Developments in Space Travel

Billions of dollars every year are spent on space projects, so where is our money going? What sorts of capabilities are we building toward? This section should answer a few questions about where NASA  and other space developers are spending their money.

Hubble Footage (Hubble site – no date)
http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/tours/
Hubble’s “Image Tours” show you Hubble pictures through an astronomer's eyes, pinpointing and explaining key features. Point and click through these interactive images to add understanding to the joy of cosmic sightseeing. Take an armchair tour of the Tadpole Galaxy, the Helix Nebula, the Eagle Nebula and six others; the beauty of the universe is astonishing.

Riding the Solar Wind on a 30-Mile Sail – (Wired – May 08, 2007)
http://www.wired.com/science/space/news/2007/05/solarsail
A spinning web of electrified wire 30 miles wide may become the spacecraft propulsion system of the future. A team from the Kumpula Space Center in Finland is proposing a huge electronic sail for spacecraft that may dramatically reduce journey times across the solar system. The giant sail, which would be twice the length of Manhattan, is made from about 100 wires spun up into a whirling disk. Electrified by an onboard, solar-powered electron gun, the negatively charged wires repel the positively charged protons of the solar wind, providing thrust.

French Get a Look at Nation’s UFO Files -- (AP -- March 23, 2007)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17753893/
The saucer-shaped object is said to have touched down in the south of France and then zoomed off. It left behind scorch marks and that haunting age-old question: Are we alone? This is just one of the cases from France’s secret “X-Files” - documents on supposed UFOs and sightings of other unexplained phenomena that the French space agency is publishing on the Internet. France is the first country to put its entire 'weird' sightings archive online

Nano-propulsion Technology for Space Exploration

Space Commercialization Contracts Signed -- (UPI -- February 1, 2007)
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Space
_Commercialization_Contracts_Signed_999.html
NASA says it has signed a space commercialization contract with several US corporations. The agreements are designed to facilitate the commercialization of low-Earth orbit as capabilities are developed to transport goods and people to orbital destinations.

Latest Revision Signed to Space Operations Doctrine -- (AFNS -- February 2, 2007)
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Latest_Revision_Signed_To_Space_Operations_Doctrine_999.html
The Air Force chief of staff has approved the latest revision to Air Force Doctrine Document 2-2, Space Operations, outlining the operations of space power. This space operations doctrine has been updated significantly since the previous publication of AFDD 2-2 in 2001. It describes the integration of space power across the range of military operations. Specifically, it recommends a command and control construct for space operations found to be extremely effective in recent operations.

No Big Bang? Endless Universe Made Possible by New Model -- (Physorg -- January 30, 2007)
http://www.physorg.com/news89399974.html
A new cosmological model demonstrates the universe can endlessly expand and contract, providing a rival to Big Bang theories and solving a thorny modern physics problem.

Satellite Prepares to Go Super-Cold -- (BBC -- February 4, 2007)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6328787.stm
Only 4% of the Universe is made up of ordinary matter that we can see. The rest is dark energy (73%) and dark matter (23%). Their influence can be detected indirectly, but scientists do not understand their nature. Planck, a satellite due to be launched in 2008 could provide new information on dark energy, but it will depend on what this mysterious quantity is.

On-Orbit Satellite Servicing -- (University of Toronto -- Computer science program)

On-orbit satellite servicing is the task of maintaining and repairing a satellite in orbit.

• It extends the operational life of the satellite
• Mitigates technical risks
• Reduces on-orbit losses
• Helps manage orbital debris

Students at the University of Toronto are developing this "Coco" (cognitive controller) technology. To see more about the development of this technology, see www.cs.toronto.edu/~faisal/coco/index.html 

Google and NASA Pair Up for Virtual Space Exploration -- (New Scientist -- December 18, 2006)
http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn10822?DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=dn10822
The crunch of Martian soil underfoot and the feel of Martian wind against your cheek could one day be experienced by anyone with an internet connection as a result of a new collaboration between NASA and internet titan Google.

India to Test Space Capsule as Part of Moon Mission -- (AFP -- January 3, 2007)
http://www.moondaily.com/reports/India_To
_Test_Space_Capsule_As_Part_Of_Moon_Mission_999.html
India plans to launch a capsule into orbit early next year and bring it back to Earth, an initial step towards an unmanned mission to the moon by 2010. India also announced recently its intentions to send an unmanned mission to Mars by 2013 to look for evidence of life.

