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rocket posts

Ion propulsion engine could take you to Mars in 39 days

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 20th 2009 at 10:31AM

Ready for some interplanetary exploration? We've had the force shields, currency, and refuel stations all sorted out for a while, and now here come the ion thrusters we've been missing to make manned trips to Mars really viable. Currently, a return journey to Mars can take up to two years, with crew members having to wait a full year for the planets to realign, but with ion propulsion -- which uses electricity to accelerate ions and produce small but longevous thrust -- ships can get there within a reasonably tight 39-day window. Ion propulsion rocket engines were first deployed successfully by NASA in the Deep Space 1 probe in 1998, and the latest iteration's successful Earth-bound testing has led to plans for a flight to the moon and use on the International Space Station as test scenarios for the technology. It's all still very much in the early stages, of course, but should all that testing, checking, and refinement bear fruit, we might finally have a whole new world to colonize and sell sneakers on.

[Thanks, Davis]

Rogers' Rocket Hub disguises 3G data and voice as mild-mannered home modem

by Ross Miller posted Oct 3rd 2009 at 7:10AM

Good news for Canadians who can't seem to get a decent internet plan for home. Rogers has unveiled a 3G station for residential use dubbed the Rocket Hub, and with it a number of jet propulsion-related puns that we'll be taking painstaking measures to avoid. It boasts 7.2Mbps HSPA, WiFi and ethernet out, and voice calls over UMTS. Makes sense since it's riding an Ericsson W3x core. The Upfront cost of hardware hasn't been disclosed yet, but plans start at $35 Canadian. Launch date (okay, we couldn't resist) is sometime later this month.

Orbiting fuel stations proposed for trips to the Moon, Mars, and beyond

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 5th 2009 at 1:51AM

A US government panel, summoned by el presidente to review the future of human space travel, has expressed strong support for introducing fuel depots into Earth's orbit. Refueling between stops is expected to cut down significantly on the weight of spacecraft and, accordingly, eliminate the need to engineer ever more powerful rockets to launch missions. It would then be up to private companies to compete -- and NASA already knows a thing or two about privatizing space missions -- by reducing costs and developing more efficient methods. While by no means the only potion NASA has bubbling, if the panel concludes in favor of orbiting gas stations, they will form the backbone of all future extraterrestrial exploration. So we're just letting you know in advance -- we're nice like that.

Next Russian space capsule could land on a gentle cushion of fire

by Tim Stevens posted Apr 30th 2009 at 8:19AM

We're all used to space vehicles making a fiery ascents into the heavens whilst sitting atop massive, earth-shaking rockets that fill the sky with light and hearts with awe. What's a little more unusual is a spacecraft that relies on the same technique make a gentle return trip. Ships landing under rocket power have been bandied about for decades, but now the Russians seem intent to make it a reality for their next space capsule. The current Soyuz capsules do use rockets to cushion landings, firing at the last seconds before touchdown, but still descent is largely managed by a series of parachutes. This next-gen ship would forgo such frilly things in favor of rather more pyrotechnic ones, a change that sounds rather exciting but, to be honest, somewhat less than reliable. Given our choice we'd probably take a halo of silk above rather than a pack of explosives below, thanks.

[Via BBC News]

SpaceX's Elon Musk figures out Falcon 1 mishap, hopes for flight 4 next month

by Darren Murph posted Aug 7th 2008 at 10:59AM

Wipe those tears away, budding astronaut. SpaceX's latest failure wasn't completely in vain. According to head honcho Elon Musk, the problem came just after a "picture perfect first stage flight" when a longer than expected thrust decay transient of the new Merlin 1C regeneratively cooled engine became "just enough to overcome the stage separation pusher impulse." You honestly may need to be a rocket scientist to digest all of that, but here's something even the layman can understand: Musk wants flight 4 in the air as early as next month. We're told that the long gap between flights 2 and 3 was simply due to all that engine engineering, but technologically speaking, nothing will change for the next attempt. Godspeed, Falcon 1 (v4).

[Thanks, Kenneth]

SpaceX's rocket destroys Scotty's space-bound ashes in a demonstration of tremendous irony

by Joshua Topolsky posted Aug 4th 2008 at 12:22PM

Finely riding that razored edge between tragedy and comedy, the New York Times reports that not only did the SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket lose its three satellites and fail to reach orbit during a recent launch, but it also destroyed the remains of actor James Doohan, best known as the original Star Trek's Chief Engineer "Scotty." The actor's ashes -- as well as those of over 200 others -- were being carried into orbit by the rocket when complications with the ship's stage separation led to the (assumed) destruction of the craft. This recent mishap puts a sad period on the end of the sentence that already included an earlier loss and eventual recovery of the remains.

[Via Slashdot]

SpaceX's Falcon 1 rocket fails to reach orbit... again

by Darren Murph posted Aug 3rd 2008 at 5:06PM

Aw man, and we had such high hopes that the third time really would be a charm. SpaceX's third attempt to launch a payload rocket into outer space failed this weekend, with launch control confirming an "anomaly" just five minutes after liftoff. Elon Musk, SpaceX chairman and CEO, did admit that it was "obviously a big disappointment not to reach orbit on this Flight 3 of the Falcon 1," but he has assured the world that his firm won't be wasting any time feeling sorry for itself. The Falcon 1 was carrying a minuscule satellite dubbed Trailblazer for the Pentagon's Operationally Responsive Space Office, though we've no idea how costly the loss was. Thankfully, we can all look forward to SpaceX trying again sometime in the future, but unless the tables turn in a hurry, we'd say the odds are still stacked against it.

