A new collection of chemically diverse dome-celled ultralight aerogels with high porosity and very low density feature elasticity and mechanical properties that remain intact even under extreme temperatures from 4.2 kelvin (K) to 2273 K.
Category: space travel – Page 8
SOSV bets plasma will change everything from semiconductors to spacecraft
It sees so much potential that it plans on investing in more than 25 plasma-related startups over the next five years. It is also opening a new Hax lab space in partnership with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
Nuclear fusion is an obvious place to seed plasma startups. The potential power source works by compressing fuel until it turns into a dense plasma, so dense that atoms begin fusing, releasing energy in the process.
“There’s so much here. The best ideas have yet to come to unlock a lot of potential in the fusion space,” Duncan Turner, general partner at SOSV, told TechCrunch.
GENETIC ENGINEERING, a Journey into the Future
This is a sci-fi documentary looking at the future of genetic engineering and how it applies to space exploration, astronauts, terraforming planets and even Earth.
What is DNA, and how can it be engineered. What is CRISPR, and the future technology used in genetic engineering and biotechnology.
Personal inspiration in creating this video came from: Jurassic Park (the book), and The Expanse TV show (the protomolecule).
Other topics in the video include: how genetic engineering can change food allergies, cryosleep astronauts using hibernation biology borrowed from bears, squirrels and hedgehogs, engineering plants for terraforming other planets, and entries from The Encyclopedia of the Future.
PATREON
The third volume of ‘The Encyclopedia of the Future’ is now available on my Patreon.
Visit my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/venturecity.
Future South Texas facility will help send rockets into space
“Expected to start up in the first quarter of 2026, this new facility will deliver liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon, addressing the needs of its customer’s space operations in the region,” Linde officials said in the news release. Linde added that it has been a part of the American space industry since the Apollo program in the 1960s, when it supplied liquid oxygen to NASA’s rockets.
“Space exploration is advancing rapidly, with missions growing in ambition and scale,” Linde CEO Sanjiv Lamba said.
However, it remains unclear if SpaceX — which operates a suborbital launch facility at Starbase — will be one of Linde’s industrial gas customers.
Earth and Space for Educators
This FREE features Inspiration4 astronaut Chris Sembroski and educator Erin Duncan-Sembroski, along with your hosts, planetary scientist Dr. Kirby Runyon and space educator Dr. Mark Wagner. The high-energy one-hour session is focused on providing an overview of the three-day Earth and Space Experience coming up on November 7–9, 2025. Register now to learn about the geology at specific locations in Southern New Mexico, and how these sites are analogs for the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere in the solar system. Time is also allocated for a Q&A opportunity with all four speakers… come ready with questions! Participation in this also includes access to free space education resources that you can take back to share with your students or others in your community.
Note: This is appropriate for educators, industry professionals, and space enthusiasts from all walks of life. Space education is for everyone!
Chris “Hanks” Sembroski is a commercial astronaut, U.S. Air Force veteran, and passionate advocate for space exploration and STEM education. Best known for his role as Mission Specialist on the historic Inspiration4 mission in 2021, Sembroski spent three days in space, completing 47 orbits as part of the first all-civilian crew. With degrees in aeronautics and a career dedicated to advancing aerospace innovation, he has contributed to groundbreaking projects like Blue Origin’s New Glenn program and teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Chris’s journey reflects a lifelong passion for human spaceflight, from launching model rockets in college, leading teams through simulated missions at U.S. Space Camp, to advocating for space policy in Washington, D.C. He continues to inspire the next generation through his work as a speaker, educator, and industry leader, embodying the spirit of generosity and exploration.
Physicists discover new state of quantum matter
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have discovered a new state of quantum matter. The state exists within a material that the team reports could lead to a new era of self-charging computers and ones capable of withstanding the challenges of deep space travel.
“It’s a new phase of matter, similar to how water can exist as liquid, ice or vapor,” said Luis A. Jauregui, professor of physics & astronomy at UC Irvine and corresponding author of the new paper in Physical Review Letters.
“It’s only been theoretically predicted—no one has ever measured it until now.”
“Copper Was Never Meant to Do This”: New Alloy Defies Physics to Power Space and Hydrogen Tech in Deep-Freeze Conditions
IN A NUTSHELL 🚀 The new copper-based alloy developed in Japan maintains its properties in extreme cold, offering breakthroughs in space exploration and hydrogen technology. 🔧 This alloy showcases a unique shape memory effect at temperatures as low as −328 °F, surpassing traditional materials like nickel-titanium. 🌌 Applications include high-performance actuators for space telescopes and.