Space Technology and Applications

2017 S3 Unmanned Suborbital Shuttle

2019-12-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

A Swiss company, Swiss Space Systems (S3), has unveiled an ambitious plan to build an unmanned suborbital shuttle by 2017, that would lift off from the back of an Airbus A300 jetliner to serve as a commercial satellite launch program.

Toronto Hydro: 32,000 customers without power

2019-12-12T12:43:00.000-08:00

Because of Superstorm Sandy, Toronto Hydro says 32,000 customers are still without power Tuesday afternoon, and some may not have power back until as late as Thursday afternoon as the utility focuses on the largest outages first.
Hurricane sandy
From: thestar.com

Air Force Secretary Calls DMSP Satellites 'Out of Date'

2019-12-12T02:05:00.000-08:00

Air Force Secretary Calls DMSP Satellites 'Out of Date'

Titus Ledbetter III
04/5/12 02:15 PM ET
in Military

The U.S. Air Force’s top civilian admitted that the technology in the two aging Defense Meteorological Support Program (DMSP) military weather satellites that the service plans to launch is “out-of-date.” ...

Révolution Terre Lune Soleil

2012-10-30T12:29:00.000-07:00

La Terre effectue un tour sur elle-même d’ouest en est en environ 24 h
La Terre effectue un tour complet autour du Soleil en 365,25 jours.
La Lune effectue un tour complet autour de la Terre en 27,3 jours

From: jesuiscultive.com

From: wikimedia.org

Workshop on Space Technology Applications for Sustainable Development of Asia

2012-10-14T22:38:00.000-07:00

ADB's long-term strategic framework — Strategy 2020 — clearly defines our vision: a vision of an Asia and Pacific free of poverty; a region where the vast majority have joined hands on the path to prosperity. It also defines ADB's role in pursuing this vision through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
We need to make growth more inclusive — to expand access to opportunities so that all can participate, regardless of their individual circumstances.
But we have challenging issues to achieve our goal. One issue is how to address the fact that Asia and the Pacific is a very disaster–prone region. A study has shown that, during 1980–2006, more than 45% of the world's water–related disaster fatalities and 90% of affected people were from Asia. And, climate change is a fundamental threat to achieving Asia's development objectives, and to life and livelihoods. These threats put the poor at risk more than anyone. Thus, protecting people from them is one of the most important measures for all of us.
http://beta.adb.org/news/speeches/workshop-space-technology-applications-sustainable-development-asia

ATR Reports New Annual Sales Record

2012-10-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

Has Signed Firm Orders For 145 Aircraft, Plus 72 Options, Since The Beginning Of The Year

Officials for European regional turboprop maker ATR say 2011 has been a record year for sales, with 145 firm aircraft orders and an additional 72 options since the beginning of the year. The value of these orders is estimated at 3.2 billion dollars (4.8 billion including the options). The previous record was in pre-recession 2007, with 113 firm orders and 26 options.
These 145 firm orders represent over 80% of all regional aircraft sales (from 50 to 90-seats) since the beginning of the year. ATR has registered 34% of these orders with six new customers.
At the same time, these 145 airplanes have enabled ATR to reach a new record for its order book, which has grown to 275 aircraft and is valued at 6.2 billion dollars. This backlog represents nearly 4 years of production. It also represents 68% of the total backlog of 50 to 90-seat regional aircraft, thereby confirming the renewed interest in turboprop technology.
The figures were unveiled Thursday morning by the Chief Executive Officer of ATR, Filippo Bagnato, at a news conference held in Rome, during the General Assembly of the European Regions Airline Association. “This sales record, and the year is not yet over, once again underlines the relevance of our product to meet the requirements of regional transport, which continues to expand worldwide," he said. "In terms of savings, ecology, performance and comfort, ATR aircraft, and the newest -600 series in particular, have become the benchmark for regional airlines worldwide. ATR aircraft enable regional airlines to come out ahead thanks to their low operating costs.”
ATR 72-600 File Photo

