I've been going through an online lecture series from the MIT opencourseware on Youtube recently learning the history and design of the Space Shuttle.
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=35721A60B7B57386
Check it out if you're interested in the design of the shuttle or other spacecraft design considerations
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
NASA Lunar Spacecraft Ships South In Preparation For Launch
Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668
grey.Hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov
Nancy Neal Jones
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-0039
nancy.n.jones@nasa.gov
Feb. 11, 2009 RELEASE : 09-030 NASA Lunar Spacecraft Ships South In Preparation For Launch GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, spacecraft was loaded on a truck Wednesday to begin its two-day journey to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch is targeted for April 24.
The spacecraft was built by engineers at Goddard, where it recently completed two months of tests in a thermal vacuum chamber. During its time in the chamber, the spacecraft was subjected to hot and cold temperatures it will experience as it orbits the moon.
The satellite's mission is one of the first steps in NASA's plan to return astronauts to the moon. LRO will spend at least one year in a low polar orbit on its primary exploration mission, with the possibility of three more years to collect additional detailed scientific information about the moon and its environment.
The orbiter will carry seven instruments to provide scientists with detailed maps of the lunar surface and enhance our understanding of the moon's topography, lighting conditions, mineralogical composition and natural resources. Information gleaned from LRO will be used to select safe landing sites, determine locations for future lunar outposts and help mitigate radiation dangers to astronauts. The polar regions of the moon are the main focus of the mission because continuous access to sunlight may be possible and water ice may exist in permanently shadowed areas of the poles.
"This is the culmination of four years of hard work by everyone on the LRO Project," said Cathy Peddie, LRO deputy project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "LRO now begins its launch site processing, where it will be prepped for integration with our sister mission LCROSS, and eventually encapsulated in the Atlas V for its journey to the moon."
LRO's instruments have considerable heritage from previous planetary science missions, enabling the spacecraft to transition to a research phase under the direction of NASA's Science Mission Directorate one year after launch.
Accompanying LRO on its journey to the moon will be the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, a mission that will impact the lunar surface in its search for water ice. The LCROSS mission is managed by NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif.
Goddard manages the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington.
For more information about LRO, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/lro
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668
grey.Hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov
Nancy Neal Jones
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-0039
nancy.n.jones@nasa.gov
Feb. 11, 2009 RELEASE : 09-030 NASA Lunar Spacecraft Ships South In Preparation For Launch GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, spacecraft was loaded on a truck Wednesday to begin its two-day journey to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch is targeted for April 24.
The spacecraft was built by engineers at Goddard, where it recently completed two months of tests in a thermal vacuum chamber. During its time in the chamber, the spacecraft was subjected to hot and cold temperatures it will experience as it orbits the moon.
The satellite's mission is one of the first steps in NASA's plan to return astronauts to the moon. LRO will spend at least one year in a low polar orbit on its primary exploration mission, with the possibility of three more years to collect additional detailed scientific information about the moon and its environment.
The orbiter will carry seven instruments to provide scientists with detailed maps of the lunar surface and enhance our understanding of the moon's topography, lighting conditions, mineralogical composition and natural resources. Information gleaned from LRO will be used to select safe landing sites, determine locations for future lunar outposts and help mitigate radiation dangers to astronauts. The polar regions of the moon are the main focus of the mission because continuous access to sunlight may be possible and water ice may exist in permanently shadowed areas of the poles.
"This is the culmination of four years of hard work by everyone on the LRO Project," said Cathy Peddie, LRO deputy project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "LRO now begins its launch site processing, where it will be prepped for integration with our sister mission LCROSS, and eventually encapsulated in the Atlas V for its journey to the moon."
LRO's instruments have considerable heritage from previous planetary science missions, enabling the spacecraft to transition to a research phase under the direction of NASA's Science Mission Directorate one year after launch.
Accompanying LRO on its journey to the moon will be the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, a mission that will impact the lunar surface in its search for water ice. The LCROSS mission is managed by NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif.
Goddard manages the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington.
For more information about LRO, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/lro
Soft-Gamma-Ray Repeater Observed by Swift and Fermi Telescopes
J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-5241
j.d.harrington@nasa.gov
Lynn Cominsky
Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, Calif.
