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Tag: Space Exploration Technologies

Excitement and Despair

Posted on by Bob
In the past week, we have seen two extremes with respect to the exploration of the moon.  We have seen despair from Russia when it’s Luna 25 Spacecraft crash-landed on the moon.  And, we have seen excitement from India when it’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully landed on the moon.  For Russia, it will be the end […]

In the past week, we have seen two extremes with respect to the exploration of the moon.  We have seen despair from Russia when it’s Luna 25 Spacecraft crash-landed on the moon.  And, we have seen excitement from India when it’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully landed on the moon.  For Russia, it will be the end of the mission, and all that is left is trying to figure out what went wrong.  For India, it is the start of a period of exploration with the rover that is designed to traverse the lunar surface.  Both countries were hoping for the best, but it does not always work out that way.  Although a serious disappointment for Russia, there are valuable lessons that will be learned, even from failure. 

The Space Environment is very harsh, and any miscalculation in that environment can have very serious consequences.

Tom Zurbuchen, former NASA head of science, tweeted that no one in the industry “wishes bad onto other explorers.”  He continued “We are reminded that landing on any celestial object is anything by easy and straightforward.  Just because others managed to do it decades ago, does not guarantee success today.” 

Although our spacecraft may have become more advanced over the decades, the space environment remains a very hostile place where anything can happen, even to more advanced spacecraft.

To learn more about how adverse interactions between the space environment and a spacecraft may lead to a degradation of spacecraft subsystem performance and possibly even loss of the spacecraft itself, consider enrolling in the upcoming 2-day ATI course Space Environment: Implications for Spacecraft Design.  You can learn more about the course, and register for it here.

Psyched for Mission PSYCHE

Posted on by Bob
NASA’s Psyche Mission is similar to other NASA missions in some ways, but different in other ways.  Psyche is similar in that bold and innovative technologies are being used to push the boundaries of deep-space exploration.  Psyche is different however, in that the launch has been pushed forward for one year due to a delay […]

NASA’s Psyche Mission is similar to other NASA missions in some ways, but different in other ways.  Psyche is similar in that bold and innovative technologies are being used to push the boundaries of deep-space exploration.  Psyche is different however, in that the launch has been pushed forward for one year due to a delay in critical testing.  Launch of Psyche is now expected in October 2023.

Psyche will be launched from Earth using a SpaceX Heavy Falcon Rocket.  This launch system has been used before, and should be effective for its purpose.  Once in deep space, however, an alternate method will be required for propelling Psyche to its ultimate destination, the Comet Psyche. As explained by NASA, “The unique, metal-rich Psyche asteroid may be part of the core of a planetesimal, a building block of rocky planets in our solar system. Learning more about the asteroid could tell us more about how our own planet formed and help answer fundamental questions about Earth’s own metal core and the formation of our solar system.”

Once beyond the orbit of the moon, Psyche will use solar electric propulsion for its 1.5 billion ( with a B ) mile trip to the asteroid Psyche which will conclude in 2026.  This will be the first spacecraft to use “Hall-Effect Thrusters” for propulsion.  As explained by NASA, this thruster technology “traps electrons in a magnetic field and uses them to ionize onboard propellant, expending much less propellant than equivalent chemical rockets.”

As a secondary mission for this spacecraft, Psyche will be used to demonstrate and test Deep Space Optical Communications.  This capability will become increasingly important as future missions are planned for areas so deep in space that current communication methods may become infeasible.

As spacecraft and space missions become more complex, the rockets that propel them will also need to become more complex.  Rocket advances must keep up with Spacecraft advances, and the Psyche Mission is one indication that Rocket scientists are up to the challenge.

If you want to learn more about Rocket Science, consider taking ATI’s upcoming course on the subject.  You can learn more about the course, and register for it, at Rockets & Launch Vehicles – Selection & Design

This four-day course provides an overview of rockets and missiles, including a fourth day covering advanced selection and design processes. The course provides a wide practical knowledge in rocket and missile issues and technologies. 

The course is right around the corner in May, so if you are interested, register today.

And, as always, if want to see the full list of courses offered by ATI, you can find that, and other interesting information at www.aticourses.com

Artemis I Mission Being Accomplished

Posted on by Bob
Mankind has always been fascinated with exploring the Moon, and that will probably always be the case.  At first, in the time leading up to the famous first moon landing in 1969, the goal was simply to reach the moon, and spend a short time looking around, and return to earth safely.  Now, 50 years […]

Mankind has always been fascinated with exploring the Moon, and that will probably always be the case.  At first, in the time leading up to the famous first moon landing in 1969, the goal was simply to reach the moon, and spend a short time looking around, and return to earth safely.  Now, 50 years later, the goal is more ambitious since technology can support so much more.  The first objective today is to reach the moon, and stay there.  The next goal would be to use the moon as a landing pad to support exploration of things beyond the moon, most notably Mars.  The NASA Artemis Missions will be the way these objectives are accomplished.

