Rocketry News

Gel ant farms are just one of the hundreds of spin-off from the space program. We've always thought of space research as being a bit wacky. Ever since the Russians launched Laika the dog into space for no apparent reason (other than to get one over on the Americans) and since Alan Shepard used a six iron to hit a golf ball on the moon, we've been wondering what space research is all about. Well, it turns out that ant farms also feature high on Nasa's list of worthwhile experiments. Since the space program began there have been dozens of experiments devised to discover how processes that rely on gravity, or are affected by gravity, operate when freed from that ubiquitous force. From[..]

Impossible. That's what the 2009 Augustine committee reported about prospects for NASA's human exploration of space, at least for the next seven years. NASA's budget issues remain at the top of the list holding humans from space but the same future may not hold true for its robots. Two recent robot adventurers, rovers Spirit and Opportunity, lend credence to the idea that NASA's future may rapidly become reliant on robots to carry out missions in space. The Mars exploring rovers cost the agency more than $400 million apiece but have returned nearly six years of insightful data and imagery from the red planet's surface. Contrast this against the charge for merely launching human[..]

Stress balls with an outer space theme are popular for a lot of reasons. Many people love science fiction and they are able to tie these shapes in with their marketing. Companies that are involved in space exploration and the products behind it are also big fans of space related stress balls. These stress balls are also often used by different publication to promote themselves and/or as free low cost gifts. Here I would like to tell you about ten of the best selling space shapes that are worth looking into if outer space is part of your marketing. The Astronaut: This space man stress ball comes with the US flag on his sleeve as standard but that can be substituted with other flags or[..]

The mere mention of space and the solar system causes some students to overflow with excitement, while others immediately begin fighting back tears of boredom. Oddly enough, the same thing happens to many teachers. The best way to keep everyone enthused and interested in space and solar system lessons is to put some creativity in the classroom. Comprehensive Lesson One creative idea for teaching space and the solar system is to incorporate the lessons into other subjects. The following are ideas for working the lesson into more than just science: � Math. Students can calculate their weight on other planets. This will help reinforce the planet names, teach them about the[..]

When you cross a bridge in Florida's Space Coast, it's not an unusual to see fishermen hanging from the walkways trying to catch dinner or just having a fun time. What has also become more and more usual in this area of the world, are the groups of people gathering on the ICW of the Indian River Lagoon bridges preparing for the night's shrimping activities. The first time I noticed, what has now become a popular sport in this area, was when I drove to my first space shuttle launch a few years ago. The launch was a relatively rare night launch, and in order to get a good view, I was told to get on the bridge early to beat the rush. I grabbed my video recorder, my fishing rod, a pocket[..]

Watching the shuttle blast off into space would be like watching those first ambitious fish haul themselves up onto dry land, topped off with the explosive power of the world's most expensive firework. If you ever need a little inspiration, a space-shuttle launch will make you appreciate how remarkable human beings really are. Begin by contacting the Kenny Space Centre ( 321-867-4636 ) too find out if there's a launch during your visit ( you can also order tickets to view the launch ). If you can't get tickets to KSC facilities, don't worry - there are plenty of great places to see shuttles soar. Try the Astronaut Hall of Fame, Jetty Park Campground, Cherie Down Park, Rotary Riverfront[..]

We have all seen images of matter entering the Earth's atmosphere leaving a flaming trail in its wake. The intensity of the heat created during the launch and re-entry of a space shuttle requires levels of thermal insulation beyond anything we use on Earth, and as you can imagine, there are special requirements for space insulation. The realities of having a space ship which was equipped with poor quality thermal insulation were made tragically clear in 2003 as the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re entry, killing all seven crew members. So what are the differences between earthly and out of this world thermal insulation? Well, in space, the sun's heat cannot be attenuated as[..]

