Playing casino games can be a thrilling and exhilarating experience. Whether you are a seasoned gambler or a beginner, it’s important to have a good understanding of the games, strategies, and etiquette involved. In this comprehensive guide, we will take you through everything you need to know about playing casino games. From choosing the right casino to understanding odds and managing your bankroll, we’ve got you covered. So, let’s dive in and explore the exciting world of casino gambling.
Choosing the Right Casino
When it comes to playing casino games, choosing the right online casino or land-based casino is crucial. There are several factors to consider, such as reputation, game selection, bonuses, and customer support. It’s important to do your research and read reviews to ensure you are playing at a reputable and reliable casino. For a top-notch online casino experience, you can check out Casino Classic, known for its extensive game selection and excellent customer service.
Understanding the Odds
In order to improve your chances of winning, it’s important to understand the odds of the casino games you play. Each game has its own set of probabilities, which determine the likelihood of particular outcomes. Whether it’s blackjack, roulette, or slots, knowing the odds can help you make informed decisions and develop effective strategies.
The Art of Bankroll Management
One of the key aspects of successful casino gambling is proper bankroll management. This involves setting a budget, sticking to it, and knowing when to stop. By managing your bankroll effectively, you can maximize your playing time and minimize the risk of losing all your money. We’ll provide you with tips and strategies to help you manage your bankroll like a pro.
Tips and Strategies for Winning at Blackjack
Blackjack is a popular casino game that requires both skill and strategy. In this section, we’ll share tips and strategies to help you improve your blackjack game. From basic strategy charts to card counting techniques, you’ll learn how to beat the dealer and increase your chances of winning.
Exploring Different Types of Casino Bonuses
Casinos offer various types of bonuses to attract and reward players. From welcome bonuses to free spins and loyalty rewards, these bonuses can enhance your gambling experience. We’ll take a closer look at the different types of casino bonuses available and provide tips on how to make the most out of them.
The Fascinating World of Slot Machine Payouts
Slot machines are the most popular games in casinos worldwide. Understanding how slot machine payouts work is essential if you want to maximize your winnings. We’ll delve into the mechanics of slot machines and reveal the secrets behind their payout percentages. Get ready to spin the reels and win big!
The Dos and Don’ts of Online Casino Gambling
Online casino gambling offers convenience and a wide range of gaming options. However, there are certain dos and don’ts that every player should be aware of. From choosing the right online casino to protecting your personal information, we’ll guide you through the do’s and don’ts of online casino gambling.
Conclusion
Playing casino games can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Whether you prefer blackjack, roulette, slots, or poker, understanding the games, strategies, and etiquette is essential. By choosing the right casino, managing your bankroll effectively, and utilizing the tips and strategies shared in this guide, you can enhance your chances of winning and have a fantastic time. So, put on your poker face, spin the roulette wheel, and get ready to enjoy the thrilling world of casino gambling!
When it comes to casino gambling, players are always searching for an edge. Some turn to casino betting systems, strategies designed to increase their odds of winning. These systems have been the subject of much debate among gamblers and experts alike. In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of using casino betting systems, shedding light on their effectiveness and potential drawbacks.
Understanding Casino Betting Systems
Before diving into the pros and cons, it’s important to understand what casino betting systems entail. In simple terms, these systems are mathematical or statistical strategies that players use to guide their betting decisions. They often rely on patterns, streaks, or specific betting progressions to determine wager amounts and betting strategies.
Types of Casino Betting Systems
There are several popular casino betting systems that players use. Here are a few examples:
1. Martingale System: This is one of the most well-known betting systems, particularly in roulette. It involves doubling your bet after each loss, with the aim of recovering previous losses and making a profit when a win eventually occurs.
2. Paroli System: The Paroli system is the opposite of the Martingale system. It involves doubling your bet after a win, with the intention of capitalizing on winning streaks and maximizing profits.
3. D’Alembert System: This system is often applied to games with even-money bets, such as blackjack. It involves increasing your bet by one unit after a loss and decreasing it by one unit after a win, aiming for small, consistent wins.
The Pros of Using Casino Betting Systems
Using a casino betting system has its advantages, which is why many players swear by them. Here are some of the pros:
1. Structure and Discipline: Casino betting systems provide a structured approach to gambling, giving players a clear plan to follow. This can help maintain discipline and prevent impulsive decision-making.
2. Mitigation of Losses: Certain betting systems, like the Martingale system, are designed to recover losses quickly. When applied correctly, these systems can help mitigate potential losses and even lead to profits.
3. Increased Focus: By following a specific betting system, players can stay focused on their strategy rather than getting caught up in emotions or distractions. This can lead to better decision-making and more strategic gameplay.
The Cons of Using Casino Betting Systems
While casino betting systems offer potential benefits, it’s essential to consider the drawbacks as well. Here are some cons to keep in mind:
1. No Guaranteed Wins: Despite claims made by proponents of betting systems, it’s important to remember that there are no foolproof strategies that guarantee consistent wins. Casino games are based on chance, and no system can change that fundamental aspect.
2. Increased Risk: Some casino betting systems, such as progressive systems, can lead to an increased risk of losing larger amounts of money. Doubling bets or chasing losses can escalate quickly and result in substantial financial losses.
3. Limited Effectiveness: Many betting systems rely on the assumption of unlimited bankrolls, infinite time, and unlimited betting limits. In reality, these conditions do not exist, and practical limitations can render certain systems ineffective.
Conclusion
When it comes to using casino betting systems, it’s crucial for players to approach them with caution. While these systems offer structure and potential benefits, they are not foolproof strategies for guaranteed wins. The decision to use a betting system ultimately comes down to personal preference and risk tolerance. Before implementing any betting system, it’s important to thoroughly understand the rules and limitations, and consider the potential impact on your bankroll.
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Casino betting systems have long been a hot topic among gamblers. These strategies claim to offer a systematic approach to winning in casino games. However, they have also been highly debated, with some players swearing by them and others dismissing them as ineffective. In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of using casino betting systems, allowing you to make an informed decision for your own gambling endeavors.
The Pros of Casino Betting Systems
1. Clear Betting Guidelines
One advantage of using casino betting systems is that they provide clear guidelines on how to place your bets. These systems often come with specific rules and strategies to follow, which can be helpful for beginners who may feel overwhelmed by the complexities of certain casino games.
2. Increased Confidence
By following a betting system, some players report feeling more confident in their gameplay. The structured nature of these systems can contribute to a sense of control and discipline, which may enhance the overall gambling experience.
3. Managing Bankroll
Another benefit of using betting systems is their potential to help manage your bankroll effectively. Many systems advocate for specific bet sizes and progression strategies, which can prevent reckless betting and minimize losses.
4. Strategic Approach
Betting systems can provide a strategic approach to gambling, allowing players to think more critically about their decisions. This can add an element of skill to games that are often perceived as purely chance-based.
The Cons of Casino Betting Systems
1. False Sense of Security
One of the main criticisms of casino betting systems is that they can create a false sense of security. While these systems may promise higher chances of winning, the reality is that no strategy can guarantee consistent success in casino games.
2. Limited Effectiveness
Many betting systems have been thoroughly analyzed and tested by experts, and the consensus is often that they offer little to no advantage over random betting. The outcomes of casino games are ultimately determined by random number generators (RNGs) or the laws of physics in the case of games like roulette, making betting systems ineffective in the long run.
3. Increased Risk
Some betting systems, particularly those that involve progressive betting strategies, can actually increase the risk of substantial losses. These systems often require players to increase their bets after consecutive losses, which can quickly deplete a bankroll and lead to financial ruin.
4. Lack of Flexibility
Betting systems can be rigid in their approach, leaving little room for adaptability. Casino games are dynamic and unpredictable, and following a fixed system may prevent players from adjusting their strategies based on changing circumstances.
Conclusion
In the world of casino gambling, the use of betting systems is a deeply divisive subject. While some players find solace in following these systems, others view them as ineffective or even detrimental to their overall experience. Ultimately, the decision of whether to use a betting system rests on the individual player’s preferences and risk appetite. It is important to approach these systems with caution and to remember that gambling should always be done responsibly.
Whether you choose to follow a betting system or not, it is essential to prioritize responsible gambling practices and to always consider the enjoyment of the experience rather than solely focusing on winning. Remember, gambling should be approached as a form of entertainment rather than a guaranteed source of income.
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IN ITS relatively short, six-decade history space exploration and its commercial applications have come to be perceived as cutting-edge, inspirational and a hugely beneficial pursuit for humankind in general.
But one of the biggest challenges faced today by the global space community and its new frontier entrepreneurs is arguably one of the least glamorous. How to deal with the increasing volume of space junk and debris orbiting Earth?
The dangers stacking up in Earth orbit are largely the result of the old “use it and throw it away” mentality prevalent throughout the early decades of space exploration, although certainly not unique to the Space Age.
Take a look at the detritus created by a modern, technologically literate human society right across our 21st century planet and you will see that such a throwaway culture seems firmly embedded in the human psyche.
But given our ever-growing reliance on orbiting technology, ensuring the lifetime safety of flight for satellites and future astronauts is now more important than ever because, if left unchecked, the dangers posed by space debris will rise exponentially.
A cascading debris event – the spontaneous timing of which is wholly unpredictable by its nature – could have a devastating effect on the space infrastructure we have come to rely on so much.
Even as we transition from ‘old space’ to ‘NewSpace’ the preponderance of space debris shows little sign of abating. Despite some welcome initiatives, practical answers are still largely in their infancy.
So, if we want to maintain a rapidly evolving space programme that is both everyday and frontier, dealing with a problem of this magnitude can no longer be just an altruistic, desirable goal to be addressed “at some point in the future”. Space is too valuable for that.
Time is short but if we establish and adhere to basic guidelines, solutions are just about achievable. The space debris problem needs a two-pronged approach – cleaning up the junk we’ve already created and establishing international agreements to prevent it getting worse.
Our technological and commercial futures are at stake and the onus is on the whole space community to ensure the mess we’ve created on Earth isn’t replicated in orbit around our planet. Ultimately, safety in space is key for all operators and so far remedial actions are not being agreed or put in place anything like as quickly as they should be.
If it can’t be re-entered at the end of its useful life the ultimate goal for anything that goes into Earth orbit is to “retain, re-use and recycle”. But, of course, it is so often a question of commercial priorities – and looking after one’s own space junk doesn’t really pay.
The special series of articles on the following pages in this issue of ROOM is a welcome addition to the space debris debate. Each article addresses a different aspect and together they highlight the problems, challenges and some of the potential solutions.
Just as it is on Earth, now it is in space. And when it comes to anthropogenic space debris the question has to be asked: are we doing too little too late?
A Chinese spacecraft has made the first-ever landing on the far side of the Moon in the latest achievement for the country’s growing space programme. The relatively unexplored lunar far side faces away from Earth and is also known as the ‘dark side’.
A photo taken by the lunar explorer Chang’e 4 at 11.40am China time (3.40 GMT) and published online by the official Xinhua News Agency shows a small crater and a barren surface that appears to be illuminated by a light from the probe.
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) landed its robotic probe Chang’e 4 in the unexplored South Pole-Aitken basin. It is thought to be the largest, oldest and deepest crater on the Moon’s surface.
Official confirmation of the landing came via state broadcaster CCTV which said the lunar explorer had touched down at 1026 (0226 GMT). The Communist party-owned Global Times also reported that the probe had “successfully made the first-ever soft landing” on the lunar far side.
Chang’e 4 is named after the Chinese goddess of the Moon and its mission is to take detailed measurements of the South Pole-Aitken basin, an impact site over 1,553 miles across that exposes the deepest parts of the lunar crust.
This enormous basin is the Moon’s oldest impact feature. It is also the deepest, with a rim-to-floor distance of almost eight miles (13 km), or more than six times as deep as the Grand Canyon.
It is believed to have formed in the Moon’s early history during a collision which likely threw up material from the interior, meaning that Chang’e 4 could provide new clues as to how the Moon came into being.
Launched on 7 December 2018, the Chang’e 4 spacecraft comprises both a lunar lander and a six-wheeled rover. Chang’e 4 first entered an elliptical lunar orbit on 12 December, drawing as close as nine miles (15 km) from the surface before its historic landing.
Spacecraft have taken pictures of the Moon’s far side before but no lander has ever touched down there and the accomplishment marks a further step towards China’s ambition to become a leading power in space exploration.
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine described it as an “impressive accomplishment”, saying: “Congratulations to China’s Chang’e-4 team for what appears to be a successful landing on the far side of the Moon – this is a first for humanity.”
The Moon is tidally locked to the Earth which means those of us bound to the planet can only ever view the familiar lunar ‘face’. And, despite pop culture references to the contrary, the far side isn’t dark – it receives solar light when the Moon sits between Earth and the Sun.
To communicate with Chang’e 4 on the lunar surface, the Chinese space agency launched the Queqiao relay satellite which went into a ‘halo’ orbit over the far side of the Moon last May. The satellite allows the lander and rover to communicate via relay and send scientific data back to Earth.
