Errymath: NASA

NASA supersonic X-plane that could fly from London to New York in THREE HOURS without producing a loud sonic boom

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Nasa is set to begin tests for its 1,100mph (1,770kph) 'Son of Concorde' commercial jet that can travel from <span class="class">London </span>to New York in just three hours.</div>
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The
 plane, dubbed the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) low-boom flight 
demonstrator (LBFD), aims to cut out the noise associated with 
supersonic travel.</div>
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Flights conducted by Nasa in November will study the US public's reactions to 'quiet' supersonic noises, a researcher has revealed.</div>
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'This project, QSF 18, is a test so we can
 test the methodology for future community response testing for projects
 like the LBFD,' said Larry Cliatt, principal investigator for Nasa.</div>
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LBFD
 aims to cut out the noisy sonic booms that echoed above cities in the 
era of Concorde, while travelling at speeds of 1,100mph (Mach 1.4 / 
1,700 km/h).</div>
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The loud booms that rang out whenever a Concorde aircraft broke the sound barrier were often described as 'unsettling.'</div>
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LBFD, which Nasa is developing with 
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, will make its first flight in 2021 
if production goes according to plan.</div>
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The
 team hopes to reduce the sound of the sonic boom to a quiet thud, 
similar to the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance or a neighbour 
closing their door. </div>
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Before LBFD's first flight Nasa intends to simulate the sounds to gauge public responses to the aircraft's sonic booms.</div>
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 <img alt="Flights conducted by Nasa in November will study the US public's reactions to 'quiet' supersonic noises above their homes, a Nasa researcher has revealed. Pictured is an artist's impression of the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) low-boom flight demonstrator (LBFD)" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="422" id="i-a2fafbeb9c3ea638" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/02/13/09/4928F6AD00000578-5384865-image-a-14_1518512721492.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
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Flights conducted by Nasa in 
November will study the US public's reactions to 'quiet' supersonic 
noises above their homes, a Nasa researcher has revealed. Pictured is an
 artist's impression of the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) low-boom
 flight demonstrator (LBFD)</div>
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With 
low boom flights, Nasa said it 'intends to gather data on how effective 
quiet supersonic technology is in terms of public acceptance.'</div>
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Tests
 scheduled for November will see an F-18 fighter jet conduct a dive 
manoeuvre off the shores of Galveston, Texas - an island city near 
Houston.</div>
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The plane will dive 49,000 
feet (15,000 metres), briefly going supersonic and firing off the sound 
likely to come from LBFD aircraft.</div>
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<h3 class="mol-factbox-title">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">HOW WILL NASA REDUCE SONIC BOOMS?</span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white;">In
 a conventional supersonic aircraft, shockwaves from the nose, cockpit, 
inlets, wings and other features come together as they move through the 
atmosphere into strong shocks emanating from the nose and tail.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">These are known as bow and tail shocks, respectively.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">As these shockwaves pass over the ground, air pressure rises sharply, declines, then rises rapidly again.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">It's this that produces the classic 'double-bang' sonic boom.</span></div>
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In a conventional supersonic 
aircraft, shockwaves from the nose, cockpit, inlets, wings and other 
features come together as they move through the atmosphere into strong 
shocks emanating from the nose and tail</div>
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 <span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
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Reshaping the aircraft to produce a longer, more slender shape is the best way to generate shockwaves of lower, more equal strength that do not form into such strong bow and tail shocks.<br />Nasa and other organisations are working on creating shapes to reduce sonic booms. <br />Stretching the nose to break the bow shock into a series of weaker shockwaves is particularly effective.<br />This lowers and spreads that initial pressure peak and softens the first bang of the sonic boom.</blockquote>
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'It's extremely exciting, and I expect the Galveston people will be excited, as well,' Mr Cliatt said. </div>
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QueSST
 is the latest addition to the X-series of experimental aircraft and 
rockets, used to test and evaluate new technologies and aerodynamic 
concepts.</div>
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Their X designation indicates their research mission status within the US system of aircraft naming.</div>
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 <img alt="The team hopes to reduce the sound of the sonic boom to a quiet thud, similar to the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance or a neighbour closing their door. This graphic compares the F18 sonic boom to the sonic 'thump' that Nasa aims to achieve in the future" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="311" id="i-268f97c51a5467a9" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/08/11/4BF7DBA100000578-5702735-The_team_hopes_to_reduce_the_sound_of_the_sonic_boom_to_a_quiet_-a-4_1525774133339.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
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The team hopes to reduce the sound 
of the sonic boom to a quiet thud, similar to the sound of thunder 
rumbling in the distance or a neighbour closing their door. This graphic
 compares the F18 sonic boom to the sonic 'thump' that Nasa aims to 
achieve in the future</div>
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This all 
dates back to Chuck Yeager's sound-barrier-breaking craft, the X-1, a 
rocket engine–powered aircraft, designed and built in 1945, that 
achieved a speed of nearly 1,000 miles per hour (1,600 kmh) in 1948.</div>
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Nasa's vision for the LBFD was approved In the latest proposed US budget released by the <a class="class" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/budget-fy2019.pdf" rel="nofollow" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Office Of Management And Budget</a> In Washington, DC, in February.</div>
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The space agency was awarded $19.9 billion (£14.3bn) for the next year, $500 million (£360m) more than the previous year.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">WHAT WAS CONCORDE?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet that was operated until 2003. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It
 had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 
(1,354mph or 2,180k per hour at cruise altitude) and could seat 92 to 
128 passengers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It was first flown in 1969, but needed further tests to establish it as viable as a commercial aircraft.</span></div>
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Concorde was a turbojet-powered 
supersonic passenger jet that was operated until 2003. It had a maximum 
speed over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 and could seat 92 to 
128 passengers </div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Concorde entered service in 1976 and continued flying for the next 27 years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It is one of only two supersonic transports to have been operated commercially. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 other is the Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144, which ran for a much shorter 
period of time before it was grounded and retired due to safety and 
budget issues.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Concorde
 was jointly developed and manufactured by Aérospatiale and the British 
Aircraft Corporation (BAC) under an Anglo-French treaty. Concorde's 
name, meaning harmony or union, reflects the cooperation on the project 
between the United Kingdom and France. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In the UK, any or all of the type are known simply as 'Concorde', without an article. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Twenty aircraft were built including six prototypes and development aircraft.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Air
 France (AF) and British Airways (BA) each received seven aircraft. The 
research and development failed to make a profit and the two airlines 
bought the aircraft at a huge discount.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Concorde
 was retired in 2003 due to a general downturn in the commercial 
aviation industry after the type's only crash in 2000, the September 11 
attacks in 2001, and a decision by Airbus, the successor to Aérospatiale
 and BAC, to discontinue maintenance support.</span></blockquote>
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It is not known what proportion of this will be spent on the supersonic aircraft project.</div>
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QueSST will be used as a test bed for technologies that could make their way into commercial planes.</div>
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Writing
 in the latest budget, its authors said: 'The Budget fully funds the 
Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator, an experimental supersonic airplane that 
would make its first flight in 2021. </div>
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'This
 'X-plane' would open a new market for US companies to build faster 
commercial airliners, creating jobs and cutting cross-country flight 
times in half. ' </div>
 
