Developments in aerospace are always an exciting subject that is worth discussing. Fortunately, February has been full of developments that are proving to be very newsworthy. This article is going to explore three of the most exciting developments so far.
The first sculpture was made in space aboard the International Space Station. The unique sculpture is the visual representation of the sound waves that are created by a person’s laughter. It was made using the station’s 3D printer that is manufactured by the company, Made In Space. The lead artist, Eyal Gever, and his team developed a special app that converted users laughter into unique 3D images. The owner of the voice that was used to make the sculpture was Naughtia Jane Stanko of Las Vegas. Her 3D print was voted the best by fellow contributors. Based on the subject of the sculpture, the event is trending on social media using #laugh.
This is the first artistic use of 3D printing technology in space. Typically, the 3D printer is used to manufacture spare parts for astronauts as well as other important equipment. The company decided to take part in the project with Mr. Gever to prove that science and art do not have to develop independently. The artist stated the idea behind his project was to help highlight the frailty and beauty of human life in a unique way.
Another interesting aerospace development was the successful launch of the SpaceX rocket. The rocket launch was originally scheduled Saturday and was canceled just seconds before liftoff due to an abnormality that was detected. The mission leaders have stated that the chance of failure was extremely unlikely. However, they were not prepared to take unnecessary risks. The rocket was headed for the International Space Station with a payload of supplies to help keep the astronauts in orbit.
The cargo was considered non-essential, and it was not necessary to force the launch to go ahead. Instead, they waited until Sunday and have reported a successful launch using NASA’s launch complex, 39A. This launchpad has played a crucial role in the deployment of many of the United States greatest aerospace adventures. This same pad was used to launch the Apollo 11 missions that sent the first humans to the moon. Now, the pad is getting dusted off and is being used by companies for commercial spaceflight ventures.
This opens up a new realm of possibilities for the world of aerospace travel and satellite deployments. While the cargo of this latest launch was nothing to brag home about, the era of commercial spaceflight that it is opening is.
Recently, Chinese officials have suggested that they may work to actively promote their rocket launching capabilities. This was prompted by a report issued by The Launch that found that India’s commercial launch programs were significantly cheaper than other available options like the Chinese. Part of the reason for this success has been attributed to the country's aggressive promotion of its commercial aerospace program. This has lead to greater awareness of their launch capabilities and has helped India to gain a large lead in overall business contracts.
India has outpaced China in several recent space related events as well. They recently became the first country to get a spacecraft in Mars orbit on its maiden voyage. They also released over 100 satellites using only a single rocket. Fortunately, the competition that this news has created is proving to be healthy. The creation and development of new launch programs will only help to further the advancement of space travel in the future. The developments in the aerospace field are proving to be quite exciting.
The 3D sculpture that was recently created is paving the way for future artistic developments in space. This will be something that will grow exponentially with the advancements that are occurring in space flight options. A prime example is the recent successful launches of companies like SpaceX. When coupled with the growth in India’s spaceflight programs, the future of commercial space travel is proving to be quite promising indeed.
