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THE LIVING ROOM...
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Aurora: Contents
!"#$#! Issue 1 December 2010 Contents- Page 1 Editorial- Page 2 News- Page 4 Features: Stargazing- Page 7 These are the voyages...- Page 9 New planet awaiting confirmation- Page 11 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the next step in space?- Page 13 Music from Space- Page 15 Gastronauts- Page 17 Reviews: Products- Page 19 Films- Page 21
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December 2010
“Hello and welcome to the first issue of Aurora, the only magazine with the space faring traveller exclusively in mind. Whether you’re planning a trip into space or are an enthusiast keeping up with the current technology and events, there really is something for everyone. This magazine is a collaboration of some of the latest news, top playing companies and highest quality products, all chosen with you, the reader in mind. Although the magazine initially had a difficult conception, a determined staff of writers and researchers working towards a common goal- to explore the unexplored- worked tirelessly to bring you what you now hold. With that in mind, please enjoy the first issue of Aurora. Because we will always have the future.” -Jamie Mackenzie, Editorial Team
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Writers: Emma Roberts Elliot Ashley Tess Ingleheart Jamie Mackenzie Edd Hurst Tom Mitchell Designers: Edd Hurst (Cover and adverts) Jamie Mackenzie (Layout) Pictures courtesy of: Fisher Omega Panasonic Speedo Universal Pictures Virgin Galactic
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Technology Tracking Ash By Elliot Ashley
The UK Space Agency has announced that it had several satellites trained onto the ash cloud created after Java’s Mount Merapi erupted earlier this year. The satellite paring, European Space Agency (ESA) satellite Envisat and MetOp of the European Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat), are collating data from the deadly ash cloud. This data is being used by VAACs – the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres, who a responsible for gathering the information and advising the aviation sector on the risks it may pose to their industry. The data is crucial as Mount Merapi’s ash cloud has already claimed one victim as it travels across the southern continents. The victim was a Thomas Cook Scandinavia Airbus, and was en route to Saudi Arabia from its initial take off in Indonesia. The flight made a routine stop in Batam, where it was discovered that particles from the Ash cloud had damaged the engines and they would have to be replaced. VAACs receive information ranging from the direction and speed of travel, to the gas levels that make up the clouds toxic solution. The information is sent using e-mails about the sulphur dioxide, that are sent in near real time thus giving VAACs the best chance of giving advice and warnings to Aircraft operators such as BA and Thomas Cook.
Virgin’s response to environmental concerns By Jamie Mackenzie
Following reports from Geophysical Research Letters about the potential harm to the environment from space tourism, Virgin Galactic have issued a statement claiming otherwise, the Guardian reports. It was alleged that space tourism could be responsible for increasing the temperature by as much as 0.7 degrees in some areas due to the build up of carbon in the atmosphere. Martin Ross, who led the research team said: “With each launch, the black carbon particles stay in the stratosphere for 5-10 years, so they build up to a steady state level.” Will Whitehorn, president of Virgin Galactic disputes the claim, saying that the environmental impact of running the venture over a 10 year period would only amount to the amount of carbon produced by one and a half rocket launches. Unlike conventional space travel methods, the Virgin Galactic fleet use a hybrid engine, of solid fuels mixed with a liquid oxidant.
Dutch airline Mission to heads for space dark side of By Thomas Mitchell A Dutch Airline has announced the moon a partnership with space launch facilitator Space Experience Curaco and in flight designer Aerospace Inc, offering sub-orbital flights to all its customers. KLM Royal have agreed to build
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a relationship with SXC along with rivals Virgin Galactic, who now face tough competition from KLM’s latest deal. Supporting the orbital flights that are currently in development , KLM have locked a deal involving both marketing and the selling of tickets for the flights on their official website. Mike Massee, spokesman for SXC, said: “We are proud to have KLM on-board with us, and their acceptance of marketing for our Lynx space aircraft is a bonus. They have a worldwide reputation for excellent travel, and their approach to space travel offers the benefits we want for all our clients” With on flight ticket prices at a substantial amount, there are already fears the rivalry has began, with KLM Royal suggesting the costs of their tickets will be only a fraction of the £120, 000 Virgin Galactic are offering for a once in a life time space experience, amidst reports the Dutch airline will slash their prices more than half to a mere improvement of £60, 000. The flights scheduled to start in January 2014 from the Curaco Island in the Netherlands, look set to add a historic dimension to the legacy of flying, with tickets already on sale from partnership Virgin Galactic, who sealed a deal with SXC in 2005. KLM Royal were unavailable for comment, but are said to be ‘thrilled’ with this latest partnership.
By Emma Roberts
An American aerospace company are proposing a mission to send a crew of astronauts to the far side of the moon.
Aurora: News NASA has officially abandoned any manned moon missions for the time being, but Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver have begun promoting the mission using the Orion Spacecraft which the company has been developing. Engineers for the company proposed that using their Orion Spacecraft would allow the crew to have a continuous line of sight visibility to both the far side of the moon and the Earth. The mission is a goal under the new direction for NASA that the President Barack Obama has put forward. The intentions are that people will be landing on an asteroid by 2025 and we will be sending astronauts to Mars by the mid – 2030s. Orion missions to the far side of the moon are considered possible by 2016 to 2018.
