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Archive for the ‘space travel’ category: Page 372

Jan 13, 2019

A Bengaluru startup’s small step to Mars could be a big leap for nanomaterials

Posted by in categories: nanotechnology, space travel

Ever since he was a young boy growing up in Bengaluru, the city home to India’s space research organisation, he dreamt of going to space one day. Now he wants to be the first human on Mars.

One would expect him to train to be an astronaut or dismiss the idea altogether. But that’s not how he plans to get to the red planet.

Meet Gadhadar Reddy, a nano-technologist from Bengaluru, who might just get to live his dream someday in the near future thanks to a new material his company is manufacturing.

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Jan 13, 2019

The International Space Station will release its SpaceX cargo ship this weekend

Posted by in category: space travel

Both SpaceX and NASA are eager to get the Dragon cargo spacecraft back to Earth now that it has fulfilled its duties in bringing much-needed supplies to the crew aboard the International Space Station. The ship was originally expected to be released from the ISS earlier this week but plans have since changed, and NASA now expects the space station to bid farewell to the Dragon on Sunday afternoon instead.

Prior to this latest change, the most recent schedule would have seen the ISS release the Dragon on Sunday morning, but now NASA says it wants to release it later due to some weather quirks back on Earth.

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Jan 12, 2019

SpaceX will lay off 10 percent of its staff to fund projects

Posted by in category: space travel

SpaceX is letting hundreds of employees go in an effort to ensure it has the funds for its biggest undertakings.

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Jan 10, 2019

It’s official: SpaceX’s first commercial crew test flight delayed until February

Posted by in category: space travel

[p]NASA has officially postponed SpaceX’s first test flight of the commercial crew program to February or later so that officials can complete “hardware testing and joint reviews.”[/p].

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Jan 10, 2019

Elon Musk Says Next-Gen Tesla Roadster Will Hover in the Air Using SpaceX Tech

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, space travel, sustainability

The feature will be part of a SpaceX add-on package that uses thrusters to aid in acceleration and cornering.

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Jan 10, 2019

Steam-Powered Asteroid Hoppers Developed through UCF Collaboration

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, space travel

Using steam to propel a spacecraft from asteroid to asteroid is now possible, thanks to a collaboration between a private space company and the University of Central Florida.

UCF planetary research scientist Phil Metzger worked with Honeybee Robotics of Pasadena, California, which developed the World Is Not Enough spacecraft prototype that extracts water from asteroids or other planetary bodies to generate steam and propel itself to its next mining target.

UCF provided the simulated asteroid material and Metzger did the computer modeling and simulation necessary before Honeybee created the prototype and tried out the idea in its facility Dec. 31. The team also partnered with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, to develop initial prototypes of steam-based rocket thrusters.

Continue reading “Steam-Powered Asteroid Hoppers Developed through UCF Collaboration” »

Jan 9, 2019

Asteroid-circling spacecraft grabs cool snapshot of home

Posted by in categories: habitats, space travel

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An asteroid-circling spacecraft has captured a cool snapshot of home.

NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft took the picture days before going into orbit around asteroid Bennu on New Year’s Eve.

The tiny asteroid — barely one-third of a mile (500 meters) across — appears as a big bright blob in the long-exposure photo released last week. Seventy million miles (110 million kilometers) away, Earth appears as a white dot, with the moon an even smaller dot but still clearly visible.

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Jan 9, 2019

Physicist: Black Holes Could be Portals for Hyperspace Travel

Posted by in categories: cosmology, space travel

Research says that giant, rotating black holes would give interstellar travelers a smooth ride.


Let us know if you try!

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Jan 7, 2019

Elon Musk: First Commercial Crew Test Will Be “Especially Dangerous”

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, space travel

It will be a critical flight for SpaceX and NASA.


But SpaceX is hard at work to prevent any disaster from happening.

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Jan 6, 2019

Elon Musk’s vision of spaceflight is gorgeous

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, space travel

The image here come from Elon Musk and is concept art of the Starship test vehicle SpaceX is currently assembling at its Boca Chica, Texas launch facility. The real thing will be even better. This test vehicle is shorter and lacks the windows of the production ship that will eventually go into production.

Starship test vehicle under assembly will look similar to this illustration when finished. Operational Starships would obv have windows, etc. pic.twitter.com/D8AJ01mjyR

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