The Stardust spacecraft recently completed a course adjustment maneuver as it continues on its way to comet Tempel 1. The burn began at 2221 UTC on February 17 and lasted 22 minutes and 53 seconds. The net result: A change of the spacecraft’s speed by 24 meters per second. That may not sound like much, [...]
Every few weekends as we move toward the March 5 deadline for submission of abstracts to the next International Astronautical Congress, I’ll re-run this call for papers that I originally published in December. The Tau Zero Foundation hopes to energize discussion of FOCAL in the astronautical community and create a growing set of papers analyzing [...]
This is a scratchboard piece I just did for Illustration Friday. The theme was “Adrift.
My interest in solar sail concepts goes back to the days of Cordwainer Smith’s “The Lady Who Sailed the Soul,” a science fiction tale (Galaxy, April 1960) whose evocative conjuring of a fantastic future has always stayed with me despite far more realistic sail concepts from the pen of Arthur C. Clarke and Poul Anderson, [...]
Obama cuts manned moon budget Space blog Obama cuts manned moon budget Sir Martin Sweeting So President Obama has scrapped the US plans for a manned return to the Moon . As the world claws it way out of recession , many might see this decision as being financially prudent . However , the exploration of the lunar surface is still very much on the agenda . But it won’t be man making one small step next time , it will be a robot Several nations are planning robotic lunar missions including India , China , Korea and interestingly , the USA . And when you think about it , this makes perfect sense because robotic lunar missions are much more cost effective than manned missions , although not so emotive . Of course , robotic exploration is nothing new with NASA and ESA both utilising this technology , but it’s still very expensive . The price tag for the European ExoMars programme is around 1Bn which is a lot of money in any currency . But does robotic exploration have to be this expensive MoonLITE Orbiter Penetrator , designed by SSTL for the design phase of the UK government's MoonLITE mission for a low-cost orbiter carrying scientific lunar surface penetrators and a communications
As you know, I’m highly dubious about this “Project M” that has just surfaced on the intertoobs (I strongly suspect it’s a hoax). But doubts aside, I kept looking at that android throwing stones on the lunar surface thinking I’d seen that guy somewhere before. At first, I thought C3PO from Star Wars… but no! [...]Post from: Astroengine.comThe Real Inspiration Behind “Project M”
Abandon in Place space art
Yesterday I had the privilege of being interviewed by Steve Grzanich, a reporter for WBBM-AM radio. The topic of our conversation was my reaction to this week’s announcement regarding NASA’s new budget and the decision to cancel both the Constellation program and NASA’s plans for a return of humans to the [...]
Don't miss Sir Martin Sweeting on IET.tv Space blog Don't miss Sir Martin Sweeting on IET.tv SSTL founder , and Director of the Surrey Space Centre Professor Sir Martin Sweeting gave a talk on small satellites for the Appleton Lecture organised by the IET on 19th . January The Appleton Lecture was established in 1965 to commemorate the life and work of Sir Edward Appleton , a widely honoured physicist and Nobel Prize winner who is mainly noted for research into the upper atmosphere . In keeping with this theme , Sir Martin was invited as a world renowned expert on satellites , to give an hour long talk Small Satellites Big Future For anyone who missed the lecture on the 19th January , the IET has made it avaliable online at IET.tv If you have an interest in SSTL , satellite engineering and the future of space technology to tune in online it's a very good watch . Just click on Small Satellites Big future This entry was posted by Robin Wolstenholme on Thursday , February 4. 2010 at 08:33. and is filed under In the news You can leave a response or trackback from your own blog . All new comments are subject to moderation before being displayed . Defined tags for this entry : iet
What you see here is something mankind has never seen before, the aftermath of an asteroid collision. This conclusion comes after the Hubble Space Telescope was commanded to take a closer look at a strange comet-like object pottering around in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
“The truth is we’re still struggling [...]Post from: Astroengine.comP/2010 A2 Was An Asteroid Collision (Says Hubble)
Meet SSTL at a show in 2010 Space blog Meet SSTL at a show in 2010 The SSTL Group is attending a number of shows in 2010 where it will present its latest satellite subsystems , satellite communications and civilian and commercial earth observation mission capabilities . Experts from SSTL and its American operation SSTL US will be on hand to discuss your latest space challenges and how they might be . solved SATTECH Singapore 28-30 January 2010. The Global Space and Technology Convention GSTC is the world’s premier Space Convention showcasing the latest technology in space engineering and . design ASS Guidance Control Conference Breckenridge , Colorado , USA 6-10 . February Join SSTL US LLC at the AIAA Guidance , Navigation , and Control GN Conferencefor the latest developments in GN technology , with a unique focus on theory and applications in aeronautics and . astronautics HOSDB 2010 Farnborough 16-18 March 2010. Join SSTL on stand F17. The HOSDB 2010 exhibition is a UK event showcasing the latest security equipment for law enforcement and public security . It focuses on : Crime and Policing , Security and Counter Terrorism , Identity Management and Border . Security Satellite
Lift Off digital space art painting
Yesterday I visited the Harper College Art Gallery. The impetus was my decision to enter the 33rd Harper College National Art Exhibition, featuring Small Works juried exhibition. It was my first visit to Harper’s art gallery. Currently on display is an exhibit titled House Painting.