First South Korean Space Rocket to Launch in 2008 -- (AFP -- January 2, 2007)
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/First_South_Korean
_Space_Rocket_To_Launch_In_2008_999.html
South Korea plans to launch its first space rocket next year, becoming the world's ninth country to do so. A space centre on the country's south coast is around 90% complete after construction began in late 2000. The rocket, named Korea Space Launch Vehicle, will put a small satellite into orbit for scientific research and atmospheric surveys. Between this year and 2010, South Korea plans to build or launch a total of nine satellites

Russia Will Develop Space Elevators -- (Space Daily-- December 1, 2006)
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Russia
_Will_Develop_Space_Elevators_999.html
Scientists from the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences have developed a unique space elevator for lunar and Martian missions. Although a bit slower than traditional solid-rocket propulsion systems, the new system will cut back on interplanetary delivery expenses.

Sci-Fi Life Support -- (NASA-- October 30, 2006)
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/30oct_eclss.htm?list750202
In Frank Herbert's epic novel Dune, set on the fictitious desert planet Arrakis, water is so precious that even perspiration and breath moisture are captured and purified for drinking. On real-life voyages to the Moon and Mars, science fact may end up imitating science fiction. Indeed, scientists and engineers at NASA are putting the finishing touches on systems for capturing exhaled carbon dioxide and urine and turning them into breathable oxygen and drinking water.

First Light for Hinode -- (NASA-- November 2, 2006)
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/02nov_firstlight.htm?list750202
The Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) onboard Japan's Hinode spacecraft has opened its doors and started snapping pictures. Hinode is on a mission to study the sun - specifically sunspots, which give rise to powerful flares and solar storms.

New Image Gives Insight into Colliding Galaxies -- (Reuters -- October 17, 2006)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061017/sc_nm/space_galaxy_dc
A seemingly violent collision of two galaxies is in fact a fertile marriage that has birthed billions of new stars - serving as a preview for the Milky Way's likely collision with the nearby Andromeda Galaxy, about 6 billion years from now.

Huge 'Launch Ring' to Fling Satellites into Orbit -- (New Scientist-- October 3, 2006)
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn10180
An enormous ring of superconducting magnets similar to a particle accelerator could fling satellites into space, or perhaps weapons around the world, opening the possibility of cheap satellite launches.

NASA’s Goals Delete Mention of Home Planet -- (NY Times -- July 22, 2006)
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/science/22nasa.html?
ex=1311220800&en=74c926c8939e58e0&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
From 2002 until this year, NASA’s mission statement read: “To understand and protect our home planet; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers ... as only NASA can.” In early February, the statement was quietly altered, with the phrase “to understand and protect our home planet” deleted - coming as an unwelcome surprise to many NASA scientists, who say the “understand and protect” phrase was not merely window dressing but actively influenced the shaping and execution of critical research priorities.

Japan Aims For Manned Moon Station in 2030 -- (Physorg -- August 02, 2006)
http://www.physorg.com/news73714331.html
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) hopes to launch a satellite into lunar orbit next year, followed by an unmanned spacecraft that will land on the moon and a probe ship that will collect samples from the moon. Under the plan, the astronauts will be sent to the moon by around 2020 so that they will start construction of the base to be completed by 2030.

On Mars, No One Can Hear You Scream -- (Science Now -- June 12, 2006)
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2006/612/2
Sound dies quickly in the cold, thin air of Mars. Researchers have modeled a sound wave traveling through the Martian atmosphere and report that it doesn't go far-- even a lawn mower's roar dies after a hundred meters or so. The model presents an unusually detailed picture of how sound travels in an alien atmosphere and hints at what it would take to communicate on the Red Planet.

Satellite Could Open Door on Extra Dimension -- (New Scientist -- May 30, 2006)
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9240-satellite-could-open-door-on-extra-dimension.html
An exotic theory, which attempts to unify the laws of physics by proposing the existence of an extra fourth spatial dimension, could be tested using a satellite to be launched in 2007. Such theories are notoriously difficult to test. But a new study suggests that such hidden dimensions could give rise to thousands of mini-black holes within our own solar system - and the theory could be tested within Pluto's orbit in just a few years

Nanotech and Space Exploration Catch FiRE -- (ABC -- May 18, 2006)
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/ZDM/story?id=1976344
The Future in Review conference in San Diego offers an unprecedented amalgamation of experts in a wide variety of fields. Here's a look at two of the more interesting topics, nanotech and space exploration. It delves into issues such as the practicality of nanotech and whether to colonize the moon first or Mars.

