Sunjammer in orbit. (Image credit: L’Garde)
When it reaches orbit in 2014 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch, the L’Garde – Sunjammer will unfurl into the largest solar sail ever flown:
SES Astrium points me to their iPhone App, which provides the location of their many satellites: SES Satellites for iPad on the iTunes App Store
Vorbeck Materials has used its graphene based material to improve lithium batteries for significantly faster charging: License will lead to faster-charging batteries for phones, electric vehicles – PNL/Phys.Org.
What’s encouraging is that this is already getting out of the lab:
Prototypes of Vorbeck’s battery technologies were already on display earlier this month at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Sen. Shelby [R-AL] will protect the Senate Launch System no matter how much it costs: Shelby vows to protect the SLS – Space Politics
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Cutting the SLS would free up money for both human spaceflight and planetary robotic missions: Scientists and advocates once again seek restoration of NASA planetary funding – Space Politics
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The Texas Space Alliance applauds the attention given to commercial space in Gov. Perry’s address this week:
Texas Space Alliance applauds Gov. Rick Perry’s State of the State Address
Statements highlight the bright future of space in Texas!
AUSTIN, TX, JAN 31, 2013 – In his State of the State address on January 29, 2013, Gov. Rick Perry offered remarks that reinforced how Texas is cementing itself as a Space State, one that is actively seeking all forms of space enterprise and entrepreneurial endeavors, including commercial, govt., military, and private. Rick Perry spoke on the remarkable progress that has been achieved in such a short time: “And just last June, Texas took another giant leap into commercial space, as XCOR Aerospace, a leader in the privatized space race, brought its research and development center to Midland. They’re part of a growing Texas presence in this important market, which includes businesses like SpaceX and Blue Origin….XCOR, Pactiv and Green Plate Kitchen, are reaching for the stars in their own way, right here in Texas, and representatives with those companies are with us today. Please join me, as they stand, to thank them for their contributions.”
Gov. Perry met with TXA and commercial space company executives in the summer of 2012, where he expressed his desire to help this fledgling industry grow to its full potential, and to do so in the Great State of Texas.
TXA Policy and Govt. Affairs Director Wayne Rast offered, “To have the Governor include commercial space businesses in his State of the State annual address shows just how highly he values this industry, and what they will mean to the future of our state.” Rast continued, “And it’s clear that the message is getting out. All areas, from the Governor, to various State departments and agencies, to excited local municipalities, and down to grass roots organizations like TXA and the general public, we are all excited about the future of space in Texas.”
TXA President Bob Lancaster added: “We are proud to see that Texas is honoring our pioneering heritage and using all the unique advantages of our state; from geography, to business climate and taxes, an inviting and reasonable regulatory environment, as well as a reformed education system that the Governor mentioned as the building blocks to the stars. Space education should be an integral part of school curriculum at all levels in Texas, as it not only advances interest in STEM fields to produce new engineers, scientists and workers needed for these new and exciting jobs, but also better informs the general public and political decision-makers regarding the potential of this industry.”
TXA will be using this legislative session to work on many fronts, including supporting the establishment of a formal organization to assist space-related efforts in the state. Additionally, we will support other efforts like those from space-friendly Rep. John Davis, who has offered a bill to add a commercial space representative to the Aerospace Advisory Council. TXA will be offering exciting new information about these processes as they unfold during the Texas 2013 legislative session and beyond.
The ESA released this interesting item about building structures on the Moon with large scale 3D printers:
Building a lunar base with 3D printing
31 January 2013: Setting up a lunar base could be made much simpler by using a 3D printer to build it from local materials. Industrial partners including renowned architects Foster + Partners have joined with ESA to test the feasibility of 3D printing using lunar soil.
“Terrestrial 3D printing technology has produced entire structures,” said Laurent Pambaguian, heading the project for ESA.
“Our industrial team investigated if it could similarly be employed to build a lunar habitat.”
Foster + Partners devised a weight-bearing ‘catenary’ dome design with a cellular structured wall to shield against micrometeoroids and space radiation, incorporating a pressurised inflatable to shelter astronauts.
A hollow closed-cell structure – reminiscent of bird bones – provides a good combination of strength and weight.
1.5 tonne building block
The base’s design was guided in turn by the properties of 3D-printed lunar soil, with a 1.5 tonne building block produced as a demonstration.
“3D printing offers a potential means of facilitating lunar settlement with reduced logistics from Earth,” added Scott Hovland of ESA’s human spaceflight team.
“The new possibilities this work opens up can then be considered by international space agencies as part of the current development of a common exploration strategy.”
Multi-dome base being constructed
“As a practice, we are used to designing for extreme climates on Earth and exploiting the environmental benefits of using local, sustainable materials,” remarked Xavier De Kestelier of Foster + Partners Specialist Modelling Group. “Our lunar habitation follows a similar logic.”
The UK’s Monolite supplied the D-Shape printer, with a mobile printing array of nozzles on a 6 m frame to spray a binding solution onto a sand-like building material.
3D ‘printouts’ are built up layer by layer – the company more typically uses its printer to create sculptures and is working on artificial coral reefs to help preserve beaches from energetic sea waves.
“First, we needed to mix the simulated lunar material with magnesium oxide. This turns it into ‘paper’ we can print with,” explained Monolite founder Enrico Dini.
“Then for our structural ‘ink’ we apply a binding salt which converts material to a stone-like solid.
“Our current printer builds at a rate of around 2 m per hour, while our next-generation design should attain 3.5 m per hour, completing an entire building in a week.”
Italian space research firm Alta SpA worked with Pisa-based engineering university Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna on adapting 3D printing techniques to a Moon mission and ensuring process quality control. The effect of working in a vacuum was also assessed.
“The process is based on applying liquids but, of course, unprotected liquids boil away in vacuum,” said Giovanni Cesaretti of Alta.
“So we inserted the 3D printer nozzle beneath the regolith layer. We found small 2 mm-scale droplets stay trapped by capillary forces in the soil, meaning the printing process can indeed work in vacuum.”
3D-printed sculpture
Simulated lunar regolith is produced for scientific testing by specialist companies, typically sold by the kilogram. But the team required many tonnes for their work.
“As another useful outcome, we discovered a European source of simulated lunar regolith,” added Enrico.
“Basaltic rock from one volcano in central Italy turns out to bear a 99.8% resemblance to lunar soil.”
“This project took place through ESA’s General Studies Programme, used to look into new topics,” Laurent commented.
“We have confirmed the basic concept, and assembled a capable team for follow-on work.”
Lunar south pole
Factors such as controlling lunar dust – hazardous to breathe in – and thermal factors will require further study.
3D printing works best at room temperature but over much of the Moon temperatures vary enormously across days and nights lasting two weeks each. For potential settlement, the lunar poles offer the most moderate temperature range.
D-ShapeTM printer