Space Travel

Google Lunar X PRIZE announces first ten teams

By Emily Clark

22:35 March 4, 2008 PST

March 5, 2008 In September 2007 the X PRIZE Foundation announced a $30million prize purse for the Google Lunar X PRIZE, a robotic race to the moon. Now the Foundation has released details of the first ten teams to register for this amazing space race. Read More

Extra-terrestrial off-roading: NASA lunar truck concept vehicle

By Noel McKeegan

21:46 March 2, 2008 PST

March 3, 2008 NASA has released images of its latest lunar exploration concept vehicle - a six-wheeled, variable height, stand-to-operate surface rover prototype designed to provide ideas for the future as part of the long-term goal of establishing an outpost on the moon by 2020. Read More

"Strikingly similar" planetary system discovered

By Noel McKeegan

23:20 February 19, 2008 PST

February 20, 2008 With upwards of 100 billion stars in our own Milky Way and at least that number of galaxies in the observable universe, the odds have long pointed to the likely existence of planets beyond our own solar system. The first discovery of such an extra-solar planet to receive subsequent confirmation took place in 1988 and two decades later, as detection techniques and equipment continue to improve, that number is now approaching 300. Now news that Astronomers from the University of St Andrews have found a new planetary system some 5,000 light years away that bears "striking similarities" to our Solar system. Read More

NASA may support UK in ground-breaking MoonLITE mission

By Kyle Sherer

17:09 February 19, 2008 PST

February 20, 2008 A new report has outlined the possibility of US support for the planned UK-led MoonLITE mission, a project that aims to use a solar-powered spacecraft to fire four suitcase-sized “penetrators” at the surface of the moon at speeds of 300m/s. The penetrators would be deployed to the far side of the Moon, and one of the poles, where they would sink to depths of up to two metres beneath the moon’s surface, and analyse “Moonquakes”, study heat flows, and determine the chemical and physical structure of the Moon’s interior. Read More

SpaceShipTwo heading for 2008 test flight

By Noel McKeegan

22:08 February 3, 2008 PST

February 4, 2008 The era of private space travel is another step closer to reality with Virgin Galactic revealing designs for the craft set to become the flagship of the world's first spaceline. Based on SpaceShipOne, which claimed the $10 million Ansari X Prize in October 2004 by successfully becoming the first private manned spacecraft to exceed an altitude of 328,000 feet twice within the span of a 14 day period, SpaceShipTwo and its carrier aircraft WhiteKnightTwo are now approaching completion at Scaled Composites in Mojave, California. Flight testing set to get underway towards the middle of this year for what will be the world’s largest all carbon composite aircraft, capable of carrying eight astronauts or other payloads into sub-orbital space. Read More

SpaceX conducts first mult-engine firing of Falcon 9 rocket

By Kyle Sherer

16:06 January 30, 2008 PST

January 31, 2008 Space Exploration Technologies Corp, or SpaceX, has conducted the first multi-engine firing of its Falcon 9 medium to heavy lift rocket at its Texas Test Facility outside McGregor. The Falcon 9 is the launch vehicle for the SpaceX Dragon, which will facilitate the delivery of cargo and up to seven people to and from the International Space Station. Read More

Boeing wins Instrument Unit Avionics contract for Ares I launch vehicle

By Kyle Sherer

15:34 December 21, 2007 PST

December 22, 2007 The U.S. Vision for Space Exploration is an important step closer to being realized, with NASA awarding the Boeing Company a $265 million contract to produce the instrument unit avionics for the Ares I launch vehicle - a platform that will eventually be used for manned expeditions to the Moon and Mars. Read More

Successful mid air retrieval test for ARCTUS spacecraft program

By Darren Quick

14:25 December 20, 2007 PST

December 21, 2007 Commercial space services provider SPACEHAB has announced the success of a mid air retrieval demonstration test performed as part of its Advanced Research and Conventional Technology Utilization Spacecraft (ARCTUS) Program. ARCTUS represents a low-cost, low-risk Commercial Orbital Transportation Service (COTS) solution for cargo delivery to the International Space Station (ISS). The ARCTUS Program will support NASA’s requirement to fill the International Space Station (ISS) cargo supply gap between the space shuttle’s planned retirement in 2010 and the replacement Orion program scheduled to be operational in 2015. Read More

SpaceX prepares for Falcon 9/Dragon spacecraft demonstration

By Kyle Sherer

18:44 December 19, 2007 PST

December 20, 2007 SpaceX has completed the systems requirements review for the third Falcon 9/Dragon demonstration under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. In addition to carrying payloads of up to 27,500 kilograms to low Earth orbit, the Falcon 9 is the launch vehicle for the SpaceX Dragon, which will facilitate the delivery of cargo and up to seven people to and from the International Space Station. Read More

Odyssey Moon completes Lunar X PRIZE registration

By Emily Clark

17:56 December 11, 2007 PST

December 12, 2007 Odyssey Moon has become the first team to complete registration for the Google Lunar X PRIZE, unveiling its plans for a history making private robotic mission to reach the surface of the Moon with a small robotic lander designed to deliver scientific, exploration and commercial payloads. Read More

