July 2021
Nitrous oxide – a green propellant for commercial space exploration
.../HTPB (Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene) hybrid rocket motors capable of four restarts powered the SpaceShipOne suborbital spaceplane for 90 seconds. Although other formulations were trialled, serious combustion instability issues on firings longer...
September 2021
Near space - the air-space boundary question, astronauts and space tourism
... There are still issues of how to classify and register truly hybrid craft such as single-stage-to-orbit spaceplanes and what happens in respect of the liability of spaceflight participants for accidents or injury on board a suborbital vehicle. These...
June 2022
Military space – how worried should we be?
... attention to them, nor finding out more about these missions. Only a few reported on its successor, the X-37 spaceplane. In effect, the secret shuttle flights marked the normalisation of military space. Romantic adventure that spaceflight might...
January 2023
Private space stations and NASA’s effort to re-invent itself
... (LIFE) module as well as a follow-on module. Sierra Space may also be involved in the use of the Dream Chaser spaceplane for crew and cargo transport. Boeing to be responsible for the science module and for the operation...
April 2024
Planning, designing and delivering a spaceport
... is to be built at Taranto Grottaglie Airport in Puglia. ‘Cryptaliae Spaceport’ will be specifically designed for the development of a spaceplane that is capable of travelling from one place to another using horizontal take-off and landing. Challenge...
March 2026
Lessons learned on the way to space
... days, possibly twice a week. This Delta Class spaceship should be in test in 2026. Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity spaceplane is released from its VMS Eve mothership on a glide flight in New Mexico. Creating the right environment The...
