Aerospace
5 awesome space exploration achievements of 2020
2020 was a big year for space news. Here are five achievements in space exploration that were particularly awesome.
NASA scientists want to send this robot dog to Mars
A modified version of Boston Dynamics' robot dog Spot could be the ideal Mars rover for exploring caves and other underground structures.
Electric planes will bring cheaper flights and less CO2
Electric aviation would mean less CO2 emissions and cheaper airfare — but batteries still aren't powerful enough to compete with fuel-filled commercial jets.
An AI co-pilots a military jet for the first time
On December 16, 2020, the Air Force flew an AI co-pilot on a U-2 spy plane. This is the first time that the Air Force completed a military flight with AI.
SpaceX’s Starship exploded, but the flight was a success
During a test flight, a SpaceX Starship rocket prototype soared to a record height of eight miles, completed a successful “belly flop” — and then crashed.
Can Japan’s asteroid samples show us how life began?
JAXA’s Hayabusa2 has successfully returned asteroid samples to Earth. Its next mission? Gather information that could help prevent an asteroid impact.
Reusable rockets: Making space more affordable
Reusable rockets, like those developed by SpaceX, are ushering in a new, cheaper era in space exploration
NASA confirms existence of water on the moon
A study confirmed the existence of water on the moon the same day another provided evidence that the lunar surface could be rife with water reserves.
Why NASA just landed a spacecraft on the asteroid Bennu
NASA has collected samples from the asteroid Bennu that could yield insights into everything from the origin of life to avoiding an asteroid impact on Earth.
Nokia is building a 4G network on the moon
As part of NASA's "Tipping Point" program, Nokia will establish a 4G network on the moon to help astronauts communicate with each other and Earth.