Saturday, April 6th, 2013
by AJ Plunkett
The Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, has finally inked a much discussed agreement with the European Space Agency, making good on Russia’s 2012 promise to strengthen its industrial base and take over more of the global space market.
Announced in mid March, the agreement includes Canada on its governing council and picks up where NASA left off on the ExoMars mission.
Tuesday, March 5th, 2013
by AJ Plunkett
Will asteroid wranglers be the next space cowboys? Probably.
Will it be easy? Absolutely not. Traveling and working in space has never been for the feint of heart or weak of stomach. Only the most fit make the cut.
Is travelling to space romantic? Sure. The idea of space travel always has been. So have cowboys.
And if you’re wondering whether travelling to space to deal with asteroids is necessary, just take another look at the footage of that asteroid exploding over Russia.
What remains to be seen is whether it’s lucrative.
Tuesday, February 12th, 2013
by AJ Plunkett
Ah, the mystery of birds. First, they inspire man to fly. Now the ingenuity of their interior may provide us with a foundation for returning to the moon.
Wednesday, November 7th, 2012
by AJ Plunkett
The European Space Agency plans to add to its arsenal of space-debris-fighting technology and help boost Europe’s industrial expertise at the same time.
The ESA, whose governing council is comprised of 19 European member states as well as Canada, recently announced that it has signed a contract worth four million Euros with France’s national aerospace research centre to design a test radar system that will demonstrate new ways to look for space debris. Read more.
Friday, October 12th, 2012
by AJ Plunkett
Making money in the commercial space industry isn’t new, and it isn’t just about building new spaceships and asteroid mining. It can be about discovering new and better ways to use technologies developed for space. Read more.
Tuesday, September 18th, 2012
by AJ Plunkett
Got your coffee or hot chocolate with just the right amount of creamy foam, with the perfect level fluffiness? By the time you get settled back at your office or home, that foam is probably not quite…right. The problem? That would be gravity, pulling on the bubbles, tearing the foam apart. In the weightlessness of microgravity, however, researchers have found that the bubbles remain evenly spread and stable. And that means that, yes, you might get a better latte in space.
Thursday, August 30th, 2012
by AJ Plunkett
On the next clear night that you can see the moon, give Neil Armstrong a wink.
That is the suggestion of his relatives, as they mourn the man they knew as a husband, father, and brother — a man who the rest of the world knew as the first human to set foot on the moon.
Tuesday, August 28th, 2012
by AJ Plunkett
Nobody can stop a hurricane or typhoon; a fact that the citizens of New Orleans know all too well. It’s been seven years since the area was pummelled by Hurricane Katrina, leaving countless tragedies in its wake. And Hurricane Isaac is set to hit the New Orleans area on that same day, seven years later.
Practically speaking (and politics aside) the more information that’s known about a gathering storm system, the better a community can prepare for the danger headed its way. Read more.
Thursday, August 2nd, 2012
by AJ Plunkett
Think your place is a mess? Well, you’re not alone. Space is full of junk these days.
The good news? The European Space Agency not only wants to clean up space, it also has plans to halt our contribution to this growing mess. Read more.
Thursday, July 5th, 2012
By AJ Plunkett
The world’s Earth observation operations are facing tough times. Earlier this year, a group of U.S. scientists warned that many of the nation’s Earth-observing satellites were growing so old that, unless budget plans are stepped up to replace them, there might be only a quarter of them left by the end of this decade.