IDare Space Travel

24/10/2024

Just to remind you that we live in the future: SpaceX has certified an option to land CrewDragon spacecraft using rocket engines, in case parachute system fails.

This system was already active during recent commercial Polaris Dawn mission, will be active during Crew-8 mission return to Earth this weekend, and on all subsequent CrewDragon missions.

SpaceX announced a new capability for the Dragon spacecraft on Sept. 27 for the unlikely event of a parachute failure. Dragon now has built-in redundancy to propulsively land using its SuperDraco thrusters, saving the vehicle and potential crew from a rough landing or imminent danger.

22/10/2024

Ireland was once home to the world's largest telescope. Now Ireland is the world's hub of aircraft funding and trading. Absolutely no reason why Ireland can not become a world's hub of space economy one day.

Enterprise Ireland has just published the "Space Activities in Ireland 2023" report:https://www.enterprise-ireland.com/documents/enterprise-ireland-esa-2023-report-en-134478.pdf

You can find out what Irish companies are doing in space, in supporting space activities, or in utilising space resources.
Key milestones for 2023:

- Ireland's first satellite launched to space by University College Dublin team;
- Irish Space Association has been established;
- 109 Irish companies were actively engaged with the European Space Agency - ESA in various space projects

2023 was a very important year for IDare Space Travel, too. Business and customer validation of our "space travel agency" concept was our main goal. We presented our business model at many meetings and at several international conferences. Our presence at the Paris Space Week in March 2023 has been noticed, and noted on page 21 of this report.

Image: courtesy of Pexels & Maicon Vinicius

11/06/2024

Tune in tomorrow, Wednesday, June 12th (at 4pm Dublin time / 11am EST) for five x 1-hour panels discussing essential topics related to sustainable development of space:
#1 (4-5pm) Use of Space Resources
#2 (5-6pm) Orbital Debris
#3 (6-7pm) Space Law and Private Entities in Outer Space
#4 (7-8pm) Sustainable Benefits 4 All Peoples of Earth
#5 (8-9pm) Sustainable Space Development and Space for Sustainability.

The roundtable will be organised by Space 18th SDG Coalition spearheaded by Space Renaissance International and National Space Society, and will be chaired by Adriano Autino/ https://spacerenaissance.space and Robert S. Katz / World Innovation Network

The results of these discussions will be submitted to the 67th General Assembly of the U. N. Committee for the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPUOS) on 19 - 28 June 2024.

IDare Space Travel will co-chair Panel #2. If there is no solution to the space debris problem, there will be no space exploration, so no space tourism.

https://www.youtube.com/live/0jgKij9lWp8?si=vy6EQspqo6yxWQIJ

The United Nations Committee for the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPOUOS) is holding 2 important sessions in springtime: the Legal SubCommittee on 15-25 Apr...

05/06/2024

3 important spaceflights planned for this week.

June 5th (today):
1st crewed test flight of the The Boeing Company Starliner. Estimated launch time: 3:52pm (GMT+1/Dublin time). 2 astronauts (test pilots). Boeing has hinted that there are no immediate plans for commercial tourists on future Starliner flights, only ISS crew rotations.
https://starlinerupdates.com/

June 6th (Thursday):
4th [un-crewed] test flight of the SpaceX Starship. Estimated launch time: between 1pm and 3pm (GMT+1/Dublin time). Several more test flights are planned for this year.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-4

June 8th (Saturday):
Launch window opens for the 7th commercial flight by Virgin Galactic. 1 research astronaut + 3 commercial passengers + 2 pilots. No set launch time yet. This will be the last flight of the Unity class spaceplane. The company will then dedicate all resources to development and certification of the 6-seater Delta-class spaceplane.
https://www.virgingalactic.com/news/galactic-07-mission-launch-window-opens-june-8

Exact date for the first commercial flight to Mars has not been set yet, but we are getting close.

Image: (c) SpaceX & Pexels

03/05/2024

01/05/2024

01/05/2024

01/04/2024

As Ireland already had the world's largest telescope, the world's busiest airport and the world's first skydiving club, it is absolutely fitting that two spaceports are planned to be built here.

Happy April 1st!

Funny story ... all of the above is true.

***

1. Today is indeed April the 1st.

2. Birr Castle Demesne in Co. Offaly was home to the world's largest optical telescope for 75 years (1845 to 1920, 1.8m diameter mirror). https://birrcastle.com/telescope-astronomy/

3. If you visit Foynes Flying Boat Museum in Co. Limerick, you will find out that during the WWII times it was the location of the world's busiest airport, by the number of aircraft operations (take-offs and landings). That's where all the flying boats of the times were making refuelling stops on the way from US to Europe. And to keep idle passengers amused, Irish Coffee was promptly invented there. https://flyingboatmuseum.com

4. The Irish Parachute Club (Skydive IPC) in Co. Offaly is the world's oldest commercial skydiving club. It was founded in 1956. https://skydive.ie

5. Suas Aerospace is planning to build two commercial spaceports in Ireland. https://suasaerospace.com
Wish them luck!

Images (c) Pexels & Mathias Reding, Chase R Smith, Fair Akmd, Nick Kwan