Archive for category Satellites
Lunar Honeymoon: Can NASA Really Take Us There Within The Next 10 Years?
Posted by Val in Satellites, Space and Satellites on October 27, 2011
We all wonder where NASA’s new space development program will take us. What kind of technologies will we employ? What planets will we visit? What will happen to the International Space Station (ISS)?
All these questions and more where answered by NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver at the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight.
Here are the key notes.
- Private researchers and tourists will be able to travel to ISS and other orbital destination (“Vacation All I Ever Wanted!”)
- An international expedition will set out for a mission to asteroid (earlier plans were used during the filming of “Armageddon”)
- A new planet containing water, i.e. habitable will be discovered by The Webb Telescope
- Every earthquake and tsunami can be predicted way in advance via personal hand held computer device
- 98 percent of Earth-crossing asteroids are being tracked and cataloged
- Bases and outposts are being set up on the Moon (Honeymoon anybody?)
You can read more of Ms. Garver’s comments here.
How realistic do you think those predictions are? Please comment below.
If You Want to BE a Rocket Scientist, Maybe You should LISTEN to one
Posted by Markutus in Satellites, Space and Satellites on October 26, 2011
Each student will receive a new personal GPS Navigator with multi-channel capability
Award-winning rocket scientist, Thomas S. Logsdon really enjoys teaching this short course titled, ATI’s Orbital Mechanics: Ideas and Insights, because everything about orbital mechanics is counterintuitive.
In this comprehensive four day short course, Mr. Logsdon uses four hundred clever color graphics to clarify these and a dozen other puzzling mysteries associated with orbital mechanics. He also provides you with a few simple one-page derivations using real-world inputs to illustrate all the key concepts being explored.
For example, did you know that if you fly your spacecraft into a 100-mile circular orbit and:
• Put on the brakes, your spacecraft speeds up!
• Mash down the accelerator, it slows down!!
• Throw a banana peel out the window and 45 minutes later it will come back and slap you in the face!!!
Why not take a short course?
Since 1984, the Applied Technology Institute (ATI) has provided leading-edge public courses and onsite technical training to DoD and NASA personnel, as well as contractors. ATI short courses are less than a week long and are designed to help you keep your professional knowledge up-to-date.
Our courses provide a practical overview of space and defense technologies which provide a strong foundation for understanding the issues that must be confronted in the use, regulation and development of complex systems. Whether you are a busy engineer, a technical expert or a project manager, you can enhance your understanding of satellite systems in a short time. You will become aware of the basic vocabulary essential to interact meaningfully with your colleagues.
Determine for yourself the value of our courses before you sign up.
Click here for more information on this course
Click below to see slide samples from this course
Click below to see a video clip of this course on YouTube.
What You Will Learn When You Take this Course:
• How do we launch a satellite into orbit and maneuver it into a new location?
• How do today’s designers fashion performance-optimal constellations of satellites swarming the sky?
• How do planetary swing by maneuvers provide such amazing gains in performance?
• How can we design the best multi-stage rocket for a particular mission?
• What are libration point orbits? Were they really discovered in 1772? How do we place satellites into halo orbits circling around these empty points in space?
• What are JPL’s superhighways in space? How were they discovered? How are they revolutionizing the exploration of space?
After attending the course you will receive a full set of detailed notes from the class for future reference, as well as a certificate of completion. Each student will receive a new personal GPS Navigator with multi-channel capability. Please visit our website for more valuable information.
About ATI and the Instructors
Our mission here at ATI is to provide expert training and the highest quality professional development in space, communications, defense, sonar, radar, and signal processing. We are not a one-size-fits-all educational facility. Our short classes include both introductory and advanced courses. ATI’s instructors are world-class experts who are the best in the business. They are carefully selected for their ability to clearly explain advanced technology.
For more than 30 years, Thomas S. Logsdon, has conducted broad ranging studies on orbital mechanics at McDonnell Douglas, Boeing Aerospace, and Rockwell International His key research projects have included Project Apollo, the Skylab capsule, the nuclear flight stage and the GPS radionavigation system.
Mr. Logsdon has taught 300 short courses and lectured in 31 different countries on six continents. He has written 40 technical papers and journal articles and 29 technical books including Striking It Rich in Space, Orbital Mechanics: Theory and Applications, Understanding the Navstar, and Mobile Communication Satellites.
