Keeping our Kids Safe Online January 8, 2009
Posted by Brian Pfeifer in News and politics.add a comment
Usually when the media cover this topic it is from a place of either alarmist hysteria or vague theoretical suggestions. Statements like, “the internet is full of dangerous and potentially harmful individuals,” are just as unhelpful as, “parents should be engaged in their children’s online activities.” Parents need some simple, straightforward, and effective methods for dealing with the confusing challenges of raising children in this digital age.
When I was a child I was bombarded with numerous admonitions. Don’t play with knives. Don’t talk to strangers. Look both ways before you cross the street. Never get into a stranger’s car. Don’t eat the red berries. Of course my parents presented me with these truths whenever necessary, but I also received the same messages from Sesame Street, and the myriad of other children’s television programs, songs, and other media. This is what we need as a first step towards protecting our children in the Internet enhanced world we live in.
I don’t have all of the answers, but we could start with something like, “Ask your parents before giving out your address.” This one is good because it works in physical situations as well as digital ones. Maybe we could add, “introduce your parents to all new online friends.” This would give parents a chance to vet the people their children stumble across in online communities. This is not a complete list, but rather a starting point for the conversation. If we can put together a few effective messages, we can add them to the regular list of admonitions and safety bits included in the popular media or similar places.
That’s just my two bits.
SpaceX Success! September 28, 2008
Posted by Brian Pfeifer in News and politics, SpaceX.add a comment
SpaceX finally made it to orbit with their fourth attempted launch. This is the first privately funded spacecraft design and launch to reach orbit. The Falcon 1 Launcher was topped with a dummy payload to demonstrate functional capabilities to their paying customers.
The orbital launch today clears the way for commercial satellite launch for Malaysia later this year, and the first flight of the much larger Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral this winter. SpaceX joins Scaled Composites as the second X-Prize team to successfully put vehicles into space.
Space Flight is the New Nuclear Weapon August 21, 2008
Posted by Brian Pfeifer in Future Development, India, Iran, JAXA, News and politics, Russia, South Korea.add a comment
How can you possibly compare human space flight to nuclear bombs and missiles? The link is not to be found among technologies, but rather in the quest for national prestige.
During the cold war many nations aggressively pursued nuclear development programs. Although they were always clothed in the rhetoric of national defense, nuclear weapons have never been employed for this purpose. You could argue that the US and Russia needed to counter each other’s arsenals, but millions of bullets have been fired, though not one nuclear weapon has been fired in anger since WWII. Additionally, smaller nation had no similar justification.
Iran, North Korea, South Africa, Egypt, India, and Pakistan all created nuclear programs. Were they really needed for national defense? South Africa has gone so far as dismantling their arsenal. That’s a clear sign that it wasn’t required to keep thee nation safe from outside threats. These programs were more about national prestige than about defense.
Even among the superpowers, nuclear weapons development was one way for the two nations to demonstrate their technical superiority. Because the big boys had nukes, any nation that wanted to be viewed as serious contender for regional leadership, they needed nukes too. Iran and Pakistan are both potential leaders for the Islamic world, and hence they needed to demonstrate their capabilities by developing nuclear weapons.
Today, those nukes are becoming less important. There are hints of a new space race. This time any powerful nation can participate. Even private companies can participate. Of course The US and Russia have spaceflight programs, but that’s not new. What is new is the number of other nations announcing a commitment to space flight. In recent years China leaped to the stage with two manned flights. This is a direct challenge to Japan’s quieter program launching astronauts on other nation’s vehicles and contributing serious hardware to the ISS. These two nations also happen to be the biggest powerhouses in Asia, and are flexing their space muscles for their neighbor’s benefit.
South Korea’s Yi So Yeon, who visited the ISS this year is another good example. Although she conducted experiments on orbit, the Korean scientific community was angered by the decision to spend $30 million on her flight. Their complaint is that more money was spent on this one flight than on all other government sponsored scientific projects combined. This is a clear indication that the flight was politically motivated to demonstrate that South Korea is a world player.
Now Iran has announced plans for a manned space program. The national benefits of such a program are murky at best for a nation like Iran. It’s just one more move in the game of international politics and regional control. In the next few months we can expect to hear Pakistan either make a similar announcement, or they will attempt to dismiss Iran’s claims as impossible. As I said before, space flight is the new nuclear program.
The final Shuttle flight is scheduled July 8, 2008
Posted by Brian Pfeifer in NASA, News and politics.add a comment
Just a quick note that NASA has released the schedule for the final 8 Shuttle flights to be distributed over 2009 and 2010. Here’s the full release:
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2008 16:42:03 -0500
From: info@JSC.NASA.GOV
Subject: NASA SETS LAUNCH DATES FOR REMAINING SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS
July 7, 2008
Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602
Report #H08-167
NASA SETS LAUNCH DATES FOR REMAINING SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS
HOUSTON — Following a detailed, integrated assessment, NASA selected target launch dates for the remaining eight space shuttle missions on the current manifest in 2009 and 2010. The manifest includes one flight to the Hubble Space Telescope, seven assembly flights to the International Space Station, and two station contingency flights, planned to be completed before the end of fiscal year 2010. The agency previously selected Oct. 8 and Nov. 10 as launch dates for Atlantis’ STS-125 mission to service Hubble and Endeavour’s STS-126 / ULF-2 mission to supply the space station and service both Solar Alpha Rotary Joints on the port and starboard end of its truss backbone that supports equipment and solar arrays.
The approved target dates are subject to change based on processing and other launch vehicle schedules. They reflect the agency’s commitment to complete assembly of the station and to retire the shuttle fleet as transition continues to the new launch vehicles, including Ares and Orion.
SHUTTLE FLIGHTS IN 2009
Feb. 12 — Discovery (STS-119 / 15A) will kick off a five-flight 2009 with its 36th mission to deliver the final pair of U.S. solar arrays to be installed on the starboard end of the station’s truss. The truss serves as the backbone support for external equipment and spare components, including the Mobile Base System. Lee Archambault will command the 14-day flight that will include four planned spacewalks. Joining him will be pilot Tony Antonelli and mission specialists John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Joseph Acaba, Richard Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will replace Sandy Magnus on the station as a flight engineer. STS-119 marks the 28th shuttle flight to the station.
May 15 — Endeavour (STS-127 / 2JA) sets sail on its 23rd mission with the Japanese Kibo Laboratory’s Exposed Facility and Experiment Logistics Module Exposed Section, the final permanent components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s contribution to the station program. During the 15-day mission, Endeavour’s crew will perform five spacewalks and deliver six new batteries for the P6 truss, a spare drive unit for the Mobile Transporter and a spare boom assembly for the Ku-band antenna. Mark Polansky will be Endeavour’s commander with Doug Hurley as pilot. Mission specialists will be Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Dave Wolf, Tim Kopra and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette. Kopra will become a station flight engineer replacing Koichi Wakata, who will return home with the STS-127 crew. It will be the 29th shuttle flight to the station.
July 30 — Atlantis (STS-128 / 17A) launches on its 31st flight, an 11-day mission carrying science and storage racks to the station. In the payload bay will be a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module holding science and storage racks. Three spacewalks are planned to remove and replace a materials processing experiment outside the European Space Agency’s Columbus module and return an empty ammonia tank assembly. The mission includes the rotation of astronaut Nicole Stott for Tim Kopra, who will return to Earth with the shuttle crew. The remaining crew members have yet to be named. STS-128 marks the 30th shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and outfitting.
Oct. 15 — Discovery’s (STS-129 / ULF-3) 37th mission will focus on staging spare components outside the station. The 15-day flight includes at least three spacewalks. The payload bay will carry two large External Logistics Carriers holding two spare gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly, a spare latching end effector for the station’s robotic arm, a spare trailing umbilical system for the Mobile Transporter and a high-pressure gas tank. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Bob Thirsk will return home aboard Discovery with its crew, which has yet to be named. STS-129 marks the 31st shuttle mission devoted to station assembly.
