Really Rocket Science - Front Page

Space Tug

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:34:05 -0700

Currently, when satellites malfunction, they become (very expensive) space junk. A geosynchronous satellite orbits at 36,000 km (22,300 miles), which puts it outside the range for any type of service or repair. But researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario are hoping to change that.

“These are mechanical systems, which means that eventually they will fail,” notes Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Michael Greenspan, who leads the Queen’s project. But because they are many thousands of kilometres away, the satellites are beyond the reach of an expensive, manned spaced flight, while Earth-based telerobotic repair isn’t possible in real time."
Dr. Greenspan’s solution to this problem is the development of tracking software that will enable an Autonomous Space Servicing Vehicle (ASSV) to grasp the ailing satellite from its orbit and draw it into the repair vehicle’s bay. Once there, remote control from the ground station can be used for the repair, he explains. “The repair itself doesn’t have to be done in real time, since everything is in a fixed position and a human can interact with it telerobotically to do whatever is required.”

The main challenge in this process is computer vision. The robotic system must be able to recognize and track the satellite, even in the harsh illumination conditions of space. Here's a video demonstration of the technology that helps accurately measure the surface geometry of the satellite. It's a light-based radar called LIDAR:

Funding for the Queen's University research is provided by NSERC. NSERC is a federal agency whose vision is to help make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for the benefit of all Canadians. The agency supports some 25,000 university students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies and promotes discovery by funding more than 11,000 university professors every year.

The Queen's University research is competing with IOSTAR (In Orbit Transportation & Recovery System), which already has a patent for its technology

Check out this CGI demo of the IOSTAR technology:

Loral tried to sell NASA on a space tug last December:

Instead of using a Russian Progress supply spacecraft to retrieve a separately launched pressurized cargo vehicle and guide it back to the space station for unloading, the Space System/Loral-team would use the company's proven 1300-series satellite bus as a refuelable space tug that would remain in orbit for as long as 10 years.

And then, of course, there's the Jules Verne cargo ship, which we've blogged about before.

Virgin Says "No"

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:00:37 -0700

A "no" from Virgin means "NO," dutifully reported by Peter de Selding:

Virgin Galactic Rejects Million-Dollar Offer to Film Sex Video
By Peter B. de Selding
Space News Staff Writer
GLASGOW, Scotland — The private company planning to take wealthy tourists to the edge of the atmosphere starting in late 2009 or early 2010 has refused a million-dollar proposal to film a sex video while the participants are floating gravity free, the company's president said.
Will Whitehorn, president of Virgin Galactic, said the offer, from an unidentified party, "was $1 million, up front, for a sex-in-space movie. That was money we had to refuse, I'm afraid."
Whitehorn disclosed the rejected transaction here Sept. 30 during the International Astronautical Congress. He said Virgin Galactic, part of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, is planning to begin flights of the WhiteKnightTwo aircraft in late 2009 or early 2010 from Sierra County, N.M.

Remember, selling begins with the word "no." Let's see what other offers pop up.

Technorati Tags: virgin sex+in+space space+porn virgin+galactic branson market+penetration

Inadequate Gravel Road Training

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:16:29 -0700

Transporting a missile/rocket booster by semi. As the driver of that tractor, you'd think you'd be very well trained. You can never have too much training, as we read North Dakota's Bismarck Tribune:

Cost to recover rocket booster: $5.6 million
By JAMES MacPHERSON
Associated Press Writer
The military says it cost $5.6 million to recover an overturned truck carrying an unarmed missile booster rocket in northwestern North Dakota.
The Air Force blamed "driver and safety observer error" for the July 31 incident. The truck carrying the booster for the unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile tipped over on a gravel road while being transported from the Minot Air Force Base to a launch facility 70 miles southwest. Two airmen were in the truck, which was accompanied by a security convoy.
"There were no injuries and the accident posed no danger to the public," the Air Force said in a statement.
The rocket booster and truck remained at the side of the road until Aug. 10, while investigators assessed the crash site.
Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Laurie A. Arellano said the recovery cost of $5.6 million included damage to the truck and its cargo.
"Inadequate gravel road training programs and the inability of 91st Missile Wing engineering personnel to accurately determine the safe load-bearing width of gravel roads along designated routes also contributed to the accident," the Air Force statement said.
The Air Force said the booster rocket is 66 feet long and weighs 75,000 pounds while the vehicle, trailer and rocket booster weighed more than 70 tons.
"While preparing to make a left turn, the driver and safety observer maneuvered the loaded tractor-trailer beyond the right edge of the reinforced gravel roadway and shoulder," the Air Force statement said.
"Basically, the procedure for large trucks is that they're supposed to drive in the middle of the gravel road," Arellano said.
Arellano did not know Thursday if any airmen had been sanctioned.

