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| Guest |
 Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 1:28 pm |
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There is a recent report that ATK Space Systems in Sandusky Ohio is
currently lab testing a solar sail design which they plan on unfurling
in the near future; the work being conducted in association with NASA. |
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| tj Frazir |
| Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 1:42 pm |
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Guest
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| Guest |
| Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 2:04 pm |
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tj Frazir wrote:
[quote:bab2ddef24]Ha HA ha EH ,,good one
[/quote:bab2ddef24]
Wrong. This is for real.
Ohio Lab Tests Space Propulsion System Tue May 3, 7:42 AM ET
SANDUSKY, Ohio - Scientists working with a synthetic material 100-times
thinner than a piece of paper are testing their theory that the sun can
power interplanetary spacecraft. They believe that streams of solar
energy particles called photons can push a giant, reflecting sail
through space the way wind pushes sailboats across water.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has invested about
$30 million in space-sail technology, something that existed solely in
science-fiction novels a decade ago. Yet the reflective solar sail
could power missions to the sun and beyond within a decade.
"It's OK to breathe on it and touch it," said David Murphy, of ATK
Space Systems, showing off the sail.
ATK Space Systems, based in California, is one division of a $2.4
billion company that makes rocket motors, advanced weapons systems and
ammunition for the military and the Department of Homeland Security. It
has about 14,000 employees at operations in 23 states.
Last year it delivered 1.2 billion rounds of small-caliber ammunition
to the Army.
The Space Systems division developed the solar sail, which is being
tested in the world's largest vacuum chamber at the Cleveland-based
NASA Glenn Research Center's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky. It has a
space environment simulation chamber 100 feet in diameter and 122 feet
high.
In that chamber, Murphy displayed four silvery, triangular pieces of
sail stretched over four long booms, which form a square about 70 feet
on each side. Murphy and others want to study how the sails will deploy
and operate in a vacuum under various temperatures.
"We're going to cool it down and shake it out," Murphy said.
Just in case, the fabric, which resembles Mylar, has rip-stop threads
to keep it from pulling apart when the chamber is closed and the air is
pumped out.
"To get a lower pressure you'd have to go to space," said Edward
Montgomery, an engineer from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, Ala.
The chamber has been used to test rocket components, radiators for the
International Space Station and the crash bags that protected twin
rovers when they landed on Mars last year.
The plasticlike fabric used to make the sails is a spinoff from
technology used to develop spacecraft paint.
First missions - scientific payloads of a few hundred pounds - are
likely to be to the inner planets, Venus and Mercury, and to the sun.
But NASA scientists think the technology is a good bet for eventually
powering spacecraft into deep space.
Since its fuel is free and doesn't have to be stored, a craft with
solar sails would not have to slingshot around the moon or other
planets for a gravity boost to reach distant destinations, as other
craft do.
Craft propelled by solar sails could be launched on conventional
rockets or released from space stations. In space, the force of
sunlight would push the reflective sails, causing the craft to move,
said NASA Marshall physicist Les Johnson.
The first sail tested in space will be about 130 feet on each side.
Those on an actual mission could be twice as large.
While its thrust is low, it would be continuous so that the craft
accelerates steadily, eventually reaching speeds of tens of thousands
of miles an hour. Changing the sail's angle to the sun would allow the
craft to slow down or speed up.
"Just by morphing its shape we can get it to turn," Montgomery said.
With the science worked out, Murphy said, it is now a matter of
building larger sails.
"We have everything we need to do this," he said.
___
On the Net:
ATK: www.atk.com
NASA's Glenn Research Center: www.grc.nasa.gov |
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| Uncle Al |
| Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 2:53 pm |
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whopkins@csd.uwm.edu wrote:
[quote:4550f9e135]
There is a recent report that ATK Space Systems in Sandusky Ohio is
currently lab testing a solar sail design which they plan on unfurling
in the near future; the work being conducted in association with NASA.
[/quote:4550f9e135]
If it is being conducted in association with NASA then it doesn't have
a chance. Who at ATK has a friend in Washington?
--
Uncle Al
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/
(Toxic URL! Unsafe for children and most mammals)
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/qz.pdf |
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| Jan Panteltje |
| Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 3:51 pm |
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On a sunny day (3 May 2005 13:04:04 -0700) it happened whopkins@csd.uwm.edu
wrote in <1115150644.608296.98220@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>:
[quote:3a0e84acec]With the science worked out, Murphy said, it is now a matter of
building larger sails.
Maybe it means nothing to you, but the guys name....[/quote:3a0e84acec]
Was it not the same guy who stated: "If anything can go wrong it will?'
[quote:3a0e84acec]"We have everything we need to do this," he said.
