Posted by
mwallis on
8 March 2010, 11:49 am
A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers has developed a highly efficient, environmentally friendly process that selectively converts gamma-valerolactone, a biomass derivative, into the chemical equivalent of jet fuel.
The simple process preserves about 95 percent of the energy from the original biomass, requires little hydrogen input, and captures carbon dioxide under high pressure for future beneficial use.
With James Dumesic, Steenbock Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at UW-Madison, postdoctoral researchers Jesse Bond and David Martin Alonso, and graduate students Dong Wang and Ryan West published details of the advance in the Feb. 26 edition of the journal Science.
Much of the Dumesic group’s previous research of using cellulosic biomass for biofuels has focused on processes that convert abundant plant-based sugars into transportation fuels. However, in previously studied conversion methods, sugar molecules frequently degrade to form levulinic acid and formic acid — two products the previous methods couldn’t readily transform into high-energy liquid fuels.
Continue reading ‘Jet-A From Biomass’ »
Posted by
mwallis on
18 February 2010, 5:23 pm
The final patch design for the Space Shuttle Program has been selected by a NASA committee from a pool of entries by NASA employees and contractors.
It beat out 84 other prospective patches to be the final commemorative token of the program that defined this generation of space travel.
“As the Space Shuttle Program has been an innovative, iconic gem in the history of American spaceflight, the overall shape of the patch and its faceted panels are reminiscent of a diamond or other fine jewel,” wrote the winning artist, Blake Dumesnil a Hamilton Sundstrand employee, who works at Johnson Space Center.
The tradition of creating NASA program and mission patches was borrowed from the military. It began with the Gemini program of the 1960s.
Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/#ixzz0fwNuPcXx
Posted by
mwallis on
7 January 2010, 6:05 pm
Inaugural Falcon 9 / Dragon Flight Hardware Update
Monday, January 4, 2010
The SpaceX team kicked off 2010 with the successful full duration orbit insertion firing of the Falcon 9 second stage at our Texas test site (details below). This was the final stage firing required for launch, so the second stage will soon be packaged for shipment and should arrive at Cape Canaveral by end of month. Depending on how well full vehicle integration goes, launch should occur one to three months later.
2009 was an exciting year for SpaceX. In July, with the successful launch of RazakSAT, Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket to put a commercial satellite in orbit. That same month, DragonEye — SpaceX's Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor — launched on NASA's STS-127 shuttle mission and successfully completed flight system trials in preparation for guiding the Dragon spacecraft as it approaches the International Space Station. We also hosted the first astronaut training day at our Hawthorne headquarters in preparation for flights to the Space Station.
Last year also saw the successful arc jet testing of PICA-X, SpaceX's high performance heat shield material developed in collaboration with NASA, which will be used to protect our Dragon spacecraft on reentry. And our Merlin Vacuum engine demonstrated the highest efficiency ever for an American hydrocarbon rocket engine. SpaceX also signed deals with several key customers, including CONAE (Argentina’s National Commission on Space Activity), Astrium and Orbcomm.
The ongoing evolution of the commercial space industry was recently featured as the cover story (“The New Space Rush”) in Popular Science magazine. The article provided a great perspective on the industry as a whole, but I disagree with the subheading, “Who Needs NASA?”. If you read the article, it's clear their intent was just to convey excitement for the developments in commercial space, but obviously NASA is and always will be critical to the future of space exploration, particularly at the outer edge where there is no commercial market. Without NASA, SpaceX certainly would not be where it is today.
As we get closer to our first Falcon 9 launch, SpaceX would like to thank NASA, the Air Force, the FAA, and our commercial customers for their continued support. And, of course, I would like to thank the whole SpaceX team for their unwavering commitment to our company and our mission, especially over these last few months. Through their hard work and dedication, 2010 promises to be another great year.
–Elon–
Continue reading ‘Falcon 9 Ready To Fly’ »
Posted by
mwallis on
5 January 2010, 5:36 pm
Person Of The Year: The Space Entrepreneur … features Dave Masten and Xoie!
Aviation Week’s article starts out:
The quiet work of space entrepreneurs is becoming reality, and metal and fire are streaking through the upper atmosphere into low Earth orbit. (Photo: Chad Slattery)….
Working quietly in the background since the days of viewgraphs, a group of space entrepreneurs has long been pitching far-fetched ideas to skeptical moneymen with the fervor of evangelists. Now their viewgraphs—updated to Powerpoint and CAD/CAM—are becoming reality, and metal and fire are streaking through the upper atmosphere into low Earth orbit.
While not mentioning E.R.P.S. by name, amateur liquid fuel rocketry is talked about as where he got started in space development until “… it got to the point with these projects where I couldn’t do it all on weekends and evenings anymore.”
Posted by
mwallis on
15 December 2009, 9:12 pm
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Attending:
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Gerald N, Ed S, Stallen L, Julie P, Stu C and Michael W
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Call to order:
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The meeting was called to order by Vice President Julie P. at 20:15 on Dec. 15th, 2009.
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Continue reading ‘General Meeting #345’ »