Category: NASA

Researchers at the Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor University in the UK have developed miniature nuclear fuel cells, each about the size of a poppy seed, capable of powering NASA’s upcoming Artemis lunar base, set to commence operations around 2030. These tiny power sources, collectively known as “Trisofuel,” are engineered to operate with a micro nuclear generator, roughly the size of a small car, designed by Rolls Royce. The BBC reports that comprehensive testing of this innovative fuel is scheduled to commence within the next few months, with potentially far-reaching applications beyond lunar exploration.

The momentum is steadily growing toward establishing a permanent human presence on the moon, with a probable location near its south pole, where scientists anticipate finding water-based ice to support habitation. NASA’s ongoing Artemis project has been making strides toward its envisioned base construction by the end of this decade, culminating in its first successful mission in November 2022. Last month, India achieved a historic milestone by becoming the fourth nation to land a probe on the moon through its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, marking the first lunar landing at the southern pole.

Continue reading… “Tiny Nuclear Fuel Cells Poised to Power NASA’s Lunar Base and Beyond”

NASA is in the development stages of a supersonic passenger aircraft that promises to reach speeds of Mach 4, approximately 3000 mph. This aircraft will not only surpass the Concorde but also outpace the legendary SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, originally designed with a top speed of Mach 3.2, roughly 2500 mph. The anticipated supersonic jet aims to drastically reduce the travel time from New York to London to less than one and a half hours, in stark contrast to the current eight to nine-hour flights on conventional large passenger jets cruising at around 600 mph.

For perspective, the iconic Concorde, which retired two decades ago, could maintain Mach 2, equivalent to 1348 mph. The Concorde faced multiple challenges, including the sonic boom, contributing to its retirement. Supersonic air travel is prohibited in several countries due to the disruptive sonic boom generated when breaking the sound barrier. The United States is one such nation that restricts supersonic travel for civil aviation. Nonetheless, researchers have been diligently working to develop technologies that can effectively mitigate sonic booms. NASA’s Quesst Mission is a prominent research project that encompasses the creation of an experimental quiet supersonic aircraft known as the X-59.

Continue reading… “NASA Aims for Supersonic Passenger Jet Travel at Mach 4”

NASA, in collaboration with researchers at Stanford University, has unveiled a groundbreaking robotic cave explorer named ReachBot. This small, lightweight robot features four long, retractable arms with grippers, enabling it to navigate its surroundings with impressive mobility and manipulate its environment. With its unique design and innovative capabilities, ReachBot holds great promise for exploring uncharted Martian caves and potentially other celestial bodies.

The current ReachBot prototype consists of a body section and four rotating joints evenly spaced like the vertices of a tetrahedron. Each shoulder joint boasts a retractable arm with a gripping mechanism at its end. While the final version is likely to use telescopic arms, the prototype utilizes tape measures to demonstrate functionality in a recent video shared by Stanford.

Continue reading… “NASA’s ReachBot: A Cutting-Edge Robotic Cave Explorer for Martian Missions”

Brokoslaw Laschowski, known as “the bionic professor” to his students at the University of Toronto, is making remarkable strides in the field of wearable robotics. As a research scientist at the KITE Research Institute and an assistant professor in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, Laschowski and his team are developing wearable robots empowered by artificial intelligence (AI) that can make independent decisions, much like autonomous cars.

Their groundbreaking work encompasses bionic prosthetic legs, exoskeletons, AI-powered smart glasses, and neural interfaces. Primarily focused on medical applications, Laschowski aims to assist individuals with physical disabilities, striving to design technology that allows seamless human-machine synergy in meaningful ways. By incorporating computer vision, he seeks to merge humans and machines, drawing inspiration from autonomous cars’ use of vision for path planning and control.

Continue reading… “The Bionic Professor: Advancing Wearable Robotics with AI for Assistive Technologies”

On Monday, June 19, 2023, the international Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France witnessed a groundbreaking moment as Venturi Group introduced its latest invention: a hyper-deformable lunar wheel. Designed and manufactured by Venturi Lab using innovative materials, this revolutionary wheel marks a significant milestone in the history of space exploration.

Reinventing the Wheel: Venturi Lab, located in Fribourg, Switzerland, brought together a team of engineers, chemists, and physicists to create the world’s first hyper-deformable lunar wheel. Unlike traditional rigid wheels used in space exploration, the Venturi wheel combines remarkable flexibility with exceptional durability.

Continue reading… “Venturi Group Unveils Revolutionary Hyper-Deformable Lunar Wheel at Paris Air Show”

NASA unveiled a groundbreaking aircraft prototype, known as the X-66A, on Monday, which could potentially revolutionize commercial aviation in the coming decade. This innovative transonic truss-winged aircraft, developed under the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, showcases a unique design inspired by gliders. The aircraft’s wings are positioned atop the fuselage, supported by struts, signaling a departure from conventional aircraft configurations. This remarkable aircraft design promises enhanced efficiency and sustainability. Here’s how it works, as explained by Vox.

