Category Archives: Space Exploration

NASA will send an international crew to the floor of the Atlantic Ocean this summer to prepare for future deep space missions during the 10-day NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 22 expedition slated to begin June 18.

NEEMO 22 will focus on both exploration spacewalks and objectives related to the International Space Station and deep space missions. As an analogue for future planetary science concepts and strategies, marine science also will be performed under the guidance of Florida International University's marine science department.

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren will command the NEEMO 22 mission aboard the Aquarius laboratory, 62 feet below the ocean surface near Key Largo Florida. Lindgren was part of space station Expeditions 44 and 45 in 2015, where he spent 141 days living and working in the extreme environment of space. He conducted two spacewalks on his first spaceflight.

Lindgren will be joined by ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Pedro Duque; Trevor Graff, a Jacobs Engineering employee working as a planetary scientist at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston; and research scientist Dom D'Agostino from the University of South Florida and the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.

"The close parallels of inner and outer space exploration will be clearly demonstrated during this undersea mission," NEEMO Project Lead Bill Todd said.

"The daily seafloor traverses, or extravehicular activities in space jargon, are jam packed with technology and operations concept testing, as well as complex marine science. In the interior of Aquarius, aquanauts and astronauts will tackle an array of experiments and human research related to long duration space travel."

Objectives for the crew include testing spaceflight countermeasure equipment, technology for precisely tracking equipment in a habitat and studies of body composition and sleep. The crew also will assess hardware sponsored by ESA that will help crew members evacuate someone who has been injured on a lunar spacewalk.

The NEEMO crew and two professional habitat technicians will live in Florida International University's Aquarius Reef Base undersea research habitat 6.2 miles (5.4 nautical miles) off the Florida coast.

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NASA Prepares for Future Space Exploration with International Undersea Crew - Space Daily

Space Race 2.0

Sixty years ago, the Soviet Unionlaunched the first artificial satellite into orbit. The event served as the starting pistol in what would come to be known as the Space Race, acompetition between the U.S.S.R. and the United States for spaceflight supremacy.

In the decades that followed, the first human reached space, a man walked on the Moon, and the first space stations were built. The U.S.S.R. and the U.S. were soon joined by other world powers in exploring the final frontier, and by the time the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, the contentious Space Race was something of a distant memory.

In recent years, however, a new Space Race has taken shapeSpace Race 2.0. Rather than powerful nations guided by presidents andpremiers, however, the competitors in this race are tech startups and private businessesspearheaded by billionaire entrepreneurs. And while the current atmosphere is far less contentious than that of the first Space Race (save the odd tweet or two), the competition is just as fierce.

SpaceX, Blue Origin, Bigelow Airspace, Virgin Galactic, Boeing, Lockheed Martin Not only has the number of private companies engaged in space exploration grown remarkably in recent years, these companies are quickly besting their government-sponsored competitors.

Were starting to see advances made by private entities that are more significant than any advances in the last three years that were made by the government, Chris Lewicki, CEO and President of Planetary Resources, tells Futurism.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezoss Blue Origin and Tesla CEO Elon Musks SpaceX are arguably the two companies that are setting the pace. In November 2015, the former completed the first successful vertical rocket landing after sending their New Shepard 100 kilometers (62 miles) into the air. SpaceX landed its own rocketa month later, only they did so with a craft twice as heavy as Blue Origins and traveled all the way into space first.

A month after that, in January 2016, Bezoss company became the first entity tore-launch and re-land a previously used rocket. SpaceX followed suit in 2017. The government was never able to [build reusable rockets], but now, two private companies within the space of the same year have done that, points out Lewicki.

Not only are private companies already surpassingtheir government counterparts, several are poised to widen their lead in the coming months and years.

If all goes according to plan, when SpaceXs Falcon Heavy launches in September, itll take the title of the worlds most powerful rocket away fromNASAs Saturn V. Virgin Galactic is already selling tickets for what it expects to be the first private spaceflights, which will take place aboard the sleek VSS Unity. SpaceX plans to send space tourists to the Moon in 2018, and then in 2024, the companyhopes to launch a system that will take people all the way to Marsroughly 5-15 years before NASA expects to do the same.

