Making space rocket fuel from water could drive a power revolution on Earth

Making space rocket fuel from water could drive a power revolution on Earth
Phys.Org, 28 September 2016
http://phys.org/news/2016-09-space-rocket-fuel-power-revolution.html

Researchers led by NASA's former chief technologist are hoping to launch a satellite carrying water as the source of its fuel. The team from Cornell University, guided by Mason Peck, want their device to become the first shoebox-sized "CubeSat" to orbit the moon, while demonstrating the potential of water as a source of spacecraft fuel. It's a safe, stable substance that's relatively common even in space, but could also find greater use here on Earth as we search for alternatives to fossil fuels.

Small Turbopump Research: Satellite Propellant Pump Research

Satellite Propellant Pump Research
NASA NTRS, Nov 01, 2005
http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20060000023

NASA Glenn initiated a satellite propellant pump technology demonstration program. The goal was to demonstrate the technologies for a 60 percent efficient pump at 1 gpm flow rate and 500 psia pressure rise. The pump design and analysis used the in-house developed computer codes named PUMPA and HPUMP3D. The requirements lead to a 4-stage impeller type pump design with a tip diameter of 0.54 inches and a rotational speed of 57,000 rpm. Analyses indicated that flow cavitation was not a problem in the design. Since the flow was incompressible, the stages were identical. Only the 2-stage pump was designed, fabricated, assembled, and tested for demonstration. Water was selected as the surrogate fluid for hydrazine in this program. Complete mechanical design including stress and dynamic analyses were conducted. The pump was driven by an electric motor directly coupled to the impellers. Runs up to 57,000 rpm were conducted, where a pressure rise of 200 psia at a flow rate of 0.8 gpm was measured to validate the design effort.

The Race to Build a Smaller Rocket

The Race to Build a Smaller Rocket
Science Friday, 19 August 2016
http://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/the-race-to-build-a-smaller-rocket/

There’s a new space race afoot. You may not have heard of it because the competition is so much smaller than the one that took place between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1960s. And this time around, NASA isn’t even a contestant. Today’s space race is playing out among private companies competing to build tiny rockets.

Small Innovative Launcher for Europe

Small Innovative Launcher for Europe
small-launcher.eu, 5 August 2016
http://www.small-launcher.eu/
http://www.nlr.org/news/start-of-design-for-concept-innovative-launcher-for-europe-smile/

The objectives of the SMILE project are to design a concept for an innovative, cost-effective European launcher for small satellites up to 50 kg and a Europe-based launch facility at Andøya, Norway. SMILE targets both the market for education and in-orbit demonstration, and commercial, scientific and governmental missions. It is Europe’s ambition to gain independent access to space for small satellites.

Video: James Logan, MD - Living on Mars

James Logan, MD - Living on Mars
YouTube, Jan 26, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPVORuanf18

Titled: Living on Mars: Medical Realities of the Red Planet (or any other virtually airless celestial body with no magnetosphere). This fascinating video highlights problems humans will face in living long term in space.

In fact: After reuse trial, long flight ahead

In fact: After reuse trial, long flight ahead
Indian Express, 27 May 2016
http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/isro-reusable-launch-vehicle-rlv-rocket-launch-2820965/

The excitement over the success of the RLV is deserved, but ISRO has done this twice before. The cost benefits of a reusable launch vehicle remain uncertain, and the challenges before ISRO huge.

Vector Space Systems Interview

Vector Space Systems interview
Business Insider, 6 June 2016
http://www.businessinsider.com/new-company-wants-to-change-the-way-we-think-about-spaceflight-2016-6

We spoke to the CEO of a new company that wants to revolutionize the way we think about spaceflight

Jim Cantrell, CEO and co-founder of Vector Space Systems who was involved in the early days of SpaceX, wants to do for spaceflight what Apple CEO Steve Jobs did for so many other industries: Revolutionize it.

Towed Glider Air Launch System

Towed Glider Air Launch System
Nasa NTRS, 6 June 2016
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20160006964&qs=N%3D4294129243

A remotely-piloted glider, towed by a modified cargo/passenger jet, releasing a launch vehicle with payload at 48K’, M=0.75, up to a 700 flight path angle, safely & effectively...The studies showed the concept is do-able...next step is the Proof of Concept

NASA's Raspberry Pi-based Pi-Sat Cubesat

NASA's Raspberry Pi-based Pi-Sat Cubesat
Spaceref, 14 March 2016
http://spaceref.com/nasa-hack-space/nasas-raspberry-pi-based-pi-sat-cubesat.html

The Innovative Technology Partnerships Office (ITPO) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, invites educators, students and the general public to celebrate Pi Day and discover Pi-Sat.

First liquid fuel rocket launched 90 years ago

First liquid fuel rocket launched 90 years ago
CosmosMagazine, 16 March 2016
https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/first-liquid-fuel-rocket-launched-90-years-ago

On his Aunt Effie's farm in 1926, Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fuelled rocket – and with it, modern space exploration.

Aerojet Rocketdyne successfully tests 3D printed injector for RL-10 upper-stage rocket engine

Aerojet Rocketdyne successfully tests 3D printed injector for RL-10 upper-stage rocket engine
3Ders.org, 9 March 2016
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20160309-aerojet-rocketdyne-successfully-tests-3d-printed-injector-for-rl-10-upper-stage-rocket-engine.html

That company has just revealed its latest success: a successful testing round for a 3D printed injector for the RL10 upper-stage rocket engine, arguably the most reliable upper stage rocket engine in the world right now.

Paper: Model-Based Engine Control Architecture with an Extended Kalman Filter

Model-Based Engine Control Architecture with an Extended Kalman Filter
NASA NTRS, 1 February 2016
http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20160002248

This paper discusses the design and implementation of an extended Kalman filter (EKF) for model-based engine control (MBEC). Previously proposed MBEC architectures feature an optimal tuner Kalman Filter (OTKF) to produce estimates of both unmeasured engine parameters and estimates for the health of the engine. The success of this approach relies on the accuracy of the linear model and the ability of the optimal tuner to update its tuner estimates based on only a few sensors. Advances in computer processing are making it possible to replace the piece-wise linear model, developed off-line, with an on-board nonlinear model running in real-time. This will reduce the estimation errors associated with the linearization process, and is typically referred to as an extended Kalman filter. The nonlinear extended Kalman filter approach is applied to the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation 40,000 (C-MAPSS40k) and compared to the previously proposed MBEC architecture. The results show that the EKF reduces the estimation error, especially during transient operation.

Russia to Orbit World’s First 3d Printed Nanosatellite

3D Does It Again! Russia to Orbit World’s First Nanosatellite
Sputnik News, 1 March 2016
http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160301/1035573469/russia-nanosatellite-3d.html

The world’s first 3D-printed Cubesat nanosatellite will be launched to the International Space Station later this month, RIA Novosti reported, citing the Tomsk Polytechnic University press service.