Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Launch-Abort Motor For NASA: The Next Generation
NASA is testing the launch-abort motor for the new Constellation program. The test took place November 20th in Promontory, Utah. The launch-abort motor fired for just over five seconds (see video below). More than a half-million pounds of thrust were produced almost immediately upon ignition.
(NASA tests 'ejection seat' motor video)
A flight test for Constellation is planned for next spring at White Sands, NM. That test will use a fully integrated launch-abort system with a full-size model of the Orion crew capsule.
As far as I know, one of the first suggestions that space craft might need ejection seats is Murray Leinster in Space Tug, a 1953 novel.
"Look, Joe! We checked everything last night. We checked it again this morning. I even caught Mike polishing the ejection seats, because there wasn't anything else to make sure of!"Joe managed a smile. The ejection seats were assuredly the most unlikely of all devices to be useful today. They were supposedly life-saving devices. If the ship came a cropper on take-off, the four of them were supposed to use ejection-seats like those supplied to jet pilots. They would be thrown clear...
(Read more about Leinster's )
Ejector seats for aircraft were first used in Germany in the late 1930's; they were perfected in WWII. The only ejector seats designed and used in spacecraft were installed in the Soviet Vostok craft, and in the American Gemini craft.
From NASA Testing Ejection Seat and NASA Tests Escape Motor for New Moonship.
Note to readers: It occurs to me that this my 2,000th article for Science Fiction in the News. My initial intent was to have a site with a glossary of science-fictional inventions and ideas. After a few weeks, I read about something that made me think "I've seen this before - in sf. Perhaps I'll write an article or two."
I appreciate everyone's interest and comments. I particularly appreciate those who have contributed ideas for stories and technovelgy items. Thanks to Moira, Winchell, Fred, Yossi, MrX_TLO, BajaB, Adi, Carl, Zac, Eric, Vik, CyberStrike, Jonathan, Amy, Odon, Your Obedient Serpent, Jason, Kaj, Chris, Jerry, Ray, Robert, Erik, Nicholas, Eric, Conor, John, Andy, Tarik, Simon, Rob, Icecycle, Ashley, Bob, Mike, Elim, Tuey, Diego, Masa, Armchair Anarchist, Jeff, The Sabre Runner, Trevor, Mark, Edward, Paul, Pete, Tim, Jez, R. Probert, Xenophile, Sam, Agiani, Matt, Steve, William, Lou, Gil, Justin, Jim, Greg, asmohr, Daz, Bill, Larry, Walt, Yoon, Alex, Moomintroll, Randy, Nebula Nox, Pipedreamergrey and Miez, Dominic, Misja, Sky, Blue Monkey, Stan, Edo, Dave, Victor, AJ, Dan, RandomAction, Athelind, Jack, Joanne98, Regine, Joel, Flaminio, Jeremy, Trey, S. Jones, Alan W., reg, Bob F., KafirCake, Akira, Joel and the many readers who have contributed anonymously or who I forgot.
End note.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 11/22/2008)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 2 )
Related News Stories - (" Space Tech ")
Starship Special Edition For Lunar Shuttle
Love those special edition spaceships.
Capturing Asteroids With Nets
'...the meteor caught and halted just as a small boy catches a swift ball in his cap.' V.E. Thiessen, 1947.
Project Hyperion - Generation Ship Designers Needed!
'We have decided that it shall be but one ship... it must contain everything needed to take us through the generations.' - Judson Reeves, 1930.
Marslink Proposed By SpaceX
'It was the heart of the Solar System's communication line...' - George O. Smith, 1942.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Miss Alabama Beauty Contest Offers Different Standards
'...they moved with the ease of dandelion puffs.'
Has Musk Given Up On Full Self Driving (FSD)?
'...some bored drone pusher in a remote driving centre...'
Prufrock-3 'The Monster' Ready To Launch
Just go for it.
Drones In Vast Airborne Grids
'These pods were programmed to hang in space in a hexagonal grid pattern...'
Starship Special Edition For Lunar Shuttle
Love those special edition spaceships.
Capturing Asteroids With Nets
'...the meteor caught and halted just as a small boy catches a swift ball in his cap.'
Project Hyperion - Generation Ship Designers Needed!
'We have decided that it shall be but one ship... it must contain everything needed to take us through the generations.'
AI Welfare Position At Anthropic Filled By Human
'You’re the robopsychologist of the plant, so you’re to study the robot itself...'
Marslink Proposed By SpaceX
'It was the heart of the Solar System's communication line...'
Simple Way To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'... designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Wood-Panelled LignoSat Launched
'The Consul remembered his first glimpse of the kilometer-long treeship...'
Laser-Beam Welding In Orbital Factories
'His contract with Space Industries required him to work summers in their orbital factory.'
'Iceberg House' Of Travis Kelce Reflects Science Fiction Of Past Century
'The basement was huge... carved deep into the rock that folded up to underlie the ridge...'
Mechazilla Arms Catch A Falling Starship, But Check Out SF Landing-ARMS
'...the rocket’s landing-arms automatically unfolded.'
A System To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Robot Hand Separate From Robot
'The crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
