The thread for space cadets!

[hobbsyoyo]

I would absolutely prefer Europa first as well. I don't think life is possible on Titan; sure it has the right conditions it could host life, but it doesn't have the energy. Conditions are much too close to absolute zero for any real chemistry to happen. Ben Bova had a pretty good bit in his book about Titan where there was life, just in super slow motion. But I don't think it was realistic.

Europa, in my opinion, has much better prospects. Unfortunately, the challenge of getting down to the ocean through all the ice requires technology we don't have now and in my estimation, is an order of magnitude more challenging to do than a Titan mission and therefore an order of magnitude more expensive.

 

[warpus]

Yeah, how would we get through the ice? Some sort of a drill I guess? It seems that when we drill we usually (always?) have people around, so that they can help out should unexpected things happen.. and so that they can make adjustments.

Any other ways of achieving this? Maybe something that warms up and slowly melts its way through the snow? and then once through the ice opens up and releases its payload? Or is that crazy talk?

 

[El_Machinae]

A nuclear thermopile as well as a cable that stays at the surface. As the thermopile melts through the ice, the cable unravels to the transmitter left up top.

 

[Samson]

From the beeb, not at all certain but seems an exciting possibility to me:

A fatty acid might be among organic molecules discovered on Mars by Nasa's Curiosity rover.

However, it's not possible at this stage to determine whether the compound has a biological or non-biological origin.

And contamination could still be responsible for the finding.

The results come from Curiosity's SAM instrument, and were presented at the 46th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) in Texas.

Nasa scientist Daniel Glavin described the results from the first "wet chemistry" experiment carried out by Curiosity.

A long-chain carboxylic acid, or fatty acid, was a good fit for one of the data peaks detected in a mudstone called Cumberland, he told an audience at the meeting. A form of alcohol molecule may also be among the compounds analysed.

The preliminary result will excite scientists because fatty acids are key components of the cell membranes found in all life forms, including microbial organisms.

Dr Glavin told an audience that the result was "provocative", and said the link to biology was the "million-dollar question". But he explained that a non-biological origin was equally plausible at this stage of the research.

 

[illram]

What about a mission to sample water vapor plumes like we just did for Enceladus? Europa and other moons have such plumes right? Are there other things we can put on such a mission that might provide more info than what Cassini just did?

 

[El_Machinae]

It's a weird balance. It would be much easier to put a big chemistry set on a ship designed to do a flyby (since you don't have to worry about landing, etc.), but you'd only get one good shot at getting samples that could then be investigated.

 

[Samson]

From here:

For the first time, astronomers have detected the presence of complex organic molecules, the building blocks of life, in a protoplanetary disk surrounding a young star, indicating that the conditions that spawned our Earth and Sun are not unique in the universe.

This discovery, made with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), reveals that the protoplanetary disk surrounding the million-year-old star MWC 480 is brimming with methyl cyanide (CH3CN), a complex carbon-based molecule. Both this molecule and its simpler cousin hydrogen cyanide (HCN) were found in the cold outer reaches of the star's newly formed disk, in a region that astronomers believe is analogous to our own Kuiper Belt - the realm of icy planetesimals and comets beyond Neptune.
...
Astronomers have known that cold, dark interstellar clouds are very efficient factories of complex organic molecules - including a group of molecules know as cyanides. Cyanides, and most especially methyl cyanide, are important because they contain carbon-nitrogen bonds, which are essential for the formation of amino acids, the foundation of proteins.

It has been unclear, however, if these same complex organic molecules commonly form and survive in the energetic environment of a newly forming solar system, where shocks and radiation can easily break chemical bonds.

With ALMA's remarkable sensitivity, the astronomers now know that these molecules not only survive, but thrive.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

So close!

Link to video.

 

[El_Machinae]

Planetary Resources had one of their test craft on that CRS-6!
http://www.planetaryresources.com/2...launches-from-cape-canaveral-on-spacex-crs-6/


So, it's apparently true that they're ratcheting towards space mining.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Virgin Galactic Considering Changing SpaceShipTwo Fuels Again - See more at: http://spacenews.com/virgin-galactic-considering-changing-spaceshiptwo-fuels-again/#sthash.ss2eOebJ.dpuf
I don't feel like re-posting the whole article but the point I'd like to make is that Virgin Galactic just needs to shut up about this kind of stuff until they get their act together.

I can't believe the venture is still a going concern to be honest given how many years over schedule they are and millions in the hole.

From an engineering perspective, they absolutely should be looking at all propellant options until they hit a design freeze. Particularly if it is the case (and I think it is here) the leading propellant options are relatively easily swapped out for one another (not usually the case). Having said that, given all of their notorious problems with their engines and the crash, the CEO should just stop making statements like this. It doesn't help build any confidence in what they are doing.

Blue Origin has taken the exact opposite approach in that they don't tell anyone anything of what they are doing. They only periodically put out sparse statements and the occasional video. This approach isn't ideal either.


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Ceres' Bright Spots Come Back Into View

So the bright spots are back and they still don't know what they are. Fun times.


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The Russians screwed up again:

Link to video.

So they launched a Progress resupply mission last week and it went into a spin and is due to re-enter any day now. While the ISS people say they have enough supplies on hand, between this failure and the Antares failure last year, they may have to reschedule some missions and/or swap out payloads in future resupply missions to make things go smoothly. For the moment at least, only the SpaceX Dragon capsule can be counted on for regular resupplying of the ISS.

What is really troubling is that the Progress is essentially an automated Soyuz and launches on the same rocket. So there could be some serious implications for the crewed Soyuz missions in the future as well. Bad times.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

SpaceX Pad Abort test for their manned capsules:

 

[warpus]

That almost looks more kerbal than kerbal

 

[Kaitzilla]

Ceres' Bright Spots Come Back Into View

So the bright spots are back and they still don't know what they are. Fun times.

Ancient Martian mining base go!

 

[hobbsyoyo]

That almost looks more kerbal than kerbal

Literally my first reaction was this ^

 

[peter grimes]

My god how many G's would the Crew suffer in an abort situation?! That looks like a rib-breaker.

I guess better to black out and suffer some cracks than instantly burn up, right?

 

[Borachio]

Link to video.

 

[Michkov]

My god how many G's would the Crew suffer in an abort situation?! That looks like a rib-breaker.

I guess better to black out and suffer some cracks than instantly burn up, right?

I cant find any figures on this test, but the only actual use of an escape system (Soyuz 7K-ST No. 16L) is quoted at 14-17g for 5 sec.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I cant find any figures on this test, but the only actual use of an escape system (Soyuz 7K-ST No. 16L) is quoted at 14-17g for 5 sec.

IIRC the rocket was in an unfavorable attitude during that abort and other things went wrong. Obviously, if in an abort situation then that means the rocket is in an unfavorable attitude almost by definition. However, this one case was on the extreme side as far as abort scenarios.

Typical aborts are something like 5-7 g's (again, IIRC). Not a good situation but not nearly as deadly as 14g's. One of those Cosmonauts suffered permanent damage. But yeah, better that than dead.

 

[Michkov]

Interesting, you'd think a non moving rocket on the pad would be safest option.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Link to video.

Slosh dynamics are extremely difficult to model as the video eludes to and yet understanding them is vital to ensuring a rocket works in space.

Oh and the SPHERES (the blue octagonal robots) are really cool. They have 3D cameras and little cold-gas jets that let them fly around the station. My team is working with the SPHERES team to upload some of one of our satellite's code to test on them on the ISS.

Interesting, you'd think a non moving rocket on the pad would be safest option.

I'm not sure I follow you.