The Artemis Mission is comprised of six projects which together will allow NASA to accomplish its goals of reaching the moon, staying on the moon for long term exploration, and getting closer to the ultimate goal of being able to send men and women beyond the moon.  The six projects include:

Ground Systems – Upgrading Earth ground systems to support the larger rockets which will be needed

Space Launch System – The new and more powerful rocket that will launch man toward the moon and beyond

Orion – The spacecraft that will bring astronauts to the moon’s orbit, and return them to earth from the moon’s orbit

Gateway – The outpost spacecraft which will orbit the moon and be living quarters for the astronauts when they are not on the moon surface

Lunar Landers – The spacecraft which will transfer astronauts between the Gateway and the moon Surface, and

Space Suits – The new and improved suits that the astronauts will need to carry out their mission.

The timeline for this mission has three major milestones, namely:

Artemis I – an unmanned flight to test the Space Launch System and Orion

Artemis II – a manned flight to test the Space Launch System and Orion

Artemis III – A manned flight to the moon that will return man to the moon.

Artemis I, the mission whose goal was an unmanned flight of Orion to the moon, is now in progress.  So far, the mission has been wildly successful.  The Launch was flawless in mid-November, showing the advanced capabilities of the Space Launch System.  Orion reached the moon on November 25 without any issues and has been orbiting the moon since then.  On December 1, 2022, Orion will start its trip back to earth.

As of December 1, 5681 pounds of propellant have been used, a bit less than scientists had expected.

The trip back to earth will have include more tests than had originally been planned, and indication that NASA scientists are feeling good about the trip. 

This is a truly ambitious mission, and an even more ambitious schedule for missions that follow.

ATI offers a plethora of courses which relate to Space exploration.  Check out our list of Space related courses here.    If you are interested in the legal aspects of Space exploration, you can express interest in our Astropolitics Seminar which will be offered in conjunction with the 2023 Space Symposium. 

Although the author thinks Space Exploration is exciting and important, and I fully endorse all of the goals of the Artemis Mission, I can’t help but wonder why the Government is not spending at least as much money on exploration of the deep oceans.  I would challenge the US to start investing more money in Ocean Exploration, but not at the expense of Space Exploration.  Both are important.  I am curious what readers think about this issue, please leave your comments below.

And, if you are interested in Ocean Exploration, ATI has a few courses which may be of interest to you too.  Please check out our full list of offerings here.

And if you simply want to learn more about the Artemis Mission, you can go to the NASA Artemis site that describes the mission in more detail. 

Stratolaunch Systems to develop flexible, orbital space delivery system

Posted on by admin
New company Stratolaunch Systems is developing an air-launch system which it says will revolutionise space travel. Stratolaunch Systems, a Huntsman, Alabama headquartered company founded by entrepreneur Paul G. Allen, will build a mobile launch system with three primary components: a carrier aircraft, developed by aircraft manufacturer Scaled Composites, founded by aerspace pioneer Burt Rutan; a multi-stage […]
New company Stratolaunch Systems is developing an air-launch system which it says will revolutionise space travel.
Stratolaunch Systems, a Huntsman, Alabama headquartered company founded by entrepreneur Paul G. Allen, will build a mobile launch system with three primary components:
  • a carrier aircraft, developed by aircraft manufacturer Scaled Composites, founded by aerspace pioneer Burt Rutan;
  • a multi-stage booster, manufactured by Space Exploration Technologies; and
  • a mating and integration system allowing the carrier aircraft to carry a booster weighing up to 490 000 lbs, to be built by aerospace engineering companyDynetics.
The carrier aircraft, to be built by Scaled Composites (a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman), will weigh more than 1.2 million lbs, have a wingspan of 385 ft (greater than the length of a football field), and use six 747 engines. It will be the largest aircraft ever constructed. The air-launch system requires a takeoff and landing runway that is, at minimum, 12 000 ft long. The carrier aircraft can fly over 1300 nautical miles to reach an optimal launch point. The plane will be built in a Stratolaunch hangar which will soon be under construction at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. It will be near where Rutan’s team at Scaled Composites built SpaceShipOne funded by Paul Allen, which won the US$10-million Ansari X Prize in 2004 after three successful sub-orbital flights. Richard Branson of Virgin Group has since licensed the technology behind SpaceShipOne for Virgin Galactic, a venture that will take paying customers into space.

Lower costs, increased flexibility

The Stratolaunch system will eventually have the capability of launching people into low earth orbit, but the company is taking a building block approach in development of the launch aircraft and booster, with initial efforts focused on unmanned payloads. Human flights will follow, after safety, reliability and operability are demonstrated. Plans call for a first flight in 2016. The air-launch-to-orbit system will mean lower costs, greater safety, and more flexibility and responsiveness than is possible today with ground-based systems, reports Stratolaunch.

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