Both the rover and the lander are equipped with a suite of instruments – including three cameras – that will allow Chinese space scientists to study in detail the geology of the area. The lander also carries seeds and silkworm eggs within a sealed container and will examine whether the two life forms can thrive in the hostile lunar environment.
A booster rocket carrying a Soyuz spacecraft with a Russian and a US astronaut onboard headed for the International Space Station (ISS) failed in mid-air today (11 October) forcing the crew to make an emergency landing.
The rocket was carrying US astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexei Ovchinin. Footage from inside the Soyuz showed the two men being shaken around at the moment the failure occurred, with their arms and legs flailing.
The Russian federal space agency (Roscosmos) launched its Soyuz MS-10 crew vehicle with two new crew members from Baikonur at 1440 local time. Failure came during a booster staging a few minutes in flight.
The crewed Soyuz would normally ferry three people to the ISS but was carrying a reduced crew complement as part of Russia’s continued initiative to keep its total crew presence on Station to just two until the launch in late 2019 of their new science lab, Nauka.
The Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft had been in build operations for several years in preparation for its scheduled six-month mission to the Space Station. Earlier this year, it passed a series of pressure and acoustic tests to verify its fitness to carry crew to orbit, a process completed on 20 July with certification of the craft’s hermeticity.
The emergency escape system has never been needed on the Soyuz-FG rocket, though it was used on 26 September 1983 during the Soyuz T-10-1 launch. In the final seconds of that count, the Soyuz T rocket caught fire on the launch pad, and the launch escape system pulled the crew away from the rocket just two seconds before the vehicle exploded.
Within minutes of the emergency landing Russian news agencies reported that the crew had safely made an emergency landing and were in radio contact and that rescuers were on the way to pick them up.
Seeds from Isaac Newton’s apple tree, which were blasted into space with British European astronaut Tim Peake, are now young trees and in need of a new home.
The apple pips were taken to the International Space Station (ISS) on the ESA Principia mission where they spent six months floating in microgravity as part of the ‘Pips in Space’ project.
Now the UK Space Agency (UKSA), the National Trust and Kew, who worked together on the project, have teamed up with South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) in Lincolnshire to launch a competition to find partners that share a commitment to inspire future Newtons to host the trees.
The bidding was launched today (12 September) at Newton’s birthplace, Woolsthorpe Manor, during the media launch of this month’s SKDC-backed Gravity Fields Festival, the only event in the UK combining the discoveries of Newton with interpretations of his legacy.
Organisations can bid for one of the eight unique saplings, explaining how they will give them space to grow, engage new audiences and promote curiosity.
The pips were taken from the iconic Flower of Kent tree at Woolsthorpe Manor, Isaac Newton’s family home near Grantham, Lincolnshire, which is cared for by the National Trust.
The tree, which still bears fruit every year was said to have prompted Newton to question why the apple fell, leading to his world-changing work around gravity. His landmark work, called Principia Mathematica, was chosen as the name of Tim Peake’s mission to acknowledge the debt of all space travellers to Newton’s work.
Jeremy Curtis, Head of Education and Skills at the UKSA, said: “We are thrilled that our friends at Kew have managed to nurture these precious young trees to the point where they can begin independent lives.
“Now we need to find good homes for them across the UK to help as many people as possible find out about the intertwined stories of Newton, gravity, physics, space travel and horticulture. Maybe one of the trees will one day inspire the next Newton!”
On their return from space in 2016, the well-travelled pips went to Wakehurst Place, part of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where they spent 90 days sitting on a bed of agar jelly at 5 C to simulate the winter cold needed to trigger germination. Spring arrived for them in May 2017 when they were warmed to 15C and the young seedlings started to emerge. They have now been nurtured into ‘space saplings’.
Investigations into an air leak in a Soyuz return spacecraft docked to the International Space Station (ISS) have been stepped up as it was revealed this week that the hole was most likely a result of human error rather than a micro-meteorite impact.
Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Roscosmos space agency told Russian media he was not ruling anything out, saying the hole was drilled “by a human hand” which could have happened on the ground before launch. He also speculated that it could have occurred after the spacecraft reached orbit on 6 June 2018.
In an English-language report posted by the TASS news agency late on Monday, Rogozin – known for his often controversial comments and tweets – said the agency was “considering all the theories”, though in the case of the latter he did not address why an astronaut or cosmonaut might do such a thing given the obvious danger to the Space Station and its crew.
“The theory one about a meteorite impact has been rejected because the spaceship’s hull was evidently impacted from inside,” he stated.
The ISS crew – which comprises two Russian cosmonauts, three NASA astronauts and an ESA German astronaut – used tape to seal the leak after it caused a small loss of pressure that was not life-threatening.
Initially it was announced that the hole in the side of the ship, which is used to ferry astronauts to and from orbit, was most likely caused from the outside by a tiny meteorite. NASA issued photos of the so-called ‘impact’ but after detailed analysis Roscomos admitted that an external impact had been ruled out.
Apart from releasing a series of photos NASA has not commented, referring all questions to the Russian space agency which is overseeing the investigation.
Alexander Zheleznyakov, a former space industry engineer and author, told the TASS state news agency that drilling the hole in zero gravity would be nearly impossible in that part of the spacecraft.
“Why would cosmonauts do it?” he asked. The hole is in a section of the Soyuz ship that is discarded in orbit and not used to carry people back to Earth.
It seems more likely the spacecraft was damaged during testing at Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan after passing initial checks and the mistake then hastily covered up. “Someone messed up and then got scared and sealed up the hole,” one space industry source speculated, but when the Soyuz reached the ISS the sealant “dried up and fell off”.
Energiya, which builds the Soyuz spacecraft, will carry out checks for possible defects on all Soyuz ships and Progress unmanned ships used for cargo at its production sites outside Moscow and at Baikonur.
The leak was discovered last Wednesday (29 August) evening when sensors aboard the ISS detected a slow loss of cabin air pressure. It was not deemed serious enough to wake the crew but the next morning it was traced the leak to the upper module of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft docked to the Russian Rassvet module.
Photographs of the hole in the Soyuz’s upper habitation module showed what appeared to be a drill hole in an interior panel with several nearby gouges, like those that would be caused by a drill skipping across a surface before digging in.
Some Russian media accounts have speculated a technician mistakenly drilled the hole during pre-flight processing and then attempted to cover up the mistake by applying a sealant of some sort. After two months in orbit, the sealant could have dried out and been expelled by cabin air pressure, causing the leak.
Space companies Lockheed Martin and Orbex are investing in space launch operations and plan to bring innovative new technology to Britain, business secretary Greg Clark announced today (Monday 16 July) during the Farnborough International Airshow.
Two separate government grants worth a combined £23.5 million will assist Lockheed Martin in establishing vertical launch operations at Sutherland using proven technology and to develop an innovative new system in Reading for deploying small satellites. Known as an ‘orbital manoeuvring vehicle’, this will be the upper stage of Lockheed Martin’s rocket and will deploy up to six small satellites to separate orbits.
The figure includes a £5.5 million grant to UK-based Orbex to build an innovative new rocket for launch from Sutherland, with the support of British manufacturing operations and supply chains. Its orbital launch vehicle, called Prime, will deliver small satellites into Earth’s orbit, using a single renewable fuel, bio-propane, that cuts carbon emissions by 90 percent compared to hydrocarbon fuels.
The announcements build on awards of £2.5m to the Scottish Highlands and Islands Enterprise to develop a vertical launch spaceport in Sutherland and a £2m development fund for horizontal spaceports such as those planned in Cornwall, Glasgow Prestwick and Snowdonia
Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “As a nation of innovators and entrepreneurs, we want Britain to be the first place in mainland Europe to launch satellites as part of our Industrial Strategy. The UK’s thriving space industry, research community and aerospace supply chain put the UK in a leading position to develop both vertical and horizontal launch sites.
“This will build on our global reputation for manufacturing small satellites and help the whole country capitalise on the huge potential of the commercial space age.”
Horizontal launch sites have significant potential in a future UK spaceflight market, which could attract companies from all over the world to invest in Britain. Sites such as Newquay, Glasgow Prestwick and Snowdonia will share a new £2m fund to grow their sub-orbital flight, satellite launch and spaceplane ambitions.
The British government is to give RAF Air Command responsibility for command and control of UK military space operations to help defend the country’s interests in space.
In an announcement preceding the opening of the first ever UK Defence Space Conference in London today (21 May) the defence secretary Gavin Williamson also confirmed his intention to boost the 500 personnel currently working in the UK defence space sector by a fifth over the next five years, taking the total to over 600.
With an increasing amount of the UK’s military systems now dependent on space technology, he said Britain must be ready to counter the “intensifying threats” to everyday life emerging in space.
The strategy will include plans to protect UK operations against “emerging space-based threats”, such as the “jamming of civilian satellites used for broadcasters and satellite navigation to support military capabilities”. It will also look at the UK’s current contribution to the EU Galileo programme, as well as exploring ways British companies could benefit from an alternative.
Williamson added: “We must make sure we are primed and ready to deter and counter the intensifying threats to our everyday life that are emerging in space. That’s why today I’m announcing the RAF is taking the lead in this area and why we plan to increase the number of personnel covering space.
“Satellite technology is not just a crucial tool for our armed forces but vital to our way of life, whether that be access to our mobile phones, the internet or television.
“It is essential we protect our interests and assets from potential adversaries who seek to cause major disruption and do us harm.
“Britain is a world leader in the space industry and our defence scientists and military personnel have played a central role in the development of the EU’s Galileo satellite programme alongside British companies, so it is important we also review our contribution and how we plan for alternative systems in this crucial area.”
Defence minister Guto Bebb, speaking at the conference reiterated that space is a “vital part” of the British economy.
“With the launch of this strategy, we are setting our aspirations much higher, to ensure that our industry continues to benefit from this growth in satellite technology.
“We are investing millions into Britain’s most innovative companies to help us launch forward in the space domain.”
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hiller said: “I am determined to ensure that the RAF’s leadership of military space operations transforms our ability to address the growing threats and hazards. In doing this, it is essential that we work jointly across Defence and with partners cross Government and internationally.”
“Britain is a world leader in the space industry and our defence scientists and military personnel have played a central role in the development of the EU’s Galileo satellite programme alongside British companies, so it is important we also
Gavin Williamson also confirmed Britain would be reviewing its contribution to the EU’s Galileo satellite navigation programme and looking at plans for alternative systems.
As part of the EU’s Galileo programme, UK companies have led the way in developing innovative satellite technology and contributing €1.4 billion in funding to the programme and provided vital ground infrastructure in the Falklands and the Ascension Islands.
From the same pad where NASA launched rockets that carried astronauts to the Moon and Space Shuttle crews into Earth orbit a big, new American rocket arced into space on Tuesday. But this time NASA was not involved. The rocket, the Falcon Heavy (in essence three smaller Falcon 9’s strapped together) was built by SpaceX, the company founded and run by the billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Viewed from the Press Centre near the giant countdown clock the Falcon Heavy cut an imposing figure across the Cape Canaveral landscape as it awaited lift-off after a tense series of delays due to strong winds high in the atmosphere.
The launch attracted thousands of sightseers, crowds not seen since NASA’s last space shuttle flight seven years ago. Scores of journalists packed the space centre to witness not only the launch but also the return to land of two of the Heavy’s three first-stage boosters, strapped on the rocket’s side for takeoff.
The mission was flawless, a triumph for SpaceX and its cheering employees. The business model of SpaceX is to drive down launch costs and make space affordable and to that end all three main rocket cores are reusable. Perfectly synchronised, the outer cores landed back at Kennedy Space Center.
Just a few years ago the notion of re-landing reusable rockets seemed like a pipe dream and yet SpaceX has made it routine, with regular landings on land and on a drone ship floating in the Atlantic Ocean.
The experimental rocket also carried a playful and unusual payload: Mr Musk’s red Roadster, an electric sports car built by his other company, Tesla. Strapped inside the car was a dummy wearing a SpaceX spacesuit and soon after launch social media was alive with pictures of the car in orbit around Earth before it was boosted out into the solar system.
It’s difficult to overstate what SpaceX has accomplished. The successful introduction of a new heavy rocket to the world, the most powerful in operation and second only to the Apollo era, all through a private company and at a fraction of a cost of other systems currently in construction.
But this was just a first step because the ultimate ambition of Elon Musk is to take people back to the Moon and on to Mars.
The Falcon Heavy’s specs are impressive. The three-core rocket boasts 27 engines (more than any other working rocket has used before) which together provide more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, allowing the vehicle to put more than 140,000 pounds of cargo into low Earth orbit.
Though it is not as tall or wide as United Launch Alliance’s Delta 4-Heavy, it has more than twice the capability of any rocket currently on the market and almost as much as NASA’s new SLS launcher.
NASA’s giant rocket certainly has its share of problems. It could still be years from making its first flight and probably won’t carry a crew until at least 2022. Some estimates show that SLS may cost more than 10 times as much to fly as the Falcon Heavy.
On the road to Mars and in the wake of this high profile success serious questions now lie ahead for both NASA and the US taxpayer.