They should have hired one of the drivers who race up Pike's Peak in trucks. Take a look at this video clip:

Technorati Tags: north+dakota bismarck usaf minuteman rocket+booster minot+afb

Smile For The Satellite

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:30:58 -0700

Chelyabinsk is one happy town. They've come a long way from being "the most contaminated spot on the planet."

Here's an interesting story from Slashdot:

Citizens of the Russian town Chelyabinsk calculated when the satellite, QuickBird, which takes images for Google Earth and Google Maps, would cross above their city and used people to make a giant smiley face. A rock concert on the main square attracted many people and everyone got a yellow cape. It looks like someone at Google was quicker than usual to put up the new data. Maybe Google likes the idea of an entire town working hard to get its 15 minutes of fame. The article has a screenshot of Google Maps and images taken directly at the event."

They did pretty good:

This isn't the first time that Google Earth or Google Maps has captured something interesting from space. Longtime readers of Really Rocket Science will recall the Ipod that fell to Earth, which we wrote about way back in March of 2006:

But there's more to be seen than "Ipods" and smiley faces in the world of Google Earth. GoogleSightSeeing.com -- whose tag line is "Why Bother Seeing the World for Real?" has a great series of blog posts on cool sights that you can see right from your computer desk. Be sure to check out this map of global points of interest.

Here's a clip on Chelyabinsk:

Technorati Tags: Quickbird internet cool+stuff satellites google+earth google ipod technology radition chelyabinsk

Airborne Broadband Bacchanal

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:41:11 -0700

About a week after Labor Day, ARINC introduced new Caribbean coverage for SKYLink, an in-flight broadband service for business jets:

The new Caribbean coverage area means users of the SKYLink network will be able to fly from Europe to North America, across the Caribbean, and on to Central and South America, without losing access to important e-mail or Internet applications. To encourage customers to take part in the coverage tests, ARINC Direct suspended roaming charges in the new region through July 21, 2008. Customer feedback was used to adjust satellite coverage and to map signal strength across the region.
The new coverage includes the Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Lesser Antilles, Trinidad-Tobago; Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, northern Peru, northern Bolivia, Venezuela, Guyana, and part of Surinam.
eXchange with service by SKYLink is the only communications system for business jets offering true broadband Internet speeds—as high as 3.5 Mbps to the aircraft. Customers have access to e-mail, corporate intranet (VPN), the Web, flat-rate Voice over IP (VoIP) global telephone service, and videoconferencing. eXchange also provides e-mail and data capability for personal Wi-Fi enabled smartphones in the cabin.

Really cool how Rockwell-Collins integrates it all:

Business travelers will experience real-time, two-way broadband connectivity with secure access to e-mail services, Internet browsing, access to Virtual Private Networks (VPN), and options for Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone service and videoconferencing. eXchange also enables data connectivity to select Wi-Fi enabled smartphones, such as RIM's Blackberry models 8320 and 8820, providing travelers with access to e-mail and other smartphone data services.

Thanks to the AMC-21 satellite's dedicated Caribbean Ku-band beam -- and new mobile platform -- local satcom Internet companies like Caribbetech and mobile services like KVH have new opportunities to pursue.

Technorati Tags: arinc kvh amc-21 americom ses+americom skylink rockwell-collins in-flight+broadband caribbean+internet

Satellite Internet Making Inroads on the Backroads

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 07:24:35 -0700

It's hard to believe for some of us who think of dial-up internet as a thing of the past, but up to 10 million Americans who live in our nation's most remote places still don't have the option of DSL or cable internet.

But dial up won't suffice in today's age of YouTube and World of Warcraft, so what to do?

The answer is satellite broadband Internet.

We've written in the past about several of the players in the market, such as Wild Blue, HughesNet, and Spacenet's Starband. But today we want to focus on SkyWay USA, which touts itself as "rural America's low-cost satellite provider."

For just $49 in equipment costs (after a rebate) and a monthly basic subscription of $29.95, you can be up and running with SkyWay USA in a matter of days. Installation is so easy, according to this press release (caution if you're still on dial-up: opens in PDF) that Skyway claims they've even had a 69 year old grandmother install the system.

