ARTEMIS!

 Back to the Moon?

It is claimed that this four person mission is a fly around and not a landing, so why send four, when it could be done with less, unless some form of landing is to be attempted just to check-out what was left can be re-used!

Maybe China and Russia have already made out and are building their join southern base camp, what a blow would that be to the United States and Europe?

But maybe that 70's space race is not a big deal anymore and more collaboration missions will be undertaken to explore the moons of our Solar System than wondering off the the nearest star!

The final frontier has much to offer up in visiting many places and wonders still near and far?

Space flight not as easy as it Seems!

 This week we see a Moon lander flop over and the Musk Star-link Fail.

Space is still a dangerous place to be and what sets out for it does not always function, even with triple checking the systems, something that NASA learned over the years with the initial loss of rockets and then the disasters with the Space-shuttle and now even connecting to the International station remains a problem?

But many lesser nations have made it to Mars and the Moon, if not also to our Sun and we don;t get to hear much about them, because of our biased media who just cannot accept that they have been out-done!

Working together was seriously damaged under the Biden administration, but now Trump is fixated with Musk, cooperation with Russia might return to save the day?

Meanwhile China has its own Space station and a lander working on the dark side of the Moon with great success, the European space agency has many probes making breakthrough discoveries and the NASA New Horizons in now approaching a strange object well beyond its last target of Pluto.

A new Frontier!

 Space Travel?

From tourism to Mars and beyond in the next one hundred years, colonies and the Internet will be superseded by new things and we might begin the mission to our nearest star in the hope of making contact with other aliens!

Will we ever get to a large Space ship is a unknown, since we do not as yet fully know how we might get through the Kuiper belt and how does gravity act outside our own Solar system?

But we will establish colonies on Mars, the Moon and some other planets, while others will be for research and science perhaps further out!

Without a new shuttle being developed, we will be limited since Space-X is not advanced as it is claimed to be and it all depends on how much money can be invested now to keep the International Space Station operating and getting updated, if not rebuilt in Space?

What is next for Sir Richard Branston?

 Is space his final Frontier?

When you are super rich one can ones fantasies fulfilled both Musk and Bezos are doing their own things to get humans to the Moon and Mars if not further afield?

Touching space tourism will bring in the bucks for perhaps the next twenty years, but eventually this market will dry up, so one has to wonder what Mr. Branston has in mind for his next venture and will it be in space or maybe under the oceans?

Virgin Atlantic has been hit by Covid-19 and the rail franchises don't really make the money they once did, same reason this Pandemic!

Trucking and Trucks.

 90% of support both civil and Military?

It has been observed that during this Pandemic our roads and motorways have been swamped with trucks supplying food and essential goods from medical supplies to machinery, that is required in the need to maintain power supply and other utilities!

It is the same in a war situation, we like to see the armor and the tech, but behind it all is a vast array of logistics, trucks pulling wagons and trailers for MBT, APC, missile and navigation tracking systems for drones and control,  ammunitions supply, medical, food and other essential units under communications and engineering?

Most civilian models today are used by the military, because they are easier to access and cheaper to run than those former dedicated types!

We see that many nations like North-Korea and the peoples republic of China operate Saab trucks, while most nations have their own industries many copy and develop on from older U.S., Soviet, British, German and French type?

The truck is the most common vehicle on our planet today and as we reach for the stars it will also be the rover supply of the future on the Moon, Mars and many other places, even our nearest neighbor one day?

The Musk Dispenser?

 Starship Window!

One recently heard and interesting interview given by the billionaire Elon Musk into why he is keen to develop his Spaceship that will allow humans access to planets, The Moon and other bodies in the Solar System and return to Earth to be reused!

He said that this time was our opportunity, in case in the nest hundred years we are knocked back by a natural disaster, nuclear war or a virus of some type. This might lead to us not being able to gain the ground that we now have?

But meanwhile with all this private venturing other contracts are underway for a new Space Shuttle, that can be updated using nano technologies and it may be in a year or two before is is un vailed to the world?

By then Musk will have an fully operational star ship system to get to the Moon and Mars, since he believes that NASA is too slow with everything it has been doing?

