Archive for Space Systems

42 results.
May22

SETI Hangout: “Are we ready to build a spaceship to explore nearby stars? “

by TopSpacer on May 22, 2013 at 7:27 pm
Posted In: Rockets, Space Systems, SpaceCasts

The latest SETI Google+ Hangout dealt with the question, “Are we ready to build a spaceship to explore nearby stars?”

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May21

Bion M1 returns safely but many test animals did not survive the flight

by TopSpacer on May 21, 2013 at 7:53 pm
Posted In: Living in Space, Science and Technology, Space Systems

The Russian Bion M1, launched on April 19, 2013 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and returned on May 19th. The  biology mission appears to have been a mixed success: Crew of Bion M1 Found Dead upon Landing – Space […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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May17

Project Morpheus tests – May.16.13

by TopSpacer on May 17, 2013 at 2:43 am
Posted In: Rockets, Space Systems

The Project Morpheus team at NASA JSC was out testing their new lander on a tether Thursday. See the postings at Morpheus Lander (MorpheusLander) on Twitter as in these two examples: Morpheus Lander ‏@MorpheusLander Thanks for watching! Not tomorrow, but […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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May16

Mars colony basics + 3-D printing a Moon base

by TopSpacer on May 16, 2013 at 5:21 am
Posted In: Space Settlement, Space Systems

A look at some of the ideas discussed at the recent Human to Mars Summit on how to create sustainable Mars colonies: How to build a Mars colony that lasts – forever – New Scientist === One technology that looks […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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May15

Kepler space telescope loses reaction wheel – exoplanet searching crippled

by TopSpacer on May 15, 2013 at 9:36 pm
Posted In: Exoplanets, Space Systems

With the loss of another reaction wheel, he Kepler space telescope has lost the ability to maintain the stable orientation needed for observing stars to detect transits of exoplanets: Kepler Mission Manager Update – NASA. The managers of the project, […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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May15

The Skylab legacy

by TopSpacer on May 15, 2013 at 8:59 pm
Posted In: History, Space Systems

Skylab, the first US space station, was launched 40 years ago from yesterday. Here’s a NASA video about the project: Skylab’s May 14, 1973 launch into low-Earth orbit was the nation’s first foray into significant scientific research in microgravity. The […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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May09

ESTCube, now in orbit, to test E-Sail propulsion

by TopSpacer on May 9, 2013 at 4:09 pm
Posted In: Amateur/Student Satellite, Space Systems

The Estonian student Cubesat project ESTCube successfully reached orbit via a Vega rocket this week: Space country Estonia: satellite ESTCube-1 was launched to orbit and said hello from the space! – Baltic Review Vega Launch Report | Europe’s Vega launcher […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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May08

Alternative fuel to hydrazine to be tested with NASA’s GPIM spacecraft

by TopSpacer on May 8, 2013 at 6:06 am
Posted In: Rockets, Space Systems

A US Air Force sponsored program has developed a non-toxic alternative propellant to the commonly used, but highly toxic and flammable, monopropellant hydrazine: New research key to revolutionary ‘green’ spacecraft propellant – US Air Force The new fuel, labeled AF-M315E,  […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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May06

Video: X-51A test flight

by TopSpacer on May 6, 2013 at 12:06 am
Posted In: Rockets, Science and Technology, Space Systems

A video of last week’s successful X-51 scramjet test flight: The X-51A soars to new heights – Boeing Update: More about the flight from Michael Belfiore : X-51A Screams to Hypersonic Success: A nine-year development effort has finally paid off […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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May05

Space travel and the spin on the gravity of the situation

by TopSpacer on May 5, 2013 at 4:36 am
Posted In: Living in Space, Space Systems

It always annoys me when some article or TV report says “space travel causes [some ailment]” when what they really mean is that prolonged weightlessness causes that ailment. We are, after all, traveling in space right now. We just happen […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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May03

More about ESTCube and the electric space sail

by TopSpacer on May 3, 2013 at 6:19 am
Posted In: Amateur/Student Satellite, Space Systems

Here’s a report on the Estonian cubesat project ESTCube, which will test the E-sail propulsion concept from Pekka Janhunen of Finland: Electric Space Sail to Get Its First Test – IEEE Spectrum.

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May02

How to control the ISS? Chris Hadfield explains

by TopSpacer on May 2, 2013 at 8:31 pm
Posted In: Education, Space Systems

Astronaut Chris Hadfield explains how the orientation of the International Space Station, where he is living at the moment, is controlled:

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May02

A Space Technology course in MOOC competition

by TopSpacer on May 2, 2013 at 3:49 pm
Posted In: Education, Space Systems

The MOOC Production Fellowship competition will provide 25000 Euro to each of the ten winning MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) programs out of the 200 that have entered. The winners will be determined by online voting. Anyone may vote for […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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May01

Space Studies Institute (SSI) opens Exotic Propulsion Initiative

by TopSpacer on May 1, 2013 at 4:59 pm
Posted In: Rockets, Science and Technology, Space Systems

The Space Studies Institute, whose mission is “to complete the missing technological links to make possible the productive use of the abundant resources in space”. SSI just announced that it is starting a new project with Prof. Jim Woodward of […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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Apr30

Cubesat workshop presentations on line

by TopSpacer on April 30, 2013 at 7:21 pm
Posted In: Amateur/Student Satellite, Space Systems

The 10th Annual Spring [CubeSat] Workshop 2013 took place last week. The agenda (pdf) included a vast array of CubeSat projects, technologies, and applications.  You can watch the talks on line: Videos of presentations – CubeSat Workshop 2013. This item […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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Apr25

Starship Century Symposium 2013 – May 21 – 22, UC San Diego

by TopSpacer on April 25, 2013 at 7:52 pm
Posted In: Events, Solar Sci-Fi, Space Systems

Here’s an announcement for the Starship Century Symposium 2013: Starship Century Is this the century we begin to build starships? Why go to the Stars? Can we? Should We? May 21 – 22, UC San Diego, Qualcomm Institute, Atkinson Hall […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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Apr24

The story of the X-15 suborbital spaceplane

by TopSpacer on April 24, 2013 at 2:42 pm
Posted In: Rockets, Space Systems

Here’s a concise history of the X-15, the first rocketplane to reach space: Suborbital Spaceplane – Greg Kennedy/CitizensInSpace.org

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Apr23

The Great Moonbuggy Race attracts several hundred competitors

by TopSpacer on April 23, 2013 at 6:25 pm
Posted In: Contests and Games, Education, Space Systems

NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center this week will host the 20th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race ®, April 25 – 27, 2013: NASA’s Great Moonbuggy Race draws international field of 600 competitors to Huntsville – al.com Updates will be posted at NASA Marshall […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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Apr18

First space hacker workshop to happen in Silicon Valley on May 4-5

by TopSpacer on April 18, 2013 at 8:32 pm
Posted In: DIY space, Space participation, Space Systems

An announcement from Silicon Valley Space Center and Citizens in Space : The Final Frontier for Citizen Science First Space Hacker Workshop to Take Place in Silicon Valley Mountain View, California (Apr. 2, 2013) – Are you a hardware hacker? […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry…

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Apr15

Hacking the high frontier

by TopSpacer on April 15, 2013 at 7:12 pm
Posted In: Space Systems

  Satellites are not immune from hackers. It appears at least one has been briefly taken over: Hacking satellites – H+Magazine.com  – April.3.1 (via Ralph Ewig)

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