Category Archives: Science

Let’s do the space-time warp again

Black hole The Large Hadron Collider isn’t going to spawn one, and our own sun will never become one, but it’s fun to think about what might happen if a black hole lurked its way into our cosmic neighborhood. It’s the cosmological equivalent of a ghost story, pitting our bite-sized planet against the reality-bending might of the ultimate bogeyman.

So, what would happen? Let’s just say that, if you’ve ever wondered how taffy feels, you’re about to gain some insight. Still, you might be surprised at some of the crazy ways the scenario plays out—and at the mind-blowing experiences you would have if you could survive the trip.

What if a Black Hole Formed Near Our Solar System?

Where to park your RV in space: Lagrangian points

Lagrangian points
Image courtesy NASA.

So, you’re looking for a scenic spot in the solar system to set up Lagrange Acres, your space trailer park, but you can’t abide the planet-side property taxes. Space is nice enough, but who can afford the fuel necessary to stay in a stable orbit? If only there were some place to park where you wouldn’t be whipped around by gravitational fields like a tether ball, you’d be in business. The question is, where?

Well, friend, I’m here to help. See, in space, as on Earth, the real estate mantra remains the same: location, location, location.

What are Lagrangian Points?

Who’s going the distance in the private sector space race

Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spacecraft
Image courtesy NASA/Bill Ingalls.

While Russia struggles to make up ground following a dozen-plus 2011 launch problems and the American Space Launch System sinks in Capitol Hill quicksand, the commercial space sector is racing to fill the gap — and to open new markets in space taxis, trucks and tourism. Since you can’t tell the players without a program, here are the . . .

10 Major Players in the Private Sector Space Race
Quiz: Branson or Bezos: How well do you know the players in the new space race?

Ground control to Major Tom (Thumb)

Tonga
Tonga. Map courtesy CIA.

Who doesn’t love a story about the little guy who makes it big, or the underdog that overcomes? Take these five mighty mites. What they lack in geographical size they make up for in strong economies and supersized space aspirations. As the new space race heats up, and as the airless reaches cease to be the sole province of superpowers, who knows how far their ambitions will carry them?

5 Tiny Countries with Big Space Dreams

Special section: the Middle Kingdom and the outer limits

Chinese astronaut (taikonaut) Nie Haisheng

While Russian launches fail by the dozen, threatening operations aboard the International Space Station, and the American space program stalls amid political wrangling, China is building its own space laboratory, growing its satellite network, expanding its crewed space program, upgrading its launch facilities, improving its lift vehicles and laying the foundations for a moon shot. Are we witnessing the dawn of Chinese dominance in space?

Is China Winning the New Space Race?
10 Signs China is Serious About Space