NASA has put out a proposal for a greener fuel source for launching satellites, rockets and eventually space taxis. Space launches add “several kilotons” of carbon dioxide into the air each year. So far it isn’t a large percentage of the CO2 that gets spewed from cars, trains, planes and ships, but over the next several decades that could change. Because more governments and private enterprises are looking at space for new ventures, less harmful fuel is needed.
Technology for a greener future
Archive for the ‘space exploration’ Category
Forget landfills, what do we do with space junk
Unfortunately, what we shoot into space has a limited lifespan. We have been shooting things into earth’s orbit for decades now and while some of it has fallen safely back to earth at the end of its lifespan, there is still plenty more just orbiting the earth like a floating garbage dump. There have been a lot of suggestions of what to do with it including shooting a spray of tungsten into the endosphere to coat the junk, making it too heavy to stay in orbit, causing it to fall.
Rockets could be launched with laser or microwave beams
Imagine sending rockets into orbit with larger payloads using laser beams or microwave beams aimed at the rocket from the ground. That image could become reality with today’s technology according to scientists at NASA.