space travel images:
Sailing Among the Stars (NASA, Solar Sails, 08/17/10) [EXPLORED]
Image by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
Editor’s Note: This image is an artist concept of a solar sail in space.
This fall, NASA researchers will move one step closer to sailing among the stars. Astrophysicists and engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and the Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., have designed and built NanoSail-D, a “solar sail" that will test NASA’s ability to deploy a massive but fragile spacecraft from an extremely compact structure. Much like the wind pushing a sailboat through water, solar sails rely on sunlight to propel vehicles through space. The sail captures constantly streaming solar particles, called photons, with giant sails built from a lightweight material. Over time, the buildup of these particles provides enough thrust for a small spacecraft to travel in space.
Many scientists believe that solar sails have enormous potential. Because they take advantage of sunlight, they don’t require the chemical fuel that spacecraft currently rely on for propulsion. Less fuel translates into lower launch weight, lower costs and fewer logistical challenges. Solar sails accelerate slowly but surely, capable of eventually reaching tremendous speeds. In fact, most scientists consider solar sailing the only reasonable way to make interstellar travel a reality.
Of course, it’s not as easy as it sounds…
Read entire NASA feature about solar sails:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/10-109.html
Image credit: NASA
There’s a Flickr set where you can see more solar sails:
www.flickr.com/photos/28634332@N05/sets/72157607379989937/
The Smiles of the Space Travellers: Heaven’s Gate Final Video Screen Caps (Uhura’s Brother)
Image by juggernautco
Yellowcard- Space Travel I heard a voice last night It said wake up and open your eyes Wake up walk out tonight Cause she don’t care if you’re dead or alive, dead or alive She moves like beams of light Straight through this universe in my head Where I get peace of mind I’m free from the stupid things that I said She’s all in my head [Chorus] Did I get lost while I was gone I traveled space for much too long But there’s a planet I have found And you are far away from now Somewhere behind her eyes Some super natural energy Takes me for quite the ride Across time Where I define gravity As soon as a dream [Chorus] Did I get lost while I was gone I traveled space for much too long Did I get lost while I was gone I traveled space for much too long But there’s a planet I have found And you are far away Far away You are far away Far away from now.
Video Rating: 4 / 5
The Russian Space Agency is eager to expand its travel program, which sends enthusiasts to the International Space Station. RT spoke to Anatoly Perminov, head of the organization, to find out when tickets to orbit will be available once again. Perminov says that although space tourism is growing, wannabe cosmonauts will have to wait a few more years. “We would like to resume the space tourism program. Unfortunately we’re unable to do it now and we won’t be until space shuttles or other spacecraft resume delivering space crews to the ISS, which won’t happen until 2015 or even 2017, according to NASA experts. The only other possibility is if we build a new spacecraft within the next two years — then we’ll be able to take space tourists to the ISS,” he stressed. In the near future, only a few people will be able to afford to go to space, Perminov pointed out. “We have many people who want to go to space. We have many applications from various countries, both official requests and applications from common people. I guess, you can’t really call somebody a common person if they can pay more than US million for a flight, because that’s approximately what a space tourist will have to pay,” Perminov said, adding: “The price has gone up a little due to currency rate fluctuations and because of the rising cost of materials.”However, there are effectively no restrictions for such flights as long as a person is healthy. “One day space tourism will definitely become available to …
Video Rating: 4 / 5
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