DOCSLIB.ORG

International Day of Human Space Flight Niger Isolates

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
International Day of Human Space Flight Niger Isolates SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2015 HEALTH & SCIENCE April 12 - International Day of human space flight MOSCOW: On April 12, 1961, the USSR opened the (also transliterated as Korolev) was the head of the Chief designer of the Soviet space program, who were present were formally inducted into the era of manned spaceflight, with the flight of the first principal design group; his official title was “chief Sergei Korolev, decided that the cosmonauts must cosmonaut group. By mid-June all twenty were per- cosmonaut (Russian name for space travelers), Yuri designer” (a standard title for similar positions in the be male, between 25 and 30 years old, no taller than manently stationed at the center. In March the cos- Gagarin. USSR). The USSR’s program was split among several 1.75 meters, and weigh no more than 72 kilograms. monauts were started on a daily fitness regime, and Gagarin’s flight, part of the Soviet Vostok space competing design groups led by Korolyov, Mikhail The final specifications for cosmonauts were were taught classes on topics such as rocket space exploration program, took 108 minutes and consist- Yangel, Valentin Glushko, and Vladimir Chelomei. approved in June 1959. By September interviews systems, navigation, geophysics, and astronomy. ed of a single orbit of the Earth. The first Soviet rocket with animals aboard with potential cosmonauts had begun. Although the Due to the initial facility’s space limitations, the The theory of space exploration had a solid basis launched in July 1951; the two dogs were recovered pilots were not told they might be flying into space, cosmonauts and staff were relocated to a new facili- in the Russian Empire before the First World War alive after reaching 101 km in altitude. This and sub- one of the physicians in charge of the selection ty in Star City (then known as Zelenyy), which has with the writings of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1857- sequent flights gave the Soviets valuable experience process believed that some pilots had figured this been the home of Russia’s cosmonaut training pro- 1935), who published pioneering papers in the late with space medicine. out. Just over 200 candidates made it through the gram for over fifty years. The move officially took 19th and early 20th centuries and in 1929 intro- Because of its global range and large payload of place on June 29, 1960. duced the concept of the multistaged rocket. approximately five tons, the reliable R-7 was effective The first manned spaceflight, Vostok 1 in April Practical aspects built on early experiments carried as an excellent basis for a space vehicle. The Soviet 1961, was preceded by several preparatory flights. In out by members of the reactive propulsion study plan to launch a satellite was approved by Soviet the summer of 1960, the Soviets learned that the group, GIRD (founded in 1931) in the 1920s and leader Nikita Khrushchev in January 1956. Plans were Americans could launch a sub-orbital manned 1930s, where such pioneers as Sergey Korolyov-who approved for Earth-orbiting satellites (Sputnik) to gain spaceflight as early as January 1961. Korolev saw this dreamed of traveling to Mars - and the German- knowledge of space, and four unmanned satellites, as an important deadline, and was determined to Russian engineer Friedrich Zander worked. On Zenit. Further planned developments called for a launch a manned orbital mission before the August 18, 1933, GIRD launched the first Soviet liq- manned Earth orbit flight by 1964 and an unmanned Americans launched their manned suborbital mis- uid-fueled rocket Gird-09 and on November 25, lunar mission at an earlier date. sion. By April 1960, designers at Sergei Korolev’s 1933, the first hybrid-fueled rocket GIRD-X. After the first Sputnik was lifted off Korolyov was design bureau, then known as OKB-1, had complet- Over its sixty-year history, this primarily classified charged to accelerate the manned program, the ed a draft plan for the first Vostok spacecraft, called military program was responsible for a number of design of which was combined with the Zenit pro- Vostok 1K. This design would be used for testing pioneering accomplishments in space flight, includ- gram to produce the Vostok spacecraft. Still influ- purposes; also in their plan was Vostok 2K and ing the first intercontinental ballistic missile (1957), enced by Tsiolkovsky -who had chosen Mars as the Vostok 3K, which would be used for all six manned first satellite (Sputnik-1), first animal in space (the most important goal for space travel - in the early Vostok missions. dog Laika on Sputnik 2), first human in space and 1960s the Russian program under Korolyov created interview process, and by October a series of Earth orbit (cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1), substantial plans for manned trips to Mars as early as demanding physical tests were conducted on those First woman in space first woman in space and Earth orbit (cosmonaut 1968 to 1970. With closed-loop life support systems