Dec. 10 — Endeavour (STS-130 / 20A) will close 2009 with its 24th mission to deliver the final connecting node, Node 3, and the Cupola, a robotic control station with six windows around its sides and another in the center that provides a 360-degree view around the station. At least three spacewalks are planned during the 11-day mission. The 32nd station assembly mission by a shuttle does not yet have a crew named.
SHUTTLE FLIGHTS IN 2010
Feb. 11 — Atlantis (STS-131 / 19A) begins its 32nd mission as the first flight in 2010, carrying a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module filled with science racks that will be transferred to laboratories of the station. The 11-day mission will include at least three spacewalks to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly outside the station and return a European experiment that has been outside the Columbus module. It will be the 33rd shuttle mission to the station. The crew has yet to be named.
April 8 — Discovery’s (STS-132 / ULF-4) 38th mission will carry an integrated cargo carrier to deliver maintenance and assembly hardware, including spare parts for space station systems. In addition, the second in a series of new pressurized components for Russia, a Mini Research Module, will be permanently attached to the bottom port of the Zarya module. The Russian module also will carry U.S. pressurized cargo. The first Russian Mini Research Module to go to the station is scheduled to launch on a Russian rocket in the summer of 2009.
Additionally, at least three spacewalks are planned to stage spare components outside the station, including six spare batteries, a boom assembly for the Ku-band antenna and spares for the Canadian Dextre robotic arm extension. A radiator, airlock and European robotic arm for the Russian Multi-purpose Laboratory Module also are payloads on the flight. The laboratory module is scheduled for launch on a Russian rocket in 2011. The mission marks the 34th mission to the station. The STS-132 crew has yet to be named.
May 31 — Endeavour’s (STS-133 / ULF-5) 25th mission will carry critical spare components that will be placed on the outside of the station. Those will include two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields. At least three spacewalks are planned to be carried out by the crew, which has yet to be named. The 15-day mission will be the 35th to the station.
For the shuttle launch manifest, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/iss_manifest.html
For details on upcoming shuttle missions and their crews, visit:
Pluto: a modest proposal June 22, 2008
Posted by Brian Pfeifer in News and politics.add a comment
Planet, dwarf planet, Plutoid… What a mess. I was fortunate enough to hear Dava Sobel speak shortly after Pluto’s initial demotion. She was part of the committee that was tasked with developing a definition for planet. Let’s just say that the formally announced definition was not what the committee recommended. Further more, over half the astronomers had left the convention before the definition came up for a vote. With a large number of scientists feeling left out, and disgruntled after the last debacle, it’s no real surprise that they are once more tackling this issue.
What is surprising is that the scientific community is not taking a scientific approach to labeling Pluto and other bodies in our solar system. Here’s what I mean. If you call Pluto a plutoid, it is a label that really only makes sense in our solar system. We are in the middle of a great hunt for extra solar planets. Let’s take a page from Launius and create a system to describe these bodies wherever we find them in the universe. A good system should describe both the origin of the body, and its relationship to the system in which is exists. Let’s take a stab at creating one such system.
First, if it’s round by it’s own gravity, let’s call it a planetoid. If not, we could call it an asteroidal body. How about composition? Is it mostly solid, liquid, or gaseous? We should probably add a tag line for with crust. We might want to describe the primary composition of the body as well. Is it mostly water, iron, methane, etc? We should also consider their size. Anything smaller than 3000km in diameter could be micro, while anything up to 20,000km is dwarf, bodies up to 80,000km are large, and over 80,000 is a giant. Thus the Earth might be a planetoid, iron liquid (with crust), dwarf body, while Mars is a planetoid, iron, solid, dwarf body. These could easily be abbreviated PILD, and PISD. The system is also useful, because as soon as you look at the descriptors for Mars and the Earth, it’s obvious that the two are similar, but not identical.
