbital Outpost vs. Lunar Outpost
Al Globus makes an argument that orbiting space colonies are better than lunar colonies. I agree with some of what he says, but he only shows one side of it.
His agreements amount to:
Orbital colonies are easier to build
There’s more space
Orbital Colonists can live at 1 g.
To address point 3 first, there is [...]
The Next Fifty Years
NASA Chief, Mike Griffin, has an article on what the next 50 years might hold for space travel. I am okay with most of what he says (not happy, but okay), but this truly scares me:
It is to be hoped and, I believe, expected that the next era of space exploration will be international [...]