remaining, such as exposure to low pressures, and a The first woman in space was former civilian para- Valentina Tereshkova on Vostok 6), first spacewalk and electrical rocket engines, and launched from centrifuge test. By the end of 1959, 20 men had chutist Valentina Tereshkova, who entered orbit on (cosmonaut Alexey Leonov on Voskhod 2), first large orbiting space stations. been selected. Of these 20, five were outside the June 16, 1963, aboard the Soviet mission Vostok 6. Moon impact (Luna 2), first image of the far side of desired age range; so the age requirement was The chief Soviet spacecraft designer, Sergey the moon (Luna 3) and unmanned lunar soft landing Cosmonaut selection and training relaxed. Korolyov, conceived of the idea to recruit a female (Luna 9), first space rover, first space station, and first By January 1959, the Soviets had begun prepara- On January 11, 1960, Soviet Chief Marshal of cosmonaut corps and launch two women concur- interplanetary probe. tions for human spaceflight. Physicians from the Aviation Konstantin Vershinin approved plans to rently on Vostok 5/6. However, his plan was changed The rocket and space program of the USSR was Soviet Air Force insisted that the potential cosmo- establish the Cosmonaut Training Center, whose to launch a male first in Vostok 5, followed shortly performed by Soviet engineers and scientists after naut candidates be qualified Air Force pilots, arguing exclusive purpose would be to prepare the cosmo- afterward by Tereshkova. 1955, and was based on some unique Soviet and that they would have relevant skills such as exposure nauts for their upcoming flights; initially the facility On November 3, 1963, Tereshkova married fellow Russian theoretical developments, many derived by to higher g-forces, as well as ejection seat experience. would have about 250 staff. By March, most of the cosmonaut Andrian Nikolayev, who had previously Konstantin Tsiolkovskii, sometimes known as the The candidates had to be intelligent, comfortable in cosmonauts had arrived at the training facility; on flown on Vostok 3. On June 8, 1964, she gave birth to father of theoretical astronautics. Sergey Korolyov high-stress situations, and physically fit. March 7 Vershinin gave a welcome speech, and those the first child conceived by two space travelers. Mexico closes 10 cosmetic surgery clinics in border city MEXICO CITY: Mexican authorities have ordered the show they were legally in business. closure of 10 cosmetic surgery clinics and offices in the Inspectors also found they were using expired and northwest border city of Tijuana for failing to comply unregistered products. Two other clinics were fined but with health regulations. not closed. In the case of the Australian woman, 28- The action, announced on Wednesday, follows the year-old Eva Nicole Sarmonikas, investigators also death last month of a young Australian woman after found expired medicines and other products in the clin- undergoing a liposuction procedure in Mexicali, anoth- ic where she underwent liposuction. er city on the US border. Three operating rooms and an The doctor who operated on her is under investiga- intensive care center in Mexicali were closed March 30 tion for suspected medical negligence by the Baja after her death. The cheaper and sometimes unregis- California state prosecutor’s office. tered medical practices along the border are often A crackdown under President Enrique Pena Nieto has geared to visiting Americans and other foreigners. led to the closing of 90 clinics and offices that specialize Tijuana lies just south of San Diego, California. in cosmetic medicine since he took office in 2012. The Federal Commission for the Protection Against Eight cosmetic medicine practices were closed in Health Risks, known as Cofepris by its Spanish acronym, mid-March in the Caribbean beach resorts of Cancun said the latest clinics ordered to close were unable to and Playa del Carmen in eastern Mexico. —AFP ALLAHABAD: A medic administers a Japanese Encephalitis vaccine to an infant as part of Mission Niger isolates bird flu farm Indradhanush immunization drive at a government hospital in Allahabad, India, yesterday. Mission Indradhanush is a nationwide campaign that aims to immunize all children against seven vaccine preventa- NIAMEY: Niger has identified a sus- outbreak of H5N1 avian flu. A now there was no risk of human ble diseases namely diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis. —AP pected outbreak of avian flu on a number of nations in the region, infection in Ivory Coast, said Dr. chicken farm in the southern town where borders are highly porous Daouda Coulibaly, head of epidem- of Maradi, near the border with and millions rely on poultry farm- ic surveillance at the ministry of WHO warns of Caesarean ‘epidemic’ Nigeria which has confirmed cases ing as an income earner, last faced health, who worked to contain the of H5N1 bird flu in several northern a major outbreak of bird flu in 2006 outbreak.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Soviet Steps Toward Permanent Human Presence in Space
