cross-post! :-P
An article I received in an e-mail today from the Florida Institute of Technology (a school that wants my body, badly):
Florida Tech Receives $430,000 from NASA for Lunar Oxygen Project
MELBOURNE, FLA. - Florida Tech is collaborating with British Titanium, Cambridge University and the Kennedy Space Center on a NASA-funded project to produce oxygen from the Moon's regolith (top soil covering solid rock). The total budget for phase 1 of the project, titled, "ILMENOX," is $1.8 million with British Titanium serving as the primary contractor on the award. Initial phase 1 financial support to Florida Tech is $430,000.
The goal of the study ultimately is to produce oxygen on the moon using the FFC Cambridge process, which uses electrochemical reduction of metal oxides in a molten salt electrolyte. Liquid oxygen is by far the largest component of rocket fuel, forming as much as 85 percent by weight. Its production on the moon would enable rockets to re-fuel on their way to far-flung corners of the earth's solar system.
Project director is Dr. Derek Fray. He is a co-inventor of the FFC Cambridge titanium electrolytic production process, head of the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at the U.K.'s University of Cambridge and chief science officer for British Titanium. Florida Tech's Dr. Jonathan Whitlow, associate professor of chemical engineering, is Florida Tech's principal investigator on the project. Since 1998 he has conducted research with NASA support on In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) from resources on the moon and in the Martian atmosphere.
“Locally produced oxygen for rocket propulsion promises by far the greatest cost and mass savings. It is crucial to achieving a sustained and affordable human robotic program to explore the solar system and beyond," said Whitlow.
The FFC process will possibly produce lower cost metals on earth, most notably titanium. According to Whitlow, "The use of this technology on the moon for ISRU is promising because it has the potential to extract virtually all of the oxygen from the lunar regolith at temperatures lower than competing processes, which have less extraction efficiencies."
Manned space missions received presidential support in Jan. 2004 when George W. Bush announced plans to send an expedition to the moon by 2015.
Florida Institute of Technology
Office of Undergraduate Admission
150 West University Boulevard
Melbourne, Florida 32901
Tel: 321-674-8030
Tel: 800-888-4348
Fax: 321-674-8004
Home: www.fit.edu
P.S. -- Florida Tech is listed as a Barron's Guide "Best Buy" in college education and named as one of the top 15 technical institutions for engineering in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2002-2004.
I'm not a dork. This doesn't make me infinitely happy. Cambridge's head of Materials Science. Eeeee! I really wish FIT had MatSE. Alas.
The beginning of this entry is pretty much for myself. Don't be too concerned with it.
However: last week, I picked up an application to work at Barnes & Noble. At first, it was simply because my mother inquired at the Customer Service desk how old one had to be to work at the store. Apparently, sixteen. So the nice man gave me an application. I didn't think we'd end up actually filling out the application. While it has been my dream to work in a bookstore for ages, I'm inexperienced, young, etc. But, it seems that once I hear back from my eleventh grade English teacher (needed her address and phone number for a personal reference), I will be returning the form. We even got the work permit from school today. I'm nervous / excited / scared. Everyone keeps saying, "The worst they'll say is 'no,' or, 'come back when you're eighteen.'" So we'll see.
Also had a dentist appointment today. While my teeth have improved a lot (I hardly have any enamel on my teeth, it's a genetic thing) and Marti says my gums look great and flossing has helped, I have a baby cavity on my top left eye tooth. Sigh. So I'm getting that fixed some time in July.
After Space Camp! For which I depart this Saturday. So, more excitement. That's all.
Florida Tech Receives $430,000 from NASA for Lunar Oxygen Project
MELBOURNE, FLA. - Florida Tech is collaborating with British Titanium, Cambridge University and the Kennedy Space Center on a NASA-funded project to produce oxygen from the Moon's regolith (top soil covering solid rock). The total budget for phase 1 of the project, titled, "ILMENOX," is $1.8 million with British Titanium serving as the primary contractor on the award. Initial phase 1 financial support to Florida Tech is $430,000.
The goal of the study ultimately is to produce oxygen on the moon using the FFC Cambridge process, which uses electrochemical reduction of metal oxides in a molten salt electrolyte. Liquid oxygen is by far the largest component of rocket fuel, forming as much as 85 percent by weight. Its production on the moon would enable rockets to re-fuel on their way to far-flung corners of the earth's solar system.
Project director is Dr. Derek Fray. He is a co-inventor of the FFC Cambridge titanium electrolytic production process, head of the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at the U.K.'s University of Cambridge and chief science officer for British Titanium. Florida Tech's Dr. Jonathan Whitlow, associate professor of chemical engineering, is Florida Tech's principal investigator on the project. Since 1998 he has conducted research with NASA support on In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) from resources on the moon and in the Martian atmosphere.
“Locally produced oxygen for rocket propulsion promises by far the greatest cost and mass savings. It is crucial to achieving a sustained and affordable human robotic program to explore the solar system and beyond," said Whitlow.
The FFC process will possibly produce lower cost metals on earth, most notably titanium. According to Whitlow, "The use of this technology on the moon for ISRU is promising because it has the potential to extract virtually all of the oxygen from the lunar regolith at temperatures lower than competing processes, which have less extraction efficiencies."
Manned space missions received presidential support in Jan. 2004 when George W. Bush announced plans to send an expedition to the moon by 2015.
Florida Institute of Technology
Office of Undergraduate Admission
150 West University Boulevard
Melbourne, Florida 32901
Tel: 321-674-8030
Tel: 800-888-4348
Fax: 321-674-8004
Home: www.fit.edu
P.S. -- Florida Tech is listed as a Barron's Guide "Best Buy" in college education and named as one of the top 15 technical institutions for engineering in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2002-2004.
I'm not a dork. This doesn't make me infinitely happy. Cambridge's head of Materials Science. Eeeee! I really wish FIT had MatSE. Alas.
The beginning of this entry is pretty much for myself. Don't be too concerned with it.
However: last week, I picked up an application to work at Barnes & Noble. At first, it was simply because my mother inquired at the Customer Service desk how old one had to be to work at the store. Apparently, sixteen. So the nice man gave me an application. I didn't think we'd end up actually filling out the application. While it has been my dream to work in a bookstore for ages, I'm inexperienced, young, etc. But, it seems that once I hear back from my eleventh grade English teacher (needed her address and phone number for a personal reference), I will be returning the form. We even got the work permit from school today. I'm nervous / excited / scared. Everyone keeps saying, "The worst they'll say is 'no,' or, 'come back when you're eighteen.'" So we'll see.
Also had a dentist appointment today. While my teeth have improved a lot (I hardly have any enamel on my teeth, it's a genetic thing) and Marti says my gums look great and flossing has helped, I have a baby cavity on my top left eye tooth. Sigh. So I'm getting that fixed some time in July.
After Space Camp! For which I depart this Saturday. So, more excitement. That's all.