Important Innovations

NASA & Nokia's Bell Labs Building Lunar Connectivity                                                                                Source:  4G stock image Wired, Connected Moon for Astronauts NASA and Nokia's Bell Labs are building a 4G network on the Moon.  Bell Labs has been awarded a $14.1 million contract for the project.  Bell Labs is partnering with spaceflight engineering company Intuitive Machines.  The purpose is to provide US astronauts with a more robust means of communications. 5G Coming Next As is happening on Earth, the 4G network on the Moon will be upgraded to 5G over time.  The 4G system is being built to withstand the Moon's radiation, extreme temperatures and space's vacuum.  The astronauts will use the 4G network for data transmission, control of lunar rovers, streaming of high definition videos and for real time navigation of the lunar surface.  Bell Labs will deploy small cell technology, which is much smaller and requires less energy than the

Launching US Astronauts from Florida Source:  NASA 1st Human Spaceflight from US Since 2011 After nearly a decade of absence, human spaceflights will launch from US soil on May 27, 2020. SpaceX,  founded by entrepreneur  Elon Musk, will launch its CrewDragon rocket with two US astronauts onboard and crewing the space vehicle.  Their destination is the International Space Station.  This mission is a series of historic firsts in space. Space Firsts This is the first crewed mission for SpaceX since CEO Elon Musk founded the company in 2002. And, it's the first time a rocket will carry  astronauts into orbit from US soil  since 2011.  That's when NASA retired its space shuttle program. And there's yet another first. The public cannot attend the launch. History Being Made Because of COVID-19, the public cannot attend the  launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch is historic for several more

Adidas Onboard the International Space Station Source:  Adidas experiments on the ISS in space Putting Running Tech to the Distance Test Adidas is really going the distance.  It just sent running shoe material aboard a SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station.  The purpose is to develop the most comfortable, high performance running shoes from experimentation in the harsh conditions of space.  The German based footwear giant is performing the first ever footwear research in space. One Big Boost in Zero-Gravity Boost pellets made of the same plastic that Adidas integrates into the soles of its Boost sneakers and other running shoes are undergoing scientific experimentation in space.  This will give Adidas the opportunity to test their performance and maximum configuration in sneakers without the interference of gravity. World's Longest Scientific Marathon The plastic pellets are made of two difference polymers with slightly different molecular structures.  As

Starliner Manned Flight to International Space Station Source:  Boeing Starliner Boeing and NASA Commercial Astronauts At the Johnson Space Center in Houston, a veteran team of astronauts are training for the trip of a lifetime.  They'll be launched into space onboard Boeing's new spacecraft Starliner to the International Space Station.  The Starliner is a next generation space capsule designed to take people to and from low Earth orbit. For Boeing, NASA is the anchor company for Starliner, beginning with missions to the ISS with NASA and NASA sponsored crews.  The space vehicle will eventually take tourists on space voyages. Launch Time The Starliner mission will launch in late 2019 or in early 2020.  The five person crew, two women and three men, are Boeing and NASA veteran astronauts.  This mission underscores the importance of the growing commercial business opportunities in space.  You might call it an intergalactic global business frontier that is just opening

Fedor in Orbit Source:  Russian Space Agency Roscosmos - Fedor Spacebot Docking at ISS Aborted Today Russia's first humanoid robot Fedor or Skybot F850 is travelling in space aboard an unmanned spacecraft to the International Space Station.  The Russian Soyez spacecraft tried to dock with the ISS to deliver Fedor today but the docking was aborted.  Russian cosmonauts issued the order to abort the approach to the ISS because the Soyez wasn't on target to properly lock-on. Second Try on Tuesday The crewless, automated Soyez backed away safely and Russian flight controllers are determining next steps.  They believe the problem was a radio failure aboard the ISS not the Soyez.  The Director of the Russian space agency Roscosmos says they'll try again to dock on Tuesday morning. Fedor, Astronauts' Assistant Once on board the ISS, Fedor will start learning how to serve as an astronauts' assistant.  His actions are human-like and he'll perform light tasks

NASA Plans Space Station for the Moon Source:  NASA Lunar Space Station Concept Lunar Vehicle to Orbit, Land and Serve as Astronaut Habitat NASA's plan is to put astronauts on the Moon again starting in 2024.  To expedite the missions, NASA plans to have a Lunar vehicle capable of orbiting and landing on the Moon.  It will also serve as a habitat for astronauts.  Canada has signed on as a partner and the European Space Agency is also interested in participating. It's called the Lunar Orbital Platform - Gateway. For details, check out this news blog Important Innovations Collection: NASA Plans New Space Station : Lunar Orbiter, Lander & Astronaut Habitat Source:  NASA Lunar Orbiter Concept Man on the Moon in 2024 NASA's plan is for ...

NASA - ESA Collaboration Source:  ESA Equipment Test in Cologne, Germany Lunar and Extraplanetary Rescue System for Fallen Astronauts It's called LESA, the Lunar Evacuation System Assembly and it is the combined invention of NASA and the European Space Agency.  The technology enables a single astronaut to rescue a fallen comrade on the moon or on another planet and bring them back to the safety of a pressurized space station.  It's a world first and of great necessity.  As of the moment, there is no way a single astronaut could carry a fallen astronaut to safety without technological assistance because of their spacesuits and gravity. NASA and ESA Tests NASA and ESA have tested the tech at the 10 m deep pool at ESA's Satellite Center in Cologne, Germany.  They used the pool to simulate lunar gravity and the tests are going well.  The team says LESA is like a golf caddy.  Its lift mechanism and stretchers can be operated by a single astronaut.  NASA and ESA say th

Space Buzz: NASA Astrobee Robots Going to Space Source:  NASA Astrobee robots Will Work on ISS NASA's 3 new Astrobee robots will be launched by the end of April for duty on board the International Space Station (ISS).  Their designed to assist the astronauts on housekeeping and inspection tasks.  For a great news blog, go to Important Innovations Collection: NASA Astrobees Going to Space : Robotic Team to Monitor ISS Source:  NASA Astrobees The Buzz in Space Robots in orbit is the buzz in space.  NASA's Astrobee rob...