UK Plans Close Encounter With Uranus
For those of you lamenting over the lack of attention Uranus is receiving (note: keep the comment section space related folks!) when compared to Saturn, it looks like the British are attempting to mimic Cassini’s success by sending a spacecraft to the distant gas giant.
Uranus Pathfinder is a developing mission concept aimed at sending a spacecraft to the planet Uranus. This mission would perform the first detailed study of an ice giant planetary system which would fill the gaps in our understanding of the formation of the solar system, and the physical processes in the interiors and atmospheres of ice giants. [...]
All the major components of the solar system are being actively explored in situ by spacecraft apart from the ice giant planets Uranus and Neptune. Yet the ice giants are an important and essentially unknown part of the solar system, they have a unique place in planet formation, and are crucial in understanding exoplanetary systems (UCL: Uranus Pathfinder)
Although not exactly the most fascinating gas giant known to humanity, Uranus could in the distant future help fuel humanities travels throughout our star system without having to rely too heavily upon nuclear power.
But before we can dream about encountering this lopsided world, we first need to acquire more data about this cold Jovian wonder.
Image Credits: NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI), via Spaceports
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Is Reaction Engines Martian Plan Sound? (Video)
Known throughout the space community for their Skylon jets (which are still in development), Reaction Engines has proposed what appears to be a reasonable path to help humanity reach the red planet within our life time.
Note: If the video does not work above, you can visit Reaction Engines to watch the clip in its entirety.
While the plan for the most part is rather sound, the one fatal area is the length of time it takes to reach the crimson world as solar radiation might fry the astronauts brains before they even get an opportunity to land.
Unless artificial magnetic fields can be constructed around the space craft, future explorers may have to wait until VASIMR engines become a reality (in order to cut the travel time from 6 months to 39 days).
Trek time aside, Reaction Engines does have the wisest approach when it comes to establishing outposts upon Mars (i.e. sending future supplies ahead of a Martian landing), although time will only tell if humanity sends one of their own to visit the crimson world within the next half century.
(via RLV And Space Transport News)
Read MoreVideo: Could Skylon Jets Open Up The Final Frontier?
(Hat Tip: Skymania News)
Finding an inexpensive and effective way to travel beyond the heavens above has been the quest of humanity since the days of the Wright Brothers.
While some see space elevators as the key, it looks as if the British are placing their faith in air breathing Skylon jets.
(New Scientist) Unlike scramjets, Skylon is designed to run in air-breathing mode directly from launch up to a speed of Mach 5.5. At an altitude of 26 kilometres, the engine would switch to conventional rocket power and use onboard oxygen to propel the plane into space.
“It’s a pretty unique concept,” says Mark Hempsell, director of future programmes at Reaction Engines. “I think at the moment it’s the only realistic way to make aircraft vehicles that go into space.”
The design should be sufficient to power a 43-tonne plane that can loft 12 tonnes of payload into low-Earth orbit, about half what the space shuttle can carry, the firm says.
If successful, Skylon jets could not only help England leap frog ahead of the competition but also make space affordable for all.
While the Skylon alone will not help humanity become a space faring species, it may reduce the overall cost of traveling beyond the sky, making it easier for our species to construct orbital space stations (and perhaps even a modified space elevator, LockHeed style!).
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England To Seek Out Life On Mars Via Rover
(Image Credit: ESA via Skymania News)
It looks as if the British are about to invade the red planet but unleashing a smart rover to roam across the surface of Mars.
(Skymania News) A UK-built robot is set dramatically to speed up the search for life on Mars, European space scientists were being told today. The roving explorer, nicknamed Bridget, will be intelligent enough to decide for itself which martian rocks are best to investigate.
It will work three times faster than previous robots such as Nasa’s rovers Spirit and Opportunity which are currently weathering the tail end of a huge dust storm on Mars.
Despite the fact that this rovers purpose is to locate microbes upon the crimson worlds surface, hopefully it will be able to analyze whether or not the Martian soil is actually hostile or fertile for future Earth life.
Hopefully this rover mission will inspire England to consider sending humans to the final frontier, lest they end up in receiving the “cosmic scraps” of what the universe has to offer them.
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The United Kingdom May Lack Space Vision
It looks as if the British government may not have a “clear cut strategy” when it comes to the cosmos. Often known for promoting robots over humans, England seems to be slipping in the overall space race, something many observers are beginning to notice.
(BBC News) Observers say that despite having many leading space scientists and some of the best industry expertise, the UK remains a bit-part player on the international stage.
Britain’s lack of influence means that it misses out on lucrative contracts to build science instruments and spacecraft, they argue. [...]
Phil Willis MP, the committee’s chairman commented: “There is no doubt that UK space is a big success story, but there is no doubt either that we are living on past investments.”