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The
 space agency is hoping to achieve a sonic boom 60 dBA lower than other 
supersonic aircraft, such as the Concorde, a turbojet-powered supersonic
 passenger jet that was operated until 2003.</div>
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 <img alt="LBFD aims to cut out the noisy sonic booms that echoed above cities in the era of Concorde, while travelling at speeds of 1,100mph (Mach 1.4 / 1,700 km/h). Pictured is an concept design of the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) low-boom flight demonstrator (LBFD)" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="300" id="i-bf47c756470d7a79" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/02/13/09/4928E9E700000578-5384865-image-a-22_1518512820156.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
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LBFD aims to cut out the noisy 
sonic booms that echoed above cities in the era of Concorde, while 
travelling at speeds of 1,100mph (Mach 1.4 / 1,700 km/h). Pictured is an
 concept design of the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) low-boom 
flight demonstrator (LBFD)</div>
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The 
QueSST low-boom flight demonstrator (LBFD), or X-plane, aims to produce a
 much lower 'boom' than other supersonic aircraft at speeds beyond Mach 
1.</div>
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It is designed to fly at Mach 1.4 (1,100mph / 1,700 kph), 55,000 feet (10 miles) above the ground.</div>
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The
 aircraft is shaped to separate the shocks and expansions associated 
with supersonic flight to reduce the volume of the shaped signature, and
 was developed by Lockheed's Skunk Works over 20 years.</div>
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Recent
 research has shown it is possible for a supersonic airplane to be 
shaped in such a way that the shock waves it forms when flying faster 
than the speed of sound can generate a sound at ground level so quiet it
 will hardly will be noticed by the public, if at all.</div>
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The
 space agency is hoping to achieve a sonic boom 60 dBA lower than other 
supersonic aircraft, such as the Anglo-French Concorde. </div>
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In
 a written statement, a Nasa spokesman previously said the aim was to 
create a boom 'so quiet it hardly will be noticed by the public, if at 
all... like distant thunder [or] the sound of your neighbor forcefully 
shutting his car door outside while you are inside.' </div>
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It's
 been decades since Nasa has worked on a manned supersonic X-plane, and 
after the contract is awarded, the winning team will undergo critical 
design review in 2019 to bring the plan closer to life.</div>
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Nasa is hoping to see the first flight tests take place in the first quarter of 2021. </div>
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NASA supersonic X-plane that could fly from London to New York in THREE HOURS without producing a loud sonic boom

Nasa is set to begin tests for its 1,100mph (1,770kph) 'Son of Concorde' commercial jet that can travel from London to New York...