Dates and Locations
The next date and location of this short course is:
Jan 9-12, 2012 Cape Canaveral,FL
Can You Tell Your Downlink from Your Uplink in the Dark of Space?
Posted by Markutus in Satellites, Space and Satellites on September 28, 2011
MILSTAR Satellite Communications System
Video Clip: Click to Watch
If not, then maybe you need ATI’s SATCOM Technology and Networks course
This three-day short course provides accurate background in the fundamentals, applications and approach for cutting-edge satellite networks for use in military and civil government environments. The focus is on commercial SATCOM solutions (GEO and LEO) and government satellite systems (WGS, MUOS and A-EHF), assuring thorough coverage of evolving capabilities. It is appropriate for non-technical professionals, managers and engineers new to the field as well as experienced professionals wishing to update and round out their understanding of current systems and solutions.
ATI’S SATCOM TECHNOLOGY AND NETWORKS COURSE
What you will learn:
• How a satellite functions to provide communications links to typical earth stations and user terminals
• The various technologies used to meet requirements for bandwidth, service quality and reliability
• Basic characteristics of modulation, coding and Internet Protocol processing
• How satellite links are used to satisfy requirements of the military for mobility and broadband network services for warfighters
• The characteristics of the latest US-owned MILSATCOM systems, including WGS, MUOS, A-EHF, and the approach for using commercial satellites at L, C, X, Ku and Ka bands
• Proper application of SATCOM to IP networks
Course Outline, Samplers, and Notes
In addition to the course notes, each participant will receive a book of collected tutorial articles written by the instructor, and soft copies of the link budgets discussed in the course. Please visit our website for more valuable information.
About ATI and the Instructors
Our mission here at ATI is to provide expert training and the highest quality professional development in space, communications, defense, sonar, radar, and signal processing. We are not a one-size-fits-all educational facility. Our short classes include both introductory and advanced courses. ATI’s instructors are world-class experts who are the best in the business. They are carefully selected for their ability to clearly explain advanced technology.
Bruce Elbert is a recognized SATCOM technology and network expert and has been involved in the satellite and telecommunications industries for over 35 years. He consults to major satellite organizations and government agencies in the technical and operations aspects of applying satellite technology. Prior to forming his consulting firm, he was Senior Vice President of Operations in the international satellite division of Hughes Electronics (now Boeing Satellite), where he introduced advanced broadband and mobile satellite technologies. He directed the design of several major satellite projects, including Palapa A, Indonesia’s original satellite system; the Hughes Galaxy satellite system; and the development of the first GEO mobile satellite system capable of serving handheld user terminals. He has written seven books on telecommunications and IT.
Times, Dates, and Locations
This short course can be presented at your facility at your convenience. An onsite presentation is economical when 6-8 people want the course and a great value if you have more than 10 who are interested. I suggest that you read through the course description and then call me personally, Jim Jenkins, at 410-956-8805 or toll free at 1-888-501-2100, and I’ll explain in detail what we can do for you, what it will cost, and what you can expect in results and future capabilities.
Wait for it………. Now run!!!!! 6-Ton Satellite Is About To Hit The Earth!
Posted by Val in Satellites, Space and Satellites on September 22, 2011
Is it true?
Unfortunately, yes. It is true. NASA’s massive dead satellite UARS (The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite) is on its way, freefalling towards The Earth.
What is it?
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is an orbital observatory whose mission was to study the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly the protective ozone layer. The 5,900-kilogram satellite was deployed from Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-48 mission in September 1991. UARS entered orbit on 15 September 1991 at an operational altitude of 600 kilometers, with an orbital inclination of 57 degrees.
The original mission duration was to be only three years, but in June 2005, 14 years after the satellite’s launch, six of its ten instruments were still operational. UARS was decommissioned in 2005, and a final orbit-lowering burn was performed, followed by the passivation of the satellite’s systems, in early December 2005. On October 26, 2010, the International Space Station performed a debris-avoidance maneuver in response to a conjunction with UARS.
When will it hit?
The satellite is expected to fall from orbit during the afternoon of September 23, 2011, plus or minus a day, according to NASA.
Where will it hit?
UARS will re-enter the atmosphere somewhere between 57 degrees north and 57 degrees south. That means the nearly 6-ton craft will hit the Earth’s atmosphere anywhere from northern Canada to southern South America.
