KySat

Big hopes, big goals for Space-X and Falcon 1

Carrying the hopes for the future of low-cost access to orbit, Space-X's Falcon 1 is scheduled for lift off sometime after July 29, according to Smithsonian's Air&Space.

Unlike the previous tries, which were billed as demonstrations, this is not a test. Flight 003, as SpaceX calls it, carries cargo belonging to paying customers: an Air Force satellite called Jumpstart that’s meant to show that small satellites can be built and launched quickly; a test ring adapter for the Malaysian space agency ATSB (a future SpaceX client); and two breadbox-size NASA experiments, one of which aims to be the first solar sail deployed in space.

Fourteen such launches are scheduled through 2011 if all goes well. But Musk has much bigger goals in mind for Space-X and the nascent commercial space transportation sector - sending humans to Mars.

In a speech delivered earlier this month to the Royal Aeronautical Society in London, he said, 'For the first time in the four-billion-year history of Earth, there exists the possibility of extending life beyond Earth to other planets…. It is difficult to predict how long that window will remain open.

'Commercial space transport companies, including possibly SpaceX, are needed to make this happen, as the commercial sector is best suited to optimizing both the cost and reliability of access to space, just as the commercial air and ground transport companies did in their sectors. I believe we will need at least an order (perhaps two orders) of magnitude reduction in present-day space launch costs and flight failures to achieve the goal of becoming a multi-planetary species.'

Rob Coppinger has the ten minute speech here.

Wayne

Armadillo engine firings and flight video montage

A nicely edited recap of Armadillo Aerospace's activities in the past year has been uploaded to YouTube.

Armadillo presented the video at the just concluded Space Access Conference.

If not for a bit of bad luck the outfit probably would have won the 2007 Lunar Lander Challenge.

The organization, which is extremely open about its work, will progress to high altitude flights as the year goes on, according to RLV and Space Transport.

Wayne   

Space Access '08 a wrap

Just wanted to point out that Space Access '08 conference has just wrapped. Bloggers on the scene included Henry Cate, who began the Carnival of Space, veteran space reporter Jeff Foust, who also blogs Personal Spaceflight, and Rand Simberg at Transterrestrial Musings. Thanks, Henry, for the note.

Wayne

Lynx: New suborbital rocketplane

Personal Spaceflight highlights a new entrant into the suborbital passenger business: Lynx. See this Lynx post as well.

A look at the XCOR Aerospace web site turned up this YouTube animation of the rocketplane, which will apparently feature a runway takeoff.

Wayne

New Mexico Spaceport "open for business"

The New Mexico Spaceport is open for business, according to Space.com.

Wayne

Falcon flights set to resume

Having finished some marathon testing on its Merlin engines, Space X will resume Falcon flights this spring.

Wayne

Armadillo space update + cool pic

Jeff Foust points out that Armadillo Aerospace, which has come close to wining the Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge on a couple of occasions, has updated its blog with some extensive information on recent motor testing. Also included is an image of a proposed single person sub-orbit vehicle, reproduced here. While Armadillo cautions against reading too much into a concept image, it certainly is fun to look at. Image is courtesy of Armadillo Aerospace.

Wayne

Michio Kaku on space elevators

The Space Elevator blog links to a video of Dr. Michio Kaku talking about the technology on the Discovery Channel Series 2057. His comparison of space elevators to the story of Jack and the Beanstalk is surprising, but apt.

Dr. Kaku also spoke at the IdeaFestival last September.

Wayne

White Knight: satellite platform?

Jeff Foust teases some interesting information from recent news stories about SpaceShipTwo and White Knight II, the two craft pioneering commercial spaceflight. Could they be used to get satellites into orbit?

Wayne

Odyssey Moon: "continued lunar commercial presence"

As mentioned the other day, the Space Show interviewed Dr. Robert (Bob) Richards of Odyssey Moon Ltd., the first official entrant into the Google Moon X Prize. The host, Dr. David Livingston, has since posted a recap of the show here. As you might imagine, the business of space featured prominently in the discussion. Dr. Livingston:

Bob began the discussions by explaining Odyssey Moon Ltd, its general business plan, their unwillingness to redevelop technology or hardware that they can buy commercially, and their plan for a continued lunar commercial presence.