NASA finds evidence of 10 new Earth-sized planets in our corner of the galaxy

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<img alt="NASA unveils 10 new worlds humans could one day call home (VIDEO, PHOTOS)" class="media__item " src="https://cdn.rt.com/files/2017.06/original/59482ee0c461886b2c8b462b.jpg" /><br />
NASA / Reuters    
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NASA's Kepler space telescope team have identified 219 new 
planet candidates, ten of which could prove to be humanity’s next great 
hopes of life among the stars.

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The 
exoplanets, planets which occupy space outside of our solar system, are 
all near-Earth size and occupy the habitable zones of their star systems
 where liquid water, the precursor for life, would pool on the surface 
rather than freeze.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NASA finds evidence of 10 new Earth-sized planets in our corner of the galaxy <a href="https://t.co/PU5Fq78SYk">https://t.co/PU5Fq78SYk</a> <a href="https://t.co/GvTiK8CetZ">pic.twitter.com/GvTiK8CetZ</a></p>— The Verge (@verge) <a href="https://twitter.com/verge/status/876924357171216384">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NASA has discovered hundreds of potential new planets — and 10 may be like Earth <a href="https://t.co/eHVIunA6AY">https://t.co/eHVIunA6AY</a> <a href="https://t.co/7Zyksm12Yz">pic.twitter.com/7Zyksm12Yz</a></p>— Lifeboat Foundation (@LifeboatHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/LifeboatHQ/status/876919035102846976">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The identified planets occupy the 'goldilocks' zone in orbit around their neighboring stars.<br />
The
 Kepler team's findings were presented at a news conference Monday at 
NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California and later <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/ames/kepler/briefing-materials-final-kepler-survey-catalog-of-planet-candidates-in-the-cygnus-field">published online</a>.<br />
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The catalog is the cumulation
 of Kepler's first four years of operations and details a patch of sky 
in the Cygnus constellation. So far, Kepler has identified a total of 
4,034 candidates, 2,335 of which have been officially verified as 
exoplanets.<br />
Of those, a total of 50 near-Earth, habitable zone contenders have been identified, 30 of which have been verified.<br />
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The body of work produced by the Kepler telescope team will form the 
foundation of humanity's future searches for life in the universe beyond
 Earth in addition to helping us to further identify how our home planet
 formed.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">219 potential new worlds have been identified by scientists using <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAKepler">@NASAKepler</a> data. Explore: <a href="https://t.co/gvIEeJnUgB">https://t.co/gvIEeJnUgB</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rj51K42UkJ">pic.twitter.com/Rj51K42UkJ</a></p>— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/876824330444959744">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NASA finds more Earth-sized planets that could support life  <a href="https://t.co/JXDOkOQKiu">https://t.co/JXDOkOQKiu</a> <a href="https://t.co/0bdE4UFRp9">pic.twitter.com/0bdE4UFRp9</a></p>— dwnews (@dwnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/876948467213578241">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The team has identified the specific demographics of the 
cosmic population: half of the planets identified so far either have no 
discernable surface, have atmospheres that would destroy humans 
instantly or have an extremely inhospitable environment that would not 
support life as we know it.<br />
The study works by cataloging transits – when a suspected planetoid passes between their star and Earth.<br />
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The
 telescope then measures the change in brightness caused by the transit 
in order to determine what kind of planetary body it is – whether it be a
 rocky planetoid similar to Earth or a gas giant the size of Jupiter. <br />
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A second group of researchers, based at the W. M. Keck Observatory in 
Hawaii, measured the sizes of 1,300 stars in the telescope's field of 
vision to determine the radii of roughly 2,000 planets with incredible 
precision. <br />
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<em>“We like to think of this study as classifying planets in the same way that biologists identify new species of animals,”</em> said Benjamin Fulton, doctoral candidate at the University of Hawaii in Manoa, and lead author of the second study.<br />
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<em>“Finding two distinct groups of exoplanets is like discovering mammals and lizards make up distinct branches of a family tree,”</em> he added.<br />
One
 unique observation during the demographic study of the near-Earth 
universe found that most rocky planets form roughly 75 percent larger 
than the Earth. Half of these planets, however, inexplicably take on 
amounts of hydrogen and helium gas that causes them to swell in size 
until they reach the second planetary group similar to Neptune. The team
 affectionately dubbed them ‘Super Earths’ and ‘Mini Neptunes.’<br />
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The Kepler team was careful 
to double-check their work by introducing falsified or simulated 
information into their analysis to determine how many false positives 
had entered the catalog.<br />
<em>“You'd walk in and you go, ‘Looks 
like a transit. Looks like a transit. Looks like a variable star.’ You 
know what I mean? It was like, ‘Junk, junk, variable star – ooh, 
planet!’ It would be like that. We stopped doing it that way,”</em> 
Susan Thompson, lead author of the study and Kepler research scientist 
for the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California said during a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/ames/nisv-podcast-Susan-Thompson">NASA podcast interview</a>.<br />
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“This
 carefully-measured catalog is the foundation for directly answering one
 of astronomy’s most compelling questions – how many planets like our 
Earth are in the galaxy?” Thompson said as cited in the NASA statement.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With 219 potential new worlds out there, some could be habitable & 10 of them like our own. Here's things to know: <a href="https://t.co/DIGV6HOEDR">https://t.co/DIGV6HOEDR</a> <a href="https://t.co/QRUBrQuUkg">pic.twitter.com/QRUBrQuUkg</a></p>— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/876848581147320320">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Several exoplanets discovered, like "Rocky Planets" which may be similar to Earth & may be places "to live in the future," NASA says <a href="https://t.co/Y1uyUcKiOP">pic.twitter.com/Y1uyUcKiOP</a></p>— CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/876825854764044288">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<br />
</div>

