The Space Shuttle’s record + A 48 passenger space vehicle

A defense of the Space Shuttle: The Remarkable Record of the Space Shuttle – CitizensInSpace.

The Shuttle certainly demonstrated lots of important capabilities and applications. Unfortunately, it was too expensive to do any of them operationally. We will have to wait for fully reusable space transports for that.

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Here’s an unusual concept for a big suborbital space vehicle: SHIPinSPACE – 48 Passenger Suborbital Reusable Blasting Survival Vehicle – Investor presentation (pptx)/a>.

See also a couple of videos here and here.

Sci-Tech: Edmund Storms and low energy nuclear reactions

Retired Los Alamos Lab radiochemist Edmund Storms gave an update on Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR) and Cold Fusion on the Space Show on Friday: Dr. Edmund Storms, Friday, 1-18-13 « Thespaceshow’s Blog.

Exploring space in clean clothes

The practical issue of laundry will have to be dealt with eventually by space travelers and residents: In Space, No One Will Do Your Laundry – Popular Mechanics – Jan.16.13

University of Rhode Island design professor Karl Aspelund wants you to think about astronaut socks. In fact, he hopes his work with the 100 Year Starship Project—figuring out what kind of clothes space travelers will need for a long-duration mission—will change the way you dress, too.

Mars Express images ancient riverbed

The ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft has imaged the channel of a river that flowed long ago on the Red Planet: Reull Vallis: a river ran through it – ESA

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Here’s a 3D view:

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The Sling-Sat orbital debris removal concept

Leonard David writes about the Sling-Sat concept for space debris removal developed by Daniele Mortari and Jonathan Missel at Texas A&M: “Sling-Sat” Idea for Removal of Orbital Debris – Coalition for Space Exploration.

The problem of space debris and the Sling-Sat debris removal system are depicted in this short film: