Articles tagged with Spacecraft
A new risk assessment method for the space shuttle program has been developed, with findings showing that 15% of tiles contributed to 85% of identified risks. This study emphasizes the importance of considering tile failure in the overall risk management strategy.
Astronauts will test a new commercial fire-fighting system that uses fine water mist to put out blazes, reducing damage and environmental harm. The system's effectiveness in microgravity has been shown to be superior to traditional sprinklers, with water mists requiring one-tenth the water to extinguish a flame.
Engineers mimic nature's solution to a classic problem in aerospace engineering by recreating part of a horse bone's unique structure. The biomimetic plate pushes stresses away from holes, resulting in increased strength and reduced weight.
The Stardust spacecraft is using a flyby of asteroid Annefrank to prepare for its primary mission to capture particles from Wild 2. The asteroid's small size and distance from the spacecraft mean images won't be detailed, but it provides a crucial test for the spacecraft's systems.
Researchers from CU-Boulder will conduct cell biology experiments in microgravity, mimicking normal functioning kidney cells and studying molecular responses to infections. Plant growth experiments will also explore the role of gravity on plant development, with potential applications in timber and pharmaceutical industries.
NASA awards consortium of research institutions $30 million to create self-healing materials inspired by nature. The Institute for Biologically Inspired Materials will investigate repair mechanisms used by plants, animals and other organisms.
Space weather events, caused by solar storms, are damaging satellites and power grids due to increasing technological challenges. Scientists are working on predicting and mitigating these effects with new observations, simulations, and predictive models.
Researchers conducted a high-tech simulation to test the Mars Exploration Rover mission, which will arrive on Mars in early 2004. The test aimed to understand the nature and accumulation patterns of Mars' signature red dust, crucial for ensuring astronaut safety.
The University of Colorado at Boulder has been selected by NASA to build two instruments for a satellite that will probe polar mesospheric clouds. The $92 million mission, Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM), aims to study these clouds and their role in the Earth's atmosphere.
Aqua has successfully transmitted engineering images from five of its six instruments, providing a glimpse into the spacecraft's performance and paving the way for operational data in early September. The high-quality data will help improve weather forecasts and advance our understanding of Earth's climate system, particularly the role...
The CONTOUR mission will examine the 'heart' of comets, exploring their composition and dynamics through high-resolution images and gas analysis. The four-year mission will visit two comets, Encke and Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, and potentially a new comet in the outer solar system.
The NASA spacecraft TIMED observes the global reaction of the upper atmosphere to solar activity, helping scientists understand why some solar events have significant geospace impact. Preliminary data from TIMED will be featured at the Spring 2002 American Geophysical Union meeting, May 31, in Washington, D.C.
NASA's new Microgravity Science Glovebox will enhance the Space Station's science capabilities by providing a facility for safely working with fluids, flames, particles, and fumes. The glovebox supports low-cost, small investigations from multiple disciplines, including materials science and biotechnology.
The MESSENGER project has passed a critical design review and is ready to move forward with building its spacecraft. The spacecraft will study Mercury's composition, geologic history, and magnetosphere over a one-year orbit, providing valuable insights into the inner solar system.
A Virginia Tech engineer is developing advanced control systems for unmanned underwater vehicles to perform complex maneuvers, such as evasive actions and tracking El Niño boundaries. His research aims to create protected controls mechanisms for long-duration autonomous operations in the ocean.
Researchers argue that English should be the primary language for space travelers due to its international significance and potential for genetic diversity. Despite this, changes in vocabulary may occur during the journey, particularly with new words being coined and old ones falling out of use.
The TIMED spacecraft is beginning its two-year science mission to study the influences of the sun and humans on the least explored portion of Earth's atmosphere. The mission will provide a global picture of this critical region, enabling future 'space weather' predictions.
Engineers have demonstrated the precision attitude control capability of NASA's Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT) on board the EO-1 satellite, making it the first time this technology has been used. The PPT is a fuel-efficient system that uses electromagnetic forces to propel a spacecraft, offering potential benefits for future space missions.
The Cornell and Contour Comet Challenge encourages students and teachers to create educational programs about the spacecraft's goal to study comets. The challenge includes two winning teams that will receive a trip to Kennedy Space Center and educational materials.
Astronauts experience orthostatic intolerance after space flight, characterized by lightheadedness and dizziness. UT Southwestern researchers found that heart shrinking and becoming stiff is the primary cause, contrary to previous research suggesting a malfunction of the sympathetic nervous system.