NASA finds evidence of 10 new Earth-sized planets in our corner of the galaxy

NASA / Reuters NASA's Kepler space telescope team have identified 219 new planet candidates, ten of which could prove...

NASA’s humanoid robot put to the test for ultimate Mars challenge

NASA’s Robonauts are being put to the test in Mars-like obstacle
 courses in order to pave the way for future humanoid space exploration 
and help bridge the expansive gap between Earth and human colonization 
of the red planet.

</div>
<div class="article__tags-trends">
<div class="tags-trends">
<strong class="tags-trends__heading"><br /></strong></div>
</div>
NASA built
 four six-foot, 290-pound, Iron man-like pieces of machinery named 
Valkyrie, at the cost of about $2 million each, and then outsourced 
three of them to universities to test the robot’s capabilities in 
various hostile environments.<br />
<br />
<img alt="NASA’s humanoid robot put to the test for ultimate Mars challenge" class="media__item " src="https://cdn.rt.com/files/2017.03/original/58cdde33c3618832638b4569.jpg" /> © NASA    
<br />
<br />
In <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-awards-two-robots-to-university-groups-for-rd-upgrades" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2015</a>
 Northeastern University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 
Scotland’s University of Edinburgh were all chosen in open competition 
and assigned the task of challenging and refining the robotic technology
 in the hope of creating a future robot capable of withstanding the 
Martian planet. <br />
<br /> <center>
<iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/lXo8uSnIkaB9e" width="480" height="305" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/robert-downey-jr-marvel-iron-man-lXo8uSnIkaB9e"></a></p> </center>
<br />
Northeastern tested their model at the New England Robotics 
Validation and Experimentation (NERVE) Center — a warehouse filled with 
large and challenging obstacle courses designed to test robots and 
drones alike.<br />
It’s in this kind of environment that robotics and 
engineering students put Valkyrie’s skills to the test and have further 
developed its “<em>high-level capabilities</em>”.<br />
<br />
“<em>She can autonomously make decisions, move around and accomplish tasks</em>,” <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/18/nasa-valkyrie-robot/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a> Northeastern PhD student, Murphy Wonsick to TechCrunch.<br />
In
 theory, the successors to these Robonauts would help facilitate the 
colonization of Mars by building the necessities humans need before 
their arrival and further assisting the astronauts with tasks while on 
the red planet. <br />
<br />
<iframe width="660" height="460" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZfDiRNRipE8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br />
<br />
The robot’s ultimate Mars test will take place this summer when 20 teams will compete for a $1 million prize in NASA’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/space_robotics/top-20-teams-prepare-for-final-competition.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Space Robotics Challenge</a>, designed to place Valkyrie in a Martian-like scenario.<br />
“<em>In
 the not too distant future, R5 has arrived on Mars along with supplies 
ahead of a human mission. Overnight a dust storm damaged the habitat and
 solar array, and caused the primary communication antenna to become 
misaligned</em>,” the agency’s simulated event suggests.<br />
The robot must repair the damage, deploy a new solar panel and align the communication antenna to complete the challenge.<br />
<br />
<iframe width="660" height="460" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yTGSy-79eHc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br />
<br /></div>

NASA’s humanoid robot put to the test for ultimate Mars challenge

NASA’s Robonauts are being put to the test in Mars-like obstacle courses in order to pave the way for future humanoid space e...

