Concept Spacecraft
“We should become a multi-planetary civilisation” – Elon Musk
An update from Elon Musk on SpaceX’s vision for the future.
Robot Exploration
How Did New Horizons Get to Pluto so Quickly?
Our Solar System is vast. We on Earth cruise around the Sun in an orbit with a radius of about 150 million km (93 million miles), but the most distant planet, Neptune, is about thirty times further from the Sun. Enormous distances and the limitations of rocketry means reaching the Read more…
Concept Spacecraft
XS-1: Spaceplane of the Future?
The good news first: a major aerospace contractor is researching how to build a reusable spaceplane that could dramatically cut the cost of accessing low Earth orbit. Now the bad news: it is purely for military users and cannot carry people. Aerospace giant Northrop Grumman has won a Read more…
Human Exploration
Apollo 11: the First Lunar Landing
In July 1969, those who could gathered around available television sets and radios for the moment that human life would leave their first trace on the Moon. At 0256 GMT Neil Armstrong stepped out of the Lunar Module Eagle. As his left foot touched the lunar surface, he declared the Read more…
UFOs and Fringe Science
Was NASA Technology Predicted in Ancient Indian Writings?
Is it possible that ancient cultures 7000 years ago knew how to create flying machines to traverse the sky and beyond using a technology that NASA engineers are still trying to harness today? The first artificial satellite launched famously into orbit was the Russian satellite Sputnik, in 1957. Prior to Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
St Patrick’s Academy Rockets Ahead
“Encouraging school children to enter the world of aerospace, engineering and science” This is the motto for the Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge which takes place across the globe. The prize, if you accept the challenge, is an all-expenses paid trip to Paris and Toulouse for the final fly-off against teams from Read more…
Human Exploration
Dreamchaser: Everything You Need to Know About the Mini-Shuttle
It is almost three years since NASA’s Space Shuttle program flew its last mission in July 2011, after providing a mode of transport into space for various crews over a 30 year career. The retired fleet of four orbiters (Challenger, Endeavour, Discovery and Atlantis) are now pride of place in Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
A Launchpad into the Space Industry
Teachers from across Northern Ireland have come together to learn how to build and launch their own rockets. It’s all part of an initiative deriving from a new ‘Space Science Technology’ qualification developed by local exams body, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). According to Read more…
Space Flight
Visiting Kennedy Space Center
When most people take their vacation for the year they tend to do their best to completely take their mind of their work and as I boarded the long flight to Orlando Florida and I did my very best to do just that! And while I had many exciting things Read more…
Concept Spacecraft
Whatever Happened to Photon Rockets?
Could humanity ever travel to the stars? Today this is an unattainable dream but world-wide researchers are studying the possibilities of starships. One concept for an interstellar craft is the photon rocket, an idea once popular but less prominent today. What happened to this appealing idea for voyaging into deepest Read more…