Posted Oct 30, 2011, by J VanDomelen
The aerospace industry has a way of keeping an even keel, even in the most trying economic times. When government funding for spacecraft waned, commercial investment soared. When commercial aviation and business aviation sectors suffered significant losses, the military sector posted gains and kept the market afloat.
The aerospace industry is alive and well. It appears to have weathered the storm and, … Read More
Tags:
nasa,
SLS,
heavy-lift vehicle,
Space Launch System
Posted Sep 30, 2011, by J VanDomelen
This geek loves the modern space race, as it is being called by many. I speak of the resurgence of interest in rockets, spacecraft, and virtually all things space-related. I enjoy all facets of it—whether private, public, international, or domestic. I love it all, as my fellow geeks likely already know.
The recent decommissioning of the U.S. Space Shuttle program, after many decades of successful service, … Read More
Tags:
Space Launch System,
SLS,
Mil-Aero,
Asteroid,
Electric,
Milaero,
Military,
nasa,
Aerospace,
Embedded Systems,
Mars. Moon,
Mentor,
Engineer,
Mentor Graphics,
electrical,
Mentor.com,
Electronic,
LEO,
Geek,
Low Earth Orbit,
Space Race,
Space Shuttle,
U.S. Space Shuttle program
Posted May 31, 2011, by J VanDomelen
The aerospace industry was born more than 100 years ago, when the internal combustion engine was joined to the balloon and the glider, reads a NASA Web page. “America’s contribution to it is vast, ranging from the first airplane and the first modern rocket to the latest in avionics.” Is the U.S. the losing its status on the world stage as a leader in aerospace innovation?
On the state level, … Read More
Tags:
Mentor.com,
Mentor Graphics,
Mil-Aero,
Boeing,
Design,
Aerospace,
Gov. Chris Gregoire,
Milaero,
Military,
Mentor,
Electronic,
nasa,
Geek,
Ray Conner
Posted Apr 26, 2011, by J VanDomelen
When the Space Shuttle retires as scheduled in June, NASA will be dependent on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Based on a recent $753 million contract NASA awarded to the Russian Federal Space Agency, these outsourced services cost U.S. taxpayers roughly $63 million per seat.
It’s doubtless a hefty price tag, but NASA lacks U.S.-based … Read More
Tags:
Aerospace,
nasa,
Virgin Galactic,
Soyuz,
Milaero,
Geek,
Mentor.com,
Mil-Aero,
ISS,
Elon Musk,
rad-hard,
spacex,
Mentor,
Boeing,
Russian Federal Space Agency,
Space Shuttle,
Mentor Graphics
Posted Apr 22, 2011, by J VanDomelen
Decades ago, the United States and the Soviet Union were in competition, battling for superiority in the space race and demonstrating scientific prowess, technological capabilities, and power. Now fodder for the history books, the space race bred myriad advancements through competition; today, in a time of budget cuts, the U.S. is paying Russia for help when it comes to human spaceflight.
NASA officials … Read More
Tags:
Military,
Milaero,
nasa,
Charles Bolden,
Geek,
Aerospace,
Obama,
Mentor.com,
Russian Federal Space Agency,
Mil-Aero,
Mentor,
Soyuz,
Mentor Graphics
Posted Apr 19, 2011, by J VanDomelen
This geek is in love with the developing private space flight industry. If you haven’t been an avid follower, my previous blogs on the President’s 2012 Budget Request for NASA and the latest announcements from X Prize, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic can get you up to speed.
It is terribly exciting to witness technological advancements stemming from private investment, commercial successes pioneering research … Read More
Tags:
nasa,
Military,
Obama,
Geek,
US,
Mentor,
Virgin Galactic,
x prize,
Aerospace,
Russia,
Mil-Aero,
Space Race,
Milaero,
spacex,
Mentor Graphics,
U.S.S.R.,
Mentor.com
Posted Mar 30, 2011, by J VanDomelen
The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2012, if approved, will revert NASA’s spending to 2010 levels overall. This geek wonders if, as federal funds for space exploration shrink, commercial investment in space innovations will grow. If the previous couple years are any indication, the private space race is likely to heat up and reach new heights (hopefully low Earth orbit, most often referred … Read More
Tags:
Milaero,
Mil-Aero,
Military,
Aerospace,
Geek,
Add new tag,
Mentor Graphics,
nasa,
Sir Richard Charles Branson,
Mentor.com,
LEO,
spacex,
Mentor,
Virgin Galactic
Posted Mar 28, 2011, by J VanDomelen
The Obama administration has announced its 2012 budget request; and, if approved, it will reduce spending for NASA in the next fiscal year to $18.7 billion, the same amount the agency gained in 2010 and roughly $300 million less than NASA received in the 2011 budget request.
“The times today are very difficult fiscally, and we’re going to live within a budget,” says NASA administrator … Read More
Tags:
Mentor Graphics,
Mentor,
Mentor.com,
Barrack Obama,
Obama,
President,
budget,
Aerospace,
Mil-Aero,
International Space Station,
Milaero,
ISS,
Military,
Charles Bolden,
nasa,
Geek
Posted Mar 25, 2011, by J VanDomelen
Google Lunar X Prize
The roster of competitors is set for the Google Lunar X Prize, a multimillion-dollar race to land a homemade robot on the moon.
Twenty-nine privately funded teams have thrown their hats in the ring, contest organizers announced Feb. 17. The teams represent 17 nations spanning four continents, and the competitors range from non-profits to university consortia to billion-dollar … Read More
Tags:
Mentor.com,
Mentor Graphics,
Mil-Aero,
Earth,
Geek,
Aerospace,
Lunar,
Milaero,
Military,
Mentor,
Google,
nasa,
Google Lunar X prize,
x prize
Posted Feb 10, 2011, by John Day
It’s not that I was suspicious. I have no axe to grind against Toyota and was pleased to read that after a 10-month study, NASA and NHTSA engineers found no electronic flaws in Toyota vehicles capable of causing unintended acceleration.
But I was curious to know how they did it – how they examined and tested mechanical and electronic components and what tools they used to analyze some 280,000 lines … Read More
Tags:
unintende acceleration,
Toyota,
electromagnetic radiation,
event data recorders,
brake override systems,
nasa,
NHTSA,
Goddard Space Flight Center,
keyless ignition