Satellite Technology Satellite technology has become part of all our everyday lives. From telling us what the weather is going to be like, and how to get from one place to another, to offering us a far wider choice of programmes to watch on TV. Satellite is a word that simply refers to one body orbiting another. There are natural satellites that orbit planets, such as our Moon, and artificial, man-made satellites that serve a variety of different purposes. The first man-made satellite, Sputnik 1, was sent into space on 4 October 1957 by the former Soviet Union. Today there are over 3,000 satellites in orbit, owned by more than 40 countries worldwide. What are they used for? Man-made[..]

Ask the above title question of anyone in this, our Age of Information, and listen to the answers. Everyone living today has been aware of space adventurism: the first flights, then orbits by Russia and the U.S.; then onward to the moon (the heart-gripping uncertainly of survival of astronauts on Apollo 13); the first steps of a human on the moon ("A giant leap for mankind"); the Space Shuttle exploits (and fiery disastrous explosions); the astonishing assembly of the complex and gigantic Space Station (cooperation between the U.S. and Russia)! Space achievements in the past half-century rank with the history-book adventures of Magellan and Columbus in probing the unknown. Most everyone[..]

Space science is the study of everything above and beyond the surface of the Earth, from Earth's atmosphere to the very edges of the universe. Space Technology refers to the technology in satellites and ground systems used by space scientists to study the universe (looking up) and the earth (looking down), or to deliver services to users on the ground. The vast majority of satellites are launched into space to provide services to people on Earth. Satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon. Space is the property of the universe, in which[..]

Whatever happened to American ingenuity and the spirit of taking risks? Yes, I'm talking about NASA and the global space race. Why is it that we have become so politically correct, so bureaucratic, and so overly safety conscious that we won't even take a risk, even when it's a reasonable risk? What happened to America, what's wrong with everyone, why did everyone stop pushing the envelope? This is simply crazy. Not long ago, there was a USA Today Article-Interview with Mike Griffin, which was titled; "NASA Administrator Says Space Shuttle Program was a Mistake" and I must say it was interesting article, but I'm still trying to figure out why the space shuttle program was a mistake?[..]

Science papers, the kind you find in professional journals, are usually write-ups of experiments, or other formal investigations. They follow a set structure, based on the standard architecture of experiments themselves. Science articles, by contrast, in magazines, are more relaxed versions of science papers, with much more discussion of the wider importance of a particular investigation, or group of investigations, and what makes them so interesting. There's more than one way to do an article. (Your editor chooses which way.) For papers, however, there is only one formula, with no real variation. I'll lay this out for you here, without going into the philosophy of scientific[..]

No matter what the economic or political situations are, there are always going to be ample opportunities to add some gains to your portfolio. And one of those reasons has to do with breakthrough technologies. You see, people are always at work, developing the latest and greatest ways to improve humanity's quality of life. I have visited and interviewed many of these people... Scientists, businessmen and everyday people from all walks of life... They're all working on ideas not only from their own imaginations, but improving on ideas and inventions built generations ago. The thing is, most of them work for companies not heard of by anyone else. Some of these companies are on the map and[..]

980's and 1990’s were truly the golden years for most businesses. Growth was the order of the day and the opportunities for success were plentiful. Now, the golden years are over. Businesses are laying people off, cutting back, and positioning themselves to survive. In these difficult economic times, new approaches are required to succeed and prosper. True leadership must include the following: Vision for the organization - Essential to any successful organization is a powerful vision for its future. A powerful vision serves as a source of inspiration for the employees, unleashing their creativity and effectiveness. Without such a vision, work saps people of their natural aliveness[..]

In the Fourteenth Century, a Franciscan friar named William of Ochkam proposed a new way of looking at the world. Known today as "Ockham's Razor," his approach tried to cut through the complexities and convolutions of the Scholastic school of philosophy by suggesting that all else being equal, the simplest explanation for a phenomenon is probably the correct one. Like many other dangerous thinkers of the Renaissance--including such impious malcontents as Galileo and Copernicus--William of Ockham was ultimately charged with heresy. This fate is all too familiar to anyone who has tried bringing logic to bear upon arguments that are being waged emotionally. And, unfortunately, charges of[..]

