back to article Faster optic fibers and superior laser sensors set to descend from space

SpaceX will on Monday retrieve the Dragon capsule it sent to the international space station on December 8th, 2020, an event NASA says will bring “significantly more science back to Earth than possible in previous Dragon capsules and is the first space station cargo capsule to splash down off the coast of Florida.” The …

  1. Pangasinan Philippines
    Boffin

    Frequency egnar

    Normal quote Frequency Delta from low to high.

    Not high to low.

    1. squirrel_nutkin

      Re: Frequency egnar

      Not so surprisingly, since the postdoctoral researcher is working in optics, she looks across a range that begins at shorter and continues to longer wavelengths. This is perfectly normal and usual across a massive range of scientific literature across thousands of world-renowned research journals.

      https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&rlz=1C5CHFA_enGB849GB849&ei=gSH8X7zAKMTMUY-Xn7gJ&q=%22ultraviolet+to+infrared%22

  2. Chris G

    Quite a few of the old soviet era lenses I use have lanthanum in the mix, aside from the fact that occasionally they can yellow, they give fantastic crystal clear results. I have an old Mir lens that I would not part with at any price.

  3. 9Rune5

    Dodgy

    This matters because plenty of returning astronauts report dodgy vision

    Have we tried sending an astronaut with existing dodgy vision? Maybe his vision will improve? (My vision happens to be proper dodgy, and I hereby volunteer my services)

    1. Persona Silver badge

      Re: Dodgy

      The optic changes have been beneficial to at least one astronaut.

    2. Quando

      Re: Dodgy

      Sounds like they all need to take a drive to Barnard Castle to double check.

  4. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    The beginnings of space industry, then ?

    So, we now have definite potential for industry in space. And there's nothing like industry to lower costs and increase accessibility.

    If only we could find a more ecological way to get us there.

    Could someone please invent anti-gravity modulators ? That would do nicely.

    1. A.P. Veening Silver badge

      Re: The beginnings of space industry, then ?

      Could someone please invent anti-gravity modulators ? That would do nicely.

      I am afraid those will require unecologically large amounts of energy besides rare materials that have unecological costs when either made or mined. I strongly suggest building a space elevator.

    2. Down not across

      Re: The beginnings of space industry, then ?

      Space elevator would work quite nicely. If the orbital factory was large enough, it could possibly double as the counterweight.

      1. BristolBachelor Gold badge
        Joke

        Re: The beginnings of space industry, then ?

        That doesn't really help, since the problem that requires the space elevator is getting the factory into space in the first place. It's a bit like inventing the chicken by getting a chicken to lay an egg and then hatch it.

        1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

          Re: The beginnings of space industry, then ?

          Project Orion. We just need clean nuclear bombs first.

      2. Martin Gregorie

        Re: The beginnings of space industry, then ?

        At the current state of the art, its probably easier to lasso an NEO and put it in earth orbit to act as the elevator's counterweight. When that's in place, the factory modules can be winched up for assembly at the free orbital radius point on the tether. This guarantees that there are no micro-gravitic effects in the factory. You would not put the factory on the counterweight because that would leave the factory with a net outward force in its work-spaces.

        However, this NEO reuse plot has a major flaw: so far the only suitable sized asteroids we've looked at up close and personal have turned out to be rubble piles, so unlikely to survive being switched from a solar to an terrestrial orbit.

        1. Lorribot

          Re: The beginnings of space industry, then ?

          But what about all the birds that will be killed flying in to the teather? It'll never get off the ground.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Pint

      Re: The beginnings of space industry, then ?

      No. We have an idea about a potential that will likely never lead to a viable space industry.

      The buried lede is the Dragon capsule landing. That is the significant development which could have a lasting impact on the ISS. A pint for the SpaceX coffins (maybe we should put in a standing order for a case or two a month).

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Facepalm

        Re: The beginnings of space industry, then ?

        Boffins, not coffins. GD M$ touch keyboard autocorrect!

  5. Daedalus

    Uh oh...

    "Another science payload about to land is a group of live mice"

    Actually these are just the protrusions into our dimension of hyperintelligent pandimensional beings.

    I wonder what they're up to this time.

  6. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
    Coat

    optic fibres made in space

    Shirly that should be optic fibres Maaaaade in Spaaaaaaace"!

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