Category Archives: Space
Nattaporn Thoonsaengngam
Research Assistant & Geodesist, National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand Chiang Mai Province, Thailand “I wonder, because it is a wonder,” says Nattaporn Thoonsaengngam, a talented researcher, published geodesist, and professional photographer. The worlds of astronomy, geodesy, radio astronomy, humanity, and natural and built environments are all captured by her mind’s eye, photographer’s lens, and...
Revolution #3: Drone-launched Rockets
Think of it as a revolution inside a revolution tucked inside yet another revolution. Revolution #1: ground-based reusable rockets as exemplified by rocket billionaires Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. The reuse of launch vehicles is lowering barriers to space flight. Great stuff! Revolution #2: air-launched rockets. A shining example is Paul Allen...
Drones over Venus
While attending the AUVSI XPONENTIAL conference last May, I spoke with the team at Black Swift Technologies, a Boulder, Colorado-based UAS engineering firm specializing in scientific platforms, and I asked them to keep me updated with their progress. I recently received the news that it has been awarded a NASA contract to develop a UAS...
The Data of River Dynamics
Using GIS tools and readily accessible satellite data to study rapid change in rivers. Editor’s note: The dynamics of rivers can range from relatively stable to rapidly shifting, the latter especially in flood-prone regions exacerbated by a global increase in extreme weather events. The impacts are environmental, but also economic, social, and cadastral. Surveyors, for...
Rocket Billionaires
Here’s a great example of serendipity. Not so long ago I took a break from my daily routine and flipped on the TV. The set was tuned to the science channel, and just as the screen flickered to life I beheld the sight of the first launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy as it lifted off....
Big Bird + Black Ice = Space 2.1
First off, let’s decipher that headline, starting at the end. Space 2.0 (AKA “NewSpace”) is the catch-all phrase that describes the privatization of space and the companies, platforms, and technologies that come with it. We’ll get to the “2.1” in a minute. Big Bird is the nickname given the world’s largest aircraft (by wingspan, 385’)...