Tuesday, March 3, 2015
NASA's Dawn Spacecraft Approaches Ceres
NASA's Dawn spacecraft has returned new images captured on approach to
its historic orbit insertion at the dwarf planet Ceres. Dawn will be the
first mission to successfully visit a dwarf planet when it enters orbit
around Ceres on Friday, March 6.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Orion
On December 5, 2014, after a long hiatus NASA performed successful launch of its new spacecraft intended for human flight. After the two-orbit unmanned test flight the Orion capsule returned in the Apollo-style splashdown.
As a matter of fact, the Orion spacecraft is designed on the same concept and looks very much like the somewhat enlarged Apollo.
The principal difference is that while Apollo carried three astronauts to the Moon, the bigger Orion is supposed to carry four astronauts to Mars.
This first launch was performed on board of the Delta IV Heavy rocket. In the future, Orion will launch on NASA’s new heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch System. It is expected to be more powerful than any rocket ever built, at least in its final configuration.
It is worth noting the Elon Musk's statement about his SpaceX new rocket expected to be launched in 2015: “Falcon Heavy will carry more payload to orbit or escape velocity than any vehicle in history, apart from the Saturn V moon rocket, which was decommissioned after the Apollo program". Mr. Musk has to study history of space flight better. While his Falcon Heavy should be able to carry 53 ton to low Earth orbit, Energia heavy lift launcher was able to carry up to 100 ton.
As a matter of fact, the Orion spacecraft is designed on the same concept and looks very much like the somewhat enlarged Apollo.
The principal difference is that while Apollo carried three astronauts to the Moon, the bigger Orion is supposed to carry four astronauts to Mars.
This first launch was performed on board of the Delta IV Heavy rocket. In the future, Orion will launch on NASA’s new heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch System. It is expected to be more powerful than any rocket ever built, at least in its final configuration.
It is worth noting the Elon Musk's statement about his SpaceX new rocket expected to be launched in 2015: “Falcon Heavy will carry more payload to orbit or escape velocity than any vehicle in history, apart from the Saturn V moon rocket, which was decommissioned after the Apollo program". Mr. Musk has to study history of space flight better. While his Falcon Heavy should be able to carry 53 ton to low Earth orbit, Energia heavy lift launcher was able to carry up to 100 ton.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Touchdown !
Carl Sagan's dream of landing on comet came true:
http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2014/11/12/touchdown-confirmed-for-philae-at-1703-cet/
Space history made.
http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2014/11/12/touchdown-confirmed-for-philae-at-1703-cet/
Space history made.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
45 years later
Apollo 11 splashing down in Pacific on July 24 1969 fulfilled President Kennedy challenge of sending a man to the Moon and safely returning him home. It proved that it is possible for humans to set an ambitious goal and reach it.
Interestingly that goal was set up not from necessity but from the pure spirit of competition. We have a number of challenges on Earth and beyond we as a humankind have to resolve now - from ending senseless bloody wars to overcoming global pollution bringing to the tipping point of irreversible climate change. Sadly, it does not seem to inspire any world leader to take a challenge of "by the end of the decade to end dependency on the fossil fuels" or similar, which would be a great and worthy cause.
45 years ago a young boy back in the Soviet Union proud of Sputnik and Gagarin, dreaming to become a Cosmonaut, read about "Americans" on the Moon and felt devastated and betrayed. Now I feel betrayed again.
Gene Cernan, commander of the last Apollo mission leaves the lunar surface with these words: "We leave as we came and, god willing, as we shall return, with peace, and hope for all mankind." The bootprints of Apollo are still waiting for company...
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Something about this day
Strangely, every year I find more facts about October 4.
See my previous posts: OCTOBER 4 and about SpaceShip One
Now, I was looking for a something for my blog and came across another fact:
Construction of the first experimental prototype, Versuchsmuster 1, of the German rocket-powered vertical take-off interceptor Bachem Ba 349 Natter was completed on October 4, 1944. Weird coincidence, but nevertheless...
Is there something special about this day, October 4th ?
See my previous posts: OCTOBER 4 and about SpaceShip One
Now, I was looking for a something for my blog and came across another fact:
Construction of the first experimental prototype, Versuchsmuster 1, of the German rocket-powered vertical take-off interceptor Bachem Ba 349 Natter was completed on October 4, 1944. Weird coincidence, but nevertheless...
Is there something special about this day, October 4th ?
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Ascent
55 years ago the first man-made satellite was launched onto Earth orbit.
This article was published on the 50th anniversary of Sputnik:
Sputnik and The Dawn of the Space Age
The other interesting article about what followed next:
The history of solar cells
On October 4 2004, Spaceship One won the US$10 million X-Prize by reaching 100 kilometers in altitude twice in a two-week period with the equivalent of three people on board and with no more than ten percent of the non-fuel weight of the spacecraft replaced between flights. Spaceship One, the first commercial piloted space vehicle, was developed by Scaled Composites, funded by Paul Allen.
There is a number of new technologies other than photo-voltaic modules, which either stem directly from the developments originally implemented in space or were instigated by the space exploration projects and which found or finding implementation in Earth applications:
vacuum UV solar thermal systems, electro-chemical energy storage systems, fuel cells, ultra-light materials, optimal control systems and number of others.
more on my profile
This article was published on the 50th anniversary of Sputnik:
Sputnik and The Dawn of the Space Age
The other interesting article about what followed next:
The history of solar cells
On October 4 2004, Spaceship One won the US$10 million X-Prize by reaching 100 kilometers in altitude twice in a two-week period with the equivalent of three people on board and with no more than ten percent of the non-fuel weight of the spacecraft replaced between flights. Spaceship One, the first commercial piloted space vehicle, was developed by Scaled Composites, funded by Paul Allen.
There is a number of new technologies other than photo-voltaic modules, which either stem directly from the developments originally implemented in space or were instigated by the space exploration projects and which found or finding implementation in Earth applications:
vacuum UV solar thermal systems, electro-chemical energy storage systems, fuel cells, ultra-light materials, optimal control systems and number of others.
more on my profile
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