GPIM spacecraft to validate use of "green" propellant

Artist rendition of NASA's Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) that will demonstrate and test the capabilities of a high-performance, non-toxic, “green” fuel on orbit. 

Credit: Image courtesy of Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

Milestone progress is being made in readying NASA's Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) for launch in 2016, a smallsat designed to test the unique attributes of a high-performance, non-toxic, "green" fuel on orbit.

The GPIM marks the first time the United States will use a spacecraft to test green propellant technology, thereby showcasing the innovation needed to develop a fully domestic, green propellant solution for the next generation of space flight.

GPIM is a Technology Demonstration Mission made possible by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and draws upon a government-industry team of specialists.

"The GPIM project symbolizes what we do best in STMD," said Timothy Chen, program executive for Technology Demonstration Missions at NASA Headquarters.

"We invest in break-through technologies that will fundamentally change the way industry does things."

"We enable critical technologies such as the green propellant to buy down the risk of development so that NASA, industry and other government agencies can use the technology as close to off-the-shelf as possible."

"The GPIM project has continued to make significant progress towards proving a mission-capable green alternative to mono propellant hydrazine thrusters."

The propellant and new propulsion technology offer several advantages for future commercial, university, and government satellites, such as longer mission durations, additional maneuverability, increased payload space, and simplified launch processing.

Alternative fuel
The propellant, a Hydroxyl Ammonium Nitrate fuel/oxidizer mix, also is known as AF-M315E. This fuel may replace the highly toxic hydrazine and complex bi-propellant systems in-use today.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado is the prime contractor for GPIM and is leading the demonstration of the alternative fuel for future space vehicles.

"Green fuel is not only great in terms of handling and safety, it is also a very high-performance rocket fuel," said Chris McLean, principal investigator for GPIM at Ball Aerospace.

"It opens the mission trade space for expanded science operations and/or increased durations."

The green propulsion system will fly aboard the tried-and-true Ball Configurable Platform 100 spacecraft bus, a cost-saving approach, McLean added, since this is the third build of this bus.

The AF-M315E fuel for GPIM was developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The propellant offers nearly 50 percent higher performance for a given propellant tank volume compared to a conventional hydrazine system.


Credit: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Ball Aerospace technicians use specialized equipment to build the GPIM satellite so that the space vehicle instruments and thrusters align perfectly with the payload interface. 

Credit: Courtesy of Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

GPIM team
The GPIM is among several other payloads to be lofted in 2016 by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy booster.

GPIM team co-investigators also include NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base, with additional mission support from the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center at Kirkland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The GPIM effort is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

"One of the things that I love about technology demonstration missions is that for a relatively low dollar amount we are capable of doing significant technology advancements," said McLean of Ball Aerospace. "Everybody on the program is contributing to the success of GPIM."

The Copenhagen Wheel - Smartphone linked Electric bicycle technology

Superpedestrian, a Cambridge-based start-up, started making the Copenhagen Wheel available for preorders on Tuesday.

According to the company, shipping begins spring 2014. For those following the development of the Copenhagen Wheel, this is news, as the wheel, which is designed to turn ordinary bicycles into smart electric hybrids, first made its debut in 2009 at the UN Climate Change Conference.

A key feature of the device is that it can compensate with additional power whenever needed.

Riding with the Copenhagen Wheel in place, the user can capture the energy dissipated while braking and cycling and save it for times when a boost is needed.

The device is powered by a removable 48-volt lithium battery. The battery charge time is four hours, according to the site.

The device is offered in 26-inch bicycle wheel size but the company said it plans to add more wheel sizes in future releases.

The company also said that, while presently selling only the wheel, it will soon sell both the wheel and bikes already equipped with the Copenhagen Wheel.

All actuation of the wheel is automatic by way of the pedals, through sensing and control algorithms.

When the rider pedals harder, such as when going uphill, the Copenhagen Wheel pushes with increasing power.

The product gets especially interesting when used along with a smartphone though the wheel can work without a phone.

With the phone, the Copenhagen Wheel becomes a personal trainer with feedback on exercise goals and fitness, and as a reporter, telling the user about traffic congestion and pollution levels.

The company uses a Bluetooth 4.0 wireless protocol.

The "earlybird" price is listed as $699.

UK Scientists planning to put artificial bee brains in flying robots

Honey bees are fascinating creatures.

They live harmoniously in large communities, divided into different castes, with some of the worker bees heading out on daily expeditions to gather nectar and pollen from flowers.

Already, a study has suggested that the efficient method in which bees visit those flowers could inspire the improvement of human endeavours such as the building of faster computer networks.

An open-access paper describing the study was published on the journal PLOS Biology.

Now, scientists from the Universities of Sheffield and Sussex hope to build a computer model of the honey bee’s brain, with the ultimate hope of using it to control tiny autonomous flying robots.

