Aerospace

Sixth Mirror Casting Brings Giant Magellan Telescope Closer to Completion

At 3 p.m. on March 5, a gigantic furnace slowly started spinning underneath the stands of Arizona Stadium at the University of Arizona. Fire-engine red, massive in size...

Automatic Observation Management System, New Tool to Coordinate Telescope Network

The "AOM" performs complex observations with ten observation modes and 175 strategies.

NEID Spectrometer Lights Up Path to Exoplanet Exploration

NASA's NEID tool delivered its first batch of data on the nearest and best-studied star, our Sun.

The James Webb Space Telescope

With the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), mankind’s understanding of the universe — and its origins — will increase exponentially.

Compact and Robust Connectors Prove Pivotal in CubeSat Deployment

Learn about the interconnects that are supporting today's miniature satellites.

Non-Destructive Evaluation of Structures Using Transient and Lock-in Thermography

Applications include avionics, data storage, process control, reconfigurable manufacturing lines, and civil and structural engineering.

UpFront: January 2022 Tech Briefs

Private stations get NASA funding; a camera "sees the unseen," and more.

Calibration System for Automated Fiber Placement

The system creates accurate defect standards for in-situ inspection systems.

NASA Software Helps Weather Forecasting Around the Globe

Satellite scheduling software helps consolidate data acquisition and improve weather forecasting.

CMU's Iris Rover Secured to Lunar Lander

Carnegie Mellon University's Iris rover is bolted in and ready for its journey to the moon.

Sensor Film for Aerospace

The film monitors how well aircraft and spacecraft withstand the mechanical stresses of flight.

Approach Makes Unmanned Agents Self-Sufficient

UAVs can land on moving unmanned ground vehicles without GPS.

Directed Energy Deposition Offers Advantages for Efficient Additive Manufacturing

Learn what to look for when selecting computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programming software for the DED manufacturing process.

Rad-Hard Avionics for Moon Rover

A mobile robot will go to the South Pole of the Moon — with help from radiation-hardened avionics.

System Trains Drones to Fly Around Obstacles at High Speeds

The new algorithm could enable fast, nimble drones for time-critical operations such as search and rescue.

Multispectral Imaging, Detection, and Active Reflectance (MiDAR)

This is a novel remote sensing instrument with myriad applications.

UpFront: December 2021

NASA's satellite data reveals the pandemic's effect on our atmosphere, and a team of shoebox-sized rover scouts is prepped for the lunar surface.

Algorithm Flies Drones Faster than Human Racing Pilots

The algorithm calculates time-optimal trajectories that fully consider the drones’ limitations.

Artificial Intelligence for Astronauts Monitors Patients at Home

Software that monitors astronaut health in space now monitors high-risk patients at home.

Inductive Non-Contact Position Sensor

Potential uses include MEMS accelerometers, vibration monitoring, and other precision motion control applications.

Reverse Vortex Ring (RVR)

This mechanism improves rotordynamic stability in turbomachinery.

Solar Electric Propulsion for Gateway Moon Outpost

The power and propulsion element of NASA’s Gateway is a high-power, 50-kilowatt solar electric propulsion spacecraft.

Method Enables Wings to be De-Iced in Flight

The technique controls rather than combats ice formation.

Agile RFID Antenna System

Applications include manufacturing/assembly line tracking, industrial transportation and logistics, and healthcare.

Meringue-Like Material Reduces Aircraft Noise

The low-density, graphene-based aerogel could make aircraft as quiet as a hairdryer.

Closed Ecological System Network

The Controlled Closed-Ecosystem Development System (CCEDS) can be used to develop designs for sustainable, small-scale reproductions of subsets of the Earth’s biosphere and the Orbiting Modular...