Biggest Map of Universe Reveals Colossal Structures -- (New Scientist -- May 15, 2006)
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9164-biggest-map-of-universe-reveals-colossal-structures.html
Giant structures stretching more than a billion light years across have been revealed by two new maps of the distribution of galaxies in the universe. The updated atlases lend more support to the idea that the universe is dominated by dark matter and dark energy. Both studies used data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to gather the color and position in the sky of more than a million galaxies.

New and Improved Antimatter Spaceship for Mars Missions -- (NASA -- April 14, 2006)
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2006/antimatter_spaceship.html
Some antimatter reactions produce blasts of high energy gamma rays. Gamma rays are like X-rays on steroids. They penetrate matter and break apart molecules in cells, so they are not healthy to be around. High-energy gamma rays can also make the engines radioactive by fragmenting atoms of the engine material. Researchers are now working on a new design for an antimatter-powered spaceship that avoids this nasty side effect by producing gamma rays with much lower energy.

Magnetic Moondust -- (NASA -- April 4, 2006)
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/04apr_magneticmoondust.htm?list750202
Thirty-plus years ago on the moon, Apollo astronauts made an important discovery: Moondust can be a major nuisance. The fine powdery grit was everywhere and had a curious way of getting into things. Moondust plugged bolt holes, fouled tools, coated astronauts' visors and abraded their gloves. Dealing with "the dust problem" is going to be a priority for the next generation of NASA explorers. But how? One researcher believes he has an answer: Magnets.

Telescope to Get Lobster Vision -- (BBC -- April 5, 2006)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4880032.stm
The lobster is the inspiration for a new type of European X-ray telescope. The observatory is designed to have an extremely wide field of view - just as the crustacean manages with its vision. The idea of using the lobster-eye design in a telescope to make X-ray surveys was first proposed back in the 1970s, but it has taken almost 30 years to perfect the optics involved.

NASA and Google Bring Mars to PCs Everywhere -- (New Scientist -- March 13, 2006)
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article.ns?id=dn8841
With Google's help, web surfers can now navigate from the plains of Meridiani to the Proctor Crater Dunes on Mars as though they were two local destinations. Arizona State University's Mars Space Flight Facility and Google teamed up to produce Google Mars, a mapping tool, which allows users to view and scroll across the surface of the Red Planet, visiting its many landmarks.

Research Warps into Hyperdrive -- (Space -- March 8, 2006)
http://space.com/businesstechnology/060308_exotic_drive.html
So you're looking for the latest in faster-than-light interstellar travel via traversable wormholes? That's one theme among many discussed at Space Technology & Applications International Forum (STAIF), a meeting that brought together more than 600 experts to thrash out a range of space exploration issues. Along with the run-of-the-mill space debates of the day, STAIF has also become a respected venue for researchers that dabble in the exotic, the thought-provoking novel, or the downright wierd anomaly.

Moon Water: A Trickle of Data and a Flood of Questions -- (Space -- March 6, 2006)
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060306_lunar_ice.html
NASA is in the process of scripting how best to plant new boot prints on the Moon and take advantage of lunar resources that could prolong human stays on that barren ball of rock. While the Moon is one desolate world, it could turn out to be a faraway faucet of sorts. Robotic spacecraft - both the Pentagon's Clementine (1994) and NASA's Lunar Prospector (1998-1999) missions - point to the promise that the Moon is a literal watering hole for crews.

Texas State Research Sheds New Light on Panspermia -- (Astrobiology -- February 24, 2006)

The Part-Time Pulsar -- (Universe Today -- March 7, 2006)
http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/part_time_cosmic_clocks.html?732006
Astronomers have discovered a very unusual pulsar that seems to switch off from time to time. It looks like a normal pulsar for about a week, blasting out radio waves, and then goes silent for about a month. This pulsar is slowing down its rate of rotation, but this deceleration increases when it's active. This braking mechanism is related to the powerful radio emissions. During its active phase, a wind of particles is spewed off, stealing some of its rotational energy.

Profits Set to Soar in Outer Space -- (CNN -- February 27, 2006)
http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/27/technology/business2_guidetospaceintro/index.htm
Worldwide government spending on space is soaring to $50 billion a year, a 25% jump over 2000. NASA represents only $16 billion of that total, but during the next 20 years, the U.S. space agency is likely to sign contracts totaling as much as $400 billion to launch a human mission to Mars. We are also well into the commercial space age. In 1998, private-sector spending on space applications began to exceed government.

Looking for Other Earths? Here's a List -- (MSNBC -- February 19, 2006)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11427824/
An astronomer involved in a NASA mission to look for Earthlike planets beyond our solar system has winnowed through thousands of stars to come up with a top-10 list that includes some of the favorite haunts for science-fiction aliens. It is broken down into two top-five lists: one for the radio-based search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or SETI, and the other for the NASA mission, known as the Terrestrial Planet Finder.

