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Titan Balloon Among Far-Out Concepts NASA Selects For Funding
universetoday.com ^ | June 6, 2014 | by Elizabeth Howell on

Posted on 06/09/2014 1:23:18 PM PDT by BenLurkin

Comet Hitchhiker: This would be a “tethered” spacecraft that swings from comet to comet to explore icy bodies in the solar system. “First, the spacecraft harpoons a target as it makes a close flyby in order to attach a tether to the target. Then, as the target moves away, it reels out the tether while applying regenerative brake to give itself a moderate (<5g) acceleration as well as to harvest energy,” the description stated.

...

The Aragoscope: A telescope that would look through an opaque disk at a distant object, which is different from the usual mirror arrangement.”Rather than block the view, the disk boosts the resolution of the system with no loss of collecting area,” the description states. This architecture … can be used to achieve the diffraction limit based on the size of the low cost disk, rather than the high cost telescope mirror.”

Mars Ecopoiesis Test Bed: A machine that would test how well bacteria from Earth could survive on Mars, which could be a precursor to “terraforming” the planet to make it more like our own. Researchers would select “pioneer organisms” and put them into a device that would embed itself into the Martian regolith (soil) in an area that would have liquid water. It would “completely seal itself to avoid planetary contamination, release carefully selected earth organisms (extremophiles like certain cyanobacteria), sense the presence or absence of a metabolic product (like O2), and report to a Mars-orbiting relay satellite,” the description states.

(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: mars; spaceexploration

Artist’s conception of the Weightless Rendezvous And Net Grapple to Limit Excess Rotation (WRANGLER). Credit: NASA
1 posted on 06/09/2014 1:23:18 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin
Weightless Rendezvous And Net Grapple to Limit Excess Rotation (WRANGLER)

This is clearly a case of the acronym being chosen first and then words picked later to fit the acronym.

2 posted on 06/09/2014 1:31:39 PM PDT by samtheman
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To: samtheman

Like “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”


3 posted on 06/09/2014 1:34:03 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: BenLurkin; SgtBob; Chode

4 posted on 06/09/2014 1:53:52 PM PDT by mabarker1 (Please, Somebody Impeach the kenyan!!!! Once again dingy hairball, STFU!!! You corrupt POS!!!)
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To: BenLurkin

Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate

Yes. Ridiculous.

Close to randomly generated.


5 posted on 06/09/2014 2:05:30 PM PDT by samtheman
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To: samtheman

SHIELD is DEAD

HAIL HYDRA!!!

Because Obummer and the RINOcrats are all basically HYDRA...


6 posted on 06/09/2014 2:48:14 PM PDT by GraceG
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To: samtheman

WORM

Waste
of
Resources
and
Money

but fun and profitable for someone.


7 posted on 06/09/2014 4:04:31 PM PDT by Sequoyah101
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To: mabarker1
Then, as the target moves away, it reels out the tether while applying regenerative brake to give itself a moderate (<5g) acceleration as well as to harvest energy,”

OK, i went to school in New York in the 60's-70's so i'm not the brightest light in the string, but i fail to see how a break can harvest energy and produce acceleration, in space...

8 posted on 06/09/2014 4:29:20 PM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -vvv- NO Pity for the LAZY - 86-44)
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To: BenLurkin
Far-Out Concepts NASA Selects For Funding

I was thinking this article was gonna be about a kickstarter campaign for our space agency.

9 posted on 06/09/2014 8:10:56 PM PDT by LearnsFromMistakes (Yes, I am happy to see you. But that IS a gun in my pocket.)
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