Virgin Galactic one step closer to space tourism Posted: 6 months ago by equinox
Virgin Galactic completed a successful test yesterday of its hybrid nitrous oxide motor that will propel space tourists into orbit. SpaceShipTwo will launch into orbit using these motors after reaching the upper atmosphere after detaching from the mother ship called Eve.
Comments: 3 Score: [-] 166 [+].
Virgin Galactic Unveil The Mothership Posted: 1 year ago by pocksucket
In the Mojave desert, Richard Branson today showed off for the first time the WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft that will launch his commercial space craft SpaceShipTwo.
More info a the official site Virgin Galactic
Obviously a complete coincidence that this coincides with NASA's 50th.
Comments: 2 Score: [-] 238 [+].
Here's what you need to know to fly into space Posted: 2 years ago by suebe
Follow up to willster's earlier post about Sir Richard Branson's space tourism endeavor.
dmmit I've fixed this themepic crop 2 times now....
Comments: 0 Score: [-] 89 [+].
The 60's - The beginning of mankind's journeys into space Posted: 3 years ago by suebe
On April 12, 1961, the Soviets launched a 27-year-old fighter pilot named Yuri Gagarin on the world's first piloted space mission.
Comments: 0 Score: [-] 70 [+].
Virgin goes galactic with satellites Posted: 4 months ago by kakana
The company is working with UK space exploration company Surrey Small Satellites on plans to develop a launcher that could propel a 200kg satellite into space at roughly 10pc the cost of current technology.
Comments: 0 Score: [-] 181 [+].
NASA finds tiny hole in Atlantis caused by space debris Posted: 3 years ago by Fanatic
NASA discovered that space shuttle Atlantis has been holed by a tiny piece of space debris. The 1/10-inch hole represents the second largest debris damage event ever identified. Fortunately, it missed everything that was important to the mission. Space debris is an increasingly challenging problem.
Comments: 0 Score: [-] 10 [+].
Europe latest to unveil space tourism proposal Posted: 2 years ago by DrNothing
Astrium, the space systems arm of European aerospace company EADS, says it wants to build a four-passenger rocket-equipped jet to send space tourists to an altitude of 100 km (60 miles) above the earth for three minutes of weightlessness and a rare view of Earth's curvature.
Comments: 0 Score: [-] 23 [+].
Museum in Space? Posted: 3 years ago by sparky
A blog post suggests that Hubble could be kept in a high-orbit 'museum' rather than being made to crash into the Earth's atmosphere.
Comments: 0 Score: [-] 11 [+].
Japan's First Space Cargo Ship Ready to Fly Posted: 3 months ago by kakana
The new cargo ship is poised to launch toward the station on Sept. 10 at 1:01 p.m. EDT (1701 GMT) from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan on a shakedown cruise. If all goes well, the inaugural spacecraft, called the H-2 Transfer Vehicle 1 (HTV-1), should arrive at the station on Sept. 17.
Comments: 0 Score: [-] 99 [+].
Virgin Atlantic Space Flight Demo Posted: 2 years ago by ogri2003
Amazing flight demo! I hope I live long enough to do something like this. Richard Branson (Virgin) is just the guy to do it too.
See also:
(BBC news coverage posted by mrnelson)
Comments: 0 Score: [-] 103 [+].
Branson unveils Virgin spaceship Posted: 3 years ago by mrnelson
Sir Richard Branson is set to unveil a mock-up of the Virgin vehicle that will carry customers into space.
Comments: 0 Score: [-] 16 [+].
Salmonella in Space Get Even Nastier Posted: 8 months ago by AutumnLotus
Scientists sent Salmonella bacteria to the International Space Station aboard two space shuttle missions in September 2006 and March 2008. The researchers found that when the bacteria were cultured in the microgravity environment of orbit, they became more virulent than those on Earth. The findings showed that the conditions in which the bacteria grows affect how dangerous it will become.
Comments: 7 Score: [-] 270 [+].
Space storm caught slamming into Earth's atmosphere Posted: 6 months ago by AutumnLotus
A space storm has been observed exploding from a central point in Earth's upper atmosphere for the first time. The result could one day lead to better predictions of the storms, which can harm satellites and power grids on the ground.
Comments: 2 Score: [-] 275 [+].
Blue Origin has successful test flight Posted: 3 years ago by Fanatic
Blue Origin, another competitor in the burgeoning private access to space market, has released news(with video) of a successful test flight 11 November. The company is backed by Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos.
Comments: 1 Score: [-] 70 [+].
Japan Hopes To Build A Space Elevator Posted: 1 year ago by bernardblack
The concept of a space elevator has long been a dream for scientists and has here to date been a staple for science fiction authors. Japan hopes to change that and make the dream a reality.
Comments: 3 Score: [-] 181 [+].
Space Curry - Now Safe For Sealed Space Suit Wearers Posted: 8 months ago by pocksucket
The Indian space programme hit a minor snag when it came to the menu. Many traditional dishes have side effects that you don't necessarily want in a confined space with limited breathable air on board. The Defence Food Research Laboratory have stepped up to help create a more pleasant atmosphere.
Comments: 2 Score: [-] 180 [+].
Space telescope unveils hidden cosmic giant Posted: 2 years ago by AutumnLotus
Astronomers from SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research have discovered a new cluster of galaxies, hidden behind a previously identified cluster of galaxies. The recently exposed cosmic giant is apparently just as bright as the first group, but is six times further away. The astronomers made the discovery as part of an international team using the space telescope XMM-Newton.
Comments: 1 Score: [-] 216 [+].
Costa Rica Creates a Trash Collecting Space Rocket, Will Offer Rides to Mars Posted: 4 days ago by analumass
Former NASA astronaut Franklin Chang Diaz has developed a plasma rocket which could cut the cost of space travel by more than half, transforming the aerospace business and clearing the way to exploration for more countries, such as his native Costa Rica. For now, Franklin plans to use the rocket, called the VASIMR, as a a mail-carrier for outer space, a garbage truck for orbital debris and, the ultimate goal, a shuttle to Mars.
Comments: 0 Score: [-] 29 [+].
Hubble: From cosmic joke to cherished eye in space Posted: 7 months ago by kakana
After its launch into space in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was stuck with blurry vision because its mirror wasn't quite right. It was the butt of jokes by late night comics; an editorial cartoon said its designer was Mr. Magoo, a nearsighted cartoon character. It seemed like a massively overbudget screw-up.
Comments: 0 Score: [-] 406 [+].
Bugs in Space: Can They Survive? Posted: 2 years ago by AutumnLotus
Catching a free ride to Mars takes more than sticking out a thumb, but some hardy Earth bacteria could survive as hitchhikers clinging to the outside of spacecraft, studies have shown. Now a set of experiments going up with space shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station will test how exposure to the harshness of space might change bacteria during a simulated Mars mission.
Comments: 2 Score: [-] 258 [+].
Big Space Thing Looks Like a Moth Posted: 2 years ago by AutumnLotus
A moth-like structure with a 22-billion-mile wingspan is hovering out in space. This giant is actually a massive cloud of dust surrounding a nearby, young star imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope that has shown astronomers that these dust disks can take on unexpectedly unusual shapes.
Comments: 1 Score: [-] 234 [+].