Complete audio is here.

Wayne

How well is NewSpace doing?

This may be the best top level overview of NewSpace activities anywhere. The entrepreneurial hits and misses are divided into transport, space tourism, finance, space prizes, rocketry and other categories and the bulleted items are easy to read and digest.

Wayne

Photo set of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge

Space Prizes links to this great Flickr photo set of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. Check them out.

Wayne

Astrodemocracy, Orion, Antimatter

Dr. Pamela Gay, a.k.a, "Star Stryder," reports on a burgeoning astrodemocracy. Dr. Gay, who is also behind Astronomy Cast series, says that the show will soon begin a 30 minute "student questions" podcast series related to high-energy astrophysics:

Each show will eventually have an illustrated transcript, and questions will also be indexed online by topic. Submitted questions not used in shows will still be answered, but will only appear in the online index. To facilitate educators submitting audio questions, Astronomy Cast can provide recording devices that can be shipped on loan to schools at no cost to them (return postage provided). Teachers are also free to use any existing equipment their school has to send us audio. This program is sponsored by NASA’s Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope Education and Public Outreach program.

Space Prizes: is San Jose State University going for the Google Lunar X-Prize?

NASA will host a technology exchange conference, focusing on "transport to the moon, lunar operations and outpost technology" in order to "develop a variety of new capabilities, supporting technologies, and foundational research that enables sustained, affordable, human and robotic space exploration."

Courtesy of Universe Today, take a peek at an aluminum mock-up of the Orion Crew Module.

RLV and Space Transport News links to a couple of Space.com videos from the X-Prize lunar landing competition.

The Kansas City Space Pirates: we just missed.   

Centauri Dreams: Antimatter for Deep Space Propulsion?

The image at top is a newly released image of Dione provided by CiCLOPS, the team responsible for the Cassini imaging system. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Wayne

Building reliable rockets

Liked via Space Prizes are a couple of pieces on the Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge that are particularly relevant now that the event is over. One is from Gravity Loss, which noted the technical difficulty of building reliable rocket vehicles without significant financial backing, and the other is from a Popular Science interview with Peter Diamandis of the X-Prize Foundation, who had this to say about a competition that might follow the lunar lander challenge:

We’ve talked about the idea of what we call a Rock and Rove—a small rocket that might go up to 5 or 10,000 feet and then land a robotic rover out in the distance that has to then rove back to the starting line.

Wayne

Zeno, black holes, Martian salt

> In response to a listener question, Astronomy Cast is out with a show on inflation. Just how could the universe have expanded faster than the speed of light in its initial moments? In response to another question, there is also a particularly good quantum explanation of one of Zeno's paradoxes.
> Star Stryder is hosting the carnival of space this week.
> Universe Today: Astronomers believe that there may be super massive black holes at the center of every galaxy.
> The premier issue of Communicating Astronomy with the Public is out with suitably big picture articles such as the Top Ten Astronomical Breakthroughs of the 20th Century.
> Just in from my YouTube subscriptions: Jeff Foust, space journalist and the man behind the blog Personal Spaceflight, has contributed video of Armadillo Aerospace's efforts at the Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. 
> Are there Ancient salt deposits on Mars? HiRISE has potential photo evidence, above. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona.

Wayne

Wikipedia: black holes

Space games: So close

The Space Elevator Blog has posted video of the University of Saskatchewan's five runs at the space elevator games. The team, USST, entry just missed out on the prize.

Armadillo Aerospace's entry into the Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge met a fiery end at the Wirefly X-Prize Games, according to Cosmic Log. Personal Spaceflight has more and a link to this official press release from the X-Prize Foundation. The competition ended yesterday.

The lunar lading competition is one of NASA's Centennial Challenges.

Wayne

Ribbons, fire and planetology

Though none were quite fast enough, the University of Saskatchewan's entry in the space elevator games made five runs to the top of the ribbon according to the Space Elevator Blog.