Next, we need to describe the relationship between our objects and their orbital system. If it orbits a star, it’s Solar centric. If it orbits a planetoid or asteroidal body, then it’s body centric. Next we have eccentric orbit vs. round orbit. Maybe we need to distinguish between highly eccentric like comets and more moderately eccentric. We should probably include a comment for objects that periodically change what body they orbit. I’m not sure it matters if they’ve “cleared their orbit” as it’s described in the planetary definition, but we can include a cleared or shared orbit. Then we also need to label how closely the body orbits its center. There are many ways we could do this. We could list the orbital period, or average orbital diameter. My initial proposition is that for solar centric bodies we break them down by inner, habitable, outer, and far outer zones. Others may disagree with that designator, but it’s a nice human-centric designator. So the Earth might be designated cleared orbit, habitable, solar centric body, or CHS for short.
Now that we have a meaningful system, when an astronomer speaks, his fellows will immediately and accurately know what he is talking about. If, at a conference, he proposes a new space telescope to search for extra solar PCHILDS, the other astronomers will nod their heads sagely, the media will complain that we need spend our money on P-children in this solar system, and the congressmen will ask if it can be built in their district.
Upcoming Launches April 5, 2007
Posted by Brian Pfeifer in Armadillo Aerospace, Bigelow Aerospace, NASA, News and politics, Rocketplane Kistler, Space Startups, SpaceX, UP Aerospace, schedule.add a comment
Of the seven launch vehicles mentioned below, three have experienced terminal failures in the past twelve months. This is just a reminder that what these people do is difficult, and success cannot be taken for granted.
April 7 – ISS Expedition 15 launches in a Soyuz-TMA From Baikonur Cosmodrome. The crew includes Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, and Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi.
April 19 – Bigelow Aerospace will launch Genesis II, their second subscale inflatable demonstrator aboard a dnepr rocket from ISC Kosmotras Space and Missile Complex near Yasny, Russia.
April 28 – UP Aerospace’s SpaceLoft will carry commercial and student payloads, including the remains of Gordon Cooper and James Doohan on a suborbital flight from New Mexico’s Space Port. This will be their second attempt after their launch failure in January.
Also in April, Armadillo Aerospace plans several test flights of Pixel, their Lunar Lander Challenge vehicle. The flights will take place at the Oklahoma Space Port.
In May or June, Space Shuttle Atlantis mission STS-117 should lift off From Cape Canaveral. The flight will flesh out the space station with the addition of new solar arrays.
SpaceX has two more launches scheduled for this year from their facility on Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll. The first could be as early as August and will carry TacSat 1, a US military demonstrator. Their second flight, in the fourth quarter, will carry a Malaysian communications satellite.
After their last launch ended in a launch pad explosion, Sea Launch is repairing their floating facility and plans to be ready for their next launch in October.
ATK to Acquire Swales Aerospace April 4, 2007
Posted by Brian Pfeifer in ATK, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, News and politics, Rocketplane Kistler.add a comment
Beltsville, MD based Swales designs and manufactures spacecraft subsystems, small satellites, and EVA tools. They created several of the thermal sensors and other hand-held tools used on the Return to Flight Shuttle missions and thermal blankets and radiators found on the ISS as well as many NASA, NOAA, and DoD spacecraft.
ATK is slowly acquiring companies and partnerships that will eventually allow the business to handle complete missions from the design and engineering phase to launch and in space operations. Their partnership agreement last year with Rocketplane Kistler was intended to gain access to the medium lift K1 booster. Now ATK has swallowed up some impressive engineering talent and experience as well as satellite subsystem design and fabrication facilities. Boeing and Lockheed-Martin better watch their backs. ATK is on the prowl.
1000 Readers! March 23, 2007
Posted by Brian Pfeifer in Amusement, News and politics, Uncategorized.add a comment
I know that this is a bit off topic, but I’ve just reached a personal goal. Digital sprocket has just had its 1000th visitor. This may not be a lot compared to some high-powered sites, but it validates the work I’m doing. In the first six months of operation he number of views per month is continuing to increase steadily. Viewership increased from less than 50 hits in the first month, to over 250 in the past month.
For this, I thank you.
Now it’s my turn to ask you for a little help. I would like to move Digital Sprocket to a professional web hosting service, and you can make it possible. If you appreciate the news, analysis, and historical perspective, please consider making a donation. Your contribution will help assure the quality of Digital Sprocket continues to improve. To make a donation via Paypal or credit card, just click on the button below.