Post-Brexit security concerns means the UK is to lose the EU’s Galileo Security Monitoring Centre to Madrid, Spain.
Spain was announced on today (Thursday) as the new host of a data centre that protects military information gathered by the EU’s satellite navigation system.
The facility helps ensure the security of the Galileo satellite programme which is used by government defence programmes as well as for civilian navigation systems. It is currently located in Swanwick, Hampshire, and acts as a backup for the main infrastructure in Paris.
A European Commission spokesperson said that the European GNSS Programme Committee voted “by a large majority” in favour of relocating the UK center to Spain “as a consequence of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU.
The UK still has the option of staying in the Galileo programme like Norway or Switzerland but non-EU member countries are excluded from participating in security aspects.
“Given the overriding importance for the Galileo programme of maintaining the business continuity of the backup site, it is necessary that the UK backup site is transferred to a location in the EU27,” the spokesperson said.
The data centre, which will employ up to 30 people once fully operational, is the latest facility to move from the UK following the relocation of two major EU agencies, the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority.
The UK’s new Space Industry Bill had its second reading in the Houses of Parliament this week (15 January) and ‘ROOM – The Space Journal’ was given a privileged mention.
John Hayes MP, one of the bill’s key architects during his tenure as Minister of State in the Department of Transport until returning to the back benches during Theresa May’s New Year cabinet reshuffle, urged the government to be “bold”.
In response to a question about space debris mitigation, Mr Hayes produced the Autumn 2017 issue of ROOM and said: “To avoid delaying the House unduly I refer my honourable friend to The Space Journal which has an article I was reading just this weekend on exactly that point.
It is headed ‘Space debris break point’ and it sets out precisely the kind of risks and problems highlighted. His reading this will I am sure allow him to take the matter further.”
Mr Hayes went on to say that the space was a “highly dynamic sector” and by the time the Bill bears fruit in five or 10 years’ time technology was likely to be “unrecognisable”.
“The speed and pace of technological change requires government to know when to be modest and when to be bold and this Bill attempts to square that circle. Governments have a habit of not doing long term things and I am pleased this Bill is an exception.”
The UK Space Industry Bill, expected to become law in mid-2018, is the country’s most significant new spaceflight regime in decades and contains a new framework for licensing and regulating spaceports and launch operators in the UK.
Its second reading in the House of Commons on 15 January 2018 paves the way for secondary legislation over the coming months which will contain the real detail for spaceport operators and launch providers.
UK government ministers say the Bill is designed to ensure Britain stays at the forefront of the space industry.
But at the same time prime minister Theresa May was accused of having a ‘black hole’ in her plans after it emerged she had failed to appoint a new Space Minister in time to steer the Bill through the House of Commons.
Jo Johnson MP held the role until he was moved to the Transport department in the New Year cabinet reshuffle. A spokesman for the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) confirmed other ministerial responsibilities have not been fully finalised.
John Hayes has been Conservative MP for the constituency of South Holland and The Deepings in the east of England since 1997 and was Minister of State for Transport from July 2016 to January 2018.
The UAE (United Arab Emirates) confirmed plans this week to build a city called ‘Mars Scientific City’, a US$135 million (Dh500 million) project that will simulate life on the red planet on Earth.
The announcement was made on the first day of the Annual Government Meetings in Abu Dhabi and also coincided with the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) being held in Adelaide, Australia. Dubai will host the IAC in 2020.
The high-tech city will cover 1.9 million square feet, making it the largest space-simulation city ever built, providing a viable and realistic model to simulate living on the surface of Mars.
The project encompasses laboratories for food, energy and water, as well as agricultural testing and studies about food security in the future.
It will also include a museum displaying humanity’s greatest space achievements, including educational areas to engage young citizens with space and inspire a passion in them for exploration and discovery. The walls of the museum will be 3D printed, using sand from the UAE desert.
“We are seeking a better life and education as well as a stronger economy and the internationally most sophisticated infrastructure for generations to come,” said His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The Mars Science City project falls within the UAE’s objectives to lead the global scientific race to take people to Mars and is part of the country’s Mars 2117 Strategy which seeks to build the first settlement on Mars in the next 100 years.
The project seeks to attract the best scientific minds from around the world in a collaborative contribution in the UAE to human development and the improvement of life. It also seeks to address global challenges such as food, water and energy security on Earth.
The plan for the Mars Science City project includes an experiential element, which will involve a team living in the simulated red planet city for one year, involving a range of experiments are to be devised, which will lead to innovation around self-sufficiency in energy, water and food.
The Mars Science City structure will be the most sophisticated building in the world and will incorporate a realistic simulation environment replicating the conditions on the surface of Mars.
The city will consist of several domes, with innovative construction techniques providing support for the structures. A team of Emirati scientists, engineers and designers, led by a team from the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre and Dubai Municipality, will carry out the project, in cooperation with internationally renowned architects.
A ‘hard’ or ‘no deal’ Brexit delivered by a future Tory government could seriously damage the UK’s £14 billion a year space industry which is estimated to contribute around £250 billion a year across the British economy.
Speaking to more than 1200 British and European space experts at the biennial UK Space Conference (UKSC) in Manchester, Richard Peckham, head of trade organisation Ukspace and director of strategy for Airbus Defence & Space, raised the prospect of Brexit damaging a buoyant and expanding sector.
“Research-based academia and industry here and in Europe are completely entwined with goods, services, data and people crossing borders and I don’t think I’ve met anybody in the space industry or academia who wanted Brexit. Uncharted waters lie ahead,” he said.
“The space industry sees many challenges ahead as we navigate ourselves as a nation out of the European Union with the potential for major disruption to our businesses if things go badly.”
Mr Peckham described the most immediate threat as continued participation in the EU’s Galileo navigation and Copernicus Earth observation programmes, as well as Govsatcom (communications), IRIS (air traffic management) and SSA/SST (space debris).
“Our industry is already feeling the pain, especially as customers and suppliers in other nations are making contingency plans for the worst case in which British companies become ineligible for future contracts, and are planning to exclude British companies now just to be on the safe side,” he added.
“To be realistic there are some other countries out there who will see this as an opportunity to take work from the UK and I would urge government not to approach these negotiations in such an adversarial manner.”
Earlier Graham Tunnock, appointed chief executive of the UK Space Agency (UKSA) on 1 April, said election rules allowed him to attend the conference but restricted his comments on future government space policy.
Jan Worner, European Space Agency (ESA) director general, reminded delegates that at last year’s ministerial meeting the UK had committed €1.4 billion to ESA’s budget until 2020 and he urged the UK to remain a strong member of the ESA community.
“Brexit is happening and you have made a decision which I do not like,” he said. “UK membership of ESA is not at all in question but of course a future exchange rate might have an effect in the future.”
He also said it would be vital to find a solution for the ESA family members living and working in the UK from other countries.
“I understand the politicians will be discussing a divorce between London and Brussels but in any divorce there are the children and in that respect we are the children,” he added.
The UK space trade association presented a ‘facts and figures’ document and urged British delegates to lobby their MP on behalf of the space industry.
“The decision to leave the EU has created significant uncertainty and could impact the efficiency of the integrated supply chain, R&D collaboration and joint programmes with other countries,” it stated.
Five key requests for the Brexit negotiations were listed:
∙ Retain full access to vital EU space programmes
∙ Avoid UK industry being marginalised during Brexit process
∙ Retain access to and influence in the collaborative R&D programmes run by the EU
∙ Maintain access to the EU pool of skilled labour which is required to maintain UK competitiveness
∙ Keep frictionless access to the EU single market without burdensome customs and administration.
The UK space industry is showing growth of around seven percent a year and currently provides jobs for around 40,000 people.
The latest issue of global space magazine ROOM – The Space Journal is published this week and is a must-read for anyone interested in space and the future.
Printed copies delivered either by mail direct to your home or electronic digital versions for download are available on subscription from the ROOM website
In this issue of ROOM there are exclusive articles on ‘Sky-fi – the dawn of the space internet era’, ‘Surviving radiation for space colonisation’, ‘Growing plants without gravity’ and ‘Recipe for success on flights to Mars’, looking at how food will be more than just nourishment on future journeys to the red planet.
In his opinion piece ‘Could Brexit blow a hole in UK’s space ambitions?’, Dr Mike Leggett suggests Britain’s decision to leave the EU might have unanticipated effects on the long-established cooperation of the UK and Europe in space.
Swift progress towards deployment of large satellite constellations also point to serious issues in the space environment – not just for the future but for now – and these are eloquently addressed in articles ‘Mega challenges for mega constellations’ and ‘Urgent action needed to keep satellites safe in orbit’ by Holger Krag and Mark A. Skinner.
In ‘Spaceplane rationale – a new way of thinking’, David Ashford argues that a choice made by NASA four decades ago probably led to a very different future for the global launcher industry – and can we change it?
The latest issue of ROOM also highlights the search for a new system of space governance – a globally agreed system of laws and codes of conduct for the benefit of all humanity, not just those with the power and might to muscle their way to the front.
Articles in a special Space Security section come from a definitive new study contributed to by more than 80 lawyers and space professionals from around the world.
Other articles look at ‘How to build a Moon base cheaply’, differences between ‘Automated and human-operated systems’, Bepi-Colombo’s forthcoming mission to Mercury and ‘Hunting for neutrinos in the ice of Antarctica’.
“Important choices and decisions lie ahead, not only for our national and global politicians but also for those at the heart of the international space community,” suggests Managing Editor Clive Simpson in the issue’s challenging Foreword.
“Does humanity take the well-trodden path of least resistance or do we head intelligently and wisely into a brave new world of cooperation and togetherness – and go daringly and boldly into the future?”
Want to read more? Then order your own copy of ROOM now – visit the website now.
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has detected hydrogen in a plume of gas and icy particles spraying from Saturn’s moon Enceladus, prompting the question could it be a suitable energy source for microbes to exist in its sub-surface oceans.
Forty years ago, scientists on Earth found an astonishing oasis of life clustered around vents at the bottom of the ocean. Despite being thousands of metres under the sea and therefore far away from sunlight, life was being sustained via the energy produced from hydrothermal activity released from the vents.
This discovery changed how we thought about how life can cope on our planet and elsewhere in the Solar System. Now, this new detection along with a further revelation that Hubble has also just found additional evidence of plumes erupting from Jupiter’s moon Europa, these results are tantalising close to answering whether we are indeed alone in the Universe or not.
“This is the closest we’ve come, so far, to identifying a place with some of the ingredients needed for a habitable environment,” says Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
The detection of hydrogen gas in the plumes of Enceladus is suggestive that like on Earth, hydrogen is pouring into the moon’s subsurface ocean from hydrothermal activity on the seafloor. If that is the case, then it is also reasonable to think that microbe life – if it exists – could be flourishing due to a process known as ‘methanogenesis’. This reaction involves combining hydrogen with carbon dioxide dissolved in water to produce methane.
The production of methane is an important and widespread form of microbial metabolism and a source of energy for metabolism is one of the three primary ingredients for life as we know it to exist. The other two necessary ingredients are liquid water and the right chemical ingredients – primarily carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur.
From these current observations researchers have determined that nearly 98 percent of the gas in the plume is water, about 1 percent is hydrogen and the rest is a mixture of other molecules including carbon dioxide, methane and ammonia. And although Cassini has not yet shown that phosphorus and sulphur are present in Enceladus’s ocean, it is possible that they are present as the rocky core of this icy world is thought to be chemically similar to meteorites that contain these two elements.
The plumes on Enceladus are also associated with hotter regions on the moon. It had already been suggested from previous results in 2015 that hot water on the moon was interacting with rock beneath the sea. This new finding is therefore an independent line of evidence supporting the theory of hydrothermal activity taking place in the ocean of Enceladus.
Business Secretary Greg Clark has confirmed today that Tim Peake will make a second mission to the International Space Station (ISS) to continue work on scientific research and broadening our understanding of the space environment.
The announcement about the European Space Agency mission for Tim Peake, which will also be available to the other ESA astronauts in the class of 2009, marks a further boost to the UK’s space ambitions and to the profile of a sector of growing economic and educational importance to the country. A crucial part of Tim Peake’s work is driving interest in science, technology, engineering and maths in schools, and the UK’s future technical expertise.
Mr Clark also announced that UK space businesses are set to benefit from a £152 million fund, using British expertise in satellite technology for international projects monitoring and addressing problems such as flooding, drought and deforestation.
Firms from Edinburgh, Oxfordshire, and Aberystwyth are among those who will use technology such as satellite communications and Earth observation data to help address significant social and environmental issues including crop loss, illegal fishing and emergency response.
This national funding follows the UK commitment of €1.4 billion (equivalent to around £300 million a year), which was committed last month, for the European Space Agency over the next four years.
It signals a major advance in support for the sector, with future growth focused on increasing the number of people with the technical training to support the industry, greater opportunity for private sector companies to invest in commercial projects, and continued expansion of British satellite technology businesses.
Tim Peake will undertake a second space mission as a British European Space Agency astronaut, with the timing to be confirmed by the ESA in line with normal mission selection protocol.
