Nick Spall

civil defence emergency

Civil Defence Emergency and Space – is the UK prepared for a nuclear attack?

Considering the history of Civil Defence and war preparedness for the UK, Nick Spall looks at how the nation might have to cope with dangers of a future nuclear attack, how best to survive it, plus whether space technology may help to provide better warnings of any future conflicts. Also covered is whether there is …

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Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost?

Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost? This Will Change Your Mind

Despite the extraordinary scientific and technological progress of humanity since the world became industrialized over three centuries ago, many of the planet’s communities are still faced with huge problems. Large-scale hunger still exists across the world. Out of a current population of approximately 7.6 bn, the United Nations (UN) believes that over 820 m people …

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Will Supersonic Air Travel Return? Future SST Possibilities

It has been almost two decades since Concorde was retired. Why has there been no replacement and how do we sort the technical, economic and environmental challenges for future supersonic (SST) air-travel? So, will supersonic air travel return? It will depend on a variety of factors, including the successful development of suitable engines and fuels, …

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Spaceplanes versus capsules

Spaceplanes v Capsules – Which Will Get Us to the Stars?

Following the successful testing of Space X’s “Crew Dragon” and continuing work on the Boeing CST-100 Starliner, a fleet of new spacecraft will be entering service during 2020/1 to replace the current NASA/ESA reliance on the venerable Russian Soyuz spacecraft for Earth-orbit operations.  However, traditional cone-shaped capsules rely on parachutes and cannot return precisely to …

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Space tourism -image Jeff Foust Creative Commonshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Space Tourism – A 2021 Guide

“Space travel is returning to where it started: with maverick pioneers dreaming of journeys to orbit and beyond, some carrying out rocket experiments in their own backyards. The rise of citizen astronauts has already begun.” Arthur C Clarke Forward to SpaceShipOne: An Illustrated History 2008 Since private individuals first started visiting the International Space Station …

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