All of the mathematics involved in space flight can be reduced to a few relatively simple equations. One of these is the Rocket Equation. For a multistage rocket, a rough approximation of the rocket equation is that as the payload gets heavier by a little bit, the rocket itself must get bigger by a lot. Therefore, it makes sense to have the payload be as small as possible, in order to make the rocket as small (and inexpensive) as possible. What if we applied that idea to the size of the astronaut at the top of the rocket? With a smaller astronaut, and matching smaller capsule, a smaller rocket is needed to get the astronaut to space than would be required for a larger astronaut. Today's space video of the day is the first episode of Rocket Girls, which uses this idea as a justification for making teenage Japanese girls into astronauts. The show actually manages to get most of the science right, and teaches the viewer about such things as the rocket equation, transfer orbits, Max Q, mechanical counterpressure spacesuits, and other rocket science concepts, while also managing to be quite entertaining.
In the not-too-distant future, orbital debris - discarded rocket stages, defunct satellites, a dropped camera, paint flecks... there's even a single astronaut glove orbiting up there! - will become a huge problem. Everything up there is moving at around 8km/s (5 miles per second), and even something as small as a bolt can cause major havoc if it hits something critical. Today's space video of the day is the first episode of the anime series Planetes; set in the year 2075, the main characters in this series are responsible for clearing up orbital debris.
I have already posted the movie Star Wars as a space video of the day. There were lots of flaws in that movie, and many of them are pointed out in this hilarious sendup by the creators of Family Guy. Enjoy today's space video of the day, Blue Harvest.
What really happened in Roswell, New Mexico six decades ago? What do aliens eat? Is time travel possible? What if it was, and you became your own grandfather? These and other disturbing questions are answered in today's space video of the day, Futurama: Roswell That Ends Well. Kick back, grab yourself a bag of Bachelor Chow, and enjoy.
Today's space vido of the day is a collection of animations produced by the European Space Agency showing some of the elements of their Aurora Space Exploration Programme. The first animation is of the ExoMars rover landing on the planet and using the Pasteur payload, which will drill up to two meters below the surface. This is followed by animations of the Mars Sample Return mission, a manned mission to Mars (which would happen between 2025 and 2030) and a manned Moon mission (to occur between 2020 and 2025).
