Carnival Of The Space Geeks (To The Tenth Power)
Editor’s note: The tenth Carnival of Space is up over at Why Homeschool and has thus far been the best roundup of what is happening in the space arena (at least as far as blogs are concerned).
Some interesting posts include:
- Paul Gilster of Centauri Dreams discusses a new theoretical propulsion system that may enable humanity to travel to the gas giants fairly quickly (and beyond).
- Brian Wang of Advanced Nanotechnology breaks down space solar power to the megawatt level, as well as discusses why finding ways to increase “light power” would benefit Bigelow and NASA space stations.
- James of Surfin’ English elaborates on all the fun forms of radiation that can kill us, not to mention why computers enjoy it less than we do.
- Stuart Atkinson who posts at The Verse poetically portrays the thoughts of a Martian rover forced to commit suicide by exploring a deep crater.
- Bigelow Aerospace has some interesting images from their successfully launched Genesis II space station (which I have yet to write a future post on).
But the best post in this carnival goes to Louise Riofrio of A Babe In The Universe whose recent spacesuit design may enable humans to gracefully walk upon Martian and lunar soils.
(A Babe In The Universe) The skintight inner garment is a sandwich of stretchable materiels that zip on like a flightsuit. It is suitable for suborbital and Low Earth Orbit Access, like the “pumpkin suits” used today. Upon exposure to vacuum, the proprietary materiel automatically tightens to compensate. Unlike present-day soft suits, there is no loss of flexibility. The prototype is covered in silver rubber for visibility. [...]
For EVA and planetary exploration, the suit can be armoured. The outer pieces on the chest and arms are made of composite materiels that are stronger than steel. The manufacturer guarantees the materiel to 250 degrees fahrenheit, or the highest likely to be encountered in Space. As on present spacecraft, multiple aluminised layers insulate the wearer from extreme cold. The outer armour can be quickly changed to adapt for different environments. When lunar explorers are ready to return home, the outer layers and all that yucky lunar regolith can be left behind on the Moon.
The most interesting thing about this prototype is the fact that the suit can be customized to fit different needs. For example, a colonist on Mars may require a suit that deals with the potentially toxic soil via winds while on the Moon one may need to design a static free dust to keep lunar soil at bay.
Brian Dunbar over at Space For Commerce is hosting next week’s Space Carnival, and for those of you desiring to enter the carnival see this post for details.
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Carnival Of The Space Geeks (The Eighth Wonder)
Fraser Cain is hosting the eighth round of the Carnival of Space, and has some fairly interesting posts lined up including:
- Paul Gilster on Centauri Dreams discusses Modeling Exoplanet Atmospheres and makes an interesting note that the further one travels from our Sol Star, the more water we find.
- Dave Rankin on Tales of the Heliosphere discusses how ingrained the 24 hour cycle is to Earth life, which may make colonizing space a little bit more difficult (than previously thought).
- Fraser Cain from Universe Today analyzes the theory about microscopic black holes buzzing inside Earth (scary if you ask me)
- Amanda Bauer on Astropixie reviews how devastating an asteroid impact would be to planet Earth (with a cool video as well!)
- Louise Riofrio from the ever enlightening A Babe In The Universe talks about the beauty and value of the International Space Station, with an image that makes you wish you were there.
But one of the best posts has to go to Henry Cate of Why Homeschool who discusses the future “gold rush” within our asteroid belt:
(Why Homeschool) When I was fourteen I read a book about asteroids. One of the points in the book has stuck with me over a couple decades. The book said that a small asteroid of about one cubic mile was worth about $50 billion. This was in the 1970s. Nowadays the number would be closer to $300 billion. Scientists have found that asteroids have a greater density. There appears to be a greater concentration of metals when compared to the earth. [...]
Early space development may be largely financed by tourists, at least in the short term. Over the years more people and industry will start to move out into space. Mining the asteroids may prove to be the next gold rush. Stories are told of miners walking along the river banks picking up nuggets of gold. It may be that at some point men in rocket ships will be able to fly to the asteroids and pick up valuable metals.
The asteroid belt could very well be the key towards humanity colonizing our solar system. Although the influx of metals and minerals from asteroids will probably drop the prices due to economics of scale, the availability of these metals will translate into more resources available to colonies and star ships.
