Cygnus docks with International Space Station

Orbital Science Corporation’s unmanned Cygnus cargo ship has successfully docked with the International Space Station. The spacecraft made its rendezvous with the station at at 8:44 AM EDT on Sunday, a week behind schedule and 11 days after launching from NASA’s Wallops Island facility. The delay was due to a software malfunction and the need to make way for the docking of a manned Soyuz spacecraft on September 25... Continue Reading Cygnus docks with International Space Station

Section: Space

Tags: Cygnus, International Space Station, NASA, Orbital Sciences Corporation, Spacecraft

Related Articles:
Cygnus heads for the International Space Station
Successful first launch of Antares rocket
Soyuz breaks speed record to ISS
Dragon docking with ISS rescheduled after malfunction
SpaceX Dragon to be first private spacecraft to dock at ISS
SpaceX Dragon successfully grappled by ISS

Scramspace flight ends in failure

The University of Queensland’s Scramspace hypersonic experiment ended in failure today as the unmanned spacecraft plummeted into the North Sea off the coast of Norway. After a successful launch atop a rocket from the Andøya Rocket Range at 3 PM CEDT, Scramspace failed to reach the required altitude to begin the hypersonic flight experiment... Continue Reading Scramspace flight ends in failure

Section: Space

Tags: Launch, Norway, Scramjet, Spacecraft, University of Queensland

Related Articles:
Scramspace scramjet arrives in Norway for test flight
In conversation with Scramspace director Russell Boyce
Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 (HTV-2) test flight
Successful Hypersonic Scramjet flight tests in Australia
X-51A Waverider fails to reach full power in second hypersonic test flight
Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 crashes on second test flight

First Swarm satellite heads to launch site

The first of three satellites designed to undertake a comprehensive study the Earth’s magnetic field left Munich airport on Tuesday aboard an Ilyushin-76 transport aircraft bound for Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. This first Swarm satellite will be followed by two identical craft and more than 60 tons of support equipment before all three are launched into polar orbit in November... Continue Reading First Swarm satellite heads to launch site

Section: Space

Tags: Astrium, ESA, Launch, Satellite

Related Articles:
Remote observatory aims to solve Earth's magnetic mystery
New research sheds light on Solar Wind
Recording data using heat could lead to faster, more efficient magnetic recording devices
Magnetic field anomalies used to pinpoint your location in a building
Scientists map Milky Way's magnetic field in highest resolution yet
Scientists claim that Voyager 1 left the Solar System last year

Cygnus heads for the International Space Station

Commercial space flight took another step forward today as NASA and Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Virginia launched Orbital's Cygnus spacecraft for a rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS). The unmanned cargo ship lifted off at 10:58 AM EDT atop an Orbital Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and is intended as a demonstration flight of the Cygnus to show its suitability for delivering supplies to the ISS... Continue Reading Cygnus heads for the International Space Station

Section: Space

Tags: Cygnus, International Space Station, NASA, Orbital Sciences Corporation, Spacecraft

Related Articles:
Successful first launch of Antares rocket
SpaceX Dragon launches first commercial flight
SpaceX Dragon to be first private spacecraft to dock at ISS
NASA smartphone satellites piggyback into orbit on Antares
Soyuz breaks speed record to ISS
SpaceX makes history with successful Dragon capsule mission

Rubbish removal satellite to be launched from an A300 jetliner

Back in the 1970s, there was a short-lived sitcom called Quark about an outer space rubbish collector. What was played for laughs back then may soon be a reality with the announcement that Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Swiss Space Systems (S3) have formed a partnership to launch the CleanSpace One satellite into orbit to collect space debris using a launch system that promises to be cheaper than using conventional techniques... Continue Reading Rubbish removal satellite to be launched from an A300 jetliner

Section: Space

Tags: EPFL, S3, Satellite, Space Junk, Space Travel

Related Articles:
Swiss satellite being sent to clean up the mess in outer space
Mini ionic motor to set small satellites free
Boeing proposes using gas clouds to bring down orbital debris
Swiss company aims to fly satellites into space
Nanosatellite to help keep space clean
First asteroid-tracking satellite will be Canadian

Ford packs tech inside the new S-MAX Concept

Ford Europe has unveiled a car that may one day be able to tell if you’re having a heart attack at the wheel and call for help. Recently rolled out in Cologne, the company's S-Max Concept is said to combine a new style language with a new suite of interactive technologies, that do everything from parking the car entirely under its own control to monitoring the driver’s heartbeat. .. Continue Reading Ford packs tech inside the new S-MAX Concept