Outlook clear for next generation METSAT By Elliot Ashley
A French-German Consortium has been commissioned to construct the latest stage of a new weather satellite system on behalf of the European Space Agency. The two main contributors behind Eumetsat are France’s Thales Alenia Space and Germany’s OHB System. T AS, based in Cannes, and OHB Systems of Bremen, will be responsible for constructing the Imaging technology of Eumetsat. The R&D, or Range and Direction, phase of construction was approved by governments in 2008 and is well underway despite delays from political disagreements. Reynald Seznec president and CEO of Thales Alenia Space (TAS)
said: “We are extremely happy and proud to meet the challenge of building the most ambitious geostationary satellites ever developed in Europe, and thank ESA and Eumetsat for their confidence. This statement was the launch pad for European Meteorological Satellite (Eurometsat), a joint project involving companies from across Europe. All based in countries involved with the European Space Agency (ESA)[don’t follow last sentence]. Eumetsat is the next level in European weather satellites and the project is known as Metsat Third generation (MTG).MTG hopes to be operated as a platform by the European Space Agency (ESA) from 2018 and is very different from its forbears MSG – the second generation of meteorological satellite. The imagery available once MTG is operational will be able to capture detail in a much higher resolution than previously available and will be sent quicker than before too, the data can be received in around 2.5 minutes Eumetsat will take the look similar in design to standard telecommunications satellites and will sit in orbit watching earth. A second craft is due to be constructed, but will remain in storage, however this project will not be expected to begin until 2018 and is hoped to be completed in 2021. The Metsat project was commenced in 1977 and MTG will extend observations into 2040. Some doubts remain, however, over the contributions of a number of smaller nations because of the economic crisis. Some may need more time to organise their finances. At the last count, 17 of 25 Eumetsat members had indicated their desire to approve, representing more than 75% of the budget the organisation needs to put into MTG. TAS said the consortium would have the first imaging MTG satellite ready for launch by the end of 2017 and the first sounder ready by
the spring of 2019.
New hangar announced at Mogave Space Port By Edd Hurst
A new facility has been announced to be built at the Mojave Air and Space Port for the development of Virgin Galactic’s new fleet of spaceships and launch craft. Upon its completion, the building will be a 68,000 square foot, clear span, 737-sized hangar including offices, and will primarily be for the final assembly, integration and testing of vehicles before they enter into space. The building has been designed to support the production of two WhiteKnightTwos and at least two SpaceShipTwos in parallel to one another. The Spaceship Company, a new joint-venture aerospace production company of Virgin Group and Scale Composites, will be developing the new fleet of spaceships for Virgin Galactic’s fleet within the hangar, which will also serve as their headquarters. Doug Shane, President of Scaled Composites said: “All of us at Scaled are pleased to congratulate TSC and Virgin on today’s historic groundbreaking. We’re proud and excited to have such a terrific new neighbour.” The Mojave Air and Space Port, often described as the Silicon Valley for the emerging space industry, was also the location of the development of the original SpaceShipOne by Scaled Composites, on which the current SpaceShipTwos are designed.
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December 2010
Third European Space Agency’s test flight successful first batch of By Edd Hurst astronauts Virgin Galactic has successfully By Tess Ingleheart A group of six astronauts a Briton, two Italians, a German, a Frenchman and a Dane gained their certification for completing their basic training at a ceremony in Germany recently. They are the first astronauts to be educated by the European space agency’s own training programme, before European astronauts relied on US and Russian training. The first of the recruits to go into space will be in 2013, and will visit the international space station. Their training complied of many different tasks and tests involving learning the Russian language, Robotics, working underwater to simulate the sensation of space walking, also medical and survival training. They have been in training since September 2009 after being selected in May of the same year. ESA will choose another individual to go into orbit in 2015 until then they will be given a variety of jobs within the space agency. The new recruits will continue with pre-assignment training until they are allocated a mission, then they will then begin to receive specialised training for that mission. China has also recently started training seven new astronauts; they are expected to receive complicated training on how to carry out scientific experiments while in space in the future.
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completed its third test-flight in their first commercial space liner, SpaceShipTwo, built to fly passengers on suborbital journeys. The privately built spacecraft was deployed November 17 for the third time from its mothership WhiteKnightTwo for a test-flight above the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. According to a test log posted by Scaled Composites, the manufacturer of the SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo launch system, a series of flight objectives was successfully met whilst following a clean release of the craft at altitude. SpaceShipTwo was flown to a more aggressive stall indication, with the vehicle manoeuvred to a 3.5-G level. During the glide, the craft’s stability and control were also evaluated. The space plane was outfitted with a water ballast tank to establish an aft centre of gravity. “Watching SpaceShipTwo going through its test points, circling the field and landing is thrilling indeed, especially due to the sweeping graceful planform of its wing and boom tails,” Scaled Composites’ said Chief Technical Officer Burt Rutan, the veteran aerospace designer who founded the company in 1982. He added: “Yesterdays flight included opening up a much larger portion of the previous envelope, this time using water ballast to achieve an aft centre of gravity. The ship dumped the water directly over the field, giving an impression that it was making thrust with the
large plume.” Rutan said the flying qualities of the vehicle continue to be reported as excellent.
