http://www.brighthub.com/search/searchresults.aspx?u=2718&o=DateDescending&a=275Posts by George Adcocken-UShttp://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/56742.aspxFri, 20 Nov 2009 17:13:14 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:56742wordmanAs physicists grappled with the five string theories, they began to see connections between them. There were dualities between the strong and weak forces in separate theories that made them equivalent. It seemed they were all special cases of one main theory--a theory of membranes, or branes. Duality Clears the View As physicists struggled to find ...http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/55555.aspxWed, 11 Nov 2009 17:08:47 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:55555wordmanThe Ares 1-X test vehicle successfully completed its test flight. But the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee report questions the program, and leaves its future up in the air. Flight Test Results On Oct. 28, 2009, at 11:30 AM EDT, the first flight test of the Ares launch vehicle—the Ares 1-X—lifted off from Pad 39B of the Merritt Isl...http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/12952.aspxWed, 22 Oct 2008 14:31:32 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:12952wordmanThe distances between the planets, and especially the stars and galaxies, are so vast the measurements we use here on Earth, kilometers and miles, are too cumbersome. Astronomers have developed other units to measure distances in the solar system and the universe. The Astronomical Unit With distances in space being so vast, even within our solar sy...http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/53652.aspxTue, 27 Oct 2009 02:21:37 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:53652wordmanThe development of string theory has caused an upheaval in subatomic physics. While problems with the theory remain, it seems to answer many questions left open by the Standard Model. Perhaps most importantly, it predicts the particle that carries gravity. Searching for Answers In the mid ‘60s, physicists were struggling with the dichotomy between ...http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/32388.aspxWed, 08 Apr 2009 14:02:12 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:32388wordmanNavigating in space is not the same as moving about on Earth. You are dealing with the interaction of two bodies--the Earth and the spacecraft. That brings into play laws developed by Kepler and Newton that dictate how a spacecraft can move in orbit. Vagaries of Space Flight When we fly in space, the rules of the road here on Earth don’t apply. We ...http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/29607.aspxWed, 11 Mar 2009 15:54:08 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:29607wordmanThere are two basic factors that determine a rocket's performance--its mass ratio and the exhaust velocity of its propellants. These are critically entertwined. Beyond that, rocket scientists must consider the trajectory they will send the vehicle on into space. Mass Ratio and Exhaust Velocity The most basic factors in rocket science are the ex...http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/19390.aspxTue, 09 Dec 2008 15:01:46 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:19390wordmanAbout 300,000 years after the Big Bang, the universe consisted primarily of hydrogen atoms, Cold Dark Matter (CDM) and baryons. Shock waves from the Big Bang still reverberated through this mix, and caused it to form clumps. The clumps would eventually form galaxies. What's Necessary for a Galaxy to be Formed? After the Big Bang, th...http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/16109.aspxFri, 21 Nov 2008 16:03:57 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:16109wordmanAmerican manned spaceflight began with two quick testing of the waters dips on suborbital flights aboard the Mercury Redstone. Then, atop the more powerful Mercury Atlas, four Astronauts spent ever increasing time orbiting the Earth. From Baby Steps to Record Breakers Before the U.S. could make a suborbital flight, the Soviets leapfrogged us and pu...http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/16057.aspxMon, 03 Nov 2008 16:08:08 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:16057wordmanThere was no guide to follow for space travel. NASA engineers were in uncharted territory. They selected an existing IRBM and ICBM as launch vehicles, and based the spacecraft on ICBM reentry vehicle designs. For pilots, they selected military test pilots. Why NASA was Created In 1958, the U.S. was reeling from the embarrassment of the Soviet Union...http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/22543.aspxFri, 09 Jan 2009 15:00:56 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:22543wordmanIt took one more stumble, but Gemini finally achieved its goals of docking with the Agena and using the stage to maneuver. Along the way three more astronauts took strolls around the Earth. The Angry Alligator Once again, the rocket science gods would have their way with the seemingly cursed Atlas Agena. With Gemini IX sitting on the pad, Tom Staff...