Topic Review
SpaceX Mars Transportation Infrastructure
Elon Musk and SpaceX have proposed the development of Mars transportation infrastructure in order to facilitate the eventual colonization of Mars. The mission architecture includes fully reusable launch vehicles, human-rated spacecraft, on-orbit propellant tankers, rapid-turnaround launch/landing mounts, and local production of rocket fuel on Mars via in situ resource utilization (ISRU). SpaceX's aspirational goal since 2017 has been to land the first humans on Mars by 2024. A key element of the infrastructure is planned to be the SpaceX Starship, a fully reusable space vehicle under development since 2018. To achieve a large payload, the spacecraft would first enter Earth orbit, where it is expected to be refueled before it departs to Mars. After landing on Mars, the spacecraft would be loaded with locally-produced propellants to return to Earth. The expected payload for the Starship/Super Heavy is to inject between 100–150 tonnes (220,000–330,000 lb) to Mars. SpaceX intends to concentrate its resources on the transportation part of the Mars colonization project, including the design of a propellant plant based on the Sabatier process that will be deployed on Mars to synthesize methane and liquid oxygen as rocket propellants from the local supply of atmospheric carbon dioxide and ground-accessible water ice. However, Musk has advocated since 2016 a larger set of long-term Mars settlement objectives, going far beyond what SpaceX projects to build; any successful colonization would ultimately involve many more economic actors—whether individuals, companies, or governments—to facilitate the growth of the human presence on Mars over many decades.
  • 3.2K
  • 21 Nov 2022
Topic Review
SpaceIL
SpaceIL is an Israeli nonprofit organization, established in 2011, that was competing in the Google Lunar X Prize (GLXP) to land a spacecraft on the Moon. The contest declared no winner, but SpaceIL still aims to launch the spacecraft in 2019. SpaceIL team was formed as a nonprofit organization wishing to promote scientific and technological education in Israel. Its total budget is estimated at US$70 million, provided mainly by philanthropists and the Israel Space Agency (ISA).
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  • 24 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Space Weather Infrastructure in Africa
Space weather science has been a growing field in Africa since 2007. This growth in infrastructure and human capital development has been accompanied by the deployment of ground-based observing infrastructure, most of which was donated by foreign institutions or installed and operated by foreign establishments. 
  • 212
  • 18 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Space Travel Using Constant Acceleration
Constant acceleration is a proposed aspect of most future forms of space travel. It entails that the propulsion system of whatever kind operate continuously with a steady acceleration, rather than the brief impulsive thrusts used by chemical rockets — for the first half of the journey it constantly pushes the spacecraft towards its destination, and for the last half of the journey it constantly uses backthrust, so that the spaceship arrives at the destination at a standstill.
  • 2.7K
  • 11 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Space Apps
Space Apps is annual NASA's global hackathon, first held in April 2012, and serves as innovation incubation and civic engagement program. NASA and its partners put out challenges relating to current work for which space enthusiasts around the world of all backgrounds can develop innovative solutions (which can be more than just apps!), particularly focusing on use of NASA data and promoting education. The project, formerly run by NASA's Office of the Chief Information Officer, is part of NASA's Earth Science Mission Directorate and is a part of the Open Government Initiative founded under President Barack Obama "creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government." It also fulfills the United States’ commitments to the Open Government Partnership.
  • 232
  • 08 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
Established in its modern form on 16 September 1961 by an executive order of President of Pakistan, it is headquartered in Karachi, Sindh Province of Pakistan. Part of the Strategic Plans Division (SPD) of Pakistan Armed Forces, which is currently headquartered at the Chakalala Military District under the control of the Pakistan Air Force ; the space programmes recorded number of pioneering accomplishments in space flight during the initial years of its establishment. The country's first satellite, Badr-I, was built by the SUPARCO and launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China on July 16, 1990. However, during the meantime, the space programme suffered many setbacks, difficulties, and problems that partly slowed the progress of the space programme. The bureaucratic influence and politicization further lagged the space programme and many projects were cancelled by the superior authorities. Over the years, SUPARCO expanded and it now has several installations all over the country. It has multi-lateral and bilateral international agreements. SUPARCO has been quite dormant in recent years and also have failed to make any breakthroughs. SUPARCO's science and research is mainly focused and concentrated on understanding of the Solar system, Space weather, astrophysics, astronomical observation, climatic studies, space and telemedicine, remote sensing and the Earth observation.
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  • 02 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Soyuz TMA-20
Soyuz TMA-20 was a human spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) and was part of the Soyuz programme. It lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on December 15, 2010, and docked with the ISS two days later. The three-person crew of Soyuz TMA-20 – Dmitri Kondratyev, Catherine Coleman and Paolo Nespoli – represented the ISS partner organizations of Roscosmos, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). Soyuz TMA-20's crew represented half of the members of Expedition 27; the other three members of the expedition arrived at the station on board Soyuz TMA-21 on April 6, 2011. The COSPAR ID of Soyuz TMA-20 was 2010-067A. It is ISS flight 25S. On May 24, 2011, after spending 159 days in space, the Soyuz TMA-20 descent module landed safely in Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, carrying Kondratyev, Coleman and Nespoli.
  • 486
  • 17 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Soyuz TMA-03M
Soyuz TMA-03M was a spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS). It launched on 21 December 2011 from Site One at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, carrying three members of Expedition 30 to the ISS. TMA-03M was the 112th flight of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, since the first in 1967, and the third flight of the modernised Soyuz-TMA-M version. The docking with the International Space Station took place at 19:19 Moscow Time on 23 December, three minutes ahead of schedule. The crew were Oleg Kononenko (Russia , commander), André Kuipers (the Netherlands) and Donald Pettit (United States ). The Soyuz remained aboard the space station for the Expedition 30 increment to serve as an emergency escape vehicle if needed. The capsule used in the mission can be seen at the Space Expo visitors center at the European Space Research and Technology Centre in Noordwijk, Netherlands.
  • 451
  • 05 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Soyuz TM-23
Soyuz TM-23 was a Soyuz spaceflight which launched on February 21, 1996, to Mir. The spacecraft launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, and after two days of flight, Yuri Onufrienko and Yury Usachov docked with Mir and became the 21st resident crew of the Station. On September 2, 1996, after 191 days docked with Mir, the ship undocked with the launch crew and Claudie André-Deshays onboard, before eventually landing 107 km (66 mi) south west of Akmola, Kazakhstan.
  • 309
  • 28 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Soyuz TM-22
Soyuz TM-22 was a Soyuz spaceflight to the Soviet space station Mir. It launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome Launch Pad 1 on September 3, 1995. After two days of free flight, the crew docked with Mir to become Mir Principal Expedition 20 and Euromir 95. Mir 20 was a harbinger of the multinational missions that would be typical of the International Space Station. After 179 days, 1 hour and 42 minutes on orbit, Reiter obtained the record for spaceflight duration by a Western European.
  • 620
  • 11 Oct 2022
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