Alan Boyle at Comic Log has more on that story and does his usual splendid job of providing background and additional detail - you know, reporting.

Space journalist Jeff Foust at Personal Spaceflight will be reporting on-site at the Wirefly X-Prize Games, which will feature the Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge.

Universe Today reviews a new book, Distant Worlds, about how we've come to understand the Solar System. Containing many maps, illustrations and artists' impressions, the book has a wealth of up to date information about the current state of planetology.

A reminder that the International Symposium for Personal Spaceflight kicks off today.

NASA: Discovery has begun its mission to the Space Station. The agency has also provided the image you see above of the wildfires currently burning in southern California.

Image credit: NASA/MODIS Rapid Response

Wayne

The state of personal spaceflight

In a Space.com piece, Patricia Hynes, Director of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium and the NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) at New Mexico State University, takes stock of the personal spaceflight industry in advance of the Wirefly X-Prize Cup.

Haynes is also the coordinator of 2007 International Symposium for Personal Spaceflight, which will begin tomorrow and run through Thursday.

Space.com also briefly profiles two of the eight teams entered in the Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, Acuity and Armadillo.

Wayne

Changing "public delivery systems"

Tom Vander Ark at the X-Prize Foundation asks "can prizes change behavior? Can prizes change public delivery systems?"

It's a good time to remind you that the Wirefly X-Prize Cup begins runs from October 26 - 28 and will host the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge.

The Space Prize blog links to a X-Prize news note on the Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation finalists. According to the X-Prize Foundation, the award will go to the high school students who "develop a new, innovative concept to benefit the personal spaceflight industry within the next 50 years."

Finally, Space Prizes points out that there is a new blog covering the  Space Elevator Games, which have started and run through Sunday. Those of you interested in the games might also want to look here for frequent updates as well.

Wayne

Stardust, Falcon, Cassini & more

• Linked as part of last Thursday's edition of the Carnival of Space, Pamela Gay discusses why it's difficult to find extrasolar planets.
• Also linked from the carnival, A Babe in the Universe uses the movie Stardust to explain that revolutionary scientific theories often begin in controversy.
• Cosmic Log imaginatively connects Oscar Wilde to the surprising age of galaxy I Zwicky 18.
• NASA has officially concluded the FUSE mission and extended the missions of Spirit and Opportunity. 
• Do you know why Saturn bulges in the middle? Don't peak before you give it some thought.
• The Cassini imaging team has released the most magnificent view of the entire Saturn system that I've seen. Click the linked image to get more visual detail.
• According to the CalPoly CubeSat site, Elon Musk's Falcon 1 will fly again in March and is soliciting cubesat developers. The news is also an excuse to show the video above of the March 2007 launch of Falcon recorded by on-board cameras. I still get kick out of watching stage separation.
• Finally, JPL has posted a video of what the October holds for sky watchers.

Wayne

Space elevator games updates

As the October 19-21 competition draws near, the Space Elevator Blog is sporting a number of recent updates, including YouTube clips uploaded by the competitors.

Wayne

Space elevator games this month!

Space Prizes links to a couple of articles on The Space Elevator games, set to take place this month. Playing above is a 2006 video of the University of Saskatchewan's Qualification Climb, which is also available on Elevator 2010, the host site for the games.

Space elevators are envisioned as "a safe and low-cost Earth-to-Space transportation system that does not use rocket propulsion. It is a physical stationary tether between the ground and an object in space, and a set of vehicles that can travel to space and back, moving on the tether using electric motors," according to a FAQ posted at Elevator 2010.

A complete list of competing teams is located here, which includes entries from the University of Tennessee, Canada, Spain and Japan.

Wayne

Carnegie Mellon rolls out moon car

Wired: Carnegie Mellon has already rolled out a prototype lunar vehicle in its bid to win the Google Lunar Lander X Prize. To follow events with the team, use this page. Alas, there was no feed to be had.

Wayne

Griffin describes state of "space economy"

Jeff Foust, the man behind a favorite web log of mine, Personal Spaceflight, has published a piece in The Space Review on NASA administrator Michael Griffin's current view of the "space economy," its impact on the larger economy and the balance NASA must strike between its historic role as the nation's space agency and an emerging space industry.

