October 2016
Unlocking the potential of annular ion engines
...electrical efficiencies as compared to the NEXT thruster. As indicated, the near-term curve drives down the Isp cross...), as well as SOA ION. Curve fits of data for both technologies indicate a cross-over in F/P at about 2600 seconds. Also plotted are ...
March 2017
Rosetta – outstanding climax to pioneering mission
... we receive the long-awaited signal from the spacecraft, indicating that it was still there, healthy and ready to perform...to its normal flight mode and looked at the few telemetry indications we had from the long hibernation period. It turned out that...
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...
June 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...