So how does it work?

Skyways use a hybrid or combination model, using your phone line for sending commands (upload) and satellite for content (download).

For capacity, they use Echostar Fixed Satellite Services -- at least according to MarketWatch. (On their own website, SkyWay says it is partnering with SES Americom.)

FSS is the division of EchoStar that uses DISH Network's excess capacity. Dean Olmstead, who was behind the AMERICOM2Home concept, notes that SkyWay USA will be using both the Ku- and Ka-band capacity of Echostar FSS.

Technorati Tags: networking communications echostar ses+americom broadband skyway internet satellite rural olmstead

Reverse Electromagnetic Waves

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:42:49 -0700

Fascinating story, first posted to PhysOrg.com (and since garnering quite a few Diggs) Well, leave it to Doug Lung to draw some interesting conclusions:

What if you could design a satellite dish or microwave antenna with the feed horn behind the reflector instead of in front of it? That may be possible, thanks to research by Cesar Monzon, a senior scientist at Enig Associates presented in the paper Anomalous Power Flow and 'Ghost' Sources published in Physical Review Letters (payment required to view the full paper).
The abstract describes the effect this way:
"It is demonstrated that EM radiation from complex sources can result in real power in restricted regions of space flowing back towards the sources, thereby mimicking 'ghost' sources. This counterintuitive mechanism of radiation does not rely on backward waves, as ordinary waves carry the power. Ways to harness the effect by making it directional are presented, together with selected applications, of which deception is a prime example due to the nature of the phenomenon."
It goes on to say that this concept could be to such areas as mechanics, acoustics and others with technology that is already available.
The article In radiation 'ventriloquism,' electromagnetic waves travel backwards on Physorg.com describes how the waves are generated and listed some of the possible applications. Obviously hiding transmitters and radar emitters is desirable in military environments.
Physorg.com quotes Monzon describing how the technology could be used with dish antennas: "On the case of satellite antenna feeds, the theory indicates it may be possible to build these behind the main reflector dish, which will offer a clear field of view without blocking or the disadvantages derived from feed offsetting. The same principle applies to both transmit and receive antennas."

I recall a paper from the mid-80s published in the Ukrainian Physics Journal (by O.S. Ilenko of the Kyivskii Politekhnicheskii Institut). The abstract, translated from the original Russian:

The diffusion of cylindrical electromagnetic waves and electromagnetic energy oscillations in the near field of a radiator is analyzed based on the physical principles of Huygens (1935). It is shown that the surface of a moving electromagnetic wave which conforms to the Huygens principle will be either spherical or planar in free space. Deviations from the planar or spherical forms can lead to the development of reverse electromagnetic waves. The geometry of the wave surfaces is illustrated.

Technorati Tags: em+radiation reverse+electromagnetic+waves enig+associates radiation+ventriloquism physics

Money Launch for SpaceX

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:36:47 -0700

SpaceX did it:

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) announces that Flight 4 of the Falcon 1 launch vehicle has successfully launched and achieved Earth orbit. With this key milestone, Falcon 1 becomes the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket to orbit the Earth.

"This is a great day for SpaceX and the culmination of an enormous amount of work by a great team," said Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX. "The data shows we achieved a super precise orbit insertion—middle of the bull's-eye — and then went on to coast and restart the second stage, which was icing on the cake."

Falcon 1, designed from the ground up by SpaceX, lifted off at 4:15 p.m. (PDT) / 23:15 (UTC) from the Reagan Test Site (RTS) on Omelek Island at the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) in the Central Pacific, about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii.

Preliminary data indicates that Falcon 1 achieved an elliptical orbit of 500 km by 700 km, 9.2 degrees inclination—exactly as targeted.

Falcon 1 carried into orbit a payload mass simulator of approximately 165 kg (364 lbs), designed and built by SpaceX, specifically for this mission. Consisting of a hexagonal aluminum alloy chamber 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall, the payload remains attached to the second stage as it orbits Earth.

Here's the video:

Noah Schactman brings light to a very interesting perspective: how this impacts launch costs and who controls entry into space. This could be a real game-changer:

Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, is promising to cut that $10,000-per-pound price in half. No wonder the Air Force has committed more than $100 million to the company, founded by PayPal's Elon Musk. Darpa has made major investments, as well. "The military now has a stick to poke and prod the traditional big launch providers (Boeing and Lockheed Martin) into actually being competitive and saving the taxpayer money instead of just sucking off the government teat," former Air Force space officer Brian Weeden tells Danger Room.