While NASA has carved out a modest but relatively stable wedge in the overall federal budget, some wonder whether that wedge is big enough for the agency to do all it has been tasked to do, from kickstarting an ambitious human exploration program to maintaining its portfolio of science and aeronautics research. Meanwhile, long-term budget pressures, particularly from entitlement programs as the Baby Boomer generation approaches retirement, could make it difficult for NASA to retain even its current share of the budget over the long haul. That requires NASA to both better justify the importance of a government space program while also seek means to work with the private sector to do more for less—approaches that NASA administrator Michael Griffin described in two very different speeches last Monday.

The entire Foust article is well worth the time to read and quotes Griffin from two speeches given just this Monday. 

Wayne

Space elevator team posts to YouTube

Competing in the October space elevator games, the McGill Team has posted this YouTube video and promises more according to the Space Elevator Blog. There's frankly not much to see here, but promoting your space efforts via YouTube will certainly get you KySat blog.

Wayne

Carnegie Mellon seeks Moon prize

Links for your Monday.

• Caves on Mars?
• JPL offers a video guide to the September skies, which this month include views of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
• Personal Spaceflight has published a few pictures from the Google Lunar Lander X Prize presser.
• Speaking of the newest X Prize, Carnegie Mellon has announced that it will field a team.
• For those of you who really dig space prizes, I've found a web log dedicated solely to tracking space prize news. Take the feed and save the return trip. If you need a plain English tutorial in feeds, see this.
• We know that the technology has to be right, but what else? The European Space Agency is hosting a conference next month in Austria on how the humanities and social sciences can contribute to space exploration.

The image above is of a star-forming region called Coronet Australis that was recently captured by the Spitzer Space Telescope. Image credit: NASA/CXC/JPL-Caltech/CfA

Wayne

Explore! The week in news

The latest Carnival of Space is up and guess what story is dominating the news? Not willing to wait, Advanced Nanontechnology has already outlined how to win the $30 million Google Lunar Lander X Prize.

Other stories not included in the latest iteration of the space carnival include Paul Gilster's piece on Tau Ceti, which asks the question: what should the constant bombardment of potential planets in the dust belt surrounding that star tell us about the development of life on Earth?

The European Space Agency's super-chilled infrared observatory, Herschel, designed to register the faintest heat objects in the most distance past, is one step closer to being ready to fly.

Wired reports that NASA's GLAST is designed to peer into every corner of the universe as well, looking for the sources of gamma-ray radiation, the kinds of fantastic energy produced by merging neutron stars, for example. Wired's science blog also links to Scientific American articles on the future of space travel and the hard choices NASA may face - funding for every worthy goal simply isn't available.

Lastly, the image above is from Cassini's recent very close flyby of Iapetus, one of Saturn's moons. The image is of its "Himalayas." In this press release from NASA, the moon is characterized as the "Yin-and-Yang moon." Image Source: CICLOPS, the Cassini Imaging Team.

Wayne

Google Funds New Moon Race

Cosmic Log: Partnering with the X Prize Foundation, Google has funded a $30 million space prize for the first privately funded lunar lander, the Google Lunar X Prize:

The new prize calls upon teams to create autonomous rovers that could land on the moon, travel at least three-tenths of a mile (500 meters) and send video, images and data back to Earth.

The first team to succeed would win $20 million - that is, if the job is done by 2012. After that, the prize drops to $15 million, and if no one is successful by the end of 2014, the money could be withdrawn. If a second team succeeds before the deadline, $5 million would be given as a runner-up prize. Another $5 million would be reserved for bonus tasks - for example, roving for longer distances, taking pictures of old lunar spacecraft, finding water ice or surviving the long lunar night.

No more than 10 percent of a competitor's income can come from government contracts. See Alan Boyle's entire article for more, including comment from other private space ventures on the announcement.

Video of the announcement may be found at the X Prize Foundation.

