Engineering Update ⚙️’s Post

Bearing the weight of space ~ The role of precision bearings in space habitation ~ As NASA prepares its first Moon landing in nearly 50 years, the idea of colonising space inches closer. Projections suggest that commercial space travel, space tourism, orbital space stations and lunar habitats could become a reality by 2050. However, to make this possible, technology must withstand the harsh conditions of space including extreme temperatures and the demands of electric propulsion. #SpaceExploration #OuterSpace #Weightlessness #AstronautLife #SpaceMission SMB Bearings Ltd https://lnkd.in/es4x4CTM

How did NASA design the Hubble Space Telescope to stand the test of time?   When NASA set out to create the Hubble Space Telescope, they had a bold vision. It was built to be serviceable in space, allowing astronauts to upgrade and repair it even decades after launch. This wasn’t just about engineering—it was about foresight and pushing the boundaries of what seemed possible.   With features like external access bays and modular systems, Hubble’s design enabled five service missions to keep it at the forefront of space exploration.   What was originally expected to operate for 15 years has now exceeded 30, continuing to deliver groundbreaking discoveries about our universe.   Curious how NASA’s engineers made it all possible?   Click the link to read more.   #NASA #Hubblespacetelescope #Space

🙌 As part of NASA's efforts to expand commercial resupply in low Earth orbit, Sierra Space’s uncrewed commercial spaceplane is undergoing testing ahead of its first demonstration flight to the International Space Station (ISS), planned to occur during the first half of 2024. For the first time, the Dream Chaser spaceplane is being coupled with its companion Shooting Star cargo module in a 55ft-tall vertical stack for environmental testing in the Mechanical Vibration Facility at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Space Environments Complex in Sandusky, Ohio. Dream Chaser and its cargo module are mounted on NASA’s spacecraft shaker table, exposing the stack to vibrations like those it will experience during launch atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket and re-entry to the Earth’s atmosphere. Read more: https://hubs.la/Q02lN6NX0 #manufacturer #bostoncenterless #manufacturing #contractmanufacturing #machining #manufacturers #manufacturingindustry #industrial #industrialmanufacturing #aerospace

🌟 A New Frontier in Space Exploration: The Power of Sunlight 🚀 Centuries after it was first theorised, sunlight propulsion is poised to revolutionise space travel. NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration's groundbreaking solar sail technology could be the catalyst that drives us to new frontiers, enabling interstellar exploration like never before. This innovative approach leverages the power of photons for propulsion, offering a glimpse into what the future of space exploration could look like. Could this solar-solution be the future of space travel? Explore the possibilities and learn more in the full article: https://lnkd.in/eBrEC9zd #SpaceExploration #Innovation #SolarSail #NASA #FutureOfSpace #TechAdvancements #Aerospace

Things are heating up in the atmosphere, and NASA is helping space start-ups stay cool. NASA has decades of expertise in creating technology that protects spacecraft from the intense heat generated when entering an atmosphere. As emerging companies develop innovative ways to do business in space, they know where to turn – and the agency is responding by offering its know-how and the advanced materials invented here to help enable new uses for space with big benefits for humanity. Since 1951, when Harvey Allen, an engineer at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, showed a blunt-shaped capsule helps deflect the heat of atmospheric entry, Ames has led the agency in designing, developing, and testing thermal protection systems (TPS). These heat shields protect re-entering spacecraft and their cargo, such as pieces of a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid or astronauts who will travel in the Orion crew capsule. “In the past, the government was the only entity that needed heat shields,” said David Hash, chief of the Entry Systems and Technology Division at Ames, “That’s changing dramatically today. Companies that see new opportunities for commercial activities in space now have a business case to launch spacecraft and bring them back to Earth. NASA is uniquely positioned to show them how to do it.” NASA works to encourage commercial growth. With an increasing number of start-ups who have smart ideas but limited funding and spaceflight experience, NASA experts at Ames and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, are doing their part to help. And success is already in the air – or passing safely through it. Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gXwYHNRh #NASA #TPS #HeatShields A heat shield made by NASA is visible on the blunt, upward-facing side of a space capsule after its landing in the Utah desert. Varda Space Industries returned to Earth the first product processed on its in-space manufacturing platform on Feb. 21, 2024. (Varda Space Industries)

Communication from 15 billion miles from Earth….. On October 24th, NASA reconnected with Voyager 1, now over 15 billion miles from Earth, after a brief communication pause caused by the spacecraft’s fault protection system. This iconic spacecraft has been journeying through interstellar space for more than 47 years, continuing to transmit signals back to Earth despite growing technical challenges. To maintain stable communication, NASA’s JPL team is working to address the issue, aiming to support Voyager as it pushes beyond the solar system. I think this highlights not only the resilience of the Voyager program but also the incredible dedication of space exploration teams. Do you think the team will succeed in fully restoring Voyager’s communication? Read more and share your thoughts below. #voyager1 #deepspace #15billion

"Defeating dust may be a small concern for most people on Earth, but for astronauts and spacecraft destined for the moon or Mars, it is a significant hazard that must be mitigated. That's why researchers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are seeking innovative ways to use Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) technology. Using transparent electrodes and electric fields, EDS technology can electrically lift and remove dust from a variety of surfaces for space applications ranging from thermal radiators, solar panels, and camera lenses to spacesuits, boots, and helmet visors. Controlling and removing the statically-charged dust will be critical to the success of moon missions under the agency's' CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign." #lunarmissions #dustmitigation #eds

To understand NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Sustainability strategy we have to first understand what “#spacesustainability” means, a term that has gained use in recent years but not necessarily unanimity on what it includes. “NASA defines space sustainability as the ability to maintain the conduct of space activities indefinitely into the future in a manner that is safe, peaceful, and responsible to meet the needs of the present generations while preserving the outer space environment for future activities and limiting harm to terrestrial life,” the strategy states.

Voyager 2's Power Struggle: NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Shuts Off Science Instrument #NASA has turned off Voyager 2's plasma science instrument to conserve power as the spacecraft continues its journey 12.8 billion miles from Earth. This marks the seventh of ten original instruments to be deactivated. Despite the shutdown, engineers hope to keep one science instrument running into the 2030s. Voyager 2, launched in 1977, remains one of only two human-made objects exploring interstellar space. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gsX4a3Jt #NASA #Voyager2 #SpaceExploration #InterstellarMission