The project is called Green Brain – a tip of the hat to IBM’s Blue Brain Project, the aim of which is to create a computer model of the human brain.

The Green Brain team, however, aren’t actually trying to recreate all of a bee’s mental processes. Instead, they’re focusing on the systems that control its vision and sense of smell.

Also, unlike the Blue Brain scientists, they’re not using supercomputers to create their model.

To get the performance they’ll need out of desktop PCs, they are using high-performance GPU (graphics processing unit) accelerators.

Donated by the NVIDIA Corporation, these GPUs are typically used to rapidly generate 3D graphics on home computers and gaming systems. For the Green Brain project, they will instead be used to quickly perform complex calculations.

So, why would anyone want a bee-brained flying robot? Well, in the same way that honey bees can sniff out and visually identify flowers, it is hoped that the autonomous robots could be used to trace odors or gases to their sources.

Not only could this have applications in fields such as environmental monitoring, but it could also prove useful for things like search-and-rescue operations.

The robots might also find use in the pollination of crops. Although real bees currently provide this service, that could change as worldwide bee populations continue to plummet.

On that note, the scientists also hope that by creating the model, they will be better able to understand the bees’ behaviour.

By doing so, they may then gain some insight into why honey bee populations are falling, and perhaps be able to do something about it.

Once it’s time to actually build the bee-bots, a team of scientists at Germany’s Bielefeld University may be able to help – they’ve been working on creating an artificial bee’s eye project, called FLINAVS, specifically for use in micro air vehicles.

A report outlining the Bielefeld team’s findings was published in the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics.

Source: University of Sheffield

British Geologocal Society: Endangered Metal Risk List

To coincide with the British Science Festival, the British Geological Survey (BGS) has today released a new ‘Risk List’ which ranks the risk to global supply of chemical elements of economic value.


The list highlights vulnerable elements where global production is concentrated in a small number of countries, including metals which are critical to development of a low-carbon digital economy.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) has compiled a "risk list" of elements assessing the precariousness of our supplies.

The study examines the scarcity of each element in Earth's crust, how many countries produce it and the political stability of those countries. It says supplies of antimony, tungsten, mercury and the platinum group of elements are most endangered.

The problem is even more acute than that of the "rare-earth" elements used to make many consumer electronics goods, which hit the headlines earlier this year when power hungry China, the world's biggest acquirer of stocks, sites and companies that mine rare earth elements, blocked exports to the International market to restrict competition and boost pricing.

The risk list helps to focus future research on diversifying supply from new resources, using greener production technologies and cost effective recycling.

The new digital and environmental technologies on which we will rely to deliver a prosperous, low carbon economy often contain metals which have previously been of little interest to man. These ‘critical metals’ – the celebrities of the periodic table – are completely intertwined with modern life, present in thousands of products and increasingly indispensable.

The Risk List 2011 will be released to coincide with the ‘Metals, Mines & Mobiles’ event at the British Science Festival on the 12th September 2011 at the University of Bradford.

The panel of experts at the event will examine the life cycle of technology metals and includes Professor Frances Wall (CSM), Andrew Bloodworth (BGS), Dr Alan McLelland (NAMTEC) and Dr Paul Mitchell (Director, GreenHorizons Environmental Consultants Ltd.)

Download the risk list by clicking on the picture or from www.mineralsuk.com

NASA - A Green Ring Fit for a Superhero

This glowing emerald nebula seen by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is reminiscent of the glowing ring wielded by the superhero Green Lantern.

In the comic books, the diminutive Guardians of the Planet "Oa" forged his power ring, but astronomers believe rings like this are actually sculpted by the powerful light of giant "O" stars, the most massive type of star known to exist.

Named RCW 120, this region of hot gas and glowing dust can be found in the murky clouds encircled by the tail of the constellation Scorpius.

The ring of dust actually is glowing in infrared colours that our eyes cannot see, but show up brightly when viewed by Spitzer's infrared detectors.

At the centre of this ring are a couple of giant stars whose intense ultraviolet light has carved out the bubble, though they blend in with other stars when viewed in infrared.

This bubble is far from unique. Just as the Guardians of Oa have selected many beings to serve as Green Lanterns and patrol different sectors of space, Spitzer has found that such bubbles are common and an can be found around O stars throughout our Milky Way galaxy.

The small objects at the lower right area of the image may themselves be similar regions seen at much greater distances across the galaxy.

Rings like this are so common in Spitzer's observations that astronomers have even enlisted the help of the public to help them find and catalogue them all.