Continue reading… “NASA Introduces Futuristic Transonic Truss-Winged Aircraft for Potential Future Airports”

The U.S. Navy’s formidable Kraken device is set to assist NASA in a groundbreaking study aimed at mitigating the effects of spaceflight on astronauts. By subjecting a group of active duty service members to intense accelerations and disorienting motions, the study aims to uncover ways to alleviate symptoms of dizziness, nausea, and vertigo that astronauts commonly experience during space missions.

Unleashing the Kraken:

NASA announced that 24 active duty service members will have the opportunity to experience a 60-minute ride aboard the 50-foot-long Kraken machine. This monstrous device, capable of reaching accelerations up to three times the force of gravity, will simulate the physical stresses encountered by astronauts during spaceflight. The goal is to enable scientists to develop strategies for reducing the discomfort experienced by astronauts upon reentry into Earth’s gravity.

Continue reading… “U.S. Navy’s Monstrous Kraken Device Aids NASA’s Study on Astronaut Motion Sickness”

Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, has emerged victorious in a NASA contract competition to land astronauts on the moon. This achievement comes two years after SpaceX won a similar contract, marking a significant milestone for Blue Origin. The $3.4 billion contract awarded on Friday will enable Blue Origin to lead a team in developing a lunar lander named Blue Moon, which is set to transport astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2029, following SpaceX’s initial crew landings.

Details of the Contract and NASA’s Objectives:

While NASA will continue to utilize its own rockets and capsules to transport astronauts to lunar orbit, the agency aims to transition to private companies for the subsequent phases. By involving private entities, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasizes the agency’s goal of exploring different landing options as it embarks on a return to the moon, more than 50 years after the conclusion of the Apollo moonshots.

To establish a sustainable presence on the moon, Blue Origin is investing billions of dollars in addition to the NASA contract. John Couluris, Blue Origin’s vice president, highlights the challenges that lie ahead before successful astronaut landings and returns can be achieved.

Continue reading… “Blue Origin Secures NASA Contract for Moon Landing, Following SpaceX’s Previous Success”

NASA’s TBIRD (TeraByte InfraRed Delivery) satellite, a compact satellite the size of a tissue box, has set a remarkable milestone by achieving the fastest data transfer rate ever recorded in space. According to a recent NASA post, TBIRD demonstrated a space-to-ground optical link speed of 200 gigabits per second (Gbps) on April 28. This orbital laser light communications system doubled its own previous record, set less than a year ago.

NASA emphasizes that “ultra-high-speed” optical communication has the potential to transmit significantly more information compared to traditional space communication systems. Recognizing its potential, NASA has announced plans to test this technology during its Artemis II mission scheduled for next year, which could enable Moon-bound astronauts to stream high-definition footage back to Earth in near real-time.

Continue reading… “NASA Achieves Record-Breaking Data Transfer in Space Using Laser System”

NASA has disclosed further details about its upcoming nuclear rocket launch scheduled for 2027. The agency has joined forces with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to conduct a test flight of a nuclear rocket on a conventional vehicle launch, focusing on examining the engine’s performance and ensuring its adherence to expectations.

During a recent meeting of NASA’s Advisory Council, Dr. Anthony Calomino, NASA’s space nuclear technology portfolio Manager, highlighted the safety measures implemented in the nuclear rocket launch plans. He emphasized that the reactor would remain inactive until it is securely distanced from Earth, emphasizing NASA’s commitment to ensuring the mission’s safety.

NASA’s involvement in the development of nuclear technology for space applications centers around three main designs: nuclear fission surface power generation (similar to a conventional nuclear power plant), nuclear electric propulsion, and nuclear thermal propulsion. The agency is presently collaborating with six contractors, including Lockheed Martin, BIWXT, Westinghouse, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Intuit Machines, and X-Energy, to develop a concept for a 40-kilowatt-electric lunar fission surface plant.

Continue reading… “NASA Unveils Plans for Nuclear Rocket Launch in 2027”

Mars, the moon, and even distant moons of Saturn and Jupiter—these celestial bodies have one thing in common: they are home to a different kind of inhabitant, robots. Humans have only sent their scientific devices to these extraterrestrial worlds, but now NASA is planning to send a groundbreaking slithering snake-bot into the depths of space.

The team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has been diligently developing a snake-inspired robot named Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor, or EELS, since 2019. EELS is designed not only to navigate various terrains on Earth but also to explore the intriguing landscapes of other planets within our solar system.

Continue reading… “Exploring the Cosmos: NASA’s Snake-like Robot Eyes Alien Worlds”