Category Archives: Space Exploration

The Trump administration has released a preliminary budget report titled, "America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again," and contained within are the new priorities for NASA in 2018. The report has NASA receiving a 0.8 percent decrease in funding from 2017, although the final budget will need to be approved by congress. The report highlights the Europa Clipper flyby mission, Mars 2020 rover, and development of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft as priorities for NASA. The report also identifies fostering private-public partnerships in space exploration as a priority moving forward.

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One space mission that got the ax is the Asteroid Redirect Mission, a proposed mission to send a spacecraft to a near-Earth asteroid to grab a multi-ton boulder with robotic arms and then deposit it in orbit around the moon for further study. Another mission to get the kibosh is the proposed Europa lander. Both of these missions were in very early stages of planning and development, but they will likely not receive funding for fiscal year 2018. There is a NASA town hall meeting to discuss the viability of the proposed Europa landed scheduled for this Sunday, March 19.

What Happens When Trump Guts NASA's Earth Science

Two of the biggest proposed cuts are to the Earth Science program, which will have four missions terminated, and the NASA Office of Education, which will be eliminated outright. The four Earth science missions that are being canceled are the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3), the already-launched Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), and the Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) Pathfinder Project, which is a proposed instrument to be launched to the International Space Station to measure how much solar radiation is reflected back from the Earth's surfacean important measurement for tracking the rate of climate change. Particularly glaring is the termination of the DSCOVR satellite, jointly operated by NASA and NOAA, which has already been launched into orbit and is currently conducting scientific research.

This animation features actual satellite images of the far side of the moon, illuminated by the sun, as it crosses between the DSCOVR spacecraft's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) and telescope, and the Earth - one million miles away.

NASA/NOAA

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The budget also eliminates NASA's $115 million Office of Education, arguing that "The Office of Education has experienced significant challenges in implementing a NASA-wide education strategy and is performing functions that are duplicative of other parts of the agency." It may be that the Office of Education performs similar functions to other departments, but cutting the program will surely result in fewer scholarships, internships and student programs sponsored by NASA in the future.

An interesting area of focus in the report is additional funding "for eventual over-land commercial supersonic flights and safer, more efficient air travel with a strong program of aeronautics research." NASA is working with Lockheed Martin to build a Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) demonstrator aircraft to reduce the noise of sonic booms and supersonic flight. It is currently illegal for a commercial aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds over U.S. land because of the resulting noise pollution.

NASA to Build Supersonic Plane Without the Boom

The report also discusses restructuring plans to build a refueling and maintenance satellite that could autonomously perform satellite repairs and refuelings in orbit. Research is currently being conducted with NASA's Raven optical instrument on the ISS to develop the necessary technology for autonomous rendezvous and repairs by the future Restore-L satellite. It is not clear how the new budget will restructure this program.

You can download and read the entire NASA budget report here, starting on page 43:

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New NASA Budget Cuts Earth Science and Education, Boosts Space Exploration and Human Flight - Popular Mechanics

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Kalpana Chawla, who was born on March 17, 1961, entered the hallowed records of space exploration history by becoming the first Indian woman in space. We revisit other such milestones on her 55th birth anniversary...

John Glenn is suited up, on January 20, 1962 in preparation for a simulated test during a training session before his 20 February 1962 NASA's Mercury program space flight aboard in the Mercury capsule Friendship 7 in which he became the first American to orbit the Earth. AFP PHOTO/NASA

First American to orbit earth and world's oldest astronaut: John Glenn became one of the 20th century's greatest explorers as the first American to orbit Earth and later as the world's oldest astronaut, and also had a long career as a U.S. senator. Prior to his death he was the last surviving member of the original seven American "Right Stuff" Mercury astronauts. Glenn's three laps around the world in the Friendship 7 capsule on Feb. 20, 1962, forged a powerful link between the former fighter pilot and the Kennedy-era quest to explore outer space as a "New Frontier."

This file photo taken on October 9, 1998 shows US astronaut and Senator John Glenn getting a hand from white room technicians moments before boarding the US space shuttle Discovery. / AFP PHOTO / NASA / HO

Thirty-six years after his maiden space voyage, John Glenn became America's first geriatric astronaut on Oct. 29, 1998. He was 77 when he blasted off as a mission specialist aboard the shuttle Discovery. He saw it as a blow to the stereotyping of the elderly.