NASA estimates the debris footprint will be about 500 miles (804 kilometers) long.
What do we do?
The word from NASA is direct: “If you find something you think may be a piece of UARS, do not touch it. Contact a local law enforcement official for assistance.”
For now, let’s buckle up and wait. The Earth is three-fourths oceans and the odds of a harmless splashdown are good!
Is NASA Tech Development Behind Schedule?
Posted by Val in Satellites, Space and Satellites on September 1, 2011
Yes, according to National Research Council report. Future success of space missions depends on new technology that NASA should already be developing.
NASA’s technology base is “largely depleted,” leaving the agency without the advancements it needs to meet the future goals of its space program, according to a new report.
“Success in executing future NASA space missions will depend on advanced technology developments that should already be underway,” according to an Interim Report on NASA’s Draft Space Technology Roadmaps by the National Research Council. “However, it has been years since NASA has had a vigorous, broad-based program in advanced space technology.”
With the space shuttle program over, NASA’s space program is in a period of transition that’s being hampered by budget cuts. Still, NASA has set its sights on ambitious goals for future space missions, such as sending people to the moon, Mars and other destinations beyond low Earth orbit.
The agency has 14 space technology roadmaps–which NASA commissioned the report to examine–that identify “a wide variety of opportunities to revitalize NASA’s advanced space technology development program.
The report’s findings suggest that the completion of these roadmaps could be in jeopardy.
The report cites several examples where there are gaps. For instance, to send people to destinations beyond low earth orbit, the agency needs new technology to mitigate the effects of space radiation, from both the cosmic ray background and from solar flares. It also needs new, state-of the art environmental control and life support systems (ECLSSs) that are highly reliable and can be easily repaired.
The report makes suggestions for how NASA can better ensure the success of its space technology program, such as increasing program stability; pursuing evolutionary improvements and adopting intermediate goals; and maintaining a balance between the focus and flexibility of the roadmaps in establishing technical approaches.
In a statement, NASA Chief Technologist Bobby Braun said the agency largely agrees with the findings of the report. He added that NASA also is looking forward to the completion of the final report, which is due in January. It will be used as guidance for the agency’s space-technology investment decisions in fiscal year 2012.
You can download a copy of the Interim Report here .
What is your opinion? Please comment below…
Russia’s Soyuz Crash + US Shuttle Program Retirement= International Space Station Abandoned. How did it come to this?
Posted by Val in Satellites, Space and Satellites on August 31, 2011
Last week’s Soyuz crash was just the latest in a series of embarrassing mishaps for Russia’s space industry, which is plagued by quality problems and an ageing workforce. With no other 
way to get astronauts into orbit, the operation of the International Space Station is now in question.
The people in the Altai Mountains of Siberia (where the crash occurred) are regarded as frugal and tough. In late summer, many live from harvesting berries and cedar nuts.
They are also used to having burned-out rocket stages crash in the wilderness after spacecraft launches. When, in the middle of last week, a large ball of fire was seen in the sky above the taiga, residents of the village of Karakoksha were not alarmed. They apparently just went back to sleep.
After a malfunction, a Russian Soyuz rocket had crashed along with an unmanned cargo spacecraft named Progress. The explosion was heard even 100 kilometers (62 miles) away.
This accident couldn’t have come at a worst time. It shuttered public confidence in the aging Russian technology which is crucial to the future of manned spaceflight since NASA shut down the Space Shuttle program in July. Russia remains the only country that is able to regularly put humans into space.
Permanent operation of the International Space Station (ISS) is now impossible without the Soyuz rocket, which went into service in its current form in 1973 and had previously been the most reliable rocket of all time.
Until officials figure out what went wrong with Russia’s essential Soyuz rockets, there will be no way to launch any more astronauts before the current residents have to leave in mid-November.
Abandoning the space station, even for a short period, would be an unpleasant last resort for the world’s five space agencies that have spent decades working on the project. Astronauts have been living aboard the space station since 2000, and the goal is to keep it going until 2020.
Even if the space shuttles still were flying, space station crews still would need Soyuz-launched capsules to serve as lifeboats, Suffredini said. The capsules are certified for no more than 6 1/2 months in space, thus the need to regularly rotate crews. Complicating matters is the need to land the capsules during daylight hours in Kazakhstan, resulting in weeks of blackout periods.
