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Chasing the dream of human spaceflight
Form follows function, they say. And if a machine works like a dream, perhaps it ought to look like one as well. Right? The Dream Chaser could be in orbit by 2014 I have no data to support this...
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Using space to navigate our way to growth
The European Commission uses a very interesting statistic in support of its proposed satellite navigation system, Galileo. It appeared with the "mid-term review [200KB]" of the project and the...
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The small matter of a few billion sat-nav euros
So, the European Commission has hunted down that statistic I mentioned on Friday which shows just how reliant the European economy now is on GPS. I asked the EC to explain what was a fairly astonishing...
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European space prepares to make a really big decision
More than 300 of Europe's leading space scientists gathered in Paris this week to discuss how to spend more than a billion euros. The options? Well, try to choose between these three: IXO would be...
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The Liberty rocket and the 'genetics' of human spaceflight
I wondered how long it would take before we saw Europe's biggest space company, Astrium, step into the race to develop a follow-on to the soon-to-be retired space shuttle. It needs a US partner to get...
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Plotting a course for Europe's space freighter
It was a big moment in every sense. When the Ariane 5 shook and lifted skyward, it marked not only the heaviest payload carried into orbit to date by Europe's premier rocket but the 200th mission of...
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Nigeria set to expand its activities in space
I remember distinctly when Nigeria adopted its national space policy in 2001 someone turning to me in the BBC newsroom and saying, "what on Earth does Nigeria need a space programme for?" NigeriaSat-2...
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Future gazing: The prospects for interstellar travel
I've been troubled of late by the scale of things, by the vastness of space. It's been brought into focus by two things, I think. The first is the Voyager 1 probe - the most distant man-made object...
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Visions of space separated by 22 miles
Wednesday presented an excellent example of the challenges faced by science-based industries in the UK; and, in particular, the space sector. In its Budget announcement, the London government singled...
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The Sun rises on Chinese space science
The world is changing, and fast. Take the new report from the Royal Society. It's called Knowledge, Networks and Nations: Global Scientific Collaboration in the 21st Century. It examines how the...
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Europe must stand tall on space science
We’re a little bit clearer now in Europe on what the really big space science mission will be at the end of this decade… just a little bit. For the past four years, scientists and engineers have been...
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Europe at Mars: Are we nearly there yet?
You have to wonder sometimes whether it is a rollercoaster that Europe plans on sending to Mars rather than a rover – such are the ups and downs and the sweeping curves on its ExoMars project. ExoMars:...
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Future Space: Shoulder to shoulder with robots
It sits, fists clenched and arms folded to the chest. Robonaut 2 is ready for action on the space station. Humans have an innate need to explore. It cannot simply be left to robots The first humanoid...
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Help is coming for satellites 'running on empty'
I’ve come to the Kennedy Space Center to witness the final launch of shuttle Endeavour. George Nelson (bottom-right) attempts to control Solar Max using the MMU It is due to lift off on Friday. The...
View ArticleChanging orbit
Things are changing. The BBC's Spaceman has been assigned a new ship for his thoughts. So, as of today, this blog is moving to a new home, and taking on a format that you will recognise if you are a...
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