Tag: Nasa

The real goal and challenge of establishing off-world colonies

David Warmflash (a very cool name) has a post up at Discovery looking at the issues with establishing off world colonies: Forget Mars. Here's Where We Should Build Our First Off-World Colonies. The collective space vision of all the world’s countries at the moment seems to be Mars, Mars, Mars. The U.S. has two operational rovers … Continue reading The real goal and challenge of establishing off-world colonies →

Voyager spacecraft might not have reached interstellar space

I have to say that I had no idea this was still being debated: Voyager spacecraft might not have reached interstellar space. In 2012, the Voyager mission team announced that the Voyager 1 spacecraft had passed into interstellar space, traveling further from Earth than any other manmade object. But, in the nearly two years since that … Continue reading Voyager spacecraft might not have reached interstellar space →

NASA approves Space Launch System. This is good, despite the problems.

We seem to be getting closer to deep space missions: NASA approves Space Launch System, the most powerful rocket ever, for deep-space travel. NASA gave the go-ahead to start full production on the most powerful rocket ever. The rocket, known as Space Launch System, is set to blast beyond low-Earth orbit this decade to explore the … Continue reading NASA approves Space Launch System. This is good, despite the problems. →

Two Kuiper Belt objects found: Hubble to proceed with full search for New Horizons targets

I always assumed that NASA had plans to explore other Kuiper Belt objects after the New Horizon's probe flew by Pluto.  But I'm a bit surprised that they're just now working out what those objects will be: Two Kuiper Belt objects found: Hubble to proceed with full search for New Horizons targets -- ScienceDaily. Planetary scientists … Continue reading Two Kuiper Belt objects found: Hubble to proceed with full search for New Horizons targets →

Quantum computing 101with D-Wave’s Vern Brownell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq-mRNaV-sc I found this to be an interesting primer on quantum computing.  One take away for me is that quantum processors will be useful for specific purposes, not necessarily as general purpose devices.  This implies to me that we might someday have computers with separate quantum processors with specific jobs delegated to it by the classic … Continue reading Quantum computing 101with D-Wave’s Vern Brownell →

New NASA images highlight U.S. air quality improvement

As something of a balance against the environmental issues we've been discussing, here is an encouraging sign of progress: New NASA images highlight U.S. air quality improvement -- ScienceDaily. Anyone living in a major U.S. city for the past decade may have noticed a change in the air. The change is apparent in new NASA satellite images … Continue reading New NASA images highlight U.S. air quality improvement →

Find alien civilizations by their pollution?

There's been speculation that advanced telescopes may be able to find hallmarks of alien life by looking for oxygen in the spectrum of light reflected off of exoplanets, but this article suggests using the James Web Space Telescope to look for pollution: Pollution on other worlds may show advanced alien life - space - 27 June … Continue reading Find alien civilizations by their pollution? →

This is the amazing design for NASA’s Star Trek-style space ship, the IXS Enterprise – The Washington Post

NASA engineer and physicist Harold White announced a few years ago that he was working on a potentially groundbreaking idea that could allow space travel faster than the speed of light. Yes, like in “Star Trek.” And now, to boldly go where no designer has gone before, Mark Rademaker — who is collaborating with White — has … Continue reading This is the amazing design for NASA’s Star Trek-style space ship, the IXS Enterprise – The Washington Post →

NASA – The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation

This NASA document has been around for a while, but it remains relevant.  If you're going to engage in space travel, you have some unyielding scientific and engineering realities to contend with.  This article is a bit dry, but it's a pretty good introduction into the realities of spaceflight. Tyranny is a human trait that … Continue reading NASA – The Tyranny of the Rocket Equation →