Thoughts? Comments? Our news team would love to hear from you. If you have any news to report, or would like to discuss any of the stories covered here, please do not hesitate to contact our news team at: newsdesk@aurora.co.uk
Stargazing
Aurora: Features
-By Elliot Ashley
F
or centuries man has gazed into the darkness at what has been an impossible to count number of stars. They have been used to predict the future, explain the existence of God and even had songs written about them. Boy meets Girl were waiting for one to fall; children across the years have wondered what these diamond-esque things in the sky are; Walt Disney was adamant it didn’t matter who you were when you wished on one as your dreams would still come true. The list could go on. Food lovers have also been influenced by them. Everybody has eaten part of the solar system at some point be it a Milkyway, Galaxy or even a Starbar. They have even been used as a marker of achievement or quality. We talk of ‘celebrities’ being these but despite how they have been interpreted by the English language, they still create a puzzling and thrilling subject for amateurs and professionals alike. Stars are the guiding light of time; a navigational aid of life itself. If you look up from your street or garden of an evening, you will see some noticeable figures; Orion and his belt, The Plough, Ursa Major and Minor and depending on light pollution these will either be crystal clear or faded to various degrees, but always noticeable. So could we see such sights from space? The simple answer is ‘yes’ but this begs the question – why are there no pictures of stars taken from by astronauts from the moon landings. Well it all comes down to two things exposure and artistic licence. NASA, the North American Space Agency, have been known to ‘black out’ images taken by astronauts to create more striking images of the earth and / or the moon (they stand out more on black backgrounds, so the detail is more visible) of course the conspiracy theorists out there suggest this is also to booster claims for the argument against alien existence.
However, if one was to look across the web for ‘stars in space’ you find very little imagery but a consistency in the explanation of photography- the reason behind it all. In order to photograph stars in their natural setting from both space and earth, shutter speeds and long exposure times are crucial. Cosmonauts have tried on previous occasions to take images of stars whilst in orbit. Due to the bright sun light (a star in its own right) in space, as there is no atmosphere to filter the UV rays, stars appear more dimly then they would if being viewed from the earth. So in order to
produce clear images of stars and to prevent blurring and streaking, it is important to have an incredibly long exposure of days. Therefore in order to allow for this, it would be necessary to spend more money and time on space exploration than is possible. But one piece of space equipment is famed for its photography, her images being reproduced and displayed as everything from posters to place mats and coasters. Hubble, the deep space exploration telescope launched in 1990, has produced some of the past twenty years most iconic images from ‘dust clouds’ to the death of stars and birth of new
ones. In last twenty years Hubble has taken enough data to fill around and average of 18 DVDs each week. This data has gone on to be used as the sole basis for over 6,000 scientific articles being published worldwide. The way Hubble works is systems of mirrors that you would think capture coloured images going by what we all know as Hubble images. It is in fact a series of black and white images with each shade of the two colours representing an amount of light. These are picked up by filters and
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December 2010 are then beamed back to earth and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland via satellite stations and the Goddard Space Flight Center
“In order to photograph stars in their natural setting from both space and earth, shutter speeds and long exposure times are crucial.”
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in Greenbelt, Maryland. It’s at STScI that colour is added to the images and the other data is put into scientific measures such as wavelength and brightness. The colours used are based on the gradients of shading (each image taken reflecting a part of the Ultraviolet Spectrum) and thus allowing us to see images of deep space as it would look if we were to visit in a spacecraft. But when you are taken your snaps in space, don’t be alarmed if there are no stars in you picturesthey just won’t appear in the blink of an eye. Hubble’s thousands of images can be seen online at hubblesite.org/ gallery
Aurora: Features
These are the voyages... -by Jamie Mackenzie
T
he days when space travel was reserved for people with more qualifications than fingers and with a physical strength to rival a Greek god are coming to an end, and it’s Virgin Galactic that are taking us there. For a mere £120,000 you too can explore the cosmos without even having to get a degree in bio-engineering-theoretical-physics. Not convinced? Well, they’ve already sold more than 380 seats on the ship, which according to Virgin is set to fly in 9 months time and already there are plans to expand. It’s the latest brainchild of tycoon, space explorer and all around fun guy, Richard Branson who claims: “This business has no limits.” With the imminent departure of VSS Enterprise, the world’s first commercial spaceship, he may well be right. The VSS Enterprise and its sister ship, the VSS Voyager can carry two pilots and six wealthy industrialists on each journey into space, before landing In the world’s first dedicated Spaceport in Upham, New Mexico.
