Rocketplane Kistler, or RpK, on the verge of losing its contract with NASA, has switched presidents. Randy Brinkley, who led Kistler through its acquisition of Rocketplane, as well as through the process that secured the NASA contract, is out. William Byrd, an RpK board member, is in.
As reported earlier in this blog, RpK has struggled to meet benchmarks in the NASA contract, largely due to an inability to attract private investment. Last week, Brinkley wrote a letter to NASA, blaming the space agency for his company's problems.
The letter did not go over well.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
IAU Goes Trek... Again
The International Astronomical Union has recently named a Main Belt asteroid after actor George Takei, whose signature role was playing Sulu, helmsman of the starship Enterprise in the orginal Star Trek television series and several subsequent movies.
The IAU has honored science fiction authors Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein by naming asteroids for them, and has recognized the place Star Trek carved out in twentieth century popular culture before, naming asteroids for Gene Roddenberry, creator of the show, and Nichelle Nicholas, the actress who portrayed Uhura, communications officer of Kirk's Enterprise,
Of course, there are thousands of asteroids yet unnamed. That leaves plenty of opportunities to add William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and James Doohan-- not to mention Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden....
The IAU has honored science fiction authors Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein by naming asteroids for them, and has recognized the place Star Trek carved out in twentieth century popular culture before, naming asteroids for Gene Roddenberry, creator of the show, and Nichelle Nicholas, the actress who portrayed Uhura, communications officer of Kirk's Enterprise,
Of course, there are thousands of asteroids yet unnamed. That leaves plenty of opportunities to add William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and James Doohan-- not to mention Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden....
Friday, October 5, 2007
Japanese Probe in Lunar Orbit
The lunar probe Japan launched September 14 has been successfully inserted into lunar orbit. The orbit will be refined over the next few weeks to optimize it for the planned scientific studies of the Moon.
This mission puts Japan in the lead of an emerging Asian space race. China plans to launch its own lunar probe in December, and India plans the same feat next April. With its current mission, Japan becomes only the third nation to put something in orbit around the Moon. In 2002, China became the third nation to launch a man into space and plans to establish a manned lunar base in roughly the same time period NASA does. India plans to put a human into space itself by 2015, and Japan is interesting in partnering in an international manned lunar program.
Exciting times may be just ahead.
This mission puts Japan in the lead of an emerging Asian space race. China plans to launch its own lunar probe in December, and India plans the same feat next April. With its current mission, Japan becomes only the third nation to put something in orbit around the Moon. In 2002, China became the third nation to launch a man into space and plans to establish a manned lunar base in roughly the same time period NASA does. India plans to put a human into space itself by 2015, and Japan is interesting in partnering in an international manned lunar program.
Exciting times may be just ahead.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Sputnik
Fifty years ago today, the Space Age was born. That's conventional wisdom. Nazii V-rockets would occasionally reach the edge of space, but we tend to ignore that, which is probably just as well.
Sputnik was certainly the first human venture into Earth orbit, and certainly sparked the subsequent history we know. Without Sputnik, there would have been no Apollo 11 a mere twelve years later.
That line of reasoning can be over done, however. Absent Sputnik, there likely still would've been a Space Age. The Soviets were first into space only because the U. S. had not given Werner Von Braun's team the go ahead. That, of course, assumes a successful first American launch. Had America been first into space, the Soviets almost certainly would have responded with Sputnik, but the ensuing superpower competition would have been twisted from what we know. Where it might have led is impossible to say.
Sputnik was certainly the first human venture into Earth orbit, and certainly sparked the subsequent history we know. Without Sputnik, there would have been no Apollo 11 a mere twelve years later.
That line of reasoning can be over done, however. Absent Sputnik, there likely still would've been a Space Age. The Soviets were first into space only because the U. S. had not given Werner Von Braun's team the go ahead. That, of course, assumes a successful first American launch. Had America been first into space, the Soviets almost certainly would have responded with Sputnik, but the ensuing superpower competition would have been twisted from what we know. Where it might have led is impossible to say.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Buckling an Asteroid Belt
MIT researchers, looking ahead, have proposed a solution to a problem that does not yet exist.
Walking on an asteroid may not sound like a big deal for a space explorer, but a one kilometer asteroid, for example, would have very little surface gravity. "Landing" on such a worldlet may well consist of an astronaut simply leaving the airlock of his or her ship and using a maneuvering unit attached to the spacesuit to reach the asteroid. Once there, an overly energetic step could launch the explorer back into space. To avoid that, MIT engineers want to secure a belt around the asteroid and have explorers attach themselves to the belt to stay on the suface. Simply drilling pitons into the rock to hold astronauts on the surface may not work, they say, because some small asteroids seem to be aggregations of rocks loosely held together by gravitational attraction. Drilling into rock by an astronaut in free space, unattached to anything, would also be tricky.
Such an approach would seem to be practical only for small bodies visited by small crews, but of course, that's all it needs to address. Larger bodies, like Ceres or Vesta, have stronger surface gravity.
