AstroRoach

Reedy River Falls in Greenville SC

2013-05-09T17:01:00.001-05:00

SpaceX Dragon Launch Tomorrow

2012-05-18T15:37:00.001-05:00

This is me standing in front of the the actual SpaceX Dragon used in COTS Demo Flight 1. The first COTS demonstration flight that SpaceX completed was in December 2010, where it proved that it could launch, orbit and recover its Dragon spacecraft. Prior to that, the maiden flight of the Falcon 9 demonstrated it could launch a Dragon capsule simulator atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Tomorrow's mission will prove that Dragon can rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station.

If all goes well, the Dragon may start delivering astronauts as well as cargo, possibly as soon as 2016. Would you believe you can stack seven astronauts into that capsule? Here's how:

Good luck to SpaceX. It appears private entrepreneurship is our best hope for expanding into the Solar System. NASA's Orion capsule won't fly with a crew for another decade, assuming it survives the budget apocalypse, so to SpaceX and the other COTS competitors - "To Infinity And Beyond!"

What is an Astronaut's Life Worth?: An Interview with Robert Zubrin

2012-05-18T12:05:00.001-05:00

New research could power rocket trip to Mars in weeks, not months

2012-05-18T12:02:00.001-05:00

It's obvious from the whiteboard that UAH Professor Jason Cassibry has found the answer, not only to fast interplanetary travel, but to Life, the Universe and Everything (hint: It's in the upper left corner).

Seriously though, he's trying to use the Z-pinch effect to deliver a large amount of energy in a very short pulse, and hopefully cause a target fuel pellet of lithium deuteride to implode and fuse. The exhaust products are focused and ejected through an electromagnetic nozzle and push the rocket forward. This "pulsed fusion engine" could run with very little fuel and achieve higher velocity than possible from chemical rockets.

Reducing the travel time to Mars makes everything easier. Life support systems don't have to operate for years. There is less exposure to radiation. Less food, water and oxygen is required. Physical deterioration caused by microgravity is reduced. The list goes on. Speed is really the key for a successful Mars mission in my opinion, and existing rocket technology will not get us there in a reasonable time.

When Did We Stop Dreaming | SpaceNews.com

2012-05-16T13:36:00.001-05:00

With an administration which doesn't want a manned space program, but doesn't want the political liability of outright cancellation, we continue to limp along with an underfunded NASA.

...the most probable prospect for at least the next few years is some version of the current program with its political support driven primarily by the desire to preserve jobs, contracts and scientific communities, operating indefinitely on a flat and inadequate budget. This will result in a NASA little changed from the space shuttle/international space station status quo. This suboptimum effort will still produce significant benefits for the country, just not the excellence that could be achieved by the kind of better-formulated and better-supported program...

Charles Krauthammer Opposes Drones In America

2012-05-16T12:00:00.001-05:00

I'm with you 100% Charles (as usual). There is no reason to accept a society where citizens are under constant government surveillance.

Storyboard: Private enterprise sends a payload to the space station

2012-05-15T15:51:00.001-05:00

The LA Times has published an excellent series of illustrations detailing the SpaceX Falcon9/Dragon mission to the International Space Station.

It's Alive!

2012-05-15T15:33:00.000-05:00

...my blog, that is. After ignoring it for nearly half a year, it's time to take the ol' gal out for a spin. I've dusted it off and shined it up, and I'm going to see if I can use it as a kind of AstroRoach Central, tying all my various online instances together.You'll notice a few new tabs at the top of the page - there will be even more over the next few days.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm

2011-12-18T10:44:00.000-06:00

PETMAN

2011-11-01T21:44:00.000-05:00

From Boston Dynamics, makers of the famous "Big Dog" quadruped robot with eerily biological-looking movement, comes "PETMAN", a humanoid bipedal robot. Resistance is futile.

A Very Serious Commentary by Andrew Klavan

2011-10-12T10:10:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe not THAT serious...

Opening Ceremony Blog Exclusive - Spike Jonze Presents: Lil Buck and Yo-...

2011-10-08T11:39:00.000-05:00

I've never seen anything like this. Sort of like Robot Ballet Dancing.

Mars Exploration Endangered by Bureaucratic (In)Action

2011-10-08T11:24:00.000-05:00

Once again the White House works actively to destroy our future.

"The European Space Agency is willing to put €850 million ($1.16 billion) to collaborate with us. But for reasons unknown, somewhere in the administration somebody is refusing to release the letter that would allow the head of ESA to collaborate with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Why on Earth would you refuse to allow over $1 billion of funding? It borders on the irresponsible."

Orion Futures

2011-10-06T12:44:00.000-05:00

China space station unmanned lab animation.