If the names Enterprise and Voyager sound familiar, it’s because they’ve been named in honour of TV’s Star Trek. William Shatner (Captain Kirk) was offered a free flight in the ship when it goes into orbit, but declined saying that “I do want to go up but I need guarantees I’ll definitely come back.” Although there are only two of the ships so far, a further three of the “SpaceShipTwo” class vessels are on order, plus a SpaceShipThree already on the cards depending on the success of Enterprise and Voyager. So far there is no word on how long the flights last, though as there is only one star port at present, the route is a fairly simple loop from Upham, out of the atmosphere and back. Virgin do say however that passengers will experience weightlessness first hand. Though the principle for putting people in space is much the same as it was 50 years ago, in
“Though the principle for putting people in space is much the same as it was 50 years ago, in that time leaps and bounds have been made in technology.” that time leaps and bounds have been made in technology. For example, the carbon emissions of the commercial spaceship are immeasurably smaller than the rocket launches we’re all familiar with. Instead of having one large fuel pod and rockets that perform the first stage of the ascent, the ships are flown to about 60,000km into the atmosphere, attached to an aeroplane called the “mothership”, before detaching
and using their own jets to power into space. As a result of this, the costs are greatly reduced as well. $200,000 may sound a lot, but previously the only way that you could get into space was by paying the Russians 20 million dollars to go up with them next time they happen to be in orbit. The ships themselves were designed by acclaimed aircraft designer Burt Rutan, and are an improved version of the SpaceShipOne spaceship that won the Ansari X Prize in 2004. The X Prize set out to find the world’s first commercially viable space craft that could carry passengers and make two trips into space within two weeks. Rutan’s project team were awarded a Collier Trophy by the National Aeronautical Association for “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America.” The proposed SpaceShipThree is set to go ahead should the
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December 2010
SpaceShipTwo models become a success. At present there is little information on the Three, but it is safe to assume that it will expand on the Two, presumably optimized for more passengers, since at present only six at a time may go. Three is set to be a fully orbital spacecraft, which is meant to be more like a ‘space plane’ than the current models. It isn’t too difficult to imagine the future of commercial space flight looking like the Orion Spaceplane from 2001: A Space Odyssey, complete with anti gravity air hostesses walking on the ceiling, carrying a lasagna. Virgin aren’t the only ones in on it though, Dutch Airline KLM has announced its plans to travel into space in the near future and an American unmanned space plane has already completed its seven month orbit of earth and returned to Earth. Progress is being made at a mind boggling rate and it really is only a matter of time before we- ordinary people, will be able to experience what had previously been the exclusive realm of the privileged few.
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Prices may seem high now, but so was regular flight 40-50 years ago. Now we’re inundated with adverts and pop-ups for “flights from only £5.” Is it any different to the flight it would have been 45 years ago? No. People confirmed going into space so far include professor Steven Hawking and socialite Paris Hilton. In a craft designed to seat six passengers, it is distinctly possible that they will be sat next to each other, leading to situations and topics of conversation that would otherwise never taken place, assuming that Professor Hawking and Socialite Hilton aren’t invited to the same types of party.
What you need to know: Cost: $200,000 (£120,000) Destination: Upham, New Mexico, out of the atmosphere, then back to Upham (until more space ports have been made) Crew and passenger compliment: Six passengers and two pilots How long will the flight last: About three and a half hours with six minutes of weightlessness. How high will it go: 70,000 feet. For More information, go to: http://www.virgingalactic. com/
Aurora: Features
New planet awaiting confirmation -By Tess Ingleheart
E
xciting new planet could sustain life says top astrologer at Keck observatory, Hawaii. Gliese581g a strange name for a planet, not cool or very interesting, but 581g is possibly the most interesting planet mankind has ever encountered, with the potential to change the way we view our universe and extra terrestrial life forever. “If confirmed, this would be the most Earth-like exoplanet and the first bona fide potentially habitable one yet discovered.” said in a press release from keck observatory. It’s one of the first planets to be discovered that has a unique likeness to earth as liquid water could exist on the surface.
“The mass of the planet indicates it is a rocky planet with a definite surface and that there is enough gravity to hold an atmosphere; the surface gravity would be similar to earth or slightly higher than earth, but enough to allow a human to walk up-right.” It has a 37 day orbit of a dwarf star called Gliese581; 581g is
three to four times the size of our earth and is tidally locked to the star, meaning one side is always in daylight and searing heat, the other in darkness and freezing temperatures The temperatures estimated by astrologers on the planet range between -31 to -12 degrees Celsius ( -24 to 12 degrees Fahrenheit). The mass of the planet indicates it is a rocky planet with a definite surface and that there is enough gravity to hold an atmosphere; the surface gravity would be similar to earth or slightly higher than earth, but enough to allow a human to walk up-right. This discovery is a landmark in planet detection, it brings new hope that other similar planets are out there. The speed, in which this planet has been found, has lead astrologers to believe that there could be millions even billions of other planets like 581g to be discovered. It could still be many years, decades even until astrologers are able to even consider the possibility of looking for signs of biological life because the planet is so far away 20 light years to be exact, in the constellation of Libra. But the possibility of life is the goal of astrologers, with the potential to radically change the way we see our universe forever. Dr. Steven Vogt of the University of California and associates from Washington DC were the first to discover the planet. “If these are rare, we shouldn’t have found one so quickly and so nearby,” Vogt said. “The number of
systems with potentially habitable planets is probably on the order of ten or 20 percent, and when you multiply that by the hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way, that’s a large number. There could be tens of billions of these systems in our galaxy.” Unfortunately it is not all good news as there has been recent debate on whether planet 581g does exist. As astrologers in Switzerland have cast a shadow over the discovery, from their own analysis of the same data they cannot find any evidence suggesting the planet exists. Francesco Pepe of Geneva Observatory in Sauverny, Switzerland, has said that the collaboration of old and new data by his team show no sign of the planet. From Dr Paul Butler’s statements in a rebuttal to the Swiss team’s non-detection announcement, says the existence of Gliese 581g should be settled within a year or two. It has taken 11 years of observations using the HIRES spectrometer on the W.M. Keck Observatory’s Keck I Telescope at W. M. Heck observatory in Hawaii for Vogt to reach these findings. Using one of the worlds largest optical telescopes each standing eight stories high and weighing in at around 300 tonnes each, the two telescopes at keck observatory are in constant demand from astrologers. The HIRES spectrometer computes precise measurements of a stars radial velocity(its line of movement as seen from earth), which can show the gravitational
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December 2010
pull of planet as it orbits around the star. The report from keck announces the discovery of two new planets around the Gliese581 dwarf star. This brings the number of known planets around the star to six. Quotes sourced from the Keck observatory press release and a statement from Dr Paul Butler. It as as of now unkown whether the planet could someday be habitable or whether there is indeed anything of interest for us there. The only assumption is resting on the planetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical similarities to our own planetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. From its orbit we can see that it is tidally locked, much like our moon. The only thing we can be certain of at present is that it will undoubtedly be the source of further scrutiny and investigation for a while to come, at least until we have worked out what it really is. .
