October 2015
Copernicus, ESA’s most ambitious Earth Observation programme
...for Envisat data. So far there are about 6500 Envisat User projects. Earth Explorer Missions The Earth Explorers are research missions designed to address key scientific challenges identified by the science community, while demonstrating breakthrough...
March 2016
The Use of 3D Printing for Space Applications
... has just launched its own plastic printer prototype as a technology demonstration for long term manned exploration missions. As on the ISS, manned missions could carry 3D printers to ensure full self-reliance as they fly for months or years from...
March 2016
Captivating hearts and minds
... and more potential for reaching out to the general public and engaging them with the space exploration mission brand. 1 Marcu, S.D., & Laird, R. J. M. (2015). Rosetta and Philae: Captivating the Hearts and Minds of a Global Audience, 66th...
June 2017
Automated or human-operated systems?
... and imagination. System reliability is essential to the success of a mission but the external environment is a source of continuous discovery and surprises – otherwise why would we call it ‘exploration? – and to cope with this the system requires...
July 2018
The rise of interplanetary CubeSats
... less than 50 m/s delta-v to perform minor course corrections as it is dropped off on a flyby trajectory to Mars. Science and exploration missions are possible with flybys, as in the recent Deep Horizons flyby of Pluto. However, in the inner solar...
May 2019
Cold comfort for astronauts
... volume-space. This design philosophy is also driven by resource limitations and sustainability. Today’s human exploration missions primarily revolve around the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS was designed as an international laboratory...
