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DARPA picks the first companies that will work on its unmanned spaceplane
Slowly but surely, DARPA's XS-1 Experimental Spaceplane is becoming more than a bundle of nice ideas. The agency has just chosen the companies that will square off in the first phase of the unmanned craft's design program, most of which are recognizable names in the space business. Boeing is partnering with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin on one version of the ship; Masten Space Systems is teaming up with XCOR on another, and Northrop Grumman is cooperating with Virgin Galactic. All three groups will have to submit initial designs before DARPA can move on to a second phase, so we're still far, far away from seeing an XS-1 in orbit. But hey, it's progress -- and the companies involved are skilled enough that a cheap, highly reusable spaceplane should become a practical reality.
The Big Picture: Punching a hole in a (simulated) spacecraft
Space debris is a scary thing -- tiny objects become missiles that can destroy whole spacecraft. If you need proof, just take a look at the results of the European Space Agency's shield testing for its freighter, the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). That gaping hole you see above is the result of shooting the ship's multi-layer Kevlar-Nextel fabric armor with an aluminum bullet traveling at 15,658MPH, a speed that's entirely possible for debris caught in orbit. The good news? As bad as this looks, the test was a resounding success; while the bullet tore through the shielding, it only scorched the aluminum wall underneath. When the last ATV visits the International Space Station this summer, astronauts won't have to worry that shrapnel from an ex-satellite will destroy their vital supplies. [Image credit: ESA-Stijn Laagland]
Meet NASA's commercial space capsule contenders
Sure, the Dragon V2 is the latest (and greatest) spacecraft from SpaceX, but it's not the only capsule that may one day schlep astronauts to the International Space Station. In fact, Elon Musk's firm is just one of three private outfits currently competing in a NASA program for commercial launches with their own vehicles. We've surveyed the space capsule landscape and have whipped up a primer on the future crafts that may wind up taking humans to space.
SpaceX Dragon V2 can seat up to seven passengers, use thrusters to land on solid ground
SpaceX's Dragon capsule has been taking cargo to the International Space Station since 2012, but it's done so lacking the chops to shuttle humans into orbit. The firm's just unveiled the next generation of the spacecraft, dubbed Dragon V2, to remedy that, and it's designed to do much more than carry people. The new craft is reusable, can hold up to seven passengers and is designed to allow for swapping crew space for additional cargo. What's more, the vessel is able to land on solid ground with the accuracy of a helicopter -- as opposed to splashing down at sea -- without parachutes. Using eight SuperDraco thrusters, engines 3D-printed from a superalloy, the Dragon V2 can blast out enough force (16,000 lbf for each engine) to slow itself down for a landing on terra firma.
Watch SpaceX unveil its next-gen space capsule, Dragon V2 (update: done!)
SpaceX is getting ready to reveal its next-generation space capsule tonight at its HQ in Hawthorne, California, and while we'll be covering it live, you can watch as it unfolds too. The firm's setup a stream (which we've included after the break) for the proceedings, and they're set to get started at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. So, what's the big hubbub about this new craft? It'll be able to carry humans into space, not just cargo. That's something the first Dragon wasn't outfitted to for. Update: And it's over! Elon Musk showed off the Dragon V2, get all the details right here.
NASA is looking for an alternative to battery power for its spacecraft
NASA knows that conventional battery power won't cut it at a certain point, especially when the agency's vehicles travel into deep space. To that end, it's asking both public institutions and companies to submit proposals for battery alternatives. The initiative will tackle both low-level energy cell design, such as chemistry and packaging, as well as advanced devices that could outperform existing lithium cells. Ideally, NASA will get energy storage that provides more power without taking a hit to either longevity or safety. [Image credit: NASA]
NASA wants to put your name on a spacecraft headed to an asteroid
Forget those dime-a-dozen "name a star" gifts -- wouldn't you rather put your name on a spacecraft that advances human understanding? NASA certainly thinks you do. It's teaming up with the Planetary Society to etch your name on chips inside its OSIRIS-REx probe, which will head toward the asteroid Bennu in 2016. While it's doubtful that any aliens will read your microscopic claim to fame, it'll certainly get the grand tour. The spacecraft will spend 500 days around the asteroid before heading back, and both the decommissioned vehicle as well as the returning sample capsule will have your ID. You can register your name today for free; just be prepared to wait years for the payoff.
NASA's Morpheus lander skips the inferno, actually lands (video)
The last time NASA's methane-fueled Morpheus lander took to the skies without training wheels (read: a tether), it didn't go too well. Unless crashing and burning was the plan all along, that is. The Morpheus team have been beavering away since that incident over a year ago, and in a recent test at the Kennedy Space Center, have shown the craft is, in fact, capable of landing. While the video proof doesn't feature much drama and spectacle as a result, we guess it means Morpheus can at least begin setting its sights on locations slightly more exotic than a Florida car park.