But that stick only gets sharp if SpaceX can pull off the launch trick more than once. The company's first three efforts were disasters. And there's no guarantee the next three won't be disasters, too. "Musk will need 20 or so launches before he knows how reliable his technology is -- and how much it really costs," Hoffman wrote. And even if Musk can get these relatively-simple, relatively-small Falcon 1 rocket launches together, the real test will be whether the heavier, farther-reaching Falcon 9s will work out as planned.

It's not just American launch costs that could go down. The next SpaceX rocket is supposed to carry a Malaysian reconaissance satellite into orbit. "This could be the beginning of a general diffusion of on-orbit capability of all sorts and a loss of U.S. ability to call the shots in space," says long time satellite-watcher (and former CIA officer) Allen Thomson.

Technorati Tags: spacex falcon+1 boeing united+launch+alliance atlas delta lockheed+martin elon+musk paypal darpa usaf

Heat Pipes for TSAT

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:55:22 -0700

Lockheed Martin has successfully demonstrated high performance radiator technology for the Transformational Satellite Communications System TSAT constellation.

Developed by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif. and Thermacore, Inc. of Lancaster, Pa., the High Performance Loop Heat Pipe (HP-LHP) Deployable Radiator System has been demonstrated to significantly improve the heat dissipation capability over existing systems.

The HP-LHP, designed and matured for TSAT, will provide substantially more radiator area, resulting in a cooler, more stable thermal environment for Lockheed Martin's A2100 spacecraft bus and the communications payload provided by Northrop Grumman.

“This represents another major risk reduction milestone for TSAT," said Mark Pasquale, Lockheed Martin's TSAT vice president. "Our unique approach will afford greater reliability and longevity for TSAT's critical components and serves as another example of our thorough preparation and readiness to proceed with the next phase of this critical communications program."

A loop heat pipe is:

a two-phase heat transfer device that uses capillary action to remove heat from a source and passively move it to a condenser or radiator. LHPs are similar to heat pipes but have the advantage of being able provide reliable operation over long distance and the ability to operate against gravity.

For a more detailed description of the technology, check this out.

Either Lockheed Martin or Boeing will be awarded the multi-billion dollar contract for TSAT this fall. Because of the high stakes surrounding the contract, the Air Force has asked the Pentagon to conduct an independent review of the bids.

TSAT is entwined with another pricey satellite program, the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite program, run by Lockheed.

The Air Force told Congress earlier this month that the AEHF program had exceeded congressional caps on cost growth, which could lead to cancellation of the program unless it is certified as essential for national security reasons.

The cost of the AEHF program was now projected to be $9.2 billion, including $2 billion for a fourth satellite added to the Pentagon's budget by Congress, accounting for about 80 percent of the overall cost increase.

TSAT is intended to follow AEHF and shares some of the same protected communications job. Congress added the fourth satellite -- which requires a costly restart of Lockheed's production line -- due to concerns about a gap in providing satellite communications capability to troops if there was a delay in the TSAT program.

The timeline for the launch of TSAT has been a tricky thing to pin down. It was initially planned for 2009. However, a senior Air Force official told Aviation Week that it might be pushed as late as 2018.

I, for one, can't wait until this program is up and running. It's pretty amazing technology, as we've mentioned before.

Technorati Tags: TSAT satellite Lockheed Boeing defense

DIY Friday: Androids

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:54:54 -0700

That's right DIY-ers, this week we're taking on a big one. So, pop in your copy of Android on VHS (you know you still have it) and get ready for some nerdy weekend fun.

For the more ambitious among you, this site has detailed instructions for creating an android head. All the parts will set you back about $600.

If the state of our economy is making you a bit wary of dropping that much cash - come on, you know it's worth eating ramen noodles for a month - you can always try building this one. It'll just set you back $30.

Or, heck, cash in those shares and dream big:

While you're at it, live out your favorite Android fight-scene moments with this kick-boxing android.

Technorati Tags: robot DIY Android

Satphones for the Masses

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:08:17 -0700

Qualcomm is teaming up with SkyTerra’s Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) and ICO Global Communications to integrate satellite communications into mass-market cellular handsets, Wireless Week reports:

Under the agreement, Qualcomm will integrate satellite and cellular communication technology by developing a satellite protocol and including it in the firmware of select Qualcomm multimode baseband chips. Qualcomm also plans to support the L- and S-Band frequencies, in which MSV and ICO operate, in select RF processors.
In essence, the same mobile chipsets at the heart of wireless devices will let handset makers produce satellite-capable devices at comparable scale and cost.

