tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53111357477657104482012-01-28T01:25:10.402-05:00"The earth is the cradle of humankind, but one cannot live in the cradle forever." -Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, 1895Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.comBlogger311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-38377161214520374272007-07-20T10:49:00.000-05:002007-07-20T09:51:32.373-05:00

For those of you who haven't heard about MIT's recent decision to host almost all of their class lessons online I am glad that you have stumbled upon this page. What MIT is doing is simply incredible. They now have over 1500 courses available online for free and they don't even require a registration. Most of the courses have notes, videos, quizzes and tests (plus answers), suggested or required

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-26746373117804828782007-07-15T14:28:00.000-05:002007-07-15T13:43:23.475-05:00

(Note: this is a continuation of the The Space Colonization Series)In terms of potential locations in the outer solar system, Saturn's moon Titan is usually mentioned right off the bat. It is a prime location for human survival in the outer regions because of its great abundance of all the necessary organic materials. The atmosphere contains large amounts of methane and nitrogen and it is

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-2060455532002811432007-07-05T20:28:00.000-05:002007-07-20T09:53:54.243-05:00

"The earth is the cradle of humankind, but one cannot live in the cradle forever."This is the quote that I keep at the top of every page on my Space Monitor blog. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky's words provide perhaps the best, most succinct way of describing my purpose for writing this blog. There are many other great quotes out there, though many not quite as short as Tsiolkovsky's, and I would like to

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-57352674880048073302007-07-03T17:07:00.000-05:002007-07-15T13:38:59.541-05:00

(Note: this is a continuation of the The Space Colonization Series)I'll be honest; a colony on Mercury is out there--waaay out there. Many would naturally assume that Mercury could never be colonized or that even if we could it would be highly impractical. Right now I would most definitely agree with that statement but, in the future, as we expand our horizons and colonize our solar system that

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-49822765995229656372007-07-01T20:34:00.000-05:002007-07-15T13:49:50.824-05:00

UPDATE 1 (July 15, 2007):. Four articles have now been completed with Titan being the most recent.UPDATE 2 (July 15, 2007): from the suggestion from a reader I have decided to add a Space Habitat on my to do list. I plan on this one being one of the most extensive if not the most extensive article that I write on space colonization.Having already completed articles on ways to colonize Venus and

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-60416931318842525402007-06-30T20:39:00.000-05:002007-06-30T19:46:49.723-05:00

See original announcement of the successful Genesis II launch.Las Vegas, NV 06/28/07 – Bigelow Aerospace has established contact with its second pathfinder spacecraft, Genesis II. Launched earlier Thursday from Yasny, Russia, Mission Control in North Las Vegas, Nev., made first contact at 2:20 p.m. PDT. Continue Reading...Image taken outside of Genesis II. Source: BigelowAerospace.comNot only has

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-1572356248052141602007-06-28T19:42:00.000-05:002007-06-30T20:17:33.614-05:00

Note: Information on Genesis II has been updated.Las Vegas, NV 06/28/07 – Genesis II, the second experimental pathfinder spacecraft by Bigelow Aerospace, has been successfully launched and inserted into orbit. The privately-funded space station module was launched atop a Dnepr rocket at 8:02 a.m. PDT from the ISC Kosmotras Yasny Cosmodrome located in the Orenburg region of Russia. Read More...A

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-49319963967921378072007-06-22T14:55:00.000-05:002007-06-22T14:05:57.802-05:00

Inside of space jet cabin. Source: EADS.netIt seems that Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic are going to have some serious direct competition in the near future. The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, or EADS for short, has recently announced its plans to enter the suborbital space tourism race [see announcement]. The project leader, Marc Newsome, has said that they would like to

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-91216906099345896332007-06-18T14:45:00.000-05:002007-07-15T13:40:38.274-05:00

(Note: this is a part of The Space Colonization Series)The lunar regolith, or the powdery soil on the surface of the moon, is best known for the havoc it wreaked on the astronauts and equipment during the Apollo missions. Regolith was seen as one of the biggest hurdles for any trip to the moon but now it is being seen as possibly one of the biggest advantages for a permanent establishment.A

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-75086197667893413042007-06-05T22:43:00.000-05:002007-07-15T13:42:04.304-05:00

I had never honestly considered this question before until I read the article "A Billion Tons of Nickel" by Chad Orzel (In case you were wondering his article was inspired by a previous article of mine: A Floating City on Venus). The author brings up a good point: What advantage would mining the asteroid belt really have? After reading his article I honestly could not come up with a reason off

