RocketStar unveils fusion-enhanced electric thruster for spacecraft
Thursday, 21 March 2024 21:40In a leap forward for space propulsion technology, RocketStar Inc. has demonstrated its FireStar Drive, an advanced spacecraft electric propulsion unit that leverages nuclear fusion to enhance pulsed plasma propulsion. By introducing aneutronic nuclear fusion into its water-fueled pulsed plasma thruster, the FireStar Drive markedly improves performance, utilizing high-speed protons from ionized
DARPA's Rubble to Rockets Program Pioneers New Manufacturing Frontiers
Thursday, 21 March 2024 21:40The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) introduces the Rubble to Rockets (R2) program, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at revolutionizing manufacturing in environments where supply chains are compromised. The Department of Defense (DOD) has identified an urgent need for the capability to produce critical structures on-demand using locally sourced materials, challenging the tradit
North Korea tests engine for new hypersonic missile
Thursday, 21 March 2024 21:40North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test of a solid-fuel engine for a new intermediate-range hypersonic missile, state media reported Wednesday, one day after observing the launch of short-range ballistic missiles. The test was conducted at the Sohae Satellite Launching Facility on the country's west coast Tuesday, state-run Korean Central News Agency said. "The military
Kymeta Delivers Groundbreaking Multi-Orbit Flat-Panel Antennas to Military Customers
Thursday, 21 March 2024 21:40Kymeta, a leader in flat-panel satellite antenna technology, announced the shipping of its Osprey u8 HGL terminal, the first hybrid geostationary/low Earth orbit (GEO/LEO/LTE) terminal designed for military applications, from its Woodinville, Washington facility. This landmark development marks the debut of the first commercially available multi-orbit terminal, as well as the initial multi-orbit
The hunt for superheavy elements is a periodic opportunity
Thursday, 21 March 2024 21:40International research teams from Massey University, the University of Mainz, Sorbonne University, and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) have made notable strides in understanding superheavy elements, reshaping the concept of the periodic table's "island of stability." Their work, featured on the cover of February 2024's Nature Review Physics, alongside a related review in Physics Repor
Eutelsat and Intelsat forge $500M partnership to expand OneWeb constellation
Thursday, 21 March 2024 21:40Eutelsat Group has formalized a major multi-year partnership with Intelsat, investing up to $500 million over seven years into the OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Constellation. This collaboration, starting in mid-2024, guarantees $250 million with an initial $45 million deal already in place and an option for an additional $250 million. This strategic alliance enables Intelsat to integrate O
Lawmakers cut $1 billion from Space Force’s 2024 budget
Thursday, 21 March 2024 21:18Lawmakers cut $1 billion from Space Force’s 2024 budget request
Thursday, 21 March 2024 21:18U.S. military to boost surveillance assets in orbit
Thursday, 21 March 2024 20:03It's time to study lunar lava tubes. Here's a mission that could help
Thursday, 21 March 2024 19:12The moon is practically begging to be explored, and the momentum to do so is building. The Artemis Program's effort to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions captures a lot of attention. But there are other efforts underway.
In 2023, the ESA put out a call for small lunar missions. The call was associated with their Terra Novae exploration program, which will advance the ESA's exploration of the solar system with robotic scouts and precursor missions.
The Mars science helicopter could be an airborne geologist on Mars
Thursday, 21 March 2024 19:03After more than 70 successful flights, a broken rotor ended the remarkable and groundbreaking Ingenuity helicopter mission on Mars. Now, NASA is considering how a larger, more capable helicopter could be an airborne geologist on the Red Planet. For the past several years scientists and engineers have been working on the concept, proposing a six-rotor hexacopter that would be about the size of the Perseverance rover.
Called the Mars Science Helicopter (MSH), it would not only serve as an aerial scout for a future rover, but more importantly, it could also carry up to 5 kg (11 lbs) of science instruments aloft in the thin Martian atmosphere and land in terrain that a rover can't reach.
A new paper presented at the March 2024 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference outlines the geology work that such a helicopter could accomplish.
The paper, "Unraveling the Origin and Petrology of the Martian Crust with a Helicopter," notes there are several outstanding questions about the makeup and history of Mars' surface, especially with recent discoveries of unexpected dichotomies in the composition of basaltic rocks.
DoD innovation unit to assess Firefly vehicle for missions beyond Earth orbit
Thursday, 21 March 2024 18:54Japan's space agency says it hopes to forge a profitable launch business with its new H3 rocket
Thursday, 21 March 2024 17:44Japan's space agency and its prime contractor said Thursday they hope to be able to forge a profitable launch business with their new H3 rocket after its first successful flight last month in an increasingly competitive market dominated by Space X.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have been developing the H3 as a successor to the soon-to-retire current mainstay H-2A, which enjoyed a 98% success rate but its high launch cost made it less competitive in the global market.