Magnetic “deflector shields” could one day guard astronauts against dangerous space radiation, if experiments now underway pay off.
Some very cool pictures of the process of getting the Space Shuttle on the launching pad.
Bizarre-looking spacecraft may one day ride the magnetic fields of Earth and other planets to take previously unfeasible routes through the solar system
With the iconic Space Shuttle nearing retirement, the pressure is on NASA to design a new manned vehicle — one that will deliver us safely to the lunar surface by 2020 before building a lasting lunar base. From ensuring safe launch to getting the vehicle back on the ground, here’s a look at the toughest challenges facing the spacecraft’s engineers
“Forget rockets. All you need to launch a satellite is a sled and a giant magnetic slingshot…As for the system’s cost, its low power requirements would allow spy micro-satellites to be slung into orbit for $50,000, a small fraction of the current $5-million launch cost.”
A new study by the US Air Force has suggested a cheaper method of sending satellites (possibly missile weapons) into orbit. A ring of superconducting magnets would contain and propel a payload, accelerating it over a period of hours, before suddenly powering down the magnets and flinging the satellite into space at 23 times the speed of sound.
The pieces are coming together for NASA’s next spaceship Orion as space agency engineers begin working with lead contractor Lockheed Martin to shape the vehicle’s cockpit.
A piece of debris is seen near the orbiter Atlantis. The photo was taken by the STS-115 crew today.
