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space
Iran Hopes to Send a Man to Space Within 10 Years
After a test satellite launch (Iran: success! USA: failure!) this past weekend carried out with one of their many, many missiles, Iran is rolling with the momentum and announcing plans to put a man in space within 10 years. While the feasibility of such a plan remains up in the air, it of course isn't the first time such an audacious goal has been set. More »
rockets
The Inmarsat-4, or I4-F3 broadband satellite to its friends, is a big satellite. Almost as big as a double decker bus and with an unfurled solar wingspan as wide as a football field, it needed an appropriately big ride into space. And so it hitched onto a Proton Rocket, a 58m-high, 700-ton monster used for sat positioning since 1996, but before that, used in the 1960's to visit planets for scientific research and deliver parts of the International Space Station and Mir Space Station. The flight was perfect. [Baikonur Campaigns via BBC via io9]
Giant Cold-War Era Russian Proton Rocket Successfully Launches Giant Satellite Into Space
The Inmarsat-4, or I4-F3 broadband satellite to its friends, is a big satellite. Almost as big as a double decker bus and with an unfurled solar wingspan as wide as a football field, it needed an appropriately big ride into space. And so it hitched onto a Proton Rocket, a 58m-high, 700-ton monster used for sat positioning since 1996, but before that, used in the 1960's to visit planets for scientific research and deliver parts of the International Space Station and Mir Space Station. The flight was perfect. [Baikonur Campaigns via BBC via io9]
rockets
SpaceX's Falcon 1, Dreams of Space Conquest Begin in 10, 9, 8...
Like watching rocket launches? Then check out the live webcast of SpaceX's Falcon 1 launch from the Marshall Islands at 7pm EST. The Falcon 1 measures 90 feet, weighs roughly 103,000 pounds and uses a two stage, liquid oxygen and rocket grade kerosene vehicle to blast off. SpaceX, started up by Elon Musk of PayPal fame, is one of several new commercial companies trying to commercialize space travel, wrestling the mostly government-funded industry into the privatized world. Depending on how the launch goes, Falcon 1 will either prove itself to be a reliable way to transport satellites out to low Earth orbit or the project that turned Musk from billionaire to broke (read: millionaire). Update: looks like the launch keeps on being delayed, so check in and see if you've missed it yet. [SpaceX]
nasa
THEMIS Satellites Discover Northern Lights Are Powered By Magnetic Fields Snapping Like Rubber Bands
Five NASA satellites from the THEMIS mission were recently able to closely witness the chain of events that occurs to create the northern lights for the first time. Complex stuff going on here, but it involves the Earth's massive electromagnetic fields being stretched to their limits by magnetic bombardment from the sun, and then snapping back into place like giant rubber bands, all of which the five THEMIS birds were able to witness at precisely the right moment. Awesome. More »
satellites
Micro Satellites Geared Toward Private Sector Make Tinfoil Hats a Good Idea
The Guardian wrote a neat feature on Surrey Satellite Technologies, who are currently working on scaled down, fully functional satellites for commercial consumption that only cost 10 million dollars, only weigh 220 pounds, and only take 18 months to build. But when compared to full-sized satellites ($500m, 1000 kg) used by government agencies and large corporations, these micro-satellites are amazingly compact and cost effective. Surrey will be sending 5 of these into orbit on the back of an old Soviet rocket in Kazhakstan. More »
photo show of spy sats
Photographer Puts 189 Non-Existent Spy Satellites on Show
"Yesterday up in the air I snapped a sat that wasn't there"— so might photographer Trevor Paglen say about his show at the University of California at Berkeley Art Museum. It's a series of photos of 189 secret satellites: the ones that officially "don't exist." Dubbed The Other Night Sky the photos are time-lapse images of the snoop-sats moving through the night sky, made with a custom star-tracker. Apparently it's his attempt to draw similarities between government secrecy and Galileo's historic tangles with the Catholic church. Found with the help of an amateur astronomer, each photo is of a named spy sat, and they're quietly beautiful—if you can forget the eerie spying aspect. The show runs until September 14. [Wired]
space wars
Remember how the Navy fired a missile at that spy satellite a few months ago and made it go boom in one shot? Not surprisingly, they were quite proud of their accomplishment—which is why they have compiled footage of their exploits in a series of tense behind-the-scenes moments. The video after the break even shows the missile leaving the ship on its way to a victorious rendezvous with the pesky satellite. It is a definite must-see for any fan of explosions and the work that goes into making those explosions happen.
More »
Inside Video of Operation "Blow Up a Satellite": Heart Pounding Action...With Missiles!
Remember how the Navy fired a missile at that spy satellite a few months ago and made it go boom in one shot? Not surprisingly, they were quite proud of their accomplishment—which is why they have compiled footage of their exploits in a series of tense behind-the-scenes moments. The video after the break even shows the missile leaving the ship on its way to a victorious rendezvous with the pesky satellite. It is a definite must-see for any fan of explosions and the work that goes into making those explosions happen.
More »
burma
Emergency Telecoms Team Forced to Wait in Thailand by Burmese Junta
Emergency communications kits destined to help the clear-up of the Burmese cyclone have been held up by the Asian country's military junta. A five-man team from NGO Telecoms Sans Frontieres has been waiting all week for its entry visas from the
1:30 PM on Sat May 10 2008
By AddyDugdale
1,961 views,
19 comments
Latest by Sleeper_Service: @HoseHead: Yes there is. Lots of it. And since it's western companies that do well out of it that's why we're helping more »
trashtronauts
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:
More »
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:
More »
11:40 AM on Fri Apr 11 2008
By Jesus Diaz
77,976 views,
182 comments
Latest by clith: Space junk is nowhere near as dangerous as it sounds. Since all the junk is orbiting in the same direction more »
