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Oklahoma Space Alliance May 2015 Page 1 of 19
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Jeff Bezos with ULA’s Tony Bruno and model of BE-4 Engine at September 2014 news conference in Washington DC Credit: Seattle Times
Table of Contents
Quote of the Month ............................................................................................................................. ....... 1
Table of Contents ...................................................................................................... .................................. 2
Blue Origin Suborbital Test Flight ................................................................................................................. 3
SpaceX Launches 2nd Falcon 9 in 13 Days ...................................................................................................... 4
United Launch Alliance Sees SpaceX Bet and Raises ........................................................................... .......... 5
Sahara Dust Feeds Amazon Forests .............................................................................................................. 8
Mars has Glaciers of Frozen Water Covered by Dust ........................................................................... .......... 9
The Little Engine that Could ....................................................................................................... ................ 10
NASA’s EM Drive Has Skeptics ................................................................................................................... 11
NASA Researches Space Biology ................................................................................................................. 12
Space News ............................................................................................................................................... 14
Progress 59 Spins Out of Control ..................................................................................................................... 14
Ariane 5 Completes 222nd Launch .................................................................................................................... 14
XCOR Committed to Texas ............................................................................................................................... 14
VG Constructs 2nd SpaceshipTwo ..................................................................................................................... 15
Sierra Nevada Releases Video .......................................................................................................................... 15
We Must be Our Own Kennedy ....................................................................................................................... 15
Dragon 2 Abort Test Is Successful .................................................................................................................... 16
Compare Dragon and Orion ............................................................................................................................. 16
Star Trek Actress Dies ....................................................................................................................................... 16
Orbital Is Replacing Antares Engines ................................................................................................................ 17
That’s All Folks .......................................................................................................................................... 18
Oklahoma Space Alliance May 2015 Page 3 of 19
Blue Origin
Suborbital Test Flight On April 29, 2015, Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket
performed a successful suborbital launch 60 + miles into space. The empty passenger capsule separated and parachuted back to Earth. The flight clearly establishes Blue Origin as a commercial spaceflight
contender. Jeff Bezos is Blue Origin
owner,
Amazon.com founder, and Washington Post owner.
Oklahoma Space Alliance
What’s Happening
May 2015 Copyright © 2014 Oklahoma Space
Alliance Editor Stephen Swift
[email protected] 405-496-3616
The Oklahoma Space Alliance What’s Happening is a presentation in each monthly meeting of the Oklahoma Space Alliance. Oklahoma Space Alliance is a chapter of the National Space Society, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. The address of OSA is 102 W. Linn, #1, Norman, OK 73071. Unless otherwise noted, all contents of articles herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of anyone but the editor or the originating source. Reprint rights are granted to chapters of NSS and to any non-profit organization for education or information purposes only provided credit is given.
.OSA 2015 http://chapters.nss.org/ok/osanss.html
President Stephen Swift Update Editor
[email protected] 405-496-3616
Vice President David Sheely
[email protected] 405-821-9077
Secretary & Syd Henderson Outreach Editor
[email protected] 405-321-4027(H) 405-365-8983(C)
Treasurer Tim Scott
[email protected] 405-740-7549(H)
NSS Chapters Claire McMurray
[email protected] 405-329-4326(H) 405-863-
9173(C)
NSS Headquarters 15th Street NW, Suite 500
Washington DC 20005 Exec Director TBD
[email protected] 202-429-1600
Oklahoma Space Alliance May 2015 Page 4 of 19
Credit: Blue Origin
See article at http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/04/blueorigins-
new-shepard-test-flight/’ See launch video at YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEdk-XNoZpA.
SpaceX Launches 2nd Falcon 9 in 13 Days
Oklahoma Space Alliance May 2015 Page 5 of 19
Falcon 9 Launch 4/28/2015 Screenshot Credit: SpaceX/Space Pod/YouTube
See video and narrative at Space Pod 4/28/2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwr2hlxE-Fk
United Launch Alliance Sees SpaceX Bet and Raises
ULA Press Release: April 13, 2015 Colorado Springs, Colo., (April 13, 2015) -- United Launch Alliance (ULA) unveiled
its Next Generation Launch System (NGLS) today at the 31st Space Symposium.
The new rocket, Vulcan, will transform the future of space by making launch
services more affordable and accessible. The NGLS brings together decades of
experience on ULA’s reliable Atlas and Delta vehicles, combining the best features
of each to produce an all-new, American-made rocket that will enable mission
success from low Earth orbit all the way to Pluto. At today’s news announcement, Bruno also unveiled the Sensible, Modular,
Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) initiative, which will be introduced into
NGLS and allow ULA to reuse the most expensive portion of the first stage – the
booster main engines – via mid-air capture. This allows a controlled recovery
environment providing the confidence needed to re-fly the hardware. Step one of NGLS will consist of a single booster stage, the high-energy Centaur
second stage and either a 4- or 5-meter-diameter payload fairing. Up to four solid
rocket boosters (SRB) augment the lift off power of the 4-meter configuration,
while up to six SRBs can be added to the 5-meter version. In step two, the Centaur second stage will be replaced by the more powerful,
innovative Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES), making the NGLS capability
that of today’s Delta IV Heavy rocket. ACES can execute almost unlimited burns,
extending on-orbit operating time from hours to weeks.
