-
-
Rocket Powered Channel Crossing
Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy has become the first person to cross the English Channel using a rocket powered wing strapped their back. And you thought the world record for eating boiled eggs was dangerous. Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy has become the first person to cross the English Channel using a rocket powered wing strapped their back. ... more
-
SpaceX Rocket Finally Makes Orbit
On Sunday, Elon Musk's "Falcon 1" became the first privately-constructed spacecraft to orbit the Earth. After three previous tries by SpaceX (the latest of which resulted in the loss of NASA's experimental solar sail, two satellites, and a number of cremated remains, including those of James "Scotty" Doohan of Star Trek), this fourth launch seems to have gone flawlessly. An interesting contrast tonight between China's manned flight and the first private orbital flight for America. On Sunday, Elon Musk's "Falcon 1" became the first privately-constructed spacecraft to orbit the Earth. After three pre... more
-
Europe plans asteroid sample grab
European scientists and engineers are working on a potential new mission to bring back material from an asteroid.
The venture, known as Marco Polo, could launch in the next decade, and would be designed to learn more about how our Solar System evolved.
The plan is to select a small asteroid - less than 1km across - near Earth and send a spacecraft there to drill for dust and rubble for analysis.
Mission plans are being worked on by UK Astrium and OHB in Germany.
Both satellite manufacturers have been asked to undertake a feasibility study, to assess the type of spacecraft architecture that would be needed to carry out the project.
A final decision on whether to approve the mission will be made by the European Space Agency (Esa) in a few years' time. The mission would launch towards the end of the next decade, in about 2017.
Asteroids are the debris left over from the formation of the Solar System about 4.6 billion years ago.
Studying their pristine material should provide new insights on how the Solar System came into being and how planets like Earth evolved.
"We'll be looking at the best solution for getting there and back," UK Astrium's Dr Ralph Cordey told BBC News.
"We've got to look at all elements of the mission - how we would design the mission, how to design the trajectory to one of a number of possible asteroids, how to optimise that so we use the smallest spacecraft, the least fuel and the smallest rocket."
Marco Polo might work like this:
• After the launch on a Soyuz rocket from Europe's Kourou spaceport, a propulsion unit would take the mission out to its target asteroid
• The main spacecraft unit would undertake a remote-sensing campaign, gathering key information on shape, size, mass, spin and global composition
• It would then attempt to land, drilling a few cm into the surface. Up to 300g of dust and pebbles would be stored away in a sealed capsule
• After lifting off the asteroid, the spacecraft would put itself on a homeward trajectory, releasing the capsule close to Earth for a re-entry
• The capsule would land without parachutes. It would be opened in a clean facility to ensure there was no Earth contamination
Esa has an exploration roadmap for the missions it wishes to conduct in the coming years. Marco Polo is being considered under its Cosmic Visions programme, and is one of a number of competing ideas in a class of missions that could cost in the region of 300 million euros.
It is quite possible that Marco Polo, if approved, could be undertaken in partnership with Japan.
Sample return missions are of significant interest to scientists. Although in-situ measurements provide remarkable insights, so much more would be learnt if materials were brought back to Earth laboratories, where the full panoply of modern analytical technologies can be deployed. European scientists and engineers are working on a potential new mission to bring back material from an asteroid. ... more -
Nasa 'reviews shuttle shelf-life'
Nasa will study whether the space shuttle can operate beyond its planned retirement in 2010, reports say.
The agency will look at what might be required to delay the retirement of its fleet until the shuttle's replacement - Ares-Orion - begins flying in 2015.
The exercise is aimed at answering questions it expects on the matter from Congress and the incoming president.
News of the study comes from a leaked internal email obtained by a Florida-based newspaper.
Nasa chief Michael Griffin, who is reported to have ordered the study, had previously opposed extending the shuttle programme.
The agency's administrator argued that the money and effort required to do so would stymie progress on the Ares rockets and the Apollo-style Orion capsules that will succeed the shuttle.
These are being developed by Nasa as part of its "Constellation" programme. The system is expected to carry astronauts to the Moon under the Vision for Space Exploration plans announced by President George W Bush in 2004.
