 |
|
A more complete study of the Solar System
February 05, 2004The Basque company SENER has been contracted by the European Space Agency (ESA) to prepare a technologies programme for the GAIA astronomy mission.
The specifications of this satellite include an 11-metre diameter parasol which unfolds after being put into orbit, giving thermal stability in a passive way to the telescope. SENER is developing this parasol, along with its mechanisms, structure and thermal shield, in conjunction with Astrium GMBH, which is sub-contractor for a number of thermal elements.
The project involves the construction of a demonstration model with which a study of the different alternatives can be carried out and the final chosen concept can be validated. During the controlled take-off, special attention will be paid to the thermal blankets, which have to be folded up at this lift-off stage, as well as to their influence on the capacity to thermally insulate the GAIA payload.
A demonstration model will also be built which will test the carrying out of the project objectives.
New contract
SENER has recently won a new contract for the development of technologies for this mission. This involves a fine positioning mechanism of the telescope's secondary mirror. The mechanism has to work as low temperatures (-130ş C) and over a limited number of cycles. The technological challenge lies in the fact that the positioning of the mirror has to be carried out in five degrees (three linear movements and two rotations) while maintaining settings of tenths of a micro. Although there are mechanisms which can carry out this task at ambient temperature, there is none as yet developed that can operate at such low temperatures.
The GAIA mission
The GAIA mission, to be launched in 2010, will examine more than a billion stars, including many of those found close to the Sun.
The aim of the mission is to draw up the largest and the most precise map ever of our galaxy, a study that is crucial in order to get to know the Milky Way better. During the mapping process, GAIA will discover the movement of each star in its orbit around the centre of the Galaxy, which will enable astronomers to see back in time, to when the Galaxy was just beginning to take shape.
Elhuyar Fundazioa
Science Research Departments
Earth Science
Alternative Energy | Anthropology and Archaeology | Earthquakes and Volcanoes | Environment and Nature News | Global Warming | High-Energy and Particle Physics | Ozone Hole | Scientists Slow Light | Tsunami
Space Science
Astronomy and Space News | Black Holes | Chandra X-Ray Observatory | Extrasolar Planets | Hubble Telescope | International Space Station | Jupiter Galileo Mission | Jupiter Cassini Mission Flyby | Mars Exploration | Mars Odyssey 2001 | Mars Global Surveyor | Mars Polar Lander | Mars Climate Orbiter | Mars Pathfinder | Meteors and Asteroids | Mir Space Station | NEAR Asteroid Probe Mission | Pluto Planet Debate | Search for Extraterrestrial Life | Space Shuttle Program | Space Shuttle Mission: STS-102 | Space Weather
Life Science
Animal News | Biotechnology and Genetics | Brain Research | Human Cloning | Dinosaur and Fossil Discoveries | Endangered Species | Gene Therapy | Genetically Modified Food | Stem Cell Research | Whales and Whaling
 | The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity-Challenge the World Around You! (Everything Kids Series) by Tom Robinson The Everything "RM" Kids' series is being relaunched at a phenomenal new price! They're the same great quality you've come to expect, still packed with tons of activities and puzzles in two-color -- now with a lower price that everyone can appreciate! Stock up on these perennial bestsellers that keep your kids active and engaged. The wide scope of subject material -- from jokes to science... |
 | Science Fair by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson Grdankl the Strong, president of Kprshtskan, is plotting to take over the American government. His plan is to infiltrate the science fair at Hubble Middle School, located in a Maryland suburb just outside Washington. The rich kids at Hubble cheat by buying their projects every year, and Grdankl's cronies should have no problem selling them his government-corrupting software. But this year, Toby... |
 | The Science of Good Food: The Ultimate Reference on How Cooking Works by David Joachim, Andrew Schloss, A. Philip Handel The science of cooking is the most fascinating and influential development in cuisine. Award-winning chefs and cutting-edge restaurants around the world are famous for using the principles of chemistry and physics to create exciting new taste sensations. From Ferrán Adrià of El Bulli restaurant in Spain to Homaro Cantu of Moto in Chicago, great chefs combine unexpected textures and flavors... |
 | Pop Bottle Science by Lynn Brunelle It's pure bottled magic! A complete kit that ingeniously marries science and fun in the breakthrough vein of The Bug Book & Bug Bottle (1.7 million copies in print) and The Bones Book & Skeleton (1.65 million copies in print), Pop Bottle Science presents 79 easy, hands-on experiments that probe the worlds of chemistry, physics, biology, geology, weather, the human body, and even astronomy.The Pop... |
 | The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science: 64 Daring Experiments for Young Scientists by Sean Connolly What could be more fun for kids than to have the kind of rip-roaring good time that harkens back to pre-video game, pre-computer days? Introducing 64 valuable science experiments that snap, crackle, pop, ooze, crash, boom, and stink! From Marshmallows on Steroids to Home-Made Lightning, the Sandwich Bag Bomb to Giant Air Cannon, The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science awakens kids' curiosity... |
 | On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is a kitchen classic. Hailed by Time magazine as "a minor masterpiece" when it first appeared in 1984, On Food and Cooking is the bible to which food lovers and professional chefs worldwide turn for an understanding of where our foods come from, what exactly they're made of, and how cooking transforms them into something new and delicious.Now, for its twentieth... |
 | 365 Simple Science Experiments with Everyday Materials by E. Richard Churchill, Louis V. Loeschnig, Muriel Mandell Illustrated by Frances Zweifel. The fundamentals of science are brought to life in a year's worth of fun and educational hands-on experiments that can be performed easily and inexpensively at... |
 | The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2008 (The Best American Series) "The articles . . . draw the reader more tightly into the web of the world. They forge links in unexpected ways. They connect us to nature and to each other, and those connections nourish the intellect and uplift the spirit."—Jerome Groopman, M.D., editorThis year's Best American Science and Nature Writing offers another rich assortment of "fascinating science and impressive journalism" (New... |
 | Everything Kids’ Magical Science Experiments Book: Dazzle your friends and family by making magical things happen! (Everything Kids Series) by Tom Robinson Want to make things disappear? Change salt to sugar? Create slime using items found in your kitchen? Well, with The Everything Kids' Magical Science Experiments Book, you can do just that--and more! Filled with more than 50 science experiments that bend the rules of time, space, and logic, The Everything Kids' Magical Science Experiments Book shows you how to unlock the mysteries of... |
 | Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting (Spanish Edition) by Fil Hunter, Steven Biver, Paul Fuqua An amazing (and some would say magical) resource on photographic lighting that has been talked about in the community and recommended for years. This highly respected guide has been thoroughly updated and revised for content and design - it is now produced in full color! It introduces a logical theory of photographic lighting so if you are starting out in photography you will learn how to... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |