Riding a laser to Mars
Could a laser send a spacecraft to Mars? That's a proposed mission from a group at McGill University, designed to meet a solicitation from NASA. The laser, a 10-meter wide array on Earth, would heat hydrogen plasma in a chamber behind the spacecraft,.....»»
Nuclear rockets could travel to Mars in half the time, but designing the reactors that would power them isn"t easy
NASA plans to send crewed missions to Mars over the next decade—but the 140 million-mile (225 million-kilometer) journey to the red planet could take several months to years round trip......»»
NASA can now talk to its spacecraft using lasers
NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications test has completed its first phase, showing that laser communications in space are possible and faster than radio......»»
NASA can talk to its spacecraft using lasers now
NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications test has completed its first phase, showing that laser communications in space are possible and faster than radio......»»
A NASA Mars rover has a giant hole in one of its wheels
The wheels on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover are falling apart, but the plucky rover keeps on rolling......»»
NASA"s laser comms demo makes deep space record, completes first phase
The Deep Space Optical Communications tech demo has completed several key milestones, culminating in sending a signal to Mars' farthest distance from Earth......»»
2-billion-year-old rock could help understand very early life on Earth and the hunt for evidence of life on Mars
Pockets of microbes have been found living within a sealed fracture in a 2-billion-year-old rock. The rock was excavated from the Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa, an area known for its rich ore deposits. This is the oldest example of living.....»»
A new apparatus for analyzing partial coherence in integrated photonic networks
Anyone familiar with optics labs is familiar with the extremes of light coherence: laser beams are highly coherent, producing clear interference patterns used for precise applications like atomic manipulation or precise sensing. In contrast, light fr.....»»
Study uncovers first evidence of a volcanic spatter cone on Mars
While working under Erika Rader, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences at University of Idaho, a postdoctoral researcher identified a volcanic vent on Mars as a potential spatter cone and compared it to a spatter cone.....»»
Record-breaking laser demonstration completes mission
NASA's TBIRD (TeraByte InfraRed Delivery) demonstration and its host spacecraft—the PTD-3 (Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-3)—have completed their technology demonstration. The TBIRD payload spent the past two years breaking world records for.....»»
Frozen in time: Rock fossils hint at Mars"s ancient climate
Long ago, flowing wind and water shaped Mars's malleable sand and sediment into dunes, ripples and other landscape patterns, called bedforms. Over billions of years, some of these landforms hardened into rock—scientists then call them paleo-bedform.....»»
Study shows Mars" early thick atmosphere could be locked up in the planet"s clay surface
Mars wasn't always the cold desert we see today. There's increasing evidence that water once flowed on the red planet's surface, billions of years ago. And if there was water, there must also have been a thick atmosphere to keep that water from freez.....»»
Elon Musk shares new target date for Starship voyage to Mars
But it's worth noting that the SpaceX CEO's forecasts often slip......»»
SpaceX plans to send five uncrewed Starships to Mars in two years, Musk says
SpaceX plans to send five uncrewed Starships to Mars in two years, Musk says.....»»
Scientists may have found signs of dark matter in Mars’s orbit
A wobble in Mars’ orbit could very well be a sign of dark matter, a new study posits. The study builds off the idea that … The post Scientists may have found signs of dark matter in Mars’s orbit appeared first on BGR. A wobbl.....»»
The Dyson V15 cordless vacuum is $200 off for a limited time
The Dyson V15 Detect Extra cordless vacuum, which uses a green laser to reveal hidden dust, is available from Best Buy for only $600 following a $200 discount......»»
Physicist reveals tailwind has negligible effect on cycling speed
Within the cycling realm, "to Everest" involves riding up and down the same mountain until your ascents total the elevation of Mt. Everest—8,848 meters......»»
Algorithm used on Mars rover helps scientists on Earth see data in a new way
A new algorithm tested on NASA's Perseverance Rover on Mars may lead to better forecasting of hurricanes, wildfires, and other extreme weather events that impact millions globally......»»
Real-time Linux is officially part of the kernel after decades of debate
Now you can run your space laser or audio production without specialty patches. Enlarge / Cutting metal with lasers is hard, but even harder when you don't know the worst-case timings of your code. (credit: Getty Images).....»»
Detailed model suggests organic matter on Mars was formed from atmospheric formaldehyde
Although Mars is currently a cold, dry planet, geological evidence suggests that liquid water existed there around 3 to 4 billion years ago. Where there is water, there is usually life. In their quest to answer the burning question about life on Mars.....»»
Tracking plasma progression in a picosecond: Physicists develop ultra-fast laser method to study high-density plasmas
In a few picoseconds (trillionths of a second), a small, thin piece of copper momentarily becomes dense plasma, specifically a state called warm dense matter, warm being a relative term—the metal is nearly 200,000 degrees Fahrenheit. With the short.....»»