Tag: radio astronomy

NIAC Award: Flat Fabrication of Progressively Self-Assembling Space Systems

News 0
Illustration of the Flat Fabrication of Progressively Self-Assembling Space Systems concept. (Credits: Davide Guzzetti)

NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC)
Phase I Award
Amount: $125,000

Flat Fabrication of Progressively Self-Assembling Space Systems

Davide Guzzetti
Auburn University

This project aims to study the feasibility of integrating an array of microchips with space satellite functions, or ChipSats, on a multifunctional shape memory polymer (SMP) bus that is capable of self-folding when exposed to solar radiation.

This technology may enable the flat fabrication of kilometer-sized antenna arrays for radio astronomy that self-transform into the operative configuration once in orbit.

NIAC Award: Lunar Crater Radio Telescope on the Far-Side of the Moon

News 0
Notional view of LCRT on the far-side of the Moon. (Credits: Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay)

NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase I Award
Amount: $125,000

Lunar Crater Radio Telescope (LCRT) on the Far-Side of the Moon

Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

An ultra-long-wavelength radio telescope on the far-side of the Moon has tremendous advantages compared to Earth-based and Earth-orbiting telescopes, including

(more…)

Mid-Year Global Launch Report: China & USA Continue to Battle for Lead

News 53

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket carrying the NROL-47 mission lifts off from Vandenberg Air Force Base. (Credit: ULA)

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

The world’s launch providers were extremely busy in the first half of 2018, with China and the United States battling for the lead.

There with 55 orbital launches through the end of June, which amounted to a launch every 3.29 days or 79 hours. The total is more than half the 90 launches attempted in 2017. With approximately 42 missions scheduled for the last six months of the year, the total could reach 97. (more…)