Space

Space — No Comments
18
Aug 10

Commercial spaceflight: A nuclear boost to Mars

Discovery News reports on the long-term plan for Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), including the development of Saturn V-class heavy lifters that can make a commercial trip to Mars viable:

“With that kind of brawny lifting power, SpaceX is proposing developing nuclear fission engines to provide the oomph for getting to Mars in a reasonable amount of time. It would take 15 wimpy chemical powered rockets to equal the turbo-boost from a pair of nuclear-powered Mars departure rockets.”

[...]

“Equally as visionary is SpaceX’s concept of building a fleet of autonomous ‘space tugs’ that would use solar-electric ion thrusters to shuttle 4.5 tons of payload per flight between Mars and Earth in yearlong transfer orbits (OK, it’s not quite FedEx delivery efficiency). The tugs would be serviced at the International Space Station. Upon arrival at Mars they might dock with the Martian moon Phobos, which would make an ideal natural space station and storage depot.”

Read the full story at Discovery News.

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Environment / Space — No Comments
31
Jul 10

Predicting floods in Venice: Look to the Sun

New Scientist reports on an interesting correlation between floods in Venice and solar activity:

“Several times a year, but most commonly between October and December, Venice is hit by an exceptional tide called the acqua alta. David Barriopedro at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, and colleagues were intrigued by studies showing the tides followed an 11-year cycle, just like the sun, showing peaks when the sunspots were most abundant. They looked at hourly observations of sea level between 1948 and 2008, which confirmed that the number of extreme tides followed peaks in the solar cycle (Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, DOI: 10.1029/2009JD013114).”

Read the full story at New Scientist.

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Government / Space — No Comments
29
Jul 10

Funding for cancelled Moon program continues

Discovery News reports on a provision snuck into the recent Afghanistan war funding bill:

“A provision in a bill passed by Congress this week that allots $59 billion to amp-up the war in Afghanistan contains orders for NASA to not cancel any contracts in its embattled Constellation moon (sic) program.

An independent review board convened by the White House determined the program, which aimed to land astronauts on the moon (sic) by 2020, had no chance of reaching its goal because the government failed to fund it properly. The Obama administration wants to end the program and invest in new technologies and commercial spaceflight instead. Bills pending in the House and Senate kill Constellation in name, but keep some of its programs, including a capsule known as Orion.”

Read the full story at Discovery News.

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