Ο spaceman «ανελκυστήρας» είναι ένα από τα πιο παλαιά όνειρα της επιστημονικής φαντασίας, ωστόσο το ενδεχόμενο πραγματικής κατασκευής 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 being considered for transporting 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.
In particular, the vision of the LiftPort Group includes launching a missile from the Earth into a special manned space facility (PicoGravity Laboratory) at Lagrang, where the load is shifted to the Moon. The program is called LSE (LSE) and, according to the LiftPort Group, the transfer of people to the Moon will be possible from the very first years of operating such an installation.
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 websiteσελίδα of the LiftPort Group, the goal is to make the Moon economically accessible for exploration, colonization and natural resource extraction.
Robotic airship for the Aphrodite skies
Engineers from Northrop Grumman and L'Garde are working on the concept of a small unmanned aircraft that will be able to roam the skies of Venus for up to a year. According to space.com, the 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. In the design of a possible one MissionThis includes getting it into orbit by spacecraft and then deploying and inflating it while still attached to the "mother ship". The craft will then be released and enter the planet's atmosphere smoothly, without the need for much protective equipment.
The vessel will fly at a height of 55-70 kilometers using solar engines a day and suspended at lower elevations after sunset. Its load may vary from 20 to 200 pounds, depending on the height at which it is intended to fly. The data collected will be transmitted to the 'mother ship' in orbit around Venus, helping the scientific community to understand how the planet turned from a potentially capable of supporting life billions of years ago the world at very high temperatures "Hell" is today .
