NASA – Impact Lab

Alternative Transportation, Aviation, Electric Vehicles, Transportation, Uber

Uber shows its flying car prototype, which looks like a giant drone

June 19, 2018

Uber has unveiled its “flying car” concept aircraft at its second annual Uber Elevate Summit, which showcases prototypes for its fleet of airborne taxis.

The flying cars, which the company hopes to introduce to riders in two to five years, will conduct vertical takeoffs and landings from skyports, air stations on rooftops or the ground. Ultimately, company officials say these skyports will be equipped to handle 200 takeoffs and landings an hour, or one every 24 seconds. At first, the flying cars will be piloted, but the company aims for the aircraft to fly autonomously.

Continue reading… “Uber shows its flying car prototype, which looks like a giant drone”

Breakthrough Thinking, government, Space, Space Flight

Asgardia, the world’s first ‘space nation’, takes flight

November 27, 2017

The world’s first “space nation” has taken flight.

Continue reading… “Asgardia, the world’s first ‘space nation’, takes flight”

App, Augmented Reality, Food, Inventions, NASA, Science & Technology News, Top 25 Inventions of 2017

The 25 best inventions of 2017: Simpler home security and more

November 21, 2017

A simpler home security system, a craft that will probe beyond the surface of mars, a VR headset and a DIY cooking companion.

Continue reading… “The 25 best inventions of 2017: Simpler home security and more”

Alternative Transportation, Analysis, NASA, Science & Technology News, Space

Motherships are making a comeback for air launching rockets into space

October 13, 2015

We usually think of rockets that are headed to space are being launched from the ground. But, as demand for satellite launch services rapidly increases year-over-year, interest in air launching rockets is returning to a growing market of lighter-weight payloads. And those might want a mothership.

Continue reading… “Motherships are making a comeback for air launching rockets into space”

3D Printer, Analysis, Future, NASA, Science & Technology News, Space

Homesteading in space

October 8, 2015

People rarely bring their houses with them when they move from one city to another — they just rent, buy or build a new one. Astronauts don’t have the luxury of a realtor on other planets, or even a hardware store in space.

Continue reading… “Homesteading in space”

Big Problems, NASA, Science & Technology News, Space

The growing problem of space junk

August 7, 2015

Forty-five years ago, Ernst Stuhlinger, the associate director of science at Nasa’s Marshall Space Flight Center, an original member of Wernher von Braun’s Operation Paperclip team, was asked by Sister Mary Jucunda, a Zambia-based nun, how he could suggest spending billions of dollars on spaceflight when many children were starving on Earth.

Continue reading… “The growing problem of space junk”

Drone, drones, NASA, Science & Technology News, Space

NASA’s prototype drone aircraft destined for Mars

July 6, 2015

This may be the first aircraft to fly the Martian skies. NASA revealed that they are building a Prandtl-m (Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Land on Mars) prototype for a glider drone that would launch from a descending rover and survey landing sites for the eventual manned mission. Continue reading… “NASA’s prototype drone aircraft destined for Mars”

Agriculture, Food, NASA, Science & Technology News, Space

‘Smart’ LED farming: making space veg viable?

July 6, 2015

According to researchers at Purdue University, ‘targeted’ LEDs could be the future of extraterrestrial horticulture, the tiny electrical components could lead a revolution in fine-tuning food production off (and on) Earth. Continue reading… “‘Smart’ LED farming: making space veg viable?”

Military, Science & Technology News, Space

DARPA says they are engineering the organisms that will teraform Mars

June 29, 2015

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is investing heavily in genetic engineering and synthetic biology, that could excite or terrify you depending on how you feel about the military engineering totally new life forms. Continue reading… “DARPA says they are engineering the organisms that will teraform Mars”

NASA, Science & Technology News, Space

Flying saucers on Mars to be tested by NASA

June 4, 2015

Trying to work out how to safely deliver astronauts to the surface of Mars, NASA will be testing flying saucers. Continue reading… “Flying saucers on Mars to be tested by NASA”

NASA, Science & Technology News, Space

Small ‘Cubesats’ finding a bigger role in space

May 26, 2015

When work on the first cubesat in 1999 began, Jordi Puig-Suari and Bob Twiggs has a rather basic goal – to develop a compact satellite that university students could build and use to conduct scientific experiments and test out new technologies. Continue reading… “Small ‘Cubesats’ finding a bigger role in space”

NASA, Science & Technology News, Space

$2.25M prize offered by NASA for 3D printed deep space habitats

May 19, 2015

NASA is starting a competition to intended to encourage creative thinkers to design and build a 3D printed habitat for deep space exploration, with a $2.25 million prize. Continue reading… “$2.25M prize offered by NASA for 3D printed deep space habitats”