I guess this might mean the end of the "can you hear me now?" commercials, eh?

The quality of the players in this venture (no pun intended) bode well for its ultimate outcome. Qualcomm developed its satellite-based asset-tracking service, OmniTRACS, years before GPS technology became commercially available. OmniTRACS is what's inside those little white domes you see on on Sears trucks.

Here's a video of how it works:

Qualcomm is also working on the Google Android phone, which is supported by the Android open-source operating system and intended as a major competitor to the Apple iPhone:

Qualcomm is likely to face stiff competition in the future from chipmakers who want in on the Android action.

Perhaps we'll see similar functionality as what's found in the Thuraya system, with the Android switching between GSM and satellite as required?

Time will tell.

Technorati Tags: Apple Google android iphone gadgets phones technology mobile cellular satellites qualcomm

Speaking of Digital

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:32:25 -0700

Via MSNBC:

A major problem during a test run in Wilmington, N.C., was the inability of over-the-air viewers to receive new digital signals, according to figures collected after the test.
Commercial broadcasters in the North Carolina city volunteered to cease analog programming on Sept. 8, well before the rest of the nation. Of the 1,828 people who complained to the Federal Communications Commission in the first five days, slightly more than half were unable to tune in one or more channels.
All full-power television stations must turn off their analog signals by Feb. 18. Viewers who receive programming through an antenna and do not own newer-model digital TV sets by the time of the changeover must buy a converter box. The government is providing two $40 coupons per household to help defray the cost.
The largest number of calls to the FCC from Wilmington were from viewers of the NBC affiliate, WECT-TV. That station's analog broadcast covers far more ground than its digital signal, meaning some viewers could watch that channel before the switchover but not afterward. A total of 553 complaints were attributed to that issue.
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said a smaller digital footprint may affect as many as 15 percent of television markets in the U.S.
The agency is still calculating what impact that may have nationwide.
Some Wilmington callers were able to watch NBC programming from another market. But an undetermined number could not, an issue generating concern at the FCC and Congress.
It's not certain what — if anything — the FCC or broadcasters can do for these viewers, short of recommending that they buy a bigger antenna.
Martin told members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Tuesday that a possible solution would be for broadcasters to erect special "repeater" antennas to expand their reach.
"Our goal is to ensure that all viewers in the Wilmington area and the country have access to the same television signals that they did prior to the transition," he said.
Nielsen Media Research said as of July that there are about 13.4 million television households in the U.S. that receive their programming over the air only, about 12 percent of all homes with TVs. In Wilmington, the total is 15,110, or 8.4 percent.
If the Wilmington complaint rate were applied nationally, there would be more than 1.1 million calls to the FCC in the first five days after the change.
Or not.
Wilmington broadcasters transmitted an informational crawl over an analog signal that included the hot line number. Federal law makes no such allowances after Feb. 17 — all full-power analog signals must cease, so viewers may not know where to turn with problems.
Committee Chairman Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, said he was concerned that "even with a Herculean investment of time and resources" in Wilmington, there was still a large number of calls.
"On a national level, this may translate to millions of calls," he said. "Unless more is done, Feb. 17, and 18, and 19 will be very long days indeed."
There are also concerns that Wilmington was not representative. Citizens were subjected to an intense public education campaign. The terrain is relatively flat, and as a percentage, fewer viewers rely on over-the-air broadcasting than the nation as a whole.
Democratic FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, who recommended the test-market idea, wants the agency to conduct more field tests, ramp up the agency's call center and find a way to broadcast an analog message to consumers following the transition.

Technorati Tags: analog dtv wilmington+nc wilmington fcc

National Digital Media Day in Canada

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:18:09 -0700

Tired of following politics in the U.S.? Go north of the border for more interesting news.

On 25 September 2008, at major urban intersections across Canada, National Digital Media Day will be marked by kissing mobs:

In celebration of National Digital Media Day, take part in the biggest Kiss across Canada on September 25th!
FLASH MOBBERS: Stop traffic at your city's busiest intersection (TBA) for 2 minutes with some joyful kissing: simple peck, sloppy smooch, french kiss, full-on snog - you decide!
SHUTTERBUGS: Capture the Kiss moment with your iPhones, smartphones, or cameras and email/upload your pics to The Kiss website.
Kiss times:
Pacific time: 12pm
Mountain time: 1pm
Central time: 2pm
Eastern: 3pm
Atlantic: 4pm
Newfoundland: 4:30pm

Here's the Facebook event.