Valentina Tereshkova poses before boarding Vostok 6, at Baikonur cosmodrome, 16 June 1963. Pic/AFP

First woman in space:Valentina Tereshkova travelled aboard Vostok 6 on 16 June 1963. Tereshkova was selected from more than four hundred applicants and five finalists to pilot the spacecraft. In order to join the Cosmonaut Corps, Tereshkova was only honorarily inducted into the Soviet Air Force and thus she also became the first civilian to fly in space.

Astronaut Kalpana Chawla works in the SPACEHAB Research Double Module, 18 Januaary 2003, aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.

First Indian woman in space:Kalpana Chawla is considered the first Indian woman and the first astronaut of Indian origin to go on a space mission. Chawla, who was born in Karnal, India moved to the United States in 1982 where she obtained a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984. She went on to earn a second Masters in 1986 and a PhD in aerospace engineering in 1988 from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. She sadly killed in 2003 at the young age of 40 along with seven crew members in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.

Svetlana Savitskaya, during her historic space walk during the mission Soyuz T 12 to the Salyut 7 space station on July 25, 1984. Pic/AFP

Members of the Soyuz T 12 spaceship, left to right : Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Commander, Svetlana Savitskaya, Flight Engineer and Igor Volk Research Cosmonaut, pose at the Baikonur cosmodrome on July 18, 1984 before launch of the space mission to the Salyut 7 space station. Pic/AFP

First woman to walk in space:Svetlana Savitskaya, a former Soviet aviator and cosmonaut, who flew aboard Soyuz T-7 in 1982, became the first woman to perform a space walk on July 25, 1984. She conducted an EVA outside the Salyut 7 space station for 3 hours 35minutesduring which she cut and welded metals in space along with her colleague Vladimir Dzhanibekov.

Eileen Collins. Pic/AFP

First female pilot and commander of a Space Shuttle:Retired NASA astronaut and United States Air Force colonel Eileen Collins holds this honour. A former military instructor and test pilot, Collins was awarded several medals for her work. Colonel Collins has logged 38 days 8 hours and 10 minutes in outer space. Collins retired on May 1, 2006 to pursue private interests, including service as a board member of USAA.

A still from the 1965 Russian documentary 'Moon' showing Aleksei Leonov's EVA. Pic/YouTube

First person to walk in space:On March 18 in 1965, Russian cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov left his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes to perform extra vehicular activity (EVA). Leonov thus became the first person to walk in space.

First space tourist: Dennis Tito holds a special place in space age history for being the first person to fund his own trip into space. In mid-2001, he spent nearly eight days in orbit as a crew member of ISS EP-1, a visiting mission to the International Space Station. Tito was accepted by the Russian Federal Space Agency as a candidate for a commercial spaceflight. He met criticism from NASA before the launch, primarily from Daniel Goldin, at that time the Administrator of NASA, who considered it inappropriate for a tourist to take a ride into space.

Dennis Tito celebrates after his landing near the Kazakh town of Arkalyk (some 300 km from Astana), 06 May 2001. Pic/AFP

Tito arrived at the Johnson Space Center for additional training on the American portion of the ISS but was sent home because NASA officials were unwilling to train him. He joined the Soyuz TM-32 mission through an arrangement with space tourism company Space Adventures, Ltd on April 28, 2001, spending 7 days, 22 hours, 4 minutes in space and orbiting Earth 128 times.

Tito performed several scientific experiments in orbit that he said would be useful for his company and business and paid a reported $20 million for his trip. He was accompanied by Russian Cosmonauts Talgat Musabayev and Yuri Baturin. Their spacecraft landed successfully back on earth near the Kazakh town of Arkalyk.

A screen grab from a demonstration video showing Laika inside a diagram of the Sputnik 2. Pic/YouTube

First animal to orbit the Earth: On 3 November 1957, the second-ever orbiting spacecraft carried the first animal into orbit, the dog Laika, launched aboard the Soviet Sputnik 2 spacecraft. She died during the flight, as was intended because the technology to return from orbit had not yet been developed.

First astronaut to wed in space: Twelves years ago on this day, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko tied the knot with girlfriend Yekaterina Dmitriyeva in a unique wedding ceremony where Dmitriyeva was on the ground and Malenchenko in space.

Yekaterina Dmitriyeva, the bride of Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, poses with a life-sized cutout of her new husband at a press conference in Seabrook, Texas after the ceremony in August 10, 2003. Pic/AFP

This was the first ever wedding in outer space and occured during communication session between International Space Station (ISS) and a restaurant in Houston, Texas.