Dragon-X

Dragon X made it to ISS!

The possibility of returning to the Moon is now on course as the vehicles needed are being having their final tests and being prepared for the 2024 window?

Of what value the return to the Moon will be is still unclear at this time, that is perhaps based around the whims of the  U.S. President and the free hand that he has given to Elon Musk to ruin humanities view of space with the array of thousands of Satellites!

One has not heard yet of when the dangerous return to Earth trip is to be made and despite this great achievement not to rely on Russia, a new Space shuttle is under development to be revealed soon!

It is much smaller to the retired ones, but it will be capable of carrying a crew of seven and will not be just for the ISS, but also Gateway that will orbit the Moon, if not direct operations to the Moon and return to Earth?

ARTEMIS to the Moon!

A great vision now put back to 2028?

Elon Musk may not be as clever as the U.S. President claims he is and recent testing of the ISS supply vessel and Moon projects have seriously flopped?

Meanwhile many scientist world wide do not want a Moon base built, but want to keep the region clear of human interference so they can capture long range Space signals for identification?

This return to the Moon is Trump trying once more to out with the Democrats, ie Kennedy in history, but going to the Moon has in some ways thwarted NASA's plans for a direct mission to Mars.

Artemis is not only a Moon base on the south pole, but a Gateway space station orbiting the Moon, putting into question the fate of the International Space Station and its well established research?

We just will have to see if the U.S. President wins a second term and what the future holds apart from the U.S. 'Star Trek' Space force?

New Mission to Pluto?

A proposed paper is underway at NASA!

Pluto is intriguing in that it is an active world on the known edge of our Solar system, New Horizons proved that with cold volcanism and an atmosphere! It would be interesting to return there with a robotic craft and stay in orbit, while also sending a rover to explore the surface?

Microbial life could exist on most planets that are active in some way, wither anything larger has developed will probably one day be discovered? Within our Solar system there remains many mysteries in relation to all the planets and Moons, humans will have to go and find our what is what?

The Moon, Mars and Titan are the next targets for NASA and a new Space station known as Gateway to orbit the Moon. 

Water ice is the target to sustain our life on any of these bodies and Space travel too, it will take time since we are only sixty-two years old when it comes to this field of aeronautics and science!

Rumbling MARS?

Something Different!

Two recordings of so called Mars quakes have been released by NASA from their static probe, but both give the impression of trains running deep under the surface of what appears to be a dead dry cold world!

But it is reported that some scientists are now in discussion to find a way to explain the possibility that life has been found on another world in our Solar system and this may not be revealed for at least two years?

Meanwhile China claims that it has been successful in growing a root vegetable on the Moon designed to deal with the conditions of 1/6th gravity and if this proves true the possibilities for Mars is very high!

What humanity is after with both the Moon and Mars and further afield is minerals that are rare if not totally new to the Earth, so that we can replace plastic which remains an essential part of all robotic craft and spaceships?

Russia delivers 1st!

Space robot for the International Space Station.

While we here in the U.K. were blinded by Novichok and Brexit, the world was awaiting Russia's new Robot that is to change Space for ever with its ability to work outside the station on dangerous missions and saving the lives of valued human beings!

This is the first generational robot in humanoid form, Russia has used robot space ships the Progress series to supply the ISS for nearly fifty years now and their abandoned Buran shuttle was the first aircraft to be totally robotic even before drones were?

Sometimes there is a lot of jealousy in the world to what others can do, but when we get together and work what we can achieve within reason for the betterment of humanity? The future of travel to the Moon, Mars and perhaps the moons of other planets in the next one-hundred years will be determined by robots wither helping us humans or doing most of the work for us!

The Moon?

NASA's Gateway to the Solar System!

The return to the moon is underway with a new space ship being constructed in the U.S. for a return mission and the establishment of a Moon Base and first human travel to Mars by 2030? The Trump administration believe that with the current technology available all of this can be achieved within the next eleven years!

Wither this is true or not by 2030 NASA hopes that the International Space Station ISS will be defunct and some of its component parts will be cannibalised for the Moon base? At this time there is n mention of reinstating the space shuttle programme which on paper still remains a viable proposal for inter-planetary travel!

