New research has found a way to power spacecraft with lasers generated using solar energy alone.
Category: space travel – Page 6
The direct fusion drive could cut travel to Saturn’s moon Titan to just 2 years. Here is some key information for you to watch before deciding to read the whole article. Thanks for visiting us!
Fusion Power for Fast Space Travel
Scientists at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) are developing a groundbreaking propulsion system called the Direct Fusion Drive (DFD) that could drastically cut down travel time to distant planets. Using this innovative technology, spacecraft could reach Saturn’s moon Titan in just two years, compared to the many years it currently takes. Titan, with its hydrocarbon-rich surface, holds significant scientific interest and may even serve as a future refueling stop for interplanetary missions.
Project Hyperion explores the feasibility of crewed interstellar travel via generation ships, using current and near-future technologies. A generation ship is a hypothetical spacecraft designed for long-duration interstellar travel, where the journey may take centuries to complete. The objective of the competition is to design the habitat of the generation ship, including its architecture and society.
WASHINGTON — Japanese lunar lander developer ispace has confirmed that its second mission to the moon will launch on the same SpaceX Falcon 9 as Firefly Aerospace’s first lunar lander.
In an online presentation late Dec. 17 to discuss preparations for its Resilience lander, Takeshi Hakamada, founder and chief executive of ispace, said that his company’s mission would launch during a six-day window in mid-January on the same rocket launching Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 1 mission.
“The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will not only be carrying the ispace Resilience lander. Another private company’s lander aiming to reach the moon will also be riding on the same rocket as us,” he said. On-screen graphics stated that lander was Firefly’s Blue Ghost.
SpaceX’s next Starship megarocket now has a license to fly.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday (Dec. 17) issued a launch license for SpaceX’s upcoming Starship Flight 7 test flight, clearing the way for the company’s next launch of the world’s largest rocket from South Texas. The launch license comes on the heels of several Starship engine tests by SpaceX to check the flight readiness of its seventh Ship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket booster.
NASA briefing on lunar lander from Firefly.
NASA holds a virtual audio-only media teleconference to highlight the NASA science flying onboard Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 as part of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign. Participants include:
• Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters.
Researchers have developed a technique called “atomic spray painting” using molecular beam epitaxy to strain-tune potassium niobate, enhancing its ferroelectric properties.
This method allows precise manipulation of material properties, with potential applications in green technologies, quantum computing, and space exploration.
Material Strain Tuning
Human-made objects on Mars, including spacecraft, landers, and rovers, may hold significant archaeological value rather than being dismissed as space debris.
Scholars propose cataloging and preserving these artifacts to document humanity’s early interplanetary exploration and ensure future missions respect these historical markers.
Mars as a new frontier: understanding the value of space debris.