    SALYUT: Soviet Steps Toward Permanent Human Presence in Space December 1983 NTIS order #PB84-181437 Recommended Citation: SALYUT: Soviet Steps Toward Permanent Human Presence in Space–A Technical Mere- orandum (Washington, D. C.: U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, OTA- TM-STI-14, December 1983). Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 83-600624 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 Foreword As the other major spacefaring nation, the Soviet Union is a subject of interest to the American people and Congress in their deliberations concerning the future of U.S. space activities. In the course of an assessment of Civilian Space Stations, the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) has undertaken a study of the presence of Soviets in space and their Salyut space stations, in order to provide Congress with an informed view of Soviet capabilities and intentions. The major element in this technical memorandum was a workshop held at OTA in December 1982: it was the first occasion when a significant number of experts in this area of Soviet space activities had met for extended unclassified discussion. As a result of the workshop, OTA prepared this technical memorandum, “Salyut: Soviet Steps Toward Permanent Human Presence in Space. ” It has been reviewed extensively by workshop participants and others familiar with Soviet space activities. Also in December 1982, OTA wrote to the U. S. S. R.’s Ambassador to the United States Anatoliy Dobrynin, requesting any information concerning present and future Soviet space activities that the Soviet Union judged could be of value to the OTA assess- ment of civilian space stations.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Exploration Roadmap
    The Global Exploration Roadmap January 2018 What is New in The Global Exploration Roadmap? This new edition of the Global Exploration robotic space exploration. Refinements in important role in sustainable human space Roadmap reaffirms the interest of 14 space this edition include: exploration. Initially, it supports human and agencies to expand human presence into the robotic lunar exploration in a manner which Solar System, with the surface of Mars as • A summary of the benefits stemming from creates opportunities for multiple sectors to a common driving goal. It reflects a coordi- space exploration. Numerous benefits will advance key goals. nated international effort to prepare for space come from this exciting endeavour. It is • The recognition of the growing private exploration missions beginning with the Inter- important that mission objectives reflect this sector interest in space exploration. national Space Station (ISS) and continuing priority when planning exploration missions. Interest from the private sector is already to the lunar vicinity, the lunar surface, then • The important role of science and knowl- transforming the future of low Earth orbit, on to Mars. The expanded group of agencies edge gain. Open interaction with the creating new opportunities as space agen- demonstrates the growing interest in space international science community helped cies look to expand human presence into exploration and the importance of coopera- identify specific scientific opportunities the Solar System. Growing capability and tion to realise individual and common goals created by the presence of humans and interest from the private sector indicate and objectives. their infrastructure as they explore the Solar a future for collaboration not only among System.
    [Show full text]
  • Trade Studies Towards an Australian Indigenous Space Launch System
    TRADE STUDIES TOWARDS AN AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Engineering by Gordon P. Briggs B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc. (Astron) School of Engineering and Information Technology, University College, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy January 2010 Abstract During the project Apollo moon landings of the mid 1970s the United States of America was the pre-eminent space faring nation followed closely by only the USSR. Since that time many other nations have realised the potential of spaceflight not only for immediate financial gain in areas such as communications and earth observation but also in the strategic areas of scientific discovery, industrial development and national prestige. Australia on the other hand has resolutely refused to participate by instituting its own space program. Successive Australian governments have preferred to obtain any required space hardware or services by purchasing off-the-shelf from foreign suppliers. This policy or attitude is a matter of frustration to those sections of the Australian technical community who believe that the nation should be participating in space technology. In particular the provision of an indigenous launch vehicle that would guarantee the nation independent access to the space frontier. It would therefore appear that any launch vehicle development in Australia will be left to non- government organisations to at least define the requirements for such a vehicle and to initiate development of long-lead items for such a project. It is therefore the aim of this thesis to attempt to define some of the requirements for a nascent Australian indigenous launch vehicle system.