Yuri Gagarin, 27, (1934-68) wearing cosmonaut helmet, prepares to board Soviet Vostok I spaceship 12 April 1961 at Baikonur rockets launch pad shortly before its take-off. Pic/AFP

First human spaceflight: On 12th April 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made one orbit around the Earth aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft. It was launched by the Soviet space program. Gagarin later became deputy training director of the Cosmonaut Training Centre outside Moscow, which was later named after him and died in 1968 when the MiG-15 training jet he was piloting crashed. He was 34.

Neil Armstrong. Pic/AFP

(Clockwise from left) Chicago welcoming the three Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong during his historic moon walk (1969) and getting a medal of honour from US President Jimmy Carter (1978)

First man on the moon: American Astronaut Neil Armstrong holds the distinction of being the first human being to set foot on the moon's surface. The missions were conducted by NASA as part of the Apollo program. Fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who was also a part of the program became the second man to accomplish this feat.

First living beings in space: Fruit flies were sent aboard a U.S.-launched V-2 rocket on 20 February 1947 from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico in order to explore the effects of radiation exposure at high altitudes. The rocket reached 68 miles (109 km) in 3 minutes and 10 seconds, past both the U.S. Air Force 50-mile and the international 100 km definitions of the boundary of space. The Blossom capsule was ejected and successfully deployed its parachute and the flies were recovered alive.

First monkey in space: Before embarking on human spaceflight, animals of various species especially primates were sent on space missions. A rhesus monkey named Albert II became the first monkey in space on 14 June 1949, in a U.S.-launched V2, after the failure of the original Albert's mission on ascent. Albert I reached only 3039 miles (4863 km) altitude; Albert II reached about 83 miles (134 km) and died on impact after a parachute failure.

First dogs to make a sub-orbital flight: Dezik and Tsygan were the first dogs to make a sub-orbital flight on 22 July 1951. Both were recovered unharmed after travelling to a maximum altitude of 110 km. Dezik made another sub-orbital flight in September 1951 with a dog named Lisa, although neither survived. After Dezik's death Tsygan was adopted as a pet by Soviet physicist Anatoli Blagonravov.

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Kalpana Chawla's birth anniversary: List of firsts in space exploration history - Mid-Day

Jupiter's ocean-harboring moon Europa, as seen by NASA's Galileo probe. The space agency plans to launch a mission to Europa in the 2020s, to assess the world's potential to host life.

President Donald Trump has a chance to make a historic mark on NASA science and the future of space exploration in general, experts say.

Many of NASA's high-profile robotic exploration missions are scheduled to end over the next few years, and there's not much in the pipeline to replace them, said Casey Dreier, director of space policy for The Planetary Society, a nonprofit organization thatseeks to advance space science and exploration.

"We're in this period where we really need to start rebuilding lots of science programs for the next generation," Dreier told Space.com. "This administration has the opportunity to basically help set the next decade of planetary and astrophysics exploration at NASA." [Watch: Bill Nye's Space Ideas for President Trump]

Some of NASA's biggest, boldest and most accomplished robotic missions will be saying goodbye soon.

For example, the $3.2 billion Cassini-Huygens mission, which has been orbiting Saturn since 2004, will end with an intentional death dive into the ringed planet's atmosphere this September. And the $1.1 billion Juno Jupiter mission is scheduled to perform a similar suicidal plunge in February 2018, after having studied the solar system's largest planet from orbit for more than 18 months.

The $700 million New Horizons mission, which captured the first-ever up-close photos of Pluto during its July 2015 flyby, will have a close encounter with a second faraway object, known as 2014 MU69, in January 2019. But the probe's current extended mission is scheduled to end two years after that, in 2021.

And the Curiosity rover, the centerpiece of NASA's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory mission, has already been exploring the Red Planet for more than 4.5 years and can't be expected to chug along forever (even though its smaller cousin, the indefatigable Opportunity, has logged more than 13 years on Mars and is still going strong).

NASA has a few big-ticket items on the robotic docket in the relatively near future. For instance, the agency is eyeing an early-to-mid-2020s launch for Europa Clipper, a $2 billion mission that will assess the habitability of Jupiter's ocean-harboring moon Europa during dozens of flybys. (Congress has also instructed the agency to send a lander to Europa; NASA is currently studying the best ways to do this.)

