Space Exploration Technologies
We’re Entering a New Age When Spacecraft Communicate With Lasers
In October 2023, NASA launched its long-awaited on-again, off-again Psyche mission. The spacecraft is on its way to study the…
ESA is Testing a Modular Multipurpose Rover that Could Be a Science Lab or a Tiny Bulldozer
Most rovers have been built for Mars, and each one of them is a complex machine designed with specific goals…
ESA’s Hera Mission is Bringing Two Cubesats Along. They’ll Be Landing on Dimorphos
In about one year from now, the European Space Agency will launch its Hera mission. Its destination is the asteroid…
Europa and Enceladus are the Perfect Targets for a Lightsail Mission
There's always a need for new technologies or for novel uses of existing technologies to lower the cost of space…
Solar Sails Could Reach Mars in Just 26 Days
A recent study submitted to Acta Astronautica explores the potential for using aerographite solar sails for traveling to Mars and…
Mini-Subs Could One Day Ply the Seas Under Europa’s Ice
The most promising places to look for life in the Solar System are in the ocean moons Europa and Enceladus.…
The Outer Space Treaty was Signed in 1967. Can it Handle the Future of Space Exploration?
In a recent study submitted to the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society for the 8th Interstellar Symposium special issue,…
A Robot With Expandable Appendages Could Explore Martian Caves And Cliffs
Plenty of areas in the solar system are interesting for scientific purposes but hard to access by traditional rovers. Some…
Could Puncturing A Satellite’s Battery Help It Deorbit Faster?
A few years ago, there was a panic about lithium-ion batteries that exploded and could do things like take down…
An Improved Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator Could Dramatically Reduce The Weight Of Interplanetary Missions
Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) are the power plants of the interplanetary spacecraft. Or at least they have been for going…