    [Show full text]
  • From the Earth to Outer Space
    From the Earth to Outer Space Many years ago, people here on Earth decided that they wanted to go into outer space. This is something people had imagined for a very long time, in books and movies and stories grandparents told to their grandchildren. However, in the 1950s, people decided they really wanted to do it. There was just one problem: how would they get there? One of the earliest movies about flying to the moon was made by Georges Méliès and released in 1902. It was called A Trip to the Moon. In this movie, the moon was made up of a man’s face, covered in cream, and a whole tribe of angry natives lived there. That part was not very realistic. However, the spaceship didn’t seem too far-fetched: it was a small capsule, shaped like a bullet, that the astronauts loaded into a giant cannon and aimed at the moon. This movie was based on a book that came out many years earlier by an author named Jules Verne. One of the fans of the book was a Russian man, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. The book made him think. Could you really shoot people out of a cannon and have them get safely to the moon? He decided you couldn’t, but it got him thinking of other ways you could get people to the moon. He spent his life considering this problem and came up with many solutions. © 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. Some of Tsiolkovsky’s solutions gave scientists in America and Russia (where Tsiolkovsky lived) ideas when they began to think about space travel.
    [Show full text]
  • Past, Present, and Future
    Rockets: Past, Present, and Future Robert Goddard With his Original Rocket system Delta IV … biggest commercial Rocket system currently in US arsenal Material from Rockets into Space by Frank H. Winter, ISBN 0-674-77660-7 MAE 5540 - Propulsion Systems Earliest Rockets as weapons • Chinese development, Sung dynasty (A.D. 960-1279) – Primarily psychological • William Congreve, England, 1804 – thus “the rockets red glare” during the war of 1812. – 1.5 mile range, very poor accuracy. • V2 in WWII MAE 5540 - Propulsion Systems First Principle of Rocket Flight • “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Isaac Newton, 1687, following Archytas of Tarentum, 360 BC, and Hero of Alexandria, circa 50 AD. • “Rockets move because the flame pushes against the surrounding air.” Edme Mariotte, 1717 • Which one is correct? MAE 5540 - Propulsion Systems Isaac Newton explains how to launch a Satellite MAE 5540 - Propulsion Systems The Reaction-propelled Spaceship of Hermann Ganswindt (1890) • The fuel for his spaceship consisted of heavy steel cartridges with dynamite charges. They were to be fed machine gun style into a reaction chamber where they would fire and be dropped away. • “Shock absorbers protected the travelers” MAE 5540 - Propulsion Systems The Three Amigos of Spaceflight Theory • Konstantin Tsiolkovsky • Hermann Oberth • Robert Goddard • Independent and parallel development of Rocket theory MAE 5540 - Propulsion Systems Three Amigos • Goddard • Oberth • Tsiolkovsky MAE 5540 - Propulsion Systems Konstantin Tsiolkovsky 1857 - 1935 • Deaf Russian School Teacher - fascinated with space flight, started by writing Science Fiction Novels • Discovered that practical space flight depended on liquid fuel rockets in the 1890’s, and developed the fundamental Rocket equation in 1897.
    [Show full text]
  • A Pictorial History of Rockets
    he mighty space rockets of today are the result A Pictorial Tof more than 2,000 years of invention, experi- mentation, and discovery. First by observation and inspiration and then by methodical research, the History of foundations for modern rocketry were laid. Rockets Building upon the experience of two millennia, new rockets will expand human presence in space back to the Moon and Mars. These new rockets will be versatile. They will support Earth orbital missions, such as the International Space Station, and off- world missions millions of kilometers from home. Already, travel to the stars is possible. Robotic spacecraft are on their way into interstellar space as you read this. Someday, they will be followed by human explorers. Often lost in the shadows of time, early rocket pioneers “pushed the envelope” by creating rocket- propelled devices for land, sea, air, and space. When the scientific principles governing motion were discovered, rockets graduated from toys and novelties to serious devices for commerce, war, travel, and research. This work led to many of the most amazing discoveries of our time. The vignettes that follow provide a small sampling of stories from the history of rockets. They form a rocket time line that includes critical developments and interesting sidelines. In some cases, one story leads to another, and in others, the stories are inter- esting diversions from the path. They portray the inspirations that ultimately led to us taking our first steps into outer space. NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS), commercial launch systems, and the rockets that follow owe much of their success to the accomplishments presented here.