’s little doubt in the minds of experts that China is well on its way to becoming a formidable world power. Since they launched basic market reforms in the late 1970s, their economy has quadrupled in size. They have quickly become a major center for manufacturing, industry and technology. Few can argue that anything the Chinese put their minds to can be accomplished in very little time. One only has to look at the meteoric rise of their space program and ambitious goals to land a man on the moon to see that they are ready to become a modern world power, not only economically, but technologically as well. This shouldn’t be too surprising, given the fact that China has always[..]

Nitrous oxide, also referred to as laughing gas, is a type of chemical compound with a chemical formula of N2O. When nitrous oxide is placed at room temperature, it forms a colorless and non-flammable type of gas, and has a pleasant, sweet taste and odor that is slightly sweet. It is mostly used in density and surgery because of its analgesic and aesthetic effects. It adapted the name laughing gas because of its euphoric effects that come about after inhaling it. This property has made the gas be used recreationally   as an inhalant type of drug. In addition, nitrous oxide can be used as oxidizer especially in motor racing and in rocketry for the sole purpose of increasing power output[..]

! What is 9 x 12? If you learned it like I did, without even thinking, the number 108 pops into your head. In fact, whenever you hear nine and twelve mentioned together, two numbers automatically come to mind—21 and 108. The first is the sum of the numbers mentioned, and the last is their product. Because of the commutative properties of addition and multiplication, it does not matter in which order they appear; the sum, and the product will always be the same. Not so for subtraction and division, but that’s another story. Nowadays, math is taught differently. Memorization of such facts is not encouraged, and in some cases, arriving at the correct answer isn’t even[..]

A bridgewire, bridge wire, or hot bridge wire (HBW) is a relatively thin resistance wire used to set off a pyrotechnic composition serving as pyrotechnic initiator. By passing of electric current it is heated to a high temperature that starts the exothermic chemical reaction of the attached composition. After successful firing, the bridgewire melts, resulting in an open circuit. Usually a thin nichrome wire is used. Some applications also use platinum-silver alloy; other bridgewire materials in use are platinum, gold, silver, tungsten, etc. Care has to be taken when selecting the material as it is in direct contact with the pyrotechnic composition and should not undergo corrosion in such[..]

I cut my teeth at an early age on books by such noted authors as Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, E.E. "Doc" Smith and his Skylark of Valeron series, and many more. I read the books discussed here when I was a pre-teen, and was actually disappointed in the 1951 movie when I saw it in the 1970's, so bear with me if I get any details wrong. When Worlds Collide and After Worlds Collide were written in the 1930's by Philip Gordon Wylie and Edwin Balmer, the science of rocketry was still pretty new. The book When Worlds Collide details the trials and triumphs of a coalition of American scientists and civilians as they struggle to build a space ark to carry survivors of the[..]

What is MythBusters? MythBusters is a television show that was originally produced for the Discovery Channel in the US but has recently begun being broadcast in other countries, including the UK and Australia. The show is dedicated to proving or disproving urban legends, Internet rumors, news stories, and various other myths using the scientific method. The format of the show consists of testing several myths each episode using science. First, the show's team attempts to re-create whatever situation occurs in the myth. Generally, objects must be constructed to properly re-create the situation, and this occurs in the team's workshops. Frequently, re-creation of the myths includes[..]

I am neither a Christian or an atheist, I do believe that some force controls the world, but I have no proof. I do not believe in any other religion, simply because they don't provide me with enough satisfactory evidence to support anything that they are talking about. With that said, I can actually act like a referee. I was a Christian at one time and know how Christians think. I have never been an atheist, but understand that they are looking for one thing, simple answers to easy questions. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand the science of rocketry. If you're a Christian and you want to put a stop to atheism, you will need to provide the entire group of atheists with[..]

