Aerospace

How Much Do You Know About Hypersonic Weapon Technology?

The DoD has been pursuing the development of hypersonic weapons since the early 2000s, although such research programs date back even further. How much do you know about hypersonic weapon technology? Test your knowledge in this quiz.

NASA Engineers Help Create a Virtual World of Data

NASA engineers have been trying to improve data visualization for decades. Their research, experience, and patents lead to a new method of exploring and visualizing data in VR.

5Ws of the Wingless Transporter

A two-passenger hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) passenger multicopter aircraft with NASA-proven thrusters for advanced air mobility.

Building Technology to Clean Up Space

In 1978, NASA scientist Donald J. Kessler theorized that an increasing amount of space pollution would lead to more collisions between objects in orbit, and thus more debris — the Kessler Syndrome. Multiple teams of researchers are working on solutions.

Imaging Space Debris in High Resolution

A team has introduced a new method for taking high-res images of fast-moving and rotating objects in space, such as satellites or debris in low-Earth orbit.

Getting NASA Data to the Ground with Lasers

The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) will usher in a new era of laser communications.

The Gripen E Jet's New Li-ion Battery

Frank Puglia, EaglePicher's Director of Research and Development, is the guest on this episode of the Here's an Idea podcast to discuss the Gripen E jet’s new Li-ion battery.

New Material Will Burn Viruses, Not Skin

A new material uses Joule heating to decontaminate its surface of coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2 in under 5 seconds, effectively killing at least 99.9 percent of viruses.

3D-Printed Ceramics Can Increase Gas Turbine Efficiency

Professor Stephen Lynch, of Penn State’s College of Engineering, along with colleagues at Michigan State University and the University of Wyoming, have developed a process for 3D printing a high-temperature ceramic gas turbine part.

Sustainable Protein as a Food Source on Earth and in Space

An organism that astronauts are studying as a possible protein source for long-duration missions is also informing a project to introduce sustainable fungal proteins to low- and moderate-income communities around the world.

Revolutionizing Flight Simulation with 3D Printing

Addressing the challenge of designing and developing a first-of-its-kind handheld controller for flight simulations.

GM Readies Fuel Cells for Commercial Deployment

After decades of concentrated development work, GM’s fuel-cell R&D unit Hydrotec is poised to deploy “the first applications that will be going commercial” of its hydrogen fuel-cell technology.

Training Robots How to Learn, Make Decisions on the Fly

Mars rovers have teams of human experts on Earth telling them what to do. But robots on lander missions to moons orbiting Saturn or Jupiter are too far away to receive timely commands...

LOFTID Atmospheric Re-Entry Program Paves the Way for Reusable Space Electronics

NASA’s successful Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) demonstration suggests that inflatable aeroshells can keep payloads safe during atmospheric entry.

How Much Do You Know About eVTOLs?

How much do you know about eVTOLs? Test yourself with this quiz.

AI-Powered Earth Mapping for Global Sustainability

By combining historical and current data from multiple NASA and European satellites, MD-based terraPulse applies AI to create meaningful maps enabling data-driven ecological decisions.

This Electric Autonomous Drone Can Enable Networked Military Communications

Kraus Hamdani Aerospace is working with the U.S. military on applications for its electric drone, the K1000ULE.

System for Flight Control of Hypersonic Aircraft

Researchers have designed an electrode-based system for guidance, navigation, and control of aircraft or spacecraft moving at hypersonic speeds in ionizing atmospheres.

5G, AI Team Up to Optimize Military Fueling

Armed with 5G network technology, AI, and edge computing resources, a pilot project under development at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island aims to create an optimized refueling system designed to boost readiness for military aircraft.

Drones Navigate Unseen Environments via Liquid Neural Networks

Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have introduced a method for robust flight navigation agents to master vision-based fly-to-target tasks in intricate, unfamiliar environments.

A Quiet, Efficient Propeller Solution for Electric Aviation

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a propeller design optimization method that paves the way for quiet, efficient electric aviation.

Training a Quadrotor Drone to Cope with Collisions

Advanced technology plays a vital role in search and rescue operations after natural disasters such as earthquakes. Thermal imaging equipment and sensitive listening devices are deployed to seek out signs of life.

A Step Toward Safe and Reliable Autopilots

In the film “Top Gun: Maverick,” Maverick, played by Tom Cruise, is charged with training young pilots to complete a seemingly impossible mission — to fly their jets deep into a rocky canyon,...

Magnetic Bearing Technology Enables Environmental Control for Human Space Exploration

Leveraging a high-speed permanent magnet motor, an environmental control system aboard the ISS represents a step change toward electrification and optimization.

Tensegrity Robots to the Rescue

Squishy Robotics’ tensegrity sensor robots gather data at the scenes of fires, crashes, explosions, and other disasters to help first responders determine their approach to a disaster scene.