Lifeboat Foundation

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department should step up support of commercial space companies to take advantage of capabilities that might otherwise be lost, a new report concludes.

That recommendation is among several in a study called Space Agenda 2025 released Oct. 24 by The Aerospace Corporation and its Center for Space Policy and Strategy (CSPS). The report is intended to provide advice to the next administration on key topics in civil, commercial and national security space.

In a briefing held in advance of the report’s release, Sam Wilson, systems director at CSPS, said the Defense Department is benefitting from growing commercial capabilities in areas like commercial remote sensing, much of which was fueled by a boom in private investment in space companies several years ago. Private investment has dropped significantly since a peak in 2021, though, and investors say access to capital remains difficult for space companies today, especially those trying to raise larger, later rounds.

During the time you read this article, something will happen in the sky that many scientists didn’t believe would happen until recently. NASA says that a magnetic doorway will open that will connect the Earth and the Sun, which are 150 million kilometers apart.

Hundreds of thousands of high-energy particles will pass through this gap until it closes, which will happen about the time you reach the bottom of the page.

Continue reading “A Magnetic Gateway Will Open, Linking The Earth And The Sun In Every 8 Minutes” »

Throughout their childhood, Earth and Theia lived in harmony but everything changed when gravitational disturbances attacked.

Scientists have proposed that two massive rock formations deep within Earth’s mantle, known as large low-shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs), might be the remnants of the protoplanet Theia, which collided with Earth 4.5 billion years ago to form the Moon. These formations, located beneath West Africa and the Pacific Ocean, are denser and chemically distinct from the surrounding mantle. Researchers are using new seismic and isotopic data to investigate whether Theia’s dense mantle survived and sank into Earth’s core. If true, this discovery could change our understanding of Earth’s structure and early history.

After reading the article, Marcus gained more than 529 upvotes with this comment: “I wonder where on Earth Theia hit. Is there even a way to determine this, or does the constant tectonic activity of Earth just erase that over time?” Don’t forget to share your thoughts about Theia and Earth’s mantle in the comment section below! For a long time, scientists have agreed that the Moon was formed after a protoplanet called Theia collided with the early Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. Now, a team of researchers has a new bold idea: The remains of Theia may be hidden in two massive layers of rock located deep within Earth’s mantle.

In a new study in Physical Review Letters, scientists have demonstrated a method to control artificial microswimmers using electric fields and fluid flow. These microscopic droplets could pave the way for targeted drug delivery and microrobotics.

In a recent paper in Nature Physics, an international research collaboration used world-class instrumentation at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) to study the exotic nuclide, or rare isotope, chromium-62.

While many smoking rooms in U.S. airports have closed in recent years, they are still common in other airports around the world. These lounges can be ventilated, but how much does it actually help the dispersion of smoke?

In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers have identified an exoplanet unlike any other in our known universe. Dubbed “Cotton Candy” due to its ethereal appearance, this celestial body has left scientists baffled and intrigued.

Located in the Kepler-47-star system, approximately 1,200 light-years away from Earth, Cotton Candy orbits a binary star—a pair of stars that orbit each other. Its most remarkable feature is its unusually low density, which has led astronomers to describe it as the fluffiest exoplanet ever detected.

Cotton Candy’s density is so low that it defies our current understanding of planetary formation. According to Dr. Elena Rodriguez, lead researcher at the Galactic Exoplanet Institute, “We cannot explain how this planet formed.” The prevailing theories about planet formation involve the accumulation of dust and gas in a protoplanetary disk, eventually coalescing into a solid body. However, Cotton Candy’s density challenges this model.

Advancements in nuclear physics suggest the possibility of discovering stable, superheavy elements.

Researchers have found an alternative way to produce atoms of the superheavy element livermorium. The new method opens up the possibility of creating another element that could be the heaviest in the world so far: number 120.

The search for new elements is driven by the goal of finding versions that are stable enough to exist beyond a fleeting moment. In nuclear physics, there is a concept known as the “island of stability”—a hypothetical region in the upper reaches of the periodic table where as-yet-undiscovered superheavy elements could potentially last longer than just a few seconds. Scientists are working to explore how far the stability of atomic nuclei can extend.

Researchers at Tampere University have created the world’s first soft touchpad capable of detecting the force, area, and location of contact without the need for electricity. This innovative device operates using pneumatic channels, making it suitable for environments like MRI machines and other settings where electronic devices are impractical. The technology could also be advantageous for applications in soft robotics and rehabilitation aids.

Researchers at Tampere University have developed the world’s first soft touchpad that is able to sense the force, area, and location of contact without electricity. That has traditionally required electronic sensors, but the newly developed touchpad does not need electricity as it uses pneumatic channels embedded in the device for detection.

Made entirely of soft silicone, the device contains 32 channels that adapt to touch, each only a few hundred micrometers wide. In addition to detecting the force, area, and location of touch, the device is precise enough to recognize handwritten letters on its surface and it can even distinguish multiple simultaneous touches.