Private companies may bein the lead, but the finish line for this Space Race isnt exactly clear. The first iteration was arguably won when Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the Moon, so does this sequel end when we establish the first Moon base? When a human walks on Mars? When we leave the solar system?

Truthfully, the likelihood of humanity ever calling it a day on space exploration is slim to none. The universe is huge, with galaxy estimates in the trillions, so thegoalpost will continue moving back (to bring another sport into the analogy). Rather than focusing on competing in what is ultimately an unwinnable race, private and government-backed space agencies can actually benefit from collaboration thanks to their inherent differences.

The way that SpaceX, Planetary Resources, or Virgin Galactic approaches space exploration is going to be very different from NASA or the Air Force, explains Lewicki. Private companies arent beholden to the same slow processes that often stall government projects, and they can secure or reallocate funding much more swiftly if need be. However, unlike agencies like NASA, they do have shareholders to keep happy and a need to constantly pursue profitability.

The two sectors, therefore, have a tremendous opportunity to help one another. Private companies can generate revenue throughgovernment contracts for example,NASA has contracted Boeing to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), and SpaceX just closed a deal with the U.S. Air Force to launch its secretive space drone. Thisleaves the government agencies free to pursue the kind of forward-thinking, longer-term research that might not immediately generate revenue, but that can be later streamlined and improved upon in the private sector.

Ultimately, Space Race 2.0has no losers. The breakthroughs happening in space exploration benefit us all, and truly, a little friendly competition never hurt anyone (unless you count the egos bruised by those tweets).

This interview has been slightly edited for clarity and brevity.

Originally posted here:

Private Companies, Not Governments, Are Shaping the Future of Space Exploration - Futurism

By Marc Weider, Anchin, Block and Anchin

In New York and other dense urban areas, space is an increasingly precious commodity.

Here are some of the trends developers are embracing as they search for solutions to address the scarcity of land for development.

Cantilevered Buildings

Most developers are familiar with the practice of transferring air rights that is, the right to build or develop in the airspace above a property.

If zoning laws permit it, acquiring air rights from nearby owners who dont plan to use them allows a developer to build higher than zoning restrictions would otherwise allow. Generally, taller buildings command higher resale values, particularly on the upper floors, boosting the developers return on investment.

Going taller isnt always an option, though. A planned building may already be at the legal limit. Or, even if its possible to acquire additional air rights, the developer may be concerned about the risk that the city will impose new height restrictions down the road. In recent years, an increasing number of developers have maximized their spaces (and increased their profitability) by acquiring the right to cantilever their buildings over adjacent properties. Cantilevered buildings offer a variety of benefits: For example, they allow developers to extend their horizontal spaces beyond the constraints of the buildings footprint and to add value by expanding apartment layouts, improving views, and bathing units in natural light.

In addition, cantilevered buildings use a sort of inverted pyramid approach, which enhances value: Floors get bigger as one goes higher, where space is more valuable.

Developers considering this strategy should be sure to work with financial and legal advisors who have experience with air rights and land use issues.

Cantilevered structures can be expensive and challenging to build. And valuing air rights (values can be 60 percent or more of comparable land values) and negotiating their transfer is a complex process. Missteps can lead to costly surprises.

For example, if the transfer isnt negotiated and documented thoroughly and precisely, theres a risk that the seller will retain rights that can interfere with the buyers plans.

And buying air rights from condo buildings can be tricky, because typically it requires the approval of each unit owner.

Converting older buildings

Another strategy developers are using to tap new sources of developable space is to convert existing buildings such as schools, hospitals or churches into residential, retail, or mixed use properties.

The availability of these buildings is on the rise, as struggling schools and houses of worship close and health care facilities close or are consolidated.

Other possibilities include banks, movie theaters, warehouses, government buildings, industrial facilities, parking garages, and fire stations.

Many of these buildings boast historic or distinctive architectural features and unique structural elements such as high ceilings, large windows and skylights, unusual building materials, and unconventional layouts that lend themselves to intriguing residential and retail spaces. Plus, these buildings are often located in desirable neighborhoods.

Converting these types of buildings also presents several significant challenges that require the assistance of experienced advisors.

In addition to the architectural and engineering challenges associated with such a conversion, there may be zoning, land use, historical preservation, building code, and other regulatory issues, as well as potential environmental obstacles. Hospitals, schools, and industrial buildings, for example, may contain hazardous substances that require remediation. And certain conversions, churches in particular, may be controversial in the community.

Micro-Units

Most developers focus on the luxury market and strategies for expanding spaces. But theres a burgeoning trend toward micro-units studio apartments as small as 300 square feet or less but with high-quality amenities that appeal to the relatively untapped market of young singles who want to stay in the city.

This trend has yet to take off, and many developers are skeptical about the profitability of micro-units. But based on the enthusiastic response to the first micro-unit buildings to hit the market in New York, this strategy may be worth a look. Rent per square foot for micro-units is substantially higher than that of larger apartments, and developers can maximize their profits by squeezing many units into a relatively small space.

Of course, in most cases renters can get more for their money by sharing apartments with others, but many young people are willing to trade space for privacy.

So far, there hasnt been much interest in micro-unit condos, but that may change. Were beginning to see a market for these units among young professionals looking to buy on their own, parents seeking alternatives to the dorm for their children in college, and people looking for a piedterre.

Be Creative

As developers confront the challenges of a dwindling supply of developable space, these and other trends may offer solutions. To remain competitive, developers must be creative and push the boundaries of traditional development strategies.

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Space exploration: The solutions to land scarcity - Real Estate Weekly

By Dr. Jyotika I. Virmani June 7, 2017

Both space and ocean exploration can boast world firsts, extreme risks, unknown challenges and mind-boggling discoveries that captivate our imagination and advance our understanding of our world and, fundamentally, of ourselves. So why does space exploration and research capture our collective attention and imagination more than ocean exploration and research?

The answer to this question has remained elusive for ocean professionals and enthusiasts alike. A case can be made that until the mid-20th century the oceans held an equal, if not a greater, fascination for the general public as compared to space. What changed? A frequently given reason for this shift in public interest is the 20th century space race, which triggered greater funding for space exploration and resulted in greater outreach. Added to this, space is generally considered to be more exciting and more visible; people need simply to look up into the night sky and see billions of stars and imagine the vast possibilities. Conversely, the oceans remain psychologically distant from the human mind (e.g. Schuldt et al., 2016), only directly visible to those who live along or visit a coast; even then, most people just see the sea surface the wonders that lie beneath remain hidden. But are these the only reasons?

For decades, the ocean community has worked to engage the public in ocean issues by, for example: highlighting the potential solutions for food security or pharmaceutical discoveries; raising the alarm over the damage we are causing and the long-term consequences to our own livelihoods; and making it more relatable by emphasizing the human connection. Some progress has been made but the fact still remains that space, although inaccessible for the majority, is more appealing to the general public than the oceans. Consequently, given the magnitude of discoveries waiting to be made, ocean exploration and research are generally underfunded. This can clearly be seen through a number of metrics including social media, which can be used as a proxy for the level of interest by the public. For example, search engines show at least four times as many hits on space exploration versus ocean exploration (e.g. Schubel, 2016) at any given time.

Lets take a deeper look at how weaving the human element into a narrative makes the story more appealing and relatable for people. In November 2011, NASA launched the Mars Curiosity Rover, a mission that successfully landed a robot 54.6 million kilometers from Earth, on Mars, in August 2012. This phenomenal achievement made front-page news globally and, with each new finding, continued to generate massive global interest. At approximately the same time, in March 2012, James Cameron, one of the worlds best known movie directors, personally embarked on an extremely dangerous mission to the bottom of the Mariana Trench (approximately 11 kilometers deep and approximately 300 kilometers from the nearest land). As the third person in human history to do this (Jacques Piccard and Capt. Don Walsh made this journey for the first time in 1960), it was an incredible testament to human achievement. In one example, we have a robot on a daring mission of exploration and discovery. In the other example, we have a very famous person on a daring mission of exploration and discovery. Both showcase the sense of adventure and human achievement. Yet the epic journey by Cameron is not as well-known (a Google search shows 251,000 hits for James Cameron reached Mariana Trench) compared to the Mars Curiosity journey (a Google search shows 446,000 hits for Mars Curiosity Rover landed). Clearly, the ingredients for a compelling and memorable story are more complex than the human element alone.

As an ocean community, we should continue to talk about the importance of issues such as conservation and protection, but to reach a broader audience there are lessons we can learn from the space community. We should take these to heart and turn the tide on ocean communication. And perhaps, as space becomes more commercialized and easier to access, the space community can take lessons from the recent experiences of the ocean community. By inspiring the public we shape public perception, which in turn influences policymakers and, more practically, changes funding levels. We need to embark on a Quest to Inspire the Public about the oceans for the sake of everyone.

The Author

Dr. Jyotika Virmani is Senior Director for Planet & Environment at XPRIZE and prize lead for the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE. Dr. Virmani has over a decade of professional experience in oceanography. She has a Ph.D. in physical oceanography.

References

Schubel, J. R., 2016, Positioning Ocean Exploration in a Chaotic Sea of Changing Media. National Ocean Exploration Forum, October 20-21, 2016

Schuldt, J. P., K. A. McComas, and S. E. Byrne. 2016, Communicating about Ocean Health: Theoretical and Practical Considerations. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 371: 20150214. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2015.0214

Tversky, A., and D. Kahneman, 1981, The Framing of Decisions and the Psychology of Choice. Science, 211(4481): 453-458. doi: 10.1126/science.7455683

Weiss R. K., and A. Cochrane, 2010, Days of Future Past: Film Visions of Space Exploration, Commercialization and Tourism. IAC-10.E5.3

Woodman, J., 2016, Just Waiting to be Discovered: Finding Hope in Earthbound Mysteries, IEEE Earthzine

Link:

Ocean vs Space: Exploration and the Quest to Inspire the Public - Marine Technology News

China will offer more opportunities for private companies to participate in lunar and Mars exploration, a space exploration official said.

Tian Yulong, secretary general of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), said that commercial aerospace programs had been carried out in low Earth orbit (LEO), but those in deep space exploration would be a challenge, at the Global Space Exploration Conference, which lasts from Tuesday to Thursday.

"In deep space exploration, we need to provide a favorable environment for middle and small-sized enterprises," he said.

At present, space exploration is mostly invested and operated by government bodies and institutions. Encouraging private investment in space exploration has long been a challenge for countries worldwide.

Tian said many Chinese companies showed enthusiasm for taking part in space exploration. In the last two years, more than 10 enterprises have been engaged in microsatellite research and development and about 100 have worked on the development and use of satellite LEO data.

There are more than 20 companies that have been listed based on the business possibilities of aerospace technology, he said, adding that space exploration technology, such as communication and human intelligence, could be widely used.

"The CNSA is working on enabling enterprises to become the main force of technical innovation by creating favorable laws and policies," Tian said.

Source: Xinhua News Agency

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China to provide more opportunities to private companies for space exploration - Space Daily

The rocket that blasted into space from New Zealand on May 25 was special. Not only was it the first to launch from a private site, it was also the first to be powered by an engine made almost entirely using 3D printing. This might not make it the first 3D-printed rocket in space that some headlines described it as, but it does highlight how seriously this manufacturing technique is being taken by the space industry.

Members of the team behind the Electron rocket at US company RocketLab say the engine was printed in 24 hours and provides efficiency and performance benefits over other systems. Theres not yet much information out there regarding the exact details of the 3D-printed components. But its likely many of them have been designed to minimise weight while maintaining their structural performance, while other components may have been optimised to provide efficient fluid flow. These advantages reducing weight and the potential for complex new designs are a large part of why 3D printing is expected to find some of its most significant applications in space exploration, with dramatic effect.

One thing the set of technologies known as additive manufacturing or 3D printing does really well is to produce highly complicated shapes. For example, lattice structures produced in exactly the right way so that they weigh less but are just as strong as similar solid components. This creates the opportunity to produce optimised, lightweight parts that were previously impossible to manufacture economically or efficiently with more traditional techniques.

