Spaceflight Vol 57 No 04 – April 2015

Force Feedback
Operating robots in space has its limitations but the European Space Agency is working on a novel way of improving the dextrous ability of machines to replicate the manipulation of human hands and fingers with a feedback device designed to help narrow the gap between astronauts and their proxies.

Elfordstown Earth station
John O’Sullivan takes us to East Cork, Ireland, on a tour of the Elfordstown tracking and communications relay facilities and describes the outstanding work being carried out there on a wide variety of national and international activities.

Bootstrapping Lunar Industry – Part Two
In the third of a series looking at the mineral resources of the solar system, Dave Dietzler concludes his discussion about the possibilities of not only utilizing the Moon’s resources for indigenous activity and re-provisioning the Earth but also for fabricating structures from local materials.

The Hubble Space Telescope – at 25
It is 25 years since the world’s most famous space telescope was lifted into orbit by Shuttle. Philip Corneille takes a look back at a momentous quarter-century of outstanding and productive science, from the fitting of corrective lens instruments on the first servicing mission to the complete refurbishment in orbit.

Regular Features

Britain in Space – A Planck in the coffin

World News Analysis – Spaceplane plans adrift? – NASA budget doldrums

Briefing notes – news shorts from around the world

Satellite Digest – 507 January 2015 Operations Summary – 16 January to 15 February 2015

Flashback – A regular feature looking back 50 years ago this month Off the Shelf – Visionary – Man in Space – US Air Force Manned Space Project

Inbox – A test in-situ – Alexei Leonov – A better deal? – Philae update needed

Society News – Yesterday’s Tomorrow – A Values Statement for the BIS

What’s On