Along with the sales record, ATR announced several orders at the meeting. U.S.-based aircraft lessor Air Lease Corporation (ALC) has ordered 2 new ATR 72-600 regional turboprop aircraft. In 2010, ALC had taken positions for 10 ATR 72-600s, plus options for 10 additional aircraft. The contract announced Thusday is the conversion of two of these ten options. The two aircraft are valued at a list price of US$ 45 million. Deliveries of these two ATR 72-600s to ALC will occur in the spring of 2013.
And Danish regional aircraft leasing company Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) signed a contract Thursday for the purchase of 10 ATR 72-600s and 2 ATR 72-500s, plus options for 10 additional ATR 72-600s. The total amount of the deal, including options, is valued at $ 500 million. The 10 firm ATR 72-600s and the options had been previously inked, as Heads of Agreement, by both companies at the Paris Air Show last June, and now confirmed by the final contract signature. With the additional 2 ATR 72-500s unveiled today, NAC will bring to 103 the total fleet of ATRs in its portfolio. Deliveries of these two ATR 72-500s are scheduled before the end of the year. NAC will start receiving its ATR 72-600s next year.
Privately-owned NAC is the world’s largest turboprop leasing company. It currently has a portfolio of some 170 aircraft, including their 12 ATRs on order. NAC introduced ATR aircraft into its fleet in 2003, with the purchase of an ATR 42.

FMI: www.atr.com

Space shuttle behind schedule as it inches to final resting place

2012-10-14T22:36:00.001-07:00

Los Angeles (CNN) -- The space shuttle Endeavour, accustomed to hurtling through space in its heyday, seemed to creep at a snail's pace as it headed toward its final resting place Sunday. The 22-year-old Endeavour, whose first takeoff for the International Space Station was "flawless" according to NASA, symbolically inched along the streets of Los Angeles in its journey to the California Science Center, where it will lie in retirement, showcasing the end of an era. The final U.S. space shuttle blasted through 123 million miles of space over 25 missions in its career.

The shuttle's 12-mile trek was expected to end Saturday night, but obstacles and a mechanical issue slowed it down, said Sgt. Rudy Lopez of the Los Angeles Police Department. It is expected to arrive between 9 a.m. and noon (12 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET), Lopez said.

Endeavour draws festival of admirers as it inches home

Endeavors Last Ride The future of space exploration Shuttle Endeavour wheeled through L.A. Endeavour rolls toward new home

Seventy-eight feed wide and 122 feet long, the Endeavour was designed to slice through the open atmosphere -- and faced a whole new kind of test riding a transporter platform along city roads to the cheers of onlookers.

While preparations had been taken -- including dozens of trees cut down and traffic signs removed -- in some places the shuttle had to navigate a very narrow path, threatening to knock down, or be damaged by, historic trees or poles, said Lopez. "There were a lot of identified trees that we did not want to cut down because they were dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr., so we made all the effort to avoid them," said Lopez. That was an especially tough task at night, slowing the trip down, he said. But in characteristic fashion, the Endeavour pulled through. Lopez said he had no reports of any damage to or by the ship.

Specialists were part of the convoy to make sure the Endeavour and its transporter platform, which together weigh more than 80 tons, didn't stress underground water and sewer systems. Crews laid 2,700 steel plates on parts of the route. While the big crowds that lined streets and gathered on rooftops Saturday were not out early Sunday, crowds may show up for the expected arrival at the museum, Lopez said.

Authorities called on spectators to make sure to bring plenty of water.

Stunning shots of Endeavour's final journey Gwendolyn Crews, owner of a preschool, told CNN she was bringing her entire preschool to watch the Endeavour's arrival at the museum.

"I think this is a history-making moment here in Los Angeles, California, and I want to be able to share this with my kids, my grandkids, my great-grandkids ... and the children of our school," Crews said.

"This once-in-a-lifetime event is a cause for celebration," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said of the shuttle's trip through the city.

Latasha Covington and her children, 9-year-old Skilyn and 4-year-old Amarie, brought a chair out Saturday to stand on to get a better view.

"I've been here 32 years in L.A. and I've never seen anything like this, so it's part of history. I wanted them to see that," Covington said. The respect was a fitting tribute to the shuttle, which was delivered to Kennedy Space Center in May 1991.

NASA ended the shuttle program in July 2011.

Endeavour's final journey, are you there?

Endeavour's fellow shuttles Discovery, Enterprise and Atlantis are also now museum pieces. Named for the first ship commanded by British explorer James Cook, Endeavour cost of $1.7 billion when it rolled out as a replacement for Challenger, which exploded shortly after its 10th launch.

Over the next 20 years, Endeavour flew some of the highest-profile shuttle missions. It flew a Spacelab mission and numerous International Space Station assembly missions and rendezvoused with Russia's Mir Space Station.