    [Show full text]
  • The Russian Popular Culture of Space Exploration
    Kul’tura Kosmosa: The Russian Popular Culture of Space Exploration Andrew Thomas DISSERTATION.COM Boca Raton Kul’tura Kosmosa: The Russian Popular Culture of Space Exploration Copyright © 2010 Andrew Thomas All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Dissertation.com Boca Raton, Florida USA • 2011 ISBN-10: 1-59942-379-0 ISBN-13: 978-1-59942-379-1 Kul’tura Kosmosa –the Russian Popular Culture of Space Exploration Abstract This thesis argues that there is a popular culture of space exploration characteristic of a wider Russia; its roots lie in pagan times and it grew through Orthodox Christianity and Soviet Communism to the twenty-first century, where it is actively promoted by Russia and neighbouring nations. The key influences stem from Nikolai Fedorov, Kontsantin Tsiolkovsky, Friedrich Tsander and Yuri Gagarin. The narrative of the twentieth century Soviet space programme is considered from this perspective and the cultural importance of Tsiolkovsky to this programme is acknowledged. This is an alternative perspective to the commonly-held Western view of the “Space Race”. The manipulation of imagery and ritual of space exploration by Russia and other neighbouring nations is examined, and the effect on the “collective remembering” in modern Russia of key events in Russian space exploration is tested. 2 Kul’tura Kosmosa –the Russian Popular Culture of Space Exploration Acknowledgements Many people helped and encouraged me in this project and I would like to thank all of them.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Legality of Mars Colonisation
    Joshua Fitzmaurice* and Stacey Henderson** ON THE LEGALITY OF MARS COLONISATION ‘Humanity will not remain on the earth forever, but in pursuit of light and space it will at first timidly penetrate beyond the limits of the atmosphere, and then conquer all the space around the sun.’1 ABSTRACT Recent technological advancements made by governmental agencies and private industry have raised hopes for the future of human space flight beyond the Moon. These advancements are increasing the feasibil- ity of endeavours to establish a permanent human habitat on Mars, as a safeguard for our species, for scientific endeavours, and for commercial purposes. This article analyses some of the legal issues associated with Mars colonisation, focusing on the lawfulness of such a venture and the legal status of colonists. I INTRODUCTION ecent technological advancements made by governmental agencies and private industry have raised hopes for the future of human space flight beyond Rthe Moon. The United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (‘NASA’) is developing a new generation of launch and crew systems that will enable * Surveillance of Space Capability Officer, Royal Australian Air Force; MSc (Physics, Space Operations) RMC Canada. Email: [email protected]. The views expressed in this article are personal views and should not be interpreted as an official position. ** Lecturer, Adelaide Law School, The University of Adelaide; PhD (Adel). Email: [email protected]. 1 Letter from Konstantin Tsiolkovsky to Boris Vorobiev, 12 August 1911. See, eg, Rex Hall and David Shayler, The Rocket Men: Vostok & Voskhod: The First Soviet Manned Space-flights (Springer, 2001).
    [Show full text]
  • Pioneers of Spaceflight E S S S O N 9 P L - a 1 S N 2 T E N P
    ROCKETROCKET LABLABTM T G w o R C Science A l a s D s L E Pioneers of Spaceflight e s S s o n 9 P l - a 1 S n 2 T E N P (First class session: 20-25 minutes) A Standard G LEARN T I History and Nature of Science 1.Objectives O • Students will be able to identify the pioneers of spaceflight N Standard 13 and their contributions to science and technology. A Understands the scientific • Students will experience what it is like to be a pioneer of L enterprise spaceflight while building and launching an Estes model rocket. S T A Benchmark 1 Materials N Knows that, throughout histo- 1. Generic E2X®, Alpha III® or UP Aerospace™ SpaceLoft ™ D ry, diverse cultures have Rocket Lab Pack™ (12 pack) - 2 or more A developed scientific ideas and 2. Rocket Engine Lab Pack™ (24 pack) - 1 or more R solved human problems 3. Electron Beam® Launch Controller - 1 or more D through technology. 4. Porta-Pad® II Launch Pad - 1 or more 5. Paper, pencil, white or carpenter’s glue or plastic cement, Benchmark 2 scissors, modeling knife, ruler and masking tape for each Understands that individuals student and teams contribute to sci- 6. History of Rockets PowerPoint ence and engineering at dif- ferent levels of complexity. Time Two class sessions Background History of Rockets (Slide 1) Where It All Began (Slide 2) The origins of modern rocketry can be traced back to Greece and China. One of the first devices to utilize the principles of rocket flight was a wooden bird.
