Posts Tagged ‘Next Generation Technology’

A new generation of Earth-observing satellites are making a dramatic difference in the ability of scientists to predict short and long duration weather events and long-term climate change. The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is the next generation polar-orbiting operational environmental satellite system for the United States. JPSS is a collaborative program between NOAA and…

As space based telescopes continue to get larger and larger it has become necessary to split the primary mirror up into multiple segments. This allows for the telescope to be folded up within the launch fairing and deployed once on orbit. While there are obvious advantages with this segmented approach it is not without its…

Historically, larger spacecraft like the International Space Station (ISS) have been assembled over long periods of time using astronaut intensive assembly schemes. Not only does this approach add time and cost to the construction process, but it also ignores the maturity of robotic systems. Fully autonomous robots have the capability to accomplish tasks from sorting…

Telecommunication and observations satellites are the backbone of many fantastic technologies and improves the life quality of billions of humans beings. Maintaining and upgrading a network of such satellites is, however, remaining a challenging and expensive task. The concept on robotic on-orbit servicing provides an elegant and cost effective approach to the challenge, allowing to…