April 2017
Mega-challenges for mega-constellations
... levels that can actually be expected to come with the mega-constellation - which is a difficult one to answer. A first indication could, however, be obtained from a review of the success rates observed in the recent past. ESA experts regularly...
May 2017
Spaceplane rationale - a new way of thinking
...space (in 2004) of the only other suborbital spaceplane to have flown - the Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne. This hiatus is an indication of the lack of priority given to reducing the cost of access to space. The way ahead A spaceflight revolution has...
February 2018
Are we asking the right questions about space debris?
...close for comfort’ or are they meaningless as a future indicator for debris growth? In C850, we have had five encounters... massive breakup event, or are they meaningless as a future indicator for debris growth? These are the sort of questions we ...
March 2018
Zero gravity and the human heart
.... Each of these data are normal under zero-g conditions but when assessed on a ‘terrestrial cardiology’ basis would be indicative of diverse cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers exercises aboard the ISS. In zero-g the...
June 2018
Cosmic communications and the anthropology of outer space
... in Green Bank, West Virginia, USA, in the hope of capturing non-local, narrow band signals that might indicate a message sent from a distant civilization. A 2015 US$100 million ‘Breakthrough Listen’ grant to UC Berkeley scientists provided an influx...
July 2018
Using algae to support astronauts on deep space missions
... even proven that dormant algae are able to survive in a space vacuum for up to 16 months, which is hugely beneficial as it indicates that dormant algal seed cultures can survive exposure to the vacuum of space in emergencies. So, algae are great...