NASA wants American private companies to take over crew hauls, but that’s three to five years away at best. Until then, Soyuz capsules are the only means of transporting astronauts to the space station.
What is your opinion? Do you think that International Space Station will be abandoned?
Do You Think Satellites are Sexy and not Lady Gaga?
Posted by Markutus in Satellites, Space and Satellites on August 30, 2011
Earth: As Seen from Geostationary Orbit…ohhhhh!
ATI presents:
An overview of commercial satellite communications hardware, operations, business and regulatory environment
This three-day introductory course has been taught to rave reviews to thousands of industry professionals for over two decades. The material is frequently updated and the course is a primer to the concepts, jargon, buzzwords, and acronyms of the industry, plus an overview of commercial satellite communications hardware, operations, and business environment.
Here is Dr. Mark R. Chartrand, course instructor, on YouTube.
Since 1984, the Applied Technology Institute (ATI) has provided leading-edge public courses and onsite technical training to DoD and NASA personnel, as well as contractors. Whether you are a busy engineer, a technical expert or a project manager, you can enhance your understanding of complex satellite systems in a short time. You will become aware of the basic vocabulary essential to interact meaningfully with your colleagues.
Here is more about the course.
SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS COURSE — AN ESSENTIAL INTRODUCTION
The first section provides non-technical people with the technical background necessary to understand the space and earth segments of the industry, culminating with the importance of the link budget. The concluding section of the course provides an overview of the business issues, including major operators, regulation and legal issues, and issues and trends affecting the industry.
What You Will Learn:
• How do commercial satellites fit into the telecommunications industry?
• How are satellites planned, built, launched, and operated?
• How do earth stations function?
• What is a link budget and why is it important?
• What legal and regulatory restrictions affect the industry?
• What are the issues and trends driving the industry?
The course is intended primarily for non-technical people who must understand the entire field of commercial satellite communications, and who must understand and communicate with engineers and other technical personnel. The secondary audience is technical personnel moving into the industry who need a quick and thorough overview of what is going on in the industry.
Concepts are explained at a basic level, minimizing the use of math, and providing real-world examples. Several calculations of important concepts such as link budgets are presented for illustrative purposes, but the details need not be understood in depth to gain an understanding of the concepts illustrated.
Course Outline, Samplers, and Notes
Our short courses are designed for individuals involved in planning, designing, building, launching, and operating space and satellite systems.
Don’t believe it?
Here is what one of our recent students had to say about this course.
“I truly enjoyed your course and hearing of your adventures in the Satellite business. You have a definite gift in teaching style and explanations.”
Still not convinced?
You can see for yourself the value of our course before you sign up.
You can also check out some of our other short courses on the ATI YouTube channel.
Attendees receive a copy of the instructor’s new textbook, Satellite Communications for the Non-Specialist, and will have time to discuss issues pertinent to their interests.
After completing the course, you will also receive a certificate of completion. Please visit our website for more valuable information.
About ATI and the Instructors
Our mission here at ATI is to provide expert training and the highest quality professional development in space, communications, defense, sonar, radar, and signal processing. We are not a one-size-fits-all educational facility. Our short classes include both introductory and advanced courses.
ATI’s instructors are world-class experts who are the best in the business. They are carefully selected for their ability to clearly explain advanced technology.
Dr. Mark R. Chartrand is a consultant and lecturer in satellite telecommunications and the space sciences. For more than 25 years he has presented professional seminars on satellite technology and telecommunications to satisfied individuals and businesses throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
Dr. Chartrand has served as a technical and/or business consultant to NASA, Arianespace, GTE Spacenet, Intelsat, Antares Satellite Corp., Moffett-Larson-Johnson, Arianespace, Delmarva Power, Hewlett-Packard, and the International Communications Satellite Society of Japan, among others.
He has appeared as an invited expert witness before Congressional subcommittees and was an invited witness before the National Commission on Space.
He was the founding editor and the Editor-in-Chief of the annual The World Satellite Systems Guide, and later the publication Strategic Directions in Satellite Communication. He is author of six books and hundreds of articles in the space sciences. He has been chairman of several international satellite conferences, and a speaker at many others.