    [Show full text]
  • Space Warfare and Defense by Chapman
    SPACE WARFARE AND DEFENSE www.abc-clio.com ABC-CLIO 1-800-368-6868 www.abc-clio.com ABC-CLIO 1-800-368-6868 SPACE WARFARE AND DEFENSE A Historical Encyclopedia and Research Guide BERT CHAPMAN Santa Barbara, California Denver, Colorado Oxford, England www.abc-clio.com ABC-CLIO 1-800-368-6868 Copyright 2008 by ABC-CLIO All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress 12 11 10 09 08 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 This book is also available on the World Wide Web as an ebook. Visit www.abc-clio.com for details. ABC-CLIO, Inc. 130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911 Santa Barbara, California 93116–1911 Production Editor: Alisha Martinez Production Manager: Don Schmidt Media Manager: Caroline Price Media Editor: Julie Dunbar File Management Coordinator: Paula Gerard This book is printed on acid-free paper. Manufactured in the United States of America www.abc-clio.com ABC-CLIO 1-800-368-6868 To Becky, who personifies Proverbs 31:10. www.abc-clio.com ABC-CLIO 1-800-368-6868 www.abc-clio.com ABC-CLIO 1-800-368-6868 C ONTENTS Acknowledgements ix Introduction xi Chronology xv PART 1 1 Development of U.S. Military Space Policy 3 2 U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Asteroid Mining with Small Spacecraft and Its Economic Feasibility
    Asteroid mining with small spacecraft and its economic feasibility Pablo Callaa,, Dan Friesb, Chris Welcha aInternational Space University, 1 Rue Jean-Dominique Cassini, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France bInitiative for Interstellar Studies, Bone Mill, New Street, Charfield, GL12 8ES, United Kingdom Abstract Asteroid mining offers the possibility to revolutionize supply of resources vital for human civilization. Pre- liminary analysis suggests that Near-Earth Asteroids (NEA) contain enough volatile and high value minerals to make the mining process economically feasible. Considering possible applications, specifically the mining of water in space has become a major focus for near-term options. Most proposed projects for asteroid mining involve spacecraft based on traditional designs resulting in large, monolithic and expensive systems. An alternative approach is presented in this paper, basing the asteroid mining process on multiple small spacecraft. To the best knowledge of the authors, only limited analysis of the asteroid mining capability of small spacecraft has been conducted. This paper explores the possibility to perform asteroid mining operations with spacecraft that have a mass under 500 kg and deliver 100 kg of water per trip. The mining process considers water extraction through microwave heating with an efficiency of 2 Wh/g.The proposed, small spacecraft can reach NEAs within a range of ∼ 0:03 AU relative to earth's orbit, offering a delta V of 437 m/s per one-way trip. A high-level systems engineering and economic analysis provides a closed spacecraft design as a baseline and puts the cost of the proposed spacecraft at $ 113.6 million/unit. The results indicate that more than one hundred spacecraft and their successful operation for over five years are required to achieve a financial break-even point.
    [Show full text]
  • The Birth of Sputnik
    This chapter from my 1981 book “Red Star in Orbit ”was an outgrowth of my research paper, “Korolev, Khrushchev, and Sputnik”, published in 1977 in the British Interplanetary Society’s monthly magazine ‘Spaceflight’ (and later winner of the ‘Goddard Space History Prize’ sponsored by the National Space Club in Washington, DC). That research first introduced the English- speaking world to Sergey Korolev and his role in getting Sputnik launched, so it’s fitting to re-issue the chapter (and in coming months, additional chapters from the 1981 book) in honor of the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Space Age. Fortunately, we are also much better informed now than 30 years ago, so many of the statements, guesses, and assessments in this chapter have been modified (and sometimes overturned) by subsequent research. Without interfering too much in the narrative flow, I have tried to insert updates and corrections, in special font, where needed. 2 ------------------------------------------ The Birth of Sputnik During the first week of October 1957, an international scien- tific conference was drawing to a close in Washington, D.C. One of the attendees at that conference was an American scientist who was born in Russia and had served as an officer in the tsarist navy until the Bolshevik Revolution forced him to flee. Constantine, as I will call him, was a long-time enthusiast of space exploration. He had read all of the works of Konstantin Tsiolkovskiy, Nikolay Rynin and other Russian space visionaries, and he chose the subject of space flight at the conference to tease the Soviet scientists.
    [Show full text]