Overlooked by the Academy Awards and most of the movie viewing public, October Sky turned out to be one of the best movies of 1999. Based on the true life story of Homer Hickman, a coalminer's son inspired to learn about rocketry following the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik, October Sky is more than just a film about rockets, it's a film about one man overcoming the trials and tribulations that attempt to run him down. The emphasis placed on the passion of the human spirit and its ability to overcome great conflict and achieve feats of wondrous heights makes October Sky a film that is certain to enjoy an enduring legacy and a heightening in stature among critics with the passing[..]

The Kidkraft Rocket Ship caught my attention during the Holiday season when I was looking for an interesting gift for my 5 years old nephew. I had already bought Kidkraft Glamour dollhouse for my niece, and I wanted something similar but for a boy. The KidKraft Rocket Ship was all I was looking for, and as it turned out, both kids just love it. The Kidkraft Rocket Ship is really great fun for boys and for girls. Like in dollhouses for girls, there are a lot of details in painting and decor. The rocket ship has several rooms, stairs, doors, astronauts, robots and even aliens. There are a lot of little pieces and parts to add, remove and move around. The ship's astronauts and robots can[..]

President Obama recently addressed NASA workers, telling them and the nation that he remains committed not only to space exploration but also to America's scientific and technological leadership. Briefly reminiscing about his awe and wonder at the Gemini and Apollo missions of the 1960's, Obama said he hopes America's continuing space ventures will inspire a new generation of explorers. Single dads considering college wisely read between the lines in the President's message, seeing paths to degrees and well-paid careers opening before them. As President Obama detailed some of the challenges in a mission to Mars, single dads imagined what they might accomplish with degrees in chemistry[..]

General chemistry is a science that is deeply incorporated in our everyday lives, but most of the people are probably not aware of it being so. After reading this article, you will think a bit more about everyday life chemistry the next time you light a match or a lighter, or for example, change the antifreeze in your car. Everything mentioned can serve as excellent example for chemistry processes that we witness often. When you light a match, a complex reaction occur in the tip of the match that contains potassium chlorate (an oxidant), sulfur, starch, glue and some other ingredients. The striking surface on the match box, usually contains powdered glass, red phosphorus, glue and other[..]

Videoconferencing is one of the greatest technologies to come out of the last twenty years. While the earliest videoconferencing systems were cumbersome and impossible to use in some cases, the newer videoconferencing systems are quite easy to use and they transmit pictures and audio in the best possible quality. In fact, in many cases, it has truly become like sitting in the same room with another person, making it the perfect substitute for extensive travel between states, countries, and even time zones in some situations. Videoconferencing, though, is not just limited to business applications. There are a number of different creative uses for videoconferencing that you should consider[..]

In the country of England you will find many great cities and towns that you can visit. Of these the city of Liverpool is one that you should take the time to come and visit. You will be able to find this city along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. Here it is both a city and metropolitan borough of the Merseyside County in North West England. The city of Liverpool was first founded as a borough in 1207 and in 1880 it was granted the right to become a city. Visitors to Liverpool will find a modern city where they can see many interesting sights along with the modern amenities required for making any holiday quite pleasurable. Here you can combine pursuits like shopping, clubbing,[..]

It was June,1960 and I was on the road, touring England as a beat poet giving readings of poetry to a rock music background. I called it Rocketry. I was in Liverpool to give a show and went to the Jacaranda, a coffee bar, to look for some musicians to back me. I got talking to a boy with a shock of long hair and a matelot-style striped T-shirt. He said his name was George. When I told him that I was in Liverpool to perform my poetry to rock music he marched me off to 3 Gambier Terrace. And that's where I met John Lennon, as one of the bodies lying on the floor of a room where the lights were draped in red gauze to give it an eerie glow and towels and clothes partitioned the room and the[..]

Nitrous Oxide is a chemical compound whose chemical formula is N2O and is commonly known as laughing gas. At room temperature Nitrous Oxide is a colorless and nonflammable gas, with a sweet taste and odor. Nitrous Oxide is the major naturally occurring regulator of stratospheric ozone. In surgery it is used as an anesthetic. After inhaling it one feels a euphoric effect and this has led to its use as a recreational inhalant drug. In rocketry and in motor racing Nitrous Oxide is used to increase engine power output. It does this by increasing air and fuel intake that is burnt in the cylinders. Nitrous Oxide gas was first synthesized by the natural philosopher and English chemist Joseph[..]