Furthermore, NASA plans to launch a $2 billion Mars rover in 2020, to search for signs of Red Planet life, and collect and store samples for future return to Earth. [NASA's 2020 Mars Rover Science Plan (Video)]

But a "true Mars program" would also involve the development of another Mars orbiter to help relay this future rover's data back to Earth, as well as a mission to bring the collected samples home, Dreier said.

"Those are nowhere to be seen, and that's a big worry on our part," he said.

And overall, NASA's astrophysics and planetary-science cupboard will be fairly bare in the near future if things don't change soon, Dreier added.

"It looks good right now, but the pipeline is diminished; the pipeline is narrow," he said. "We need to increase the pipeline of future missions, or else we're going to find ourselves bereft of exploration in the 2020s."

The Planetary Society has some ideas for how the Trump administration could best aid NASA's science and exploration work.

For example, in a video "open letter" posted Tuesday(March 14), Planetary Society CEO (and former TV "Science Guy") Bill Nye urged Trump to propose increasing NASA's budget by 5 percent every year for the next five years.

If enacted,such increases would boost the agency's current budget of about $19 billion to $24.2 billion by 2022. Such an outcome is not out of the realm of possibility, Dreier said.

"The last three years, Congress has provided more money for NASA than what the Obama administration requested," he said. "And in 2015, they gave it a 7 percent increase over the year before."

Nye also advised Trump to help strengthen and expand NASA's science portfolio. Specifically, The Planetary Society wants the president to propose allocating 30 percent of the NASA budget to the agency's Science Mission Directorate. (This recommendation and many others are detailed in a newly published Planetary Society white paper.)

Right now, it's unclear what Trump's space priorities will be. He still hasn't appointed a NASA administrator, and his public statements about space exploration consist primarily of two fleeting mentions: In his inaugural speech, the president said the nation stands "ready to unlock the mysteries of space," and in his first address to a joint session of Congress last month, he stated that "American footprints on distant worlds arenot too big a dream."

In addition, the president's advisers have said that the Trump administration aims to slash, or perhaps even eliminate, NASA's Earth-science program one of four divisions in the Science Mission Directorate.

Dreier said he hopes The Planetary Society's open letter and white paper will help show the Trump administration the value of all of NASA's space science and exploration work. Indeed, policies enacted during the next four to eight years could end up helping to answer some of humanity's biggest questions, Dreier and Nye said.

"If you double down and invest in a life-detection mission with the Europa lander, that can be a legacy: 'My administration promoted, funded and launched, or allowed to launch, this mission that maybe would discover life on another world,'" Dreier said.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter@michaeldwallandGoogle+.Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebookor Google+. Originally published onSpace.com.

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How President Trump Can Shape Space Exploration - Space.com

Imagine seeing our planet from space: An Earth without boundaries situated in the vastness of the universe. From the opening of her presentation earlier this month at NAU, Emily Calandrellis main point was clear: Space is more exciting today than ever before in history.

For most of us, we need a creative way to learn about these topics or else we wouldn't learn them at all. But with the birth of the Internet and platforms like YouTube, we're finding more and more creative ways to learn about these topics, she said.

Calandrelli is a producer and host of FOXs Xploration Outer Space and a correspondent on Bill Nye Saves the World. She received her masters degree from MIT in Aeronautics and Astronautics, Technology and Policy Program.

Her talk on March 1 was part of NAUs College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Science ninth annual STEM speaker series. The event drew an audience of all ages and women comprised over half the crowd.

Calandrellis passion for space exploration resonated with the audience. The room was filled with a sense of awe and curiosity as we contemplated outer space.

Calandrelli noted that scientists have recently discovered the highest number of Earth-sized planets around a sun. An ice deposit the size of New Mexico was discovered on Mars. And plans are in motion to bring tourists to space. Calandrelli even projects that the first trillionaire will be made in space, because almost everything that we hold of value on Earth is available nearly limitlessly in outer space.

When asked what she thinks the most exciting breakthrough in space exploration will be, Calandrelli predicts that it will be reusable rockets. She said that [reusable rockets] will change space exploration because its going to make traveling and sending things into space cheaper.

As space exploration becomes cheaper, it becomes more accessible. Lowering the monetary barrier for space entry would promote creativity and innovation in the space industry. Likewise, making science education more understandable would encourage people to pursue careers in space exploration and other STEM fields.

