Aerospace
Chinese Space Station is ready for launch — in pieces
Construction is finally beginning on the Chinese Space Station, with its core module — Tianhe — expected to lift off in April 2021.
Astronauts take historic ride in used Dragon capsule
Four astronauts are en route to the International Space Station via a recycled SpaceX rocket and Dragon capsule — a first in spaceflight.
Airbus will test laser communication tech for inflight WiFi
Airbus is developing a laser communication system to increase the security of military operations and bring faster inflight Wi-Fi to passenger planes.
NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter just flew on Mars
NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has made history on Mars, achieving the first controlled flight on another planet.
This startup’s goal is to be the “Henry Ford of space”
The startup Phantom Space is using other manufacturers’ parts to build its rockets, rather than developing them in-house like most space companies.
Can Hall thruster tech cut the cost of space exploration?
The spacecraft NASA is sending to study the Psyche asteroid will be powered by Hall thruster technology — marking its first use for deep space exploration.
Will the next space station be made of fabric?
NASA is considering an inflatable space habitat designed by Sierra Nevada Corporation as a potential space station of the future.
This “hamster ball” robot could explore lunar caves
The spherical Daedalus robot may explore lunar caves during future ESA moon missions, looking for places that could potentially host human settlements.
Space bacteria could help astronauts grow plants on Mars
A brand new species of bacteria has been discovered on the International Space Station — and it could one day help astronauts grow plants on Mars.
Jets powered by food waste could take off soon
Scientists have devised a method for converting food scraps, animal manure, and used food oil into a type of paraffin that works as jet fuel in jet engines.