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Archive for the ‘space’ category: Page 411

Apr 26, 2021

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory: New view of the universe

Posted by in category: space

The next era of astronomy will be defined by a wider view of the cosmos.


The next era of our investigation of the cosmos is about to be kick-started by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a ground-based telescope currently under construction on the El Penón peak of Cerro Pachón in northern Chile. The observatory is a federal project run by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy.

The new observatory — named in honor of astronomer Vera Rubin — is scheduled to begin operations in October 2023, according to a statement published on the Rubin Observatory website. When it’s up and running, Rubin will allow astronomers to consider some of the universe’s most pressing mysteries.

Apr 26, 2021

Incredible Cosmic Conditions: Bringing Neutron Stars Down to Earth

Posted by in categories: physics, space

An international research team led by Michigan State University has helped create cosmic conditions at RIKEN’s heavy-ion accelerator in Japan.

Imagine taking all of the water in Lake Michigan — more than a quadrillion gallons — and squeezing it into a 4-gallon bucket, the kind you’d find at a hardware store.

A quick review of the numbers suggests that this should be impossible: that’s too much stuff and not enough space. But this outlandish density is a defining feature of celestial objects known as neutron stars. These stars are only about 15 miles across, yet they hold more mass than our sun thanks to some extreme physics.

Apr 25, 2021

‘Our customers are hardcore’: Vollebak is aiming to be the Tesla of fashion, creating clothes fit for the toughest places on Earth and in space

Posted by in categories: military, space

It’s clothing fit for a post-apocalyptic world, not our own. It’s unsurprising then that the company has found a large following in Silicon Valley, which is known for attracting vast resources and the kinds of people absorbed in questions of where we’re all headed. Many have, after all, bought up the boltholes and bunkers to prove it.


A Vollebak rack would sooner belong in a military surplus warehouse than a high street clothing store.

Apr 25, 2021

Hubble Celebrates Its 31st Birthday with Incredible Image of AG Carinae

Posted by in category: space

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope turned 31 this year, and for the occasion, the Hubble team has just released a beautiful image of the luminous blue variable star AG Carinae.

The star is a few million years old and its expected lifetime is between 5 and 6 million years.

Apr 25, 2021

Recruiting in trying times: How Lockheed Martin Space hired thousands (plus 700 interns) in a pandemic

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, space

Lockheed Martin Space hired 2700 people plus 700 interns in 2020, a year unlike any other for human resources managers. Almost overnight, the prime contractor with about 23000 employees switched from its traditional in-person approach to virtual recruitment, interviewing and training.

SpaceNews correspondent Debra Werner spoke with Lockheed Martin Space executives Nick Spain, human resources vice president, Renu Aggarwal, talent acquisition director, and Heather Erickson, organizational development director, about the opportunities and challenges posed by heightened demand for talent amid a pandemic.

Apr 25, 2021

Researchers’ VR walking simulator feels surprisingly close to the real thing

Posted by in categories: space, virtual reality

Despite virtual reality (VR) technology being more affordable than ever, developers have yet to achieve a sense of full immersion in a digital world. Among the greatest challenges is making the user feel as if they are walking.

Now, researchers from the Toyohashi University of Technology and The University of Tokyo in Japan have published a paper to the journal Frontiers in Virtual Reality describing a custom-built platform that aims to replicate the sensation of walking in VR, all while sitting motionlessly in a chair.

“Walking is a fundamental and fun activity for human in everyday life. Therefore, it is very worthwhile to provide a high-quality walking experience in a VR space,” says Yusuke Matsuda.

Apr 25, 2021

Mars helicopter Ingenuity goes long distance in 3rd flight on Red Planet

Posted by in category: space

Ingenuity is three for three on Mars.


Ingenuity aced its third-ever Martian flight early this morning (April 25), adding to its already impressive resume.

Apr 25, 2021

The US Air Force wants to beam solar power to Earth from space (video)

Posted by in categories: military, solar power, space, sustainability

A power-beaming experiment is scheduled to launch in 2024.


Space-based solar power won’t be just a sci-fi dream forever, if things go according to the U.S. Air Force’s plans.

Apr 25, 2021

New Theory Addresses Centuries-Old Physics Problem

Posted by in categories: mathematics, physics, space

https://youtube.com/watch?v=llgeSeFr0Xs

Hebrew University Researcher Introduces New Approach to Three-Body Problem, Predicts its Outcome Statistics.

The “three-body problem,” the term coined for predicting the motion of three gravitating bodies in space, is essential for understanding a variety of astrophysical processes as well as a large class of mechanical problems, and has occupied some of the world’s best physicists, astronomers and mathematicians for over three centuries. Their attempts have led to the discovery of several important fields of science; yet its solution remained a mystery.

Continue reading “New Theory Addresses Centuries-Old Physics Problem” »

Apr 24, 2021

Z-Pinch fusion-based nuclear propulsion

Posted by in categories: military, nuclear energy, space

Circa 2013


Fusion-based nuclear propulsion has the potential to enable fast interplanetary transportation. Due to the great distances between the planets of our solar system and the harmful radiation environment of interplanetary space, high specific impulse (Isp) propulsion in vehicles with high payload mass fractions must be developed to provide practical and safe vehicles for human space flight missions.

The Z-Pinch dense plasma focus method is a Magneto-Inertial Fusion (MIF) approach that may potentially lead to a small, low cost fusion reactor/engine assembly [1]. Recent advancements in experimental and theoretical understanding of this concept suggest favorable scaling of fusion power output yield [2]. The magnetic field resulting from the large current compresses the plasma to fusion conditions, and this process can be pulsed over short timescales (10−6 s). This type of plasma formation is widely used in the field of Nuclear Weapons Effects testing in the defense industry, as well as in fusion energy research. A Z-Pinch propulsion concept was designed for a vehicle based on a previous fusion vehicle study called “Human Outer Planet Exploration” (HOPE), which used Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) [3] propulsion.