NASA releases software catalog allowing space enthusiasts to be astronomers

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<div class="article__summary summary ">
NASA has opened its software catalog to the masses, sharing its 
expertise on subjects ranging from launching spacecraft to creating 
advanced drones. It also includes a spacewalk game, allowing players to 
"repair" the International Space Station (ISS).
</div>
<br />
Those 
who aren't literal rocket scientists would likely not find themselves 
using codes on the complexities of cryogenics or propulsion, but other 
applications could be useful and amusing to the Average Joe.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We just released our software catalog, granting the public free access to technologies for earthly applications: <a href="https://t.co/glGcUdao7F">https://t.co/glGcUdao7F</a> <a href="https://t.co/IFDEf1flql">pic.twitter.com/IFDEf1flql</a></p>— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/837368589367795712">March 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<br />
For instance, an iPad app takes users on a guided tour of the Glenn 
Research Center, offering a glimpse of the research and development 
facility. It also shares old-school interactive media from between 1941 
and 1979.<br />
Android users can also have their fun by downloading the
 Space Weather App, which allows them to monitor meteorological changes 
beyond the confines of Earth.<br />
<br />
Those who are interested in seeing 
Earth from a whole new perspective can do so using the Worldview tool, 
which lets users browse and download imagery from NASA's Earth observing
 satellites. The tool was originally created to provide information in 
crisis scenarios, such as floods and wildfires.<br />
<br />
<img alt="NASA releases software catalog allowing space enthusiasts to be astronomers" class="media__item " src="https://cdn.rt.com/files/2017.03/original/58b9b311c36188572f8b4599.jpg" /><br />
© NASA Technology Transfer Program / YouTube                               
<br />
<br />
And then there's the spacewalk game, which allows players to be be 
part of a number of activities on the ISS, including fixing a tear in 
the solar array by riding a robotic arm to repair it.<br />
The catalog,
 released Thursday, is available in both hard copy and online. Although 
it is the third edition, a number of the software packages are being 
released for the first time. All are being offered free, without any 
royalty or copyright fees, though some have access restrictions.<br />
NASA believes the release is a way to support innovation, believing it has the capability to create jobs.<br />
<br />
<div class="arcticle__read-more read-more">
<img alt="© NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory" class="read-more__cover" src="https://cdn.rt.com/files/2017.03/thumbnail/58b942cec36188684d8b4619.jpg" />
                <span class="read-more__footer"> </span></div>
<div class="arcticle__read-more read-more">
<span class="read-more__footer">Mind-blowing Martian dust devils captured in NASA timelapse video</span></div>
<div class="arcticle__read-more read-more">
<span class="read-more__footer"> </span>
    
</div>
<em>“The software catalog is our way of supporting the 
innovation economy by granting access to tools used by today’s top 
aerospace professionals to entrepreneurs, small businesses, academia, 
and industry,”</em> Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) in Washington, said in a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-releases-software-catalog-granting-the-public-free-access-to-technologies-for">statement</a>.<br />

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It's here! The New NASA Software Catalog - full of free, downloadable software - is ready for you to explore! <a href="https://t.co/GwQYogQcAY">https://t.co/GwQYogQcAY</a> <a href="https://t.co/seDO3k1r2P">pic.twitter.com/seDO3k1r2P</a></p>— NASA Tech Transfer (@NASAsolutions) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAsolutions/status/837304630421913600">March 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<br />
<em>“Access
 to these software codes has the potential to generate tangible benefits
 that create American jobs, earn revenue and save lives.”</em><br />
<br />
<img alt="The new NASA Software Catalog includes the code LEWICE, developed to help study the effects of ice on an aircraft in flight." height="480" src="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/side_image/public/thumbnails/image/17-023_aeronautics_2_-_glenn_1.jpg?itok=LqYa2Y8x" title="" width="320" /><br />
<div class="caption">
The new NASA Software Catalog includes the code</div>
<div class="caption">
 LEWICE, developed to help study the effects of ice on </div>
<div class="caption">
an aircraft in 
flight and to help create ice detection systems.</div>
<div class="credits">
Credits: NASA</div>
<br />
Those sentiments were echoed by Dan Lockney, NASA's Technology Transfer program executive.<br />
<em>"Software
 has been a critical component of each of NASA's mission successes and 
scientific discoveries. In fact, more than 30 percent of all reported 
NASA innovations are software,"</em> he said. <em>"We're pleased to 
transfer these tools to other sectors and excited at the prospect of 
seeing them implemented in new and creative ways."</em><br />