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Planets Fact File. . Three to four times the size of our planet Earth. . 37 day orbit. .20 light years away from earth. .sixth planet to be discovered in the Glieses planetary system. .In the constellation of Libra.
Aurora: Features
What’s the next step in space? - By Edd Hurst
W
ith Virgin Galactic pushing new and exciting boundaries that make the child inside of each and every one of us jump for joy, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and forget about all the other amazing things that are happening in Space. Whilst Virgin certainly are on their way to becoming the first commercial spaceliner, complete with their own fleet of spaceships, there are many other balls in the air as well that are still in development. SpaceX for one is currently developing a family of launch vehicles intended to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of both manned and unmanned space transportation. They are in a position to help transport both cargo and people to and from the International Space Station (ISS), and already have an agreement with NASA to conduct three flights of it’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, culminating in Dragon berthing with the ISS.
“This would represent an important milestone in the history of space, heralding the dawn of a new era where private companies can now bring back spacecraft from orbit.” They recently had a successful mission in which they launched the Dragon spacecraft atop of a Falcon 9 rocket into Low Earth Orbit before bringing it back into the Earth’s atmosphere, making it the first commercial company in history, as well as one of only a handful of organisations worldwide, to successfully recover a spacecraft re-entering from Low Earth Orbit. Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, said before launch: “This would represent an important milestone in the history of space, heralding the dawn of a new era where private companies can now bring back spacecraft from orbit. Successful recovery of Dragon would also bode very well for future astronaut transport.” DragonLab, the commercial side of Dragon, is already being booked
out for future flights in which, as well as being able to transport both cargo and passengers, there will be space to conduct experiments in zero-gravity. According to a presentation Dragon’s product manager,Max Vozoff, gave to NASA: “a biotech breakthrough aboard the station could touch off a ‘gold rush’ in microgravity research that SpaceX, with DragonLab, would be well positioned to capitalize on.” As well as medical advances that are being explored, there are several tourism opportunities opening
up in the next few years. Whilst some companies are focusing on achieving sub-orbital flight, and others orbital flights, some companies are focussing on yet bigger ideas. Space Hotels are an idea that has been toyed with since the 60s in various degrees of seriousness, from NASA boardrooms to family living rooms. People have been dreaming of going into space since Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth in 1961 and Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon in 1969. Characters in books have gone into space as well as countless heroes in movies and many people have been asking themselves “when will it be my turn?” Two studies were held in the late 90s to assess the business prospects of space tourism. It was discovered that there was already
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December 2010 a huge market for space, with over 12 million people visiting the Air and Space museum in Washington D.C., the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Johnson Space Center in Texas as well as various Space Camps and conventions throughout the country. In addition to that, it was discovered that over 40 million people from the USA alone would be interested in taking a trip on a shuttle, and some 55 million would be interested to take a cruise-like space-trip. As a result of these studies, several groups have explored the possibilities of creating a hotel in space, with numerous well established companies giving their backing and support. Companies such as Boeing are looking to develop a seven-passenger space capsule that could transport NASA crews to their space stations. In addition to this they are collaborating with Virginia-based Space Adventures to sell trips to the space station, or potentially to a private space station currently being developed by Bigelow Aerospace and launched in the next few years. In addition to these, Hilton International is involved in plans to create the Hilton Orbital Hotel,
a hotel constructed from the used fuel tanks of space shuttles. These are currently the only part of NASA spaceships that aren’t reused in someway and are usually left to burn up in the atmosphere. Their diameter is the same as that of a Boeing 737 and as such could make good living quarters for a hotel. Tom Shelley, Space Adventure’s President said: “This is now really hard cash that is going into these projects, where people will start to fly on those vehicles in the next few years. Is it one year? Is it three? Is it five? I don’t know. But there is an inflection point where these ideas have got the money they need in order to succeed.” These are only a few of the exciting plans for the new space-age, and are but the beginning of many interesting things to come. For now, we can but sit back and watch our dreams come true.
