AstroBebop » Prototypes

SpaceX announces Falcon Heavy

flyingeraser — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 21:02:14 +0000

Animation prototype of the world’s most powerful rocket from SpaceX.

More info here - http://www.spacex.com/falcon_heavy.php

Unveiling Party for Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo

flyingeraser — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:25:51 +0000

Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/jakedewhp

The Space Elevator Competition

flyingeraser — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:29:31 +0000

Four years, three teams, 2 million dollars put up by NASA Centennial Challenges… Sound familiar? It’s what some people are calling the next generation in space travel: The Space Elevator.

Since 2005 the competition has admittedly changed quite a bit, but the same principals are still in place. How do we get a robot to climb a tether in a geosynchronous orbit in an efficient way while keeping the power source on the ground? And once we have that robot, how do we make that tether able to be strong and light enough to handle such a “lofty” goal?

Source: youtube.com/spacevidcast

NASA Completes Desert Lunar Rover Testing

flyingeraser — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:31:18 +0000

One of the stops on NASA’s way to the moon is the Arizona desert. The 2009 Desert RATS – or Research and Technology Studies – field test simulated a 14-day lunar mission. Two crew members – an astronaut and a geologist – lived for 14 days inside NASA’s prototype Lunar Electric Rover, scouting the area for features of geological interest and conducting moonwalks as necessary to collect samples.
Other prototype vehicles tested include Ames’s K-10 robotic scout and JPL’s Tri-Athlete cargo handling and manipulation system.

For more information www.nasa.gov

The Space Elevator

flyingeraser — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:46:20 +0000

The Space Elevator will reduce the cost of getting from earth to space. It will also allow us to take very large payloads into space very easily, very safely. Because of that, we can build cities on the moon. We can build space stations. We can build large solar arrays in space to collect energy from the sun and beam it down to earth.

How would space elevator affect the average person?

Through for example much faster telecommunication rates — you can have any kind of data rates you want, and videophones will be as common as a cell phone. And the solar power energy we’ll collect can relieve our dependence on oil. That in itself will change a lot of things it will reduce pollution and it will change world politics, hopefully even stopping some of the conflicts.

Source: Nova

Virgin Galactic VSS Enterprise – Conceptual Flight

flyingeraser — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 07:30:35 +0000

Seymourpowell design conceptual interior of Virgin Galactic space tourist craft.

A full-scale conceptual mock-up of the interior of Virgin Galactic’s VSS (Virgin SpaceShip) Enterprise, the Virgin Groups frontier-breaking spacecraft, was revealed exclusively at New Yorks WIRED NextFest event.

Displayed within the context of a scaled-up SpaceShipOne, the conceptual interior of the new spaceship was designed by leading British product designers Seymourpowell. Richard Branson called the launch a new era in the history of space travel.

Designed ultra-ergonomically to ensure maximum comfort, space and visibility for each group of two pilots and six consumer astronauts on each individual mission, the spaceships interior will feature a 6-passenger-seater cabin, where specially-designed seats (in three rows of two) will move from their 60 degree upright angle for take-off and flight to an almost-horizontal submarined angle as the astronauts become free to move around the cabin, experiencing the wonders of zero gravity. The astronauts then come back to their seats in the submarined position as they re-enter the earths atmosphere, at which point the seats return once again to the upright position.

The conceptual interior has been designed by Seymourpowell to explore ways of maximising cabin space for the most exhilarating zero gravity experience. There are also fifteen windows in total in the mock-up craft, including floor windows for the best possible views of the earth (with integral hand holds for the period of weightlessness). Passengers will be able to watch, during their ascent, as the cobalt blue sky turns to mauve, indigo and eventually to black, even though it will still be daytime! The ultimate view of the earth will be over a thousand miles in any direction like seeing North Africa if you were directly above London, for example.

Source: seymourpowell.com

Google Lunar X PRIZE Hardware Reel

flyingeraser — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:56:34 +0000

A compilation of the incredible work being done by Google Lunar X PRIZE teams around the world. Real hardware, real people, real lunar exploration.

Featuring work by teams:
Astrobotic
Team Italia
Frednet
ARCA
Omega Envoy
SYNERGY MOON
SELENE

Google Lunar X PRIZE: Featuring Xing Kong Team from China

flyingeraser — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:05:05 +0000

Google Lunar X PRIZE
A lunar robot contest
Inspire the public to explore the space

Xing Kong Team
A team from China

Not dream of the future, We are in action!

Xingkongteam Home
http://www.xingkongteam.com

NASA JPL Shows Off The ATHLETE Prototype

flyingeraser — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 03:13:46 +0000

JPL engineers built a futuristic robot that may one day go to the moon.

Source: JPL.NASA.GOV

NASA: Looking at Landing Sites for the Mars Science Laboratory

flyingeraser — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:26:38 +0000

From space, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter takes a closer look at four possible landing sites for NASA’s next Mars rover.