Space Exploration
Defending Against Radiation
The sun is a major source of radiation for life on Earth. Image credit: NASA/ESA/SOHO. Click to enlarge Space travel…
Surgery in Space
If humans are going to be spending longer periods in space, on the Moon, or even on Mars, it's just…
Self-Repairing Spacecraft
After launch, spacecraft are on their own. They have no way to repair damage from the tiny micrometeorites that inevitably…
Plasma Engine Could Open Up Space Exploration
The European Space Agency is developing a new thruster based on the same physics that power the northern and southern…
Women Wrap Up 60 Days of Simulated Spaceflight
Volunteers with the Women International Space Simulation for Exploration (WISE) campaign have wrapped up 60 days of bedrest, simulating the…
Hopping Microrobots
The NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts has recently awarded a Phase II grant for a unique robot design that could…
Radiation Resistant Computers
Modern spaceflight is dependent on reliable computers to handle navigation, life support, and other functions. The problem is that radiation…
Some Parts Need More Protecting from Radiation
One of the hazards of human spaceflight is the radiation damage of solar storms and cosmic rays. But it turns…
Future Space Missions Will Explore at Many Levels
Researchers at the University of Arizona think that future robotic explorers should have the ability to survey their targets at…
New Advances for Liquid-Fueled Rockets
Although NASA engineers are working on radical new kinds of propulsion, like ion engines, nuclear rockets, and even solar sails,…