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-21512986309637873622007-05-14T14:29:00.000-05:002007-06-21T20:43:45.109-05:00

Sorry about the formatting, I'll try to make it more readable later, when I have the time. [UPDATE: I fixed the formatting. Hopefully it is much more readable now. Sorry it has taken so long for me to get to it; I have been very busy recently.] If you are wondering what this is about please see the "A Floating City on Venus" article.Conference on Human Space Exploration, Space Technology &

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-26349388498137079722007-05-13T19:52:00.000-05:002007-06-21T20:52:45.423-05:00

The technical and theoretical aspects of space and space travel are fascinating to me and most likely many others but, sometimes it's nice to just step back and take a look at why going to space would be awesome for the view alone. I have compiled several of my favorite images of space. Many were taken by Hubble but not all.Known as the "Pale Blue Dot," this image was taken on February 14th, 1990

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-64899264785209212432007-05-04T19:38:00.000-05:002007-07-15T13:41:14.314-05:00

Hellish Venusian surface. Courtesy NASA.gov(Note: this is a part of The Space Colonization Series)When space colonization is mentioned many things come to mind: Mars, the Moon, the future, terraforming, and even occasionally asteroids. One thing that rarely comes to mind, however, is Venus. And why should it? After all, Venus is Earth's sister planet from hell, registering a spicy 450 degrees C

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com122tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-29681439100152917302007-04-22T20:06:00.000-05:002007-06-21T21:03:08.091-05:00

I know I said I would create a sort of 'buffer' (see post) and I realize that there has been sort of an extended drought of posts this month but, rest assured, I am working on articles still. I haven't been able to work on them as often as I would have liked because I am currently at the peak of school work, college decisions, and scholarship applications.So, since I have a little bit of time now

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-7295081355772648052007-04-01T16:53:00.000-05:002007-07-20T09:54:27.523-05:00

I don't know how many of you have noticed it so far but I recently added a list of my recommended space blogs (in the upper right hand corner). I just added perhaps my most favorite one today (Cosmic Log) and I decided that now would be a good time to give a little explanation about each blog that has made the list so far.Cosmic LogCosmic Log is maintained by Alan Boyle (BIO), a great science

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-37401028691387873802007-03-29T15:05:00.000-05:002007-06-21T21:07:25.172-05:00

With a recent $500,000 Phase II contract awarded from the U.S. Department of Defense Small Business Technology Transfer Program, LaunchPoint engineers are now hard at work on an innovative magnetic space launch system. Continue Reading...Circular Magnetic Launch System Design. Courtesy LaunchPnt.comMaglev technology, most known for propelling trains across Europe and Japan at great speeds, is

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-30531579107987039822007-03-19T19:23:00.000-05:002007-07-01T19:43:16.370-05:00

So... I feel kind of bad leaving the site not updated for a few weeks so I decided to share an essay of mine that I wrote awhile back. Hopefully it provokes a little thought. Anyways, here it is:The Manifest Destiny: Mark IIThe original Manifest Destiny was used for the reasoning of expansion into new and unfound territories. One must surely be confused as to what a second version of the Manifest

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-85406751747092914862007-03-02T16:08:00.000-05:002007-06-21T21:10:08.351-05:00

OK, so I haven't been updating as much as I would like to because of my schedule and I apologize. I really would like to add several articles a week but it just hasn't been possible. So, for approximately the next 2 to 4 weeks I am going to work on articles and make myself a little 'article buffer.' Hopefully I will be able to build this buffer up and provide you, the readers with consistent

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-39238553738931964432007-02-25T00:07:00.000-05:002007-06-30T20:15:03.070-05:00

It is a little late right now but here is a link to the awesome interview. Look for comments and analysis from me soon! In the meantime feel free to ask any questions about the article or mention anything that you feel should be addressed in my commentary.Related Articles:Genesis II- Updates from Bigelow Aerospace"Genesis I is About to Have Company"Genesis I Completes Successful Launch into Space

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-5059349585516953452007-02-21T20:04:00.000-05:002007-06-30T20:19:51.577-05:00

A lot of excitement and talk has been about since the advent of Robert Bigelow's plans for launching hotels into space--and for good reason. An opportunity to stay overnight in space orbiting around the Earth and experiencing micro-gravity is definitely reason enough to be excited. What a lot of people don't know though is what you can do with this kind of setup. That is why I have decided to

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-65405277841390003782007-02-13T16:23:00.000-05:002007-06-21T21:17:55.111-05:00

