Space and astronomy news
Image credit: Scaled Scaled Composites announced today that it has selected San Diego-based SpaceDev to build the rocket engine for SpaceShipOne. The hybrid engine uses nitrous oxide and rubber, and was chosen for both safety and performance. SpaceShipOne is Scaled Composite’s entrant into the X-Prize; a $10 million prize to the first private company able …
Scaled Composite’s SpaceShipOne completed its first glide test on Thursday, after it was released from the White Knight aircraft at an altitude of 14,300 metres. The X-Prize candidate was taken through a series of tests in the air, and then landed at a runway in the Mojave desert. Since it was unveiled in April, 2003, …
The dream of traversing the depths of space and planting the seed of human civilization on another planet has existed for generations. For long as we’ve known that most stars in the Universe are likely to have their own system of planets, there have been those who advocated that we explore them (and even settle …
Continue reading “Project Hyperion is Seeking Ideas for Building Humanity’s First Generation Ship”
In May 2023, the ESA’s Exomars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), currently in orbit around Mars, sent a signal to Earth to simulate a possible extraterrestrial transmission. As part of the multidisciplinary art project “A Sign in Space,” the purpose was to engage citizen scientists in helping to decode it. The campaign was inspired by Cosmicomics …
China have a roadmap to sent astronauts to the Moon in 2030 and when they do, they are going with a very definite nod to the Chinese origins to the rocket! Their officials have unveiled the new look Chinese space suit with all the mod cons but with a design that is somewhat reminiscent of …
As black holes spin, they drag space-time along with them, and scientists have proposed that this could be a source of energy for an advanced civilization, harvesting momentum from material ejected from this twisting spacetime. The concept has been generalized, and it’s theoretically possible to extract energy from anything spinning. Now, researchers have mimicked the process in the lab, beaming electromagnetic waves at a spinning object and extracting energy.
As humans spread into the cosmos, we will take a plethora of initially Earth-bound life with us for the ride. Some might be more beneficial or potentially harmful than others. And there is no lifeform more prevalent on Earth than bacteria. These tiny creatures and fungi, their long-lost cousins on the evolutionary tree, have a …
Continue reading “How Can Biofilms Help or Hinder Spaceflight?”
Astronauts face multiple risks during space flight, such as microgravity and radiation exposure. Microgravity can decrease bone density, and radiation exposure is a carcinogen. However, those are chronic effects. The biggest risk to astronauts is fire since escape would be difficult on a long mission to Mars or elsewhere beyond Low Earth Orbit. Scientists are …
Continue reading “The Most Dangerous Part of a Space Mission is Fire”
After going eight years and more than 300 launches without a failure, SpaceX had a Falcon 9 rocket launch go awry, resulting in the expected loss of 20 Starlink satellites. The Federal Aviation Administration said it would oversee an investigation into the anomaly, raising the prospect that dozens of launches could be delayed until the …
Continue reading “SpaceX’s Rocket Failure Could Cause Delays for Lots of Launches”
Six years after he announced a grand plan to fly around the moon with a crew of artists in SpaceX’s Starship rocket, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa said he was canceling the project due to delays in Starship’s development. In a series of postings to the X social-media platform, Maezawa said he signed his contract with …
Continue reading “Japanese Billionaire Calls Off His Starship Trip Around the Moon”