Table Of ContentSPACE EXPLORATION 2008
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David M. Harland Brian Harvey
and
SPACE
EXPLORATION
2008
Dr David M. Harland Brian Harvey, M.A., H.D.E., F.B.I.S.
Space Historian 2 Rathdown Crescent
Kelvinbridge Terenure
Glasgow Dublin 6W
UK Ireland
Front cover illustration: Landing on Mars. The Phoenix lander as it approaches the Martian surface
at about 8 kilometres per hour using 12 thrusters to control its speed. Artist’s impression courtesy
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Corby Waste.
Back cover illustrations (Top): The International Space Station in August 2005, as viewed from the
Space Shuttle Discovery. Image courtesy NASA. (Middle): An Ariane 5 launcher blasts off into the
skies of Kourou, French Guyana, above Europe’s spaceport. Image courtesy ESA/CNES/Arianespace
– Service Optique CSG. (Bottom): NASA’s Orion crew exploration vehicle orbits the Moon with
disc-shaped solar arrays tracking the Sun to generate electricity. Artist’s impression courtesy
Lockheed Martin Space Systems.
SPRINGER-PRAXIS BOOKS IN SPACE EXPLORATION
SUBJECT ADVISORY EDITOR: John Mason B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.
ISBN 978-0-387-71667-1 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York
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Cover design and cartoons: Jim Wilkie
Typesetting and design: BookEns Ltd, Royston, Herts., UK
Printed in Germany on acid-free paper
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CONTENTS
Preface – Welcome to Space Exploration 2008 vii
1 The Epic Journey Continues….. 2
The Annual Review by Brian Harvey
2 Prepare for Lift-off!….. 36
The Future of Space Tourism by Erik Seedhouse
3 Stepping Out into the Solar System….. 48
A Human Mission to an Asteroid by Leonard David
4 Long Duration Spaceflight….. 58
The Work of the Institute of Bio-Medical Problems
by Dominic Phelan
5 Another Giant Leap….. 68
Human Missions to Mars by Donald Rapp
6 Beyond the Solar System….. 80
Technologies for Ultra-Deep Space Probes by Gregory Matloff
7 Reviving the Old, Introducing the New….. 92
Russia’s New Space Science Projects by Igor Afanasiev
RETURN TO THE MOON
8 Paving the Way for Future Exploration….. 104
The SMART-1 Mission to the Moon by Peter Rathsman
9 NASA’s New Robotic Lunar Program….. 116
Seeking Water on the Moon by David M Harland
10 And When We’re Back on the Moon, What Next?..... 128
The Role of a Future Moonbase by David Schrunk
SOLAR SYSTEM LOG
11 Probing the Mysteries of Our Nearest Star….. 140
Studying the Sun from Space by Martin Mobberley
12 Focusing on the Red Planet….. 150
Mars Exploration Update by James Graf
13 Fire and Water….. 162
The Phoenix Mission to Mars by Peter Smith
14 Report from the Ringed Planet….. 170
Cassini at Saturn Update by David M Harland
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(cid:81)(cid:3)NASA’s Mariner 2 spacecraft which, a quarter of a century
ago, became the first spacecraft to successfully encounter another
planet. Mariner 2 was launched on 27 August 1962, sending it
on a 109-day flight to Venus. On the way it measured for the first
time the solar wind, a continuous stream of charged particles
flowing outwards from the Sun. As it passed within 35,000 km of
the surface of Venus on 14 December 1962, Mariner 2 scanned
the planet with infrared and microwave radiometers, revealing
that Venus has cool clouds and an extremely hot surface.
Image courtesy NASA/JPL.
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Preface
WELCOME TO
SPACE EXPLORATION 2008
SPACE EXPLORATION 2008 is the second in In last year’s volume we introduced a section
a series of annuals by Springer–Praxis designed called Return to the Moon, in which we reviewed
to report the latest news, views, information and plans by China and India to send spacecraft to
ideas on the exploration of the Solar System. investigate the Moon. Here, we continue this
important theme:
As the series unfolds our team of writers will
not only report on both the pathfinding voyages Leading Swedish space engineerPeter Rathsman
of robotic space probes and human missions, but reviews the European Space Agency’s pioneering
will also review future activities and look back to SMART-1 mission which spent 22 months in lunar
the great events of the past. orbit before being steered to a precision impact
on the surface.