Yet, despite the excitement in the space industry, the science behind the wonder is a mystery to most. Thats why it is Calandrellis mission to inspire science literacy and interest through space exploration. Admittedly, science can be difficult to understand. There's a lot of known science that can seem like magic because we cannot see it with our plain eyes, such as X-rays, germs or even electrical currents.

But as Calandrelli explains, science is an integral part of our lives. Having an understanding of how science works can have a tangible benefit, even if youre not planning on exploring space. However, it is todays students that will provide the creativity and innovation that will advance space exploration.

Calandrelli says that this is why she strives to use inventive methods to communicate scientific principles in her show.

She also stressed that with availability of the internet, we need to mind our sources. Experts do exist, and opinions on social media are not always evidence-based certainties. Calandrelli urged that in a world of alternative facts, we must stand up for objective truth.

The presentation ended with the same sense of marvel in which it began, and left the audience with a standing message. Science can seem overwhelming, but when broken down, it is beautiful. When asked about the future of science education, Calandrelli said that she is incredibly hopeful that the rate of science literacy will rise in the years to come.

The end of the presentation left the audience with a challenge: tonight, take a moment to look at the sky. Take a moment to breathe, to wonder, to ponder the stars. Question the universe, and push yourself to learn and understand. Ultimately, Emily Calandrelli believes that a comfortable understanding of scientific principles could lead us to be happy, healthy and responsible citizens of Planet Earth.

Taylor Hartman is this years NAU NASA Space Grant science writing intern .

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Exploring space on TV just as challenging - Arizona Daily Sun

Richard Federley has an insatiable curiosity.

This curiosity led him to the sign-up form to become Canadas next astronaut.

The 35-year-old teaches chemistry at UBCO and has been listed as one of the 32 candidates competing for two spots at the Canadian Space Agency.

I definitely have this incredible curiosity and drive to learn and experience as much as possible in my life. Thats kind of pushed me to venture out and try a lot of new things, said Federley.

Federley is a paraglider extraordinaire and can be seen outside exploring new ventures and trails around Kelowna.

But, for Federley, the ultimate exploration lies in space.

Astronauts are not only explorers of planets, but also of science, testing new inventions and ideas for those down on earth, he said.

That to me is very appealing to get out and learn things in new areas.

Theres also the ability to engage the public, to have the opportunity to share his experiences with others, and teach them in new ways.

I encourage students to follow through on their passion, because even if they ultimately dont succeed in achieving their dream, the journey towards it is a phenomenal life experience and often the best part he said.

As a young boy in grade school, Federley always thought being an astronaut would be a pretty cool job.

As a child, we think of floating and drops of water, but as I got older I saw the social and economic benefit for Canadians, he said.

His ultimate goal is to help develop technologies and have a chance to give back to Canadians.

In order to become an astronaut, candidates must pass two main assessments.

The first session focused on physical assessments while the second focused on team building, collaboration and ones ability to respond in situations.

Even though the other candidates are competition, Federley said working with them has been a learning experience.

They represent Canadians from different walks of life, he said. It really is just a fantastic experience, it doesnt feel like were competing at all we want the person who succeeds to be built up.

Federley loves the opportunity to be tested, saying hes got the chance to sample a flavour of what its like to be an astronaut.

Having that opportunity chasing that dream will really enhance our lives, he said.

Federley has been chosen from more than 3,700 participants. He expects to hear about the final selection this summer.

Watch what its like to go through the second training session.

To read the full version of this story, see Wednesdays edition of the Captial News.

Richard Federley and his wife, Jannah Mitchell (left) skydiving near Boulder Colorado. - Image Credit: Corey Ochsman.

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UBCO professor shortlisted for space exploration - Salmon Arm ... - Salmon Arm Observer

Like many kids growing up during the 1960s, I was obsessed with the American space program. I avidly followed the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, revered the astronauts, and launched my own model rockets. Pictures of space capsules adorned by bedroom wall, my schoolbooks, and my lunchbox.

Then during the dreary 1970s, as NASAs budget was decimated, all of this glory just faded away.

Will todays billionaire visionaries return humankind to the heady days of space exploration? Its sure looking that way. Wealthy entrepreneurs arent waiting for Uncle Sam to rekindle space voyages; theyre launching new space ventures and making money from them.

Below, I examine the best investment play on the new golden age of space. Youve probably never heard of this company, but aerospace would be grounded without it.

This week, Elon Musks SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a commercial EchoStar 23 communications satellite from an historic launch pad at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was the first time a commercial satellite launch occurred at the pad that once served as the sending-off spot for Apollo moon voyages.