707-664-2655
lynnc@universe.sonoma.edu
Feb. 10, 2009 RELEASE : 09-028 NASA's Swift, Fermi Probe Fireworks From a Flaring Gamma-Ray Star WASHINGTON -- Astronomers using NASA's Swift satellite and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope are seeing frequent blasts from a stellar remnant 30,000 light-years away. The high-energy fireworks arise from a rare type of neutron star known as a soft-gamma-ray repeater. Such objects unpredictably send out a series of X-ray and gamma-ray flares.
"At times, this remarkable object has erupted with more than a hundred flares in as little as 20 minutes," said Loredana Vetere, who is coordinating the Swift observations at Pennsylvania State University. "The most intense flares emitted more total energy than the sun does in 20 years."
The object, which has long been known as an X-ray source, lies in the southern constellation Norma. During the past two years, astronomers have identified pulsing radio and X-ray signals from it. The object began a series of modest eruptions on Oct. 3, 2008, then settled down. It roared back to life Jan. 22 with an intense episode.
Because of the recent outbursts, astronomers will classify the object as a soft-gamma-ray repeater -- only the sixth known. In 2004, a giant flare from another soft-gamma-ray repeater was so intense it measurably affected Earth's upper atmosphere from 50,000 light-years away.
Scientists think the source is a spinning neutron star, which is the superdense, city-sized remains of an exploded star. Although only about 12 miles across, a neutron star contains more mass than the sun. The object has been cataloged as SGR J1550-5418.
While neutron stars typically possess intense magnetic fields, a subgroup displays fields 1,000 times stronger. These so-called magnetars have the strongest magnetic fields of any known object in the universe. SGR J1550-5418, which rotates once every 2.07 seconds, holds the record for the fastest-spinning magnetar. Astronomers think magnetars power their flares by tapping into the tremendous energy of their magnetic fields.
"The ability of Fermi's gamma-ray burst monitor to resolve the fine structure within these events will help us better understand how magnetars unleash their energy," said Chryssa Kouveliotou, an astrophysicist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The object has triggered the instrument more than 95 times since Jan. 22.
Using data from Swift's X-ray telescope, Jules Halpern at Columbia University captured the first "light echoes" ever seen from a soft-gamma-ray repeater. Images acquired when the latest flaring episode began show what appear to be expanding halos around the source. Multiple rings form as X-rays interact with dust clouds at different distances, with closer clouds producing larger rings. Both the rings and their apparent expansion are an illusion caused by the finite speed of light and the longer path the scattered light must travel.
"X-rays from the brightest bursts scatter off of dust clouds between us and the star," Halpern said. "As a result, we don't really know the distance to this object as well as we would like. These images will help us make a more precise measurement and also determine the distance to the dust clouds."
NASA's Wind satellite, the joint NASA-Japan Suzaku mission, and the European Space Agency's INTEGRAL satellite also have detected flares from SGR J1550-5418.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the Swift satellite. It is being operated in collaboration with partners in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Japan. NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is an astrophysics and particle physics observatory developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and with important contributions from academic institutions and partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the U.S.
To see the related images, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/swift/bursts/gammaray_fireworks.html
For more information about the Swift satellite, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/swift
For more information about the Fermi mission, visit;
http://www.nasa.gov/fermi
- end -
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-5241
j.d.harrington@nasa.gov
Lynn Cominsky
Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, Calif.
707-664-2655
lynnc@universe.sonoma.edu
Feb. 10, 2009 RELEASE : 09-028 NASA's Swift, Fermi Probe Fireworks From a Flaring Gamma-Ray Star WASHINGTON -- Astronomers using NASA's Swift satellite and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope are seeing frequent blasts from a stellar remnant 30,000 light-years away. The high-energy fireworks arise from a rare type of neutron star known as a soft-gamma-ray repeater. Such objects unpredictably send out a series of X-ray and gamma-ray flares.
"At times, this remarkable object has erupted with more than a hundred flares in as little as 20 minutes," said Loredana Vetere, who is coordinating the Swift observations at Pennsylvania State University. "The most intense flares emitted more total energy than the sun does in 20 years."
The object, which has long been known as an X-ray source, lies in the southern constellation Norma. During the past two years, astronomers have identified pulsing radio and X-ray signals from it. The object began a series of modest eruptions on Oct. 3, 2008, then settled down. It roared back to life Jan. 22 with an intense episode.
Because of the recent outbursts, astronomers will classify the object as a soft-gamma-ray repeater -- only the sixth known. In 2004, a giant flare from another soft-gamma-ray repeater was so intense it measurably affected Earth's upper atmosphere from 50,000 light-years away.