“In addition to this they are collaborating with Virginia-based Space Adventures to sell trips to the space station, or potentially to a private space station currently being developed by Bigelow Aerospace and launched in the next few years.” Page 14
Music from space
Aurora: Features
-Emma Roberts
W
hat is your favourite genre of music? Pop? Indie? Hip-hop? How about Space Rock? Dating right back to the late fifties, space rock has been around almost as long as space travel. Just like space travel, space rock is becoming increasingly popular, Emma Roberts looks at the influences space is having on the music we are listening to. Space rock was originally a sub-genre of rock created in the late fifties/early sixties when musicians and song writers looked to space for an inspiration. The earliest example of music that was influenced by space dates right back to a 1959 concept album called 'I Hear a New World,' by producer and songwriter Joe Meek. The album was inspired by the then current 'space race' and also spoke out about alien life forms. From here, artists such as Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix developed on this idea, using space and space travel as an influence when song writing. They produced such songs as; 'Astronomy Domine,' '2000 Light Years From Home,' and 'Third Stone from the Sun.' Throughout the seventies the most successful space rock band was Hawkwind. They often teamed up with science fiction writer Michael Moorcock when song writing who helped to create their space themed music. The next notable space rock movement wasn't until the nineties, when popular musicians built on what bands such as Hawkwind had done and created a more modern space rock sound. Successful bands such as The Verve, The Flaming Lips and Muse were classed under the genre of space rock because of the intergalactic influences they used. Muse's album 'Black Holes and Revelations' was heavily influenced by space with song titles such as 'Starlight' and 'Supermassive Black Hole.' Front man Matt Bellamy is well known for his belief in conspiracy theories and Muse's latest album 'The Resistance' was said to be written about his beliefs of conspiracies and an approaching apocalypse.
Top Ten Space Rock Albums You Should Own 1. Space Ritual – Hawkwind 2. The Sophtware Slump – Grandaddy 3. Ladies and Gentlemen, We Ae Floating In Space - Spiritualized 4. Time - Electric Light Orchestra 5. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots – The Flaming Lips 6. Animals – Pink Floyd 7. Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - David Bowie 8. The Resistance - Muse 9. Self Titled - Flying Saucer Attack 10. On Fire - Spacemen 3
Student journalist, Tiffany Naylor, considers that space rock is too over the top; “It's a bit of an ambiguous genre. All laser-shows, distorted-operatics, a bit synthesiser-happy.” She goes on to say, “I'd class Muse as space opera perhaps.”
“It’s an ambiguious genre. All laser shows and distorted operatics” Space rock has bled its influence into a number of contemporary bands, especially seeing an emergence in the early nineties among indie guitar bands who had began to seek the sounds of the past. The front man of Spacemen 3, Jason Pierce, even took on the pseudonym 'J. Spaceman'. Spacemen 3 went on to form possibly the most notable space rock band of the decade, 'Spiritualzed' after they split up.
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December 2010 Notable concept albums of the genre include Electric light Orchestra's album 'Time', which at the time was a huge departure from their already staple commercial progressive rock sound. The album is 16 songs that tell the listener the story of a lost time traveller. It divided fans but it is fondly remembered by those who had greatly taken to this exciting new concept of space themed rock. The album was accompanied by a tour that was a complete spectacle, fans were emerged into a science fiction musical dream with ridiculous sets and special effects normally reserved for movies specially employed for the albums tongue in cheek lyrical themes. David Bowie's 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars' is a widely known and popular science fiction concept album. The album was written as a soundtrack to a movie that Bowie intended to make. There are a few ideas of what the album is actually about, but the best known idea is that Ziggy Stardust is a 'Starman' from Mars who has come to save the Earth. Modern space rock artists have been influenced by the work of Bowie. According to an interview conducted by Come With A Smile in Autumn 2000 with Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, their work is often compared to that of Bowie. The song “He's Dumb, He's Simple, He's the Pilot,” has been compared to Bowie's “Space Oddity,” for the lyrical themes and slow pacing. Lytle said; “There’s actually been a bunch of comparisons, and that was one of the big surprises. I love that song, I’ve always loved that song.”
Space rock is a genre which has stood the test of time, with a dense subject matter and a tongue in cheek, but ultimately enthralling, approach to song writing. Music fans have consistently praised this genre for its wonderful and subversive nature. Here's to another century of rocking in space?
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Gastronauts
Aurora: Features
-By Tom Mitchell
S
pace food; its main purpose to provide astronauts with the nutrients they need to survive. Yet in recent years has turned into a product designed for novelty purposes. Widely available on the high street and online, space food seems to be a must have for everyone this Christmas. However, how can a food designed for consumption in space really be the number one present for the festive season?
Specifically designed to help astronauts, the demand of space food today is greater than ever before. A simple Google search of the term space food will result in endless pages of replicas being sold on the internet or on shop shelves with an endless selection to choose from. May it be Astronaut ice cream, freeze dried strawberries or cookies and cream, the NASA developed snacks on offer will surely tempt the sweetest of taste buds. Kevin Marks, spokesman for Firebox Ltd has seen a recent change in sales figures: “Our Ice Cream space foods have become an instant hit with online users, with the sales figures reaching a 30% rise compared to this time last year.” As the sales increase, it seems we could soon all want a piece of the latest trend, yet one of the questions we all need to ask ourselves is are these products available of any resemblance to reality, or are we in fact playing up to novelty values?
