Popular_Science_Australia_November_2016

38 POPULAR SCIENCE

The ability to reuse a

rocket’s first stage—the

part that traditionally

falls into the ocean—

could cut the cost of a

launch by two orders of

magnitude, according to

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

In April, after four failed

attempts, the Falcon 9

rocket landed safely on a

drone ship. The winning

combination: more liquid-

oxygen propellant for

increased thrust, and a

thruster-controlled

landing—as opposed

to its former, and rather

less-successful,

parachute method.

Rocket Sticks

the Sea Landing

C

SPACEX

FA LC O N 9

Before an airship gets

inflated, humans have

to painstakingly inspect

its body for leaks. To

shave days off that

process, Lockheed

Martin Skunk Works

wanted this “pinhole

check” to happen

during inflation. Its

solution: a SPIDER (self-

propelled instrument

for damage evaluation

and repair). The

autonomous robots

magnetically attach to

the blimp and crawl over

its body, detecting and

patching holes with an

onboard repair kit.

An Airship-

Fixing Robot

B

LOCKHEED MARTIN

SKUNK WORKSSPIDER

A better understanding

of the stratosphere

could lead to improved

weather and climate

models. To gather data

without releasing engine

emissions that could

muddy air samples,

scientists are sending

the Perlan 2 glider. After

a test to reach 55,000

feet, they aim to sustain

flight at an altitude of

90,000 feet by 2017.

These findings could

also help Airbus design

aircraft that fly more

efficiently in thin air—

like, say, in the

atmosphere of Mars.

Gliding to the

Edge of Space

D

PERLAN PROJECT INC

AIRBUS PERLAN MISSION II

BIGELOW AEROSPACE

BIGELOW EXPANDABLE ACTIVITY MODULE (BEAM)

A

In May, astronauts

attached the BEAM

habitat to the exterior of

the International Space

Station and then

expanded it. Made of an

internal skeleton and

layers of Kevlar-like

fabric, Bigelow’s pod is

small and light—easy

packing for space trips.

Inflatable

Space House

B

C

D

A