Summer Williams, NASA Engineer and Texan Cheerleader. Courtesy SI.comOK, so this doesn't have much to do with furthering humankind's place in outer space but who cares? Summer Williams is an engineer for NASA; you know, a rocket scientist? Oh yeah, did I also mention that she is an NFL CHEERLEADER for the Houston Texans?! No joke. Check it out:"Well," Williams said, "I don't actually use the term

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-50213340650134096552007-02-11T21:35:00.000-05:002007-06-30T20:18:18.361-05:00

Continued from part 1 and part 2... Robert Bigelow has expressed his disappointment in the development of manned space exploration. Growing up captivated by the Apollo 11 moon landing Bigelow has said, "It's been 30 years since the last beginning and we don't have anything to show for it but memories. People are tired of memories." This time he is doing something about it. After acquiring his

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-51499304362082163902007-02-05T22:28:00.000-05:002007-06-22T14:20:54.334-05:00

Continued from part 1...This next group of backers may not qualify for the billionaire category but they have been huge patrons of the private space industry. Jim Benson started the trend of tech entrepreneurs moving into the commercial space market in 1997 with the founding of SpaceDev. SpaceDev provided the unique hybrid rocket motors used on the now famous SpaceShipOne. Benson recently stepped

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-22384864938324769732007-01-30T19:09:00.000-05:002007-06-21T21:22:21.541-05:00

My updates have not been as frequent as much as I would like them to be but rest assured, it is not from a lack of material. January has been a very busy month for me and thus it has been difficult for me to find time to post. Next week is looking more promising and should allow me plenty of time to post. Be looking for some new articles next week and, as always, any questions, comments, or

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-16886090316510517012007-01-21T20:17:00.000-05:002007-06-21T21:23:43.435-05:00

While conversing with someone the other day I realized how little the common person knows about the private space industry. Sure, people have heard about Dennis Tito and Lance Bass paying an exorbitant amount of money to travel into space or even Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's suborbital space tourism company. Beyond that, however, not much else is known. So, what kind of funding is behind

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-7023111157735239692007-01-15T23:46:00.000-05:002007-06-21T21:24:43.072-05:00

A Space Elevator (see original post...) seems pretty glamorous and looks to have lots of potential, but what exactly is that potential? A Space Elevator could provide a safe, consistent, and cheaper method of bringing cargo to space. This is the key to its limitless potential. With space easily accessible, permanent settlements could be established and always have supplies on demand. Expanding

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-64294006486410910602006-12-29T02:01:00.000-05:002007-06-21T21:26:16.441-05:00

I may not be able to update the site for awhile because I am going on vacation to New Zealand until January 14th. I'll try to update whenever I get access to a computer but I can't guarantee anything.Here's what there is to look forward to:Space Elevator Part 2Magnetic Launch MethodsAtmospheric Bubble Habitats as an way of colonizing Venusand much, much more!I look forward to updating as soon as

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-78774097250356639582006-12-23T22:22:00.000-05:002007-06-21T21:27:15.969-05:00

Concept art of a space elevator. Source: Lift Port Group(see part 2) So, what exactly is a space elevator? It's exactly what you'd imagine; an elevator that goes into space. Basically the ideas proposed for a space elevator consists of a "base station" that has a geosynchronous counterweight tethered to it.The four basic elements required for such a concept are: the base station (as previously

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-1370518737376965472006-12-22T13:14:00.000-05:002007-06-26T22:38:23.589-05:00

"December 06, 2006WASHINGTON - NASA photographs have revealed bright new deposits seen in two gullies on Mars that suggest water carried sediment through them sometime during the past seven years. "These observations give the strongest evidence to date that water still flows occasionally on the surface of Mars," said Dr. Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program continue

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-84391127343710009902006-12-19T23:47:00.000-05:002007-06-30T20:19:13.821-05:00

Inside Genesis I after successful inflation in space. Source: Bigelow AerospaceThe first huge step was completed in the Genesis project by Bigelow Aerospace. On July 12, 2006 the Genesis I module was launched on a Dnepr booster from the Yasny Launch Base in Siberia. According to the Bigelow Aerospace website (see page) the 1/3 scale model completed all its assigned tasks.The exclusive article

Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10186272422110377584noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311135747765710448.post-26858563417093872302006-12-19T19:27:00.000-05:002007-07-05T22:35:29.828-05:00

Welcome to my Space Monitor blog. I hope you will find this blog to be fascinating, thought-provoking, informative, and inspiring.Let me outline some goals I have for this site. Any feedback would be appreciated so if you have an opinion, comment away!Anyways, here is what I had in mind:1. Since the site is spacemonitor.blogspot.com, I obviously have a plan of monitoring space! But, to be a bit

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