The science museum has been trumpeting the arrival of the shuttle, saying it is building a new addition to its facility and will begin displaying Endeavour on October 30.

Getting $7M Extension, Spaceport America Runway

2012-04-06T02:08:00.001-07:00

Fri, 30 March, 2012 | Submitted by: Las Cruces Sun-News | in commentaries

Getting $7M Extension, Spaceport America Runway

Concrete work being done at New Mexicos's Spaceport America. Credit: Judd Bradley

Officials of New Mexico spaceport have approved a $7 million extension of the Spaceport America runway by about 600 meters to address safety concerns from Virgin Galactic, the Las Cruces (N.M.) Sun-News reports.

Virgin Galactic, which plans to offer suborbital spaceflights for tourists launching from Spaceport America in 2013, recently told officials that the heat and wind there would restrict the company’s ability to operate safely year-round, according to Rick Holdridge, chairman of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority.

Holdridge said the authority assigned one of its members, former NASA astronaut Sid Gutierrez, to check into whether the proposed extension of the 3,000-meter runway was merited, and he concluded it was.

Satellite Fleet Operators Protest Indian Tax Proposal

2012-04-06T02:05:00.001-07:00

Satellite Fleet Operators Protest Indian Tax Proposal

Peter B. de Selding
04/5/12 10:39 AM ET
in Policy

A group including many of the world’s biggest commercial satellite fleet operators has written the Indian government to protest a proposed new tax that would slap a 10 percent royalty fee on foreign satellite communications services and make the fee retro ...

How do you build a telescope?

2012-01-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

Note that you can buy a Dobsonian telescope (really a super kit that needs some assembly, principally the mount) for about the same price as you can buy the components to make one, unless you step back from the "buy a mirror, mirror cell, etc." like I did and make some of these components yourself. This was the John Dobson idea with his telescope design.

The first link is to a book I used to understand part of what I was doing. It is available at the site below or at Amazon, and maybe at a local library.

The third link is to another book I used even more heavily so that my telescope could be disassembled and transported when we go camping or traveling.

Consider a Yahoo or Google search for "Dobsonian Telescope building"

Source(s):

http://www.willbell.com/tm/dobtel.htm
http://www.birchardvilleobservatory.org/…
http://www.tomclarkbooks.com/tomclarkboo…
Yahoo or Google search results includes plans by San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers, among other things.

How does space expand and what does it expand into?

2012-01-02T20:21:00.000-08:00

Some pompous twit told me that the Big Bang was not an explosion but an expansion of space. Said twit then blocked me from replying. Well upon reading that "an expansion of space" bit the first question that came to mind was..How do you expand a cubic inch? Then the two on the question line popped up.

The theory is that all the matter in the universe was originally compressed into a lump which then expanded suddenly (exploded -- bang!), with the matter and energy released continuing to spread out in all directions throughout the existing universe, a limitless empty void, so it's thought.

Can we see the surface of the moon using telescope?

2012-01-02T20:19:00.000-08:00

Yes, you can see the surface of the Moon with a telescope or even with the naked eye.
No. There is no one on the Moon.

If is difficult to get a feel for how far away the Moon is or how large it is. In the night sky, it doesn't seem large or far. Even with a very large telescope you can't see something as small as a person on the Moon from Earth.

Is it illegal to go to the moon without informing to NASA?

2012-01-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

You don't need NASA's permission. You do need FAA permission to launch a rocket through US airspace just so they can coordinate airplanes out of the way.

No one is sending people out to the Moon secretly. Any country launching people into orbit or beyond publicizes it in the event they need rescue or recovery assistance, if they value their people!

How far away is the constellation scorpius in light years?

2012-01-02T20:15:00.001-08:00

The constellations are not astronomical objects -- they are figures we have drawn to help us map and find our way around the sky. It is therefore not possible to state the distance to Scorpius, but each of the stars, the star clusters, nebulae, and other celestial bodies within the constellation do have a distance. Antares, the red giant star in Scorpius is a double star about 550 light years away. M4, a incredible globular cluster very near Antares, is about 7 to 7.5 k light years (7000 to 7500 light years).

How long does light from the moon take to reach the Earth?

