Aviation and Space Blog

quot;quot;quot; Nitrous oxide Oxidizer/Fuel Blend Optimized Breakdown System (NOFBOBS) PI: Greg Mungas, Firestar Engineering An optimized liquid Monopropellant blend with the following characteristics: 1) 300s vacuum equivalent Isp (demonstrated); 2) Propellant density 12 times that of tanked m ..
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Tags: airspace astronomy Space Shuttle space planetary

STS118 ENDEAVOUR CREW PERFORMS TEST http://www.spacemultimedia.nl.eu.org/index.phpoptioncomcontentamp;taskviewamp;id2101amp;Itemid1 SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER RAIL CARS ARRIVE IN FLORIDA http://www.spacemultimedia.nl.eu.org/index.phpoptioncomcontentamp;taskviewamp;id2100amp;Itemid1 ..
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Tags: space planetary technology space agency

JP Aerospace: Ads, Ping Pong Balls, Coffee and Cutting Edge Development

“On Saturday, June 2, the JP Aerospace team set up shop in the Nevada desert. Two platforms, Away 32 and Away 33, were carried aloft by balloon. These platforms were loaded. Each one was performing multiple tests and accomplished multiple mission objectives. Away 32 was the first in the air. It reached 94,000 feet with a fast climb rate of 1,300 feet per minute.”

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Tags: astronomy space science aerospace technology

Gordon, Miller, Nelson Move Toward Hearings on NASA IG Investigation

“According to press reports today however, President Bush has determined that NASA’s recommendation that Mr. Cobb develop ‘an individual leadership/management plan’ while attending a resident course at the Federal Executive Institute is sufficient to address these findings,” stated the Members in their letter to OMB. “We respectfully disagree.  As a result, we are preparing for possible hearings to investigate Mr. Cobb’s conduct as Inspector General.”

Editor’s update: “According to press reports today however, President Bush has determined …” You are basing this official Congressional activity on “press reports” of what the White House is possibly going to do? Have you folks even bothered to ask the White House for an answer on this matter? Also, this report hasn’t been released yet. So why are you folks (and your staff) talking about the report’s contents? Why are you revealing only portions of what is in it? There certainly seems to be a lapse of professional ethics on your collective part in condoning that sort of behavior.

Let’s Hang The IG From The Nearest Tree, earlier post

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Tags: airspace shuttle planetary technology space astronomy

Asteroid and Galaxy
Credit: Robert Long

Explanation: Apollo class asteroid 2006 VV2 flashed past planet Earth in late March, approaching to within 3.4 million kilometers or about 8.8 times the Earth-Moon distance. Due to the proximity of its orbit to Earth and its estimated diameter of over 1 kilometer, 2006 VV2 is classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid. Telescopes large and small were trained on the much anticipated flyby, the closest for a known asteroid of comparable size until the year 2036. This composite telescopic view is from a series of images recorded over a period of about an hour on Mar. 28 from Vado, New Mexico. The asteroid begins near the center of the field and tracks down and to the left, apparently passing very near galaxy M81. Of course, along with its companion galaxy M82 on the right, M81 is really 12 million light years away, compared to the asteroid’s range of a mere 15 light seconds.
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Tags: NASA science shuttle aerospace space astronomy

NASA has selected 18 Small Business Technology Transfer research proposals for Phase 2 contract negotiations. The selected STTR projects have a total value of approximately $11 million.
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Tags: airspace Space Shuttle shuttle technology space agency

NASA’s Space Shuttle Discovery ferry flight departs no earlier than Friday morning, Aug. 19, and arrives at KSC no earlier than 5:30 p.m. EDT, Saturday.
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Tags: Space Shuttle space astronomy

Haughton Mars Project Research Station Photo Report – Aerial Views, Mars Institute

“In February the Mars Institute undertook its annual trip to the high arctic for talks with local communities and had the opportunity for an aerial survey of the HMP Research Station. Some of those photographs are now online.”

Mars Institute

Haughton-Mars Project

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Tags: space travel astronomy ISS science space agency

Amazingly enough, its that time of year again on Mars. Ive seen a number of hints as to how to get Spirit into position to survive the upcoming winter by spending it on a properlytilted slope. But Opportunity seems to have far fewer… opportunities. The last winter, it stayed on the correct s ..
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Tags: ISS science

NASA has assigned the crew for STS-124, targeted for launch in February 2008, which will deliver the Pressurized Module and robotic arm of the Japanese Experiment Module, known as “Kibo” (hope), to the ISS.
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Tags: airspace astronomy space space agency