The artist behind House Painting is [...]
Something rather bizarre was observed in the asteroid belt on January 6. Ray Villard at Discovery News has just posted an exciting article about the discovery of a comet… but it’s not your average, run-of-the-mill kinda comet. This comet appears to orbit the Sun, embedded in the asteroid belt.
Comets don’t usually do that, they tend [...]Post from: Astroengine.comCould P/2010 A2 be the First Ever Observation of an Asteroid Collision?
: : Accessibility links Text only Skip to content Skip to local navigation Skip to bbc.co.uk navigation Skip to bbc.co.uk search Help Accessibility Help Access keys help Previous Main Next Methane on Mars : Esa and Nasa get down to business Jonathan Amos 17:09 UK time , Monday , 18 January 2010 After all the talk , it's now for real . Having spent most of last year working out how they could explore Mars together Nasa and Esa posted their first Announcement of Opportunity on Monday . It's a call to scientists to propose instruments for a satellite to be sent to the Red Planet in 2016 Europe will build it the Americans will launch it . Researchers on both sides of the Atlantic will be involved in developing its sophisticated sensors . The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter TGO as it is known currently , will circle the Red Planet looking for methane and other substances that might indicate the presence of life . Methane at Mars is a really intriguing subject , not least because on Earth we know this gas to be associated with life processes . The gas was first detected in the Martian atmosphere in 2003 by the Mars Express orbiter and by Earth-based observations . Subsequent mapping has found
Which planet does Tethys orbit again?
I do admit, I’m terrible with names, but I never forget a face. In this case, the face I didn’t forget was a little moon orbiting Saturn (it’s the one that looks like the Death Star from Star Wars). However, after seeing this photo, I doubt I’ll ever forget Tethys’ [...]Post from: Astroengine.comTethys Plays Hide and Seek with Cassini
I mean, is the spaghettification of John Cusack using awesome 2012 doomsday graphics too much to ask? Instead of an improbable alien spacecraft appearing over the White House, why not use a black hole, producing so much tidal shear that it rips the building apart brick-by brick? Oh, and then have all the matter being [...]Post from: Astroengine.comHow are Black Holes Used in the Movies?
Green light for Galileo satellites Space blog Green light for Galileo satellites Today at 12:30 in Brussels , the EC announced that the SSTL and OHB-System team has been selected by ESA to supply 14 navigation satellites for the deployment phase of the Galileo satellite navigation system in a deal worth 560m Euro . Galileo satellite The two companies agreed to work together as a core team” on Galileo at the end of 2007, with OHB taking the role of prime contractor and builder of the spacecraft bus” and SSTL taking full responsibility for the navigation payloads onboard the satellite that will form the heart of the Galileo navigation . system SSTL Group CEO Dr Matt Perkins is delighted with the : news The award of this contract is an important step for SSTL . Our satellites are already providing operational services for many government and commercial customers and we are pleased to have a major role within Europe’s flagship Galileo programme . The experience gained on GIOVE-A will help us to ensure the contract will be a success for the EC and ESA . This programme will also help to establish SSTL as a provider of communications and navigation satellites into other . markets It wasGalileo satellite's 4th birthday today Space blog Galileo satellite's 4th birthday today SSTL is celebrating the 4th anniversary of the launch of its historic GIOVE-A satellite today . As the first of the G alileo I n O rbit V alidation E lement satellites , GIOVE-A was the first step in Europe's visionary Galileo satellite navigation programme when it was launched on December 28th 2005. During the past 4 years , SSTL and GIOVE-A have contributed significantly to the testing and validation of technologies vital to the now imminent operational constellation of satellites . The 660 kg GIOVE-A satellite was built by SSTL for ESA in just 30 months at a cost of just 28m . Euros SSTL CEO Dr . Matt Perkins commented SSTL is proud of its involvement with the Galileo programme and the continuing success of GIOVE-A . This mission has clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of SSTL’s small satellite approach for the delivery of operational . missions GIOVE-A was the first part of the in-orbit validation programme for Galileo , broadcasting the first signal to successfully secure the critical Galileo frequency filing with the International Telecommunications Union ITU at 17:25 GMT on the 12th