Both China and Israel now have probes working on the Moon to gather much needed data on radiation exposure from the Suns solar flares and other problems that were discovered during the Apollo flights back in the 1970's!

China Rising!

Taking the world by Storm?

Our western media is not telling us the truth about China in that it is in decline, when actually it is rising! For a nation to get into Space on its own, while landscaping the Spratly Islands, taking the world market with its Huawai phones and has a strong aviation industry is not very weak and in decline?

The truth about China is that it has never really had a decline of empire or nation status, it is the oldest probably in the world and a lot of technology that we use today originated there in the first place! Rockets, fireworks, paper, porcelain, printing blocks and much more!

Today China has five aircraft carriers larger versions of the one Russia sold to it for a planned Casino, it has several stealth jets designs on the go and the MC-21 commercial airliner and other military hardware that can bee seen at the annual North-Korean military parades.

Despite the jealousy of Europe and the U.S. China has made it to the back of the Moon and the west in all their claims do not seem to be much of an issue in relation to the Uighur Concentration camps, despite seventy-four years of hypocrisy over the last Holocaust?

Roads? Part- Two.

Dual carriage to Motorways!

The automobile still rules the world with other carbon burning vehicles and road building continues to be the most costly infrastructure building programmes around the world! With the improvement of steel and concrete more ambitious projects are being undertaken such as high-level motorways in China and Bridges in Sweden-Denmark!

The movement of goods is essential over difficult terrain and the road seems to be one of the best options over that of railways? Roads can get through most of the weather conditions and elements thrown at it, since metal will crack in the cold and melt in the heat!

Humanity is resourceful in that vehicles can be used in mining, many trucks are opting now for road train ability and can be fitted into specialised trains! Even the prospect of living on the Moon and Mars in this Century will still call for roads to be constructed to move from A to B/Z?

The negatives with roads is the cost of up keeping them and the problem with speed and it being broken by reckless drivers who kill others out of selfishness or irresponsible fun? 

The electric car will not change our need to keep what we have in the future, things will change in relation to speed control, robotic driving and many other areas, but the road is here to stay?

Six years to MARS?

Orion, Dragon and Other!

The  design and construction of several parts of a New Space ship and its launch system is well underway, as it is claimed we will have humans on the planet Mars in six years time? 

The new U.S. administration is pushing private investment into NASA and this is producing some wonderful results with the first commercial flights to and back from the International Space Station (ISS).

Today or rather now Mars is suffering a long spell of a planetary dust storm, which as yet does not seem to be improving and the discovery of water on the South-Pole has sped up the next lander programme which will be made two years before humans arrive with their own pre-built Mars base!

Life is the big pusher for these types of programmes, but also minerals that are rare on Earth and plenty elsewhere? There is also the possibility of new materials that can be worked to improve our lot down here?

NASA also wants Russian cooperation for a Moon Base and other ventures, with the new commercial re-usable  U.S. systems, this does not mean that the Progress robotic ships will not be used!

British RAF 200th?

Drones, more drones and Space?

This is not a probability, but a fact that is already in the fore with the RAF and N.A.T.O. seriously deploying drones! Afghanistan, Libya and many other areas of the world, Reapers and their UAV equivalents are operational with great success and the saving of aircrew lives!

Farnborough showed that a new joint fighter is to be developed by BAE and others in that it will be a conventional Jet fighter or interceptor and also a drone equivalent! It is one of many projects underway, others being the deployment of smaller drones for the search and rescue services, police, military and many other civil projects which may include the fire service?

The ability to go into small spaces, operate in difficult conditions, that does not risk immediate life is a wise move! But Space is the next frontier, because many more nations around the globe have access to ICBM missiles and are doing their own thing!

N-Korea may have stopped but Iran and a few other nations could potentially attempt to carry out a Nuclear strike? The other problem is that of the Ronald Reagan,s 'Ray gun' becoming a reality in space and a threat to communications? 

Meanwhile everyone is now trying to reach the Moon and eventually Mars for a piece of the cake!!!

New Zealand Enters Space!

