RF & Microwave Electronics

Unfurling Antennas Let Tiny Satellites Do Big Things

Satellite builders now have the option of using small, collapsible dish antennas made by Tendeg LLC of Louisville, CO, which developed them with funding and cooperation from NASA, along with the patented technology developed at JPL. Read on to learn more.

Engineering the Blue Ghost: From Idea to Moon Landing

In this interview, Joseph Marlin, Deputy Blue Ghost Chief Engineer at Firefly Aerospace, delves deeper into how their first mission is establishing an improved awareness of the lunar environment ahead of future crewed missions and how it will help plan for long-duration surface operations under Artemis.

How Much Do You Know About Radio Jamming?

The deliberate blocking of or interference with wireless communications, radio jamming has been around for decades. How much do you know about radio jamming? Find out with this quiz.

Digitalization in Battery Development: What Engineers Need to Know

From initial design to end-of-life recycling, digitalization is transforming every stage of battery development. Puneet Sinha, Senior Director and Global Head of the Battery Industry at Siemens Digital Industries Software, discusses the emerging battery technology trends and how digital transformation is reshaping the industry.

Kymeta Chief Scientist Explains Breakthrough in Multi-Band Antenna Connectivity

Kymeta Chief Scientist Ryan Stevenson is the guest on this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast to explain their multi-band antenna connectivity breakthrough.

Diamond Quantum Imaging Can Enable Next-Gen Power Electronics

Improving energy conversion efficiency in power electronics is vital for a sustainable society, with wide-bandgap semiconductors like GaN and SiC power devices offering...

Biocompatible Ultrasonic Receiver Overcomes Many Wireless Charging Limitations

A research team has developed a biocompatible ultrasonic receiver that maintains its performance even when bent. Read on to learn more about it.

Simulating Space: Designing Satellites for Mission Success

Patrick North, Principal R&D Engineer, Ansys, is the guest on this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast to explain how simulation software optimizes the design of military satellites.

Robotic System for Infrastructure Reconnaissance

Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a robotic system whose primary structural platform, or “orb,” can be injected into a pipe network and perform reconnaissance of piping infrastructure and other interior volumes. When deployed, this technology uses throttled fluid flow from a companion device for passive propulsion. Read on to learn more.

Fast Steering Mirrors: Enabling Stable Laser Communication in Satellite Networks

As optical systems become more integrated into communication, sensing, and imaging technologies, FSMs will remain a key enabler of speed, precision, and stability in next-generation photonic applications. Read on to learn more.

HydRON: Transforming How Data-Collecting Satellites Communicate

In this in-depth interview, Antonio Sturiale, Director of Telecom Domain in Italy at Thales Alenia Space, discusses HydRON and the company’s approach to optical communications as well as the role it will play in upcoming lunar, Martian, and deep-space exploration missions.

How IQSat Enables Space-Based AI and Machine Learning

Pratish Shah, U.S. General Manager, Aitech, is the guest on this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast to discuss their new IQSat picosatellite constellation platform.

Advanced Microelectronics: Why A Next-Gen Semiconductor Doesn’t Fall to Pieces

The mechanism holding new ferroelectric semiconductors together produces a conductive pathway that could enable high power transistors. A new class of...

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including SBG Systems' expansion of its high-performance inertial navigation systems, Ekinox, Apogee, and Navsight, with new GNSS receiver options; Littelfuse's 823A Series fuse, an AEC-Q200-qualified, high-voltage-rated surface-mount fuse; Würth Elektronik's Thyone-e radio module; the new handheld scanner from FARO Technologies; and more.

NIST Tackles Wireless Industrial Systems

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is working to provide best practice guidelines to help manufacturers use wireless systems. Read on to learn more about it.

Scientists Use Distant Sensor to Monitor American Samoa Earthquake Swarm

Residents of the Manu’a Islands in American Samoa were feeling the earth shake, raising concerns of an imminent volcanic eruption or tsunami. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey used machine learning and a technique called template matching on shaking data recorded from a single seismic sensor located 250 kilometers away to locate the source of the shaking. Read on to learn more.

New Smart Sensor Takes the Pain Out of Wound Monitoring

A major challenge in self-powered wearable sensors for health care monitoring is distinguishing different signals when they occur at the same time. Researchers addressed this issue by uncovering a new property of a sensor material, enabling the team to develop a new type of flexible sensor that can accurately measure both temperature and physical strain simultaneously but separately to more precisely pinpoint various signals. Read on to learn more.

Processing and Packaging MEMS to Maximize Functionality

The MEMS industry can’t match the rapid innovation cycles typical of the semiconductor industry — it’s been more than a decade since we’ve seen a major leap in MEMS manufacturing processes. However, Omnitron is confident that they can rapidly improve the approach to manufacturing MEMS. Read on to learn more.

Ultra-Broadband Photonic Chip Boosts Optical Signals

Researchers have developed a photonic chip-based traveling wave parametric amplifier that achieves ultra-broadband signal amplification in an unprecedentedly compact form. Read on to learn more about it.

Revolutionizing Dynamic Facial Projection Mapping: A Leap Forward in Augmented Reality

Augmented reality has become a hot topic in the entertainment, fashion, and makeup industries. Though a few different technologies exist in these fields, dynamic facial projection mapping is among the most sophisticated and visually stunning ones. Read on to learn more about it.

New Study Showcases 3D Photonics with Record Performance for AI

Artificial intelligence systems promise transformative advancements, yet their growth has been limited by energy inefficiencies and bottlenecks in data transfer. Researchers at Columbia Engineering have unveiled a groundbreaking solution: a 3D photonic-electronic platform that achieves unprecedented energy efficiency and bandwidth density, paving the way for next-generation AI hardware. Read on to learn more.

How Much Do You Know About Electromagnetic Interference?

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is when an external source disrupts an electrical device's operation. EMI, which can be caused by natural or man-made sources, can be used intentionally for radio jamming. How much do you know about EMI? Find out with this quiz.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including a practical way to make hydrocarbons powered solely by the sun; an air traffic control system for drones that can effectively and accurately track anything in an identified low-altitude airspace; and a robotic system whose primary structural platform, or “orb,” can be injected into a pipe network and perform reconnaissance of piping infrastructure and other interior volumes.

A Step Toward More Accurate 3D Object Detection

Scientists have developed multi-modal 3D object detection methods that combine 3D LiDAR data with 2D RGB images taken by standard cameras. While the fusion of 2D images and 3D LiDAR data leads to more accurate 3D detection results, it still faces its own set of challenges, with accurate detection of small objects remaining difficult. Read on to learn more about it.

A Quick and Easy Way to Produce Anode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries Using Microwaves

A research team led by Dr. Daeho Kim and Dr. Jong Hwan Park at the Nano Hybrid Technology Research Center of the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute has developed a groundbreaking process technology that enables ultrafast, 30-second preparation of hard carbon anodes for sodium-ion batteries, using microwave induction heating. Read on to learn more.