Russian flights
In April, Dr Griffin told a Senate sub-committee: "The shuttle is an inherently risky design. We currently assess the per-mission risk as about one in 75 of having a fatal accident.
"If one were to do, as some have suggested, fly the shuttle for an additional five years - say two missions a year - the risk would be about one in 12 that we would lose another crew."
But an e-mail obtained by the Orlando Sentinel suggests Nasa will now research this option.
In it, John Coggeshall, manifest and schedules manager at Nasa's Johnson Space Center in Houston, writes: "The [shuttle] programme in conjunction with [Constellation] and [space station] have been asked by the administrator to put together some manifest options to assess extending shuttle flights to 2015.
He added: "We want to focus on helping bridge the gap of US vehicles travelling to the [space station] as efficiently as possible."
But Nasa spokesman John Yembrick described the e-mail as "premature".
"The parameters of the study have not yet been defined," he said.
The agency remains committed to retiring the shuttle in 2010.
Five-year gap
In the five-year gap between the retirement of the shuttle and the first flights of the Orion capsule, Nasa will be reliant on Russia's Soyuz system for transporting astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
But some are now concerned about the wisdom of this plan to purchase seats aboard the Soyuz, given the diplomatic tension between the US and Russia over the conflict in Georgia. Nasa will study whether the space shuttle can operate beyond its planned retirement in 2010, reports say. ... more -
NASA: Warning, space debris showers!
"NASA says it destroyed an unmanned suborbital rocket shortly after a failed launch early this morning from an island off the Virginia coast.
There were no injuries or property damage, according to a NASA statement, but the agency warned that debris from the explosion could be hazardous.
NASA believes most of the wreckage fell into the Atlantic Ocean off Wallops Island.
'NASA is very disappointed in this failure but has directed its focus on protecting public safety and conducting a comprehensive investigation to identify the root cause,' the space agency said in a statement."
For the people in Wallops Island: here is how a rocket debris cloud looks like.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070226.html "NASA says it destroyed an unmanned suborbital rocket shortly after a failed launch early this morning from an island off the Vir... more -
100 Militants Killed in Afghanistan
The coalition says militants using gunfire, rocket propelled grenades and mortars attacked a joint patrol of Afghan and coalition troops several times beginning on Monday and continuing through Thursday. The coalition says militants using gunfire, rocket propelled grenades and mortars attacked a joint patrol of Afghan and coalition troo... more
-
Off-course rocket destroyed by NASA
The unmanned experimental vehicle carrying a pair of research satellites veered from its intended path shortly after liftoff.
August 23, 2008
Rocket that went astray is destroyed
NASA destroyed an unmanned experimental rocket carrying a pair of research satellites Friday when it veered off course shortly after an early-morning liftoff from Wallops Flight Facility on the Virginia coast.
There were no injuries or confirmed reports of property damage, according to NASA, but the agency warned that debris from the explosion could be hazardous. NASA thinks most of the wreckage fell into the Atlantic Ocean.
Officials said the rocket -- a prototype made by Alliant Techsystems Inc. -- was destroyed by remote control 27 seconds into the predawn flight. Officials said they do not know why it went off course. The unmanned experimental vehicle carrying a pair of research satellites veered from its intended path shortly after liftoff. ... more -
Annual Japanese Military Exercises at Mt. Fuji - 2008
Photos from August 21, 2008.
-
Iran launches satellite carrier
Iran says it has successfully launched a rocket capable of carrying its first domestically built satellite.
Officials said only the rocket had been fired, correcting state media reports that the communications satellite itself had been sent into orbit.
Tehran has pursued a space programme for years, despite international concern over its nuclear plans.
In February it sent a probe into space as part of preparations for the launch of the satellite.
* * * * *
Rest of the article and video clip at link. Iran says it has successfully launched a rocket capable of carrying its first domestically built satellite. ... more -
Is Scotty lost in space?
Oh wait, wrong show. Rocket with Scotty's remains goes missing on Saturday.