The world woke up today with news that Donald Trump will be the next American president. Although it will be too early to tell exactly what this means for the US space industry, science has played only a small part in this year’s dramatic, hard-fought campaign and many researchers have already expressed fear and disbelief at Hillary Clinton’s defeat.
“Trump will be the first anti-science president we have ever had,” said Michael Lubell, director of public affairs for the American Physical Society in Washington DC. “The consequences are going to be very, very severe.”
A Trump presidency carries many unknowns when it comes not only to space policy but to other scientific issues. For example, Trump has already openly questioned the science underlying climate change – at one point suggesting that it was a Chinese hoax – and pledged to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement.
However, in his official campaign statements, Trump has largely struck a pro-commercialism viewpoint toward civil spaceflight. “Public-private partnerships should be the foundation of our space efforts,” according to Bob Walker and Peter Navarro, senior policy advisers to Trump. “Such partnerships offer not only the benefit of reduced costs, but the benefit of partners capable of thinking outside of bureaucratic structures and regulations.”
Other sources agree that it seems likely that the Trump administration will take a hard look at costly NASA programmes, such as the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft, which could be replaced by cheaper, private alternatives.
During the campaign Trump admitted in response to one question that NASA wouldn’t be his focus because there were bigger issues to fix.
Concerning crewed trips to an asteroid and then Mars, Trump has said such ventures will be low on the list of things that need to get done compared, for example, to infrastructure and other problems.
He has indicated that, after taking office, he would commission a comprehensive review of US plans for space, and would work with Congress to set both “priorities and mission”.
SpaceX entrepreneur Elon Musk brought high drama and a remarkable vision of the future to the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) being held in the Mexican ‘silicon valley’ city of Guadalaraja this week.
Musk took centre stage on Tuesday to outline his plans to establish a human colony on Mars at an affordable ticket price of US$200,000.
Speaking to an audience of around 2,000 conference delegates, students and media – many of whom had queued for around 90 minutes to grab a seat in the cavernous presentation hall – his presentation was punctuated with woops and cheers.
Mr Musk, who founded private spaceflight company SpaceX in 2002, said his colonisation plan uses a fully reusable transportation system that would take 100 people and 80 days to get to Mars and eventually in as little as 30 days.
The system consists of a spaceship that is refuelled with methane and oxygen in Earth orbit and also on Mars after landing there. He explained that to achieve the target US$200,000 price the entire transportation system has to be reusable.
He suggested Mars could eventually have a colony of a million people which would make it self-sustaining and that, with his plan, this could be achieved in a 100 years.
“I want to make Mars seem possible, something we can do in our life times – and that anyone can go if they wanted to,” he said.
According to a timeline outlined by Mr Musk in his presentation the first Mars flight could take place in 2022 in a spacecraft he would like to name ‘The Heart of Gold’, after the starship in Douglas Adams’ book, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’.
A prototype spaceship is planned to make test flights in four years, initially going into space, but not into orbit. Initially SpaceX will used Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center which is being leased from NASA and later a second launch base developed in Texas.
Just prior to the IAC, Mr Musk announced that SpaceX had carried out its first test of the Raptor rocket engine that will power the spaceship and the booster that puts it into orbit. A prototype booster fuel tank has also been built and tested and Mr Musk showed a picture of the enormous tank with staff standing next to it.
The combination of the booster and spaceship is called the Interplanetary Transportation System (ITS) and together they stand 122 m tall, bigger than an Apollo-era Moon programme Saturn V rocket. The booster will have 42 Raptor engines arranged in concentric circles.
The spaceship itself will have nine Raptor engines, carry 450 tonnes of crew, life support and cargo, and would be designed as a “fun” place to live and work. Initial development is being funded by profit from SpaceX and Mr Musk’s own wealth.
SpaceX also plans to launch its first Red Dragon to Mars in a couple of years when the Earth and Mars are closest, and at regular intervals thereafter, effectively offering it’s own ‘shuttle’ service for delivering payloads and science ecxperiments to the red planet.
Asked whether he would be on his first crewed spaceship to Mars, Mr Musk was a little more hesitant, saying there were “pros and cons”, especially as the first trip would probably be the most dangerous.
Mr Musk’s full presentation can be viewed by clicking here: SpaceX Mars
Britain will stay in the European Space Agency (ESA) if it leaves the EU but will have to renegotiate terms to continue participating in certain projects.
Speaking in London this week at ‘Space four Inspiration’, ESA director-general Jan Woerner stated: “The UK will remain a member state of ESA, this is very clear.”
“But of course, as we are also dealing with European programmes like Copernicus and Galileo, and also the question of UK citizens working on the continent and all these legal issues, we have to take it into account.”
Speaking in Paris, Jean Bruston, head of ESA’s EU policy office, said ESA remained autonomous from the European Union and should not be directly affected by the ‘Brexit’.
Twenty EU countries – including Britain – belong to ESA, along with two other non-EU countries Norway and Switzerland.
Apart from its ESA participation, Britain is also party to several EU-driven space programmes.
These include the Copernicus satellite system to monitor environmental damage and boost disaster relief, and Horizon 2020, which seeks to boost scientific research and innovation.
“As soon as Britain leaves the EU it will not be participating in these programmes any longer,” said Bruston.
UK-based companies hold contracts worth tens of millions of euros from ESA to supply hardware for Copernicus as well as the Galileo satellite navigation system, a rival to America’s GPS.
“If nothing changes and Brexit goes ahead we would have to halt these contracts,” added Bruston.
Britain could still contribute to Galileo and Copernicus if it negotiated a third-party agreement with the EU, which is what Norway and Switzerland have done.
As non-EU members, they make project-specific contributions to the EU which means ESA can then place contracts with companies in those countries.
Tweaks would have to be made in the existing EU-ESA agreement for the UK to follow suit, explained Bruston.
Legendary composer and pioneer of electronic music Vangelis has produced a brand new album, ‘Rosetta’, inspired by ESA’s Rosetta mission.
The release of the album by Decca Records on 23 September coincides with the culmination of Rosetta’s 12-year mission to orbit and land its Philae probe on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Rosetta is set to complete its journey in a controlled descent to the surface of the comet on 30 September.
The story of this mission fuelled Vangelis’ long-held passion for space and inspired him to create his first new studio album in 18 years.
Vangelis’ music is often linked to themes of science, history and exploration. Alongside his Academy Award-winning score for ‘Chariots of Fire’, he has written for films including ‘Bladerunner’, ‘Antarctica’, ‘1492: Conquest of Paradise’, ‘The Bounty’ and ‘Alexander’.
“Mythology, science and space exploration are subjects that have fascinated me since my early childhood. And they were always connected somehow with the music I write,” said Vangelis.
ESA’s connection with Vangelis goes back several years to when ESA astronaut André Kuipers was on the International Space Station. André is a big fan and he had a lot of Vangelis’ music with him in space.
After sharing stories and experiences with André via video call from the ISS, Vangelis was inspired to write some music for ESA to mark the landing of Philae on the comet in 2014.
To Vangelis, music is a sacred, basic force of the Universe, its purpose to elevate, inspire and to heal humankind. Never has this been more obvious than on ‘Rosetta’, an album that perfectly blends his fascination with the Universe and his ability to compose stirring music.
“With music, you can enhance emotions and create memories: I believe that what Vangelis wanted to do was share a lasting memory of our Rosetta mission through his music,” says Carl Walker, from ESA’s communication department.
Vangelis has dedicated this new album to everyone who made the ESA’s ongoing Rosetta mission possible, in particular extending the track called ‘Rosetta’s Waltz’ as an expression of his appreciation to the mission team.
“Rosetta has been an amazing journey for everybody involved, both scientifically and technically, but it has also connected emotionally with so many people around the world,” says ESA’s Prof Mark McCaughrean, senior science advisor in the Directorate of Science.
“So you can imagine how proud we were when one of the world’s great composers Vangelis made some music for us at the time of landing, and how excited we are that he’s put together a whole album of original music about this astonishing adventure.”
Dr Igor Ashurbeyli, founder and editor-in-chief of ‘ROOM: The Space Journal’ and chairman of the Moscow-based International Expert Society on Space Threat Defence, has proposed that nations should co-operate to build an armed space station capable of tackling both natural and man-made threats to the planet.
Ashurbeyli was delivering the keynote address at the 4th Manfred Lachs International Conference on Conflicts in Space and the Rule of Law in Montreal, Canada.
Talking to this meeting of lawyers from around the world he said that a new international approach to space, which he dubbed ‘astropolitics’, would be required to bring this concept to reality. Astropolitics would also be needed to deal with other potential issues such as defining who would be responsible for trying, convicting and punishing someone who commits a murder in space.
He highlighted space-derived threats to mankind ranging from asteroids to sun storms as well as threats arising on Earth from human activity including war and global warming. One defence against some of these threats, he suggested, was what he termed ‘URBOCOP’ – a Universal Robotic Battle Cosmic Platform.
It would be an armed, unmanned space station capable of monitoring Earth and space. It would have on-board weapons capable of destroying both natural and man-made objects threatening Earth – including ballistic missiles launched by one national against another.
The control system would be entirely automatic and free from human bias, allowing it to make decisions about striking dangerous military launches, regardless of their country of origin.
To be acceptable to governments around the globe it must be an international platform with completely transparent intellectual property rights and open architecture. Funding and the right to use it must belong to all mankind – encompassing advanced nations and developing countries alike, with no restrictions or boundaries.
It will require a new approach to international politics which Ashurbeyli named ‘astropolitics’ – something which would need to encompass not just major aspects of international relationships but legal matters of a much more human scale.
He said: “Given our history, the question I now pose is inevitable and perhaps a little sad – but is key for international law makers. At some point the first murder of a person, either from space or in space, will take place.
“If, or rather when, this happens – will a legal framework to deal with it already be in place – before it is unavoidably popularised by a bestselling book and a Hollywood blockbuster?
“Despite the fact that space development is currently largely the domain of around ten countries from more than 200 across the globe, I maintain that space law should not be the law of the rich and powerful.
“We do not need space cowboys in space saloons or a new gold rush in pursuit of the natural resources of space.
“We all share responsibility for a world of eight billion people and as we move into a new era of space exploitation and exploration we will need steadfast and robust laws and treaties – much like the laws we already have governing our oceans and land masses.”
United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rockets will launch the first of Bigelow Aerospace’s giant expandable B330 modules – each of which will provide one-third as much usable volume as the entire International Space Station (ISS) – representatives from both companies announced today (April 11).
The two aerospace companies are teaming up to launch the giant space habitats to orbit with the first targeted for 2020 in an agreement which marks the first commercial partnership between a launch provider and a space-habitat provider.
The goal is to launch the first of two B330s in 2020 and ideally that would be attached to the International Space Station (ISS), which would require NASA’s approval, said Bigelow Aerospace founder and president Robert Bigelow.
“Each B330 is able to be its own space station,” Bigelow said during a press briefing today at the 32nd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “They need no other habitats, modules or anything of the sort.”
The first orbiting B330, named because it contains 330 cubic metres of internal volume, could accommodate a variety of scientific experiments and house visiting space tourists, according to Bigelow.
Bigelow has already flown three expandable modules in space – the free-flying Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 prototypes, which launched in 2006 and 2007, and the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), which has just arrived at the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule.
Bigelow and ULA president and CEO Tory Bruno describe their companies’ partnership as a watershed moment for the exploration and exploitation of space.
“We are standing on the very threshold of an expanded and permanent human presence beyond our planet,” Bruno said at today’s briefing. “This is a very bright future, and you and I right now are standing here, looking right into it.”
Bigelow has already flown three expandable modules in space – the free-flying Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 prototypes, which launched in 2006 and 2007, and the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), which has just arrived at the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule.
The goal of BEAM – which offers just five per cent the volume of a B330 – is to prove and expandable technology for human use on orbit. It will stay attached to the ISS for the next two years.
Tucked in the trunk of the latest commercial cargo spacecraft to head for the International Space Station (ISS) is an expandable structure that has the potential to revolutionize work and life on the space station.
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is delivering almost 7,000 pounds of cargo, including the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), to the orbital laboratory following its launch on a Falcon 9 rocket at 4:43 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The mission is SpaceX’s eighth cargo delivery through NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract. Dragon’s cargo will support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations taking place on the space station during Expeditions 47 and 48.
“The cargo will allow investigators to use microgravity conditions to test the viability of expandable space habitats, assess the impact of antibodies on muscle wasting, use protein crystal growth to aid the design of new disease-fighting drugs and investigate how microbes could affect the health of the crew and their equipment over a long duration mission,” said NASA deputy administrator Dava Newman.
Dragon will be grappled at 7 am Sunday, 10 April by ESA’s British astronaut Tim Peake using the Station’s Candarm2 robotic arm, with help from NASA astronaut Jeff Williams.
BEAM will arrive in Dragon’s unpressurised trunk and, after about five days, will be removed and attached to the ISS. Expansion is targeted for the end of May. The module will expand to roughly 10 feet in diameter and 13 feet long. During its two-year test mission, astronauts will enter the module for a few hours several times a year to retrieve sensor data and assess conditions.
