Space fairing Nations - The ever changing view

SpaceNut · 2004-11-10 07:28:42

Sad day for Japans space program President of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has offered his resignation.

Palomar · 2004-11-10 10:59:33

The X-43a is still progressing for for that magical mach10 speed.
NASA Schedules Hypersonic X-43a, Mach-10 Flight Press Briefing
A news media briefing for the final X-43A hypersonic-research flight is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 5, 2004, at 1 p.m. EST.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/oc … isory.html

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s … oOOooosshh!!

*Good luck to them! Is a front-page headliner at Yahoo! currently. :up:

so blindingly fast that it could carry an airplane from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., in about 20 minutes -- or even quicker.

*Will be (if all goes as planned) 850 miles off the CA coast in 10 seconds. Wow. I didn't see anything about a camera strapped onto this thing...a camera, we need a camera!

--Cindy

::edit::

Regardless of the outcome, however, the third flight will be the last. The Hyper-X program ends, and there are no plans to replace it. The next steps are largely up to researchers elsewhere.

*I think I knew that, but forgot.

Next week's third flight will test the limits of the X-43A. Temperatures will be significantly higher: The leading edge of the aircraft's nose will reach about 3,700 degrees Fahrenheit, 1,600 degrees hotter than during the March flight.

SpaceNut · 2004-11-10 11:17:33

Yup was under the early project cancellation list as regards to the Space exploration vision, as not fitting into any of the needs for carrying it out.

I believe the next version of it was to be taken over by the air force in the x43-C. They were looking to use regular aviation fuels rather than the liquid Hydrogen under there program. I think that it will probably end up under Darpa control in the end run.

SpaceNut · 2004-11-10 14:19:02

This article speaks for itself on space danger to others.
Brazil spaceport threat to villages

Grypd · 2004-11-10 16:30:26

Brazil is just being very cautious. They suffered a very bad disaster and apart from the major casualties they where set back many years from that explosion. If Brazil wishes to be cautious how can we blame them.

SpaceNut · 2004-11-11 07:01:51

Hypersonic research craft set to fly Monday.

One challenge facing the upcoming flight is that the heat on the X-43 will be much greater than on the previous flight. Hot spots on the previous X-43 flight reached 2,600 degrees. Temperatures are expected to reach as high as 3,600 degrees during this flight.

Additional thermal protection is being put on the vertical tail and on the leading edges of the aircraft. The thermal protection is a coating similar to what is used on the space shuttles.

The future of hypersonic research by NASA is being examined. One possibility is to research what is needed to use the technology for the first stage of a two-stage space launch system, said Vincent Rausch, manager of the Hyper-X program.

While NASA considers its course in hypersonic research, the Air Force is pressing ahead with efforts to develop such technologies for use in future aircraft that could reach any spot in the world within a couple of hours.

The Stated Air Force's ultimate goal is to develop a plane capable of flying at least 3,500 mph and carrying 12,000 pounds of cruise missiles or small-diameter bombs. I for one would hope that the Air force drops that Idea and that we use the technology gained for peaceful purposes.

Palomar · 2004-11-13 06:28:10

Regardless of the outcome, however, the third flight will be the last. The Hyper-X program ends, and there are no plans to replace it. The next steps are largely up to researchers elsewhere.

*Also --

The final X-43A mission is also expected to be the last research mission for NASA's venerable B-52B "mothership" heavy launch aircraft, which is due to be retired in the near future after almost 50 years of service.

*Copied and pasted that from a similar article at today's spaceref.com.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2004-11-15 11:02:24

Well it would appear that India is selling space on the lunar probe.
Five nations shortlisted for slot in ISRO's moon mission from five nations including the US, UK and Germany, for a slot on India's unmanned moon mission 'Chandrayaan-1' to be undertaken by 2006-07.

The run down on what has been put into it so far Chandrayan-I X-ray spectrometer (CIXS-II) from Britain, Near Infra-red spectrometer (SIR) from Germany, Sub-ked Atom Reflecting Analyser (SARA) from Sweden in collaboration with ISRO's Space Physics Laboratory, Radiation Dove Monitoring Experiment (RADOM) from Bulgaria and Mini-Synthetic Apperture Radar (Mini-SAR) from America.

ISRO had allotted 10 kgs and 10 watt of power for space agencies of other nations and had invited international bids for the purpose that had evoked 15 responses from 10 nations.

Palomar · 2004-11-15 16:12:52

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/x43a/status.html]Scramjet delay

*Just logged back in after some hours offline. Checked astronomy/SE sites, wondered why I hadn't yet seen news about the X-43A launch, scheduled for today (is late afternoon already).

That site is updating frequently.

We've been fighting an apparent electrical problem in our avionics system, in particular with our S-band transmitter in one of our ESP modules, which collects pressure data. At this point, it is a little unclear what the course of action will be.

-- message timed 2132 GMT/4:32 p.m. EST. Says they should know in 15 - 20 minutes from that time if launch can commence.

Good luck. :-\

--Cindy

::EDIT:: They're going to try again tomorrow.

SpaceNut · 2004-11-16 09:16:23

Seems like they are being overly cautious on this scram jet project but will it matter in the end run since the follow up steps have been cancelled.

On another note of Nasa it would seem that some of the issues around Nasa is the fact that they have there hands in to many projects unrelated to space.

NASA Helps To Create Complete Human Genome Map and do not get me wrong, for I think that if they can provide the help they should to private industry but it should be not for free.

Palomar · 2004-11-16 19:12:54

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u … 13]Success for X-43A

*...indicates it did reach Mach 10.

