A launch loop (also known as a Lofstrom loop) is a proposed design for a very efficient non-rocket spacelaunch method. It is a much simpler concept than the space elevator, but still more complex than tether propulsion systems such as the rotovator. Continue reading
Astronomers have identified some 54 new planets where conditions may be suitable for life. Five of the candidates are Earth-sized. The announcement from the Kepler space telescope team brings the total number of exoplanet candidates they have identified to more than 1,200. Continue reading
The most prominent science fiction novels on the subject include: The Last Theorem is Arthur C. Clarke’s posthumously published novel which he co-wrote with Frederik Pohl. The novel describes the skyhook as a means of interplanetary travel rather than simply a means to reach orbit. Continue reading
The red supergiant star Betelgeuse is getting ready to go supernova, and when it does Earth will have a front-row seat. The explosion will be so bright that Earth will briefly seem to have two suns in the sky. The star is located in the Orion constellation, about 640 light-years away from Earth. Continue reading
The use of tethers in space poses many challenges and safety issues. This third part to the tether propulsion article will focus on those issues. A lot of the challenges and safety issues of a space tether system are similar to those of a space elevator described in a previous article, but some are unique to the space tether concept. Continue reading
This is the second part to the article about tether propulsion. It will focus on space missions that tested tethers in space. Gemini 11 mission: 1966 Gemini 11 mission with tether visible. Image credit: NASA. The first such mission took … Continue reading
Antimatter seems impossibly exotic, something that exists only in particle accelerators or in cosmic events many light-years away. But the next time there’s a big thunderstorm, look up at the sky: you’re looking at the creation of natural antimatter bursts. Continue reading
Having finished writing about the space elevator, I am moving on to another spacelaunch method in this new article in the non-rocket spacelaunch series. Tether propulsion consists in using long, very strong cables (known as tethers) to change the velocity … Continue reading
This is the fourth and final part of the space elevator article of the non-rocket spacelaunch methods article series. This post will focus on references to the space elevator concept in fiction. The first mention of anything remotely similar to a space elevator was the beanstalk in the children’s fairy tale called Jack and the Beanstalk, published in 1807. Continue reading
A new year brings with it new hopes for the future, and new resolutions to do things better, or differently, than before. The new year also brings with it its fair share of challenges, though, not to mention unresolved problems and other baggage from the previous year. Continue reading