Also this week, the U.S. Air Force announced that it had awarded SpaceX a $96.5 million contract to support the launch of a next generation global positioning system satellite called GPS III.

Private company SpaceX was founded by Tesla (NSDQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk in 2002, with the goal of reviving (and profiting from) space exploration. Hes not the only guy with deep pockets whose eyes are on the stars.

This month, Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) founder and CEO Jeff Bezos a self-proclaimed space geek announced that his fledgling space company Blue Origins had signed up its first customer. The satellite television provider Eutelsat will put one of its satellites atop Blue Origins New Glenn orbital rocket for delivery in space. The launch is scheduled for around 2021.

All of these endeavors have one vital substance in common: carbon composites. Without these ultra-tough materials, the galactic ambitions of Musk and Bezos would grind to a halt. In fact, the entire aerospace industry couldnt function.

The first company on the moon

Theres one company that dominates the manufacture of carbon composites: Hexcel (NYSE: HXL). Think of Hexcel as the ultimate picks-and-shovels play.

Burgeoning demand for super-sturdy composites from aerospace companies is defying todays global economic uncertainty, positioning materials manufacturer Hexcel for market-beating growth.

Its worth noting that the first lunar footprints didnt actually come from Neil Armstrong. That distinction belongs to Hexcel.

A pioneer in the manufacture of high-performance materials, Hexcel made the composite footpads on the Apollo 11 lunar module, as well as similar components for the Mercury and Gemini space programs. Hexcel continues to dominate the composites market and is riding the accelerating shift toward these materials in a wide range of industries. SpaceX and Blue Origins are Hexcel customers.

Hexcel is among the most exciting investment stories of 2017 and beyond and Im not just making that assertion because Im a space enthusiast like Musk and Bezos. I know a great growth stock when I see one.

Composites are polymer materials reinforced with carbon fiber, forming a strengthened combination thats light, flexible and durable. The next decade will see an explosion in the use of composite materials, in a variety of applications that include cars, trains, planes, satellites, boats, bicycles, housing materials, sporting goods, and wind energy.

Hexcel is enjoying strong tailwinds. U.S. demand for polymer composites rose roughly 15% year-over-year to $10.2 billion in 2016, with similar growth forecast for this year.

The continual push for greater fuel efficiency is boosting demand for lightweight composites to replace metal parts in automotive manufacture. Meanwhile, development banks are ramping up capital expenditures in wind energy projects across the world.

The purest play on the worlds growing thirst for composites is Stamford, Conn.-based Hexcel, the leading U.S.-producer of carbon fiber and by far the number one producer of aerospace composite materials.

With a market cap of $4.93 billion, Hexcel maintains three divisions: commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial. As demand increases for these sophisticated materials for a wide variety of uses, many manufacturers lack the engineering experience and skills to move away from metal-based assembly lines, forcing them to turn to Hexcel.

A manufacturing revolution

Hexcel is a leading supplier of composites for all markets but the companys greatest opportunities for growth stem from aerospace, where the use of composites is the most significant manufacturing watershed since aluminum replaced wood in the 1920s.

Hexcel is the chief composite supplier for aerospace giant Boeing (NYSE: BA), which has bet the farm on its Dreamliner 787, a composite-built passenger aircraft.

Composites offer dramatic performance benefits for aircraft, including reduced weight, improved fuel burn, and better resistance against corrosion and damage.

Hexcels materials also are found in General Electric (NYSE: GE) engines and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) fighter jets, products that are enjoying booming demand as the aerospace and defense industries surge. President Trumps promised defense build-up will prove a boon for Hexcel.

The average analyst expectation is that Hexcels year-over-year earnings growth will reach 5.4% this year, 15.4% next year, and 10% over the next five years on an annualized basis.

Hexcel sports a trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of about 20, roughly in line with the trailing P/E for its sector of industrial goods, making this composite king a good bet for investors seeking recession-resistant, long-term capital appreciation amid an increasingly risky investment climate.

Got a question or comment? Send me a letter: mailbag@investingdaily.com John Persinos

The scientific geniuses at MIT

America couldnt have landed on the moon without considerable scientific prowess, especially from the brilliant minds at institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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Over $3.5 million was used in the live-testing of it.

