SpaceExploration
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Draper Labs develops prototype Mars Hopper
The Mars rover, that self-propelled, solar powered box o' sensors 'n stuff that slowly inches along the surface (and battles the fierce environment) of the red planet may be a mainstay of space exploration, but it's certainly not the only way to get the job done. For instance, the kids at Draper Labs -- last seen in this space with their injectable nanosensor -- are in the process of developing vehicles that would (literally) leave traditional rovers in the dust. The Draper Hopper prototype is designed with a ducted fan propulsion system that uses compressed nitrogen gas to cover twenty-five miles in a few days or, at best, a few hours. By way of comparison, NASA's Spirit and Opportunity craft have covered roughly twenty miles since hitting the Martian surface in early 2004. Of course, the hoppers will have to bring fuel with them, so their lifespans will be cut drastically shorter than their wheel-based contemporaries, but we've always believed more autonomous vehicles should "live fast / die young," like Sid Vicious or James Dean. With any luck, we should see test flights by January 2011.
Japan sends a ribbon into space, asks it to test the magnetic currents
Tether propulsion seems to be the OLED of the spacefaring world, carrying as it does a lot of promise but seemingly never ready for the big time. The fundamental premise is as simple as it is appealing -- a long strip of metal stretched out in space can theoretically exploit the Earth's magnetic field to maneuver itself without expending any fuel of its own. This is done by sucking up ionospheric electrons at one end and, predictably enough, spitting them out at the other, allowing current to flow through the tether. Japan's aerospace agency has recently shot off a testing vehicle for just this theory, a 300 meter-long, 2.5cm-wide ribbon, which has managed to successfully generate a current. No thrust-measuring equipment was on board and it's still very early days, but hey, there's at least the chance that one day satellites will all sprout long, elegant tails to power their way through the sky... and into our private lives.
NASA challenge searches for a solar-powered 'Night Rover'
NASA regularly opens up challenges to foster development of new and exciting space technology, and it looks like it's come up with a particularly challenging one recently -- it's asking interested parties to develop a solar-powered "Night Rover" that can store up enough energy during the day to continue to work throughout the night. That's as opposed to the more recent crop of rovers that must do most of their work during the day, which NASA says forces them to pick and choose what tasks the rovers perform, thereby greatly reducing the chance for discoveries. It also notes that simply adding more batteries isn't an option, since every tiny weight increase significantly adds to the cost of sending something into space. Think you've got what it takes? There's a $1.5 million dollar prize in store for the winner.
NASA set to send Juno 'armored tank' spacecraft to Jupiter
NASA is gearing up to send an "armored tank" spacecraft called Juno to Jupiter this month, after several delays and reschedulings. The environment that Juno is to face will be one of the most treacherous any spacecraft has ever endured -- so Juno has all sorts of special features, such as a radiation vault, a protective shield to protect it from Jupiter's insanely radiation-heavy environs. An invisible force field surrounds Jupiter (a less powerful one also surrounds our own planet) which is heavy with high energy particles to shield it from highly charged particles which shoot off the sun. The mission will result in Juno orbiting Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System, for 15 months. Scientists have also devised a route that should shelter the craft from spending extended periods of time in the harshest zones. Juno's trip will also be the first ever solar powered mission to Jupiter.
IKAROS gets first burst of solar propulsion, wants more
Photons, man, it's all about the photons. Japan's solar sail-equipped IKAROS probe has recorded its first propulsion derived from the force of sunlight rays hitting its tender surface. The force generated is a truly minuscule 1.12 millinewtons, but that can go a long way (literally) in a frictionless environment like space. The kite's sails also soak up Sol's emitted light to generate electricity, making the most out of the one resource available to it. So now that we've figured out how to do all that, shall we get started on colonizing Mars or what?
Robonaut 2 enters final preparations before flying off into space
Tests, upgrades and final checks are being carried out on the Robonaut 2, the humanoid spacefaring robot that has been in the works since 2007. The baby of NASA and General Motors, this sack of metal and wires has already produced a catalog of 34 new patents and, according to GM, is setting the stage for new safety features in forthcoming generations of its road vehicles. Sensor technology being developed in the R2 could deliver better lane departure warning systems, adaptive cruise control, and more intelligent parking assistance. That's good news and all, but can we ship it out to the ISS already -- we'd rather it be off-world when its instruction set switches from "serve humans" to "serve human meat."
Planck telescope maps the universe in search of primordial light
Yep, that innocuous-looking picture above is the whole freaking universe, as perceived by the Planck telescope -- a long-wave light detector that's been catapulted into space to search for Big Bang clues. The European Space Agency is using it in order to get the most precise information to date on Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (apparent in the image as the magenta and yellow mush in the, ahem, background), which could in turn enlighten us on the conditions that gave rise to all of us omnivores prowling a gravity-assisted, ozone-protected, floating rock. The first mapping run took just over six months to complete, but the plan is to produce four such images using the Planck's super-cold (nearly at absolute zero) sensors before retiring the thing. Results are expected no sooner than 2013, so please do slide back from the edge of your seat.