Despite the fact that tourism is currently driving humanities quest to the stars, hopefully mining these dancing space rocks can fund our ability to not only conquer our star system, but nearby ones as well.
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Who Will Make Solar History?
A thousand years from now when our species has begun to conquer other star systems (after colonizing our own of course), who will be some of the individuals who will go down in solar history?
While most of history has yet to be written, our future descendants may find themselves whining about memorizing the names from the “Early Space Renaissance” of the 21st century.
Although this is not a complete list, here are some of the figures who may find themselves recorded in the solar history books (not to mention having a million space kids being named after them).
George W. Bush: Whether you love him or hate him, President Bush will probably go down in history for announcing the Vision for Space Exploration (or VSE for short).
NASA’s previous vision of infinitely circling our globe and forever observing the stars (from afar) will probably be an embarrassment for our current generation, although hopefully the President’s VSE will give NASA the courage to conquer the final frontier.
Eric Anderson & Peter Diamandis: Just as the Wright Brothers helped to “kick start” aviation, Eric Anderson and Peter Diamandis have helped to kick start space tourism by forming Space Adventures.
Space Adventures helped launch the very first space tourist into orbit, kicking off a whole new industry that is destined to thrive in the next three to four years. Both Peter and Eric took the discussion from “talk to action,” proving that space was more than a privilege of governmental elites.
With future plans to launch Earthen citizens around their lunar neighbor, Space Adventures may give governmental programs a run for their money.
Robert T. Bigelow: If Space Adventures can be credited towards getting private citizens into space, Robert T. Bigelow can be credited towards actually keeping us there.
In 2006, Bigelow Aerospace launched the world’s first (of hopefully many) inflatable space station, displaying that the private sector could not only design a better, cheaper home amongst the heavens, but also generate a profit on the side.
Although constructing inflatable space stations is in itself incredible, Bigelow’s entry into space may be over shadowed by the companies attempt to help humanity colonize the moon.
Sir Richard Branson: Some people consider Sir Richard Branson to be ingenious. Other consider him to be closer to a mad scientist. Whatever your take, Branson may have the last laugh as his company Virgin Galactic is destined to bring space safely to the (moderately wealthy) masses.
Branson’s goal of making space apart of Earth culture may be paying off, as several other space firms have announced plans to launch customers into sub-orbital flights. But what sets Virgin Galactic apart from the competition is the companies emphasis on safety, which should easily put it in the lead if (God forbid) a crash occurs in the industry.
Branson also seems focused on not merely sending people into orbit, but having them check into space hotels by renting one of Bigelow Aerospace’s inflatable space station.
Elon Musk: After making a billion plus fortune by selling off PayPal to Ebay, Elon Musk decided to spend his riches on helping humanity become a space faring civilization. Thus SpaceX was born.
Although SpaceX has yet to put up a satellite successfully into orbit (along with a host of other companies), what makes SpaceX unique is their desire to drop the price of launching objects into space from around $10,000 /lbs to $1,000/ lbs.
After successfully launching an object into space on a test rocket, SpaceX seems destined (if not determined) to see humanity on not only the Moon, but Mars itself.
Dr. Bradley C. Edwards: If a building a modern day space elevator is ever feasible, this man will be credited towards coming up with the design plans.
After spending years in the realm of science fiction (or perhaps even fantasy itself), Dr. Edwards helped d
emonstrate the feasibility of this project, which (if successful) will revolutionize the way our species interacts with the solar system.
Edwards has recently started a company called Black Line Ascension whose end goal is to construct a space elevator, although only time will tell whether his research (and vision) will result in this object being built towards the heavens.
Michael Laine: If Dr. Brad Edwards can be credited towards making the space elevator doable on paper, Michael Laine may be credited to actually building it in on our homeworld.
Have previously worked with Edwards, Michael Laine founded LiftPort, this company seeks to construct a space elevator within the next 25-30 years. What makes LiftPort unique in its field is the fact that this company is seeking to chart its course within the private sector, refusing to rely completely on NASA for funding or guidance.
