Pilot cam view from Aurora as it reaches 82,500 ftDawn AerospaceThe dream of commercial supersonic flight is inching closer to reality. On November 12, 2024, Dawn Aerospace’s 16-ft (4.8-m) autonomous Mk-II Aurora rocket-powered plane reached Mach 1.1, officially breaking the sound barrier.Since the Concorde’s retirement in 2003, civil supersonic travel has largely faded into...
The new shield will be used on the Dream Chaser winged spacecraftSierra Space/ORNLOak Ridge National Laboratory and Sierra Space Corporation have created an advanced heat shield, inspired by 1980s Space Shuttle technology, to protect reusable spacecraft during reentry.Challenges of Atmospheric Reentry and Advances in Heat Shield TechnologyEarth's atmosphere poses a significant challenge for returning...
Generations Ships would be similar to space habitats designed in the 1970sNASA/Rick GuidiceIf you've ever dreamed of designing a spacecraft to carry humans to another star system over centuries, now's your chance. The Project Hyperion Design Contest encourages teams to develop Generation Ship concepts—self-sustaining vessels built for long-term interstellar travel.Colonizing other planets has often...
The Super Heavy about to be capturedSpaceXThe world watched in awe as SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster made a historic achievement with the first-ever tower capture landing following the Starship 5 mission launch. However, few realized just how close the event came to disaster—within just one second.This capture of Super Heavy, the massive first stage...
Like the CruiseUp concept shown here, CycloTech's BlackBird eVTOL demonstrator will feature six rotorsCycloTechAustrian aerospace company CycloTech has announced its plans to develop a demonstrator eVTOL to showcase its advanced propulsion system designed for electric flight. The company aims to unveil its "BlackBird" flying car by the end of this year, with test flights...
The coral reef off Cayos Cochinos, Honduras.Image credit: Yair Valladares/Shutterstock.comA man stumbled across probable space debris while snorkeling on Cayos Cochinos, a remote island cluster off the coast of Honduras in Central America.Mike Irmen and his family were visiting the islands when they spotted the debris conspicuously lying on the beach. The debris was...
NASA/Conceptual Image Lab, Wes Buchanan, and Krystofer KimNASA scientists have confirmed the existence of a third global energy field encircling Earth, known as the ambipolar electric field. This newly discovered field plays a crucial role in propelling charged particles into space from the poles.Historical Context and Existing FieldsTraditionally, Earth’s global energy fields have been...
Credit: NASAWhat began as a weeklong mission for U.S. astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore has stretched into a months-long stay on the International Space Station (ISS). Their eight-day mission, which started on June 5, has already lasted over two months and may continue even longer.Delayed Return Due to Spacecraft IssuesWilliams and Wilmore launched...
Boats can charge without docking, making the new system truly groundbreaking.ParkwindIn the Belgian North Sea, maintenance vessels can now connect to an automatic cable at a wind farm to recharge their batteries. This groundbreaking system is the first of its kind and represents a significant advancement in maintaining the environmental friendliness of electric vessels.Belgium's...
3D printing creates the EVA suit helmet using polycarbonate materials. Credit: SpaceXSpaceX has unveiled its latest Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits, which could debut in low-Earth orbit by the end of summer. These new suits represent an evolution from the current Dragon mission spacesuits, limited to pressurized environments. Unlike their predecessors, the EVA suits enable...
