Spacecraft
Sub-orbital, orbital, lunar, interplanetary and interstellar vehicles designed to navigate space- Explore more »
First, Nail Down the Mission
The new Augustine Commission met for the first time last week (June 17). The one-day agenda was filled with presentations on rocket-building, including reviews of NASA’s current efforts along those lines, followed by briefings on a number of possible alternatives. Suddenly, the space blogosphere ...
June 25, 2009 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Goodbye, Kaguya
At 2:25 this afternoon, Eastern time, Japan's Kaguya lunar orbiter will smash into the moon, its maneuvering fuel nearly spent and its two-year mission ended. I'll miss it. Kaguya has been the most media-friendly of the new lunar missions launched to date, returning beautiful, elegant photos and mo...
June 10, 2009 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Lunar Resources (Part 2): Changing our approach to spaceflight
Last time, I outlined some of the basic principles of lunar resource utilization. The Moon is our nearest source of material resources in space and learning how to extract what we need from the Moon is a key skill in our expansion into the Solar System.All this is very well and good, but how do we...
June 05, 2009 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Can we be “resourceful” on the Moon? (Part 1)
While the resources of space have the potential to revolutionize spaceflight—giving us a much wider range of activities than are now possible, including habitation of other planetary bodies—discussions on various internet forums show that there is a lot of confusion and lack of knowledge about spac...
May 30, 2009 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Hubble Favorites
A National Air and Space Museum astronomer picks some of his favorite images from the storied telescope.
May 22, 2009 |
By Rebecca Maksel
What would you say to an alien?
In 1982, the year E.T. The Extraterrestrial ruled at the box office, another, less heralded movie about aliens came out—John Carpenter's remake of The Thing, starring Kurt Russell. In the first film, a kind-hearted, magical being appears on Earth, works miracles, then ascends into the heavens with ...
May 18, 2009 |
By Tony Reichhardt
What the Augustine Committee Didn’t Know in 1990
A newly formed commission led by Norman Augustine will review NASA’s human spaceflight program with the aim of determining if we are on the “right track.” This is familiar territory for Augustine, who led the 1990 Advisory Committee on the Future of the US Space Program. Now, 19 years later, it m...
May 15, 2009 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Return to the Moon: Outpost or sorties?
Recently, the acting Administrator of NASA testified before Congress on his agency’s implementation of our National Space Policy, previously known as the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE). In the question and answer period, he made a rather startling statement to the effect NASA was still trying ...
May 05, 2009 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Is It Safe?
The first company with a plan—and a rocket—to send humans to orbit answers the existential question.
May 2009 |
By Michael Milstein
How to build a satellite in three days
Small satellites used to be all the rage. Now, to be really cutting edge, they have to be fast, too, as in fast to build, test, and launch."Operationally responsive" is military-speak for fast: Field commanders want spacecraft that can return images and other data quickly from some hot spot they'd ...
April 28, 2009 |
By Tony Reichhardt
The Deadly Dust of the Moon
Lunar dust sticks to everything! It’s electrically charged! It causes silicosis – astronauts on the Moon will get “black lung” disease, just like coal miners on Earth! It’s so abrasive that under its obnoxious influence, moving parts slowly grind to a halt! We can’t possibly cope with it! So m...
April 24, 2009 |
By Paul D. Spudis
moon vs. Moon: A Study in Arrant Pedantry
When you write, do you capitalize the word “Moon?” And by this, I mean Earth’s Moon, Luna, the natural satellite of our home planet. Well, believe it or not, some of the longest, most vociferous, and yes – the dumbest – arguments I’ve ever had were over this issue.In the preface of my book, The O...
April 02, 2009 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Spiders on (not from) Mars
Not being able to think up my own April Fool’s joke, I’ll pass on somebody else’s: the HiRISE camera team at the University of Arizona. Be sure to click on the Grey at bottom right.For my money (and I guess it partly is my money), HiRISE has returned some of the most beautiful images in the history...
April 01, 2009 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Mini-SAR nears completion of its first mapping cycle
The Mini-SAR imaging radar aboard the Indian Chandryaan-1 spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon has been sending back some amazing images for the last couple of months. We are nearing the end of our first radar mapping season (which occurs when the sun illumination conditions on the Moon are unfa...
March 29, 2009 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Of Science and Cathedral-Building
The Daily Planet, my new companion blog here at Air & Space magazine, highlights a speech recently given by my good friend Dr. Neil Tyson at the Space Foundation breakfast. Noted is Neil’s oft-mentioned concept that historically, three drivers are responsible for societies or nations undertaki...
March 15, 2009 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Kepler's unusual orbit
A couple more interesting things about the just-launched Kepler telescope—then we'll let it get on with the business of searching for distant planets. The spacecraft will be controlled, at times, by college kids working alongside professional operators. Kepler continues a NASA trend to turn over da...
March 09, 2009 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Kepler on deck
Fingers crossed for Friday night’s planned launch of the Kepler telescope to search for Earth-size planets around other stars. The odds of getting off the ground safely are good: the Delta II is one of the most reliable rockets ever built. Still, ask the people who spent the better part of a decade...
March 06, 2009 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Just keep rolling, just keep rolling
Cue the Lawrence of Arabia theme. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera took this picture of the hardy Opportunity rover trekking across Martian sand dunes on its way to Endeavour crater, its next target to explore. The 10-mile journey is expected to take about two years at a pace of 100...
March 05, 2009 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Human spaceflight: What Value to Science? (Pt. 2)
The discussion at Space Politics got me thinking about the scientific value of human spaceflight. Although there are many reasons for humans to go into space, I also believe that humans bring unique and non-duplicative skills to scientific exploration as well.Last time, I discussed how the capabil...
March 01, 2009 |
By Paul D. Spudis
