Category Archives: NASA

Ground Ops Costs

Posted on Wed, 2010-01-06 by gravityloss

Clark Lindsey comments on how Arianespace just raised prices instead of lessening costs. I’m reminded of Rob Coppinger’s recent visit to Kourou, their launch site. It just costs a lot to keep a city going in the middle of jungle, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, industry, NASA, RLV:s, Suborbital | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Clear Climate Code

Posted on Tue, 2009-12-08 by gravityloss

A project you can partake here. Rewriting some NASA GISS temperature record code in Python at first. I’d go further and say things like these should not be volunteer efforts… government codes for something important like this should be open … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Motivation, NASA, Science Links | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Doug Stanley Backs Depots

Posted on Tue, 2009-12-08 by gravityloss

Doug Stanley, the notorious ESAS leader has said some strange things (this is his option three, one being Ares I and two Ares V): Eliminating Ares 1 and 5 and all shuttle infrastructure could save NASA future costs that could … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Lunar, NASA, RLV:s | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Be Careful When Starting Large Projects

Posted on Mon, 2009-12-07 by gravityloss

Photos of a certain large Soviet ground effect vehicle.

Posted in airplane, Architecture, Demotivation, industry, Motivation, NASA, RLV:s, Transportation | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Dual Propellant Expander

Posted on Thu, 2009-11-12 by gravityloss

Or what you are going to call it, an unrealized proposal from Aerojet around 1984. PDF Found on NTRS. The idea was to have two turbopumps (like on SSME), but instead operate on the expander cycle. Two heat exchangers, two … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Depot, engines, industry, ISRU, Lunar, NASA, RLV:s, Spacecraft, Transportation | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Jeff Greason

Posted on Thu, 2009-11-05 by gravityloss

The Man. On Space Review. [EDIT: About a month ago, but I only just read it.] This is just excellent. So many things I agree with, that go against the stupid myths of spaceflight and space policy. If you read … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Colonization, Depot, ESA, industry, JAXA, Motivation, NASA, RLV:s, Spacecraft | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Xombie NOW

Posted on Wed, 2009-10-07 by gravityloss

Live stream just went up at http://qik.com/video/312581 they should be flying at 45 past whatever hour it is now in your time zone. Now on the pad loading propellants and helium. EDIT: And they did it! Congratulations! Also great accuracy. … Continue reading →

Posted in Homebuilt, Lunar, Motivation, NASA, RLV:s | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Asteroid Threats in Context

Posted on Fri, 2009-09-18 by gravityloss

id Software’s upcoming game Rage uses asteroid Apophis as the scene setter for a post apocalyptic world. (id is part of Zenimax now, which also owns Bethesda, who did Fallout, a similar scene but done with nuclear weapons…) Is this … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Models, Motivation, NASA | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Delta IV Manrating

Posted on Thu, 2009-08-13 by gravityloss

Skimming the document (thanks NSF, Florida Today). Cute how a launch without an upper stage at all in the heavy configuration works out for ISS (burn SM fuel for orbit):

Posted in Architecture, Depot, Lunar, NASA, Spacecraft | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Good News Everyone

Posted on Wed, 2009-08-12 by gravityloss

From Hobbyspace, highlighted by Transterrestrial Musings: The program of record (i.e. Ares I/V/Orion/Altair), which exceeds the expected budget substantially, will no longer be in the options table but kept separately just as a reference. Yes! The historic words have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Lunar, Motivation, NASA | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment