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Category: space travel – Page 18

BREMEN, Germany — Lunar Outpost has selected SpaceX’s Starship vehicle to deliver to the moon the Artemis lunar rover it is developing for potential use by NASA.

The Colorado company announced Nov. 21 that it signed an agreement for SpaceX to use Starship to transport the company’s Lunar Outpost Eagle rover to the moon. The companies did not disclose a schedule for the launch or other terms of the deal.

Lunar Outpost is one of three companies that won NASA contracts in April for the first phase of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) program to support the development of a rover that can be used by future Artemis missions. Each company received a one-year contract to mature the design of their rovers through a preliminary design review (PDR), and the agency will later select at least one of the companies to develop the rover.

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New research from the University of Kent has demonstrated that quantum information could eventually be used to coordinate the actions of devices that can move, such as drones or autonomous vehicles. This could lead to more efficient logistics, which could make deliveries cheaper, and better use of limited bandwidth for the likes of self-driving cars.

By carrying out “real world” experiments on a quantum computer, the team of quantum physicists (led by Ph.D. student Josh Tucker in the University of Kent’s School of Physics and Astronomy), found that if the two devices share a pair of quantum coins (), the devices can continue to influence each other even after they have been separated and can no longer communicate.

The experiments simulated the phenomenon using real qubits inside a quantum computer developed by IBM. The qubits are made of superconducting material and kept at temperatures colder than the interstellar void. This allows them to behave according to the laws of quantum physics that defy common sense—including the ability to influence each other without coming into contact and without sending signals.

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SpaceX is preparing to launch the sixth Starship flight test. The window for the launch opens at 4 p.m. local time on Tuesday. The company has confirmed on its website, and X, that it is targeting a potential catch of the Super Heavy test vehicle, if flight parameters allow for it. SpaceX will also try to re-ignite a single Raptor engine in space to demonstrate deorbit capabilities.

Window Opens: November 19th at 4PM CST (22:00 UTC)
Window Closes: November 19th at 4:30PM CST (22:30 UTC)

Mission: Starship’s sixth fully integrated test flight.
Launch location: Orbital Launch Pad A, Starbase, Earth.
Target orbit: Trans-atmospheric.
Booster: Booster 13
Booster recovery: Orbital Launch Pad A launch tower arms.
Ship: Ship 31
Ship recovery: Will attempt soft splashdown on the Indian Ocean.
Rocket trajectory: Straight east over the Gulf of Mexico.
Stats:
· SpaceX’s 119th launch of the year and the 11th launch of the month.
· Starship’s 6th launch.
· 2nd Super Heavy recovery attempt.

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Sending an object to another star is still the stuff of science fiction. But some concrete missions could get us at least part way there. These “interstellar precursor missions” include a trip to the solar gravitational lens point at 550 AU from the sun—farther than any artificial object has ever been, including Voyager.

To get there, we’ll need plenty of new technologies, and a recent paper presented at the 75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan this month looks at one of those potential technologies—electric propulsion systems, otherwise known as ion drives.

The paper aimed to assess when any existing ion drive technology could port a large payload on one of several trajectories, including a trip around Jupiter, one visiting Pluto, and even one reaching that fabled solar gravitational lens. To do so, they specified an “ideal” ion drive with characteristics that enabled optimal values for some of the system’s physical characteristics.

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Gwynne Shotwell discusses the transformative potential of SpaceX’s Starship program for space exploration and colonization, emphasizing its upcoming Flight 6, the importance of Starlink for revenue, and the integration of Tesla technologies for sustainable human habitats on Mars Questions to inspire discussion Launch.

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