Founded by former United States Marine Corps Pilot and astronaut John Glenn, space food was injected into the solar system for the first time in 1959 along with the launch of the first human space-flight; Project Mercury. Starting off as bite sized cubes, freeze dried powders and tubes of semi liquids, theprototypes used in the early 1960s were found to be unappetizing amongst astronauts during the early stages of experiment. As the space missions developed, so did the menu, with chicken, shrimp cocktail and vegetables all widely available during 1965’s second human flight mission; Project Gemini. As space shuttles developed over time in the mid 1970’s, thanks to the latest in space technology, a more homely method of meal
“Ice Cream space foods have become an instant hit with online users with the sales figures reaching a 30% rise compared to this time last year.” John Mahoney, a food critic, is only one of a few to sample an astronauts diet, and thinks this is the case: “Ice cream food is most commonly associated with space food, yet what most people do not know is freeze-dried ice cream was only eaten on the Apollo space mission. Its flavour is just too unlike ice cream to be enjoyed, and its excessive crumbliness made is especially difficult to eat and clean up in an area without gravity. Thus, its relegation to museum gift shops and novelty stores elsewhere”. With a history spanning more than six decades, space food has been around since the late 1950s, but a true understanding of such an unusual substance has rarely been touched upon.
eating was introduced to the space mission program, allowing everyday food items to be consumed on flight. Larger living areas were introduced on board, allowing refrigerators and freezers to be securely fastened, along with a selection of kitchen utensils which were used with the help of magnetic holders, to consume a wider selection of foods. With a choice of freeze-dried and vacuum packed fruit and vegetables, a selection of soups, breads, cereals and meats all available today, the choices are endless for astronauts of the 21st Century.
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December 2010 In order to gain an insight into this year’s’ must have Christmas gift I decided to sample some space food. After carrying out a simple online purchase and receiving free home delivery, the space food I had ordered arrived within a week of purchase, waiting to be opened. Breaking the seal of the contents bag, a dominant smell of strawberry leaked out of the foiled Neapolitan ice cream packaging. As I took my first bite of the polyester textured material, the first flavour hit me instantly; Strawberry, melting in the mouth not long after rehydrating the ice cream to its original state. Containing a mixture of milk fat, corn syrup, and whey among many, the necessary proteins, sugars, and vitamins we all need to maintain a balanced diet are contained within a product that tastes anything but healthy. Vickie Kloeris, Manager of the International Space Food Systems and NASA’s head chef says: “NASA does exactly what the army does with its ready to eat meals, with a few exceptions. Ready to eat meals are designed to keep 18- to 22-year-old extremely active soldiers fuelled and ready, whereas space food must be nutritionally tailored to older and less-active adults, so in general, space food is lower in fat, calories and salt.”
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Continuing to eat and enjoy what the space food was offering, the cubed individual pieces began to disappear from the bowl in front of me one by one. Unable to resist, the pieces were gone in only a matter of minutes, yet the after lying tastes of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla all combined into one remained for much longer. A sweet, soft textured piece of candy is how I would sum up the space food available today. It may not be the cheapest at £4.99 a pack, but ice cream space food is a must try for the most curious of minds. With its main purpose to serve as a nutritional meal in space also, consuming a packet of ice cream space food is good for you, and could soon become the number one Christmas gift we will all be unwrapping come December 25th.
- There are 72 types of space food avaliable today. - The food is packed in rehydratable packaging to aid in trash consumption. - Velcro on the bottom of the packaging holds it in place on space. - Berverages come in powder form, these include tea, coffee, and fruit juices.
Aurora: Reviews
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With hundreds to choose from, the wetsuit market is certainly a vast one. However, if there is one suit that you should pay particular attention to, its the Speedo LZR Racer. Recently used in the Olympic games, the Speedo LZR is streamlined with the latest fabrics developed solely by NASA, specifically designed to help reduce drag, reducing friction almost entirely. Designed specifically to stop rubbing against the human skin, and ease of movement whilst in space, the LZR’s were first spotted back in 2008, and have since churned out record breaking results amongst dozens of athlets and professional surfers, with world records being smashed throughout the year, leading to speculation surrounding the suit for these achievements. Whilst official records from the 2008 Beijing Olympic games show that of the 36 medals awarded at the Olympics, 33 of them had gone to athletics wearing the LZR, criticism from competitors has surfaced, with many claiming the wetsuit compresses the body so much it is hard to move, whilst others agree there is great difficulty getting the wetsuit on and off. Available widely on the internet for a hefty £250, the Speedo LZR wetsuit seems to have swung the opinions of even the most experienced of users, yet with a huge range to choose from, the LZR may not suit the needs of every dedicated swimmer. By Thomas Mitchell
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Handheld cameras are one of many everyday products that were originally designed for use in space. In order to film Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon, NASA had to create a camera small enough to fit on the leg of the lunar lander. At the end of this, they had shrunk the massive television studio size cameras into a portable handheld camera small enough to take up to space. These cameras were originally unavailable to the public due to the high cost, but thanks to modern technologies they are now much more affordable. The HS700 is the latest camera from Panasonic and at a rather pricey £840 it is not the most affordable handheld camera available. That price is there for a reason though; the camera uses lots of the latest technology; high definition, touch screen, which all contribute to making it rather complicated to use. The touch screen is not a necessity it’s just an extra feature, a sales point. The camera will only record in high definition, and whilst that makes your home videos look crystal clear, if your computer isn’t high definition you can think again about uploading and sharing them. Whilst being one of the more heavyweight cameras Panasonic makes, it is very comfortable to use and the anti shake makes it easy to get an accurate shot when filming. The wide angle lens is brilliant for the filming enthusiast and the camera performs well when there is not a lot of light. By Emma Roberts
