In-Space's Faraday Satellite Last year, I got the chance to do some work experience at In-Space Missions, and I got to see what it really takes to launch a satellite- from design to orbit! It was such a valuable experience to hear from space professionals talk about their jobs and their journey into such an… Continue reading CubeSats- the future of the space industry?
Category: Spaceflight
The New Superpowers of Space
Back when we were first reaching out to the stars, there were only 2 really big players in the space industry: USA and Russia/ the Soviet Union. Of course there were private contractors hired (mostly by NASA) to build components, but most of these were primarily defence or aviation companies whose technology or expertise could… Continue reading The New Superpowers of Space
So you want to be an astronaut: Europe Edition!
ESA opens Astronaut Applications Earlier this month, ESA (the European Space Agency… thankfully the UK remains a part of ESA despite Brexit!) announced they would be opening astronaut applications for the first time since 2008! Although I can’t apply, this is still incredibly exciting- so I immediately signed up to attend the press conference… and… Continue reading So you want to be an astronaut: Europe Edition!
The Decade in Spaceflight
Rocket technology has come a long way since the start of the decade, with the rise of commercial spaceflight and integration of public and private agencies. It began with the end of an era. The space shuttle program was NASA’s longest running mission series, with its first launch way back in 1981. The program was… Continue reading The Decade in Spaceflight
The Artemis Generation
50 years ago, the world was awestruck as the space race fuelled innovation at a speed not yet seen before, resulting in the first human setting foot on the moon just a decade after the first satellite was launched! But as the cold war and threat of nuclear attack fizzled out with the fading US-Russia… Continue reading The Artemis Generation
Why is Mars so hard to land on?
This summer is chock-full of exciting missions to Mars, with China’s Tianwen-1 and the UAE’s Hope orbiter already en route to Mars, and NASA’s Mars 2020 set to launch on July 30th. ESA was also meant to launch its Rosalind Franklin Exomars rover, but that was delayed to 2022 earlier this year. I’ll talk more… Continue reading Why is Mars so hard to land on?
The Evolution of the Spacesuit
Spacesuits are a personal lifeboat for astronauts- a few millimetre thick layer between the extreme vacuum of space and survival. First up, what is a spacesuit? Essentially, they are a personal space station! They have air to breathe, strong fabric/seams to keep the air in and maintain pressure, water to stay hydrated (& a ‘space… Continue reading The Evolution of the Spacesuit
5 things that made the SpaceX launch so cool!
All rocket launches are awesome feats of engineering and science, but what made Demo-2 special? I’ve never watched a rocket launch in real life (I was meant to see the Parker Solar Probe launch in 2018, but it got pushed past the length of my visit to the space coast 😭) but every time I… Continue reading 5 things that made the SpaceX launch so cool!
Why was the 1st Demo-2 launch scrubbed?
Wednesday (May 27th) was meant to mark a momentous occasion in the history of spaceflight, a stepping stone to a more sustainable, accessible future: the first crewed launch of a commercial vehicle, and the first orbital launch from the US in 9 years! 1st image- the first commercial partnership astronauts: Doug Hurley (Right) and Bob… Continue reading Why was the 1st Demo-2 launch scrubbed?
Nasa’s Next Adventures!
The Rovers, Landers and Orbiters; Flybys, Touchdowns and Sample Returns Artemis- NASA’s next major mission series- has dominated most media coverage of NASA’s next steps... and rightly so! It will be the first time since 1972 that we have been to the moon, and it will mark the first female to step foot there! But… Continue reading Nasa’s Next Adventures!