Space junk is a very real problem. It might seem implausible that the space around the Earth is actually getting too cluttered with junk, but, nonetheless, it is true. There are thousands of tons of old spacecraft, defunct satellites, and bits and pieces of manmade trash orbiting our planet. That material poses a some very real risks to future missions.
I have posted about rotating detonation propulsion systems before. There has been ongoing research that needs an update. Explosions get more energy out of a given amount of fuel than simple combustion. However, your engine must be able to withstand the stress. NASA believes that the rotating detonation engine (RDE) could be the future of deep space missions.
Multiple uncrewed lunar landings are planned for the next twelve months. They are spurred by a renewed effort in the U.S. to return humans to the lunar surface later this decade. Both private space companies and national agencies are set to make the two hundred- and forty-thousand-mile voyage to our celestial neighbor. They will test landing capabilities, look for usable water ice, and more.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has just launched their water-powered CubeSat spacecraft, EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point 6U (EQUULEUS), to rendezvous with NASA’s Orion spacecraft. The Orion recently broke the record for the furthest distance traveled by a spacecraft that could carry a human crew. The EQUULEUS uses water as a propellant.
Part 3 of 4 Parts (Please read Parts 1, 2 and 3 first)
Part 3 of 4 Parts (Please read Parts 1 and 2 first)
Part 2 of 4 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
Part 1 of 4 Parts
Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
Part 1 of 2 Parts
Project Artemis is NASA’s new lunar exploration program. It includes sending the first woman and first person of color to the Moon. Through the Artemis missions, NASA will use new technology to study the Moon in new and better ways. It will also be preparing the way for human missions to Mars.