Expandable habitats are designed to take up less room on a rocket, but provide greater volume for living and working in space once expanded. This first in situ test of the module will allow investigators to gauge how well the habitat protects against solar radiation, space debris and contamination.
To see my photo of the oaunch from Kenedy Space Center in Florida click here
Journalist, editor and PR consultant Mike Holland of OlsenMetrix Marketing is the keynote speaker at Positive Networking’s first meeting of 2016 at the Dragonfly Hotel, Peterborough, on Thursday (14 January) at 6 pm.
In a presentation titled ‘Getting free publicity in the media’, he will provide useable hints and tips for getting your business into newspapers, magazines and websites.
By the end of his talk, which is free-to-attend event for guests and prospective members, you will know what journalists are looking for and how to provide it.
Says Mike: “Every business has stories to tell but you have to ‘spin’ them to meet your business objectives as well as the demands of the media.
“Happily, I can show you some really simple ways to do it. Come along to the event and you will be ready to issue your first press release next morning!”
Positive Networking is the new name for the Inspired Business Club, launched in the city last March and now attracting around 30 people to its twice monthly meetings.
The Peterborough business networking club re-launched at the start of the year after merging with one of Lincolnshire’s most successful business networks.
Crowland-based Mike Stokes has run the highly successful The Business Club in Lincoln since 2009 and was a founding partner of the Inspired Business Club with city businessman Sukhi Wahiwala.
At the start of the year both clubs merged into Positive Networking, headed up by Mike and his wife Diana, to create a new club with over 90 members and spanning the two counties.
“We offer a supportive and inspirational environment for open-minded and collaborative business people, and those looking to share experiences and learn from each other. Members can attend meetings in either city,” says Mike Stokes.
Mike believes Positive Networking is one of the most exciting networking opportunities available to sole traders, entrepreneurs and SMEs in 2016.
As well as regular keynote speakers, each evening includes buffet food and refreshments, along with structured networking designed to be friendly and supportive.
“Positive Networking is all about connecting key business people across the region, helping people collaborate and making useful new contacts,” says Mike.
Anyone wanting to attend Thursday’s Positive Networking meeting in Peterborough can register in advance for a free place via the website www.positivenetworking.co.uk
Government plans to drastically reduce the Feed in Tariff (FiT) for solar energy generation may be averted, according to the boss of South Lincolnshire-based Horizon Power, a renewables energy planning consultancy.
Keith Brooks is leading a campaign to invoke a ‘Quia Timet’ injunction against the government at the High Court of Chancery.
Also known as ‘freezing’ or ‘prohibitory’ injunctions, it would force the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to provide the applicant with all relevant data.
“This injunction would prevent all planned reductions in the current level of support for all renewable energy types,” claims Brooks. “It would allow a team representing industry to work with the DECC on quantifiable data.”
He is urging renewable companies, individuals and climate campaign groups to form a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) to put the application together.
“The last government consultation regarding pre-accreditation received 2,372 responses but was pushed through in four weeks and, with this in mind, what weight will the responses to the cuts in the FiT hold?”
Brooks believes he is not alone in thinking that the current consultation paper was just a “procedural inconvenience” and says a tangible and realistic solution is needed to support the renewables industry.
“The principle is not to form an anti-government CiC but to create a situation which encourages the government to work with companies within the renewables industry to develop a secure, workable programme that the government will be bound to uphold until 2050,” he says.
“What is needed is something to encourage the government to sit down with us and work out a solution. I believe an injunction that freezes the current rates would create such encouragement.”
This summer the government announced cuts to financial support to developers of new onshore wind turbines, the cheapest form of renewable power available, and in September said it intended to slash FiT payments on solar panels from January.
Its controversial consultation on proposed heavy cuts to FiT incentives closed on 23 October. Under the proposals it plans to cut incentives for solar installations by up to 87 per cent from 2016, as well as reducing support for small wind turbines and anaerobic digestion projects.
The world’s largest aircraft passed another milestone in its return-to-flight programme when it was filled with helium and floated for the first time inside its giant hanger at Cardington in Bedfordshire.
Four fork lift trucks, attached to the 92 m long Airlander by restraining ropes and each weighted down by a two tonne block of concrete, worked in unison to ‘walk’ the aircraft along the 248 m hanger.
Between now and the end of the year technicians will be working on Airlander’s engines, fins and mission module before the giant ship is ready early next year for ground tests and its first flight.
“Seeing the Airlander come to life and floating was simply breath-taking,” says Miked Durham, technical director of Hybrid Air Vehicles, which expects to create 1,800 new jobs in the UK in the next five years.
“Airlanders are low noise, low pollution and environmentally-friendly and this was a key moment for the UK’s aerospace industry in getting this unique aircraft ready for flight.”
HAV’s Airlander – billed as the largest and one of the greenest aircraft in the world – combines the best of airplanes, helicopters and airships in a unique way to create a new type of aircraft.
With the ability to fly for days without refuelling and land on any flat surface, it has far-reaching and flexible potential, including humanitarian missions, cargo transport to remote areas, and search-and-rescue.
Airlander’s revolutionary shape provides 40 per cent of the aerodynamic lift required to keep it aloft, with the remainder coming from helium. It will carry up to 10 tonnes of cargo and be able to fly half way round the world on a single tank of fuel.
With vertical take off and landing capabilities, as well as being able to operate from remote environments including water, desert and ice, HAV says its aircraft will be useful for many endurance tasks such as coastguard duties, military and civil surveillance, filming and academic research.
In passenger configuration they are planned to carry 48 passengers for tourism and pleasure flights, and the company is also evaluating the potential market for overnight city-centre to city-centre sleeper services.
HAV has already secured over £60 million of customer funding, along with £6m in grants and more than £12 million of equity funding.
It is also building an order book of commercial and military orders for trials, demonstration flights and for aircraft sales.
BAE Systems has paid £20.6 million for a 20 per cent stake in Reaction Engines, the company developing a hybrid rocket/jet engine called Sabre that could propel aircraft into space.
Reaction Engines, based at Abingdon in Oxfordshire, says the technology would allow the launch of satellites into space at a fraction of the current cost and allow passengers to fly anywhere in the world in four hours.
The British government is also investing £60 million in the firm which hopes to have a ground-based test engine working by the end of this decade and begin unmanned test flights by 2025.
Reaction Engines has already designed its own plane called Skylon which could use the radical new engines to take off from a runway and accelerate to more than five times the speed of sound, before switching to a rocket mode which would propel the aircraft into orbit.
“Today’s announcement represents an important landmark in the transition of Reaction Engines from a company that has been focused on the research and testing of enabling technologies for the Sabre engine to one that is now focused on the development and testing of the world’s first Sabre engine,” said Mark Thomas, managing director.
One of the key challenges faced by the company’s engineers is how to manage very hot air entering the engine at high speed, which has to be cooled prior to being compressed and burnt with onboard hydrogen.
They have developed a module containing arrays of extremely fine piping that can extract the heat and plunge the in-rushing air to about minus140C in just 1/100th of a second.
Nigel Whitehead, group managing director of programmes and support at BAE Systems, said: “Reaction Engines is a highly innovative UK company and our collaboration gives BAE Systems a strategic interest in a breakthrough air and space technology with significant future potential.”
The UK’s space, food and agriculture industries met in London this week to assess how space technology can better support future global food and agricultural production.
‘Satellites for Agri-Food’ highlighted how the British farming industry, food manufacturers and producers can access multi-million pound grants to deliver new ideas for increasing production efficiency using satellite and space technology.
It brought together over 150 businesses, entrepreneurs, academics and funders to address current and future challenges, such as climate change, data translation and food security, facing the agriculture and food sectors .
Hosted by the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), its purpose was to encourage new collaborative projects to apply for funding in Innovate UK’s latest £3.75 million competition. Grants of £18 million (€25 million) are also available through the European Horizon 2020 agriculture programme.
Dr David Telford, knowledge transfer manager for agriculture with KTN, told delegates the United Nations predicted food production will need to increase by 70 per cent to cope with a world population expected to reach more than nine billion by 2050.
“This will be a major challenge for the global food system which will have to balance demand with sustainable supplies, as well as meeting the challenges of a low emissions world and maintaining biodiversity,” he said.
Keston Williams, technical director of south coast-based semi-exotic produce specialist Barfoots, highlighted the possibilities that driver-less tractors and greater data connectivity could bring to the food sectors and encouraged the industry to “delve into the world of space”.
Simon Baty, knowledge transfer manager for food with KTN, described the event as about “seizing the opportunity” of collaboration. “It is through collaboration that companies will be able to grow more and sell more by adding value,” he said.
The ‘Satellites for Agri-Food’ competition is open to all companies involved in the food, agriculture and space industries. Projects must be collaborative and business-led, and applications can be submitted from 16 November up to the final deadline of 24 February 2016.
For full details about the competition click here and to find out more about KTN click here.
Delicate cargos of two contrasting kinds – newly spawned fish from Arctic waters and hi-tech industrial laser equipment – have been successfully transported to new destinations in northern Russia and Japan by Volga-Dnepr Airlines.
More than a million newly spawned fish began life in an usual fashion when the Russian private air charter company was called on to deliver a shipment of Muksun fish from a hatchery in St Petersburg to northern Russia.
The 1,236,000 whitefish, mostly found in Siberian Arctic waters, are being used to re-populate the freshwater Ob River basin and were transported in four 2.5 ton water containers with oxygen tanks to Salekhard – dubbed Russia’s Arctic capital – on board a Boeing 737 Freighter operated by AirBridgeCargo. It is believed to be the first time Muksun’s have flown by air.
To ensure the well-being of the fish, the aircraft’s cargo hold was maintained within a 12-14 degree Celsius temperature range and they were accompanied by fish breeding experts. The young fish weighed around one gram each but will eventually grow to up to 60 cm.
Engineers at Volga-Dnepr, developed a special loading plan for the flight and used bespoke equipment to unload the fish in their water containers in Salekhard. The fish were bred at a fish hatchery near St Petersburg as part of a programme to increase the population of the Muksun species in the Ob and Irtysh river basins in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Russia.
Transport of high value industrial laser equipment from Orebro in Sweden to Japan on one of Volga-Dnepr’s IL-76TD-90VD freighters also required a bespoke solution and extensive planning. “We first met with representatives of Scan Global Logistics six months prior to the flight to discuss the placing and shoring of the cargo,” says Alexey Stepanov, leading engineer at Volga-Dnepr.
“The 21-ton shipment’s dimensions were 3.2 metre wide and 2.7 metre high so it was decided to transport the laser equipment in a container with several holes that would enable us to moor the cargo in the aircraft.” A ramp extension originally developed for use by Volga-Dnepr’s An-124-100 freighter to load aerospace equipment – was used to load the container. The extension enables cargoes to be loaded and unloaded within the shortest possible distance of the IL-76’s cargo door, improving speed and safety.
“This cargo was oversize and delicate and needed to be loaded and carried in a temperature environment below 30C,” adds Stepanov. “The loading process in Sweden was therefore performed early in the morning, standing time during the maintenance stop in Krasnoyarsk was reduced to a minimum, and the aircraft remained closed while the maintenance team installed equipment to unload the container in Japan.”
Turkish Airlines Cargo has had a rough ride so far in 2015. Turkey’s proximity to the conflict in Syria alongside the political and currency problems experienced by some of its neighbours in Eastern Europe have not helped.
Turkish Airlines’ vice president of sales and marketing for cargo, Halit Anlatan, lists a catalogue of negative influences that have added challenges to an already competitive and margin-driven market.
“Cargo movement in the region, foreign currency devaluations against the US dollar, cyclical economic conditions, plunging oil prices and regional instabilities and geopolitical risks have all been negative factors and challenged our business in the first half of the year,” he tells Air Cargo Week (ACW). “As for the start of the second half of the year, Turkish Cargo has begun to recover but the effect of currency devaluation is still having some negative effects on export cargo volumes from the region. We are optimistic, however, that everything will turn around.”
Anlatan says Istanbul’s unique geographical position means Eastern European destinations are a natural part of its network and future business strategy. “Istanbul, located at the heart of world’s airfreight business, offers us quick access to both East and Western Europe, along with links to the Middle East and Far East,” he says.
“Recently, the airfreight business of Eastern Europe has faced serious political and economic problems following the events we have witnessed in Greece, Russia, Hungary and the Ukraine,” he explains. “Nevertheless, Turkish Cargo is continuing to grow its share of the East European market, having also opened freighter services to Sarajevo, Belgrade [and] Tallinn. This demonstrates the importance of those regions to us.”
Anlatan says Turkish Cargo cooperates closely with customers in Eastern Europe to overcome wherever possible any political and economic difficulties that may impact airfreight deliveries. “Many shippers from the automotive business, foodstuff and electronic sectors, as well as pharma manufacturers, are located in those countries and so rely on our expertise.
“We are also increasingly concentrating on highly sensitive product shipments like live animals, valuable and perishable cargos. Recent investments in our Istanbul hub have givenus the necessary facilities to handle such products,” he adds.