We explore our solar system through the use of many different tools. There are telescopes that help us to get a closer look at space while our feet remain firmly planted on the ground. There are satellites that are sent into space that are helpful in gathering and sending information. And then there are rockets or space capsules that send astronauts into space to explore things first hand. For young children it is the excitement of rockets and space exploration that peaks their interest in astronomy. In the paragraphs that follow, you will be able to read more about how you can make your own space rocket crafts to learn more about the expanses of space. To make a rocket that really[..]

We are always looking to find new ways to occupy our time. I think it’s safe to say that many of us grow tired of always sitting at home and playing our video games or watching our movies. We want to have some adventure and we don’t want to wait till it is too late. Super pocket rockets is one of the best ways to have fun in a group or by yourself. You might be asking yourself, what is a super pocket rocket? Imagine a motorcycle that has been shrunk down to half of its size and you will know what it is. These mini motorcycles are equipped to be ridden on the streets (thought it is a bit difficult) - but are much more practical for small races or cool tricks. With a super[..]

X-37 Moves Forward, Now What? Well, here are a few ideas of taking this craft to a whole new level and plateau in American Ingenuity and Innovation. NASA has learned a lot from the X-37 tests and will now turn it over to DARPA, which makes a lot of sense indeed. [ Should we also look at a device mounted on this craft to ionize the air or atmosphere upon entry? If the craft were be launched from a large Blimp, super blimp it could be dropped and once clearing the blimp point skyward and turn on the thrusters and ionizers to rid the craft of any friction, which would occur in the atmosphere. Very little energy would be needed and getting it to an asteroid, the moon or around the planet for[..]

I was always under the impression that setting objectives (subsequent to discovering them), played a crucial role in the success of the strategic planning process. Once we had the objective, we could then plan to meet it. However, if there was a black mark against our name as planners, it would be this: implementation. Although we are required to just provide the map, if people and organisations seldom reach the destination, then surely the mapmaker has some responsibility? Or, in my case – curiosity. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) offers an intriguing potential remedy. AI was initially developed by David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva as an organisational development model based on the[..]

One of the most beneficial aspects of increasing technology is our ability to have better medicine and a greater chance of saving lives. Medical technology is constantly progressing and the more it progresses the lower our chance of dying after an incident becomes. One of the amazing things about technology is the new explosion if wireless communication. Mobile phones are now a vital carry along item for many. The applications they have allow us to do a large number of tasks with a greater efficiency. Now what we are seeing is a cross over from the medical world into the use of wireless technology. Imagine a world where everything you needed to know about yourself you could see from your[..]

(USA ~ September 22, 2007) Are you someone that wants to have the ability to add video from up to five of your absolute favorite video websites, and the ability to create an unlimited playerlist? offers you the resources to get and organize your favorite videos from top sites; whether you want to post from dailymotion, ifilm, metacafe, myspace, or youtube video, you can easily compile your player list and display them in a single, attractive flash flv player! is fun and easy to use: visitors can register for an account, look for their favorite youtube videos or ifilm videos, as well as Myspace, Metacafe and Dailymotion, and place them into an awesome looking streaming video player on a[..]

cl Harnessing the power of water has been used for centuries for many useful purposes.  Initially it was used for irrigation and operating various machines, such as windmills and dock cranes. But these days it has a more important use: as a renewable source of electricity. So what is hydro power? Well, basically it is the generation of electricity by using the natural force of water. And how is hydro power generated ? It is generated in 3 different ways: hydroelectric power, tidal power, and wave power. Hydroelectric Power: This is the most common form of hydro-power, making up the majority of all renewable energy produced.  Electricity is produced in hydroelectric dams where the[..]