Boeings microlattice is an example of taking this to the extreme, supposedly producing mechanically sound structures that are 99.9 per centair. Not all 3D printing processes can achieve this, but even weight savings of a few percent in aircraft and spacecraft can lead to major benefits through the use of less fuel.

3D printing tends to work best for the production of relatively small, intricate parts rather than large, simple structures, where the higher material and processing costs would outweigh any advantage. For example, a redesigned nozzle can enhance fuel mixing within an engine, leading to better efficiency. Increasing the surface area of a heat shield by using a patterned rather than a flat surface can mean heat is transferred away more efficiently, reducing the chances of overheating.

The techniques can also reduce the amount of material wasted in manufacturing, important because space components tend to be made from highly expensive and often rare materials. 3D printing can also produce whole systems in one go rather than from lots of assembled parts. For example, NASA used it to reduce the components in one of its rocket injectors from 115 to just two. Plus, 3D printers can easily make small numbers of a part as the space industry often needs without first creating expensive manufacturing tools.

In orbit

3D printers are also likely to find a use in space itself, where its difficult to keep large numbers of spare parts and hard to send out for replacements when youre thousands of kilometres from Earth. Theres now a 3D printer on the International Space Station so, if something breaks, engineers can send up a design for a replacement and the astronauts can print it out.

Astro printing (Barry Wilmore/NASA)

The current printer only deals with plastic so its more likely to be used for making tools or one-off replacements for low-performance parts such as door handles. But once 3D printers can more easily use other materials, were likely to see an increase in their uses. One day, people in space could produce their own food items and even biological materials. Recycling facilities could also enable broken parts to be reused to make the replacements.

Looking even further ahead, 3D printers could prove useful in building colonies. Places like the moon dont have much in the way of traditional building materials, but the European Space Agency has proven solar energy can power the production of bricks of lunar dust, which would be a good start. Researchers are now looking at how to use 3D printing to take this idea further and develop complete printed buildings on the moon.

To make many of these applications a reality, well need to research more advanced materials and processes that can manufacture components to withstand the extremely harsh conditions of space. Engineers also need to work on developing optimised designs and find ways of testing 3D printed parts to prove theyre safe. And then theres the irritating issue of gravity, or rather the lack of it. Many current processes use powders or liquids as their raw materials so were likely to need some clever tricks in order to make these function safely in a low or microgravity environment.

Some of these barriers may even require entirely new materials and techniques. But as research goes on, 3D printing is likely to be used more and more in space, even if a fully printed space vehicle isnt going to launch any time soon. The sky is no longer the limit.

Candice Majewski is a lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of Sheffield. This article was originally published on The Conversation (www.conversation.com)

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A 3D-printed rocket engine just launched a new era of space exploration - The Independent

MINSK, 8 June (BelTA) Belarus is ready for international cooperation in peaceful space exploration. Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB), Academician Sergei Kilin made the statement during the 60th session of the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in Vienna, the NASB press service told BelTA.

In his speech the NASB official noted that after Belarus joined the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in 2014, the country has been open and ready to join international integration and cooperation in this field. The policy in favor of peaceful exploration and uses of outer space fully conforms with Belarus' national interests and is being implemented through the relevant measures and projects in Belarus. We are proud that three cosmonauts Piotr Klimuk, Vladimir Kovalenok, and Oleg Novitsky are natives of Belarus, noted Sergei Kilin.

The official stated that the year 2017 has been declared the Year of Science in Belarus. Fundamental and applied research projects in the area of space exploration are in progress as well as the development of the accompanying technologies. For the sake of consolidating the country's scientific, technical, and industrial potentials space exploration projects and measures are stipulated by the government program on peaceful space exploration till 2020. The program includes several main directions: the development of the Belarusian system for the remote sensing of Earth using the already operational Belarusian satellites BKA and Canopus-B; the development of navigation, geodesy, and cartography projects using space technologies; the development of programs for training scientific personnel, for providing scientific, technical, organizational, and legal support for space exploration projects in Belarus.

Sergei Kilin noted that this year Belarus has started creating a new satellite for the remote sensing of Earth. It will boast a higher resolution ability (0.5m) in the panchromatic mode.