The 
catalog is a product of NASA's Technology Transfer program, which is 
managed by the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). The full 
searchable database can be found <a href="https://software.nasa.gov/">here</a>. <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Enjoy free things? Check out these 5 NASA software codes you can download…yes…for FREE! Get started: <a href="https://t.co/4PQXPhsyQh">https://t.co/4PQXPhsyQh</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAsolutions">@NASAsolutions</a> <a href="https://t.co/GjFu8zeG4d">pic.twitter.com/GjFu8zeG4d</a></p>— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/837380491447787521">March 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<br /></div>

NASA releases software catalog allowing space enthusiasts to be astronomers

NASA has opened its software catalog to the masses, sharing its expertise on subjects ranging from launching spacecraft to creating ...

NASA Vasimr engine could apparently get to Mars in 39 days

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 id="ext-gen51">
Could we get to Mars in 39 DAYS? Nasa selects companies to develop super fast deep-space engine</h1>
<ul class="mol-bullets-with-font">
<li class=""><span style="font-size: 1.4em;"><strong>Company in Texas has been asked to develop its revolutionary engine</strong></span></li>
<li class=""><span style="font-size: 1.4em;"><strong>Ad Astra's Vasimr engine could apparently get to Mars in 39 days</strong></span></li>
<li class=""><span style="font-size: 1.4em;"><strong>It is one of 12 advanced technology projects to be funded by Nasa</strong></span></li>
<li class=""><span style="font-size: 1.4em;"><strong>Others include new types of habitation and small deep space satellites </strong></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="author-section byline-plain">
<i>By

Jonathan O'Callaghan for MailOnline</i>

</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Nasa 
has selected a variety of companies to work on projects to create 
advanced space technologies, including faster methods of propulsion.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Other projects to be worked on include improved habitats for humans, and small satellites to explore deep space.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">And
 one of the companies in the 12 Next Space Technologies for Exploration 
Partnerships (NextStep) says they have an engine that could get humans 
to Mars in just 39 days.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><span class="mol-style-bold"><br /></span></span></div>
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<img alt="Nasa has selected a variety of companies to work on projects to create advanced space technologies, including a faster method of propulsion known as Vasimr (illustrated), which could apparently get to Mars in a matter of weeks, not months" class="blkBorder img-share" height="490" id="i-950ff24e7b3897f1" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/04/01/14/2732AA4B00000578-3021521-image-a-42_1427896038291.jpg" width="634" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-1">
  
</div>
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</div>
<div class="imageCaption" id="ext-gen48">
Nasa has selected a 
variety of companies to work on projects to create advanced space 
technologies, including a faster method of propulsion known as Vasimr 
(illustrated), which could apparently get to Mars in a matter of weeks, 
not months</div>
<div class="imageCaption" id="ext-gen48">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The Vasimr engine - which uses plasma as a propellant - is being developed by the Ad Astra Rocket company in Texas.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Their
 engine shot to fame a few years ago when it was revealed that it could 
drastically reduce the journey time to Mars from months to weeks - 
although it may require a nuclear power source.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">And
 following the successful test of a prototype in 2013, it seems Nasa is 
now considering it for use on a future mission to Mars.</span></div>
<div>
<div class="related-carousel with-fb sciencetech" data-track-module="am-related_carousel^related_carousel" data-track-pos="static" data-track-selector=".rotator-panels a:not([class*=external])" id="p-16">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox floatRHS sciencetech">
                <h3 class="wocc" id="ext-gen50">
                    <span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">WHAT IS THE VASIMR ENGINE? </span></span>                </h3>
<div class="ins cleared xolcc bdrcc">
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span id="ext-gen49" style="font-size: 1.2em;">Short
 for Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket, Vasimr works with 
plasma, an electrically charged gas that can be heated to extreme 
temperatures by radio waves and controlled and guided by strong magnetic
 fields.</span></span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 magnetic field also insulates nearby structures so exhaust temperatures
 well beyond the melting point of materials can be achieved.</span></span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In
 rocket propulsion, the higher the temperature of the exhaust gases, the
 higher their velocity and the higher the fuel efficiency.</span></span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Plasma
 rockets feature exhaust velocities far above those achievable by their 
chemical cousins, so their fuel consumption is extremely low.</span></span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">‘We
 are thrilled by this announcement and proud to be joining forces with 
Nasa in the final steps of the technology maturation,’ said Dr Franklin 
Chang Diaz, Ad Astra’s Chairman and CEO, in a statement.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">‘We look forward to a very successful partnership as we jointly advance the technology to flight readiness.’</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Over three years, Nasa will give the company about £6.8 million ($10 million) to get the engine almost ready to fly in space.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">This
 will be achieved with a demonstration of their new prototype, the 
VX-200-SS, which will be able to fire continuously for more than 100 
hours.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">A previous test in 2013 saw Ad Astra complete 10,000 successful high power firings of a Vasimr prototype.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">However,
 this involved short duration bursts for less than a minute. Proving the
 engine works for more than 100 hours will be key to it one day being 
used on a spacecraft.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="moduleFull mol-video">
<a class="namedLink" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3021521/Could-Mars-39-DAYS-Nasa-selects-companies-develop-super-fast-deep-space-engine.html" name="video"></a><div class="item">
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      <div class="videoplayer-title">
<b>Video : <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1172106.html" target="_blank">NASA astronaut explains science behind Vasimr engine</a></b></div>
<div class="videoplayer-title">
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1172106.html" target="_blank"> </a></div>
<span class="playbtn"></span>
      <center>
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</div>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
    <div class="mol-img">
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<img alt="The Vasimr engine is seen here being tested. Short for Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket, Vasimr works with plasma, an electrically charged gas that can be heated to extreme temperatures by radio waves and controlled and guided by strong magnetic fields" class="blkBorder img-share" height="425" id="i-b6383950f226061" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/04/01/14/2732AA5B00000578-3021521-image-a-43_1427896039646.jpg" width="634" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-2">
  