Times, Dates, and Locations
The times, dates and locations of our Satellite Communications – An Essential Introduction short course are as follows:
Sep 20-22, 2011 Cocoa Beach
Nov 29-Dec 1, 2011 Laurel, MD
Apr 17-19, 2012 Columbia, MD
Winning NASA Space Mission Proposals
Posted by Jim in Satellites, Space and Satellites, Systems Engineering & Project Management, Systems Engineering and Project Management on August 6, 2011
This is an interesting article on Winning NASA Space Mission Proposals
NASA’s robotic space missions are awarded through a competitive proposal process. These missions can cost from $100 to $750 million dollars, not including launch services and inflight propulsion devices. They are presented to the public first as planning documents and later as announcements of opportunity, or AOs. These AOs are released by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate about once per year for cheaper missions and every few years for higher cost missions.
Announcements of opportunity are usually released in draft form about six months from the due-at-NASA date and in final form about three months from the due-at-NASA date. A month or so before the draft release, there will usually be a heads up announcement citing the particulars of the release—schedule, cost cap, etc. These announcements are posted in the NEWS page on each mission’s home page.
Explorer Class—usually capped at $200 million although Small Explorers (SMEX) can come in at $120 million. They usually focus on astrophysics and heliophysics and are released every year or so. Since 1958 there have been 92 Explorer missions.
http://explorers.gsfc.nasa.gov
Discovery Class—The next Discovery release in fall of 2012 is expected to be capped at $500 million. They usually focus on planetary science and are released ever 1-3 years. Since 1995 there have been 11 Discovery missions.
http://discovery.nasa.gov/
New Frontiers Class—A spin-off of the Discovery program, they are usually capped at $650 million. New Frontiers usually focus on planetary science.
http://newfrontiers.nasa.gov/
Flagship Class missions usually cost several billion dollars and are typically the
product of study groups such as the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group
(MEPAG) or the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG). They are
generally not announced through AOs.
http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/vexag/
More information is available at
http://www.24hrco.com/images/articles/html/EjnerFulsang_July11.pdf
This was a insightful comment about the Space Shuttle. What is your opinion? Please comment.
Posted by Jim in Satellites, Space and Satellites, Systems Engineering and Project Management on August 1, 2011
This was a insightful comment about the Space Shuttle. What is your opinion? Please comment either pro or con..
Now that the last Space Shuttle has landed safely, it is time to judge the whole program. The original purpose of the Space Shuttle was to achieve low cost and routine space transportation. NASA originally promised that all development costs would be amortized and expected costs to be about $100 per payload pound. Production of expendable rockets was stopped. Unfortunately, the real cost of Shuttle missions has been about $1.5-billion per flight and payload capacity never reached within seven tons of the design point. In short, the Shuttle cost far more than the expendable launch vehicles by about an order of magnitude. What would the resources wasted on the Space Shuttle have bought if a more cost effective system had been used over the past three decades?
Is US The Hottest Place On Earth? Yes, it is!
Posted by Val in General, Satellites, Space and Satellites on August 1, 2011
More precisely it definitely was in the month of July 2011 according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
On average the temperatures were 20 degrees Fahrenheit higher than normal. This led to the deaths of dozens of citizen.
NASA AIRS (Atmoshperic Infrared Shounder) movies below show the heat wave evolution.
Click on an individual image for the movie
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| Surface Air Temp Daytime |
Surface Skin Temp Daytime |
Surface Air Temp Nighttime |
Surface Skin Temp Nighttime |
The movies demonstrate surface air temperature and surface skin temperature, during both daytime and nighttime conditions.
What is surface air temperature?
It is something we experience whenever we go outside. High surface air temperature makes even shady places feel hot.
What is Surface skin temperature?
It is is what we feel when we touch the ground.
What is the difference between the daytime and nighttime temperature?
During daytime, the surface skin temperature is generally much warmer than surface air temperature because dark surfaces are so effective at absorbing sunlight. The surface air and skin temperatures are related by something invisible but actually quite familiar: infrared — or heat — radiation. Our skin is very sensitive to infrared radiation, making a sun-heated wall feel warm even from a few feet away after sunset. Air absorbs very little sunlight, but easily absorbs infrared radiation emitted by the warm surface. It’s the sun-warmed surface — not sunlight — that heats the air during daytime.
What are your survival techniques for this hot summer? Please comment below…
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