Chang'e-1 launch to expand lunar exploration

By Emily Clark

23:18 October 28, 2007 PDT

October 29, 2007 The Chang’e-1 spacecraft successfully blasted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, Sichuan, atop a Long March 3A rocket last week bound for lunar orbit. The launch by the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA), is China’s first step in a program that aims to land robotic explorers on the Moon before 2020. Read More

50th anniversary of Sputnik satellite launch

By Shaun McKeegan

06:34 October 4, 2007 PDT

October 4, 2007 Today marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Sputnik satellite. Even half a century on, the impact of the October 4th 1957 launch that saw the Soviet Union’s satellite became the first to be put into orbit still resonates as a momentous achievement in the history of human endeavor. Considered the first real blow in the "Space race" between the USSR and the USA, the launch provided the springboard for an exciting period of space exploration carried out by the two countries. Read More

Robotic surgery in zero gravity

By Darren Quick

21:39 September 25, 2007 PDT

September 26, 2007 Silicon Valley based independent non-profit research and technology development company SRI International has announced it will conduct the first ever robotic surgery demonstration in a simulated zero-gravity environment. Read More

$30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE

By Emily Clark

06:55 September 17, 2007 PDT

September 17, 2007 The prize that saw the world's first private spaceship reach beyond the Earth's atmosphere in 2004 is headed for the moon. The X PRIZE Foundation and internet giant Google are offering a US$30 million prize purse in the Google Lunar X PRIZE, a competition to land a privately funded robotic rover on the Moon by 2012. Read More

Hypersonic civil aviation: Sydney to Brussels in four hours

By Shaun McKeegan

15:06 August 29, 2007 PDT

August 30, 2007 Imagine long-distance air-travel that could get you to the other side of the globe in less than a quarter of the time it presently takes? Researchers from Reaction Engines, a company created for design and development of advanced space transport and propulsion systems, are investigating the possibility of hypersonic civil transport in a three year study to examine the feasibility of reducing long-distance flights (e.g. from Brussels to Sydney) to less than 4 hours. Read More

Boeing wins construction bid for Ares I

By Emily Clark

23:32 August 28, 2007 PDT

August 29, 2007 Boeing has been awarded a lucrative contract worth more than $500 million to create part of a new NASA crew launch vehicle for Ares I, the rocket set to succeed the space shuttle as NASA’s primary vehicle for human exploration in the next decade. Boeing Space Exploration will manufacture a key element which will provide navigation, guidance, control and propulsion required for the ascent of the second-stage Ares I rocket into low-Earth orbit. Read More

Holiday in orbit: Galactic Suite space resort opening 2012

By Emily Clark

22:21 August 21, 2007 PDT

August 22, 2007 ‘Space tourism’ is the latest buzz phrase to hit the high-end travel industry with cosmos tourists already visiting the international space station and now news that a hotel stay in space is as little as five short years away. The Galactic Suite Space Resort, run by directors Xavier Claramunt and Marsal Gifra, aims to offer travellers the “most thrilling and transcendent experience ever” with a stay on board an orbital luxury getaway. Upon arrival at the first ever space resort, guests will be able to experience a new world of sensations including weightlessness, star gazing, amazing views of planet Earth with 15 sunsets in a day - not to mention being aboard a spaceship that takes you from 0 to 28,000kmh in 10 minutes. Read More

Atea-01 Rocket: New Zealand to enter space in 2008

By Kyle Sherer

18:18 August 19, 2007 PDT

August 20, 20007 New Zealand company, Rocket Lab, has developed a carbon, 5.2 meter sub-orbital rocket that it hopes will spearhead a New Zealand space industry. A full-scale mock up of the Åtea-01 rocket has now been unveiled with plans to launch four rockets from mid 2008 carrying payloads ranging from scientific equipment to small satellites and even the ashes of loved ones into orbit. Read More

Elevator: 2010 - a space race for the whole family

By Kyle Sherer

17:13 August 4, 2007 PDT

August 5, 2007 Almost 40 years after it ended, the Spaceward Foundation is reigniting the space race with the third annual Elevator: 2010 competition. Part of the “Spaceward Games” taking place on October 19-21 near Salt Lake City, the competition is open to any family, school or adult and this year allows participants to compete in more events including the first inaugural Light Racer challenge. The tournament aims to bring attention to the viability of far-reaching space exploration concepts and requires competitors to build beam powered lunar buggies and beam powered cable “climbers”. But the machines aren’t the only thing ascending rapidly in the name of scientific advancement; the total prize money this year has skyrocketed to US$1 million. Read More

50 years since the dawn of the space age

By Loz Blain

June 18, 2007 Half a century ago, with the Cold War still in full effect, the Soviet space program struck a crucial first body blow in its space race against the USA - and in the process, ignited the imaginations of millions across the world and lifted our eyes towards the heavens. The year 1957 saw the successful launch of Sputnik, the first man-made satellite to orbit the Earth. A polished 58.5cm diameter aluminum alloy sphere with four long antennae drawn back from its sides, Sputnik covered around 60 million km between its launch on October 4th and when it burned up on re-entry on October 26. Read More