NASA has selected 16 cool new futuristic space technology concepts for further study. Four of them are from NASA’s own Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), including a railway system on the moon to move cargo. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/futuristic-space-technology-concepts-nasa-jpl-niac…
Tag: cargo
Watch ISS spacewalk February 28
On Sunday, February 28, 3 astronauts will perform the first in a pair of International Space Station spacewalks to ready the station for solar array upgrades. How to watch live. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/watch-iss-spacewalk-feb-mar-2021…
Big ideas in small packages: The seeds and worms making their way to the ISS
On Feb. 20, 2021, Northrop Grumman will launch its Cygnus cargo spacecraft aboard an Antares rocket to deliver several tons of cargo and supplies to the International Space Station for its 15th resupply mission (CRS-15). Included in these bulky supplies will be a handful of items that weigh no more than a few grams—a sampling of seeds, some microscopic proteins, and…
A Russian ‘space truck’ just burst into flames on purpose and the photo is amazing
A Russian “space truck” has met its fiery doom on its way home to Earth. Source: https://www.livescience.com/russian-progress-76-cargo-ship-ms15-burns-up-photo.html
Amazon is Using AI-Equipped Cameras in Delivery Vans
Amazon drivers at some U.S. facilities will soon have an extra set of eyes watching them when they hit the road to make their daily deliveries. From a report: The company recently began testing AI-equipped cameras in vehicles to monitor contracted delivery drivers while they’re on the job, with the aim of improving safety. Amazon has deployed the cameras in Amazon-branded…
A full-scale prototype for muon tomography
Each year, billions of tons of goods are transported globally using cargo containers. Currently, there are concerns that this immense volume of traffic could be exploited to transport illicit nuclear materials, with little chance of detection. One promising approach to combating this issue is to measure how goods interact with charged particles named muons—which form naturally as cosmic rays interact with…
SpaceX rocket deploys record-setting cargo
SpaceX on Sunday launched its Falcon 9 rocket carrying a record number of satellites on board, the private space company said. Source: https://phys.org/news/2021-01-spacex-rocket-deploys-record-setting-cargo.html…
SpaceX Cargo Dragon succeeds in 1st autonomous undocking
SpaceX’s CRS-21 Cargo Dragon undocked from the International Space Station’s Harmony module on January 12, 2021, succeeding in the world’s first-ever autonomous undocking and testing of several new vehicle upgrades. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/space-x-cargo-dragon-1st-autonomous-undocking-jan-2021…
Amazon Makes First Aircraft Purchase to Expand Cargo Network
Amazon.com is buying 11 used Boeing 767-300 planes, the first time the online retail giant has purchased, rather than leased, aircraft for its fast-growing air cargo operation. From a report: The company on Tuesday said it was buying seven aircraft from Delta Air Lines and four from WestJet Airlines. The WestJet aircraft are currently being converted from passenger to cargo use…
Will There Be a Commercial Replacement for the International Space Station?
“Axiom Space has announced that it is creating an office park and manufacturing center at the Houston SpacePort at Ellington Field,” notes an opinion piece for The Hill by Houston-based space writer Mark R. Whittington. “The development is a hopeful sign that, despite foot dragging by Congress, a commercial replacement for the International Space Station may well happen.”
The United States has…