Anyone interested in joining the search as a citizen scientist can visit "The Milky Way Project," part of the "Zooniverse" of public astronomy projects, at http://www.milkywayproject.org/.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

ESA: Green’ satellite fuel designed to make space safer

On the day running up to launch when a spacecraft is fuelled, ground personnel look more like astronauts than engineers, putting on spacesuit-like protective gear.

This is an essential precaution when dealing with the current hydrazine fuel, but a new development could make satellite fuelling no more dangerous than filling up a car.

First used in rocket engines by the German Luftwaffe during World War Two, hydrazine remains the main propellant of choice for a satellite’s onboard thrusters, used for orbit correction or stationkeeping during its working life.

It is a high-performing storable propellant that is also ‘hypergolic’ – meaning it ignites spontaneously on contact with oxidiser or by itself with a catalyst, which makes a spacecraft designer’s job a lot easier.

Unfortunately hydrazine is also highly corrosive and extremely toxic. When leaked into the environment, it degrades in a few days but has the potential to harm plants and marine life, while exposure is considered harmful to people at just 50 parts per million.

Seeking an alternative, ESA has been working with a Swedish company called ECAPS, part of the Swedish Space Corporation Group, to build and test a thruster that runs on a safer, more environmentally friendly fuel.

ECAPS informs us that the development of High Performance Green Propulsion (HPGP) was initiated with the goal of meeting the requirements for future satellite missions. After more than 10 years of R&D, the HPGP technology is emerging as an enabling technology for improved performance, enhanced volumetric efficiency, reduction of propellant handling hazards and safer launch operations.

The HPGP technology developed by ECAPS, includes a storable monopropellant blend based on Ammonium DiNitramide (ADN) and thrusters with high-temperature resistant thrust chamber and catalyst.

For more information you can download ECAPS HPGP brochure here

French 'green' gifting to save money and the planet

A used book or nearly-new kitchen gadget may not be at the top of every Christmas wish list, but hard economic times coupled with a new green awareness are changing attitudes about gift-giving in France.

French holiday shoppers are opting in larger numbers for "green" gifting this Christmas, studies show.

About 30 percent of French consumers will give second-hand items as gifts to stretch out their tight budgets but also to do their little bit for recycling, according to a study by international consulting firm Deloitte.

The survey of Christmas consumer behaviours in 18 European countries found the French were more than twice as likely as other Europeans to give second-hand items, making France a pioneer in the trend.

Paris office worker Flavi Verrey said she found holiday happiness online by buying second-hand gifts such as an old DVD of Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" for her husband along with used copies of his favourite comic strips.

For her nieces, she chose old jewellery, spending a grand total of 20 euros.

"I like the idea that things that once belonged to someone can be of use to someone else," said Verrey.

The 32-year-old mother did not list budget concerns as a major reason for re-gifting but rather sees herself adopting a new consumer attitude that does not need to buy new and wants to reduce waste.

"I do feel that we are at a turning point. People are more aware about how they spend and the choices they make," said Verrey.

Websites promoting re-gifting and green gifting are flourishing in France, with many reporting a rise in business.

Los Angeles Marijuana Stores come under increased scrutiny

There are more marijuana stores here than public schools. Signs emblazoned with cannabis plants or green crosses sit next to dry cleaners, gas stations and restaurants.

The dispensaries range from Hollywood-day-spa fabulous to shoddy-looking storefronts with hand-painted billboards. Absolute Herbal Pain Solutions, Grateful Meds, Farmacopeia Organica.

Cannabis advocates claim that more than 800 dispensaries have sprouted here since 2002; some law enforcement officials say it is closer to 1,000. Whatever the real number, everyone agrees it is too high.

And so this, too, is taken for granted: Crackdowns on cannabis clubs will soon come in this city, which has more dispensaries than any other.

For the first time, law enforcement officials in Los Angeles have vowed to prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries that turn a profit, with police officials saying they expect to conduct raids. Their efforts are widely seen as a campaign to sway the City Council into adopting strict regulations after two years of debate.

It appears to be working. Carmen A. Trutanich, the newly elected city attorney, recently persuaded the Council to put aside a proposed ordinance negotiated with medical marijuana supporters for one drafted by his office. The new proposal calls for dispensaries to have renewable permits, submit to criminal record checks, register the names of members with the police and operate on a nonprofit basis. If enacted, it is likely to result in the closing of hundreds of marijuana dispensaries.

Mr. Trutanich argued that state law permits the exchange of marijuana between growers and patients on a nonprofit and noncash basis only. Marijuana advocates say that interpretation would regulate dispensaries out of existence and thwart the will of voters who approved medical cannabis in 1996.

Whatever happens here will be closely watched by law enforcement officials and marijuana advocates across the country who are threading their way through federal laws that still treat marijuana as an illegal drug and state laws that are increasingly allowing medicinal use. Thirteen states have laws supporting medical marijuana, and others are considering new legislation.