[Via Wired]

XCOR's Lynx aims to enter space tourism business in 2010

by Darren Murph posted Mar 26th 2008 at 11:25AM

Crazy though it may be, XCOR's looming Lynx isn't the first rocket ship built to take Earthlings to outer space, but it's definitely taking a different approach than that of the SpaceShipTwo. Unveiled as the "sports car of commercial spaceflight," the smallish craft is only designed to carry two individuals (or a driver and cargo), meaning that you and your SO will have to take turns shooting up to some 61-kilometers above the ground. Reportedly, Lynx would be fueled by a kerosene / liquid oxygen mixture and could take off and land from traditional airstrips, and while it could manage several flights per day, each one is only slated to last 25 minutes. Sadly, the $64,000 (likely more, actually) question of how much this joyride will cost has yet to be answered, but optimistic minds are hoping to see test flights commence in 2010.

[Via NewScientist]

Japan launches Kizuna satellite, hopes it will deliver high-speed internet

by Darren Murph posted Feb 23rd 2008 at 2:28PM

Granted, most of us here in America would turn our noses up at receiving in-home broadband via satellite -- after all, cable and DSL seem to be treating most of us quite alright -- but Japan is hoping to provide access to more regions in Asia-Pacific with its recently launched Kizuna. The experimental satellite is not yet intended for commercial use, but if all goes well, it will enable data transmissions "of up to 1.2 gigabytes per second" at a low cost across Japan and 19 other locales in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, we've no idea when it will escape the bondage of testing and actually be put to good use, but at least Japan's well on its way to actually establishing that wireless island, eh?

[Via CNN, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Everex's Cloudbook coming to Wal-Mart by month's end

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jan 9th 2008 at 11:30AM

Well folks -- it's official. The Everex / Packard Bell / FIC Nanobook / Cloudbook / CE260 (phew) that we recently got some face time with is actually coming Stateside... to Wal-Mart. That's right, the Eee crown-threatener will be available on January 25th of this year, featuring a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 30GB hard drive, and a 800 x 480 display for the extra-affordable price of $399. The system will be sporting Everex's gOS Rocket, the Google-ified version of Ubuntu which powers the company's cheapo desktop. Watch your back, front, and sides, ASUS.

gOS 2.0 "Rocket" set to debut at CES

by Darren Murph posted Jan 3rd 2008 at 4:53PM

Considering the absolutely lackluster hardware present in the Everex gPC, it's a tad difficult to get psyched up about the next revision of the gOS. Nevertheless, gOS 2.0 (or Rocket, as it were) is all set to launch on Monday at CES, and while there's not much to phone home about, the inclusion of Google Gears is the most notable feature. The aforementioned bundle is an "online / offline synchronization technology from Google that enables offline use of web apps." More specifically, users can look forward to gBooth (a browser-based web cam), integration with Facebook, shortcuts to launch Google Reader, Talk, and Finance on the desktop, an online storage drive courtesy of Box.net and Virtual Desktops, which is hailed as "an intuitive feature to easily group and move applications across multiple desktop spaces." Additionally, Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux will come preloaded, and if you're so inclined, you can download the package yourself on January 7th.

First African satellite launched

by Evan Blass posted Dec 23rd 2007 at 5:09PM

In a landmark launch that will supposedly "contribute to bridging the digital divide within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world," the continent's first satellite successfully made it into orbit aboard a French-made rocket last night. The so-called RASCOM-QAF1 -- named after the Regional African Satellite Communication Organization which is funding the venture -- lifted off from the European space base in Kourou, French Guiana stowed inside an Ariane 5, the sixth such launch this year and 36th overall of that particular model, manufactured by Paris-based Arianespace. The new 3.2-tonne (7,055-pound) satellite is set to serve the large African rural market neglected by traditional cellphone carriers, and will allegedly save hundred of millions of dollars a year currently being paid to foreign operators.

[Via PhysOrg]

Anti-projectile net could protect soldiers

by Darren Murph posted Sep 24th 2007 at 1:04PM

We've seen a wide array of devices that tip off the good guys to approaching enemies, hunt down IEDs, and send back live video of opposing camps, but a new patent application lays out plans to construct a specialized net that could actually detonate incoming grenades or rockets before they strike their intended target(s). More specifically, the app calls for a "protection system featuring a flexible packaged net" that could be attached to a military vehicle, which could then be deployed if onboard sensors pick up "incoming threats" such as an RPG. Another perk would be the relatively low cost of manufacturing and the ease of moving from one tank to another, but as these things always go, there's no telling when (or if) we'll see this technology in action.

[Via NewScientist]

The Rocket Phone goes for pizzaz, not eloquence

by Darren Murph posted Sep 4th 2007 at 6:23AM

Although we've seen mobiles shaped like cars and geometric figures, what better to have in your pocket to yap on than, well, a rocket? This sensationally bizarre handset is far from sleek, but it's sure to fend off citizens nearby when you whip this thing out in public. Apparently, this thing sports USB connectivity, a T-Flash slot, built-in media player, color display, a two-megapixel camera, and a chrome-covered nosecone / rocket boosters. Don't bother asking about the price, you're better off checking this one out from afar.

[Via Textually]

Deadly blast rocks Virgin Galactic rocket test

by Darren Murph posted Jul 27th 2007 at 10:58AM

This week is quickly becoming a tough one for the aerospace industry, as just a day after NASA reported tampering on an ISS bound computer, an explosion at the Mojave Air and Space Port has claimed two lives and seriously injured four others. The blast reportedly occurred during a "test of a new rocket motor for SpaceShipTwo -- a spaceship being built for Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's space tourism company." According to a spokeswoman for the spaceport, the blast was "on a remote pad" at an airport home to Scaled Composite (which is the builder of the first private manned rocket to reach space), but the firm's founder Burt Rutan wasn't in attendance when the "cold fire test" went awry.