Space Tugs Used to Provide a Safe Place to Return Cargo From the Astronauts
Space Tugs Used to Provide a Safe Place to Return Cargo From the Astronauts
A space tug is a versatile piece of space equipment used to move spaceborne cargo from one orbital orbit to another by using different propulsion methods. An example is moving a space vehicle from a low Earth orbit back to a high-energy orbit such as a geostationary orbit, an orbit similar to a solar system's gravity, or a moon transfer. Space travel by way of a space tug is currently one of the most cost-efficient means of human space exploration. In fact it is the only way humans have ever visited space. Here are some latest space news and some history concerning space travel and space tugs.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken a major step toward opening up U.S. commercial space to international cooperation by granting its okay to launch six unmanned space probes on Russian Soyuz capsules. The decision was part of NASA's effort to explore and use space for peaceful purposes and for the international space exploration that will take place in the next century. One of the six space tugs to be launched is the Results Incorporated Research and Development Testbed (RIBLE) vehicle. The objective is to examine the potential of new technology using a mockup of an international space station.
Russia has been sending its Progress space vehicles on a long journey to test reentry and landing and this venture is expected to conclude within two years. Meanwhile, the United States and its only space shuttle program, the space shuttle program, are currently completing service from its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. In addition to astronauts, the space tugs will be needed to help support the construction and operation of the new International Space Station (ISS). The first launch of an ISS from Russia will use a Japanese-built H-ylon Space Tug to capture and place the satellite into orbit around the planet. A Soyuz, a Russian space capsule, will then place it into a position to return it to Earth.
When the time comes for the crewed launch of the ISS, there will be additional requirements to support the space mission. The US military has ordered two Constellations Replacement Units (CSUs), also known as modular extensions to the existing US Enterprise (US EST), to conduct a series of space tests and missions to build up a base of communications and control satellites. These satellites are needed to relay communications back and forth from the space control center and the Earth. They are also needed to relay communications back and forth to the space station. The CSUs were built by Boeing and NASA is expected to contract with Boeing and build the remaining eight satellites in a similar design.
The latest addition to the family of satellites is the STS-3 manned space flight, scheduled to launch later this year. This will be the third flight of a crewed mission and will dock with the ISS. The STS-4 crewed mission is scheduled to launch in October 2021. It will use the latest equipment for the construction of the base of the international space Station. There will be no more regular flights to the ISS using the only capsules currently available.
While there are many international space programs, most of them are based around the utilization of free space around the planet for research and scientific experiments. NASA and the Russian government are the only countries currently planning to launch any human missions to replace the current expendable space shuttles. Each of these missions will be a significant test of the Russian designed Soyuz vehicle since it is the only vehicle that can dock with the ISS. These tests will also include a variety of space tugs and structures for the astronauts.
Other missions are designed to demonstrate the capabilities of using the cargo resupply vehicle to bring supplies to the International Space Station. Some of these experiments include the use of a fully operational Japanese cargo resupply ship to fly by the space station using its own engine. The demonstration of this capability will allow Japanese engineers to develop the ability to launch unmanned cargo missions to the space station once the system is ready to carry out regular cargo missions.
If any one of these ever gets off the ground, it will be a huge step towards developing a permanent human colony on the moon or Mars. This will mean the end of the Space Shuttle Program and the beginning of a new era where human explorers will be using cargo capsules to transport their supplies to space. It also means that we will be taking our first steps into the unknown when it comes to sending cargo and crewed space missions to the other planets."
