Space Exploration Technologies
Using A Space Elevator To Get Resources Off the Queen of the Asteroid Belt
Here at UT, we've had several stories that describe the concept of a space elevator. They are designed to make…
NASA’s Putting its Solar Sail Through its Paces
Those of you following the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System may have heard that its booms and sail are now…
What Type of Excavator Is Most Suitable for Asteroids?
Digging in the ground is so commonplace on Earth that we hardly ever think of it as hard. But doing…
NASA Announces the 2025 Human Lander Challenge
One of NASA's core mission objectives, though not explicitly stated in its charter, is to educate Americans about space exploration,…
The NASA Break the Ice Challenge Awards $1.5M to Two Start-Ups
We might be a little late on reporting for this one - the space exploration community is large, and sometimes,…
A Europan Lander Could Return an Ice Core For A Fraction of the Cost of Europa Clipper
Cost is a major driving factor in the development of space exploration missions. Any new technology or trick that could…
Specialized Materials Could Passively Control the Internal Temperature of Space Habitats
Areas of space have wildly different temperatures depending on whether they are directly in sunlight or not. For example, temperatures…
Project Helianthus – a Solar Sail Driven Geomagnetic Storm Tracker
Solar storms captured the imagination of much of the American public earlier this year when auroras were visible well south…
Researchers Developed a Test Bed For Separating Valuable Material on the Moon
Many times, it's better to flesh out technologies fully on Earth's surface before they're used in space. That is doubly…
What Time is it on the Moon? Lunar GPS Needs to Know
GPS is ubiquitous on Earth. It guides everything from precision surveying to aircraft navigation. To realize our vision of lunar…