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December 2010
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Have you ever written a letter to your friend or loved one in a weightless environment? No? That’s because you don’t have this pen. The Fisher Space Pen has long been the industry standard for writing in space, ever since Paul Fisher first came up with the concept in 1965. 45 years later and it is still the biggest selling “space pen” on the market today. There are other space pens on the market, but none of them carry the same prestige and pedigree of the Fisher. The design of the Fisher “Bullet” (pictured) is seen as being so aesthetically perfect, there is one on permanent display at the New York Museum of Modern Art. Mountain climber of volcano-poking enthusiast? The pen also works at temperatures of between -35 and 120 degrees Celsius, meaning that there is no situation on Earth or beyond that can thwart this pen. Available in a variety of colours and styles (including a .375 bullet cartridge), the Fisher is guaranteed to write for almost 31 miles, which the company claim is enough for “a lifetime of average use.” Prices start at around £20, with refills costing £2 each. Or you could use a pencil. By Jamie Mackenzie
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To be brutally honest, I’m not sure how time works in space. I have enough trouble working out time zones between here and in the varying times in America. I therefore am at a complete loss to explain how you would work out what time it is when orbiting the planet. At times like this, it’s comforting to know that my watch would be far more competent than I. The Omega Speedmaster is one of the all time classics; it was flight tested by the crew of Apollo 11 (they got to the moon on time), it has the distinction of being the only watch qualified by NASA that is suitable for use in an EVA environment (or on the outside of a spacecraft while it is in orbit, to you or I) and Omega is the brand of choice of none other than James Bond. Durable, beautiful and painstakingly well made, the Speedmaster is a fine companion for anyone worthy of its £1,500 price tag. That may sound like a lot for a watch, but it’s got more qualifications than I have. As NASA have extensively proved, this is the perfect watch for time keeping in space, under water or on the ground. The perfect way to show your wrist that you love it. By Jamie Mackenzie
Review: Skyline
Aurora: Reviews
-By Tess Ingleheart
Directed by: Colin Stause, Greg Strause Writers: Liam O’ Donnell, Joshua Cordes Starring: Eric Balfour, Scottie Thompson, Neil Hopkins Rating: 15 Website: www.iamrogue.com/skyline Directed by The brothers Colin and Greg Strause, (Alien vs. predator requiem) Skyline backs up the fact that impressive special effects, are simply not enough to keep an audience’s attention. This film is a content depleted, emotionally devoid, explosion fest. After a glitzy penthouse party, a group of friends awake to find strange lights descending on the city of LA. With a prime viewing spot at the top of a skyscraper, the group watch in terror as the strange alien activity sends their sunny LA holiday into an alien invasion from hell. Starring Eric Blafour (24) Scottie Thompson and Donald Faison (scrubs) the anticipated Skyline is a completely forgettable close encounter. Things just seem to happen with no real consequence or emotion. The acting is strained, with the exception of a surprising performance from Faison. You may find yourself noticing the fine decor of the cinema or recall the fact you left the kitchen light on. As the cat and
mouse game played between the scares and the fake scares fail to keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters have no chemistry and the shallow script doesn’t help. The only good thing about this film is the Computer Graphics, some scenes are spectacular(Which should be the case as the brothers have both been visual effects supervisors for a range of films including Avatar, Titanic and Wolverine) but it’s not enough to keep you interested in what’s going on, because there never is a lot going on! There is some hand-to-hand fighting and some fighter pilot scenes(reminiscent of Independence Day) which might get your pulse going but not for long, as the un-enthusiastic attempts at survival from the cast, get you more frustrated than the abrupt ,in-conclusive, laughable ending coming your way. If the brothers Strause had put more effort into the story telling, rather than hoping that like the citizens of LA, we’d all be drawn into the story by the pretty lights, things could have been much better.
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December 2010
Classic Movie Review: ET -By Tom Mitchell
Winner of four Academy Awards, Steven Spielberg’s 1982 American science fiction picture E.T. the Extraterrestrial has been hailed as one the greatest sci-fi pictures of our time. Starring Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore and Robert McNaughton in their early childhood years, the much loved extra terrestrial picture captivated audiences worldwide, introducing a whole new space story to the cinema world. Based solely on Spielberg’s childhood experiences, of which he created an imaginary friend whilst his parents were facing separation, E.T. is a timeless story of friendship that has seemed to live on for more than two decades. When released in the Summer of 1982, E.T. opened to an accolade of success, remaining at the number one spot of the Box Office charts for six consecutive weeks and receiving near perfect critical responses from across the globe. Roger Ebert, American film critic and screen writer praised the film highly, saying: “This is not simply a good movie. It is one of those movies that brush away our cautions and win our hearts,” with others hailing Spielberg as a ‘genius’ and ‘all time mastermind of movie making.’ Knocking up a total nine Academy Award Nominations at the 55th award ceremony, E.T. was
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short listed to receive acknowledgement in the categories of Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay among many. Wining a total of four awards in the categories of Best Original Score, Best Sound and Mixing Editing, and Best Visual Effects, it seemed Spielberg’s latest creation was unstoppable. In more recent years, the 1982 hit has become something of an icon, with E.T. being declared as the greatest sci-fi movie movie ever made by online film website Rotten Tomatoes. Awarding the film with a special 20th anniversary cinema release in March 2002, along with a two disc special edition DVD available to buy today, containing hours of bonus footage, exclusive interviews, and an insight into the evolution and creation of one of Spielberg’s greatest pictures, E.T. will always be seen as one of the most magical cinema moments and is sure to live on for generations to come.