Sergei Kilin reminded that in September 2018 Belarus will host the 31st Planetary Congress of the Association of Space Explorers. Preparations are already afoot. The congress will be properly organized. We invite representatives of all the Association countries to participate in the congress, said the academician.

The 60th session of the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space is scheduled to take place in Vienna, Austria on 7-16 June. The agenda includes the development of cosmonautics for peaceful purposes, space technologies as part of the UN system, long-term sustainable development of space industry, and a number of other areas.

Here is the original post:

Belarus' drive for peaceful space exploration underlined - Belarus News (BelTA)

Every aspect of space travel is difficult, but perhaps the hardest is the act of walking in space. When astronauts exit the International Space Station, theyre exposed to the vacuum of space. The only thing thats protecting them is a pressurized suit, known as an EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit). And now, it appears as though were running out of them.

Weve been using spacesuits since Mercury (the first American spacewalk occurred on Gemini 4), but the current spacesuit was designed and built for the Space Shuttle program. Of course theyve been upgraded, modified, and refurbished since then, but the fact remains: These suits were originally designed to last fifteen years. Almost forty years later, theyre wearing out.

This is a huge problem, given the timeline for the International Space Station. Right now, the ISS is scheduled to be operated through the year 2024. Its likely that will be extended through the year 2028. And according to NASAs own investigations and a report from the NASA Office of the Inspector General, the current plan to maintain and support the station with the spacesuits we currently have will be a real challenge.

Astronaut David A. Wolf participates in a 2002 space walk (Image credit: NASA)

NASAs current crop of spacesuits, or EMUs, have two different components: the Pressure Garment System, or PGS, and the Primary Life Support System, or PLSS. The PGS is responsible for maintaining pressure around the astronauts (as we need a minimum of 3 pounds per square inch of oxygen for our bodies to function), while the PLSS is basically a life-support backpack. It provides temperature control, oxygen, and scrubs carbon dioxide. The problem is, there are only 11 functional PLSSs left, out of an original 18.

When the Space Shuttle program was still running, issues with existing spacesuits were less of a problem. The EMUs could be regularly returned to Earth for inspection and maintenance. But now, SpaceXs Dragon is the only vehicle that can both carry supplies to the ISS and return items to Earth. (The Russian Soyuz can as well, but the weight/cargo space on those is usually reserved for astronauts because its currently the only vehicle capable of ferrying humans to and from the ISS. And spacesuits are big.)

As a result, NASA has been pushing the limits on how long EMUs can go without maintenance. Youd think that the older the suits got, the more refurbishment theyd need to make sure theyre performing up to spec. The suits were originally authorized for a single Shuttle mission before maintenance. In 2000, that interval was extended to 1 year. That continued to increase until 2008, when the ground maintenance interval [was] extended to 6 years, with in-flight maintenance and additional ground processing, NASA OIG Analysis of EVA Office Information.

Astronaut Soichi Noguchi trains for a space walk in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (Image credit: NASA)

Now, thats not to say were intentionally and knowingly endangering astronauts livesin August 2016, an independent review team agreed with the six-year maintenance cycle, but there were still issues: For example, due to launch failures and slips, the suits werent even being maintained on a six-year cycle. One had gone a full nine years with no ground maintenance. (Just another example of why we need more than one vehicle capable of bringing cargo like this back from the ISS.)

Of course, were currently developing new spacesuitsin fact, NASA is working on three different programs, none of which have actually produced a spacesuit thats ready to fly. The combined cost of these programs? Around $200 million.

A prototype of the Exploration Development Suit (Image credit: NASA)

The problemokay, there are many problems, but the one Im going to focus onis related to larger issues at NASA. The organization is unsure of what its doing, what its goals are, and where its going. Now, as I mentioned in my column about going to Mars, thats not all the organizations fault. Program authorizations, followed by budget cuts, mean that NASA is constantly in limbo in regard to what is actually going to happen. The organization might start developing a new spacesuit tied to a program thats been authorized, knowing that it might never make it to fruition. Thats not a great way to commit to developing new technology, and its part of the reason there are three different programs to develop new suits, rather than one dedicated program.

