Editor, Author at Filling Space

Why should we keep our nighttime skies dark?

Is it important to keep our nighttime skies dark? There has been significant debate lately about this topic, spurred by the growth of satellite constellations.…

Life

What does Australia’s outback teach us about astrobiology?

Editor April 24, 2020 astrobiology Australia ExoMars2020 Mars Mars2020 NASA origins of life the European Space Agency the Outback Western Australia

How did life originate on Earth? This is still an open question. It is furthermore one that relates to the field of astrobiology – knowing…

Society

What is happening in the space sector in Taiwan?

Editor April 17, 2020 FORMOSAT low Earth orbit National Central University satellites Taiwan the Cold War the International Geophysical Year the National Space Organization the telecommunications industry universities

It used to be that space missions were carried out by large governments. During the Cold War, Washington and Moscow led humanity’s engagement with space.…

Ancestors

What are the hidden tales of the Apollo program?

Editor April 10, 2020 astronauts documentaries engineers history Honeywell NASA oral histories scientists spacecraft the Apollo program

The Apollo program is well-known both inside and outside the space community. Its achievements are important benchmarks in humanity’s engagement with space. Much focus is…

Arts

Why would you create a coloring book about orbital mechanics?

Editor April 3, 2020 Art children coloring books exponential growth Johannes Kepler kickstarter Leonardo da Vinci M C Escher orbital mechanics tessellations

Orbital mechanics are not an obvious subject for a coloring book, but the result can be beautiful. It can also be inspirational for children today…

Ancestors Machine

What interesting spacecraft missions never happened?

Editor March 28, 2020 aircraft bombers Books cancellations history space shuttles spacecraft spaceplanes the Tsiolkovski Crater writing

Much fanfare is made about successful spacecraft missions. But what about those spacecraft that were never built? They deserve interest, too. We spoke to Samuel…

Society

How should we sustainably govern low Earth orbit?

Editor March 20, 2020 best practices governance low Earth orbit megaconstellations orbits regulatory frameworks satellites space debris Sustainability the orbital environment

There is much buzz in the news nowadays about sustainability in low Earth orbit (LEO). With the rise of megaconstellations, fears of space debris and…

Life

How big a deal is forward contamination of other planets?

Editor March 13, 2020 alien life astrobiology COSPAR forward contamination microbes science fiction Star Trek the Open University the Outer Space Treaty the Solar System

Forward contamination, meaning infecting other parts of the Solar System with life from Earth – how big a deal is it? Science fiction has long…

Society

How should Australia respond to space militarization?

Editor March 6, 2020 Australia cyber attacks kinetic kills militarization satellites soft kill systems space capabilities superpowers the Australian Strategic Policy Institute weapons

There is growing concern about the militarization of space. Oftentimes, discussions about this topic focus on the larger space powers – the United States, Russia,…

Society

How do international laws regulate space mining?

Editor February 28, 2020 resource utilization space mining the Cold War the Moon The Moon Agreement the Outer Space Treaty the United Nations UN COPUS Western Sydney University

There is renewed interest nowadays in space mining. There was similar interest in space mining during the Cold War, when international agreements were developed to…