India launches its first Mars mission, joins the interplanetary space race
India is now well on its way to having an interplanetary presence. The country has successfully launched the Mars Orbiter Mission, a satellite that will search the Martian atmosphere for elusive chemicals like methane. The spacecraft should take about 300 days to reach the Red Planet, but it's relatively cheap at $72 million; the MOM team is saving money by building up speed in Earth's orbit. While the mission faces daunting odds when less than half of all Mars missions have been successful, the potential for prestige is high. India's space agency would be just the fourth to reach the planet -- a symbolic win over countries like China, whose efforts have fallen short.
NASA ends Deep Impact comet-hunting mission after eight years
After more than eight years, NASA's comet-hunting Deep Impact mission has come to an abrupt close. The agency has stopped trying to communicate with the mission probe after losing contact on August 8th. It's not clear what went wrong, but NASA suspects that it may have lost orientation control, guaranteeing that the Deep Impact vehicle would lose power and freeze. It's going out on a good note, however. Like NASA's Mars rovers, Deep Impact easily outlasted its intended lifespan -- after successfully intercepting the comet Tempel 1 in 2005, it went on to study three more comets as well as numerous exoplanets. We'll miss the probe's continued research, but its legacy should live on through other projects.
DARPA's XS-1 program aims for an unmanned spaceship with aircraft-like costs
The reusable spacecraft we've seen so far haven't really lived up to their billing: vehicles like the Space Shuttle or SpaceShipTwo require elaborate, expensive launches. If DARPA succeeds with its just-announced XS-1 program, however, spaceflight could be an affordable, everyday occurrence. The agency plans to develop an unmanned spacecraft that requires a minimal ground crew, reaches speeds above Mach 10 and flies at least 10 times in as many days. Provided DARPA meets its goals, XS-1 would both speed up the deployment of small satellites and lower the cost per flight to an "aircraft-like" $5 million or less. Don't count on seeing a ship in action anytime soon, though. DARPA will only receive some of the first design proposals on October 7th, and someone still has to build the winning project -- it will likely be years before XS-1 slips the surly bonds of Earth.
US budget has NASA planning to capture an asteroid, USAF reviving DSCOVR (video)
Many have lamented the seeming decline of the US space program. While we're not expecting an immediate return to the halcyon days, the President's proposed federal budget for fiscal 2014 could see some renewed ambition. NASA's slice of the pie includes a plan that would improve detection of near-Earth asteroids, send a solar-powered robot ship (like the NASA concept above) to capture one of the space rocks and tow it back to a stable orbit near Earth, where researchers could study it up close. The agency would have humans setting foot on the asteroid by 2025, or even as soon as 2021. It's a grand goal to say the least, but we'd potentially learn more about solar propulsion and defenses against asteroid collisions. If NASA's plans mostly involve the future, the US Air Force budget is looking into the past. It's setting aside $35 million for a long-discussed resurrection of the Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite, also known as DSCOVR -- a vehicle that was scuppered in 2001 due to cost overruns, among other factors. Run by NOAA once aloft, the modernized satellite would focus on warning the Earth about incoming solar winds. That's just one of the satellite's original missions, but the November 2014 launch target is relatively realistic -- and we'll need it when the satellite currently fulfilling the role is overdue for a replacement.
Inspiration Mars ship using human waste as a radiation shield: no really, it's fine
Dennis Tito is planning an ambitious private flyby of Mars for 2018 that will carry all kinds of logistical challenges during its proposed 501-day span, not the least of which is shielding the crew from radiation without consuming valuable resources. The team's solution is a clever one, if not especially pretty: human waste. While the walls of the Inspiration Mars spacecraft will initially be lined with water-filled bags to guard against cosmic rays, their contents will be gradually replaced with er, byproduct that will be dehydrated through the bag (possibly using polyethylene) to reclaim and purify water for drinking. As water-based materials are better at stopping radiation than metal, the approach theoretically represents the best of all worlds with less bulk, a simpler life support system and maximum room for supplies. If the Inspiration Mars group can keep the bags working at high efficiency in space, it won't have to worry about its travelers' safety; their comfort with being surrounded by their own waste may be another matter.
USAF relaunches its first X-37B on a slightly less mysterious spaceflight
The US Air Force's aims with each X-37B mission continue to be shrouded in secrecy, but we're learning a little more now that it has launched the autonomous space plane for a third time. In once more flying the OTV-1, the original vehicle that reached orbit in 2010, the military branch is clear that testing reusability is a major goal: it wants to know if these spacecraft can take more than one trip without suffering ill effects. We likewise know that navigation, re-entry and other basics will be under scrutiny, even if the military won't talk about the payload. Just when we'll see OTV-1 back on Earth is another matter. The USAF is still standing by its official line that the X-37B is built to stay spaceborne for nine months, but it's remaining open to longer missions if conditions permit. Given that OTV-2 took more than a year to return, we wouldn't be surprised if we're just becoming comfortable with 2014 by the time the vehicle's sibling touches down.