Its not really clear what NASA is going to do about this spacesuit issue, but I will say that the organization is incredibly good at making hardware last far beyond its original use date. The problem is that these spacesuits are already so oldwhile many people might think spacesuits are custom made for the user, theyre not. These are old, cobbled together EMUs. Astronauts swap out arms and legs to make them fit, but weve got to figure out a better solution, and fast, in order to ensure we can continue to maintain the ISS over the course of its life.

Top photo by NASA

Swapna Krishna is a freelance writer, editor and giant space/sci-fi geek.

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Space Matter: The Trouble with Spacesuits - Paste Magazine

According to Robert Salazar, If you study nature from an artistic and scientific perspective while gaining proficiency in your medium, you can allow your artistic pursuits to give rise to engineering applications, and your engineering pursuits to give rise to works of art.

Salazar is an expert of striking the perfect balance between art and science. A master of origami and an environmental studies student, hes able to apply both his art and science skills to build solar reflectors for a project at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Salazars had to work incredibly hard: after attending five different high schools and losing his home, hes managed to follow his dreams by finding ways to allow his artistic endeavors to apply to impressive engineering pursuits. He documents all of his explorations on his website, and we were lucky enough to also chat with him about his story here. Check out the conversation below, which has been edited for clarity.

TERRI BURNS: Tell me about your background, what you're studying in school, and some of your interests.

ROBERT SALAZAR: I earned my associates degree before transferring to UCSB as a physics major, where I transitioned to a major in environmental studies with a minor in philosophy.

In school, I take the opportunity to familiarize myself with what is happening to our environment and to each other around the world, and how our understanding of the world coupled with our behavior leads to freedom from environmental degradation and involuntary suffering or otherwise. I take great interest in further developing the framework I use to approach these problems and identifying relevant theorems in a network context.

Additionally, I strive to further develop the ancient Japanese art of origami into a powerful expressive medium that can inspire social change toward environmental sustainability and peace. Ive spent 17 years folding origami, and 8 years designing them rigorously. Everything I fold is an original design from a single uncut sheet. My courses of study are well suited to origami design, where the objective is to establish harmony among many folded features that are intimately and geometrically related to each other, and take up a finite sheet of paper. In origami, these relationships can be transformed, but they can never be cut by scissors, nor can paper be added.

TB: Tell me about the work you're doing now as a JPL intern.

RS: At JPL I'm currently developing large origami deployable solar reflectors for the Trans-Formers for Lunar Extreme Environments project. The project mission is to illuminate permanently shaded regions in the interior of Shackleton Crater at south pole of the Moon. Though the rim of Shackleton Crater receives constant sunlight nearly all year long, its interior has remained in darkness for billions of years, allowing its temperature to cool to ~90K (~ -300F), a temperature well suited to the capture of icy debris from nearby comet impacts over the eons. The solar reflectors would be mounted in pairs on a support structure on the crater rim, and would track the sun to illuminate and power robotic explorers in regions of interest ~10km below.

On the project, I design the solar reflectors and their deployment mechanisms. I use finite element analyses and simulations to determine what materials would allow a reflector to deploy very flat under tension, within 1mm/m deviation, and operate under constant solar radiation and temperature extremes for years on end, while maintaining >95 percent directional reflectivity. Then I write algorithms to design origami crease patterns that would allow a solar reflector to deploy to the size of the Statue of Liberty from a package ~1 cubic meter in volume and ~100kg.

TB: What's your backstory? How did you get where you are today?

RS: I faced difficulties graduating high school. I had attended five high schools, and lost my house twice during that time. Later, my first summer of research was at UCSB, where I discovered the photoacoustic effect in nanostructured thin metal films. This discovery ultimately led to a photoacoustic phased array, and a much cheaper alternative to the production of ultra-high frequency ultrasound. I spent the next summer at JPL developing thermoelectric materials for cooling X-ray detectors aboard space telescopes.

In the summer of 2015 I returned to JPL as an intern to work on the Starshade project [a free-flying spacecraft that would block the glare of a distant star so a separate space telescope could see its much fainter planets]. My task was to develop a crease pattern that would allow the slightly conical optical shield of the Starshade to stow to a well-defined volume and create a perfect light seal with its mechanical truss throughout deployment. The challenge required me to write an algorithm that could design a crease pattern to fit its given stow requirements, boundary conditions, and material thickness. My success on Starshade led me to the Transformers project the following summer.