Turkish Cargo’s main export products from East European countries include pharmaceuticals, car parts, machinery and aircraft spare parts, engines, foodstuff, textiles and electronics.
“In the first half of 2015, we had a trend of single-digit gains, whereas many of the major European carriers suffered from shrinking cargo volumes,” says Anlatan.
Between the start of the global financial crisis around 2008 and now, Anlatan describes the gains of between 20 and 35 per cent made by Turkish Cargo as, “phenomenal”.
“It is inevitable that the gains of the past could not go on forever and now we are seeing gradually diminishing returns,” he says. “But, Turkish Cargo is the still one of the only major carriers in Europe to post gains in first quarter of 2015. We recorded double-digit increases by the end of May 2015 and plan to keep it that way until the end of year.”
Anlatan is realistic, however, in his assessment that further growth in Eastern Europe for Turkish Cargo will likely be heavily influenced by future developments, particularly if any restrictions on civil aviation are introduced.
Britain’s space industry has more than doubled its turnover over in the past decade to £11.8 billion a year and is ‘punching above its weight’ in the international marketplace.
Companies involved in the manufacturing of satellites, providing communications, broadcasting services and finding practical applications for data produced from space vehicles have delivered an average annual growth in turnover of 8.8 per cent since 2000.
The findings come in a new report, The Case for Space, published this week at the UK Space Conference in Liverpool. Produced for the Satellite Applications Catapult, Innovate UK, UKspace and the UK Space Agency, it examines the economic impact of Britain’s space industry.
The study, by London Economics, highlights the impact the industry has on everyday life in the country and reveals that 37,000 people are directly employed by Britain’s space companies.
“The space industry is largely misunderstood by the public,” Andy Green, co-chair of Britain’s Space Leadership Council, told more than 1000 delegates. “The future for Britain’s space industry is not about huge fireworks that cost tons of money into space. We’re looking at smaller, cheaper investments that will provide returns.
“That’s why we’re so encouraged about the government supporting a British spaceport. That’s basically just a very long runway but it means we can use aircraft to launch smaller satellites at a much lower cost than rockets.”
Spaceplanes and the progress towards a British spaceport were the subject of a special session on the second day of the conference, which included a presentation by Virgin Galactic’s CEO George Whitesides.
Mr Green, formerly Logica’s chief executive and now chairman of IG Group, said satellites touched people’s every day lives and this is the area where Britain’s space industry is making its mark.
“Space is really about down to earth applications, whether it’s navigation for cars or ships, images that can help with weather forecasting and agriculture, satellite broadband from rural areas or TV broadcasting,” he said.
Much of the data for these services is provided by a new generation of cheaper and smaller satellites – each about the size of a washing machine – which are the product of a British concept and have been pioneered by Guildford-based Surrey Satellites Technology.
“The UK’s space companies have made some clever investments that may not have seemed as glamorous as rocket launches but are paying off,” said Green.
According to the report, the UK has only a small part of the global space industry’s upstream business – like the manufacture of space vehicles at 1.8 per cent of the market – whereas it is disproportionately well represented in the down stream sector.
Britain’s space companies have just over 11 per cent of the operations market for space vehicles, and 10.3 per cent of the applications market for the services and data provided by satellites.
Overall this means the UK has 6.3 per cent and 7.7 percent of the global space industry’s annual turnover, which is estimated at about £160 billion a year.
The industry is targeting an annual turnover of £40 billion by 2030, a figure which the report describes as ‘feasible’ whilst at the same time warning government policy support would be needed.
It also comments on the relatively low level of financial support for space – the UK government spent 0.015 per cent of GDP on space in 2013, putting Britain in the bottom third of spending compared to other OECD nations – which could be a threat to hitting the target.
As well as direct financial benefits from the space, the research and development in the sector also provides technology and economic “spillover”, according Steve Smart, chairman of trade association UKspace.
Technology benefits from this include metals developed for space vehicles that have been used in medical applications and satellite scanning systems that have found uses in security scanners at airports.
Mr Smart added: “The economic benefits to adjacent sectors are very important to the business case. Our infrastructure can be made much more efficient by monitoring roads, rail and ships from space to we can better utilise the capacity.”
Benefits to society include safety, such as flood warnings from analysing weather data from satellites, and managing farming production to make it more efficient.
South Lincolnshire farmers whose land adjoins the Wash sea banks brought their case for improved sea defences into the election campaign this week.
Sutton Bridge farmer Stafford Proctor, chairman of the Wash Frontagers’ Group, met with prospective parliamentary candidate, John Hayes (South Holland and The Deepings) at his farm to demonstrate the importance of local sea defences.
“This is not just about farming and food production but our wider local communities, businesses and major infrastructure all depend on the sea banks to protect them from inundation,” he said.
“After more than 30 years of little or no major expenditure on the sea defences, we saw the 2013 tidal surge over-top them and cause considerable damage to farmland along the Wash coast.
“What would happen if another, just slightly higher, tidal surge broke the banks altogether and caused severe and long term damage to our towns, villages, power supplies and roads?”
The Wash Frontagers’ Group was formed last December on the first anniversary of the 2013 North Sea tidal surge.
It comprises 68 farmers and landowners from Skegness to Hunstanton who are concerned that the state of more than 80 km of sea defences needs addressing urgently.
“We’ve had strong support around the Wash from the Environment Agency, Internal Drainage Boards and Local Authorities and – with their help – plan to start improving our coastal flood defences, starting with those most at risk,” he said.
“We’re urging politicians to support our plan and acknowledge that we must begin to take practical steps to enhance the sea defences around the Wash.
“We need quick action to ensure that farms, homes and businesses in the low-lying fenland area around the Wash are protected.”
The value of local agriculture and its upward supply chain is estimated to be worth around £3 billion a year, as well as supporting more than 60,000 jobs across the Fens.
“Add to this the thousands of homes, non-farming businesses, the roads, railways and power infrastructure that would be severely damaged by a seawater inundation, and we can all see that we need a major civil engineering project to raise the sea defences,” said Proctor.
“We need to convince our politicians there is an urgent need to augment our sea defences – we must secure government backing after the general election to protect the Fenland area for all people and businesses, not just for today but for the generations to come,” he added.
John Hayes, Conservative candidate, admitted the most recent tidal surge had shown how susceptible parts of Boston, Skegness and South Holland are to flooding from the sea.
“The Wash Frontagers’ Group is to be commended for taking the initiative in both bringing the issue of the needed improvements to the sea walls to public notice and also offering to take a practical role in facilitating the carrying out of works,” he said.
“The sea walls protect not only the people of this area and their homes but also the agricultural industry and the other sources of employment that are the back bone of our communities.”
If elected he promised to provide assistance to the campaigning group.
Vladimir Putin used his appearance on television last week to announce Russian plans to build a national replacement for the International Space Station (ISS) once it reaches the end of its design life.
The ISS is due to be decommissioned in 2023 and at present there is no agreement in place to build a successor.
The president said a new station was necessary but that it would be designed to suit Russia’s needs.
“We use the ISS for science and the economy but from the ISS only five per cent of the area of Russia can be seen,” he said.
“From a national station, of course, we will be able to see the whole territory of our vast country.”
Putin was quoted by Sputnik News as saying: “By 2023 we are going to create our own national orbital station. We will definitely bring this project to fruition and it will be under our control.”
Dmitri Rogozin, Russia’s deputy prime minister, recently said the country would continue to stay with the ISS in the meantime.
It had been suggested that the parts that Russia had contributed to the ISS should be removed and reused on the national station.
Russia is presently the world’s leading space power mainly because the US, which has not replaced its Space Shuttle, still relies on Russia for transporting astronauts to Earth orbit.
Charles Bolden, the head of NASA, assured a congressional subcommittee last week: “We are facilitating the development of a US commercial crew transportation capability with the goal of launching NASA astronauts from American soil in the next couple of years. This initiative will end our sole reliance on Russia.”
Funding for Russia’s federal space programme by 2025 will be an estimated US$40 billion. The country is currently building a Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region that will replace Baikonur.
Europe’s tiny Philae lander on Comet 67P is now receiving twice as much solar energy as it did last November when it finally came to rest in a shaded spot.
A communication unit on the Rosetta orbiter has been switched on to call the lander and, although it may probably still too cold for the lander to wake up, prospects improve with each passing day.
Several conditions must be met for Philae to start operating again. First, the interior of the lander must be at least at –45C before Philae can be induced from its winter sleep.
At its landing site named Abydos only a little sunlight reaches Philae – and the temperatures are significantly lower than at the originally planned landing location. The lander must also be able to generate at least 5.5 watts using its solar panels to wake up.
As soon as Philae ‘realises’ that it is receiving more than 5.5 watts of power and its internal temperature is above –45C, it will turn on, heat up further and attempt to charge its battery.
Once awakened, Philae switches on its receiver every 30 minutes and listens for a signal from the Rosetta orbiter. This, too, can be performed in a very low power state.
Philae needs a total of 19 watts to begin operating and allow two-way communication and it could be that the lander has already woken up from its winter sleep some 500 million km from Earth but does not yet have sufficient power to communicate with Rosetta, which relays Philae’s signal back to Earth.
The most likely time for contact is during the 11 flybys where the orbiter’s path puts it in a particularly favourable position with respect to the lander during comet ‘daytime’ – when Philae is in sunlight and being supplied with power by its solar panels.
Communication will be attempted continuously because Philae’s environment could have changed since landing in November 2014.
Plans for Britain to be home of Europe’s first spaceport moved a step closer today after the results of a three month consultation with a range of interested parties were published.
The government confirmed widespread support for its plans and says it paves the way towards making commercial spaceflight operations in the UK a reality.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) short listed a number of possible locations for the spaceport in July 2014 and this has now been updated.
The short listed sites are Campbeltown, Glasgow Prestwick and Stornoway in Scotland, as well as Newquay in England and Llanbedr in Wales. RAF Leuchars was also confirmed as a potential temporary facility.
The government ruled out the airfields at RAF Lossiemouth and Kinloss Barracks for operational reasons, given their defence roles. Other locations can still be submitted if operators believe they can fulfil the requirements.
Aviation minister Robert Goodwill said: “I want Britain to lead the way in commercial spaceflight. Establishing a spaceport will ensure we are at the forefront of this exciting new technology.”
“Today’s consultation response marks another step forward in our work to support this emerging industry, which will create jobs and drive economic growth.
“Launching satellites and operating commercial space flights from our shores was once only confined to the depths of science fiction, but with the results of this consultation we are one step closer to making this a very real ability in the near future.”
Work to establish the feasibility of a UK spaceport began in 2012, when the Department for Transport and UK Space Agency (UKSA) asked the CAA to review the operational environment and regulations to allow spaceplanes to operate.
Last year, the government launched its space innovation and growth strategy 2014 to 2030, which set out the economic advantages of the UK becoming a European focal point for the pioneers of commercial spaceflights and scientific research.
The next step is for the DfT to develop a detailed technical specification of spaceport requirements, prior to inviting proposals. This is due to be published later this year.
Business secretary Vince Cable said: “Paving the way for a national spaceport is one of our biggest science achievements in this parliament.
“It greatly underscores the work of our space innovation and growth strategy to position the UK as a world leader in this exciting arena that is expected to be worth up to £400 billion a year to the global economy by 2030.
City-based multi-millionaire businessman Sukhi Wahiwala has teamed up with networking guru Mike Stokes to launch a new business club venture in Peterborough.
The Inspired Business Club launches in the city on 19 March at Sukhi’s own central Peterborough premises and meetings will take place on the first and third Thursday of each month.
Sukhi, an award-winning international leadership mentor, and Mike Stokes, who established Lincoln’s successful The Business Club in 2009, promise to bring inspiration and new connections to sole traders, young entrepreneurs and SMEs across the region.
“If you are you in business, about to set up a business, or wanting to grow a business and increase profitability then this is the right place for you,” says Sukhi.
“It will be Cambridgeshire’s premier networking meeting for entrepreneurs, business owners and traders. We will be bringing top international speakers to the city to support and grow local business.”
As well as keynote speakers, the early evening meetings will include buffet food along with structured and themed networking, all designed to deliver clear and positive outcomes.
“This is all about connecting key business people across the region, helping people collaborate and introducing exciting new contacts,” adds Sukhi.
Mike Stokes, who lives in Crowland, describes Inspired Business as one of the most exciting networking opportunities to arrive in the city.
“Networking formats will expand on those we run in Lincoln and Sukhi will be sourcing an impressive list of guest speakers, together with other forms of business support and training,” he said.
“Our first event will demonstrate exactly what members can expect, with a structured networking session, a truly inspirational speaker and good food.”
Mike says delegates will get the chance to introduce themselves and identify anyone they would like to meet during the half-time break.
After the break Sukhi will ask the question ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ and explain how profiling techniques can be used to ensure more effective communication and management of customers and staff alike.
“We promise that you will make lots of good connections, your business will benefit from what Sukhi has to say, and you will enjoy the evening. So, three promises for our first night,” adds Mike.
Anyone wanting to attend the inaugural meeting of the Inspired Business Club should register in advance for a free place via the website.