Red Rain Could Prove That Aliens Have Landed -- (Guardian Unlimited -- March 5, 2006)
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1723913,00.html
On 25 July, 2001, blood-red rain fell over the Kerala district of western India. These rain bursts continued for the next two months. Investigations suggested the rain was red because winds had swept up dust from Arabia and dumped it on Kerala. But some researchers now say that the rain was made up of bacteria-like material that had been swept to Earth from a passing comet.

Is Our Universe About to be Mangled? -- (New Scientist -- February 23, 2006)
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn8766.html
Our universe may one day be obliterated or assimilated by a larger universe, according to a controversial new analysis. The work suggests the parallel universes proposed by some quantum theorists may not actually be parallel but could interact, and with disastrous consequences.

Scotland is The Center of a Gravity Revolution -- (Scotsman News -- February 18, 2006)
http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=253972006
A shockwave tore through the space-time continuum that is the global astronomical community with the news that researchers at St Andrews University have apparently rewritten the laws of physics. One of the basic tenets of astronomy - the universal force of gravity - is now under serious challenge from a radical, competing theory.

New Type of Star Discovered -- (Universe Today -- February 22, 2006)
http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/jodrell_new_star.html?2222006
UK astronomers have used the Jodrell Bank Observatory to discover an entirely new class of objects. These stars are similar to pulsars, as they produce brief radio flashes which only last for a few milliseconds. Unlike pulsars, however, they stay silent for much longer periods of time, ranging from 4 minutes to 3 hours. Astronomers think these objects build up energy over hundreds of rotations, and then release it in a single burst - and then build back up again.

Space-Elevator Tether Climbs a Mile High -- (New Scientist -- February 15, 2006)
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn8725.html
A slim cable for a space elevator has been built stretching a mile into the sky, enabling robots to scrabble some way up and down the line. LiftPort Group, a private US company on a quest to build a space elevator by April 2018, stretched the strong carbon ribbon 1 mile into the sky from the Arizona desert outside Phoenix in January tests.

Look Out for Giant Triangles in Space -- (New Scientist -- December 28, 2005)
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18624944.800
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) could be taking the wrong approach. Instead of listening for alien radio broadcasts, a better strategy may be to look for giant structures placed in orbit around nearby stars by alien civilizations. Artificial structures may be the best way for an advanced extraterrestrial civilization to signal its presence to an emerging technology like ours, says one expert. And he believes that the generation of space-based telescopes now being designed will be able to spot them.

Space 'Spiders' Could Build Solar Satellites -- (New Scientist -- December 28, 2005)
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article.ns?id=dn8466
A mission to determine whether spider-like robots could construct complex structures in space is set to launch in January 2006. The spider bots could build large structures by crawling over a "web" released from a larger spacecraft. The engineers behind the project hope the robots will eventually be used to construct colossal solar panels for satellites that will transmit solar energy back to Earth. The satellites could reflect and concentrate the Sun's rays to a receiving station on Earth or perhaps beam energy down in the form of microwaves.

Radar Sees Ice Deep below Mars -- (BBC -- December 1, 2005)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4479612.stm
Mars Express has become the first spacecraft to detect reserves of water ice deep beneath the surface of the Red Planet, experts have announced. The Marsis radar experiment carried onboard appears to have discovered water ice more than 1km below ground. It is thought the greatest reservoir of retained water on Mars could be found beneath the surface, perhaps providing a habitat for microbial life.

 

A.I. at the front door of the final frontier
By: Peter McMahon, July 6, 2001
Even HAL 9000 needed help to repair the outside of the space ship Discovery in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Then again, once the crew set out for their spacewalk, HAL went insane and wouldn't let them back inside. In the real 2001, we're both ahead of the game and behind such a vision when it comes to A.I. in space.

Today, we may not have self-aware computers to run our spaceships, but thanks to a Canadian robotics company, we may soon be able to sit back and let the machines do the dirty work in space.

Engineers and computer scientists at Brampton-based MD Robotics - builders of the Canadarm and Canadarm2 - are working on a project called ROSA (or Remote Operation with Supervised Autonomy), designed to help capture and repair satellites in orbit, without human intervention.

A scaled-down HAL
"It's very hard to capture satellites from unmanned craft controlled by us from the ground," says Ross Gillett, senior research and development engineer at MDR. "The satellite is moving, the spaceship is moving and there may be a time delay of several minutes," says Gillett. "So we have to give the autonomous system we'll use to capture the satellite a high level of intelligence to guide itself to its high level goal."

