Short Takes – 7-9-24 – Space Geek Edition

A handy attachment could make lunar construction a breeze. Phys.org article. Pull quote: “LANCE performed admirably well during its test phase. It leveled a 25m x 25m area, then moved on to some berm construction. As part of the testing, it quickly became apparent that operator efficiency made a massive difference in how quickly these operations were performed, so whoever ends up using the implement on the lunar surface would benefit from sufficient training beforehand.” Big surprise that…. SIGH.

Swarms of orbiting sensors could map an asteroid's surface. Phys.org article. Pull quote: “While that sounds relatively simple in theory, in practice, there are many unknowns still to work through, including how to handle controlling all the different satellites in orbit around a single asteroid. That would include an overall architecture design that could help implement other subsystems as well.” Not currently being funded.

CubeSat propulsion technologies are taking off. Phys.org article. Article about a review article. Pull quote: “The paper breaks propulsion systems into four categories: Chemical, Kinetic, Electrical, and "Propellant-less." Chemical systems are the traditional rockets most people think of when launching satellites—they burn chemicals together and expel gas created by the fire to produce thrust. Kinetic systems use things like cold gas, where instead of reacting two chemicals together, they simply push gas molecules out to propel themselves in the opposite direction.”

Europe's Ariane-6 rocket poised for debut launch. BBC.com article. Nice details about different launch variations. Pull quote: “"Daily life today really depends on information from satellites, from telecommunications and Earth observation to weather forecasting and disaster management. It is unimaginable for Europe not to have guaranteed, independent access to space," he [Josef Aschbacher, ESA DG] told BBC News.”