Space Forum / Space Flight / March 2006

the NASP  ~ National Aerospace Plane  ~ X-30
which Ronald Reagan called " a new Orient Express"   was announced 20
years ago this week during the State Of The Union address Feb 4, 1986.
the NASP would've been a single stage to orbit space plane capable of

A pair of scientists funded by ESA are claiming to have observed some
sort of gravitational anomaly by rotating a superconductive ring:
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/GSP/SEM0L6OVGJE_0.html
Although miniscule in size, this gravitomagnetism effect seems to be

I havent got a clue about the physicle forces on such a wire, but it
seems like it would only  be 4 times the length of a space elevator..
is it posible?

Flywheel energy storage has been suggested for use on the Moon (see
http://www.asi.org/adb/04/03/03/flywheel-energy-storage.html ).  But I
haven't seen a proposal to use lunar materials in the systems to reduce
cost.  I suggest that we import bearings, generator/motors, and carbon

  Amazingly enough, it's that time of year again on Mars. I've seen a
number of hints as to how to get Spirit into position to survive the
upcoming winter by spending it on a properly-tilted slope. But
Opportunity seems to have far fewer... opportunities. The last winter,

   I just finished reading This New Ocean that covers the space age.  I
really wasn't looking forward to the Skylab part but after I read it and
then googled up the pictures of Skylab I was happily surprised.  That Skylab
looked pretty cool.  It looked like a real lab.  It ...

Why can't we scoop energy from space into our crafts to provide
propulsion. Space is full of energy!!!
Why do we have to use power plants designed on Earth?
It is apparent to me that for the safety of the piloted craft, we wrap

Two-Stage-to-Orbit 'Blackstar' System Shelved at Groom Lake
http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/news/channel_awst_story.jsp?id=news/030606p1.xml
Hmm, I've never seen anybody post about it in here, so I presume none
of us had heard of this one before. Heh, is this one of the Area51 type

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/03/10/mars.orbiter/index.html
...A little late on the announcement, but I had ISP troubles here.
Rest assured they won't do *that* again :-P
                OM

I stumbled across a 1998 paper in which the writer said thin-film
photovoltaics and improved designs could lead to a 10-fold decrease in
mass for SPSs.  I seem to recall a 50,000-ton estimate for an SPS
proposed by Gerard K. O'Neill, though I can't recall the estimated

    A couple of questions on this space technology:   
    1)I was under the impression that carbon nanotubes, if manufacturable
at reasonable lengths (~ a foot?) would make it possible to construct
a beanstalk. Then I came across references saying that NO physical

How difficult is it to tailor a parking orbit for lunar missions that
can be reached efficiently by US launchers and precesses 180 degrees in
one lunar month?
Will McLean

For the last three years the Nuclear Wapons Archive has been hosted by the
very gracious Sidd who runs the "Membrane Domain", but next month he will
have to stop hosting it.
As a result the Nuclear Weapons Archive which is operated as a free public

I've read that there are stages of rockets that have actually flown
that had a high enough ISP and  mass ratio they could have gone to
orbit if they did not need to carry a payload.  In other words, if
someone had fired off the first stage of the Saturn 5, it could have

Hi, I wanted to mention this article I read, about a newly discovered
way to reduce air resistance:
http://www.physorg.com/news11095.html
No flames, plz -- I just wanted to ask if anybody knows enough about