Why does SpaceX launch its gigantic Starship from as far south as you can get in Texas? Is it because Elon Musk likes lower taxes and a looser regulatory environment than he might find in other states? Probably. But there…
Category: Spacecraft
Where Does Space Begin?
If you are old enough, like me, to remember when riding a rocket into space was something no one had ever done, you may be joining me in some mix of amusement, mild disdain, and (let’s face it) jealousy at…
Rocket Science: Simple and Not So Simple
Rocket science at its most basic is surprisingly simple. If you throw enough stuff fast enough out the back of your rocket, it will make the rocket go forward. The more stuff you throw out and the faster you throw…
Space Travel For Real
How difficult is interstellar travel? I’m a huge fan of space travel both real and imagined, and have followed the voyages of the Starship Enterprise since its earliest manifestations. But warp engines aren’t real, and cheating the universe’s speed limit…
Another Black Eye for Boeing
What is the problem with Starliner? Two problems showed up as the spacecraft approached the International Space Station (ISS) back in June. Five of the 28 thrusters used to maneuver in orbit malfunctioned. Four were eventually brought back to…
A Crater, a Rocket Designer, and a Sci-Fi TV Show
nealsumerlin
Posted in human spaceflight, Mars, Rocket Science, Sergei Korolev, Spacecraft
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A MARTIAN CRATER Korolev Crater on Mars is located in the far north of that planet, in the low plains that surround the northern polar regions. Its site is marked by a red star at the upper left of the…
Mars, Humans, and Nuclear Power
Getting humans to Mars will be hard. Getting them back safely to Earth will be harder. Let’s look at what it will take. We’re going to get successively more technical as we go, so if you want to bail out…
Tagged with: Nuclear Thermal Propulsion
Orbits
To put an object into orbit around the Earth takes an impressive amount of power. You have to punch your way through the lower and thicker parts of the atmosphere, gradually change your direction from vertical to horizontal, and accelerate…
Tagged with: orbital mechanics
Where Does Space Begin?
Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic flew its first commercial passengers to space today (June 29, 2023), joining Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX. There are significant differences in the achievements of these three billionaire-funded ventures, however. SpaceX is by…
Tagged with: Space Tourism
Clocks and Calendars on Other Worlds
What time is it on the moon? You may have read that the European Space Agency is proposing that an international organization be responsible for setting and maintaining lunar time. Why might that be necessary? And what’s wrong with good…
Tagged with: timekeeping
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