The first material Rocket?

New Zealand's aviation industry, yes they have one?

Has developed what it claims is the first bio rocket that will launch a payload into space and leave no debris! This new rocket is made of nylon materials and is tough enough to do the job of getting their first self launched communications satellite into space!

This will be an encouragement to many small nations that they can have their own and have no need of relying on others for the expensive work! Many nations have already expressed an interest in this system, but one does not know what the actual satellite is made from and what will be its fate on re-entry to our atmosphere?

There are many new concepts and claims being made about inter-Earth travel and that Space tourism may take-off within the next few years? This is because both Russia and China are considering to build a new MIR station, if the U.S abandon the International Space station for committing to a Moon base and expedition to Mars by 2030?

Moon base and Mars Mission?

U.S. President DJ Trump Promises?

Within his term the U.S. will reach for the stars again, just like John F. Kennedy did in the 1960's? Then we now know was a hit and miss affair, hopefully this time science will be applied with quality engineering and safety in mind?

Why do humans want to go the stars?

Finding life is one reason the other is the adventure and self-achievement of what we can do? But there is a third reason and that is of mining rare minerals and other new found properties, which will be of great value back here on Earth.

Have we got the technology to send people to a base on the Moon?

Conditions would be similar to the Antarctica snow bases, but oxygen supplies would be an issue on the other hand a Mars mission already tested in Russia on a ground station lead to several of the crew suffering some serious psychological issues.

The answer to Mars is that we will need to get familiar with living on the Moon first, as with the years of the various Space stations up to the International ISS?

Rocket Deign. Part-One.

Russia leads in the Field.

Getting into space is the most expensive thing that humanity has undertaken, in its known history. The rocket at the moment or since 1957 has been the only way to get outside the earths gravitational field!

America had to play catch-up to the Russians in the 1960's but made it to the Moon, which many scientists believe was the biggest waste of resources? Since then America built the Space shuttle, which did a fantastic job, apart from a few losses?

But President Barak Obama cut the programme on two accounts, one cost and two old technology. There may be many other reasons in relation to its bad fire tiles safety record? Meanwhile the U.S has to share with Russia it Kazakhstan facility, to get their crews up to the ISS (International Space Station).

Half of the ISS is made up of the latest MIR sections, while the U.S. and Japan have their various modules and ESA may have one or two attached.

Russia has lead in rocketry from 1926 and its ideas on Spaceships, it has just kept on improving what it has and despite its many other developments such as the Progress Robotic modules and Mir Components both have again improved with time and reliability.

What does the future hold?

The development of a reusable plane concept has ben on the books, since the 1960's, but only up until recently was a new type of non-rocket development in the U.S. by NASA which is the first Electro Engine?

Interstellar Travel. Part-One.

Our nearest Neighbour.

Much of space science is currently being employed into the idea of sending a Laser powered sail spacecraft on a thirty year trip to our nearest neighbouring star, which is four light-years away. With our current technology it would take us two hundred years plus to get there and back.

At this time the only manned Space ship is the International Space Station, which is three-hundred miles up making a 45-minute circle of the Earth. The Russian Progress robotic and U.S. Dragon supply vessels are the only way of getting up and down, since the retirement of the ageing former Space Shuttles.

The next objective in to get a manned mission to Mars by 2035 or establish a southern-hemisphere Moon base, as a first step by 2028?

Prof. Stephen Hawking's is very keen to encourage the Solar sail project, but some believe it would be wise to test it out first within the known confines of the solar system? making a four hour journey to Pluto, instead of the ten years it took the New Horizon probe. 

It also remains unclear what is beyond Pluto in the Kuiper belt, which the second phase of the New Horizons will arrive at in 2019. One of the six believed moon type objects has already been spotted and a new planet Niku is on a 110 degrees plane between Neptune and Pluto. Meanwhile this small world is blue and is travelling backwards to the normal pattern of all the other planets rotation around the Sun.

The problems with Interstellar travel is the possibility of another rocky domain well beyond the Kuiper Belt that would be like a mine field to exit the Solar system, there is also believed to be another planet known as X9 somewhere out there with a very large gravity field?