We’re off to the races! The AI-driven drone races, that is. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Advanced Concepts Team (ACT) has partnered with the Delft University of Technology’s (TU Delft) Micro Air Vehicle Laboratory in the Netherlands to train neural-network artificial intelligence systems to race drones. Ultimately, this program will test AI’s ability to handle complicated maneuvers, which could then be implemented on future space missions. (There’s a Star Wars pod racing joke in here somewhere.) Neural networks in AI mimic human brains in the way they pass along information…
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Space radiation can damage satellites − my team discovered that a next-generation material could self-heal when exposed to cosmic rays
The space environment is harsh and full of extreme radiation. Scientists designing spacecraft and satellites need materials that can withstand these conditions. In a paper published in January 2024, my team of materials researchers demonstrated that a next-generation semiconductor material called metal-halide perovskite can actually recover and heal itself from radiation damage. Metal-halide perovskites are a class of materials discovered in 1839 that are found abundantly in Earth’s crust. They absorb sunlight and efficiently convert it into electricity, making them a potentially good fit for space-based solar panels that can…
Read MoreDARPA’s military-grade ‘quantum laser’ will use entangled photons to outshine conventional laser beams
Researchers are developing a new, military-grade “quantum laser” that can cut through fog and operate across long distances. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a $1 million grant to scientists building a prototype “quantum photonic-dimer laser” that uses quantum entanglement to “glue” light particles together and generate a highly concentrated laser beam. Lasers play a crucial role in military operations and are used in everything from satellite communications and targeting technology to mapping and tracking systems like lidar (light detection and ranging). Conventional lasers work by…
Read MoreDARPA unveils 6 new designs for uncrewed vertical-takeoff military aircraft, eyes 2026 test flights
The U.S. military could soon have new uncrewed aircraft that carry weapons and take off and land vertically. The vehicles could undergo test flights as early as 2026. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced it is moving into a new testing phase for proposed experimental aircraft in which designs will be assessed for risk and analyzed for efficiency. The Advanced Aircraft Infrastructure-less Launch And Recovery (ANCILLARY) program will field designs for new, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) carrying weapons. Specifically, the project aims to deliver X-planes capable of…
Read MoreUS economy to benefit from NASA investment in 3D-printable superalloy
NASA has invested in an innovative superalloy as part of its Technology Transfer Program, a program that allows technology built for missions to be utilized for other commercial purposes. The superalloy is known as GRX-810 and consists of a 3D-printable, high-temperature material that has the potential to make airplane equipment and spacecraft parts more heavy duty. Items built with this material will be able to withstand a wide range of severe conditions, including intense temperatures, both in the air and in space. As of now, the superalloy is licensed to…
Read MoreNASA-funded pulsed plasma rocket concept aims to send astronauts to Mars in 2 months
An innovative rocket system could revolutionize future deep space missions to Mars, reducing travel time to the Red Planet to just a few months. The goal of landing humans on Mars has presented a myriad of challenges, including the need to quickly transport large payloads to and from the distant planet, which, depending on the positions of Earth and Mars, would take almost two years for a round trip using current propulsion technology. The Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR), under development by Howe Industries, is a propulsion system designed to be…
Read MoreScientists could make blazing-fast 6G using curving light rays
The future of cellular data transfer could lie in “curving” light beams midair to deliver 6G wireless networks with blazing-fast speeds — bypassing the need for line of sight between transmitter and receivers. In a new study published March 30 in the journal Nature’s Communications Engineering, researchers explained how they developed a transmitter that can dynamically adjust the waves needed to support future 6G signals. The most advanced cellular communications standard is 5G. Expected to be thousands of times faster, 6G will begin rolling out in 2030, according to the…
Read MoreRocket Lab gearing up to refly Electron booster for 1st time
Rocket Lab is taking a big step toward its first-ever rocket reflight. On Jan. 31, one of the company’s Electron rockets launched four private satellites to Earth orbit. The vehicle’s first stage then came back down for a soft ocean splashdown, and Rocket Lab fished it out of the sea and hauled it back to shore for inspection and analysis. The company has recovered boosters in this manner multiple times in the past, gathering information about how to make Electron first stages reusable. But this particular booster will break new…
Read MoreBoom’s XB-1 test plane gets FAA green light for supersonic flight
Like Tom Cruise’s “Maverick” character in “Top Gun,” Boom Supersonic is feeling the need for speed. The Colorado company has received a first-of-its-kind approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to exceed Mach 1 during test flights of its XB-1 supersonic jet. These flights are slated to occur sometime this year within the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor in Mojave, California. The sleek, delta-shaped XB-1 took its maiden flight on March 22, 2024 from the Mojave Air & Space Port, and now it’s free to go supersonic at Boom’s California…
Read MoreNuclear fusion reactor in South Korea runs at 100 million degrees C for a record-breaking 48 seconds
South Korea’s “artificial sun” has set a new fusion record after superheating a plasma loop to 180 million degrees Fahrenheit (100 million degrees Celsius) for 48 seconds, scientists have announced. The Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) reactor broke the previous world record of 31 seconds, which was set by the same reactor in 2021.The breakthrough is a small but impressive step on the long road to a source of near-unlimited clean energy. Scientists have been trying to harness the power of nuclear fusion — the process by which stars…
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