Space Tourism
Do you think you’ve already seen everything on our planet? And traveling even to the remotest parts of our world doesn’t excite you anymore, then space tourism is the way to go for you. No, I’m not kidding, space tourism is an option increasingly being chosen by travelers. The only drawback is that they are somewhat unique in terms of costs involved and timing. Many people believe that buying tickets to travel to space and back is a futuristic idea and still only a concept. Partly true, but through the last decade, huge amounts of work have gone into realization of this concept.
There is no doubt that people want space tourism, and it is absolutely possible. Even if today you want to coordinate a ride through space, it is possible but it would cost you about $ 200,000, and the same can be done at Virgin Galactic. Then there is XCOR Aerospace, which plans to launch its first flight into space in its Lynx spacecraft in 2010.
Lynx spacecraft is of the size of a small plane with capacity for two people. This ship can take off and land at any airport in the world, and perform up to four flights daily and operate at supersonic speed, even exceeding three and a half times the speed of sound, i.e. leaving the Earth at about 4200 kilometers per hour.
Trips on Lynx spacecraft will be relatively cheaper and will be priced at $ 100,000 and even if you think that is insane, have patience, Virgin Galactic has already promised flights at $ 55,000 in nine years. The ball has already started rolling and a billionaire businessman from California, Dennis Tito has already had the honors of being the first space tourist. He paid $ 20m for his trip to the International Space Station and back.
The real challenge is to make these trips real affordable, and make it viable for the middle class to take the same. Some people believe it is just the matter of time when there will be space hotels, space activities, space sports, and more.
Space Invaders
Do you remember playing space invaders when you were a child? Depending on your age, this is a game that could very well have been something that you remember from your childhood. Needless to say, there were many people who have been exposed to a space invaders game in recent years thanks in large part to the fact that you can now play this game on the Internet. The game basically operates by allowing you to try to shoot down alien spacecraft before they land. Wave after wave of these alien aircraft approach you and you are required to try to defeat them before they reach the area where you are located.
As the game progresses, the space invaders game becomes increasingly more challenging. The reason it becomes more challenging is because the speed with which the alien aircraft approach increases. That basically means that you have a situation where you need to operate faster with every round.
Each successive wave of alien aircraft within the game will require you to be able to aim and move and shoot them down with increased amounts of speed.
Given the fact that you can now play space invaders on the Internet, many people who never played the game before when it was an Atari console game are now being exposed to it for the very first time. As you can imagine, the reaction to this game being available online has been very positive. Not only has it brought back positive memories amongst those who played it when they were kids, but it has also created a whole new set of fans amongst people who never really played the game before but were now having the opportunity to play for the very first time ever.
To the extent you are interested in playing this wonderful game, it is really important that you look around and find a website through which you can play the game.
Space Frame
Simplified space frame roof with the half-octahedron highlighted in blue
A space frame or space structure is a truss-like, lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames usually utilize a multidirectional span, and are often used to accomplish long spans with few supports. They derive their strength from the inherent rigidity of the triangular frame; flexing loads (bending moments) are transmitted as tension and compression loads along the length of each strut.
Most often their geometry is based on platonic solids. The simplest form is a horizontal slab of interlocking square pyramids built from aluminium or tubular steel struts. In many ways this looks like the horizontal jib of a tower crane repeated many times to make it wider.
A stronger purer form is composed of interlocking tetrahedral pyramids in which all the struts have unit length. More technically this is referred to as an isotropic vector matrix or in a single unit width an octet truss. More complex variations change the lengths of the struts to curve the overall structure or may incorporate other geometrical shapes.
Space frames were independently developed by Alexander Graham Bell around 1900 and Buckminster Fuller in the 1950s. Bell’s interest was primarily in using them to make rigid frames for nautical and aeronautical engineering although few if any were realised. Buckminster Fuller’s focus was architectural structures and has had more lasting influence.
Space frames are an increasingly common architectural technique especially for large roof spans in modernist commercial and industrial buildings.
Notable examples of buildings based on space frames are:
Stansted airport in London, by Foster and Partners
I.
M. Pei’s Bank of China Tower and the Louvre Pyramid
Rogers Centre by Rod Robbie and Michael Allan
McCormick Place East in Chicago
Eden Project in Cornwall, England
Globen, Sweden – Dome with diameter of 110 m, (1989)
Biosphere 2 in Oracle, Arizona
Big Hangar for Iberia Desarrollo Barcelona in Barcelona’s airport
Larger portable stages and lighting gantries are also frequently built from space frames and octet trusses.
Tubular space frames are also widely used in the production of modern motorcycles and automobiles, but monocoque car bodies have been more common since the 1950s. Most purpose built race cars used in sports car and stock car racing use tube frame chassis. Spaceframes have also been used in the latest incarnations of the unorthodox bicycles designed by Alex Moulton. The first automotive aluminum space frame appeared on the Honda NSX, other examples include the Audi A8, Caterham 7, Ferrari 360, and Lamborghini Gallardo.
In February 1986, Paul C. Kranz walked into the U. S. Department of Transportation office in Fort Worth, Texas, with a model of an octet truss. He showed a staff person there how the octet truss was ideal for holding signs over roads. The idea and model was forwarded to HQ USDT in Washington, D. C. Today, the octet truss is the structure of choice for holding signs above roads in the United States.
External links
Academic Links
University of Surrey – Space Structures Research
Informational Links
(The Real) MERO Structures
Uskon Space Frames
www.archistructures.org
www.buschindustries.com
www.deltastructurescom
www.mero.de
www.mero-structures.com
www.novumstructures.com
octet truss 3D animation
(English)Aluminum alloy spaceframe
(Italian)Strutture Reticolari in Alluminio
USTEM www.ustem.com.tr
Asteca Estructuras
See also
Platonic solids
Body-on-frame
Monocoque
Backbone chassis
Categories: Buckminster Fuller | Structural system | Structural engineering
Related Tags:
Eminem performing Space Bound. buy now bit.ly © 2010 Aftermath Records
Crawl Space
If you don’t like rats, termites, molds, decomposition odors, spiders and cob webs, and other creepy crawlers; ever wondered what crawl spaces are for?
Crawl spaces don’t have the height of the regular basement. It is difficult to stand up in such space hence the name crawl space. It lifts the house off the ground making it lesser prone to termites and dampness. This small space creates an insulating air between the ground and living space. Crawl spaces are much inexpensive compared to regular basements. They also make plumbing works easy because these can run there instead of running them through the walls which means it is easier to access.
Now although crawl spaces are lesser prone to mold that does not mean that it is not susceptible. It is still very important to consult basement tanking and waterproofing companies that can provide waterproofing guarantee and insulate your crawl space in case of floods and weathers that can increase moisture build up. Services like waterproof coatings and waterproofing systems in UK are not hard to find. It is advisable to ask for professional assistance when dealing with these things. If you are a skilled handy man or perhaps have had waterproofing seminars, then you can do it yourself.
Remember that dampness can cause mold and fungi growth which are I believe, a few of the last things we want in our homes. Moisture that is accumulated over time in crawl spaces can move upward too affecting floorboards and walls that may lead to health and safety issues. And yes, these issues should never be compromised.
It is also important to keep your crawl spaces clean and maintained. Most of the time home owners overlook the maintenance of crawl spaces resulting to late awareness of dirt and possible mold build up.
Keep it a habit to tidy it up every now and then.
Recent Comments