Sub-Orbital Space Flights & Satellite Exploration
Time lapse video of our engineering project at UMass Amherst. Our weather balloon, named the Shuttlecraft, reached an altitude of approximately 104000 ft. Pictures were taken every 5 seconds during the fight with a Canon a560 digital camera. The balloon traveled west as it gained altitude and then turned east where it climbed to its burst altitude. Upon reaching the maximum altitude, the balloon popped and the capsule descended back to earth. It landed off the coast of Plum Island, MA. The total trip time from launch to splashdown is 2.8 hours. Its ascent took 142 minutes and 20 seconds and it took 25 minutes and 55 seconds for it to descend back to earth. The capsule turned up four days later on the beach where it was found by a self proclaimed “Professional Beach bum” who kindly called us to arrange a pickup. After four days in the Atlantic we managed to retrieve the 8gb SDHC and get the pictures. Pictures include the Connecticut River and surrounding area, Granby MA, Holyoke MA, the former Mount Tom Ski Area, and the Atlantic Ocean. Special Thanks go to the “professional beach bum” who was kind enough to call us and meet us so we could retrieve our project. Without his help, our project would have been lost. We wish him well in his retirement. We would also like to thank Invensys for kindly sponsoring a second launch. We are currently testing the replacement parts and plan on launching it within the next 2 weeks. If you have any questions about our project, feel free …
Tags: NASA, amazing, balloon, sun
Segment of the Be A Martian video series, which chronicles people in and outside the Mars’ missions. This 4-part story shows engineers testing a new parachute in the largest wind tunnel on Earth for the Curiosity rover (also known as Mars Science Laboratory), scheduled to launch to Mars in Fall of 2011
Tags: Jet, Planets, for, Be
Segment of the Be A Martian video series, which chronicles people in and outside the Mars’ missions. This 4-part story shows engineers testing a new parachute in the largest wind tunnel on Earth for the Curiosity rover (also known as Mars Science Laboratory), scheduled to launch to Mars in Fall of 2011
Tags: curiosity, images, msl, Propulsion
Segment of the Be A Martian video series, which chronicles people in and outside the Mars’ missions. This 4-part story shows engineers testing a new parachute in the largest wind tunnel on Earth for the Curiosity rover (also known as Mars Science Laboratory), scheduled to launch to Mars in Fall of 2011
Tags: stars, for, Planets, Exploration
Segment of the Be A Martian video series, which chronicles people in and outside the Mars’ missions. This 4-part story shows engineers testing a new parachute in the largest wind tunnel on Earth for the Curiosity rover (also known as Mars Science Laboratory), scheduled to launch to Mars in Fall of 2011.
Tags: msl, stars, spirit, curiosity
These are video simulations depicting the Mars rover, carrying the Athena science payload, landing on and exploring the Martian surface. LAUNCH * Each Mars Exploration Rover will be launched on a Delta II launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral, Florida. * The Delta II stands about 100 feet tall and the rover is housed in a payload fairing that sits on top of the rocket. The first MER spacecraft launches in the daytime and the second one at night. * The Delta II engines produce more than 140000 pounds of thrust to break the grip of Earths gravity. * Nine solid rocket boosters ring the Delta launch vehicle. Six are ignited at launch and then discarded after they use up their fuel. The remaining three boosters are ignited in mid-air. * After the first stage of the rocket stops firing, it is discarded. Then the second stage engine ignites. * The payload fairing separates and reveals the MER spacecraft. * Small rockets are fired to spin up the third stage. The spinning motion helps to stabilize the spacecraft, acting like a gyroscope. * A burn of the third stage pushes the spacecraft out of Earth orbit and on a trajectory to Mars * The spacecraft must be de-spun so that it can achieve its proper cruise orientation. A set of weights called yo-yos are released from the spinning vehicle on flexible lines. They slow the spin of the spacecraft in much the same way that an ice skater decreases the velocity of a spin by extending his or her arms * The MER spacecraft separates from the …
Tags: science, Mission, Laboratory, NASA
A new photo released by NASA/JPL/University of Arizona appears to show trees on Mars. See: www.space.com The original HiRISE website: hirise.lpl.arizona.edu “Usage Policy: All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible: Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona.”
Tags: Jet, on, Laboratory, UFOs
Did Mars once have an environment capable of supporting life? nasa’s next rover will further unravel that mystery. Mars Exploration Rover Mission: marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov youtube Play-list: www.youtube.com nasa’s twin robot geologists, the Mars Exploration Rovers, launched toward Mars on June 10 and July 7, 2003, in search of answers about the history of water on Mars. They landed on Mars January 3 and January 24 PST, 2004 (January 4 and January 25 UTC, 2004). Primary among the mission’s scientific goals is to search for and characterize a wide range of rocks and soils that hold clues to past water activity on Mars. The spacecraft are targeted to sites on opposite sides of Mars that appear to have been affected by liquid water in the past. The landing sites are at Gusev Crater, a possible former lake in a giant impact crater, and Meridiani Planum, where mineral deposits (hematite) suggest Mars had a wet past. After the airbag-protected landing craft settled onto the surface and opened, the rovers rolled out to take panoramic images. These images give scientists the information they need to select promising geological targets that tell part of the story of water in Mars’ past. Then, the rovers drive to those locations to perform on-site scientific investigations. Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Overview: marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov The rovers offer unique contributions in pursuit of the overall Mars science strategy to “Follow the Water.” Understanding the history of water on …
Tags: science, NASA's, Laboratory, Jet
Animation of a GIANT impact Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech bit.ly This artist’s concept shows a celestial body about the size of our moon slamming at great speed into a body the size of Mercury. nasa’s Spitzer Space Telescope found evidence that a high-speed collision of this sort occurred a few thousand years ago around a young star, called HD 172555, still in the early stages of planet formation. The star is about 100 light-years from Earth. Spitzer detected the signatures of vaporized and melted rock, in addition to rubble, all flung out from the giant impact. Further evidence from the infrared telescope shows that these two bodies must have been traveling at a velocity relative to each other of at least 10 kilometers per second (about 22400 miles per hour). As the bodies slammed into each other, a huge flash of light would have been emitted. Rocky surfaces were vaporized and melted, and hot matter was sprayed everywhere. Spitzer detected the vaporized rock in the form of silicon monoxide gas, and the melted rock as a glassy substance called obsidian. On Earth, obsidian can be found around volcanoes, and in black rocks called tektites often found around meteor craters. Shock waves from the collision would have traveled through the planet, throwing rocky rubble into space. Spitzer also detected the signatures of this rubble. In the end, the larger planet is left skinned, stripped of its outer layers. The core of the smaller body and most of its surface were absorbed by …
Tags: up, airboyd, collision, Institute
Astronomy videos: www.atheism-magazine.com News From Mars 1. Looking at Landing Sites for the Mars Science Laboratory: From space, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter takes a closer look at four possible landing sites for nasas next Mars rover. 2. Soaring Over Mars: nasas Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter gives us an unprecedented birds-eye view of the Red Planet. 3. Mars Science Laboratory: This animation demonstrates how the rover will enter, descend and land on the surface of Mars. • www.jpl.nasa.gov Subscribe to Science & Reason • www.youtube.com • www.youtube.com • www.youtube.com • www.youtube.com CREDITS: Videos: jplnews (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory) Music: “Equinoxe Part 7″ by Jean Michel Jarre/Francis Dreyfus Music (cover version by rfoshaug); “Prelude to the World” by Mr. Fuby; “Bleeding Rose” by Nathan Pinard. .
Tags: universe, planet, ESO, Holes