Scientists think the source is a spinning neutron star, which is the superdense, city-sized remains of an exploded star. Although only about 12 miles across, a neutron star contains more mass than the sun. The object has been cataloged as SGR J1550-5418.
While neutron stars typically possess intense magnetic fields, a subgroup displays fields 1,000 times stronger. These so-called magnetars have the strongest magnetic fields of any known object in the universe. SGR J1550-5418, which rotates once every 2.07 seconds, holds the record for the fastest-spinning magnetar. Astronomers think magnetars power their flares by tapping into the tremendous energy of their magnetic fields.
"The ability of Fermi's gamma-ray burst monitor to resolve the fine structure within these events will help us better understand how magnetars unleash their energy," said Chryssa Kouveliotou, an astrophysicist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The object has triggered the instrument more than 95 times since Jan. 22.
Using data from Swift's X-ray telescope, Jules Halpern at Columbia University captured the first "light echoes" ever seen from a soft-gamma-ray repeater. Images acquired when the latest flaring episode began show what appear to be expanding halos around the source. Multiple rings form as X-rays interact with dust clouds at different distances, with closer clouds producing larger rings. Both the rings and their apparent expansion are an illusion caused by the finite speed of light and the longer path the scattered light must travel.
"X-rays from the brightest bursts scatter off of dust clouds between us and the star," Halpern said. "As a result, we don't really know the distance to this object as well as we would like. These images will help us make a more precise measurement and also determine the distance to the dust clouds."
NASA's Wind satellite, the joint NASA-Japan Suzaku mission, and the European Space Agency's INTEGRAL satellite also have detected flares from SGR J1550-5418.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the Swift satellite. It is being operated in collaboration with partners in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Japan. NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is an astrophysics and particle physics observatory developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and with important contributions from academic institutions and partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the U.S.
To see the related images, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/swift/bursts/gammaray_fireworks.html
For more information about the Swift satellite, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/swift
For more information about the Fermi mission, visit;
http://www.nasa.gov/fermi
- end -
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Video Examples of Experimental Fusion Reactors
These are both "very simple" reactors. While fusion occurs in both set-ups neither is capable of producing energy.
COROT Space Telescope finds Planet less than Twice Earth's Diameter
COROT, launched in december 2006 to look for exoplanets and do asterosiesmology. the planet just recently discover is 1.7 times Earth's diameter. Although it is far too hot to walk on (surface temperature 1000 - 1500 C) this planet appears to be composed of rocky material and water vapor making it "Earth-like" in it's composition.
COROT-Exo-7b as it is named is located approximately 390 light-years away orbiting a star in the constelation Monoceros. The planet is very close to it's sun, orbiting once every 20 hours.
COROT-Exo-7b as it is named is located approximately 390 light-years away orbiting a star in the constelation Monoceros. The planet is very close to it's sun, orbiting once every 20 hours.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
My purpose
In case your wondering why I want to build a spaceship, and am I serious. Here's what I'm going to do.
Gather knowledge resources. Experiment (I'll post some fusion reactor videos). Build a prototype(s). Create solutions in interplanetary commerce(But you didn't know you needed "that"). Sell Space ships. I'd like to start selling my first vessels around 2046.
This blog is an example of step 1. If I think I or someone else with my intentions would like to know about whatever I'll try to put it in here as a knowledge resource.
Another example is learning to use solidworks software to design experiments and projects.
Experiment. I'm currently only in the planning experiments stage here. I've been studying and doing concept designs of robots and rockets, most recently fusion reactors. But have yet to build any significant projects.
Once I've built a solid foundation through experiment I'll start prototyping parts and systems then finally my ship.
Once I have my ship I begin doing surveys of the solar system past earth seeking out mineral deposits with unique characteristics. As well as easily available commodities Iron, Nickel, Gold, Platinum, Diamonds, anything entreprenuers would lease Vessels from me to extract.
I don't do things because I can, I'm good at everything I've ever tried. I do things because they are worthwhile. I can't think of anything more worthwhile than establishing or atleast being part of mankinds migration into our greater solar system.
Gather knowledge resources. Experiment (I'll post some fusion reactor videos). Build a prototype(s). Create solutions in interplanetary commerce(But you didn't know you needed "that"). Sell Space ships. I'd like to start selling my first vessels around 2046.
This blog is an example of step 1. If I think I or someone else with my intentions would like to know about whatever I'll try to put it in here as a knowledge resource.
Another example is learning to use solidworks software to design experiments and projects.
