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!

First all electric Plane!

New Israeli Design.

This new aircraft will be the first all electric powered, some would say that this cannot be a new idea? Idea yes their are many, but it would seem that this is to be the first to get off the ground with one type already built and ready for testing?

The reason is simple, the price of crude oil is becoming unpredictable to purchase because of so much fluctuation on the world markets? The other that we need to change our mind set in relation to climate change and global warming and find another available power source?

If this design gets flying and works, we will have entered a new revolution in aviation, which will go on to replace perhaps the continued need for fossil fuels apart from uranium for the Nuclear industry and Space flight?

Ballooning.

First solar powered.

We tend to forget about the balloon in the age of machines, but it was the balloon (Montpelier's) that opened modern society to aviation well before the invention of the (Wright brothers) aeroplane. Today ballooning is a major sport and can be a dangerous pursuit.   

Recently Bristol University in England have been the first to develop the totally Solar powered balloon and fly it safely, this a a major breakthrough that will perhaps spread to Micro-Lights and Gliders/Hand-Gliders in the near future.

Solar scientists in Wales have been developing a flexible solar panel skin and I had wondered if this had been Incorporated into the Bristol project.

Trams for Wales.

Cardiff Proposed.

The return of trams to the capital Cardiff is under consideration, wither it will happen or not who knows? But trams for Swansea and many other large towns with hills would be a viable transport need worth looking into.

Since it was Swansea where the concept of the first tram and tramway were born! Today the re-introduction of light rail across the United Kingdom and the British isles has been very profitable as has world wide. 

Simple to run and attractive to the eye, they fill the gap between buses and mainline trains or metro/tube systems.