First confirmed photo of alien planet makes us want to believe
The above planet -- whose existence was first detected in April of 2008 -- is the first confirmed alien planet (meaning that its orbiting a sun-like star) to ever be directly photographed. The system, called 1RXS 1609, is roughly five million years old (our own solar system is 4.6 billion years old), and the planet itself has an estimated temperature of over 2,700 degrees Farenheit. It's somewhat comparable to Jupiter within our own system, though this planet has about 8 times the mass. The star -- which is located 500 light years away in a large grouping of young stars called the Upper Scorpius Association -- has an estimated mass of about 85 percent of the Sun's. So, where does this leave those of us hoping for aliens to show up within our lifetime? Not much closer, unfortunately, but we suggest sending Mulder up there to check things out.
James Cameron convinces NASA to use 3D camera on next Mars mission
What do you do once you've broken your own record for the world's highest-grossing picture film? Well, you go offworld, of course. James Cameron, in his infinite benevolence and multidimensional wisdom, has convinced NASA bigwigs not to forgo the inclusion of a high-res 3D camera on the Curiosity (aka Mars Science Laboratory) rover, which is set to depart for the red planet in 2011. Budget overruns had led to the scrapping of the autostereoscopic idea, but the director-man -- who has been involved with this project for a good few years now -- felt the results of the mission would be far more engaging if people could see them in 3D. Hey, if he can make us watch the Blue Man Group reenactment of Fern Gully, don't bet on Cameron failing to make extraterrestrial rubble interesting with his 3D voodoo.
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo completes maiden flight (now with video!)
Virgin Galactic's VSS Enterprise suborbital aircraft made its first captive carry test flight yesterday in Mojave, California. As shown in the above photo (courtesy of Mark Greenberg), the craft remained attached to the VMS Eve mothership for the entirety of its 2 hour and 54 minute flight, reaching an altitude of 45,000 feet in the process. If all goes according to plan, the spacecraft -- which we first peeped in December -- will start commercial operations late next year. Looks like it's time to start saving up those Velocity Points, kids! In the meantime, check out CNET's gallery of shots from the flight by hitting that ever lovin' source link.
NASA and GM's Robonaut2 allows human astronauts to feel the fear of obsolescence (video)
About a decade ago, two of our favorite government entities, NASA and DARPA, paired off to create the robotic astronaut of the future: Robonaut. He had a cool copper helmet and some faux-muscly arms, but ultimately never made it to space. Now, 10 years on, NASA's back with Robonaut2, created along with General Motors, who hopes to enslave poor R2 in its assembly plants. The details of exactly what has changed in this iteration are slim, but R2 is said to be more dexterous than its predecessor and stronger too, able to lift a 20lb dumbbell without getting all red in the face. It also seems to have lasers in its knuckles for some reason we can't quite figure out, but we're digging the look nevertheless. R2 is said to be helping NASA into a "bold new era of space exploration," and while we don't know exactly when that bold new era begins (now?), we do have a particularly menacing video of the original Robonaut included below, as well as one two of the fit and trim new model. %Gallery-84663% [Thanks, Adam]
Budget puts NASA's moon program on ice, promises to 'blaze a new trail of discovery'
It may only represent a smidgen of the multi-trillion dollar annual federal budget, but funding for NASA never fails to stir up debate, and that looks like it'll be the case more than ever with the Obama administration's just-announced 2011 budget. While NASA's budget will actually increase slightly to $19 billion, the big news is that Constellation moon program started by the Bush administration in 2006 (with the goal of returning by 2020) is being shelved amid what amounts to a fairly big change in priorities for NASA. That includes the first phase of more than $9 billion in spending on robotic exploration and heavy-lift rockets and, perhaps most notably, $6 billion in spending to promote the development of commercial rockets and spacecraft -- which NASA hopes will eventually be able to transport astronauts into orbit. Turning around a space agency isn't exactly easy though, and it'll apparently cost $3 billion over two years simply to end what's already been started on the Constellation program. Feeling a little wistful? Then head on past the break for a brief history of NASA's recent lunar ambitions.
Researchers say acoustic levitation could save equipment on Mars
Rovers may have been able to endure life on Mars longer than anyone expected, but things could be more tricky for any sort of long-term exploration, where dust could cause equipment to grind to a halt or even pose a risk to human explorers. Some researchers from the University of Vermont now say they might have an answer to that problem, however, and it's not too far removed from levitating fish. While no fish were actually involved in their experiment, the group is suggesting that the same principle of acoustic levitation could be used to lift dust off the surface of solar panels, space suits and other equipment. There is one big catch however, in that the levitation trick would only work inside a habitation or other enclosure where the sound waves can travel as they do on Earth -- because, as Total Recall taught us, bad things happen outside on Mars.