TB: How did you get interested in solar reflectors specifically, and why are they important?

RS: The advantages of renewable energy and the mission of the transformers project got me interested in developing solar reflectors. Their ability to generate and redirect energy, catalyze chemical reactions, propel spacecraft, and be deployed from small lightweight packages to large surface areas further solidified my interest. Their traditionally low cost, simplicity, and reliance on an abundant, though diffuse, energy source, makes them an attractive technology.

TB: What do you want to do in your career? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

RS: I plan to continue at JPL to meet the origami challenges of the future and to continue building my company, Orisun into one that can deliver portable origami deployable solar concentrators for desalination, water purification, rain capture, energy generation, atmospheric water generation, and solar cooking to people who have been displaced by war, climate change, and natural disasters. I will also continue to develop origami into a powerful medium that is well-acquainted with a grand diversity of interactive materials for artistic expression and engineering.

TB: What is something that you would love to see happen someday in your field of study?

RS: Just as every unit of surface in a sheet of paper gives rise to all of an origamis folded features, so too does energy and matter give rise to the systems we take part in.

I would love to see the rise of technology that has been designed with its downstream life cycle in mind. I would love to see an end to the labeling of materials and energy as waste, when each has its own unique potential to be something new or to do useful work. In any finite system where energy and matter are conserved, you can almost be certain that energy is flowing and materials are changing. Everything that ends is giving rise to something else. If we can develop a world where we find utility in everything we make throughout its life cycle, we can achieve sustainability, as nature has shown us we can.

TB: What advice do you have for other students who may be interested in doing the kind of work you do?

RS: Well acquaint yourself with the problems of the world. You never know how valuable something you made or discovered will be for many other purposes.

If you study nature from an artistic and scientific perspective while gaining proficiency in your medium, you can allow your artistic pursuits to give rise to engineering applications, and your engineering pursuits to give rise to works of art. Pursuing them together, can take your designs and your medium to very interesting places.

Read more here:

The Origami of Space Exploration - Scientific American (blog)

The Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2017) has officially opened its doors on Monday 6 June 2017 with a welcome address by Li Yuanchao, Vice-President of People's Republic of China who also read a participative letter from Xi Jinping, President of People's Republic of China stating that "China is ready to strengthen cooperation with the international community for a better future to humankind".

Lei Fanpei, President of the Chinese Society of Astronautics (CSA) and Jean-Yves Le Gall, President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), welcomed over a thousand delegates from 51 countries.

This Chinese call to cooperation has been the main focus of the Heads of Agency Plenary where the idea of a global space agency has been analysed; Roberto Battiston, President of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) praised this dream of a global space agency and the great impact it would have on mankind; he also added that this could be achieved by "the ultimate endeavor in front of us: sending men to Mars".

However, Pascale Ehrenfreund, Chair of the Executive Board of German Aerospace Center (DLR), defended "the role that national space agencies have in fostering national businesses".

Afterwards, delegates attended the International Platform for Diversity and Equality in Astronautics (IDEA) Diversity luncheon, moderated by IAF President, Jean-Yves Le Gall. Yang Baohua, Vice President of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), presented the impressive results of China's space development contribution to 3G (Gender - Geography - Generation).

The audience discussed, among many other topics, the role of female space leaders, the characteristics of the first astronauts' crew landing on Mars, the work of space nations and emerging space countries to foster diversity.

Delegates then attended a Plenary organised by the Chinese Host focusing on the key role played by China in space cooperation with Cheng'E-4 mission and ESA, DLR and NSO have been awarded by CNSA for their commitment and support to the mission which was a great success.

Finally, Jan Woerner, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA) expressed the wish to invite the global space community to join a cooperative Moon Village concept.

Both Global Networking Forum (GNF) and Technical Sessions received a huge interest from the delegates and left us with the reassuring conviction that global partnerships is vital in order to ensure the successful inclusion of all countries in space exploration.

Follow the conversation online #GLEX2017.

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Will Space Exploration lead us to a Global Space Agency - Space Daily