-
Epic Fail: Rocket carrying three satellites crashes into Pacific Ocean
Update: they found most of the crash debris in South Pacific
Saturday was a bad day for science, as a privately funded rocket carrying three $atellites was lost on its way to space, bringing a third failure in a row to an Internet multimillionaire's effort to create a market for low-cost space-delivery.
Falcon 1 is a two-stage, liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene powered launch vehicle, and the world's first new orbital rocket in more than a decade.
Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, said after the launch that although it was an obvious disappointment not to reach orbit, the flight of the first stage with the new Merlin 1C engine, which will be used in Falcon 9, was “picture perfect.”
It appears that a problem occurred during separation on Saturday, which caused the stages to be held together. The matter is still under investigation, and more details will be available as soon as the engineers realize what happened.
“The most important message I'd like to send right now is that SpaceX will not skip a beat in execution going forward,” said Musk, adding that flights four and five for Falcon 1 are almost ready, and that he's already given green light to begin fabrication of flight six. The Falcon 9 development is still on track.
Even with a failed launch, SpaceX said they have more than sufficient funding to continue launching Falcon 1 and develop Falcon 9 and Dragon. “For my part, I will never give up and I mean never,” said Musk.
The Falcon 1's mission is to deploy three separating satellites that will orbit at an inclination of 9 degrees: the Trailblazer satellite developed by SpaceDev, and two smaller NASA satellites. The three satellites attach to the Falcon 1 second stage via the Secondary Payload Adaptor and Separating System developed by ATSB, which is owned by the Government of Malaysia.
Space X is the winner of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services competition (COTS), and will contribute to help the American mission on the International Space Station after the Space Shuttle retirement in 2010. Update: they found most of the crash debris in South Pacific ... more -
SCI-FI SONGS, the most original and exciting music release in 2008
JASON SERENO IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE OF SCI-FI SONGS, AN OUT-OF-THIS WORLD DIGITAL MIXTAPE FEATURING FOUR SONGS WITH SCIENCE-FICTION THEMES.
Los Angeles, Calif. - July 1st, 2008 - Singer/Songwriter Jason Sereno has released a concept album that is truly out of this world. SCI-FI SONGS, landing July 1st, 2008 at JasonSereno.com, is a digital mixtape with science-fiction-styled music tied together through a common narrative, inspired by unsuccessful rock operas of 1970s.
Sereno, an acoustically-minded musician with a background in comedy and vaudeville-like performances, thought of the concept after a night of binge drinking.
"I was walking to the bathroom at about 3AM," Sereno hastily recounted. "I couldn't even see straight but this idea popped in my head, so I ran back in the bedroom and asked one of the girls to write it down for me. Thankfully Sharon - or maybe Brenda - listened. For once."
Sereno also enjoys multiple partners in the recording studio, which is why he enlisted the help of longtime friend and fellow axe-wielder T-Dogg for the SCI-FI songwriting process.
"T-Dogg was crucial in the creation of the storylines and lyrics for SCI-FI SONGS," Sereno begrudgingly admitted. "He was the one who suggested we utilize the guitar as the focal point for the album instead of synths and drum machines. Too bad he won't see a dime from the record sales because nothing in our agreement was ever in writing. Dumbass."
Rounding out the group is Cremer, Hollywood 's premier voiceover actor and narrator of the album.
"Cremer's talent is truly unmatched," Sereno fondly recalled. "He added so much to the project that I couldn't imagine SCI-FI SONGS without him, but he won't be receiving any monetary compensation either. Once again - nothing in writing. Duh."
SCI-FI SONGS consists of:
RocketShip Guitar: A boy receives a guitar from his birthday but when he plugs in the instrument it transforms into a rocketship that takes him on an intergalactic journey.
Dimensions: The party started in the first dimension. But things get weirder… er.
TimeTraveler Love Song: A time traveler finds the love us his life… but when he travels back to meet the woman of his dreams he can only speak in Spanglish - an unfortunate side-effect of time travel.
CarPlanes: In the future… there are no cars. There are no planes. There are only CarPlanes.
Cremer's Promos: An incredible assortment of inappropriate radio commercials (bonus track).