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has been selected by NASA to develop the first mission to explore Pluto and the Kuiper Belt region. The New Horizons: Shedding Light on Frontier Worlds mission will use a team of scientists and engineers from various institutions to design, build, and operate the spacecraft.
The Starshine Satellite Project involves students from Pakistan, New Zealand, Brazil, and India polishing thousands of mirrors to help calibrate The Fence, the Navy's space surveillance network. Once launched, students will be able to track the satellite's movement as it passes across the skies.
The Dawgstar nanosatellite will conduct scientific research on the Earth's ionosphere and perform precision formation flying experiments with two companion satellites. Students played a primary role in designing and building the compact piece of space hardware, gaining hands-on experience for future space endeavors.
The Mars Odyssey spacecraft has entered into orbit around Mars, providing a key communications link for the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission. The two Rovers will be able to upload data on mineral and element composition of rocks and soils to a state-of-the-art communications package.
A global map of asteroid 433 Eros reveals that nearly half of the largest rocks were ejected from a single crater, Shoemaker. The rocks were likely created by a meteorite collision about a billion years ago.
A new movie from NASA's Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission showcases the final moments of the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft's yearlong orbit at asteroid 433 Eros. The minute-long video, produced by imaging team member Mark Robinson, offers a close-up view of the asteroid's varied terrain and features.
A virtual-reality training tool is being developed to help astronauts learn techniques for navigating complex spacecraft and maintaining orientation in microgravity environments. The device tests users' ability to maintain spatial awareness and navigate through various modules.
The NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft will embark on a series of low-altitude passes over asteroid 433 Eros from Jan. 24 to Jan. 28, gathering detailed images of the surface. The controlled descent, set for Feb. 12, aims to capture high-resolution close-ups of Eros' cratered landscape.
The Stardust spacecraft is set to receive a gravity boost from Earth, lengthening its orbit and setting it on course for a rendezvous with comet Wild 2. The spacecraft will capture particles being boiled off the comet's surface by solar heating.
Researchers have found that near-infrared light from LEDs accelerates wound healing in patients with diabetic skin ulcers, serious burns, and severe oral sores. The treatment uses a portable device emitting LED lights, which promote energy inside cells, leading to faster healing times.
NASA's 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle Program aims to develop a privately owned, commercially competitive reusable launch vehicle. Proposals are due November 27, with cost proposals due December 4, and are expected to award multiple contracts totaling $900 million next spring.
The NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft will swoop in for a record-breaking view of asteroid Eros, collecting data and images from just 5.3 kilometers above the surface. The low-altitude flyover will provide detailed information on the asteroid's shape and surface features.
The Interplanetary Network detected a gigantic gamma-ray burst, the most distant ever observed, from a dying star 30 times more massive than the sun. The burst is believed to have occurred 11 billion years ago and has been traveling through space for the same amount of time.
The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission has successfully executed the first of three orbital correction maneuvers to bring its spacecraft closer to asteroid Eros. The spacecraft will make a gradual pass within 4 miles of the asteroid's surface, gathering high-resolution images and data on the asteroid's structure.
Hernandez Engineering, Inc. will deliver management, personnel, equipment, and supplies for safety and mission assurance at NASA's Marshall Center. The contract value is up to $35.9 million, with a focus on reducing space launch costs and improving flight safety.
The MACE-II experiment, launched on September 8 aboard the space shuttle Atlantis, will test techniques for predicting motion and controlling vibrations in zero gravity. With multiple months of testing, researchers will interact with the experiment remotely to refine its performance.
NASA has awarded four small businesses 90-day contracts to develop concepts and requirements for a potential backup capability to provide access to the International Space Station. The study aims to enhance the station's operational flexibility by launching within a week if primary delivery methods are unavailable.
Researchers are studying zeolites, crystals that can produce more gasoline from a barrel of oil, reducing dependence on petroleum. In microgravity, larger crystals are grown, providing insights into their structure and potential for efficient fuel production.
NASA's X-34 and X-40A vehicles will be showcased at the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Technology Exposition, highlighting the X-37 Project and its related technologies. The event will provide an opportunity for industry representatives to learn about the program and its benefits.
A U of T engineer has devised a method to control vibrations in robots assembling or repairing objects in outer space. By entering a 'corrected' equation into the system, scientists can reduce deformations and complete tasks more quickly.