Oklahoma Space Alliance May 2015 Page 6 of 19
See Announcement Video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCceCh68oos
New booster with Methane LOX engine
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Advanced second state for flexible extended operations
Reusable engine recovery via parachutes and helicopter
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Support of multiple launch missions
Sahara Dust Feeds Amazon Forests
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Screenshot video Credit: NASA
Photo images from orbit show dust migration from the Sahara Desert to South
America. See video presentation at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7lVGhTPQAY&feature=youtu.be
Mars has Glaciers of Frozen Water Covered by Dust
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Mars and its Glaciers Credit: Niels Bohr Institute
Using data collected by Mars orbiting satellites, researchers at Niels Bohr Institute conclude that 150 billion cubic meters of ice are located in Martian glaciers. Layers of dust covering the ice prevent evaporation. Enough ice exists to cover the whole surface of Mars with a 1.1 meter thick layer. If their analysis holds true, water to support colonies on Mars exists in abundance. See article at http://spaceref.com/mars/mars-has-belts-of-glaciers-consisting-
offrozen-water.html.
The Little Engine that Could
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Electromagnetic Engine Tested by NASA Credit: NASA Eagleworks
Researchers in NASA Eagleworks group at the Johnson Space Center verified thrust from an engine that defies the laws of motion. Scientists doubted earlier tests performed in an air environment. New tests performed in vacuum produced thrust without any propellant. The concept of an EM Drive is that electromagnetic microwave cavities might provide for the direct conversion of electrical energy to thrust without the need to expel any propellant—a concept with profound implications for space travel. The applications of such a propulsion drive are multi-fold, ranging from low Earth
orbit (LEO) operations, to transit missions to the Moon, Mars, and the outer solar
system, to multi-generation spaceships for interstellar travel. See article at http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/04/evaluating-
nasasfuturistic-em-drive/.
NASA’s EM Drive Has Skeptics
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Skeptics say that any claim violating Newton’s Third Law requires extraordinary
evidence. Skeptics say “Even though the thrust experiment has been performed by three
different international research teams, the amount of thrust detected is so small
that it is within the range of error in the measurement sensors.” Consequently,
reputable scientific journals have not yet published the claim. Has NASA made a fundamental breakthrough? Hopefully, proof will come. The
Galaxy awaits! See skeptical article at
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ethansiegel/2015/05/04/nonasa-did-not-
accidentally-invent-warp-drive/.
NASA Researches Space Biology
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Slides are from presentation by Jeffery D. Smith, NASA Space Biology Project
Manager. See complete presentation at
http://www.nasa.gov/ames/research/spacebiosciences/space-biology-project-
manager-presents-2015-benson-memoriallecture.
Oklahoma Space Alliance A Chapter of The
National Space Society
Space News
Progress 59 Spins Out of Control
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Russian ISS resupply ship fails and cannot dock with the ISS.
See video from Progress 59
at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r9zq
6pMP00.
Airanespace launched Two Comm Sats. On
April 26 from French Guiana.
See Video at
http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/
2015/04/Ariane_5_flight_VA222_liftoff_re
play.
XCOR
Committed to Texas
XCOR’s new president reaffirms move to
Midland, Texas. See article at
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2015/03/21
/xcor-heading-for-texas-eventually/.
Image Credit: XCOR/Mike Massee
XCOR Lynx Suborbital Spacecraft
Screenshot, Video Credit: NASA/YouTube
Ariane 5 Completes 222nd Launch
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VG Constructs
2nd SpaceshipTwo
Virgin Galactic is hard at work on the
second Spaceship Two. “Soon, we hope to
take our new spaceship off of the
construction fixtures and place her onto
her own landing gear for the first time—a
big milestone for the team.”
See article at
http://www.virgingalactic.com/mojave-
SpaceshipTwo Construction update-spaceshiptwo-construction/ Credit: Virgin Galactic
Sierra Nevada Releases Video
SNC releases video of Dream Chaser Cargo version. SNC is not giving up on
Dream Chaser.
See article and video at http://spaceref.biz/company/sierranevada/video-
sierra-nevada-corporation-
May 5,
Space
News
published
Part 1 of
Rick
Tumlison
article on motivation for space exploration.
See article at http://spacenews.com/oped-we-must-be-our-own-kennedy/’
Dream Chaser Cargo Spacecraft Screenshot, Video Credit: SNC
presentation-of-the-autonomous-versionof-the-dream-chaser.html.
We Must be Our Own Kennedy
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JFK at Rice University 9/16/1962 Delivering famous Moon Speech
Dragon 2 Abort Test Is Successful
SpaceX successfully completed Dragon 2’s
abort test from the launch pad. No name
Dummy survives in good shape.
See video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsg6
WR4BWhw&feature=youtu.be.
Image cropped from screenshot of video
Credit: NASA
Compare
Dragon and Orion
Space Review article compares SpaceX
Dragon 2 NASA’s Orion. Dragon, as the
Future, and Orion, as the Past, comparison
shows Dragon to be much more advanced.
See article at
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2
743/1.
Star Trek actress Grace Lee Whitney dies at
85. She was in 8 of the original TV shows and
in many of the movies. We express or
thanks to the contribution of Star Trek cast
members to the general awareness and
interest in space exploration. See article at
http://www.space.com/29305-star-trek-
Grace Lee Whitney 1930-2015 grace-lee-whitney-obituary.html.
Orion Descent Phot Credit: US Navy
Star Trek Actress Dies
Oklahoma Space Alliance May 2015 Page 18 of 19
Orbital Is Replacing Antares Engines
Six months after Antares explosion, Orbital
ATK is busy with plans to replace the AJ26
engines—Americanized version of Russian
NK-33. The re-engined Antares will have
higher performance. First launch expected
in March, 2016. See story at
Antares Failure October 28,2014
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2 Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
744/1.
.
Oklahoma Space Alliance May 2015 Page 19 of 19
That’s All Folks