SpaceX to start International Space Station cargo runs on October 7th, kick off routine private spaceflight
SpaceX just put a date on when private space travel becomes a seemingly everyday affair: October 7th. That's when the company and NASA expect to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station delivering the first of a dozen cargo loads to the International Space Station through the unmanned Dragon spacecraft. While we're not expecting any trouble -- SpaceX has done this before -- there's a chance for a rescheduled launch on October 8th if there are any minor setbacks. The flights won't achieve the cachet of government-funded runs with human beings onboard, but we're sure the company doesn't mind when it's taking steps towards democratizing spaceflight... and pocketing $1.6 billion in the process.
NASA launches Spacecraft 3D app for iOS, lets you explore its Curiosity and a lot more
Chances are most of us (you included) know this isn't NASA's first dive into the iOS pool, and the agency's latest addition to its app portfolio is surely going to make a high number of explorers very space happy. Dubbed Spacecraft 3D, the augmented reality application will let folks poke around the various, curious rovers and GRAILS NASA uses to explore our planet, the rest of the solar system and, of course, the entire abysmal universe. Even better, NASA's handing out the app free of charge, so those of you with a "Designed in California" device can grab it now from the App Store, and don't forget to check out the presser down below to soak in the official word. %Gallery-160255%
Chinese astronauts go hands-on, manually dock with orbiting module
Looks like China continues to add to its space cred after recently joining the rarefied ranks of countries that have successfully docked craft in the final frontier. Fresh off from the recent joining of the Shenzhou 9 capsule with the Tiangong 1 orbiting module, China's three astronauts have now replicated the feat manually, according to the Washington Post . For the uninitiated, the first docking was done via remote control from the ground. The mission has had plenty of firsts for China so far, including the country's first female astronaut. It also serves as a precursor to establishing China's first permanent space station, a 60-ton facility that's about a sixth of the size of the International Space Station but is slightly bigger than NASA's old Skylab. 'Cause sometimes, you just gotta have your own space in space, you know? [Image credit: Associated Press]
X-37B finally touches down, completing its not-so-secret classified mission (video)
After more than a year of circling the globe, the US Air Force's X-37B has finally touched down at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The unmanned, reusable space plane spent 469 days in orbit, performing a number of experiments (many of which are classified) before finally ending its lengthy run Saturday. What exactly the military has learned from the extended orbital excursion is unclear, but, like the Mars rovers before it, the X-37B turned out to be far more robust than many had anticipated. Its mission was originally intended to last just nine months, but its operators managed to milk about six more months out of the craft. While we wait to find out what the next step is, enjoy the video of it landing after the break.
China conducts its first crewed spaceship docking, gives east Asia its place in space (updated)
Believe it or not, the only countries to have docked a human-helmed spacecraft in the first 50 years of spaceflight were Russia and the US. That small community just got bigger, as China's Shenzhou-9 has successfully docked with the Tiangong-1 module put in orbit for just such a test. The link-up is being used for experiments in the short term, but it's a key step in a program that will ultimately lead to a full-fledged Chinese space station. On top the wider ambitions, the docking also marks a victory for gender-neutral space travel: Liu Yang, one of three crew members, is the country's first female spacefarer. China's space program has a long road ahead, but it's clear the International Space Station won't be alone for much longer. Update: Yes, China more accurately covers east Asia, not just the southeast. Our apologies!
Star Walk and Solar Walk apps now track the Space X Dragon
The two bestselling astronomy apps, Star Walk and Solar Walk for iOS, can now find and track the Space X Dragon, the first commercial vehicle to visit the International Space Station. The Dragon was launched Tuesday. When you search for the spacecraft, you'll see it's current position. As I write this, it's in orbit next to the ISS. Using the augmented-reality feature, you likely can find the Dragon when it is in a good position overhead. I didn't try to find Dragon in the night sky, but it was easy to find on my iPhone. I could use the search command to find by name, or I could look on the last 30-day launches list. It appears centered on the screen in the correct orientation to the ISS and the star background. You also can get some specifics on the Dragon position and a bit of history. Use AirPlay mirroring and an Apple TV, and you can get it on the big screen, great for teachers or sharing with friends. I was interested in how the spacecraft was added so quickly to the app, and the developers told me they were contacted by the Space X people and wanted it added. Space X helped with the math and collaborated with Vito Technologies to get the 3D model correctly displayed. Star Walk is available for US$4.99. Solar Walk is a $2.99. Some screen shots are in the gallery below. %Gallery-156087%
