May 6, 2018

SpaceX is Using a Powerful Rocket Technology. NASA Advisers Say it Could Put Lives at Risk. (Source: Washington Post)
When Elon Musk and his team at SpaceX were looking to make their Falcon 9 rocket even more powerful, they came up with a creative idea — keep the propellant at super-cold temperatures to shrink its size, allowing them to pack more of it into the tanks. But the approach comes with a major risk, according to some safety experts. At those extreme temperatures, the propellant would need to be loaded just before takeoff — while astronauts are aboard. An accident, or a spark, during this maneuver, known as “load-and-go,” could set off an explosion.

The proposal has raised alarms for members of Congress and NASA safety advisers as the agency and SpaceX prepare to launch humans into orbit as early as this year. One watchdog group labeled load-and-go a “potential safety risk.” A NASA advisory group warned in a letter that the method was “contrary to booster safety criteria that has been in place for over 50 years.”

Concerns at NASA over the astronauts’ safety hit a high point when, in September 2016, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blew up while it was being fueled ahead of an engine test. The fueling issue is emerging as a point of tension between the safety-obsessed space agency and the maverick company run by Musk, a tech entrepreneur who is well known for his flair for the dramatic and for pushing boundaries of rocket science. Click here. (5/5)

It's No Wonder Nasa is Intimidated by Elon Musk's BFR Rocket (Source: The Herald Scotland)
Any tax-funded spacefaring organization certainly has good reason to feel a bit defensive these days. After decades of dominance, NASA now faces cultural obsolescence with the rise of two privately-owned young pretenders – SpaceX and Amazon boss Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin.

These cash-rich upstarts lean heavily upon showmanship and razzle-dazzle, willingly inviting hyperbolic headlines and hysterical levels of hype for what are essentially just minor test launches. Many casual observers are under the impression we’ll soon be living in Martian cities and canoodling with exotic aliens, but the fact remains that no-one in the aeronautics industry is anywhere near launching a manned flight to Mars – never mind colonising the red planet with casinos and coffee shops.

It’s a very long way off – yet, these firms have to keep the near-future dream alive so investors think they’ll walk on Mars in their lifetime. Where Musk and Bezos’ firms do excel, however, is in making innovative breakthroughs in propulsion technology at a rate the red-tape bound bureaucratic nightmare that is NASA just can’t match. (5/6)

Forget About Sending Humans to Mars -- We Need a Permanent Moon Base Instead (Source: FOX News)
On Tuesday the three-day Human to Mars Summit kicks off in Washington to discuss the far more ambitious mission of sending men and women to Mars. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is one of many NASA officials scheduled to speak, along with officials of companies interested in space exploration, scientists, engineers, people from the entertainment industry and many others.

It’s only natural that in addition to sending unmanned exploratory vehicles to Mars we pull out the national checkbook and spend billions of dollars to send astronauts there to explore for themselves, right? Actually, it would be wrong. Sending humans to Mars – at least any time in the next few decades – would be a costly mistake. Instead, we need to use our limited resources to return to the moon and set up a permanent base, and do more to protect our Earth-orbiting satellites. This is a mission our national security demands.

President Obama acted foolishly when he allowed our human spaceflight program to be basically zeroed-out in federal budgets approved during his time in office. President Obama allowed Russia and China to catch up to the U.S. in manned space travel between Earth and the moon – our “backyard” in space – and what could be the ultimate high ground in a future war. President Trump has the opportunity to reverse President Obama’s devastating and dangerous misjudgment and once again – following the example of President Kennedy – make America great again in space. (5/6)

SpaceTime Enterprises Will Turn You Into a Virtual Space Tourist (Source: Venture Beat)
Let’s face it; VR might happen in our lifetime but accessible, affordable space tourism might not. At least, not any time soon. But In-Space Missions and Rewind want to use VR and AR to bring us closer to being an astronaut than ever before.

This week the pair announced SpaceTime Enterprises. This U.K.-based initiative that will see multiple satellites launched into low Earth orbit. These satellites will be fitted with cameras capable of broadcasting images of space in real-time and even overlaying information such as meteorological systems, atmospheric phenomenon, celestial bodies and more. Down on Earth, we’ll be able to view these images in VR, allowing us to visit miles above our own planet without ever having to step out the front door.

The initiative will look to develop apps using the information it captures that be used in both VR and AR. The hope is to create experiences for consumers, students, ecologists, scientists, business owners and others. (5/6)

'The Martian' Movie 'is Completely Doable.' But Elon Musk's City on Mars is Another Story. (Source: Business Insider)
"[Musk's] idea about colonizing? That's going to require ... bioregenerative life support capabilities," Porterfield said. The idea behind bioregenerative life support, which Porterfield worked on at NASA, is to collect a human crew's breath, liquid waste, and solid waste — then use plants and other life forms to recycle it into fresh food, water, and air. This would dramatically reduce the need for resupply missions and help ensure a crew's long-term survival. It would also make a colony vastly more sustainable, affordable, and independent. Click here. (5/5)