Only time will tell whether or not Michael’s vision of a planet where space is “open for everyone” will materialize. Either way, this man’s passion and determination to persevere despite the circumstances have inspired many to look towards the heavens as their future homes.
You: Our quest to conquer off world soils has just begun, and there may still be many spots open for ordinary citizens to say their lines and partake on the solar stage of history.
Note: Due to lack of time, images will be added later on to this post.
Update (6/21): Added images and corrected some wording.
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Bigelow Aerospace Ready For Space 2.0
After the successful launch of Genesis 1, Bigelow Aerospace hopes to surpass their achievement by launching a second inflatable space station in orbit.
(The Space Fellowship) A May 17th statement by Robert T. Bigelow stated that Bigelow Aerospace has been informed by its launch provider ISC Kosmotras (“Kosmotras”) that additional testing of the Dnepr rocket and its ground equipment was required by Russian authorities. But with no further setbacks the launch should be fine to go ahead at the newest planned launch date of June 28th.
A launch later on this month would definitely help out Bigelow Aerospace, which has been suffering from technical delays ever since shipping their craft to Russia. Although this has more to do with Russia fixing minor glitches with their rocket, Bigelow was hoping to have the craft up earlier (according to their schedule).
While their goal is to create affordable space stations for large corporations (and perhaps third world nations), Bigelow’s ultimate goal is to colonize the moon (and perhaps Mars as well).
Hopefully all goes will with this space firms plans, as a second station in orbit could help cement the idea that “NewSpace” can seed the heavens just as effectively as OldSpace our governmental space agencies.
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Will Bigelow Help Make Space Affordable?
(Hat Tip: Hobby Space)
With news of billionaires launching themselves into space, many people with less than seven figures on their hands wonder when it will be their turn to visit beyond the skies.
Although the price range may eventually drop for the moderately wealthy, Bigelow seems to be offering a common sense approach which resembles more of mortgaging a house rather than paying for the entire lot up front in cash.
(Aviation Week) One reason commercial space has been so slow to evolve is because it has required so much up front money from customers for such high risk ventures. Bigelow wants to reverse that.
“We will have milestones that it will be incumbent upon Bigelow to successfully pass before money is transitioned from being refundable to non refundable he said. “A big part of the message we will be conveying at the Space Symposium is “Look! We are not going to charge you an arm and a leg for the services that we are providing,” he said.
“We think this will make the use of our orbital services very conductive for moderately funded organizations.["]
One interesting aspect about Bigelow is that it is one of the few (if only) space companies out there that does not have to rely on the backing of a billionaire (or government funds) to finance its trip to the stars.
Despite having the financial support of its founder, Robert T. Bigelow, Bigelow Aerospace has actually made a profit launching Genesis I (and soon Genesis II), enough to sustain this company without the help from its wealthy CEO.
(Aviation Week) “Up to this point we have spent about $90 million, but the good part is that its all been from cash flow, that’s from net Bigelow Aerospace income.
“We have not been eating off one of our legs at a time to survive. We haven’t been spending capital. In that regard, we are unique among the small wannabe aerospace companies.
Although Bigelow is presenting a cost efficient way of returning to the cosmos, their space stations seem more geared towards servicing large corporations and governments, rather than civilians. With an expectation of 800 clients over the next decade, Bigelow may not look too appealing as an active force in colonizing our solar system.
However, they may provide a unique business model for companies such as Virgin Galactic, Benson Space, LiftPort, Space Adventures and others to follow, as financing a trip to space may be much easier than paying “an arm and a leg.”
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Artificial Gravity Via Space Elevator Stations
With humanity regaining their foothold among the stars, there seems to be much chatter regarding the possibility of orbital space stations circling our planet.
But in order for humanity to inhabit the heavens above us, we will need to find a way to create artificial gravity as the lack of it can have some nasty side affects upon the human body (thus banishing ourselves from large terrestrial worlds).
Constructing space elevator stations (provided that building space elevators is feasible) may not only be the answer towards us living among the stars, but also enable us to bring our animal friends with us as well.
One of the key elements keeping the space elevator “up” is centrifugal force. Often observed (or felt) when one rides in a car around a sharp turn, the centrifugal force at the top of a space elevator may provide enough “push” to simulate earthen gravity.