Thank you for your generosity.
SpaceX Strike Two! March 21, 2007
Posted by Brian Pfeifer in Bigelow Aerospace, Blue Origin, News and politics, Space Startups, SpaceX.3 comments
SpaceX was forced to abort their second launch attempt this week a mere eleven seconds before engine ignition. Monday’s computer triggered abort was due to a few millisecond gap between when the land-line telemetry link shut down and the RF telemetry link powered up. Software engineers fixed that glitch before Tuesday’s launch window, but it wasn’t enough.
If you asked Elon Musk if he was surprised by two aborts in a row, he’d probably answer in the negative. After the spectacular destruction of Falcon 1 booster, SpaceX added hundreds of new self-diagnostics routines in the rocket. Months ago Musk suggested that they were likely to generate several false-positives before the first successful launch.
Looks like SpaceX is not done for the night. Looks like the abort was due to a fuel problem. They are in the process of recycling the countdown clock for another try starting from T-15 minutes.
Update! Telemetry lost five minutes into flight. Moments after liftoff, Omelek Island could be seen retreating into the distance as the booster gained altitude. The rocket climbed out of the atmosphere and the second stage successfully separated and ignited its engine. The payload cowling separated and both halves fell away towards the earth. In the final moments before the video feed was cut off, the second stage engine appeared to wobble unexpectedly. SpaceX is counting this as a successful flight even though the payload may have been lost. If nothing else, this proves that their reusable first stage operates well, and should be recovered from the Pacific Ocean to support future launches.
SpaceX is not the only startup with flights coming up in the next few weeks. The FAA has cleared the airspace around the Blue Origin ranch on the 22nd though 27th to allow for test flights of their New Shepherd sub-orbital vehicle. In early April, Bigelow Aerospace will put Genesis II into orbit on a Russian Dnepr booster. This will mark their second sub-scale inflatable habitat demonstrator. The next Soyuz flight in April will feature space tourist Charles Simonyi. Whether or not the Falcon 1 flies, the next few weeks should be exciting.
DARPA and NASA Working From the Same Playbook March 10, 2007
Posted by Brian Pfeifer in DARPA, Future Development, NASA, News and politics.add a comment
If the VSE (Vision for Space Exploration) is to become a reality, then engineers must develop several critical path technologies. These include autonomous rendezvous and docking, and robotic assembly of space structures. NASA’s Exploration Systems Directorate is not the only organization interested in these technologies. DARPA, the military’s high-risk, high-reward research arm is working to develop the same capabilities.
At this moment, DARPA’s Orbital Express mission is testing out these technologies on orbit. Launched on March 8, the mission consists of two purpose built vehicles: ASTRO, and NextSat. The two spacecraft were boosted into space together on an Atlas V and are scheduled to separate, and then rendezvous and re-dock. Before separation, they have some impressive mission goals. ASTRO carries an extra supply of hydrazine, and will demonstrate refueling techniques by transferring the liquid to NextSat. ASTRO is also equipped with a robotic arm, resembling the little brother of that on the Shuttle and the ISS. The arm will replace electronics components on NextSat with spares carried on ASTRO. If all goes well, ASTRO will demonstrate rendezvous, docking, refueling, assembly, and repair capabilities.
All of these are on NASA’s wish list, if for different reasons than those of the Defense Department. In fact, NASA engineers are heavily involved in Orbital Express, and supplied software and sensors to the program. Although DARPA sees vital national security uses for these technologies, they also envision spawning a military/civilian space infrastructure around in-space servicing of satellites and manned facilities.
Of course, success is not guaranteed. DARPA’s first attempt at autonomous rendezvous and docking failed spectacularly two years ago when DART bumped into it’s docking target and sent it into a new orbital path. Perhaps that is why they are testing out the refueling and repair systems before undocking and performing rendezvous maneuvers. If successful, it will have applications for crew and cargo delivery to the ISS in Orion or COTS capsules. It will allow for robotic missions to upgrade future orbiting telescopes. There are many possible applications that we are only beginning to dimly perceive.