Wayne

First look at Spaceport America

Space.com has published some really terrific artist's conceptions of New Mexico's Spaceport America. You may also see and read about them at Foster + Partners, the firm responsible for the winning design.

Hat tip: Bruno Giussani.

Wayne

Virgin Galactic: space, 18 months?

Personal Spaceflight: Virgin Galactic to space in 18 months?

Wayne

Lunar Lander competition update

Alan Boyle at Cosmic Log provides an update on the Lunar Lander Challenge, direct from Wirefly X Prize contest organizer Will Pomerantz.

Two contenders have dropped out, leaving a field of seven competitors. Still, that's six more than last year, when only Armadillo aerospace competed. Boyle also provides some information on one of Armadillo's craft that might interest you.

The video above is of Armadillo's three attempts at the two-leg course during the 2006 Lunar Landing Challenge.

Wayne

Register to win Conrad Award

Online registration is now open for the X-Prize Foundation's Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award, according to SpaceRef.com. The award will be presented to the high school team "that develops the most creative, new space concept to benefit the emerging personal spaceflight industry."

Wayne

Space linkage today

Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

• The image above is of a deep fracture on the surface of Mars, the "Cerberus Fossae Fracture." Some scientists suggest that lava, water, or both erupted from these fractures at some point in Mars' past.
• On its multimedia page, JPL has released a couple of new videos. One is about the Pheonix Mar's Lander journey to Mars and another on astrobiology, "Looking for Life in all the Right Places." Use the feed URL if you'd like to subscribe.
• Alan Boyle at Cosmic Log describes the first library for Mars, a DVD that the Planetary Society is sending along with the Phoenix lander.
• HiRISE observations have been hampered by the dust storms that have taken their toll on the rovers, Spirit and Opportunity.
• Have the circumlunar plans of the Russian aerospace company RSC Energia fallen on hard times?
• HobbySpace links to some comments from Phil Eaton on Armadillo's plans. The company has an entrant in the Lunar Lander Challenge.
• The space elevator blog links to some technical detail on LaserMotive's effort here and here, and threatens to subject space elevator participants to interviews if they don't update their blogs more frequently!

Wayne

Taking the elevator to orbit

Alan Boyle at Cosmic Log has contributed another piece, "Elevator games aim high," in his regular coverage of NASA's Centennial Challenges.

In contrast with the recent past, 20 teams have entered the competition, which is divided into two parts, a Climber Challenge to test climbing ability, and a Tether Challenge to test tether materials. Both events will take place at the Spaceward Games in Salt Lake City, October 19-21.

This year, however, the degree of difficulty has been raised.

It will take much more than last year's best effort to win the prize, however: The beam-powered climbers must rise an average of 2 meters per second for 50 seconds, compared with last year's 1-meter-per-second requirement. The test tethers will have to take at least 50 percent more stress than a "house tether" that represents the state of the art.

If there's one winner in a competition, the successful team gets the full $500,000 for that particular contest. But if multiple teams make the final cut, the performances will be ranked, and the purse will be divvied up among up to three teams.

NASA's Centennial Challenges program paid its first prize money earlier this year, in the $200,000 Astronaut Glove Challenge, and program manager Ken Davidian said he's looking forward to awarding another check.

The organizers have also created a Light-Racer Championship for kids.

Wayne

Space tourism, growth industry

Here are a couple of recent articles on private space travel I thought you might enjoy.

Space Adventures, the company that arranges for private travel to the International Space Station is also looking into flights around the dark side of the moon and back, according to Space News.

Related, CBS News reprints a Christian Science Monitor article on the burgeoning private space industry begins with Space Adventures' plans, but lists these other developments in the growing business:

• Bigelow Aerospace has launched its second small-scale inflatable module into space and has plans for an even larger module soon.
• There are nine announced entries for the $2 million Northrup Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, a marked improvement over four entries last year.
• Reservations aboard Virgin Galactic's suborbital craft, SpaceShipTwo, continue to "pour in."

Northrop Grumman, no doubt seeing an opportunity, has also purchased Scaled Composites according to a Virgin Galactic spokesperson.