Walking on an asteroid may not sound like a big deal for a space explorer, but a one kilometer asteroid, for example, would have very little surface gravity. "Landing" on such a worldlet may well consist of an astronaut simply leaving the airlock of his or her ship and using a maneuvering unit attached to the spacesuit to reach the asteroid. Once there, an overly energetic step could launch the explorer back into space. To avoid that, MIT engineers want to secure a belt around the asteroid and have explorers attach themselves to the belt to stay on the suface. Simply drilling pitons into the rock to hold astronauts on the surface may not work, they say, because some small asteroids seem to be aggregations of rocks loosely held together by gravitational attraction. Drilling into rock by an astronaut in free space, unattached to anything, would also be tricky.
Such an approach would seem to be practical only for small bodies visited by small crews, but of course, that's all it needs to address. Larger bodies, like Ceres or Vesta, have stronger surface gravity.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Take Part in Galactic Research
Astronomers have gathered so much data about so much stuff in recent years that they are enlisting the help of the rest of us.
SETI@Home, for example, is a program developed by SETI researchers to help them get through a huge backlog of data. Essentially, it's a software program that creates a network of computers through the Internet. Once downloaded and installed, the program becomes the computer's screensaver; whenever the computer is on but not being actively used. the program analyzes blocks of real data gathered over the years, looking for possible alien signals. It's neat, but passive.
If you want to take a more active role in a space research project, go to www.galaxyzoo.org. There, astronomers want your mind. About a million galaxies need classified as either spiral or elliptical, and it turns out that the human brain is still much better at recognizing patterns than a computer is. So, log on, sign up, go through a quick tutorial that teaches you what to look for, and start classifying galaxies. You'll be advancing scientific knowledge, looking at amazingly beautiful images, and seeing things no human has even seen before.
When you've finished classifying galaxies for the day, why not leave the computer on for a while? Maybe it will uncover the first signal found from an extraterrestrial civilization.
SETI@Home, for example, is a program developed by SETI researchers to help them get through a huge backlog of data. Essentially, it's a software program that creates a network of computers through the Internet. Once downloaded and installed, the program becomes the computer's screensaver; whenever the computer is on but not being actively used. the program analyzes blocks of real data gathered over the years, looking for possible alien signals. It's neat, but passive.
If you want to take a more active role in a space research project, go to www.galaxyzoo.org. There, astronomers want your mind. About a million galaxies need classified as either spiral or elliptical, and it turns out that the human brain is still much better at recognizing patterns than a computer is. So, log on, sign up, go through a quick tutorial that teaches you what to look for, and start classifying galaxies. You'll be advancing scientific knowledge, looking at amazingly beautiful images, and seeing things no human has even seen before.
When you've finished classifying galaxies for the day, why not leave the computer on for a while? Maybe it will uncover the first signal found from an extraterrestrial civilization.
Monday, October 1, 2007
BA's Potential Problem
Bigelow Aerospace seems well on its way to proving its concept of inflatable space habitats. The company has two experimental modules in Earth orbit now, and both have performed extremely well. So well, in fact, that BA is now aiming to put a man-rated habitat in orbit by 2010.
Executives at BA are concerned, however, that when their habitat is ready for people, there may be no cost effective way to get people to it. By 2010, the space shuttle will be retired-- it's expensive to fly, anyway-- and the next NASA manned spacecraft won't be ready yet. That leaves the Russian Soyuz, and possibly a private spacecraft or two. If Soyuz is the only ride out for a few years, Russia will be in a very strong economic position. No private orbital craft that may exist by 2010 will yet have a safety record of any length.
In the oil industry, there are the "integrateds"-- corporations that operate at every level through the petroleum cycle, from exploration through to the gas station on the corner. Such corporations, in any industry, bring anti-trust concerns, and many have been broken up over the past several decades as a result, but that may be the way to open space to commerce. If BA had a launch capability it was developing in tandem with its inflatable habitats, progress need not be slowed for lack of a partner. Controlling every aspect of the project would also allow tighter financial control. Galactic Suites, for example, seems to be taking that approach.
John D. Rockefeller took that approach in building Standard Oil. At some point, the U. S. Government broke up Standard to encourage competition, but by then the oil industry was firmly established.
Executives at BA are concerned, however, that when their habitat is ready for people, there may be no cost effective way to get people to it. By 2010, the space shuttle will be retired-- it's expensive to fly, anyway-- and the next NASA manned spacecraft won't be ready yet. That leaves the Russian Soyuz, and possibly a private spacecraft or two. If Soyuz is the only ride out for a few years, Russia will be in a very strong economic position. No private orbital craft that may exist by 2010 will yet have a safety record of any length.
In the oil industry, there are the "integrateds"-- corporations that operate at every level through the petroleum cycle, from exploration through to the gas station on the corner. Such corporations, in any industry, bring anti-trust concerns, and many have been broken up over the past several decades as a result, but that may be the way to open space to commerce. If BA had a launch capability it was developing in tandem with its inflatable habitats, progress need not be slowed for lack of a partner. Controlling every aspect of the project would also allow tighter financial control. Galactic Suites, for example, seems to be taking that approach.
John D. Rockefeller took that approach in building Standard Oil. At some point, the U. S. Government broke up Standard to encourage competition, but by then the oil industry was firmly established.
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