NASA is very interested in developing a propulsion method to allow spacecraft to go faster. We’ve reported several times on different ideas to support that goal, and most of the more successful have utilized the Sun’s gravity well, typically by slingshotting around it, as is commonly done with Jupiter currently. But, there are still significant hurdles when doing so, not the least of which is the energy radiating from the Sun simply vaporizing anything that gets close enough to utilize a gravity assist. That’s the problem a project supported by NASA’s Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) and run by Jason Benkoski, now of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is trying to solve.
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'Star Wars: The Acolyte' episode 4: What's the goal of Mae's test?
In its fourth episode, "The Acolyte" has a bigger sense of urgency, delivers a surprising Star Wars prequels cameo, and twists the plot once again.
New 'Exodus Green Worlds' trailer highlights hunt for habitable planets (video)
Check out the new prologue video for the upcoming sci-fi RPG title, "Exodus."
DARPA's military-grade 'quantum laser' will use entangled photons to outshine conventional laser beams
Prototype quantum photonic-dimer laser uses entanglement to bind photons and deliver a powerful beam of concentrated light that can shine through adverse weather like thick fog.
Summer solstice 2024
Video: 00:00:10
Summer officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere today 20 June, marking the longest day of the year. The summer solstice, which is when the Sun reaches the most northerly point in the sky, is set to occur tonight at 21:50 BST/22:50 CEST.
You Can Name a (Quasi) Moon!
A new, official competition allows anyone to propose a mythology-based name for a "quasi-moon," an asteroid that orbits the Sun alongside Earth.
4,000-year-old 'Seahenge' in UK was built to 'extend summer,' archaeologist suggests
The construction of the monument and another beside it more than 4,000 years ago corresponds to a time of bitter cold.
Webb snaps first image of aligned jets from newborn stars
For the first time, a phenomenon astronomers have long hoped to image directly has been captured by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam). In this stunning image of the Serpens Nebula, the discovery lies in the northern area of this young, nearby star-forming region.
Watch an awe-inspiring video from final flight of Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spaceplane
Virgin Galactic shared an awe-inspiring video from the final flight of its VSS Unity space plane.
NASA discussing asteroid-threat exercise today: Watch it live
NASA will discuss the results of a recent asteroid-threat exercise today (June 20), and you can watch it live.
Summer solstice 2024 marks the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere
The summer solstice, also known as the June solstice arrives June 20 at 4:51 p.m. EDT (2051 GMT), marking the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere.
Too young to be so cool: lessons from three neutron stars
ESA’s XMM-Newton and NASA’s Chandra spacecraft have detected three young neutron stars that are unusually cold for their age. By comparing their properties to different neutron star models, scientists conclude that the oddballs’ low temperatures disqualify around 75% of known models. This is a big step towards uncovering the one neutron star ‘equation of state’ that rules them all, with important implications for the fundamental laws of the Universe.
Scientists spot hidden companions of bright stars
Photographing faint objects close to bright stars is incredibly difficult. Yet, by combining data from ESA's Gaia space telescope with ESO’s GRAVITY instrument on the ground, scientists managed just that. They took the first pictures of so far unseen dim companions of eight luminous stars. The technique unlocks the tantalising possibility to capture images of planets orbiting close to their host stars.
Perseverance Found Some Strange Rocks. What Will They Tell Us?
NASA’s Perseverance Rover has left Mount Washburn behind and arrived at its next destination, Bright Angel. It found an unusual type of rock there that scientists are calling ‘popcorn rock.’ The odd rock is more evidence that water was once present in Jezero Crater.
Marsquakes Can Help Us Find Water on the Red Planet
Earth is a seismically active planet, and scientists have figured out how to use seismic waves from Earthquakes to probe its interior. We even use artificially created seismic waves to identify underground petroleum-bearing formations. When the InSIGHT (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) lander was sent to Mars, it sensed Marsquakes to learn more bout the planet’s interior.
Drone racing prepares neural-network AI for space
Drones are being raced against the clock at Delft University of Technology’s ‘Cyber Zoo’ to test the performance of neural-network-based AI control systems planned for next-generation space missions.
Best sci-fi TV shows with 90%+ on Rotten Tomatoes
15 top-tier sci-fi TV shows to enjoy with over 90% scores on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and audience.
The speed of sound on Mars is constantly changing, study finds
New research shows that the speed of sound on Mars varies considerably by location and temperature. The findings could help scientists understand sounds picked up by Martian rovers, as well as make future crewed ventures safer.
If We Want To Find Life-Supporting Worlds, We Should Focus on Small Planets With Large Moons
There’s no perfect way of doing anything, including searching for exoplanets. Every planet-hunting method has some type of bias. We’ve found most exoplanets using the transit method, which is biased toward larger planets. Larger planets closer to their stars block more light, meaning we detect large planets transiting in front of their stars more readily than we detect small ones.
June solstice 2024 brings changing seasons to Earth on June 20 — What to know
Summer will officially arrive in the Northern Hemisphere on Thursday (June 20) at 4:51 p.m. EDT (2051 GMT) — the June Solstice. Here's what you need to know.
The 1st 'major lunar standstill' in more than 18 years is about to occur. Here's how to see it
A major lunar standstill is about to occur. The phenomenon happens every 18.6 years when the moon rises and sets at its most extreme points on the horizon, while also climbing to its highest and lowest point in the sky.
