Featured

What’s happening in the ISS
Astronomy and planetary sciences, Featured, Space flight

What’s happening in the ISS

Three interesting research projects in space explained Author: Lisanne Vermaas, Editor Leonardo Times The International Space Station is the biggest laboratory in space, and has continuously housed astronauts for more than twenty years. More than 3,000 research investigations have been performed in its microgravity environment on board the station [1]. What interesting research has been done, and what results has it produced? ISS AS A LABORATORY The first segment of the ISS, The Zarya Control Module was launched in 1998 [1]. It was the first step in a long-lasting collaboration between 5 space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan) and CSA (Canada). It took a total of 40 missions to assemble the station as we know it today and still,...
Higher, Faster, Further
Aviation, Featured

Higher, Faster, Further

The history of Aéro-Club de France Authors: Marcos Talocchi and Tuomas Simula, Editors Leonardo Times The 14-bis of Santos-Dumont in flight. The Aéro-Club de France was one of the first aeronautical associations in the world, having been founded over a hundred years ago. We explore its history and contributions to aviation, while diving deeper into the life of one of its founding members. CREATION OF THE CLUB Near the end of the 19th century, there were first hints of aviation becoming a feasible means of transport. The first powered and controllable airships were developed, and the first heavier-than-air flights were done using gliders. In Paris, a collective of inventors, industrialists and early aviation enthusiasts saw the need for an organization developing and promoti...
Starship’s Story
Featured, Space flight

Starship’s Story

The development of a highway to Mars Authors: Marcos Talocchi and Lisanne Vermaas, Editors Leonardo Times Render of Starship in orbit during stage separation. The future of spaceflight is, in short, defined by one word: sustainability. And what other way to achieve it other than leaving single use launchers in the past and embrace reusable rockets? This is what SpaceX proposes with Starship, the first 100% reusable space launcher. Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX in short, was founded by Elon Musk in 2002. His plans to colonize Mars in order to make mankind a multiplanetary species stems from even before SpaceX was founded. After generating his initial capital as co-founder of PayPal, Musk joined the board of the Mars Society and announced Mars Oasis: A pr...