Wayne

Space destinations on the Web

Links for Today:

• Jeff Foust at Personal Spaceflight points out that the Select Committee on Science and Technology of the British Parliament issued a report on UK space policy that includes a section on space tourism.
• Cosmic Log points to "must-see science" on the Web.
• Planet Quest interviews the manager of the Michelson Science Center at Caltech, Dr. David Imel, who expresses his belief that we'll find another Earth-like planet in his life time.
• The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) has released another group of terrific images taken from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter of Mar's surface geology. In the image above, one can actually see Opportunity's tracks at Victoria Crater, which the rover is set to explore.
• JPL has released a video update of Cassini's Saturn mission. Today, Cassini will take more measurements of the surface of Titan very near where Huygens' landed on the moon. Titan images, including some from Huygens' descent, may be found here.

Wayne

Comparing re-entry G-loads

Personal Spaceflight compares the G-loadings of the re-entry plans offered by representatives from the Benson Space Company and Scaled Composites, the manufacturer of SpaceShipTwo. One gets the idea that the competition for passengers has the two organizations competing on comfortable re-entry, which is simply amazing to me.

The view before descent isn't bad either.

Wayne

Friday Space Links

Here are space-related links from around the Web for your Friday. Have a great weekend.

• The launch of the Dawn Mission to Vesta and Ceres has been delayed for a few hours, but should fly soon.
• Planet Quest asked top star hunters for their 10 most intriguing stars.
• Investigating life in extreme environments on Earth might yield clues about life off-planet.
• Alan Boyles Cosmic Log links to a couple of interesting pieces, an article from National Geographic on Swarm Behavior, the other a news story about a space-related business plan competition at the Space Frontier Foundation.
• Paul Gilster at Centauri Dreams describes a new method for detecting faint objects using a characteristic, a flaw if you will, of telescopes.
• Not sure where an object will be in the night sky? Hobbyspace.com suggests that you text a message to www.ezipsky.com to find out.
• HiRISE continues to release amazingly detailed pictures from its equipment on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Wayne   

Building a Kentucky space legacy

Paul Gilster writes that NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC), which was formed to pursue revolutionary ideas originating from outside the space agency, is closing shop.

He describes NIAC-backed projects and research work that has met with some success - ideas that he has written about in Centauri Dreams - including Mini-magnetospheric Plasma Propulsion, The New Worlds Observer and Lorentz-Actuated Orbits: Electrodynamic Propulsion without a Tether.

Though new to the business of space, I'd like to think that the NIAC legacy of technological vision and accomplishment will go forward. One way is to engage university students, and in fact, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) recently called for more small missions and hands-on training for those students working in space and space-related technology.

I can certainly think of one such organization that is obliging.

There are 239 days until the launch window opens for the first KySat orbital mission.

Wayne

The Right (amateur) Stuff

The New York Times magazine on Sunday published a great story on the "Amateur Future of Space Travel," profiling some individuals competing to win two of NASA's Centennial Challenges - the $200,000 award for a design that would improve on NASA's current glove, and the $500,000 "beam challenge" prize, popularly referred to as the space elevator games.

The competitions are part of an effort to outsource some of NASA’s work to the private sector - "that mission being to make low-orbit space travel a mere extension of planes, trains and automobiles."

It's also a story of the peculiar American faith in the backyard tinkerer. The winning glove design was by a sail maker who used his knowledge of sewing to take home the prize. Video of the glove design and testing is here.

The Space Elevator Blog - yes, there is one - takes note of article as well.

Wayne

Lunar Lander entrants revealed

Cosmic Log: the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge web site has been updated with comprehensive information on the entrants and a new look.

Wayne

Angels Fund Space Dream

Alan Boyle at Cosmic Log links to some recent investment news in his post, Angels Flock to Spaceflight, and suggests that the business of personal spaceflight might be entering a new and more mature financial stage - the transition from individual to institutional investors.

Wayne

New Space-based X-Prize

Calling it the "Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award," the X-Prize Foundation has created a new prize that will reward the school-aged team that develops the best concept to benefit the emerging personal spaceflight industry. The foundation's press release (PDF) is here.

Wayne