ROSA is essentially made up of intelligent software and stereo-vision camera hardware to give that artificial intelligence the ability to perceive its environment and direct robots to grab onto an object in orbit.

So how does it work?
"All intelligent systems have to perceive their environment to be able to make intelligent, informed decisions," says Piotr Jasiobedzki, staff scientist at MD Robotics. "Stereo cameras give our systems the ability to perceive depth like human eyes and use that to find the objects they need to interface with on-orbit."

  From the programming end of things, Gillett says imparting A.I. to space robots is an exercise in minimalism. "For on-orbit situations where an onboard computer may not have a lot of processing power, we have to program in fairly simple algorithms for effective but compact A.I.," says Gillett.

"To have a level of intelligence that's small enough to go in such computers, we have a two level system. The first is a recognition system where the robot can guide itself towards an object it's been taught to recognize. The second involves an intelligent supervisor function - where true A.I. comes into the picture."

  Out-of-this-world applications
Both ROSA team members say the system could be attached autonomous crafts like Russian Progress vehicles, but it is also slated to be used on both station and shuttle Canadarms.

Gillett didn't have an exact figure to give on the cost of the program, but says it will easily recoup its cost via the money that will be saved in many expensive satellites it could service - ones that would normally have to fall back down to Earth if not repaired.

  What's the future hold?
Gillett says taking people out of the on-orbit repair equation means more safety, but that doesn't mean A.I. will take the fun out of hand's-on exploration for humans.

He says he can see distant cousins of ROSA going to Mars to pave the way for human settlement there. "The autonomous technology on Mars Pathfinder was very successful. We would foresee taking that technology a step farther and using A.I. to set up a settlement there before humans arrive. I don't see robots competing against humans, but rather, being partners. We'll always need human judgment at some level. Humans will always be in the picture and manned spaceflight will always be something that humans will want to do."

Taken from http://www.exn.ca/ai/readstory.asp?story_id=2001070555 

BIOSTASIS IN SPACE TRAVEL

Expected between 2031-2035

Technology will be available to slow the body's metabolism enough to delay ageing on space journeys lasting decades. Travelers will sleep the whole time, connected to drips to provide basic nutrients and vitamins.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid=15779660%26method=full%26siteid=94762-name_page.html

SPACE ELEVATOR

Expected between 2036-2040

A Seattle company is already planning to connect the earth to space via a cable running between a floating ocean platform and a satellite. Passenger pods and cargo could travel up and down the cable.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid=15779660%26method=full%26siteid=94762-name_page.html

MOON BASE

Expected between 2041-2045

A village will be firmly established on the Moon, serviced by regular shuttle flights.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid=15779660%26method=full%26siteid=94762-name_page.html

MARS BASE

Expected between 2046-2050

A small colony of scientists and explorers will be entirely self-sufficient, growing food in large greenhouse-style pods.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid=15779660%26method=full%26siteid=94762-name_page.html

GAMMA-RAY BURST MYSTERY UNRAVELED -- (Wired -- October 4, 2005)
http://www.wired.com/news/space/0,2697,69071,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2
Astronomers have long theorized that merging neutron stars produce massive explosions capable of wiping out nearby solar systems for thousands of light-years around. Now a flurry of research is coming to a head that offers the first detailed view of the origin of so-called short gamma-ray bursts, revealing a picture that is consistent with the merging neutron star theory. That means the universe could be far more hazardous than previously thought, given the number of known and probable neutron star pairs in relative proximity to Earth.

STUDENTS PREPARE TO LAUNCH HOME-MADE SATELLITE -- (Space -- September 29, 2005)
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/050921_techwed_sseti.html
A micro-satellite built largely from donated parts in university workshops across Europe is just over one week from launch. It is the first in a trio of student-built spacecraft that will ultimately reach for the Moon. Student teams built it subsystem-by-subsystem and communicated primarily through the Internet, though weekly chat sessions and twice-yearly workshops helped keep everyone on the same page.

TRIP TO THE MOON  -- (CNN -- August 10, 2005)
http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/10/news/funny/moontrip/index.htm?cnn=yes
Space Adventures, an Arlington, Va. based company, announced plans for two passengers to ride a Russian Soyuz rocket to the moon and back as early as 2008. The Soyuz would travel around the far side of the moon and then return to Earth without orbiting or landing, according to the firm's CEO, who said they have identified more than 1,000 people with both the financial resources and the interest to consider making the trip.