2011-10-01T20:53:00.000-05:00

Animation of the launch of China's Tiangong-1 Space Station module is accompanied by an instrumental version of "America the Beautiful". Are they trying to tell us something, and if so, what?

Obama’s NASA: Leading From Behind

2011-09-23T11:04:00.000-05:00

During the early days of Obama's first campaign, careful reading of the policy statements on his web site indicated that he originally intended to gut and remake NASA as little more than an extension of the EPA and the Dept. of Education. This explains why his appointee Charles Bolden made such maddening statements about concentrating NASA's efforts on Earth monitoring and Muslim outreach. This National Review article is a scathing summary of the complete mess that is Obama's NASA.

In January 2010, Bolden labeled NASA an “Earth improvement agency” and said it would essentially scrap manned space exploration and concentrate on “researching and monitoring climate change.” This redefined mission came with additional funding. NASA was going to spend more, and do less.

Then in July 2010, Administrator Bolden announced NASA’s mission as threefold: (1) “re-inspire children”; (2) “expand our international relationships”; and “foremost” (3) “reach out to the Muslim world.” He condescendingly explained that Muslim outreach would help Islamic nations “feel good” about their scientific accomplishments.

In this same interview, Bolden “inspired children” by declaring the United States could never reach beyond low-earth orbit again, as it did alone from 1968–1971, without international help, saying: “We’re not going to go anywhere beyond low earth orbit as a single entity. The United States can’t do it, China can’t do it — no single nation is going to go to a place like Mars alone.

There is more. Much more. Read the whole article!

KH-9 Hexagon Spy Satellite Makes a Rare Public Outing (Photos and Video) | OnOrbit

2011-09-18T10:04:00.000-05:00

Very interesting stuff. I had no idea the KH-9 was such a large and complex beast. There are lots more photos and videos at the link (click on headline).

"With virtually no advance notice, the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar Hazy Center put a KH-9 "Hexagon" spy satellite on public display today. The display is up for one day only"

Attack Watch

2011-09-14T14:43:00.000-05:00

Comrades! Glorious Dear Leader is create website to report enemies of the State and non-revolutionary thinkers for reeducation!

Americans Suffering From Possibly-Imaginary Sensitivity to Wi-Fi Run for Radio-Free Zone In the Hills of Appalachia | Popular Science

2011-09-14T10:29:00.000-05:00

Personally, I start suffering when I can't get five bars.

,,,five percent of Americans think that exposure to electromagnetic fields created by Wi-Fi and mobile phones are causing them to suffer headaches, muscle spasms, burning skin and chronic pain. And some of these people are seeking refuge in the secluded mountains of Appalachia.

NASA Announces Design For New Deep Space Exploration System |

2011-09-14T10:16:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's the headline. In reality the "New Deep Space Exploration System" is just the same MPCV capsule and SLS heavy-lift launcher built mainly from Shuttle components. The elements required for actual deep space exploration are not included. All that was really announced was the final configuration of the SLS, which after months of delay seems to be more or less what everyone thought it would be. The only difference I notice is that the booster rockets will be open for bidding, although it's likely SLS will initially use a 5-segment version of the Shuttle's SRB.

It's pretty obvious that the image of the SLS which was released carries a subliminal message intended to evoke NASA's glory days. The rocket is painted in the black and white manner of a Saturn V moon rocket, and a crescent moon is barely visible.

NASA - Interplanetary Memorial to Victims of Sept. 11, 2001

2011-09-11T08:42:00.001-05:00

NASA - Interplanetary Memorial to Victims of Sept. 11, 2001

I'm surprised that I've never heard of this until today. There is metal from the World Trade Center on Mars!

The piece of metal with the American flag on it in this image of a NASA rover on Mars is made of aluminum recovered from the site of the World Trade Center towers in the weeks after their destruction. The piece serves as a cable guard for the rock abrasion tool on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit as well as a memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. An identical piece is on the twin rover, Opportunity.

Camuflaje Adaptiv BAE system

2011-09-08T21:02:00.000-05:00

Adaptive Infrared Camouflage seems to work It would be interesting to see it expanded to the visual spectrum as well.

Symphony of Science - the Quantum World!

2011-09-08T14:55:00.000-05:00

The Space Review: "Apollo: The Race to the Moon", twenty years on

2011-09-06T19:19:00.000-05:00

The Space Review: "Apollo: The Race to the Moon", twenty years on

... the real race to the Moon was not with the Russians. It was with time—would we get to the Moon before NASA became bureaucratized? We barely made it.

Eink shows their new COLOR displays

2011-09-06T10:51:00.000-05:00

Color e-ink displays