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Space Exploration's Return to Glory: How to Profit - Investing Daily

Updated March 17, 2017 20:32:51

Michael Benson has painstakingly searched through more than half a century's worth of archives from robot space missions to curate a series of photographs showing off our solar system's far-flung spectacles.

The raw data was collected by the European Space Agency and NASA for research purposes, but Benson has channelled the best 64 images for his Otherworlds exhibition, now on at the Queensland Museum in Brisbane.

He described the exhibition as a visual legacy of six decades of space exploration.

Among the highlights, scars on Venus from lava flows and a 6.5-kilometre-deep canyon on Mars.

There is also a composite image of the first near-Earth asteroid discovered, which takes five hours for one rotation.

"These are extraordinary sights," he said.

"We've seen vast anti-cyclonic storms, three times the size of Earth, raging on the face of the largest planet Jupiter.

"And we've seen geysers of liquid water venting ceaselessly into space from Saturn's moon Enceladus, a kind of endless, upward streaming waterfall.

"When scientists go into the archives that contain the raw images from these planetary missions, [they are] looking for evidence to support their research; I go into the same archives looking for a different kind of discovery.

"Otherworlds presents the opening of the solar system to human eyes for the first time."

For six decades robot spaceships have swept through the solar system, returning data that has transformed our knowledge of the planets.

We now know Venus is the hottest planet, Uranus gets down to minus 195 Celsius and Mars is desolate and virtually airless.

Benson said crewed space missions took all the press, but it was the unsung robotic heroes which left him in awe.

Benson combed through thousands of black-and-white and colour photos from the robot space missions, many never before published, and spent countless hours piecing them together into seamless mosaic images.

They were then digitally edited to remove any tell-tale signs of the jigsaw puzzle montage.

The first image in his exhibition was taken in 1967, and the most recent taken by the New Horizons spacecraft when it swept past Pluto in 2015.

"Our machines go into the border of known and unknown, they are defining that border," he said.

"And they have witnessed alien worlds so eerily strange, or for that matter hauntingly familiar, that they have forced us to re-evaluate our own experience here on Earth.

"The show of prints makes the case that the visual legacy of planetary exploration is an artefact of our times that may prove to have a lasting significance.

"In the last half century we have vaulted right through the Sistine Chapel ceiling and have witnessed the real thing the heavens."

Queensland Museum chief executive Suzanne Miller said Benson's exhibition truly represented the entanglement of art and science.

"[It is a] showcase of planets that most of us can only dream of visiting," Ms Miller said.

"Through the images, [you] can navigate the solar system from the comfort of the museum."

Otherworlds: Visions Of Our Solar System runs at Queensland Museum until July 2.

Topics: astronomy-space, space-exploration, science-and-technology, arts-and-entertainment, library-museum-and-gallery, photography, human-interest, brisbane-4000, qld

First posted March 16, 2017 11:55:19

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Otherworlds reveals visions of the solar system captured by robot spacecraft - ABC Online

United State Congress has passed a huge funding bill that gives NASA $19.5 billion for space exploration and has presented it to the president. The NASA Authorization Act of 2017 is focused on transforming NASA back into the great scientific organization it was during the Apollo Program. The bill authorizes NASA programs like the Space Station, deep space exploration, and asteroid redirect missions for 2017. Also included in the bill is a mandate for human space travel to Mars in 2033.

As part of the mission, Congress has asked NASA to create an initial human exploration roadmap by December 2017. The roadmap, which NASA has been working on for a while, is a step by step guide on how to get to Mars. It includes ever expanding stages of space travel starting with low-Earth orbit, then cislunar space, and culminating in the mission to Mars. NASA calls these stages Earth Reliant, Proving Ground, and Earth Independent.

The authorization report;

SEC. 435. MARS 2033 REPORT.

(a) In General.Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall contract with an independent, non-governmental systems engineering and technical assistance organization to study a Mars human space flight mission to be launched in 2033.

(b) Contents.The study shall include

(1) a technical development, test, fielding, and operations plan using the Space Launch System, Orion, and other systems to successfully launch such a Mars human space flight mission by 2033;

(2) an annual budget profile, including cost estimates, for the technical development, test, fielding, and operations plan to carry out a Mars human space flight mission by 2033; and

(3) a comparison of the annual budget profile to the 5-year budget profile contained in the Presidents budget request for fiscal year 2017 under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code.

(c) Report.Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the study, including findings and recommendations regarding the Mars 2033 human space flight mission described in subsection (a).