"The research vehicle was absolutely rock-solid stable," said Griff Corpening, chief engineer on two previous X-43A flights. "All indications (are) we had a successful experiment."

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/x43a/status.html]Nearly 2 miles per second

*Yes, I know you know that; just can't help being amazed, still, by this "air-breathing engine." The 2nd link gives a "run-down" of events as they occurred (wow...they're continuing to update the page even as I'm reading and posting).

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2004-11-16 21:48:03

This will mean a new guisness book of records entry for the x-43A. Though I wished that this was being designed around manned use but a start is still a start when it comes to new technology development.

SpaceNut · 2004-11-16 21:51:32

On the continuing development of other nations India is still taking the rights steps along the way towards manned space flight.
The Indian Air Force is holding discussions with the ISRO in talks to set up spacelab for manned space mission

SpaceNut · 2004-11-17 07:03:08

Another step Govt. nod for ISRO'S RLV technology demonstrator Sorry not much to the article but at least they are getting funding for what needs to be done.

SpaceNut · 2004-11-18 12:14:23

Russian SPACE PRIVATIZATION UNDERWAY or at least in the sub orbital arena.

John Creighton · 2004-11-18 15:11:20

Success for X-43A
*...indicates it did reach Mach 10.

:up: :up:

SpaceNut · 2004-11-19 06:11:32

I had seen a few articles that referenced 9.6 mach for the speed but in either case the program has run out of funding.

The need to continue the hypersonic speed development now will rest with the military needs, specifically the air force use of such technology and its research.

SpaceNut · 2004-11-19 11:33:55

Update seems that the senate wishes to continue the program.
Tullahoma-built X-43A roared to a new speed record for air-breathing aircraft in the third and final flight of the NASA-sponsored Hyper-X program.

Partially in response to the successful March flight, the Senate has endorsed another $25 million to keep the X-43A program alive.
In June, NASA eliminated work on the X-43C program, which was to have been an expansion of scramjet research building on the X-43A program.
One of the victims of the termination was a $150 million contract for ATK-GASL to build three of the larger aircraft. The cancellation came only four months after it had been awarded.

Rxke · 2004-11-19 13:28:52

Wow, now *that* is news!

but wil $25 mil be enough? They talk about a 150 mil contract...

Martian Republic · 2004-11-19 15:06:41

So let start a movement to get the U.S. Government to build a next generation of Space Shuttle using the X-43 RamJet frame work. Once it been developed and built, it should reduce the price of getting into space to 1/10 of the price that it currently cost to get into space.

Who want's to write the petition and we will start it making the rounds?

Larry,

ERRORIST · 2004-11-19 15:30:32

I claim the first vote. History has just been made.

Rxke · 2004-11-22 12:21:09

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americ … stm]Russia in Space talks with Brazil

Not much info, but interesting... Really starts to look Russia is on the space-move again, yay!

GCNRevenger · 2004-11-22 13:10:59

A new space shuttle? Why? Where do you want to fly it to?

The regular scramjets as demonstrated on the X-43 don't have a prayer of reaching orbital velocity, and the USAF knew this back in the X-30 project days. It will require a huge investment to develop the next-next step, a regenerative Scramjet. Such an engine could get pretty close to orbital velocity, but it isn't nessesarry for the Pentagon's hypersonic bomber, and developing it would cost billions of dollars most likly. More basic research needs to be done on fuel additives as well.

It probobly wouldn't cost less then building a TSTO "Shuttle-II," more basic research needs to be done.

ftlwright · 2004-11-23 07:20:31

It probobly wouldn't cost less then building a TSTO "Shuttle-II," more basic research needs to be done.

Indeed, a lot of basic research is stil required. We still do not fully understand the dynamics inside of the combustion chamber and maintaining a flame at supersonics is still extremely difficult.

Also, you will still need convention chemical rockets for maneuvering, docking and deorbiting events. These things are going to have a non-trivial weight penalty associated with them and will not be able to lift massive payloads for a very long time, if ever.

Finally, I fear these things are going to reak havok atmosphere; I would be very interested in any studies folks have on this. Don't get me wrong, I think scramjets are extremely cool, but I think only the military will see any utility in ths.

SpaceNut · 2004-11-23 11:40:35

India to launch lunar exploration vehicle Chandrayan-I in 2007-08

Jim Benson of SpaceDev Company, USA stressed on the advantages of small low cost space missions involving minimum risk to perform astronomical studies from the surface of the moon using the International Lunar Observatory.

New Mars Forums

Announcement

#76 2004-11-10 07:28:42

Re: Space fairing Nations - The ever changing view

#77 2004-11-10 10:59:33

Re: Space fairing Nations - The ever changing view

#78 2004-11-10 11:17:33

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#79 2004-11-10 14:19:02

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#80 2004-11-10 16:30:26

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#81 2004-11-11 07:01:51

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#82 2004-11-13 06:28:10

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#83 2004-11-15 11:02:24

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#84 2004-11-15 16:12:52

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#85 2004-11-16 09:16:23

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#86 2004-11-16 19:12:54

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#87 2004-11-16 21:48:03

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#88 2004-11-16 21:51:32

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#89 2004-11-17 07:03:08

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#90 2004-11-18 12:14:23

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#91 2004-11-18 15:11:20

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#92 2004-11-19 06:11:32

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#93 2004-11-19 11:33:55

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#94 2004-11-19 13:28:52

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#95 2004-11-19 15:06:41

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#97 2004-11-22 12:21:09

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#98 2004-11-22 13:10:59

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#99 2004-11-23 07:20:31

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#100 2004-11-23 11:40:35

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