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo: the video unveiling
You've already engrossed yourself in the media reports stemming from Mojave Spaceport, but if you've been hunting high and low for a few good frames of the SpaceShipTwo unveiling, look no further. Our homeslices over at Gadling were on hand for the event, and they did the honors of filming the introduction as well as the craft's first public movements. Hit that source link for a look, and be sure to check your pulse if you aren't feeling inspired when the credits roll.
Virgin Galactic reveals SpaceShipTwo, plans commercial space flights in 2011
We've been waiting an awful long time for this day to come, and now we're doing our darndest to rush away 2010. Today, Sir Richard Branson officially took the wraps off of a spacecraft that we initially peeked back in June of 2008: the SpaceShipTwo. Designed to hold six passengers and two pilots, this magnificent craft will reportedly be ready to ship wealthy tourists into space as early as 2011. Reportedly, the craft will be taken up to launch altitude by the WhiteKnightTwo, after which the 2.5 hour tour will take patrons high enough to experience around 5 minutes of weightlessness. Of course, the ship still has an awful lot of regulatory passing to do, and the Spaceport America in New Mexico still has to be built, but it's nothing short of fantastic to see the wheels turning in the right direction. Just think -- you can finally tell you kid that an aeronautical engineering degree isn't required to leave the atmosphere. Future, we heart thee. P.S. - Peek that MSNBC link for the unveiling shots!
Ion propulsion engine could take you to Mars in 39 days
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]
Researchers tout plans for moon greenhouse, Silent Running sequel
The Google Lunar X Prize obviously hasn't drawn quite the same number of competitors as some of the more Earthbound X Prizes, but it looks like things are starting to heat up a little bit, with Paragon Space Development recently teaming up with Odyssey Moon in an effort to deploy the first greenhouse on the surface of moon. Specifically, the team is hoping to grow a Brassica plant (a member of the mustard family) in a pressurized greenhouse like the one picture above, and possibly even see the plant re-seed itself within a single Lunar day (or 14 Earth days), which just so happens to coincide with the average growth period for the plant on Earth. Of course, that would only be one small part of the X Prize mission, which first and foremost requires teams to safely land a craft, send some live video back to Earth, travel at least 500 meters, send some more video, and carry a payload. So, still a little ways off, but don't let that stop you from checking out the (autoplaying) video after the break, in which Paragon's Taber MacCallum (a Biosphere veteran himself) explains the project to the folks at Engineering TV.
NASA's Kepler spacecraft ready to begin searching for other, cooler "earths"
NASA's just declared its Kepler spacecraft "ready to launch." In case you're not already in the know on this one, the Kepler's mission will be to jaunt out into space, then watch a massive patch of it for 3.5 years to see if there are any signs of habitable planets similar to Earth. The craft will be looking mostly for planets that revolve around stars similar to the Sun, and it will be able to watch about 100,000 of them continuously, unlike the beleaguered but awesome Hubble telescope. The Kepler has a 0.95-meter diameter telescope, and the project has been in the works for about 25 years. It will finally launch tonight, on a Delta 2 rocket. Check out a few images of the Kepler after the break, hit up NASA's Kepler site for the full details of the mission.[Thanks, Matthew]
NASA commercializing trips to the ISS?
According to reports this week, NASA appears to be looking for a little help in its Earth-orbit activities to offset long-range exploration costs. The space agency recently signed three new agreements with private companies to share information regarding its technology, with sights set on outsourcing certain crew and cargo related services for the lately troubled International Space Station -- thus freeing up resources for its more ambitious missions to the moon, Mars and the Planet of the Apes.
Britain's "Bridget" rover hopes to explore Mars
Even though we were pretty sure that the whole "life on Mars" issue had already been settled, scientists are still hell-bent on sending robots to scope out the Red Planet to look for tiny Martians, with the British unveiling a new rover today that promises to school hometown favorites Spirit and Opportunity at that very task. "Bridget," as the six-wheeled bot is known, can supposedly cover in just six months the same 6.2-mile stretch that's taken the American rovers over two years, thanks to a guidance system that allows for greater autonomy and requires less terrestrial control. Designed to compete for a spot on the European Space Agency's planned 2011 ExoMars mission, Bridget sports a two-meter drill, a so-called "life marker chip," and a micro seismometer, among other toots, to help enable the Agency's long-term goal of safely sending humans to our neighbor planet. And because half the battle is just getting there, engineers equipped the new bot with sensors that will let on-board airbags and parachutes guide it to a safer, more controlled landing -- ensuring that Bridget doesn't go MIA like the Beagle 2 rover in 2003, .
