Aerospace engineering

Image: Dudarev Mikhail (Shutterstock)New research seems to throw cold water on the Wim Hof method, an endurance training technique that intentionally exposes people to frigid temperatures. The study, a review of the scientific literature, did find some evidence that the method could have anti-inflammatory properties, but did not find strong data supporting any other supposed benefits, such as better exercise performance. - Ed Cara Read More Image: Dudarev Mikhail (Shutterstock)New research seems to throw cold water on…

California startup Stratolaunch completed the first powered flight of its Talon-A hypersonic vehicle as it works to develop a reusable version that’s capable of carrying science payloads and flying them at five times the speed of sound.The M3 MacBook Airs are as Good as Ever, and That’s the ProblemThe company’s massive aircraft, named Roc, launched on Saturday from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California while carrying TA-1 in its belly. The plane then released the hypersonic vehicle at an altitude of around 35,000…

Composite metal foams (CMFs) are foams that consist of hollow, metallic spheres – made of materials such as stainless steel or titanium – embedded in a metallic matrix made of steel, titanium, aluminum or other metallic alloys. The resulting material is both lightweight and remarkably strong, with potential applications ranging from aircraft wings to vehicle armor and body armor. In addition, CMF is better at insulating against high heat than conventional metals and alloys, such as steel. The combination of weight,…

Recent research has proven the viability of lightweight, cost-efficient solar panels for space, opening the door to potential solar farms in orbit and marking a significant step in renewable energy technology. (Artist’s concept) New research from the Universities of Surrey and Swansea suggests that it’s viable to create affordable, lightweight solar panels capable of generating power in space. The first study of its kind, which monitored a satellite for six years across 30,000 orbits, examined the panels’ power…

NASA’s launch facility in Virginia has been prepped for an upcoming Rocket Lab launch, the details of which are under tight wraps.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewRocket Lab is gearing up for its mystery launch, which is scheduled to take place sometime between June 15 to 20 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. “There is no live stream planned for launch and the Wallops Visitor Center will not be open for launch,” NASA Wallops wrote on Twitter.The California-based company has…

After a slight delay due to weather, Rocket Lab is ready to fire off the engines of its Electron rocket and send an Earth-imaging satellite to low Earth orbit.Update: March 16 at 4:45 p.m. ET: Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is now scheduled to launch no earlier than 6:38 p.m. ET on Thursday. Original article follows.The “Stronger Together” mission is scheduled for liftoff no earlier than 6:00 p.m. ET on Thursday during a two-hour launch window, the company announced on Twitter. Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket will launch from…

An artist’s rendering of the SWOT spacecraft.Illustration: NASANASA Engineers are racing to fix a worrying glitch with a recently launched water satellite, hoping to get the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission up and running so that it can start surveying our planet’s oceans, lakes, and rivers.SWOT, a joint project between NASA and France’s Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), launched on December 16, 2022 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Things were looking good for the spacecraft, which made contact…

The rocket engine test occurred at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Image: NASAAs NASA gears up for a return to the Moon with the Artemis missions, the administration has announced that its researchers have successfully developed and tested a new type of supersonic rocket engine called a rotating detonation rocket engine.The rotating detonation rocket engine, or RDRE, generates thrust with detonation, in whicha supersonic exothermic front accelerates to produce thrust, much the same way a…

The Hybrid Space Architecture project links ground communication systems with satellite networks.Photo: Defense Innovation UnitThe Department of Defense (DOD) has signed agreements with four companies to help develop a space-based communications network of commercial and military satellites. The project hopes to use military and commercial satellites to transport data across a secure communication architecture, ultimately delivering it to military users.01:25Randall Park's Favorite SuperheroesMonday 5:02PMDOD’s Defense…

Launch of the Long March 5B rocket on July 24, 2022.Photo: Liu Huaiyu (AP)The core stage of a wayward Long March 5B rocket has returned from its short stint in low Earth orbit, disintegrating above the northern coast of Borneo. Dramatic videos of the disintegrating booster began to appear shortly after 1:00 p.m. ET, or 1:00 a.m. Central Indonesia Time (WITA). Some 45 minutes later, U.S. Space Command confirmed in a tweet that the rocket body reentered over the Indian ocean at 12:45 p.m. ET (12:45 a.m. WITA), followed by…