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
The Vasimr engine is seen here being 
tested. Short for Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket, Vasimr
 works with plasma, an electrically charged gas that can be heated to 
extreme temperatures by radio waves and controlled and guided by strong 
magnetic fields</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
    <div class="mol-img">
  <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="In rocket propulsion, the higher the temperature of the exhaust gases, the higher their velocity and the higher the fuel efficiency. Plasma rockets like Vasimr (illustrated) feature exhaust velocities far above those achievable by their chemical cousins, so their fuel consumption is extremely low" class="blkBorder img-share" height="390" id="i-9cf48523bd99ea5d" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/04/01/14/2732AA5300000578-3021521-image-a-46_1427896082255.jpg" width="634" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-3">
  
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
In rocket propulsion, the higher the 
temperature of the exhaust gases, the higher their velocity and the 
higher the fuel efficiency. Plasma rockets like Vasimr (illustrated) 
feature exhaust velocities far above those achievable by their chemical 
cousins, so their fuel consumption is extremely low</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
    <div class="mol-img">
  <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="The Vasimr engine could be part of the entire spacecraft that will ultimately take astronauts to Mars. The rocket that will send them on their way will be the Space Launch System, illustrated, which will complete an unmanned flight in 2019 - and it will have room for some secondary payloads to go to deep space" class="blkBorder img-share" height="359" id="i-af521573e766bb3d" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/04/01/14/2732AF6600000578-3021521-image-a-41_1427896025698.jpg" width="634" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-4">
  