[/quote:3a0e84acec]
'But the essential part will be missing at the crucial mpoment'. |
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| G=EMC^2 Glazier |
| Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 1:13 pm |
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whopkin NASA could not roll out a spool of wire in space. How could it
ever unravel a large sail. NASA has studied Rube Goldberg
engineering,and that is why they put wings on rockets.and crazy glued
ceramic plates all over the Shuttles surfaces. The executive political
motivated crooks are to busy counting the billions they have stolen than
to worry about the pieces coming apart on these 40 year old Shuttles.
To fly the Discovery this July 13th they found a 49 year old mother of
two that has a death wish. NASA has no brains so they picked one of
Florida's worse months,and 13 is an unlucky number. NASA motto is "Life
is Cheap but a Buck is still a Buck ' Bert |
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| Raymond Yohros |
| Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 6:13 pm |
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G=EMC^2 Glazier wrote:
[quote:e58d5a3390]whopkin NASA could not roll out a spool of wire in space. How could
it
ever unravel a large sail. NASA has studied Rube Goldberg
engineering,and that is why they put wings on rockets.and crazy glued
ceramic plates all over the Shuttles surfaces. The executive
political
motivated crooks are to busy counting the billions they have stolen
than
to worry about the pieces coming apart on these 40 year old Shuttles.
To fly the Discovery this July 13th they found a 49 year old mother
of
two that has a death wish. NASA has no brains so they picked one of
Florida's worse months,and 13 is an unlucky number. NASA motto is
"Life
is Cheap but a Buck is still a Buck ' Bert
[/quote:e58d5a3390]
The whole consept of the shuttle it's extremly risky and
primitive. The russians didn't continue their own shuttle
program because they knew about it's limitations.
it is still alot safer,cheaper and better to use
rockets with this limited liquid propulsion tecnology.
i really thing this will change very soon. our entire
future depends on it. but solar sails is not
the answer.
sonofsound.com |
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| G=EMC^2 Glazier |
| Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 6:28 pm |
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Raymond The only reason NASA talks about solar sails,and having a
rocket ship taking people to Mars is it helps their ego. In their minds
they trying to out do the movie 2001 Had a friend that was
part of the 21 engineers that quit 6 month's before Columbia. If he
t wrote a book on what was going on at the cape,and how sloppy and
unsafe these shuttles are he would have been killed. Reality was those
that quit were told to keep their mouths shut "or else" Try to find out
one of their names. (not in Google) Bert |
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| Raymond Yohros |
| Posted: Sat May 07, 2005 12:03 am |
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G=EMC^2 Glazier wrote:
[quote:5b7da2d5b5]Raymond The only reason NASA talks about solar sails,and having a
rocket ship taking people to Mars is it helps their ego. In their
minds
they trying to out do the movie 2001 Had a friend that
was
part of the 21 engineers that quit 6 month's before Columbia. If
he
t wrote a book on what was going on at the cape,and how sloppy and
unsafe these shuttles are he would have been killed. Reality was
those
that quit were told to keep their mouths shut "or else" Try to find
out
one of their names. (not in Google) Bert
[/quote:5b7da2d5b5]
when that last shuttle accident happen, i couldn't sleep
for weeks. i knew one of the passangers that went in
that mission because he gave a speech in my city
and like every person that dreams to go to space,
he was a true hero. I've always felt nothing but the greatest
admiration for all space agencies in the world and i hope
that that terrible tragedy should be
put into account to prevent this barbaric disasters
from ever happening so
i don't understand why they are still tring to put
that big old whale in space.
Raymond |
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| Gabriel.Prieto@gmail.com |
| Posted: Sun May 08, 2005 9:42 am |
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So sorry, but in this you are wrong. Sail propelled crafts are a Go,
the main drawback beign the stress by tensor forces, and
micrometeorites. Nasa's main problem is their policy of working with
many companies to reach one main goal. But this is a finance problem,
not a tech one.
I agree the shuttle is unsafe, but not to the limit to call it
"sloppy". Is is as safe as it can be... |
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| Raymond Yohros |
| Posted: Sun May 08, 2005 4:45 pm |
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to put something as big as the shuttle in
space with LIQUID PROPULSION is extremely
dificult. there are just to many things than
can go wrong. remember, you are just
at little % above of achiving escape velocity
and having that in mind it's always better
to go liteweight
www.sonofsound.com |
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| Guest |
| Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 11:46 am |
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G=EMC^2 Glazier wrote:
[quote:6d0409e94f]whopkin NASA could not roll out a spool of wire in space. How could
it
ever unravel a large sail.
[/quote:6d0409e94f]
Irrelevant, since NASA has nothing to do with rolling it out; only
endorsing it. This is in the private sector. |
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| Guest |
| Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 11:46 am |
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G=EMC^2 Glazier wrote:
[quote:3a10166efb]whopkin NASA could not roll out a spool of wire in space. How could
it
ever unravel a large sail.
[/quote:3a10166efb]
Irrelevant, since NASA has nothing to do with rolling it out; only
endorsing it. This is in the private sector. |
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