OrbitalHub

ESA dixit:

“The first hot firing of Ariane 6’s Vulcain 2.1 main engine was performed in January 2018 at the DLR German Aerospace Center test facility in Lampoldshausen, Germany.

The engine, developed by ArianeGroup, has a simplified and more robust nozzle, a gas generator made through additive manufacturing, and an oxygen heater for oxygen tank pressurisation. These features lower the cost of the engine and simplify manufacturing.”

Video credit: Ariane Group

NASA dixit:

“Even if rovers, balloons, and airplanes continuously move around and near the surface of Mars one day, we should never judge a planet by its cover. Today’s desert-like Martian surface likely hides the presence of water below ground. To “follow the water” to where it is today, we must go beneath the surface of the planet with subsurface explorers. The subsurface of Mars may resemble some of the colder parts of Earth. For example, in Antarctica or Iceland, we know that water is stored in a layer of permafrost and beneath that, as liquid groundwater. Even if the ancient surface water on Mars evaporated, there may still be substantial reservoirs of water, in either liquid or frozen form, in the subsurface.

The very first subsurface exploration of Mars for NASA will be in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) in their Mars Express mission. This spacecraft carries a subsurface radar instrument that will use a 40-meter (130-foot) antenna to detect and map subsurface water. Electric signals will be sent down the antenna, creating low-frequency radar waves. The radar waves will penetrate the Martian surface as deep as five kilometers (three miles) and will be reflected back to the spacecraft by different subsurface features, including water. This data will give us a three-dimensional understanding of where and how much water may be distributed in the Martian subsurface.

A lander on Mars Express called Beagle 2 will also carry the first robotic mole. Mimicking the behavior of the small furry earth-bound creatures that burrow into the ground, robotic moles will drill underground by pulverizing rock and soil, avoiding the need for a complex drill stem. Beagle 2’s mole will only have the ability to penetrate less than a meter (less than 3 feet) below the surface.

A much more capable mole is under development in NASA’s technology program. Weighing about 20 kilograms (44 pounds), it will be capable of drilling hundreds of meters (hundreds of yards) into the ground and possibly deeper at a rate of 10-20 meters (33 – 66 feet) a day. Excavated soil would be moved to the back of the mole and a small tube leading to the surface would help alleviate the pressure from the growing mounds of soil. The tube would also send soil samples back to the surface and carry power to the robotic mole. The samples sent up to the surface would be studied for scientific data such as mineral content and oxidation levels of subsurface soil. A mole drilling at the polar cap would study the layers of ice that tell the story of its history, much like the rings of a tree reveal many things from its past. All of this data would provide clues in the search for ancient, or possibly current, life.

Once we know in more detail where the water lies, the next step is to drill in those locations. To get to the zone where frozen water–and possible dormant life–might be present, we will probably need to drill to a depth of 200 meters (656 feet). Liquid groundwater will be even deeper. That’s no easy feat, but it’s critical for understanding the possibility of past or present life on Mars and for confirming that water resources are available for future human explorers.

Deep subsurface access on Mars will have unique challenges. First of all, unlike on Earth, we will not be able to use a drill to go through mud, water, or probably even gas pressure to carry the cuttings away from the bit. We will need new systems for fluidless drilling. Second, we will need an effective means of keeping the hole open while the drilling proceeds. On Earth, this task is normally done with steel casing, which is very heavy. Engineers are actively seeking alternative ways that don’t require us to send heavy equipment to Mars given the expense. Finally, we will have to develop systems that allow the drill to make operational decisions for itself. On Earth, drills can get stuck very quickly, so a Mars robotic drill or subsurface explorer must know how to recognize, avoid, and solve problems on its own.”

Video credit: NASA

Wikipedia dixit:

“The Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25, otherwise known as the Space Shuttle main engine (SSME), is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine that was used on NASA’s Space Shuttle and is planned to be used on its successor, the Space Launch System.

Designed and manufactured in the United States by Rocketdyne (later known as Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and Aerojet Rocketdyne), the RS-25 burns cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants, with each engine producing 1,859 kN (418,000 lbf) of thrust at liftoff. Although the RS-25 can trace its heritage back to the 1960s, concerted development of the engine began in the 1970s, with the first flight, STS-1, occurring on April 12, 1981. The RS-25 has undergone several upgrades over its operational history to improve the engine’s reliability, safety, and maintenance load. Subsequently, the RS-25D is the most efficient liquid fuel rocket engine currently in use.

The engine produces a specific impulse (Isp) of 452 seconds (4.43 km/s) in a vacuum, or 366 seconds (3.59 km/s) at sea level, has a mass of approximately 3.5 tonnes (7,700 pounds), and is capable of throttling between 67% and 109% of its rated power level in one-percent increments. The RS-25 operates at temperatures ranging from −253 °C (−423 °F) to 3300 °C (6000 °F).

The Space Shuttle used a cluster of three RS-25 engines mounted in the stern structure of the orbiter, with fuel being drawn from the external tank. The engines were used for propulsion during the entirety of the spacecraft’s ascent, with additional thrust being provided by two solid rocket boosters and the orbiter’s two AJ-10 orbital maneuvering system engines. Following each flight, the RS-25 engines were removed from the orbiter, inspected, and refurbished before being reused on another mission.”

Video credit: NASA

NASA dixit:

“The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is the next step in the search for planets outside of our solar system, including those that could support life. The mission will find exoplanets that periodically block part of the light from their host stars, events called transits. TESS will survey 200,000 of the brightest stars near the sun to search for transiting exoplanets. The mission is scheduled to launch in 2018.”

Music credit: “Prototype” and “Trial” both from Killer Tracks

Video credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

ESA dixit:

“From building to liftoff and installation, these images show the making of European space lab Columbus and its daily use for out-of-this-world research.

Like the transatlantic voyages that Christopher Columbus made half a millennium ago, the Columbus module was meticulously planned, budgeted, scrapped and redesigned before getting the official blessing to build, ship and launch.

The laboratory ascended to orbit aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA on 7 February 2008. Nestling in the spaceplane’s cargo bay, Columbus was accompanied by a seven-man crew.

On 11 February, the crew on the International Space Station captured the new arrival. At that moment, Columbus became Europe’s first permanent human outpost in orbit and Europe became a full partner of the International Space Station.

Columbus houses as many disciplines as possible in a small volume, from astrobiology to solar science through metallurgy and psychology – more than 225 experiments have been carried out during this remarkable decade. Countless papers have been published drawing conclusions from experiments performed in Columbus.”

Video credit: ESA

ESA dixit:

“On 7 February 2008, Space Shuttle Atlantis launched to the International Space Station. In its cargo bay, ESA’s laboratory module Columbus. Now for a decade Columbus has been a part of the ISS. It is the place where ESA astronauts have done countless experiments in microgravity and the scientific importance of the module can hardly be overstated. “

Video credit: ESA