Image credit: Sean Smith/NASA
Spaceship passes critical review
Posted on Thursday, 3 September, 2009 | 39 comments
NASA's new space shuttle replacement, the Orion capsule, has passed a critical review. The new spacecraft is expected to be ready by 2015 and will ferry astronauts to both the space station and hopefully the moon as well.
The spacecraft Nasa is developing to replace the shuttle has passed a critical milestone. The Orion capsule, which is intended to carry at least four astronauts into Earth orbit and beyond, has completed its preliminary design review, or PDR.
View: Full article | Source: BBC News News story suggestion by: zimbob Discuss: View comments (39)
Other news in this categoryNASA hopes to send a spacecraft to the Sun
Posted 9-5-2010 | 22 comments
NASA are planning to send a spacecraft in to the outer atmosphere of the Sun in an ambitious new project....
NASA are planning to send a spacecraft in to the outer atmosphere of the Sun in an ambitious new project....
Are we living in a designer universe ?
Posted 9-1-2010 | 122 comments
Some believe that our universe was designed by a creator but could its creator be a civilization of people ?...
Some believe that our universe was designed by a creator but could its creator be a civilization of people ?...
Bizarre elongated crater is a Martian mystery
Posted 8-30-2010 | 12 comments
A peculiar elongated crater on the surface of Mars that doesn't fit with standard models has left astronomers baffled....
A peculiar elongated crater on the surface of Mars that doesn't fit with standard models has left astronomers baffled....
Is the sun emitting a mystery particle ?
Posted 8-27-2010 | 17 comments
University researchers have found evidence to suggest that the sun could be emitting an unknown mystery particle....
University researchers have found evidence to suggest that the sun could be emitting an unknown mystery particle....
Vast solar system found 127 light years away
Posted 8-26-2010 | 18 comments
The largest known solar system beyound our own has been discovered around a sun-like star 127 light years away....
The largest known solar system beyound our own has been discovered around a sun-like star 127 light years away....
Amateur rocket to send humans in to space
Posted 8-24-2010 | 9 comments
The world's first amateur rocket designed to carry humans in to space has been developed in Denmark....
The world's first amateur rocket designed to carry humans in to space has been developed in Denmark....
Will the universe expand forever ?
Posted 8-21-2010 | 37 comments
Astronomers observing a huge galaxy cluster believe that the universe will keep on expanding indefinately....
Astronomers observing a huge galaxy cluster believe that the universe will keep on expanding indefinately....
Neptune nears end of first orbit since discovery
Posted 8-21-2010 | 2 comments
The planet Neptune is nearing the end of its first complete orbit since it was discovered in 1846....
The planet Neptune is nearing the end of its first complete orbit since it was discovered in 1846....
Hayabusa 2 will seek the origins of life in space
Posted 8-20-2010 | 0 comments
A successor to Japan's Hayabusa spacecraft could launch as early as 2014 to explore the origins of life....
A successor to Japan's Hayabusa spacecraft could launch as early as 2014 to explore the origins of life....
Robonaut 2 prepares to go in to space
Posted 8-17-2010 | 6 comments
NASA's Robonaut 2 will soon be the first human-like robot to go in to space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery....
NASA's Robonaut 2 will soon be the first human-like robot to go in to space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery....
Moon 'too dry to have life', say scientists
Posted 8-8-2010 | 24 comments
Scientists believe that despite water being found on the moon it is still too dry to have ever supported life....
Scientists believe that despite water being found on the moon it is still too dry to have ever supported life....
A universe inside every black hole ?
Posted 8-3-2010 | 45 comments
A Polish cosmologist has determined that an entire universe could exist within every black hole in the cosmos....
A Polish cosmologist has determined that an entire universe could exist within every black hole in the cosmos....
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Recent comments on this story
#35 Posted by MID on 8 September, 2009, 22:07The question about "grandma" is good. Personally, I think "grandma" isn't going to want to go on this ride (despite the fact that I believe Branson is proposing taking his 90+ year old parents on a ride in his deal...which will possibly be fatal. Geosynchronous or not....
#36 Posted by danielost on 8 September, 2009, 22:18i was told that it was possible to get 90% of the way to orbit on jet fuel. ie a space plane. but i guess coming back you would still have to glide?????
#37 Posted by MID on 8 September, 2009, 22:33I don't know that it's possible, daniel. After a certain point, you need air to make jet fuel work. Some sort of oxidizer will be required beyond a certain air density. Whatever the case, yes, comiong back you still have to retard orbital velocity, encounter the atmosphere with some...
#38 Posted by danielost on 8 September, 2009, 22:46I should have said that the man who told me that was supposed to be a retired nasa engineer. i would assume the other 10% of the way would be rocket fuel maybe o2 and hydrogen.
#39 Posted by MID on 9 September, 2009, 21:19Well, there's always the scramjet...which theoretically could provide a significant fraction of orbital velocity without additional oxidizer. But those engines have been frought with large-scale technical issues which have made them to-date not all too practical... With scramjets, hyperson...
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