News tagged with ion propulsion
Dawn spacecraft gets cozy with massive asteroid
(AP) -- Scientists are busy poring over images of the massive asteroid Vesta, the first time it has been photographed up close.
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Aug 01, 2011 |
5 / 5 (4) |
5
Dawn craft to circle giant asteroid in 1st stop
(AP) -- After four years sailing through space, the Dawn spacecraft was expected to slip into orbit late Friday around a giant asteroid to begin a yearlong investigation into the origins of the solar system.
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Jul 15, 2011 |
5 / 5 (6) |
2
Dawn team members check out spacecraft
(PhysOrg.com) -- Mission managers for NASA's Dawn spacecraft are studying the spacecraft's ion propulsion system after Dawn experienced a loss of thrust on June 27. Dawn team members were able to trace the ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Jul 08, 2011 |
4.8 / 5 (5) |
2
|
Dawn nears start of year-long stay at giant asteroid
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Dawn spacecraft is on track to begin the first extended visit to a large asteroid. The mission expects to go into orbit around Vesta on July 16 and begin gathering science data in early ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Jun 24, 2011 |
5 / 5 (3) |
0
NASA's new ion engine ready for missions in space
(PhysOrg.com) -- A small robotic surveyor arrives to explore a near-Earth asteroid. Another robotic spacecraft is returning to Earth with a pristine comet surface sample. Meanwhile, a robotic explorer is approaching ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Apr 15, 2011 |
4.8 / 5 (17) |
8
|
Dawn Spacecraft Fires Past Record for Speed Change (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Deep in the heart of the asteroid belt, on its way to the first of the belt's two most massive inhabitants, NASA's ion-propelled Dawn spacecraft has eclipsed the record for velocity change ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Jun 08, 2010 |
4.9 / 5 (21) |
11
|
How Capt. Kirk Changed the World
"Standard orbit, Mr. Sulu." Captain Kirk barks out the order with such confidence. He knows the USS Enterprise can slip in and out of planetary orbits with ease. But it's only easy in the realm of science ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 05, 2010 |
4.6 / 5 (21) |
10
|
Hydrogen-Powered Ion Tiger Sets 26-hour Flight Endurance Record
The Naval Research Laboratory's Ion Tiger, a hydrogen-powered fuel cell unmanned air vehicle (UAV), has flown 26 hours and 1 minute carrying a 5-pound payload, setting another unofficial flight endurance record ...
Technology / Energy & Green Tech
Nov 30, 2009 |
4.1 / 5 (7) |
2
New concept may enhance Earth-Mars communication
Direct communication between Earth and Mars can be strongly disturbed and even blocked by the Sun for weeks at a time, cutting off any future human mission to the Red Planet. An ESA engineer working with engineers ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 16, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (13) |
18
Ion Tiger fuel cell unmanned air vehicle completes 23-hour flight
The Naval Research Laboratory's Ion Tiger, a hydrogen-powered fuel cell unmanned air vehicle (UAV), has flown 23 hours and 17 minutes, setting an unofficial flight endurance record for a fuel-cell powered ...
Technology / Energy & Green Tech
Oct 13, 2009 |
4 / 5 (7) |
2
GOCE satellite achieves drag-free perfection (w/Videos)
(PhysOrg.com) -- ESA's gravity mission GOCE has achieved a first in the history of satellite technology. The sophisticated electric propulsion system has shown that it is able to keep the satellite completely ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 26, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (19) |
11
GOCE's 'heart' starts beating
GOCE's highly sensitive gradiometer instrument has been switched on and is producing data. Forming the heart of GOCE, the gradiometer is specifically designed to measure Earth's gravity field with unprecedented ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Apr 08, 2009 |
5 / 5 (3) |
0
GOCE's electric ion propulsion engine switched on
(PhysOrg.com) -- GOCE's sophisticated electric ion propulsion system has been switched on and confirmed to be operating normally, marking another crucial milestone in the satellite's post-launch commissioning ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Apr 06, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (8) |
2
ESA designs its smallest ever space engine to push back against sunshine
(PhysOrg.com) -- This month an ESA team is preparing to test the performance of the smallest yet most precisely controllable engine ever built for space, sensitive enough to counteract the force of incoming ...
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Mar 10, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (9) |
4
