The space "elevator" is one of the oldest dreams of science fiction, but the possibility of a real constructionς του έχει αρχίσει να εξετάζεται εδώ και χρόνια, καθώς θα διευκόλυνε πολύ τη δραστηριότητα στο Διάστημα. Στην περίπτωση του LiftPort Group (Σιάτλ), ένα τέτοιο concept construction is considered for the transport of cargo to and from the Moon.
According to a space.com article, such a program would use existing technology and would be based on simple principles. The basic concept is a "vehicle" that will move up and down on a cable, moored / "moored" to the moon's surface, and allow "soft" landscapes on the Earth's satellite.
Ειδικότερα, το όραμα του LiftPort Group περιλαμβάνει την εκτόξευση πυραύλου από τη Γη σε ειδική επανδρωμένη διαστημική εγκατάσταση (PicoGravity Laboratory) σε σημείο Λαγκράνζ, από όπου και ξεκινά η μεταφορά του φορτίου προς τη Σελήνη. Το πρόγραμμα αποκαλείται LSEI (Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure) και, σύμφωνα με το LiftPort Group, η μεταφορά ανθρώπων στη Σελήνη θα είναι δυνατή από τα πρώτα κιόλας χρόνια της modeof such a facility.
As LiftPort Group chairman Michael Lane says on space.com, progress has been made in the program, as the Moon has attracted intense interest over the past year.
As stated on the LiftPort Group website, the objective is to make the Moon economically accessible for exploration, colonization and extraction of natural resources.
Robotic airship for her skies Venusς
Πάνω στο concept ενός μη μεγάλου μη επανδρωμένου αεροπλοίου, που θα μπορεί να περιπλανιέται στους ουρανούς της Αφροδίτης για space μέχρι ενός έτους εργάζονται μηχανικοί της Northrop Grumman και της L'Garde. Σύμφωνα με το space.com, το Venus Atmospheric Maneuverable Platform (VAMP) will be able to stay in flight for long periods of time, combining the technologies of airplanes and airships and collecting information about Venus and its atmosphere.
The VAMP will be a large, but at the same time light inflatable aircraft, with a wingspan of 46 meters. The plan for a possible mission involves carrying it into orbit by spacecraft, then deploying and inflating it while still attached to the "mothership". The craft will then break free and enter the planet's atmosphere smoothly, without much shielding required. latest technology equipments.
The craft will fly at an altitude of 55-70 km, using solar engines during the day and hovering at lower altitudes after sunset. Its load will be able to vary from 20 to 200 kg, depending on the height at which it is intended to fly. The data collected will be transmitted to the "mothership", orbiting Venus, helping the scientific world understand how the planet it went from a possibly life-supporting world billions of years ago, to the super-heated "hell" it is today.