A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience
Abigaille, a robot inspired by the gecko.
Inspired by the gecko, a robot that crawls up walls has taken a small but important step towards a future in space, scientists said on Thursday. The tiny legged prototype could be the forerunner of automatons that crawl along the hulls of spacecraft, cleaning and maintaining them, the European Space Agency (ESA) said.
Continue reading… “Gecko-inspired wall-crawling robot could someday be used in space”
In-orbit gas station
NASA is considering a proposal to put fuel depots in space while looking to accelerate plans to send astronauts to distant destinations.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ein_J_EuAb8&hd=1[/youtube]
For one spacecraft to grab onto another spacecraft in space is a very challenging task. Although the robotic arms on the space shuttles and International Space Station (ISS) have made it look easy over the years, the process requires complex manipulator arms and special fixtures on the objects the arms are grasping, limiting the technology’s use. A small startup company is testing a new approach, though, that could greatly expand the applications of robotic arm technology to include, for example, cleaning up orbital debris and servicing the ISS.
Continue reading… “‘Sticky boom’ – a sticky solution for grabbing objects in space”
Alpha Centauri or bust.
Darpa, the government agency that helped invent the Internet, now wants to do the same for travel to the stars.
Continue reading… “Darpa seeks plan to send humans to the stars”
Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, unveils the Falcon Heavy rocket at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, April 5, 2011.
SpaceX, a private US company, hopes to put an astronaut on Mars within 10 to 20 years, the head of the firm said.
Continue reading… “SpaceX Hopes to Put an Astronaut on Mars in 10-20 Years”
Project Daedalus
Forget about warp drives and wormholes, the Daedalus class of interstellar spacecraft could make it to a nearby star in our lifetimes, and it’s doable with near-term technology. Also, it’s huge. (Pics and video)
Continue reading… “Project Daedalus – The First Realistic Interstellar Probe”
Space Adventures became world-renowned 10 years ago with the launch of Dennis Tito, the world’s first privately-funded space explorer.
Space Adventures, the only company that has provided human space mission opportunities to the world marketplace, announced today the conclusion of an agreement with the Federal Space Agency of the Russian Federation (FSA) and Rocket Space Corporation Energia (RSC Energia) to commercially offer three seats on the Soyuz spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS), beginning in 2013.
Japanese probe Akatsuki
A Japanese space probe on a £190 million mission to orbit Venus has missed the planet completely – but could be more successful when it next passes by in six years’ time, scientists said.
A view from low-Earth orbit.
Boeing Co plans to offer passengers the chance to fly into space on a craft it is developing for travel in low-Earth orbit, the aerospace company said on Wednesday.
Continue reading… “Boeing to Offer Passengers a Chance to Fly Into Space”
A potential design for a rail-launched aircraft and spacecraft that could revolutionize the launch business.
As if launching a shuttle flanked by massive booster rockets that peel away as it ascends isn’t hardcore enough, NASA is looking into building a next gen spacecraft delivery system. Better still, the agency contends that the tech behind it could improve all our lives.
Continue reading… “Emerging Technologies May Fuel NASA’s Revolutionary Spacecraft Launcher”
NASA’s Solar Probe Plus
NASA said it is developing a car-sized satellite that by “no later than 2018” will plunge into the sun’s outer atmosphere for an up-close study of its super-hot corona, solar wind and lethal radiation.
For 6 months, they worked hard on their assignment, never suspecting the surprise Dantowitz had in store.
On March 12th, he stunned them with the news: “The mission is real, and you’re going along for the ride…”
Continue reading… “Students Capture Video of Disintegrating Spacecraft”