PhantomCruiser
Wanderer
The final touches are underway for the fifth in Phantom Manufacturing's series of launches for it's new lunar outpost . The unmanned cargo ship Nancy Ward will carry to Copernicus Base three expansion modules, nestled among those are various spare parts and supplies.
“We’ve been quite busy using the rover as a backhoe digging holes and trenches for the Stirling engine and reactor that will be arriving next month” said Gustave Schlouch, the senior member of the Copernicus crew. “Along with the Stirling’s arrival will be more crew members, and we’re going to need a place to put them, the modules aboard the Nancy will fit the bill nicely.”
Phantom Mfg has leased an XR-5 Vanguard The City of Chattanooga for the purpose of transporting said Stirling engine, as well as its associated support equipment. If all goes according to plan, Copernicus base will have a reliable 50 kilowatt power plant to get it through the long lunar “night” rather than rely on the batteries and fuel cells currently in use.
Alongside the Ariane6 launch crew is another team performing integration tests for Phantom’s new line of light-to-medium lift launcher. We reported earlier about Phantom’s construction of a cousin to the Athena rocket, and it looks as if testing is ready to begin. Public Affairs department’s Victor (Hugo) Patel allowed us access to the integration facility for a quick look.
“The first launch will be a good indicator of how Phantom can begin to begin our own low cost LEO operations and deliver on our contracts with various countries for anti-ballistic missile testing. This model, the Block-II currently in development is primarily for payloads of around 4000-8000 lbs to LEO”.
A test article sits atop the “Block II”, but along for the ride on this maiden flight is a small basketball sized camera assembly and transmitter. Walter Hagan Middle School’s science department is a “Partner in Education” to Phantom Mfg, and with a small budget they put together the satellite for the inaugural flight. If successful, the students at WHMS will be able to watch the launch via closed-circuit television and receive telemetry data as the tiny satellite passes within range of their own “tracking station”.
Phantom owner/operations manager John Kirby beams with pride as he contemplates what the middle school students have accomplished. “I think it speaks volumes to the character of the students and faculty, that with such a small budget, this team of future scientists and engineers has put together such a sophisticated little device”.
Count on us to provide mission updates as the Nancy Ward progresses through her mission, as well as the inaugural flight of Phantom’s new launcher.
Authors note---
Not making up the stuff about a nuclear reactor on the moon.
MC
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2009/15may_stirling/
http://www.moondaily.com/reports/Lunar_Habitat_Power_System_Begins_Important_Tests_999.html
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/23247/
“We’ve been quite busy using the rover as a backhoe digging holes and trenches for the Stirling engine and reactor that will be arriving next month” said Gustave Schlouch, the senior member of the Copernicus crew. “Along with the Stirling’s arrival will be more crew members, and we’re going to need a place to put them, the modules aboard the Nancy will fit the bill nicely.”
Phantom Mfg has leased an XR-5 Vanguard The City of Chattanooga for the purpose of transporting said Stirling engine, as well as its associated support equipment. If all goes according to plan, Copernicus base will have a reliable 50 kilowatt power plant to get it through the long lunar “night” rather than rely on the batteries and fuel cells currently in use.
Alongside the Ariane6 launch crew is another team performing integration tests for Phantom’s new line of light-to-medium lift launcher. We reported earlier about Phantom’s construction of a cousin to the Athena rocket, and it looks as if testing is ready to begin. Public Affairs department’s Victor (Hugo) Patel allowed us access to the integration facility for a quick look.
“The first launch will be a good indicator of how Phantom can begin to begin our own low cost LEO operations and deliver on our contracts with various countries for anti-ballistic missile testing. This model, the Block-II currently in development is primarily for payloads of around 4000-8000 lbs to LEO”.
A test article sits atop the “Block II”, but along for the ride on this maiden flight is a small basketball sized camera assembly and transmitter. Walter Hagan Middle School’s science department is a “Partner in Education” to Phantom Mfg, and with a small budget they put together the satellite for the inaugural flight. If successful, the students at WHMS will be able to watch the launch via closed-circuit television and receive telemetry data as the tiny satellite passes within range of their own “tracking station”.
Phantom owner/operations manager John Kirby beams with pride as he contemplates what the middle school students have accomplished. “I think it speaks volumes to the character of the students and faculty, that with such a small budget, this team of future scientists and engineers has put together such a sophisticated little device”.
Count on us to provide mission updates as the Nancy Ward progresses through her mission, as well as the inaugural flight of Phantom’s new launcher.
Authors note---
Not making up the stuff about a nuclear reactor on the moon.
MC
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2009/15may_stirling/
http://www.moondaily.com/reports/Lunar_Habitat_Power_System_Begins_Important_Tests_999.html
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/23247/