2012-01-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

The Moon is approx. 240,000 miles from Earth... Light travels at 186,000 miles per second... (the Sun is approx. 93,000,000 miles from the Earth)

How long does it take to get to Mars?

2012-01-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

How long would a manned mission take to travel to Mars? And what is the biggest reason for the mission not taking place in the near future. We sent men to the moon 40 years ago so obviously the technology is there to travel to deep space. Is it that they don't know how to build a ship that could carry enough fuel, food, water, etc.?

That page lets you calculate the simple Hohmann transfer orbit (the cheapest in terms of fuel and/or energy).

Pick the Sun as centre. Put the "altitude" of the initial orbit as 150000000 (150 million km) which is the distance from Sun to Earth.
Put 228500000 (228.5 million km) for the altitude of the final orbit.
Click on calculate. You will get something like 216 days.

This will calculate the parameters of an orbit that has its perihelion (closest to the Sun) at Earth's orbit and its aphelion (furthest from the Sun) at the orbit of Mars.

By symmetry, the Hohmann transfer orbit from Mars to Earth will take 216 days as well.

In both cases, the craft must leave one planet's orbit 216 days before the other planet reaches the target point of the transfer orbit. This forces the craft to stay on Mars for a number of days which can be calculated (depending where Earth and Mars are on their orbits)

Total is around 2 years, with a stay of many months at Mars.

There are two problems.
1) This is NOT a free-return orbit. If you miss Mars, the orbit takes you back to Earth's orbit, but Earth itself will not be anywhere close at the time you return.

2) Once on Mars, you MUST wait for the proper time (roughly 9 months) before starting the return trip. You cannot decide to leave earlier if things go wrong.

Other transfer orbits are possible, but they require a lot more fuel and/or different technology (initial chemical boost plus ion rocket, or solar sail, or...).

"Is it that they don't know how to build a ship that could carry enough fuel, food, water, etc.?"

They KNOW how to build it. They just can't afford to yet. And even when they do, it will still have to be tested (something always goes wrong with new designs) before being sent on a two year mission.
Something like the Apollo capsules would not do. For example, crossing the Van Allen radiation belts for a few days is not the same as being exposed to solar flares, solar wind and coronal mass ejections for two years.

Spending less than a week on the Moon is not the same as spending months on Mars (the lunar suits were damaged almost to their working limit by the time the astronauts came back).

It is going to be very, very expensive. And I mean "very".
Source(s):
There is a nice explanation here, along with a "map" of the Hohmann transfer orbit.

How long did it take Neil Armstrong to get to the moon?

2012-01-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

38 years 11 months and 15 days

(Born 5th August 1930, landed 20th July 1969, 16 days short of his 39th birthday)

How long does it take to get to the moon?

2012-01-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

It depends on how fast they are travelling. I've broken out some target velocities for the kids:

If they walk: 4,976 days
If they run: 663 days
If they drive: 153 days
If they hitch a ride on the space shuttle: 13.5 hours
If they morph into a photon: 1.2 seconds

Good luck! And make sure they pack a sweater!

How much time does it take to get to the moon

2012-01-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

1. It depends on how fast you're traveling. Apollo astronauts were in lunar orbit in 3 days, and landed on the 4th.

2. Moon landing missions also put up laser reflectors on the moon, collected lunar material, and also performed many physics experiments.

3. The moon is around 2159 mi (3475 km) in diameter and its circumference is 6790 mi.

Congress moves to fund space shuttle contractors' pensions

2011-11-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON Congress is getting nearer to closing a roughly $500 million gap in a pension fund for thousands of former space shuttle contractors. The Senate last week approved a $17.9 billion budget for NASA in fiscal 2012 that includes the pension ...

Close encounter: Asteroid flies close to Earth; experts say there’s no chance of impact

2011-11-09T10:11:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES — An asteroid as big as an aircraft carrier zipped by Earth on Tuesday in the closest encounter by such a massive space rock in more than three decades.
Scientists ruled out any chance of a collision but turned their telescopes skyward to learn more about the object known as 2005 YU55.
Its closest approach to Earth was pegged at a distance of 202,000 miles at 6:28 p.m. EST. That’s just inside the moon’s orbit; the average distance between Earth and the moon is 239,000 miles.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/close-encounter-asteroid-to-fly-by-earth-tuesday-experts-say-theres-no-chance-of-impact/2011/11/08/gIQAow6vyM_story.html