This would enable future space travelers to live within the space elevator station (which could also serve as a counterweight) for years without the fear of being stranded in space due to health reasons (via micro gravity).
Although some people have suggested building Goliath-sized rotating space stations, these space structures may end up transforming into an engineers nightmare as one would have to figure out how a shuttle could dock on the station without destroying it (let alone funding the project as space launches are not getting cheaper).
A space elevator station would probably provide a more reasonable approach as any space craft could dock onto the object without worrying about unnecessary twists and turns.
Despite the fact that current designs of the modern space elevator do not include a space elevator station as a counterweight, it would not be surprising to see one built on top of these future marvels. A space elevator station would definitely attract space tourists from around the globe as it would not only provide an impressive view of our own world, but also simulate earthen life within its environment.
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Can Bigelow Aerospace Bring Us To The Stars?
Bigelow Aerospace, known for their unique approach towards orbital space stations may have concrete plans for establishing lunar colonies on a world all too familiar to the space industry.
(Cosmic Log) But by 2012, the focus could start shifting from low Earth orbit, or LEO, farther out into space. One of the key places in Bigelow’s plan is a point about 200,000 miles (323,000 kilometers) out from Earth in the moon’s direction, where the pulls of terrestrial and lunar gravity balance each other.Bigelow would turn that region of space, called L1, into a construction zone. Inflatable modules would be linked up with propulsion/power systems and support structures, and then the completed base would be lowered down to the moon’s surface, all in one piece.
Once the moon base has been set down, dirt would be piled on top, using a technique that Bigelow plans to start testing later this year at his Las Vegas headquarters. The moon dirt, more technically known as regolith, would serve to shield the base’s occupants from the harsh radiation hitting the lunar surface.
If Bigelow can successfully launch, assemble, transport and land their inflatable colonies on the Moon by 2010, this will be a significant achievement for not only the private space sector, but humanity as a whole.
Although some will simply brush this off as another lunar attempt, many people have to realize that previously it took an entire nation (backed by billions of dollars) in order to land someone on the moon over 50 years ago.
For a company this size to accomplish a similar goal (at a fraction of the cost) is not merely incredible, but unparalleled.
Note: If Bigelow is able to do this, would this put NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration out of business, along with make the International Space Station irrelevant?
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Artificial Gravity And Orbital Space Stations?
One of the biggest challenges towards colonizing the solar system (and beyond) is gravity–or rather the lack thereof. Gravity plays an important role in the health of the human body, and the lack of it for long periods of time can be dangerous for future space colonists.
Although it is currently unknown at what percentage of Earth gravity is necessary for human survival, we may have to build enormous space stations that can simulate gravity via centripetal force.
(AstroProf’s Page) In science fiction, this is an easy problem to solve – you use artificial gravity generators. Actually, I rather think that this is an invention of producers who wanted to keep special effects budgets down rather than any attempt to overcome physiological problems! [...]
For large space colonies, with a very big radius, the colony could be rotated at a comfortably gently rate, people living in the ring at the outer edge of the colony would feel just like they were on Earth (if f = 1). So, this is how we’d more likely generate artificial gravity, rather than with the graviton generators used in science fiction.
Since most of the solar worlds lack the necessary gravity to enable human colonies upon their soils, we may be stuck living in orbital stations except for brief visits to the surface.
Although this may produce an acute form of cabin fever (if the stations are small that is) it is better to ere on the side of caution in this regard than to suffer the side effects of micro-gravity.
Update: Adjusted image for size and credit. Also added extra category for post.
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Martian Moons As Future Space Stations?
Update: Incorporated sources within post and edited text for clarity.
(Note: Published on Blog Critics)
Mars is a world that has captivated the minds of humanity for thousands of years. While it is not known whether or not this world harbors any resources, this rusty world, after the Moon, will probably become humanities first test on whether or not we can survive off world.
But before humanity can conquer the red planet, they need a cost effective way to transport food, passengers and supplies towards its surface. Hosting as well as launching large shuttles on the planets surface may become burdensome and expensive, especially when one considers the effect of red dust upon mechanical devices.
What Martian colonists need is an inexpensive way to transport goods from the surface to space, and what better way could they obtain this than by turning the Martian moons into space stations?