Nine companies have been selected to participate in a $15 million NASA Research Announcement effort titled the Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle Risk Reduction Definition Program. This research will explore possible Earth-to-orbit launch vehicles, in-space orbit transfer vehicles, and ground and flight operations.
A team of scientists identified Io as the dominant source of the Jovian dust streams, which are high-rate bursts of submicron-sized particles. The particles' motion is strongly influenced by Jupiter's magnetic field, providing a unique signature that could only be present if Io were the dominant source.
The Galileo spacecraft has captured the highest-resolution images yet of three of Jupiter's four innermost moons, revealing surface features as small as 2 kilometers across. The images show a bright surface feature on Amalthea named Ida, a streak of bright material about 50 kilometers in length.
The Ulysses spacecraft detected a dramatic change in solar wind and magnetic field lines, revealing comet tails that are likely billions of miles long. This finding opens up new ways to study comets and gain insights into the solar system's birth.
NASA is launching a new effort to develop a safer and cheaper reusable launch vehicle system, relying on commercial industry to meet NASA's science and exploration goals. The agency aims to reduce risk and technical challenges by partnering with industry partners.
The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft has captured a striking image of an asteroid featuring a heart-shaped depression. The feature, located below a large ridge on the potato-shaped asteroid, is approximately 3 miles wide and was visible from 1,609 miles away.
The NASA space shuttle Endeavour will gather information key to the University of Hawaii's research on the aftermath of volcanic eruptions. The mission aims to provide more extensive topographic data on volcanoes, including Mount Pinatubo, using advanced radar interferometry.
The NEAR spacecraft is set to embark on a historic asteroid rendezvous with Eros, the largest near-Earth asteroid discovered so far. Using its instruments, scientists will study the asteroid's chemical and physical features, evolutionary history, and magnetic field to gain insights into asteroids' origins.
University of Colorado researchers found that the production of antibiotic actinomycin D was 75% higher in space than on Earth, with a 20-fold increase in fermentation efficiency. This breakthrough has implications for developing new anti-cancer therapies.
The TIMED spacecraft, designed and built by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, will undergo final environmental testing at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center before its May 18 launch. The mission aims to study the sun's influence on Earth's Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere/Ionosphere region.
The University of Iowa team will use a low-frequency radar to probe beneath the Martian surface and study the planet's ionosphere. The goal is to detect signs of liquid water, which may be responsible for carving the planet's canyons.
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new propulsion system called M2P2 that could potentially increase spacecraft speeds by up to 10 times, surpassing Voyager I's distance from Earth. The system uses a plasma chamber and electromagnetic field to harness the solar wind for propulsion.
Two Stanford University scientists argue that large amounts of water ice are unlikely on the Moon, suggesting an alternative explanation involving the reaction of lunar dust with hydrogen and oxygen. They propose that the Lunar Prospector crash could produce a plume of water vapor and hydroxyl ions without ice being present.
The University of Iowa is conducting a space shuttle experiment to study human cell growth and metabolism in space. The oxygen-sensing system developed by the university will be used to monitor oxygen levels and provide feedback control for optimal growth conditions.
A team of scientists from Montana State University designed an experiment to study the role of gravity on infection-fighting white blood cells. The goal is to understand why astronauts are more vulnerable to infections in space and develop pharmaceuticals to boost immune responses.
BioServe will fly three bioprocessing payloads and industry experiments, including a National Institutes of Health experiment and two K-12 student outreach projects, on the space shuttle Columbia. The experiments focus on developing new wastewater treatments and improving techniques used to evaluate pharmaceutical compounds.
JHU/APL's MESSENGER spacecraft will be the first to visit Mercury in over three decades, gathering data on the planet's density, atmosphere, and magnetosphere. The $286 million mission has potential applications in industry beyond scientific research.
NASA has selected 23 organizations to develop revolutionary space-based power generating systems that harness the Sun's energy for Earth and space. The selected teams will receive $6.4 million in funding to create commercially viable space solar power technologies.
A study by NASA's Johnson Space Center found that spaceflight increases the levels of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in astronauts' saliva samples. EBV can cause glandular fever and has been associated with Burkitt's lymphoma, a type of cancer common in Africa.
A team of young researchers, mentored by Associate Professor Max Vercruyssen, are developing a computerized driving simulator to evaluate astronaut fitness for space travel. The simulator aims to determine alertness, judgment, and motor skills related to operating an automobile, similar to assessing fitness-for-duty in the space shuttle.