September 2017
Measuring space debris risk
... that the greatest risk posed to spacecraft is from objects in the 2 to 3 mm range. For debris objects below 1 mm, shielding and good design can normally provide a successful defence. So, from a satellite perspective a ‘bad’ conjunction is one with...
May 2018
Challenging the boundaries of materials science
... no substitute material; a component of high-strength-to-weight Al-Li alloys; beryllium oxide for spacecraft cooling devices and heat shields; boric acid, used for high-quality printed circuit board manufacture and plating processes; gallium arsenide...
August 2018
Measuring the pulse of Mars
...; Olympus Mons for example is nearly 100 times greater in volume than Mauna Loa in Hawaii, the largest shield volcano on Earth. Although no active volcanoes have been discovered on Mars - the last eruptions are thought to have...
October 2018
Sustainable ways of living on the Moon and Mars
... ‘dust-devils’. Team SEArch+/Apis Cor of New York came fourth, focusing on regolith construction to provide radiation shielding and physical protection. Land, regulation and contamination Key future issues will be establishing the ‘ownership’ both...
November 2018
BepiColombo – a mission to explore Mercury
... middle), are mounted on top of the Mercury Transfer Module (MTM, lower part). During cruise the MMO is shielded by a sunshield (not shown on this image). Understanding Mercury is crucial to developing a better understanding of the early processes...
January 2019
Visiting an asteroid to find out how life began
... above our planet, the spacecraft will release the sample return capsule, which is equipped with a heat shield and parachutes to bring its celestial burden safely through our atmosphere and back to Earth. Analysed in a specially...