In this volume:
Space historian David Harland looks forward to
Erik Seedhouse,a research scientist in life
the mission of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter,
sciences and physiology, and an astronaut training
and discusses why it is thought that there could be
consultant for Bigelow Aerospace, assesses the
water ice in the polar regions.
prospects for space tourism.
Leonard David,SPACE.com’s senior space writer, The role that a future lunar base will serve is
looks at how a human flight to an asteroid might explained by author and specialist in quality laws
be undertaken. and space development, David Schrunk.
Dominic Phelan,a Dublin-based writer with a
special interest in the Russian space programme,
visits the Institute for Bio-Medical Problems (cid:81)(cid:3)Few sights in the Solar System are
more strikingly beautiful than softly hued
in Moscow and describes how, through simulated
Saturn embraced by the shadows of its
missions on the ground, Russia is learning
stately rings. Images taken with
how humans can survive long-duration missions Cassini’s wide-angle camera
into deep space. using blue, green and red
spectral filters were used
Donald Rapp,once manager of the Mars to create this colour view,
Exploration Technology Program at the Jet which approximates the
scene as it would appear
Propulsion Laboratory, considers how we will follow
to the human eye. The
our robots to Mars.
view was brightened to
enhance detail visible
Gregory Matloff,author and expert in possibilities
in the rings and within
for interstellar propulsion, reviews technologies for
their shadows. Image
ultra-deep-space probes. courtesy NASA/JPL/
Space Science Institute.
Igor Afanasiev,a noted space journalist based
in Moscow and editor of the magazine Novosti
Kosmonautiki, explains how Russia is reviving
its space science programme, and outlines some of
the missions that are being developed.
vviiiix
(cid:81)(cid:3)Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth’s horizon, the
International Space Station is viewed from the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The early results from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Earlier the STS-117 and Expedition 15 crews concluded about eight are presented by James Graf, the project manager
days of cooperative work on board the shuttle and station.
at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, together with an
Image courtesy NASA.
update on Mars Express, Mars Global Surveyor,
Odyssey and the two Mars Exploration Rovers.
The mission of the Mars Phoenix lander is explained
Solar System exploration will always be at the
by the principal investigator, Peter Smith of the
heart of any annual on space exploration. The Solar
University of Arizona.
System Log section contains in this volume:
David Harland gives an update of the
Martin Mobberley, former president of the
Cassini–Huygens mission which is exploring the
British Astronomical Association and space author,
Saturnian system.
looks at spacecraft observations of the Sun and
considers whether the coming maximum in the 11- But first, a review of all the key developments
year sunspot cycle will be the most active yet. in 2006.
(cid:81)(cid:3)While sitting at a favourable location for winter-time solar
energy, NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, is taking
exposures for a view called the ‘McMurdo Panorama’. This
portion of the work in progress looks toward the north.
‘Husband Hill’, which Spirit climbed, is on the horizon near
the centre. ‘Home Plate’ is between that hill and the rover’s
current position. Wheel tracks imprinted when Spirit drove
south from Home Plate can be seen crossing the middle
distance of the image from the centre to the right.
Image courtesy NASA/JPL/Cornell.
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(cid:81)(cid:3)Spot the Astronauts!
This panoramic scene of the
International Space Station could
be used for a quick game of “find the
two astronauts in this picture.” The
combined crews of the Space Shuttle
Atlantis and ISS resumed construction
work on the station in September 2006.
The two STS-115 crew members in this
picture were participating in the second of
three scheduled spacewalks. Astronaut Daniel
C. Burbank can be recognized by the broken
red stripe on each leg of his extravehicular
mobility space suit. Not so readily visible is
astronaut Steven G. MacLean, representing the
Canadian Space Agency, just above and to the left
of Burbank. Image courtesy NASA.
Space Exploration 2008
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1
The Epic Journey
continues...
They were stocking up the ship for the new mission:
Bunny made sure that no one economised on the AstroKat Snax!!
Fifty years ago, just a year after the launch of the first
satellite, Sputnik 1, the race to the Moon began. Since that
time, every year has brought its own crop of launches and
recoveries, exciting developments and new records.
Here Brian Harvey looks back at the historic events of 1958,
and then reviews the highlights of 2006.
1 - The Epic Journey Continues . . . The Annual Review
2