The Martian moons Phobos and Deimos orbit about 6,000 and 14,500 miles from the surface, respectively, and would lie within easy reach for smaller space craft (especially with Martian gravity being only 38 percent of Earth’s).
Although launch pads hosting large rockets may look appealing on Earth, they would probably be considered a waste on the red planet. Launch pads hosting large rockets would not only have to be constantly cleaned of the red dust, but be enclosed within a powerful warehouse capable of surviving Martian tornadoes. It would be much easier to host smaller shuttle craft that could “ron de vue” with a larger ship via a space station than launching these massive vessels from the surface.
Despite being composed of carbonaceous rock, the orbital periods of the moons make them prime real estate. Phobos orbits Mars about every 7 1/2 hours while Deimos is just over 30, making them accessible (at least with Phobos) several times a day. If constructed properly, larger ships could simply dock near or inside the asteroids and simply await smaller shuttles to transport the necessary goods or passengers to and from the planet.
Also the lunar asteroids close proximity towards their parent world would give them a bird’s eye view of any storms that may potentially delay a launch or prevent a landing on the crimson planet.
Last but not least, by altering the barren asteroids into technological habitats, it would provide a way for Mars to process any metals or minerals harvested from the asteroid belt before being transported to the surface below. This would probably not only reduce costs but also enable them to manufacture stronger materials as well (since it is being done in micro gravity).
After the moon, colonizing Mars will be humanities first taste of conquering another world. But unlike the Moon, future Martian colonists will be unable to depend upon resources in great demand in order to finance their stay on the red planet. Keeping costs down while thriving on Mars will be in the best interests of humanity, and transforming both Phobos as well as Deimos into space stations may aid in that regard.
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Chinese Space Station In 2008?
In an attempt to retain its space power status, China it seems is interested in constructing a space station orbiting Earth by next years end.
(Red Orbit) The People’s Daily Thursday said in September following the Olympics China plans to launch a Shenzhou-7 spacecraft with three astronauts for preliminary work on a Chinese space station. [...]
The plans call for a 20-ton station, said Song Zhengyu, a research fellow with the First Institute of the China Aerospace Science & Technology Corp. and deputy director-designer of the launch vehicle. Analysts say China wants to build its own space station to keep up with other countries while showing it can do high-tech exploration.
China is currently leading the Asian world in space technology, with neighbors such as South Korea and Japan envying their status from afar. China’s entrance into the space field has been a benefit globally, as it has rekindled a spirit of exploration of the heavens.
Lets hope it will also inspire its neighbors to pursue similar goals (hint: Japan, where are you?)
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Checking In At The Inflatable Space Hotel
Imagine relaxing in your pajamas, sipping on solar wine while reading the latest news from the Lunar Times–all from the comfort of your micro-gravity bed. The only catch is that the station your staying in has no hard floors, no direction of “up,” and no cutting lasers are allowed on board.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Inflatable Space Hotel.
(Times Online) AN inflatable hotel that will orbit the Earth is being built by a millionaire hoping to kickstart interest in space tourism.
Robert Bigelow, an American hotelier who says he wants to open up space to the general public, is ploughing more than £280m into the project.
The blow-up structure will be launched on rockets and self-inflate to its full size once it is circling the globe.
Its 1ft-thick skin, made from a toughened combination of multi-layered polymer and Kevlar, will allow it to expand while keeping the astronauts protected from space meteorites.
Believe it or not, this project was originally started by NASA, but due to financial constraints they were forced to abandon it in its infancy. Bigelow decided to buy it out in an attempt to not only make money, but also attract Hollywood and drug companies into space.
(Times Online) In addition to being used as a hotel, the structure may be leased to astronauts and pharmaceutical companies wanting to use it as a medical testing centre.
Bigelow hopes the hotel, which would open some time after 2015, will also be in demand as a shooting location for film-makers.
If successful, a future space hotel could revolutionize the space construction industry. Such a project would require fewer launches, allowing NASA to concentrate its efforts on building ships and lunar craft, not to mention working on colonizing Mars.
Bigelow plans on launching a beta type first, which will test the amount of radiation received through “the vessel” (and other dangers) before populating it with humans.
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