Phobos-Grunt Mars probe loses its way just after launch

2011-11-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

Russian space agency officials say the craft is currently stuck in an Earth orbit and that engineers have two weeks to correct the fault before the probe's batteries run out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15631472

Mars Express finds water supersaturation in the Martian atmosphere

2011-09-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

Paris, France (ESA) Sep 30, 2011 New analysis of data sent back by the SPICAM spectrometer on board ESA's Mars Express spacecraft has revealed for the first time that the planet's atmosphere is supersaturated with water vapour. This surprising discovery has major implications for understanding the Martian water cycle and the historical evolution of the atmosphere. Although numerous spacecraft have visited Mars over the past half a century, very few direct measurements of the vertical structure of the planet's atmosphere have been ...
http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Mars_Express_finds_water_supersaturation_in_the_Martian_atmosphere_999.html

ATR Reports New Annual Sales Record

2011-09-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

Has Signed Firm Orders For 145 Aircraft, Plus 72 Options, Since The Beginning Of The Year

FMI: www.atr.com

China Airlines Joins Skyteam

2011-09-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

Alliance Grows To 15 Members, Adds Taipei To Asian Hub Network

Global airline alliance Skyteam added China Airlines as its 15th member at a joining ceremony held in Taipei Tuesday. The flag passenger and cargo carrier of Taiwan, China Airlines becomes the first Taiwanese airline to join SkyTeam.
From its hub in Taipei, China Airlines operates a diverse passenger and cargo network throughout the wider Asia pacific region, North America and Europe, with a total of 224 daily departures to 80 destinations. The new member also brings three new destinations to the SkyTeam network: Okinawa and Miyazaki, Japan; and Surabaya, Indonesia.
Sdyteam says China Airlines complements the network of existing members, China Southern and China Eastern, and offers an extensive cross-strait operation to 20 major destinations in China. This provides SkyTeam customers with an unrivalled choice of travel options in the Greater China region.
"Thanks to excellent links to a number of existing SkyTeam hubs, China Airlines' membership adds value to the alliance for both passengers and cargo customers," said Michael Wisbrun, SkyTeam's Managing Director. "Adding a quality brand from a strong economic region will support SkyTeam's focus on our top priority- enhancing our products and services for our customers worldwide."
Delta president Ed Bastian attended the official joining ceremony in Taipei alongside representatives from fellow SkyTeam member airlines. "The addition of this well respected airline complements Delta's existing service to Taiwan and with China Airline's strong hub in Taipei our customers will benefit from improved access to one of the world's fastest-growing regions," he said.

Space Technology and Applications

2017 S3 Unmanned Suborbital Shuttle

Toronto Hydro: 32,000 customers without power

Air Force Secretary Calls DMSP Satellites 'Out of Date'

Air Force Secretary Calls DMSP Satellites 'Out of Date'

Révolution Terre Lune Soleil

Workshop on Space Technology Applications for Sustainable Development of Asia

ATR Reports New Annual Sales Record

Has Signed Firm Orders For 145 Aircraft, Plus 72 Options, Since The Beginning Of The Year

FMI: www.atr.com

Space shuttle behind schedule as it inches to final resting place

Getting $7M Extension, Spaceport America Runway

Getting $7M Extension, Spaceport America Runway

Satellite Fleet Operators Protest Indian Tax Proposal

Satellite Fleet Operators Protest Indian Tax Proposal

How do you build a telescope?

Source(s):

How does space expand and what does it expand into?

Can we see the surface of the moon using telescope?

Is it illegal to go to the moon without informing to NASA?

How far away is the constellation scorpius in light years?

How long does light from the moon take to reach the Earth?

How long does it take to get to Mars?

How long did it take Neil Armstrong to get to the moon?

How long does it take to get to the moon?

How much time does it take to get to the moon

Congress moves to fund space shuttle contractors' pensions

Close encounter: Asteroid flies close to Earth; experts say there’s no chance of impact

Phobos-Grunt Mars probe loses its way just after launch

Mars Express finds water supersaturation in the Martian atmosphere

ATR Reports New Annual Sales Record

Has Signed Firm Orders For 145 Aircraft, Plus 72 Options, Since The Beginning Of The Year

FMI: www.atr.com

China Airlines Joins Skyteam

Alliance Grows To 15 Members, Adds Taipei To Asian Hub Network

FMI: www.skyteam.com