space exploration

Forget robots on Mars -- how about an elevator to space?

Keith Seinfeld — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 18:24:07 +0000

It might seem like a space-age fantasy, but there will be a lot of a serious talk in Seattle this weekend about a “space elevator.”

You might think of it as a space railroad. In theory, the technology could make going into orbit as cheap and easy as buying a first-class airline ticket.

The idea calls for a cable that stretches from a spot on the equator out to an anchor orbiting thousands of miles in space. On that cable, a remote-controlled cabin or elevator zips up and down.

LIVE: SpaceX craft captured by space station

Mark Memmott — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:43:53 +0000

The historic first docking of a commercial spacecraft at the International Space Station orbiting above Earth happened without a hitch today, as SpaceX's Dragon capsule arrived with supplies for the crew orbiting high above Earth.

Just before 10 a.m. ET, astronauts aboard the space station successfully grabbed the capsule with a robotic arm.

Before attacking asteroids, they'll surround Earth with telescopes

Keith Seinfeld — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:02:40 +0000

Whether they ever manage to get any platinum out of an asteroid, Bellevue-based Planetary Resources could become known for surrounding Earth with telescopes.

That’s the first item in the “prospecting” stage of the space company’s effort to get precious metals from asteroids, using robotic space-craft.