European Space Agency
”Space Is Full of Crap
The European Space Agency has just released images showing all the satellites and human-made debris now orbiting space as a result of 51 years of launching stuff since Sputnik. That's about 6,000 satellites up there—of which only 800 remain operational—plus thousands of other objects from launches and accidents. According to their mindblowing simulations things are getting a lot worse:
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ESA's Autonomous Space Truck Blasts Off Tomorrow
The European Space Agency is launching the first Automated Transfer Vehicle tomorrow in French Guyana. Though it looks like a satellite, the ATV, christened Jules Verne, is really an unmanned cargo-hauling robot capable of carting 7.6 tons of supplies and other astro-crap up from Earth, and even tow the International Space Station itself to a higher orbit. And it'll do a lot of this stuff with no guidance from the carbon units:More »
gadgets
ESA To Debut Satellite-Based Multimedia Radio
Radio listeners in Europe may need to thank the European Space Agency if all goes according to plan. The ESA is set to debut a new type of multimedia radio tomorrow that makes use of currently existing satellites and a low profile antenna affixed to cars' roofs (seen here). The new and improved (!) radio is being designed in order to eliminate many of the problems associated with radio today, like static, signal loss in tunnels and the like. These new radio will also cache all content onto a hard drive (or flash drive), so that listeners can go back to listen to something over and over again. (Incidentally, isn't that the reason why the RIAA is suing XM?) More »
gadgets
Firefighter Suit Chock-Full of Tech
The I-Garment (Integration System for Management of Civil Protection Units) promises to make the dangerous job of firefighting markedly less so. Designed by a consortium of Portuguese firms and agencies and funded by the European Space Agency, the I-Garment makes use of numerous technologies, including satellite communications and WiFi. Satellite usage would be beneficial in more remote locations, as local communications infrastructure often becomes damaged during quickly-moving fires. Sensors inside the suit monitor the wearer s vital signs, a potentially life-saving feature sure to appear in future emergency response personnel s suits. More »
unmanned aerial vehicles