British supermarkets – and in particular the in-vogue Aldi and Lidl discounters – use both bananas and milk as huge loss leaders. And in the process are driving all but the biggest producers of both out of business.
“To industry observers, bananas demonstrate how low European hard discount pioneers will go to secure their customers’ loyalty,” says Alistair Smith, International Coordinator, Banana Link.
“The banana business model they have adopted is uncompromising and the impacts of the strategy on people and the environment are very serious.”
In the UK supermarkets like Asda – and retailers who only offer Fairtrade-labelled bananas, like J Sainsbury – have been selling loose bananas at or below cost for several years, making up some or all of the ‘sacrificed’ margins on bagged fruit. Unlike in France or Germany, below-cost selling in the British market is not illegal.
“This allows the major retailers in the UK who, with the exception of The Co-operative Group, all sell loose bananas at or below cost to argue legitimately they are not breaking any law and it is their own sovereign decision to fund this near-permanent rock-bottom price,” claims Smith.
“And so, led by Aldi and Asda, the race to the bottom in the European banana market is fuelled by the belief that cheap bananas are what everybody needs or wants.”
Even more serious for those trying to construct a sustainable future for the industry is that all attempts to reverse this race in Europe’s two biggest markets are frustrated.
Tesco, Sainsbury and Waitrose have all attempted to raise the loose banana retail price since the permanent price war set in four or more years ago in the UK.
“But every time the Asda price-setters have sat it out – safe in the knowledge, from their point of view, that every kilo sold at £0.68 (0,87 euro at 5 January 2015 rates) hurts their competitors’ margins more than it hurts their own,” says Smith.
And it seems that as long as customers prefer a ready-bagged ‘Pack of 10’ that costs £1.00 a kilo in Asda, there are still profits to be recouped.
More worrying for the competitors of Aldi and Lidl is it seems bananas may be helping bring people through the doors of the hard discounters as consumer change their shopping habits.
According to Smith, complexity lies behind such a simple statement and Aldi’s banana retail prices per kilo for conventional bananas in the UK are even harder to work out than in other retailers.
First, the retailer does not deal in loose bananas (where prices per kilo are posted for customers to see). They sell packs of three in a plastic tray at £0.39, a seven ‘Funsize’ pack at £1.09, or Organic Fairtrade at £1.39 per kilo.
Second, however, a truth that is of great concern to their UK competitors is that Aldi and Lidl both sell more than double the volume of bananas than their overall food market share would indicate.
Intriguingly for banana-watchers, it seems this high banana volume is not based on price, especially as the Aldi per kilo retail price works out at well above the £0.68 the other major retailers espouse.
“The lack of visibility of a price per kilo reinforces the theory that, actually, the great majority of banana consumers do not look at the price; they just know they are cheap,” says Smith.
A full version of this article by Clive Simpson can be found on The Lighthouse Keeper blog
Bedfordshire-based Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has been awarded a £3.4 million grant by the government’s regional growth fund that will create 40 new jobs and see its revolutionary Airlander aircraft flying sooner, writes Clive Simpson.
The grant is part of new funding being announced this morning by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg as an extension to the nearly £3 billion invested by the government to generate growth in regional businesses across England.
“RGF is about job creation and it will enable us to double our workforce to around 80 employees in short order and ultimately create over 150 new jobs,” says Chris Daniels, head of partnerships and communications at HAV.
“It starts immediately with payments proceeding once due diligence is complete. The amount is paid periodically over 13 months and will be subject to us meeting the employment targets.”
HAV CEO, Stephen McGlennan, says the RGF funding will enable the ground-breaking and entirely new type of aircraft to start flying much sooner than would have otherwise been the case.
“This kind of innovation is Britain at its best and will enable a British SME to maintain its global market leadership in an aviation market independently assessed to be worth over £33 billion (US$50 billion) over the next 20 years.”
HAV says the grant also unlocks private equity investment and will lead to commercial agreements with customers to extend funding of the business through a series of trials and demonstrations in 2016.
McGlennan added: “The commitment of the UK government to our business is vital and this will ensure we fly our innovative Airlander aircraft and enter the commercial market.
“The potential for Airlander is enormous and we relish creating exports and jobs as we lead the field globally.”
Local Bedfordshire MP Alistair Burt said: “To see the new airship taking shape at Cardington is very exciting and the award is further proof of the sustainability of this developing technology.”
HAV’s Airlander is billed as the largest and one of the greenest aircraft in the world. It combines the best of airplanes, helicopters and airships in a unique way to create an entirely new type of aircraft.
Airlander’s revolutionary shape – providing 40 per cent of its aerodynamic lift with the remainder coming from helium – means it can transport 10 tonnes of cargo, or keep a full crew aloft for five days.
With the ability to fly for days without refuelling and land on any flat surface, Airlander has far-reaching and flexible potential including humanitarian missions, cargo transport to remote areas, and search-and-rescue.
Last year the company received an Innovate UK grant which is funding current engine and wind tunnel testing work.
Recent storms across California have been helpful in replenishing severe water shortages but aren’t nearly enough to end the multi-year drought, scientists say.
According to research based on data from a NASA satellite it take about 11 trillion gallons of water — around 1.5 times the maximum volume of the largest reservoir in the United States — to recover from the state’s continuing drought.
The finding is part of a sobering update on California’s drought made possible by space and airborne measurements and presented by NASA scientists.
Such data are giving scientists an unprecedented ability to identify key features of droughts, data that can be used to inform water management decisions.
A team of scientists led by Jay Famiglietti of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, used data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites to develop the first-ever calculation of this kind — the volume of water required to end an episode of drought.
At the 2014 peak of California’s current three year drought, the team found that water storage in the state’s Sacramento and San Joaquin river basins was 11 trillion gallons below normal seasonal levels. Data collected since the launch of GRACE in 2002 shows this deficit has increased steadily.
“Spaceborne and airborne measurements of Earth’s changing shape, surface height and gravity field now allow us to measure and analyse key features of droughts better than ever before, including determining precisely when they begin and end and what their magnitude is at any moment in time,” Famiglietti says. “That’s an incredible advance and something that would be impossible using only ground-based observations.”
GRACE data reveal that, since 2011, the Sacramento and San Joaquin river basins decreased in volume by four trillion gallons of water each year.
That is more water than California’s 38 million residents use each year for domestic and municipal purposes. About two-thirds of the loss is due to depletion of groundwater beneath California’s Central Valley.
New drought maps – developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, by combining GRACE data with other satellite observations – show groundwater levels across the US southwest are in the lowest two to 10 percent since 1949.
“Integrating GRACE data with other satellite measurements provides a more holistic view of the impact of drought on water availability, including on groundwater resources, which are typically ignored in standard drought indices,” said Matt Rodell, chief of the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory at Goddard.
The scientists cautioned that while the recent California storms have been helpful in replenishing water resources, they aren’t nearly enough to end the multi-year drought.
“It takes years to get into a drought of this severity, and it will likely take many more big storms, and years, to crawl out of it,” added Famiglietti.
The UK-led Beagle 2 Mars Lander, thought lost on Mars since 2003, has been found partially deployed on the surface of the planet, ending the mystery of what happened to the mission more than a decade ago.
This find shows that the Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) sequence for Beagle 2 worked and the lander did successfully touchdown on Mars on Christmas Day 2003.
Beagle 2 hitched a ride to Mars on ESA’s Mars Express mission and was a collaboration between industry and academia. It would have delivered world-class science from the surface of the Red Planet. Many UK academic groups and industrial companies contributed to Beagle 2.
Images taken by the HiRISE camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and initially searched by Michael Croon of Trier, Germany, a former member of ESA’s Mars Express operations team at ESOC, have identified clear evidence for the lander and convincing evidence for key entry and descent components on the surface of Mars within the expected landing area of Isidis Planitia (an impact basin close to the equator).
Since the loss of Beagle 2 following its landing on Christmas Day 2003, Michael has, in parallel with members of the Beagle 2 industrial and scientific teams, been patiently screening images from HiRISE looking for signs of Beagle 2.
Subsequent re-imaging and analysis by the Beagle 2 team, HiRISE team and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has confirmed that the targets discovered, are of the correct size, shape, colour and dispersion (i.e. separation) to be Beagle 2.
The images, following analysis by members of the Beagle 2 team and NASA, show the Beagle 2 lander in what appears to be a partially deployed configuration, with what is thought to be the rear cover with its pilot/drogue chute (still attached) and main parachute close by.
Due to the small size of Beagle 2 (less than 2 m across for the deployed lander) it is right at the limit of detection of imaging systems (cameras) orbiting Mars. The targets are within the expected landing area at a distance of ~5 km from its centre.
Several interpretations of the image of the lander have been identified, consistent with the lander’s size and shape. The imaging data is however consistent with only a partial deployment following landing.
This would explain why no signal or data was received from the lander – as full deployment of all solar panels was needed to expose the RF antenna which would transmit data and receive commands from Earth.
Unfortunately given the partial deployment (and covering of the RF antenna) it would not be possible to revive Beagle 2 and recover data from it.
Prof Colin Pillinger from the Open University who led the Beagle 2 project with inspirational enthusiasm died in May 2014.
A European Vega rocket is being prepared to launch an unmanned spaceplane to test re-entry technologies for future vehicles.
ESA’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle IXV is set to fly on a suborbital trajectory on 11 February from Kourou, French Guiana.
This 100 minute mission will gather vital flight data that can be used to develop systems and advanced technologies for future vehicles.
The launch had been postponed from 18 November to allow for additional analyses of the Vega flight trajectory, which will head east instead of north into a polar orbit.
“Launch preparations have resumed,” said Jose-Maria Gallego Sanz, the launch campaign manager. “Batteries that were removed from IXV are being taken from cold storage, charged and reinstalled. No additional tests are needed – IXV is ready to fly.”
Weighing around two tonnes and the size of a car, IXV is a snug fit inside Vega’s protective fairing. The two-piece shell will open to release the spaceplane at an altitude of 320 km.
IXV will then coast to up to 420 km before beginning its re-entry phase, recording data from an array of advanced and conventional sensors.
Its re-entry speed of 7.5 km/s at an altitude of 120 km will create similar conditions as those for a vehicle returning from low orbit.
IXV will glide through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds before parachutes deploy to slow the descent for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
The Nos Aries recovery ship, stationed in Flamenco Island, Anchorage, where the crew have been testing the equipment for hoisting IXV out of the water, will sail on 25 January to the targeted recovery spot.
A protest by Sierra Nevada Corp challenging NASA’s selection of competitors Boeing and SpaceX to build commercial human-rated space capsules to fly astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) has been overruled by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The decision, announced this week, upholds US $6.8 billion in contract awards to Boeing and SpaceX, in favour of a proposal by Sierra Nevada to develop its Dream Chaser mini-shuttle.
Sierra Nevada claimed it could develop its commercial spacecraft – capable of launching with up to seven astronauts and returning to Earth for a runway landing – at less cost than Boeing when it filed its protest with the GAO at the end of September.
The company also cited what it said were inconsistencies in NASA’s process of selecting winners for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts.
Contrary to Sierra Nevada’s claim, the GAO review found that NASA did advise companies participating in the commercial crew programme that the goal of completing certification of a human-rated spacecraft by the end of 2017 would be a factor in the space agency’s contract decision.
Boeing and SpaceX won contracts for development, testing and crew flights of their respective CST-100 and Dragon space capsules. Each company is guaranteed at least two operational missions to transport crews between Earth and Space Station.
If NASA chooses to exercise its full options, Boeing’s contract could be worth up to US $4.2 billion and SpaceX’s US $2.6 billion.
As well as its claim that it beat Boeing on cost, Sierra Nevada disputed the realism of costs proposed by SpaceX, a California-based company which has made a point of undercutting the prices of its competitors.
The protest also asserted that NASA improperly evaluated how well each proposal met the agency’s requirements and the past performance of Boeing, SpaceX and Sierra Nevada.
The GAO said it took no position on the merits of each company’s proposal but examined NASA’s decision-making process, which concluded the Boeing and SpaceX bids represented the best value to the government.
“Based on our review of the issues, we concluded that these arguments were not supported by the evaluation record or by the terms of the solicitation,” the GAO said.
“NASA recognized Boeing’s higher price but also considered Boeing’s proposal to be the strongest of all three in terms of technical approach, management and past performance, and to offer the crew transportation system with most utility and highest value to the government,” it stated.
The GAO added that in choosing between Sierra Nevada and SpaceX, NASA concluded that SpaceX’s lower price made it “better value” than Sierra Nevada’s proposal.
A Sierra Nevada spokesman said this week it was “evaluating” the GAO decision as it seeks other business to support the company’s Dream Chaser programme.
“While the outcome was not what we expected, we maintain our belief that the Dream Chaser spacecraft is technically very capable, reliable and was qualified to win based on NASA’s high ratings of the space system.”
Sierra Nevada is also competing for a contract to launch supplies to the ISS using Dream Chaser. A decision on the resupply contracts is expected in May.
Sir David Attenborough has launched an outspoken attack on senior politicians who deny the dangers of climate change, accusing them of taking the “easier” option of deliberately ignoring the evidence.