(d) Assessment.Not later than 60 days after the date the report is submitted under subsection (c), the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an assessment by the NASA Advisory Council of whether the proposal for a Mars human space flight mission to be launched in 2033 is in the strategic interests of the United States in space exploration.

NASA has often been criticized for being slow to adapt to change and advancements in technology. They have their old ways of doing things and are traditionally very hesitant to explore new options. This has given rise to the private space industry and companies like SpaceX.

Ever since Apollo 11, NASA has had its sights set on Mars as the new final frontier. The Curiosity and 2020 rovers are key tools in discovering what resources Mars has to offer. This funding bill and Mars mandate has the space community rejoicing; and for good reason. Were one step closer to what will arguably be the greatest event in human exploration, ever.

Source: Techspot

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Space Exploration: US congress approves $19.5 billion for NASA to get humans to Mars by 2033 - NTA News

Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have officially passed the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017, a piece of legislation that grants $19.5 billion to the agency to get humans to Mars.

Members of Congress have stated that NASA is tasked with getting human beings "near or on the surface of Mars in the 2030s," according to the language of the bill itself.

"It is the sense of Congress that (1) expanding human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and advancing toward human missions to Mars in the 2030s requires early strategic planning and timely decisions to be made in the near-term on the necessary courses of action for commitments to achieve short-term and long-term goals and objective."

NASA was the benefactor of $19.3 billion in federal money during 2016.

The document details not only Mars and Mars orbit as possible destinations for targeted space exploration, but interim destinations as well, such as cis-lunar space and the moons of Mars.

To accomplish this, the newly recognized bill orders the design and construction of a Space Launch System, or a rocket of massive scale that will be able to propel a space capsule across the chasm of space between Earth and Mars.

The Act calls for "a specific process for the evolution of the capabilities of the fully integrated Orion with the Space Launch System," as well as an explanation of how these specifications will help further the cause of getting a human safely to Mars.

The lengthy bill does not limit itself to the subject of traveling to Mars, either, but continues with a list of auxiliary projects that could further humanity's reach into space.

The bill approved a long-standing plan NASA has had to send a probe to Europa, a moon of Jupiter that may host a subsurface ocean.

The Act details numerous other explorations of "near-Earth objects," exoplanets, as well as design and build probes and instruments to gather critically important data.

President Donald Trump has shared brief words about Congress' move to further space exploration, saying he is "ready to unlock the mysteries of space."

Though reportedly supportive of continued exploration of the moon, President Trump has expressed intent to end NASA's long-established studies of Earth and its climate.

At this point, the Act is at the discretion of the President, though the passage of the bill is a likely prospect, according to Business Insider.

The current President has not yet made public any plans he may have for the bill or its passage.

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Congress Passes Space Exploration Act, Targets Mars - America Now

Professor in Astrophysics at Trinity College Dublin, Peter Gallagher.

Image: Paul Sharp/SHARPPIX

Professor in Astrophysics at Trinity College Dublin, Peter Gallagher.

Image: Paul Sharp/SHARPPIX

A PROFESSOR IN Trinity College Dublin has been tapped to play a key role in space exploration over the next 10 years.

Professor Peter Gallagher has been appointed as an adviser to the Director of Science at the European Space Agency (ESA). In his role with the Space Science Advisory Committee (SSAC), Professor Gallagher will be charged with interpreting the views and needs of the European science communitys access to space experimentation and data exploitation in the mandatory science programmes.

The ESA is set to invest over 5 billion in space exploration in the coming decade.

Among ESAs flagship missions is Solar Orbiter, which Professor Gallagher is directly involved in. This spacecraft will be launched in 2019 and then take around three years to make its way inside the orbit of Mercury to study the sun and the inner solar system.

He said:

Solar Orbiter will enable us to study the sun in greater detail than ever before and to better understand solar activity and its effects on Earth. Due to the huge temperatures close to the sun, the spacecraft is protected by a heat shield, which has been coated by an innovative Irish company called EnBio.

Im delighted to now play a role in shaping the future of ESAs space exploration programme.

The SSACs tasks include advising and making recommendations on the needs of the scientific community for access to space for their research; formulating and updating medium and long-term space science policy in Europe; prioritising the needs of the scientific community in selecting future space science missions, and laying the foundations for future missions based on recommendations and new discoveries.

Along with the 11 other members of the SSAC, Professor Gallagher will also implement a number of space missions under the ESA Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 strategy.

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A Trinity professor will play a big role in space exploration - thejournal.ie