A
Little Physics and A Lot of
String - One day space
tethers may be used for boosting
orbits, powering satellites, and
even sending payloads to the
Moon or Mars -- all without the
expense of propellants. It's
amazing what you can do with a
little physics and a lot of
string. You could generate
electrical power for orbiting
satellites. Or you could prevent
the International Space
Station's orbit from
deteriorating. You could also
force an object in orbit around
the Earth to fall into the
atmosphere and burn up. These
are just some of the
applications being explored by
NASA scientists and private
companies for a remarkably
elegant technology called space
tethers...
Not
Just Another Old Flame -
NASA scientists have discovered
unexpected spiral-shaped flames
on Earth. By studying these
peculiar flames, researchers
hope to mitigate fire hazards on
spacecraft and gain new insights
about complex systems in nature.
The forms of flames on Earth are
familiar to everyone. We all
know what a burning match,
candle, fireplace or blowtorch
look like -- or a burning
building, or rocket ignition
blast. The presence of gravity
and the effects of air or gas
movement, plus the type of fuel
and oxidant, determine
everything from a flame's shape
and temperature to burn rate,
burn pattern, soot production
and deposition and how fast it
will or won't be extinguished...