Visit National Digital Media Day September 25

Visit National Digital Media Day September 25

Technorati Tags: kissing flash+mobs canada national+digital+media+day canada iphone

From the Equator, A New Satellite Rises

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:13:10 -0700

1,500 miles south of Hawaii, from a converted oil rig, over a vast, dark Pacific Ocean. Suddenly, a huge Ukrainian rocket launches a multi-million dollar spacecraft built by Space Systems/Loral.

The report, via the AP and SignOnSanDeigo.com:

A Zenit-3SL rocket carrying the Galaxy 19 satellite blasted off at 2:28 a.m. PDT and spacecraft separation occurred just over an hour later after reaching orbit, the company said in a Webcast of the launch.
“It's what we call a very boring launch, which is very good,” said Kjell Karlsen, Sea Launch president and general manager. “It was right on target.”
The satellite is intended to serve Intelsat customers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Sea Launch is a partnership of Chicago-based Boeing Co., RSC-Energia of Russia, Aker ASA of Norway and SDO Yuzhnoye/PO Yuzhmash of Ukraine.

Here's the video...

Technorati Tags: sea+launch loral intelsat zenit galaxy+19 galaxy satellite tv

Taikonauts Ready for First SpaceWalk

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:00:23 -0700

The Shenzhou VII spacecraft will blast off tomorrow with three astronauts aboard, one of whom will be the first Chinese to walk in space:

The taikonauts, as they are known in the mainland, will be equipped with space-age gadgets as well as down- to-earth pencils.
Responding to the challenge experienced by international experts in producing a writing instrument that works in no-gravity conditions, mainland scientists came up with the common lead pencil. Thicker than the earth variety, China's space pencil has a special carbon compound.
Shenzhou VII will release a small satellite to monitor the operation of the spacecraft itself and the progress of the spacewalk. During the mission, new satellite communications technology will be tried out as well.

China is using five satellite tracking ships to monitor the mission. They're now in place:

The final Yuanwang ship arrived at its destination on Monday, said Jian Shilong, director with the China Maritime Tracking and Control Department.
The ships will remotely track and support the Shenzhou VII space shuttle which will blast off in late September.
Four ships are on the Pacific ocean and one is on the Atlantic.
"In previous missions including the Shenzhou V and Shenzhou VI missions, only four tracking ships were deployed," Jian said. "We added one more to the Shenzhou VII mission to monitor the taikonaut's extra-vehicular activities."
Jian said the tracking ships will monitor the entire space walk and also keep tabs on the depressurization of the orbital module when taikonauts leave and re-enter the spaceship.
The Yuanwang ships can control the shuttle's solar panels, its orbit maneuvers and maintenance.
In all, China boasts a fleet of six Yuanwang space tracking ships which have carried out 68 expeditions and traveled more than1.4 million sea miles in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

The tracking ships, combined with 20 terrestrial surveying stations, constitute China's space telemetry network.

Why the extra ship? Because the planned space walk is a big deal in Chinese popular culture -- presenting an unprecedented [communications] challenge for the Chinese, who want to provide seamless, high-quality live video feeds of the outing.

A space industry source explains:

The source said China had proved to the world it could maintain long-distance communication with its lunar project, but stable broadband communication had always been a barrier for Chinese technology. The deficiency meant China was still unable to compete with the US and Russia in the civilian commercial communication satellite markets.

But in the past couple of years, China had achieved several breakthroughs in antennas that were used for rapid communication with the Earth, and the space walk "will be a window to show how much China has caught up in this highly important field", the source said.

Because the antenna was directional and must be pointed to a small target area, the source said the astronaut would probably emerge from the spacecraft while orbiting over China, to enable the Chinese people to witness the event.

And what will they do on the spacewalk? Nothing much, really:

When asked about what the astronaut will actually do outside the spacecraft Qi said he once suggested retrieving the national flag that hangs outside the spaceship. After consideration it was finally decided the astronaut would perform some test and control experiments. He added, "Whether it's fetching the national flag or doing some experiments, the astronaut will have to do something, so that it's not just a case of proving our ability to put someone outside the spaceship."

Technorati Tags: space science rockets aviation astronauts taikonauts china satellites broadcasting communications