The veteran wildlife broadcaster spoke out as a group of economists called on the United Nations to abandon its target of limiting the global temperature increase to 2C.
He said government leaders have a duty to tackle the “major, serious problem” facing humanity as temperatures rise.
The respected 88-year-old spoke out just a day after records showed 2014 was the UK’s warmest year since records began – beating 2006 to claim the title of the warmest 12 months since 1910.
Hitting out at climate change deniers for ignoring the “overwhelming” evidence of its effects on the environment, Sir David said it was time for a collective effort to the tackle the issue.
“Wherever you look there are huge risks,” he said. “The awful thing is that the people in authority and power deny that when the evidence is overwhelming.
“They deny it because it’s easier to deny it. It’s a very major, serious problem facing humanity but at the same time it would be silly to minimise the size of the problem.
“Never in the history of humanity in the last 10 million years have all human beings got together to face one danger that threatens us. It’s a big ask but the penalty of not taking notice is huge.”
Johann-Dietrich Woerner, the dynamic and colourful head of the German Aerospace Centre, is to take over as director general of the European Space Agency (ESA) this summer.
He will succeed Jean-Jacques Dordain, who has held the top post at ESA since 2003 and whose third four-year term at the helm of ESA ends on 30 June.
Since taking over as head of DLR, Woerner (60) has pushed for an expanded European role in NASA’s Orion crew capsule – a proposal that became reality when ESA and NASA agreed for Europe to supply Orion’s propulsion and power module for a test flight in 2017.
The service module is being built by Airbus Defence and Space in Bremen, Germany, in the same facility that produced ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to resupply the Space Station.
He has also pushed for cost reductions on the French-led Ariane rocket programme and led DLR to sign a cooperation agreement with US-based Sierra Nevada Corporation for joint work on the company’s Dream Chaser spaceplane.
Woerner also fought to keep ESA as an independent institution in control of its own programmes and opposed merging with the European Union.
Dordain will present his traditional new year press conference in Paris on 16 January for the final time.
During his 12 years as director general, ESA has grown in international stature, launching space probes to the moon, Venus and a comet, and developing space telescopes and environment monitoring spacecraft, as well as working on more controversial programmes like the development of Europe’s Galileo navigation satellite system.
In the past decade ESA has partnered with Russia to launch Soyuz rockets from the European-run spaceport in French Guiana and debuted the new lightweight Vega launcher . Dordain’s tenure also included development and five successful flights of the ATV, an unpiloted supply ship for the orbiting Space Station.
After a successful Council meeting at Ministerial level, held on 2 December, 2015 will be another year when ESA launches missions that cover all the domains of the space sector.
The year will start with the undocking from the Space Station of ATV-5 and its re-entry into the atmosphere. The Space Station will see three European astronauts. Samantha Cristoforetti, the first Italian female astronaut, is already working on the orbiting research complex and will return to Earth in May.
ESA’s Danish astronaut, Andreas Mogensen, will join the Station in September for a 10-day mission, followed by his British colleague, Tim Peake, who will lift off in November for a long-duration flight of six months.
The UK Space Agency is making an extra investment of over £200 million in Europe’s space programme, providing the UK with increased leadership in a rapidly growing global sector and building on the UK space industry’s £11.3 billion contribution to the British economy.
From a Mars rover to the development of the next generation telecoms satellites, the direction of Britain’s investment in European space projects was decided earlier this month by Minister for universities, science and cities, Greg Clark, at the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ministerial council in Luxembourg.
It will strengthen the UK role in a number of areas, including telecommunications and microgravity research. Space industry forecasts that the investment package will enable it to pursue new markets worth over £1.5 billion, supporting the UK’s ambition to grow a £30 billion space industry by 2030.
Clark said: “We have secured the future of the UK in space. Our increased commitment to ExoMars means that the UK will be leading this inspirational project. And for the first time, the Union Jack will be flying on the International Space Station (ISS) as a full partner.”
“Together with the team from the UK Space Agency (UKSA), we have achieved an outcome that will keep British science and industry at the forefront of the global market for satellite technology and services. The real benefits that come back to the UK from our investment with key telecommunications projects will help us achieve our ambitious target to create 100,000 new jobs by 2030.”
The UK’s new package of investment with ESA includes £47.7 million for the ExoMars programme, with the UK taking overall leadership of the rover module.
The pan-European ExoMars mission will address the outstanding scientific question of whether life has ever existed on Mars and will be the first to deploy a non-US rover to the Martian surface to drill, collect and analyse samples.
By committing an extra £47.7 million to ExoMars the UK is not only guaranteeing that this high impact space programme will go ahead as planned, but will gain overall leadership of the rover module whose complete design, including the final integration and testing, will now be in the UK instead of Italy.
There will also be £130 million for the development of telecommunications technologies
at the heart of the UK space industry, with the previous projects within ESA’s ARTES telecommunications programme having generating £750 million of private investment and sales so far.
New ARTES investment will include £56.9 million for Quantum-class comsat, which will involve the UK leading the development of a new type of smart, lower cost telecommunications satellite.
Industry estimates that commercialisation of this technology could win global orders worth over £1 billion. The satellite’s novel telecommunications payload will be developed by Airbus Defence and Space UK and carried on a new small geostationary satellite platform built by Surrey Satellite Technology.
The UK will also commit £49.2 million towards ESA’s role in the Space Station programme which will give UK researchers access to the $100 billion ISS programme, allowing them to use the unique environment of space to carry out research and make important advances in areas such as materials science, additive manufacturing and medical/biological sciences.
The money will also be invested in the demonstration of a UK-built communications terminal for the European module of the ISS, possible lunar research activities that ESA is considering, and new opportunities such as deployment of cubesats that can be used to test technology or undertake science experiments from the ISS.
A further £28.4 million investment will support the successful European Integrated Applications (IAP) programme which is managed in the UK and is already driving the creation and growth of businesses based on space data for markets including agriculture, medical services, fisheries and rail. ESA supplier evaluation suggests that the investment could generate returns of up to €365 million.
From a UK perspective, there will also be:
£29.4 million for high throughput satellite services and applications to fuel application research, development and manufacturing within the satellite broadband environment. The joint programme will stimulate significant growth for UK industry and support inward investment opportunities.
£4.9 million for the European Data Relay System (EDRS), an independent European satellite system designed to reduce time delays in the transmission of large quantities of data from the Copernicus constellation and similar low-Earth orbit satellites. The UK is already host to the first of four operational EDRS receiving stations and will benefit greatly from the real-time Earth Observation data that this project will enable.
£11 million for Inmarsat Communications Evolution (ICE), a joint programme with Inmarsat to develop an optimised and open platform for mobile satellite services to be developed within a business ecosystem from space manufacturers to application developers.
Dr David Parker, Chief Executive of the UKSA, said: “With the world space market likely to grow to at least £400 billion by 2030, the UK needs to stay in the game and build on its growing success.
“Our investment is targeted towards a smart mix of commercial opportunity and inspiring exploration. This confirms the UK as the forward-looking and business-friendly place for space.”
Farmers of land around the Wash marked the first anniversary of last December’s tidal surge with the formation of the Wash Frontagers’ Group (WFG) and an urgent call to action.
They are concerned that the region’s farming and food production industry – worth an estimated £3bn to the UK economy – would be fatally damaged if sea walls are breached.
Stafford Proctor, who farms at Long Sutton and is WFG chairman, says the Wash sea defences protect some of the country’s most productive farmland.
And he described last winter’s floods across the Somerset Levels as being like “a drop in the ocean” compared to what could happen in the Fens.
Much of the country’s prime arable land around the Wash is below sea level and farmers say that more than 80 miles of neglected sea defences need urgent attention.
The £2.3bn spend confirmed by the government for flood projects around the country this week earmarks nothing for raising defences across one of the country’s most at risk areas.
“Last year’s tidal surge showed just how vulnerable our land, homes, businesses and the whole area is to sea water inundation,” Proctor told me at the launch of the WFG.
“In Boston alone, 700 homes and businesses were affected. Just think what the effect of a massive inundation would be on the economy of the whole Fen region. It would be devastating.”
Recent figures show that behind the protective seawalls there are 365,261 hectares of farm land, more than 80 per cent of which is classified as at risk of flooding.
The region, which includes South Lincolnshire and parts of Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, is known as the Fens Strategic Area and is home to around 655,000 people spread across remote rural communities in towns and villages.
“We were very close a catastrophe across this area and we don’t want people to revert back to the status quo as though nothing had happened,” says Proctor.
According to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) county adviser for South Lincolnshire, Simon Fisher, raising the sea defences is not just about protecting the future for farmland.
“It includes everything else that makes life tick – people, communities, towns, industry, agriculture, environment, utilities, energy generation and transport infrastructure,” he says.
“A huge amount of fresh produced is produced from South Lincolnshire and the financial contribution this county makes to the economic well-being of this country is worth billions of pounds.
“If we look at the true value of local agriculture and its upward supply chain, it is £3 billion plus and supports in excess of 60,000 jobs in the Fens.
“We need to protect the land and businesses surrounding the Wash and find the funding to raise the sea defences that so many people depend on.
“If you had a major sea inundation around here, no matter how well defended the towns of Boston, Kings Lynn, Wisbech and Spalding are, they are going to be cut off and sat in the middle of a giant pond.”
Negligible sea bank maintenance work on this part of the coast has been carried out since the mid-1908s and WGF estimates the cost to fix the most needy parts of the sea banks would stretch to around £100 million.
“Compared to what is at stake everyone says this makes a lot of sense,” adds Proctor, who farms 2000 acres of Crown Estate land.
“But in order to do something we need public support and funding – the whole point of what we are trying to do is to raise awareness of the need to do something urgently.”
Country Landowners Association (CLA) eastern regional director, Nicola Currie, believes the WGF will only succeed if it garners support from the Environment Agency and Natural England.
“Under the current cost benefit system, farm land and rural areas miss out because government funding for flood and coastal defences is prioritised for schemes that protect people and property,” she says.
Defra minister Dan Rogerson has indicated his support for the WFG project andsuggests that up to 25 per cent more schemes for coastal defence work could go ahead through partnership funding than if costs were met by central government alone.
“There are real challenges to raising funds locally, which is why the CLA is calling on the Environment Agency and Natural England to be fully supportive of this innovative group,” adds Currie.
“If we continue to do nothing eventually we are going to have a major disaster – we just can’t keep carrying on having nemesis like this.
“The only solution is a stitch in time – we have to keep going on sea flood defence and this is why we are calling upon government to help both financially and with changes to legislation to make it easier to get this work done.”
Climate change and rising sea levels mean that storm surges are expected to become more frequent in years to come.
They occur when a rising area of low pressure takes pressure off the surface of the sea allowing it to ‘bulge’ upwards before being pushed down through the North Sea by strong winds.
During last December’s surge parts of the North Sea reached higher levels than the devastating floods of 1953 but sea wall defences around the Wash area largely kept the water at bay.
The WFG chose to launch its campaign this week alongside the giant sluice gates of a tiny settlement called Surfleet Seas End, where water is poured into sea channels to keep farm land from flooding.
Here, the Welland and Deepings Internal Drainage Board has just erected a small plaque several metres above the normal sluice gate water level.
It serves as a stark reminder of how sea water came to within just a few inches of bursting these banks at the height of the storm surge during the night of 5 December last year.
High resolution radar data maps of Europe, North America and other key parts of the world captured on a space shuttle mission 14 years ago have been made public for the first time this month.
Former Nasa astronaut Kathy Sullivan, now head of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), welcomed the release of previously secret data. “The declassification of 30 metre elevation data represents a vast improvement over the previous freely available data set which resolved to just 90 m,” she says.
This second tranche of high resolution data to be released under the direction of President Obama follows on from highly accurate terrain maps of Africa which became available in October.
Nasa’s ground-breaking Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) recorded digital elevation data (DEMs) in February 2000 for over 80 per cent of the globe – but until now only a 90 m resolution version was released.
The 30 m resolution data was kept secret for use by the US military and intelligence agencies – but even the 90 m resolution data revealed for the first time detailed swaths of the planet’s topography previously obscured by persistent cloudiness.
Dr Sullivan says aid organisations, development banks and decision-makers in developing countries will be able to better map and plan for climate-driven challenges.
SRTM mission project scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Michael Kobrick, added: “SRTM was among the most significant science missions the shuttle ever performed and was probably the most significant mapping mission of any single type ever.”
It consisted of a specially modified radar system comprising two radar antennas – one located in the shuttle’s payload bay, the other on the end of a 60 m mast extending into space.
The surface of Earth was mapped numerous times from different perspectives and the combined radar data processed at JPL in California to produce a series of global topographic maps.
Topography influences key natural processes, such as the distribution of plant communities and the associated animals that depend upon them, weather and rainfall patterns, and the flow and storage of surface water.
The digital elevation maps benefit many activities, from aviation safety to civil engineering projects, and the data is helpful in predicting and responding to flooding from severe storms and the threats of coastal inundation associated with storm surges, tsunamis and rising sea-levels.
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