Progress M-10M docked to the International Space Station on April 29, 2011.
An era is coming to an end as the Space Shuttle fleet is soon to be retired. SpaceX is one of the companies that teamed up with NASA to continue the space exploration program and maintain American leadership in space.
Read more about SpaceX and the Commercial Crew Development Program….
On April 27, 2011, a Soyuz-U launch vehicle with the cargo spacecraft Progress M-10M lifted off from Baikonur cosmodrome. Progress carries more than two tons of fuel, water, food rations, medical equipment, and scientific equipment to the International Space Station.
On April 26, 2011, a Soyuz-U launch vehicle with the Progress M-10M spacecraft rolled out to the launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome.
 |
| Credits: NASA |
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has implemented the UN Space Debris Mitigation guidelines in a number of standards.
The standards prescribe requirements that are derived from already existing international guidelines, but they capture industry best practices and contain specific actions to be taken by hardware manufactures to achieve compliance.
The highest level debris mitigation requirements are contained in a Space Debris Mitigation standard. This standard defines the main space debris mitigation requirements applicable over the life cycle of a space system and provides links to lower-level implementation standards. It is also important to be able to assess, reduce, and control the potential risks that space vehicles that re-enter Earth’s atmosphere pose to people and the environment. The Re-entry Risk Management standard provides a framework that is useful in this regard.
The seven guidelines endorsed by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), also known as the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of COPUOS, are:
“limit debris released during normal operations;
minimize the potential for break-ups during operational phases;
limit the probability of accidental collision in orbit;
avoid intentional destruction and other harmful activities;
minimize potential for post-mission break-ups resulting from stored energy;
limit the long-term presence of spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stages in LEO after the end of their mission;
limit the long-term interference of spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stages with GEO region after the end of their mission;”
The good news is that as of the end of 2010, most of the space faring nations have implemented regulations on space debris mitigation at the national level.
On April 5, 2011, SpaceX introduced Falcon Heavy, the world\’s most powerful launch vehicle. Falcon Heavy\’s first stage consists of three nine-engine cores and features propellant cross-feed from the side boosters to the center core. Falcon Heavy will deliver 53 metric tons to Low Earth Orbit.
Subscribe to blog posts using RSS