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
The Vasimr engine could be part of the
 entire spacecraft that will ultimately take astronauts to Mars. The 
rocket that will send them on their way will be the Space Launch System,
 illustrated, which will complete an unmanned flight in 2019 - and it 
will have room for some secondary payloads to go to deep space</div>
</div>
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox floatRHS sciencetech">
                <h3 class="wocc">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></h3>
<h3 class="wocc">
<span style="background-color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOW LONG WOULD A MANNED MARS MISSION TAKE? </span></span></h3>
<div class="ins cleared xolcc bdrcc">
                    <div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Owing to the orbits of Earth and Mars, there are specific windows of opportunity when a mission can take place.</span></span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Our
 planets come as close to each other as 33.9 million miles (54.6 million
 km), but can be as distant as 250 million miles (400 million km).</span></span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">For this reason spacecraft to Mars, such as the Curiosity rover, have to launch in certain windows when the planets are aligned.</span></span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The next window is open from January 2016 to April 2016, and will see the launch of two more missions to the red planet.</span></span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">For a future manned mission, they will need to launch out in one of the windows and return in another.</span></span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Just
 getting there will take up to nine months. The astronauts will then be 
there waiting for a year until they can come back, again taking up to 
nine months - a total of around three years.</span></span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Whether an engine such as Vasimr could shorten the time it would take to cover the distance, though, remains to be seen. </span></span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">With this and other technologies, Nasa said in a <a class="" href="http://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/march/nasa-announces-new-partnerships-with-us-industry-for-key-deep-space-capabilities/#.VRvl1PldW_9" rel="nofollow" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">statement </a>they want to develop exploration capabilities around the moon, and at Mars.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">‘Commercial
 partners were selected for their technical ability to mature key 
technologies and their commitment to the potential applications both for
 government and private sector uses,’ said William Gerstenmaier, 
associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations at Nasa 
Headquarters.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">‘This work ultimately will inform the strategy to move human presence further into the solar system.’</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Three
 advanced electric propulsion projects, including Vasimr, will develop 
engines that operate in the 50 to 300 kilowatt range.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">By
 comparison, current electric propulsion used by Nasa - such as the ion 
engine on the Dawn spacecraft - operates at less than five kilowatts.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Meanwhile,
 seven companies have been picked to work on the habitats that will 
house astronauts as they make their way to Mars in the 2030s.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">While the Orion capsule will take astronauts to and from Earth, it can only sustain a crew of four for 21 days.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">To
 make the journey to Mars, expected to last anywhere from several months
 to three years, astronauts will need to live in some other structure.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Nasa
 will be hoping one of the projects it is funding will find a way to 
house the astronauts for the grueling journey to and from the red 
planet. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
    <div class="mol-img">
  <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="While the Orion capsule (shown after test flight in December 2014) will take astronauts to and from Earth, it can only sustain a crew of four for 21 days. To make the journey to Mars, expected to last anywhere from several months to three years, astronauts will need to live in some other structure" class="blkBorder img-share" height="417" id="i-63f063c55d9b48a6" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/04/01/14/2732AF7100000578-3021521-image-a-44_1427896044155.jpg" width="634" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-5">
  
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
While the Orion capsule (shown after 
test flight in December 2014) will take astronauts to and from Earth, it
 can only sustain a crew of four for 21 days. To make the journey to 
Mars, expected to last anywhere from several months to three years, 
astronauts will need to live in some other structure</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
    <div class="mol-img">
  <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="Previously, Boeing outlined the six steps needed to land and return on Mars (illustrated). Two are already in production - the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket. The other four things needed are a large 'tug' spacecraft, a habitat, lander and an ascent vehicle - all of which Nasa is hoping to develop in the next decade or so" class="blkBorder img-share" height="348" id="i-c011df62c865acf8" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/04/01/14/2732AF8400000578-3021521-image-a-37_1427895986883.jpg" width="634" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-6">
  
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Previously, Boeing outlined the six 
steps needed to land and return on Mars (illustrated). Two are already 
in production - the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket. The other four 
things needed are a large 'tug' spacecraft, a habitat, lander and an 
ascent vehicle - all of which Nasa is hoping to develop in the next 
decade or so</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Nasa
 is also asking companies to development capabilities to sustain a crew 
of four for 60 days in cis-lunar space - between Earth and the moon - 
with the ability to scale up to Mars missions.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 companies selected include Bigelow Aerospace, who are creating an 
inflatable habitation module - a prototype of which will be attached to 
the ISS in 2018.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">And
 finally, two companies have been selected to develop small satellites -
 CubeSats - to launch as secondary paylods on the first flight of Nasa’s
 huge Space Launch System rocket in 2019.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">As
 the rocket is so powerful, it will give these CubeSats a rare 
opportunity to explore deep space, as opposed to remaining in Earth 
orbit. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
    <div class="mol-img">
  <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="Two companies have also been selected to develop small satellites - CubeSats - to launch as secondary paylods on the first flight of Nasa’s huge Space Launch System rocket in 2019. It will give these CubeSats a rare opportunity to explore deep space, as opposed to remaining in Earth orbit (illustration shown)" class="blkBorder img-share" height="475" id="i-7a2b6a361f4b3a1e" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/04/01/15/2732AF7600000578-3021521-image-a-48_1427897062716.jpg" width="634" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-7">
  
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Two companies have also been selected 
to develop small satellites - CubeSats - to launch as secondary paylods 
on the first flight of Nasa’s huge Space Launch System rocket in 2019. 
It will give these CubeSats a rare opportunity to explore deep space, as
 opposed to remaining in Earth orbit (illustration shown)</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="item" data-track-module="am-external-links^external-links" id="external-source-links">
  <span>Read more:</span>
  <ul>
<li id="ext-gen52"><a class="js-tl" href="http://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/march/nasa-announces-new-partnerships-with-us-industry-for-key-deep-space-capabilities/#.VRvl1PldW_9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NASA Announces New Partnerships with U.S. Industry for Key Deep-Space Capabilities | NASA</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
</div>

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