Although the recordings are meant to be heard sequentially - at least the first time - Sereno insists every tune is exceptional in its own right because of the combinations of style, substance and tone within each track.
"I’m really friggin' proud of the music we've put together," Sereno boasted. "We have full-on guitar solos, insane effects, gripping lyrics, influences from rock, punk, hip-hop and latin styles, as well as a complete storyline that is far more epic and moving than any post-apocalyptic Kevin Costner film."
Sereno is confident that the SCI-FI SONGS team's hard work will pay off - at least for him - because the album speaks to an untapped audience in today's music market.
"No longer will the nerds of the world be forced to stay home on Friday night to watch reruns of Battlestar Galactica," Sereno proclaimed. "They now have a voice. They have a rhythm in their hearts. They have SCI-FI SONGS." JASON SERENO IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE OF SCI-FI SONGS, AN OUT-OF-THIS WORLD DIGITAL MIXTAPE FEATURING FOUR SONGS WITH SCIENCE-... more -
Rocket Man Soars Over the Swiss Alps
On Wednesday, May 14, 2008, Yves Rossy demostrated his jet-powered wing over the Alps in Switzerland. Check out the photos.
-
Settler fires rocket at Palestinians
Israeli security officials said Friday that students from a far-right Jewish theological seminary at a West Bank settlement recently built a crude rocket and fired it at a nearby Palestinian village, although it failed to reach its target. Israeli security officials said Friday that students from a far-right Jewish theological seminary at a West Bank settlement recently b... more
-
Civilian injured from Palestinian rocket attack
Around noon, a Qassam rocket landed near Eshkol in Israeli West Negev.
From the initial explosion a farm worker sustained medium injuries to his hands, and was evacuated to Beer Sheva Hospital.
Qassam rocket attacks are launched by Hamas who openly controls the Gaza Strip. Qassam rockets are small enough to carry on a man's back and be launched from any location including a very dense residential area. The attacks are usually directed at civilians rather than on military forces. Around noon, a Qassam rocket landed near Eshkol in Israeli West Negev. ... more -
NASA Phoenix spacecraft successfully lands near Mars pole
Nice landing on Mars
-
How antimatter spacecraft will work
This article peers a few decades into the future of space travel to look at an antimatter spacecraft, and find out what antimatter actually is and how it will be used for an advanced propulsion system.
Check out the video. This article peers a few decades into the future of space travel to look at an antimatter spacecraft, and find out what antimatter act... more -
Rocket powered Swiss man wows other Swiss
A Swiss pilot strapped on a jet-powered wing and leaped from a plane for the first public demonstration of the homemade device, turning figure eights and soaring high above the Alps.
Yves Rossy's performance in front of the world press capped five years of training and many more years of dreaming.
"This flight was absolutely excellent," the former fighter pilot and extreme sports enthusiast said after touching down on an airfield near the eastern shore of Lake Geneva. A Swiss pilot strapped on a jet-powered wing and leaped from a plane for the first public demonstration of the homemade device, turnin... more -
Yao! That Hurts!
Yao Ming is injured and will be out for the rest of the season. With this left foot injury the Rockets stand little chance to be a contender. My question to you is, will they still make the playoffs? Think about it and give me an answer you can be proud of.
Enjoy a top 10 Yao plays...
this is from SI.com
HOUSTON (AP) -- Yao Ming is out for the season with a stress fracture in his left foot.
Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey announced the decision on Tuesday.
Yao is averaging 22 points and 10.8 rebounds for the Rockets, who have won 12 straight games. Yao Ming is injured and will be out for the rest of the season. With this left foot injury the Rockets stand little chance to be a con... more -
Iran launches research rocket
The rocket is the first launch from Iran's brand new space center - they also have plans to launch research satellites. Analysts have expressed skepticism about similar technological achievements announced by the country in the past - the last rocket they launched was unable to reach orbit level, and the report on this rocket did not include altitude information... The rocket is the first launch from Iran's brand new space center - they also have plans to launch research satellites. Analysts... more
-
related topics
Rockets
Contributors (76)
Rockets
