Space rocks and asteroid dust are pricey, but these aren't the most expensive materials used in science
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 16:18
After a journey of seven years and nearly 4 billion miles, NASA's OSIRIS-RExspacecraft landed gently in the Utah desert on the morning of Sept. 24, 2023, with a precious payload. The spacecraft brought back a sample from the asteroid Bennu.
Roughly half a pound of material collected from the 85 million-ton asteroid (77.6 billion kg) will help scientists learn about the formation of the solar system, including whether asteroids like Bennu include the chemical ingredients for life.
NASA's mission was budgeted at US$800 million and will end up costing around $1.16 billion for just under 9 ounces of sample (255 g).
European Service Module for Artemis II connected to Orion vehicle
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 13:15
The second European Service Module was connected to the rest of the Orion spacecraft which will be used in the Artemis II mission that will bring astronauts around the Moon and back for the first time in over 50 years.
Crunch time for Phoebus
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 10:00
Launching things into space is hard. Aside from the engines and software, orbital calculations and the launch pad, the tanks that hold the fuel are a masterful example of engineering in their own right – and ESA will soon be testing the next generation of rocket tanks: Phoebus.
Japanese government grant to support work on new ispace lunar lander
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 09:37

Terran Orbital to build 36 satellite buses for Lockheed Martin
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 09:35

US Space Force to Leverage Danti's AI-Powered Data Search with AFWERX deal
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 05:40
Danti, a tech company specializing in AI-powered data solutions, recently secured a Direct-to-Phase II contract worth $1.2 million from AFWERX. The focus of the contract is to leverage artificial intelligence in geospatial and broader data search to tackle key challenges faced by the Department of the Air Force, specifically the Space Force.
AFWERX, in collaboration with the Air Force Rese Industry and Academia team up to accelerate Power-to-Liquid Aviation Fuels in Germany
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 05:40
In a significant step towards sustainable aviation, key stakeholders in Germany's aerospace sector have come together to expedite the development and deployment of Power-to-Liquid (PtL) aviation fuels. A Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed in Berlin, sealing a comprehensive research collaboration among Lufthansa Airlines, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) New technique helps robots pack objects into a tight space
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 05:40
Anyone who has ever tried to pack a family-sized amount of luggage into a sedan-sized trunk knows this is a hard problem. Robots struggle with dense packing tasks, too.
For the robot, solving the packing problem involves satisfying many constraints, such as stacking luggage so suitcases don't topple out of the trunk, heavy objects aren't placed on top of lighter ones, and collisions betwee Photonic Crystals imitate gravitational effects on light: Implications for 6G and Beyond
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 05:40
In an innovative study, a multidisciplinary team of researchers has successfully altered the trajectory of light in a manner akin to the influence of gravity. The research, recently published in the journal Physical Review A, presents groundbreaking applications in the areas of optics, materials science, and notably, 6G communications technology.
Albert Einstein's theory of relativity has Researchers developing 'revolutionary' multi-material for light-based 3D printing
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 05:40
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is looking for materials that "revolutionize and engineer our future." Researchers at Iowa State University and the University of California, Santa Barbara think they can do just that by fundamentally changing Digital Light Processing - a type of 3D printing that users light rather than heat to quickly cure and harden liquid resin into plastic layers - Exoplanet-informed research helps search for radio technosignatures
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 01:27
In a new study published in the Astronomical Journal, researchers used the known population of exoplanets and extrapolated to the much larger, unknown population of exoplanets to set better thresholds for planetary effects on signals from ETIs (extraterrestrial intelligences). The prior recommendation for the threshold "drift rate" contribution, caused by a planet's motion around its host star, Astronomers carry out largest ever cosmological computer simulation
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 01:27
An international team of astronomers has carried out what is believed to be the largest ever cosmological computer simulation, tracking not only dark but also ordinary matter (such as planets, stars and galaxies), giving us a glimpse into how our Universe may have evolved. The FLAMINGO simulations calculate the evolution of all components of the universe - ordinary matter, dark matter, and dark Dragonfly tunnel visions
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 01:27
With its dense atmosphere and low gravity, Saturn's moon Titan is a great place to fly.
But well before NASA's Dragonfly rotorcraft lander soars through Titan's skies, researchers on Earth - led by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland - are making sure their designs and models for the nuclear-powered, car-sized drone will work in a truly unique environment 




