ESA – Leonardo Times

6Oct

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Space

Wake Up, Little Susie

ArianeGroup’s ambitious new spacecraft proposal reawakens Europe’s vision of independent human spaceflight. Author: Danny Tjokrosetio, Leonardo Times Editor Concept art of Susie performing a soft landing. The year is 2031. Looming above the palm trees of Kourou, a gleaming Ariane 6 stands poised and ready for liftoff. The scene is familiar to the Guiana Space Center, save for an unusual vehicle mounted on top of the rocket. A new dawn in space exploration is about to begin. It is clear that the world is seeing a revolution in innovation like never before - rapid technological changes are also reiterated in the activities of spacefaring nations. Europe’s response to adapt to these changes in the space sector is the proposal of a new kind of spacecraft whose essence lies in reus...

26Apr

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Space engineering, Space flight

ExoMars: Journey of the Unknown

Author: Nora Sulaikha, Editor at Leonardo Times, TU Delft Article published in Leonardo Times Magazine, Edition of January 2017. Space exploration may be considered a relatively new venture, having gone into full speed only a little over fifty years ago. However, the knowledge that a great unknown existed outside of what human beings can see with their bare eyes is timeless. From our small world, we have gazed upon the cosmic oceans for untold centuries. In 750 BC, the Babylonians invented the first ever almanac-tables that charted the movements of the Sun, the Moon, and other planets. Science flourished during the renaissance, and in the 17th century, astronomers pointed a new device called the “telescope” at the heavens and made discoveries that made them realize we were all ...

5Jul

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Astronomy and planetary sciences, News, Space flight

“Juno, welcome to Jupiter”

After 2.7 billion kilometers and almost 5 years, Juno successfully entered Jupiter's orbit in the early hours of today morning. Subsequent to NASA's Galileo mission (1995), Juno is only the second to have accomplished this feat. While in orbit, the Juno mission aims to better understand the gas giant in the following 20 months of its science phase. Juno also happens to be the fastest ever craft built by humans, travelling at speeds of over 260,000 kilometers per hour (74 km/s). To arrive at Jupiter, Juno took an elliptical heliocentric orbit through the Solar System involving an Earth fly-by two years after launch. This fly-by provided Juno with a further boost of around 3.9 km/s, enabling Juno to reach Jupiter in just under 5 years. "Juno, welcome to Jupiter" were the words heard throu...

Emerging Victorious: The LISA Pathfinder

8Jun

By LeonardoTimesNo Comments

Astronomy and planetary sciences, Space engineering, Space flight

Emerging Victorious: The LISA Pathfinder

The LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) Pathfinder is a research spacecraft of the European Space Agency (ESA) and was launched in December 2015. The main purpose of the LISA Pathfinder mission is to test certain technologies for future space observatories to detect gravitational waves from large astronomical bodies (e.g. stars) around us. The LISA Pathfinder uses extremely sophisticated technology to observe the "path" taken by two cubes located in the heart of the spacecraft when subjected to pure gravitational free-fall. It is also ensured that the cubes act under the influence of gravity alone and hence, the LISA Pathfinder shields these two cubes from external disturbances like solar wind and/or pressure. Therefore, you have two cubes in pure gravitational free-fall insid...