Experiment. I'm currently only in the planning experiments stage here. I've been studying and doing concept designs of robots and rockets, most recently fusion reactors. But have yet to build any significant projects.
Once I've built a solid foundation through experiment I'll start prototyping parts and systems then finally my ship.
Once I have my ship I begin doing surveys of the solar system past earth seeking out mineral deposits with unique characteristics. As well as easily available commodities Iron, Nickel, Gold, Platinum, Diamonds, anything entreprenuers would lease Vessels from me to extract.
I don't do things because I can, I'm good at everything I've ever tried. I do things because they are worthwhile. I can't think of anything more worthwhile than establishing or atleast being part of mankinds migration into our greater solar system.
Daydreaming
Going through pics of the planets and Jupiter's moons today to place on my screensaver. Io has always been one of my personal favorite moon's. I've always wondered about what sort of crazy geologic chemistry is going on down there, Mercury also. The closest of Jupiter's moons, mostly sulfur compounds, volcanicly active, pounded on by radiation from jupiter. Just a really harsh enviroment.
It will probably be one of my first research stops. Been thinking alot about my ship lately and it capabilities. Dual fusion reactors/main propulsion systems, 30 person crew, two utility shuttlecraft, similar to "Serenity". Unless of course I can't figure out a way to manipulate gravity, then of course I'm going to have to build a torus with a larger central reactor.
It will probably be one of my first research stops. Been thinking alot about my ship lately and it capabilities. Dual fusion reactors/main propulsion systems, 30 person crew, two utility shuttlecraft, similar to "Serenity". Unless of course I can't figure out a way to manipulate gravity, then of course I'm going to have to build a torus with a larger central reactor.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Explore Mars with Google Earth!
NASA AND GOOGLE LAUNCH VIRTUAL EXPLORATION OF MARS
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA and Google announced Monday the release
of a new Mars mode in Google Earth that brings to everyone's desktop
a high-resolution, three-dimensional view of the Red Planet.
Besides providing a rich, immersive 3D view of Mars that will aid
public understanding of Mars science, the new mode, Google Mars 3D,
also gives researchers a platform for sharing data similar to what
Google Earth provides for Earth scientists.
The mode enables users to fly virtually through enormous canyons and
scale huge mountains on Mars that are much larger than any found on
Earth. Users also can explore the Red Planet through the eyes of the
Mars rovers and other Mars missions, providing a unique perspective
of the entire planet.
Users can see some of the latest satellite imagery from NASA’s Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter and other probes orbiting the Red Planet.
Viewers can learn about new discoveries and explore indexes of
available Mars imagery. The new Mars mode also allows users to add
their own 3D content to the Mars map to share with the world.
Today's announcement is the latest benefit from a Space Act Agreement
NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., signed with
Google in November 2006. Under its terms, NASA and Google agreed to
collaborate to make NASA's data sets available to the world.
NASA Ames, along with its partners at Google, Carnegie Mellon
University, SETI, and other institutions, helped produce the data to
make this possible.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people
around the world with information every day. Google is headquartered
close to Ames in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas,
Europe and Asia.
For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
For more information about Google, visit:
http://www.google.com
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA and Google announced Monday the release
of a new Mars mode in Google Earth that brings to everyone's desktop
a high-resolution, three-dimensional view of the Red Planet.
Besides providing a rich, immersive 3D view of Mars that will aid
public understanding of Mars science, the new mode, Google Mars 3D,
also gives researchers a platform for sharing data similar to what
Google Earth provides for Earth scientists.
The mode enables users to fly virtually through enormous canyons and
scale huge mountains on Mars that are much larger than any found on
Earth. Users also can explore the Red Planet through the eyes of the
Mars rovers and other Mars missions, providing a unique perspective
of the entire planet.
Users can see some of the latest satellite imagery from NASA’s Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter and other probes orbiting the Red Planet.
Viewers can learn about new discoveries and explore indexes of
available Mars imagery. The new Mars mode also allows users to add
their own 3D content to the Mars map to share with the world.
Today's announcement is the latest benefit from a Space Act Agreement
NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., signed with
Google in November 2006. Under its terms, NASA and Google agreed to
collaborate to make NASA's data sets available to the world.
NASA Ames, along with its partners at Google, Carnegie Mellon
University, SETI, and other institutions, helped produce the data to
make this possible.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people
around the world with information every day. Google is headquartered
close to Ames in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas,
Europe and Asia.
For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
For more information about Google, visit:
http://www.google.com
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