He added: “In order to stay in the game and ahead of the game we now have to take some very hard decisions, both in research terms and in commercial terms. First of all, we need focus.
Although the United Kingdom will probably blame government funding, lack of leadership, teamwork, etc. the real problem may have to do with the absence of people in their space program.
Without the human element, exploring the heavens around us will gain little sympathy in the public arena, which can easily translate into budget cuts as the program loses importance.
If England does not seriously consider adding humans to the overall space program, they may find themselves having to depend upon foreign goodwill in order to reach the stars beyond the sky.
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NASA Wants England To Join Lunar Adventure
With NASA focused on returning humanity back to the moon, other nations, such as England seem to have placed their priority in robotic missions. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, probably one of the most vocal voices for human space flight, is proposing that the United Kingdom should join the Americans on lunar soil by sending one of their own.
(Skymania News) But NASA Administrator Michael Griffin has made it clear to Skymania News that he wants Brits to join American astronauts in walking on the Moon and helping set up lunar bases.
He recently told me: “The invitation absolutely is there for the UK to join us in those journeys. I hope that that level of participation would go so far as to include astronauts. If it does, then of course we will participate in training them.”
The United Kingdom has been rather slow about considering human spaceflight, which probably has to do more with their budget than their desire (as sending robots is definitely cheaper than flesh and blood).
But if England desires to receive its fare share of the Universe’s resources, then they will need to commit human bodies towards space flight, as robots can only do much.
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Europe Considering Human Space Flight?
With their American friends (via NASA) getting most of the glory for exploring the cosmos, it looks as if our European brethren are starting to gain the courage to explore space for themselves.
(New Scientist Space) Digging on Mars and drilling on the Moon could become the main aims of Europe’s space effort. These were the enticing prospects discussed at a meeting this week in Edinburgh, Scotland, about the European Space Agency’s Aurora exploration programme. [...]
Sentiment is shifting in favour of human spaceflight, as some scientific goals might be all but impossible without people.
“Someone at the meeting pointed out that what a rover can survey in a year, a geologist could do in 20 seconds,” says space scientist John Zarnecki of the Open University in Milton Keynes, UK. “A 20-second mission to the Moon might not be cost effective, but if you can ask enough 20-second questions, it might be worth it.”
Although England is mulling about whether or not to send up humans to the stars, it looks like the rest of Europe is for the challenge. Despite the fact that America is leading the way towards the stars, the United States can not do this alone.
Space is for everyone and requires a global effort in order to not only be successful, but also peaceful. Europe’s involvement is critical, as it will give more voices a chance to decide the future fate of the human species.
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England Slowly Consideres Humans In Space
Ever since the UK entered the space race, England has been rather slow about sending humans into the cosmos. Despite the potential of colonizing other worlds (i.e. resources, international focus on exploring instead of war, etc.) Britain seems to have “delegate” this process to their American and Russian friends.
But all of that might change thanks to their brave new science minister who goes by the name of Malcolm Wicks.
(Times Online) “I think we need to think that through,” he said. “I think sometimes our understandable reluctance to fund British men and women going into space has come across wrongly as us being a bit cool about space. I think we should be hot and enthusiastic.
“It’s going to be this millennium’s great adventure. I’m not changing our position on this now, but I think it would be foolish to be dogmatic about these things.”
Successive governments have decided that the benefits of human spaceflight are not worth the heavy financial costs or risk to life.
Although England has had several astronauts fly into outer space, most of them have had to become American citizens in order to participate (with one flying under the EU flag).
If England does not seriously consider taking matter into their own hands by either partnering up with the US or EU or building their own space ports, they will have nothing to complain about when the US, Russia, India, China, Japan, South Korea, etc. begin importing minerals, Helium-3 and rare metals for their benefit (not to mention expanding their DNA off world).
It would be good to see the United Kingdom partner with NASA and land an astronaut on the moon. After all, if Canada sees the benefit of doing so, then why not our UK brethren?
Update (7/18): Added source link (which was foolishly left out).
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NASA And UK To Conquer The Lunar Frontier
(Hat Tip: Space Scan)
It looks like the English worlds (both old and new) will be forming an alliance to pioneer the surface of the Moon–and reclaim humanities place among the stars.
(BBC) Britain could become involved in Nasa plans to send astronauts back to the Moon by 2020, science minister Malcolm Wicks has said.
He met Nasa chief Dr Michael Griffin at the Cabinet War Rooms to discuss the plans for future Moon landings. [...]
“We will be considering whether there is an opportunity to build a partnership with the US.”
With NASA and England partnering up with each other, it looks as if a new space race is quickly emerging as both China and Russia are already considering partnering up for a lunar trip themselves.
This “East vs. West” space race could prove quite useful, as it would be better for the world to compete for lunar first place than for diplomatic or military supremacy on planet Earth.
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