Bing,Bang,Boom...all in a day's work
Three major events have occurred lately, two opening up new areas of space exploration and understanding, and one, new hostility towards the U.S.
First up is the recent testing of the proposed missile defense system. Quite a bit was at stake in this test, since two of the three prior had utterly failed. At a cost of $100 million, I think it was rather wise, from a public relations standpoint at least, to wait until the last day or so to widely announce the test. The public, given more time and warning, would have likely erupted in protest, and even then, four people were arrested in the waters near Vandenburg AFB. The missile defense system is already regarded as a large-scale corporate relations project and a complete waste of money by most. In that light, I can understand the Pentagon's elation at having a successful launch and interception. The "warhead" missile was launched from Vandenburg (California), and was sent on a trajectory over the Pacific Ocean towards the Kwajalein Atoll, where an intercept missile was launched from. Interception was a short time later, about 4000 miles away from the Atoll. More test and infrastructure construction will undoubted come with this success, though perhaps influence and intervention from other countries will help to lessen the overall project.
Another story is the news of the Genesis probe. This spacecraft will orbit with the Earth at the L1 gravity point, keeping a near-constant stream of solar wind on it's collection panels. It is expected that every naturally occurring element, and perhaps even some new elements or particles, will be captured during the three years it is orbiting. At the end of it's mission, a capsule containing the solar collectors will be sent back to Earth for a reentry and midair catch by helicopter, so as to not take a chance of damaging or contaminating the sensitive instruments and panels during a normal touchdown. Once back on the ground, the samples will be taken to the same secure location where the moon rocks and other sensitive samples are stored. From there, small amounts will be doled out to researchers around the world. Though only a tiny amount of material will actually be collected on the panels, a few grams at most, it is expected that there will be enough material to last scientists a century of research. Launch of the probe is scheduled for July 30th, with a projected return date of September 2004.
Finally, the space shuttle Atlantis has just returned from a mission to install the new airlock Quest on the International Space Station Alpha. This airlock will allow astronauts on the station to perform their own spacewalks, without the need of a space shuttle to perform airlock duties. Coupled with the Canadarm II, this will allow the station to become more independent than ever, and to do more for itself than before. The airlock was actually installed on July 14th, however, a few problems sprung up, namely, leaks in an air line and water line running between the station and the installed airlock. The water leak was solved quickly, but the air leak required the replacement of a part (a valve, I believe). Later in the mission, high pressure oxygen tanks were installed on the outside of the airlock, their purpose being to repressurize and depressurize the lock during egress and ingress cycling. The mission ended with Atlantis successfully landing at Cape Canaveral early in the morning of the 25th.
>>end transmission<<
Three major events have occurred lately, two opening up new areas of space exploration and understanding, and one, new hostility towards the U.S.
First up is the recent testing of the proposed missile defense system. Quite a bit was at stake in this test, since two of the three prior had utterly failed. At a cost of $100 million, I think it was rather wise, from a public relations standpoint at least, to wait until the last day or so to widely announce the test. The public, given more time and warning, would have likely erupted in protest, and even then, four people were arrested in the waters near Vandenburg AFB. The missile defense system is already regarded as a large-scale corporate relations project and a complete waste of money by most. In that light, I can understand the Pentagon's elation at having a successful launch and interception. The "warhead" missile was launched from Vandenburg (California), and was sent on a trajectory over the Pacific Ocean towards the Kwajalein Atoll, where an intercept missile was launched from. Interception was a short time later, about 4000 miles away from the Atoll. More test and infrastructure construction will undoubted come with this success, though perhaps influence and intervention from other countries will help to lessen the overall project.
Another story is the news of the Genesis probe. This spacecraft will orbit with the Earth at the L1 gravity point, keeping a near-constant stream of solar wind on it's collection panels. It is expected that every naturally occurring element, and perhaps even some new elements or particles, will be captured during the three years it is orbiting. At the end of it's mission, a capsule containing the solar collectors will be sent back to Earth for a reentry and midair catch by helicopter, so as to not take a chance of damaging or contaminating the sensitive instruments and panels during a normal touchdown. Once back on the ground, the samples will be taken to the same secure location where the moon rocks and other sensitive samples are stored. From there, small amounts will be doled out to researchers around the world. Though only a tiny amount of material will actually be collected on the panels, a few grams at most, it is expected that there will be enough material to last scientists a century of research. Launch of the probe is scheduled for July 30th, with a projected return date of September 2004.
Finally, the space shuttle Atlantis has just returned from a mission to install the new airlock Quest on the International Space Station Alpha. This airlock will allow astronauts on the station to perform their own spacewalks, without the need of a space shuttle to perform airlock duties. Coupled with the Canadarm II, this will allow the station to become more independent than ever, and to do more for itself than before. The airlock was actually installed on July 14th, however, a few problems sprung up, namely, leaks in an air line and water line running between the station and the installed airlock. The water leak was solved quickly, but the air leak required the replacement of a part (a valve, I believe). Later in the mission, high pressure oxygen tanks were installed on the outside of the airlock, their purpose being to repressurize and depressurize the lock during egress and ingress cycling. The mission ended with Atlantis successfully landing at Cape Canaveral early in the morning of the 25th.
>>end transmission<<
posted by Benjamin Hunt at
7/27/2001 03:28:00 PM
