#spaceadvocates

As space agencies look to improve the efficiency of both long duration and short duration space missions, solar sails may prove to be the future of spacecraft design.

Solar sails utilize solar energy in a unique way, making it entirely possible to “travel on beams of light.” Solar radiation exerts a small amount of pressure on a spacecraft, which—if utilized over a large enough surface—can provide a continuous “push” and accelerate spacecraft to incredible speeds over time. Proponents of solar sail technology aim to utilize the subtle push of sunlight to create an efficient, propellant-free means of propulsion. According to researchers behind the NASA concept mission Interstellar Probe, a spacecraft with a sail 1,300 feet (400 meters) wide could travel up to 1.3 billion miles (2.1 billion kilometers) per year and escape the sun’s sphere of influence in just one decade.

In 2010, Japan’s Ikaros probe became the first mission to successfully demonstrate the use of solar sails. Five months later, NASA followed with the NanoSail-D demonstrator, which unveiled its solar sail in early 2011 and orbited Earth for eight months thereafter. Because of the enormous potential of solar sails, NASA is planning to launch the largest-ever solar sail into space in 2016, and NASA researchers are developing a concept called Lunar Flashlight, which would send a small, sail-equipped probe to map and research the Lunar South Pole. Other future solar sail projects include the Planetary Society’s LightSail-1, which aims to launch a 10-pound spacecraft into Earth orbit and use sunlight pressure to increase the craft’s speed. Each of these missions hopes to demonstrate the versatility and potential of solar sail technology.

Read more: http://www.space.com/26011-solar-sail-tech-space-exploration.html

Mars One, the highly anticipated private mission to colonize Mars in the next decade, is the next in a long line of private space missions that highlight the important connection between NASA and the private sector. The first phase of the mission is set to launch in 2018, and it will consist of an unmanned rover and landing system modeled after NASA’s Phoenix lander.

The Phoenix mission lasted from May to November 2008. It studied the history of water on the Red Planet and searched for evidence of habitability. According to Ed Sedivy, a civil space chief engineer at Lockheed Martin and the program manager for the Phoenix lander flight system, “Phoenix is a proven delivery system…there are very few impediments to continuing on beyond the study concept.” He also said that the first phase of Mars One will be very similar to Phoenix, with a robotic digging arm to excavate soil and an experiment to extract water.

Clearly, NASA’s influence reaches far beyond its own missions. NASA is a pioneer in all aspects of the space industry, setting precedents for the science and technology that continues to shape our world. With a Penny4NASA, the space industry as a whole will go even further.

Read More: http://www.space.com/24035-private-mars-lander-nasa-legacy.html

What’s next for Kepler?

Even with only two functional reaction wheels left, Kepler will likely continue to explore the cosmos through an innovative new mission. NASA announced call for scientific white papers on August 2nd to compile ideas for Kepler’s future tasks, and 42 white papers were received. The ideas for the new mission include astrophysical research (such as observations of star clusters and active galaxies) and modified exoplanet research. 

Scientists are currently examining the proposals to determine the feasibility of the missions using the repurposed Kepler system. From the 42 white papers, scientists will put together a plan for a repurposed Kepler mission and submit it to NASA headquarters by November 1st. The white papers are available publically at the Kepler Science Center. 

3D food printing may sound like science fiction, but soon, it may become science fact. Scientists at NASA are attempting to reinvent food product development for long duration space missions, and 3D food printing is one of the many technologies being tested to address NASA’s Advanced Food Systems Technology needs.

NASA is working with the Systems and Materials Research Consultancy of Austin, Texas to study the possibility of using 3D printed food in space. According to the SMRC proposal abstract, the project aims to use 3D printing technology to deliver macronutrients (such as starch, protein, and fat), texture, and structure to the food. Ink jet technology will be used to deliver micronutrients, flavor, and scent. The project is still in its earliest stages, but scientists are hoping that it will continue to move forward after promising results from phase I.

The implications of this project are astounding. 3D printed food would likely eliminate food waste, allow for more efficient food storage and production, and allow for food to be personalized by astronauts. In short, 3D printed food might just be a tasty way to make deep-space missions possible in the future.

  For more details, read the full proposal here: http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR/abstracts/12/sbir/phase1/SBIR-12-1-H12.04-9357.html?solicitationId=SBIR_12_P1

Read the NASA news article about the project: http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/home/feature_3d_food.html

Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is one of the most Earth-like worlds in the solar system; it has a dynamic surface, an atmosphere, and is bigger than the planet Mercury. Titan’s thick atmosphere makes obtaining direct observations of its surface features difficult, but thanks to NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, scientists have been able to create the first global topographic map of Titan. 

Cassini used a radar imager to peer through the haze and gather crucial data about Titan’s topography. Since Cassini doesn’t exclusively orbit Titan, though, it could only gather data for parts of Titan’s surface. Scientists used a mathematical process called splining, essentially using curved surfaces to join the voids between existing data grids, to calculate the rest of the map. This map is already providing a whole new view of one of the most intriguing worlds in the solar system, and it could aid in the search for life on Titan in the future.

Read more and see the map here: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/whycassini/cassini20130515.html

Tell Congress that you support doubling funding for NASA:

Dark matter and dark energy make up about 95% of the known universe, so developing a better understanding of this “dark universe” is obviously a top priority for astronomers and physicists. NASA scientists have teamed up with the European Space Agency (ESA) to create plans for Euclid, a mission that will “study the geometry of the dark universe”. NASA joined the mission as a partner back in January. NASA’s work with Euclid will be centered at JPL in Pasadena, California.

  Euclid is set to launch in 2020. Over the course of six years, it will observe upwards of two billion galaxies with unprecedented detail. Scientists will use multiple techniques to analyze the large-scale structure of galaxies, the nature of dark matter, and the nature of dark energy. Some of the techniques include weak gravitational lensing (to study dark matter) and galaxy clustering, also called baryon acoustic oscillations (to study dark energy). Euclid will use a 1.2-meter diameter telescope and two instruments to study the two billion galaxies’ shape, brightness, distribution, and behavior in relation to dark matter and dark energy.

  Read more: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/euclid/main/index.html