Section: Automotive

Tags: Concept Cars, Ford, Health, Heart Rate Monitor

Related Articles:
Ford concept teases the return of the Escort – in China alone
Ford's iosis MAX concept becomes reality as the C-MAX
First glimpse of Ford's new Territory SUV
Be seen: the Ford GloCar Concept
Ford Tourneo Custom Concept previews next-gen Transit range
Ford shows off Mustang Cobra Jet Concept with twin turbos

521 bhp Bentley Continental GT V8 S makes debut

They say that a Rolls Royce is for being driven in, but a Bentley is for driving. Seemingly intent on proving this true, Bentley has unveiled the Continental GT V8 S: a luxury grand tourer that comes in a coupe and convertible versions and puts the accent squarely on performance by virtue of its twin-turbocharged, 521 bhp (388 kW) V8... Continue Reading 521 bhp Bentley Continental GT V8 S makes debut

Section: Automotive

Tags: Bentley, Continental, Frankfurt Motor Show 2013

Related Articles:
Bentley to debut world's fastest four-seat convertible at NAIAS 2013
Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupe gets production green light
Bentley's twin-turbo, 6-litre W12 convertible - the 190mph Continental GT
Bentley GT
Bentley GT3 race car will use V8 engine
Bentley prepping its fastest road and race cars for Goodwood

In conversation with Scramspace director Russell Boyce

The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Scramspace project hopes to launch its unmanned scramjet vehicle from a test range in Norway early next week. We caught up with Scramspace Director and Chair for Hypersonics at UQ, Professor Russell Boyce, who is in Norway for the test, to talk about Scramspace, the test flight, and the future of scramjet technology... Continue Reading In conversation with Scramspace director Russell Boyce

Section: Space

Tags: Australia, Hypersonic, Interview, Scramjet, University of Queensland

Related Articles:
X-51A Waverider fails to reach full power in second hypersonic test flight
In conversation with Scramspace director Russell Boyce
Successful Hypersonic Scramjet flight tests in Australia
X-51A Waverider breaks supersonic flight record
Waverider makes hypersonic history
NASA's X-43A Scramjet Breaks Speed Record - again!

It's official: Voyager 1 has left the Solar System

After a journey of 36 years, NASA has announced that the Voyager 1 space probe officially left the Solar System on August 25, 2012. Based on new analysis of data sent by by the unmanned spacecraft, the space agency has declared that it is now in the first manmade object to travel into interstellar space, 12 billion miles (19 billion km) from the Sun. .. Continue Reading It's official: Voyager 1 has left the Solar System

Section: Space

Tags: NASA, Solar System, Spacecraft, Voyager

Related Articles:
Voyager 1 gets a taste of interstellar space
Voyager 1 leaves the Solar System?
NASA lets public track when Voyager spacecraft leave the Solar System
It's official: Voyager 1 has left the Solar System
Voyager 1 spacecraft approaches edge of Solar System
Scientists claim that Voyager 1 left the Solar System last year

NASA loses contact with Deep Impact probe

Launched in 2005, the Deep Impact unmanned spacecraft has had a long career makingflybys of various comets, but NASA says that mission control lost communications with the probe on August 8 and has been unable to restore the link... Continue Reading NASA loses contact with Deep Impact probe

Section: Space

Tags: Comets, Deep Impact, NASA, Spacecraft

Related Articles:
NASA's Deep Impact studies Hartley 2 comet close-up
After 12 years and over 3.5 billion miles traveled, it's farewell to Stardust
A date with comet Tempel 1
NASA discovers that the Moon is much wetter than we thought
NASA working on a comet harpoon
NASA confirms building blocks of life found on comets

ZA architects designs buildings for Mars

Setting up house up house is always a pain and when that house is on Mars, it’s a logistical nightmare. To make things a bit easier, Dmitry Zhuikov, Arina Ageeva, and Krassimir Krastev of ZA Architects in Germany have come up with a concept architecture for future Mars colonies, built underground by robots before the colonists arrive... Continue Reading ZA architects designs buildings for Mars

Section: Space

Tags: Architects, Concept Architecture, Mars, Robots

Related Articles:
Google Earth goes to Mars
Mars displayed in interactive four-gigapixel panoramic glory
Curiosity collects first bedrock drill sample
Computer model tests Mars 'tumbleweed rovers'
Proposed device aims to answer whether we are descended from Martians
NASA announces new rover mission for Mars

Artificial muscles could allow robots to lift 80 times their own weight

It's a classic science fiction scene: an android is injured and its human-like exterior is laid bare to reveal the metallic gears and cables of its true mechanical nature. The future is, unsurprisingly, not likely to match this scenario our ability to mimic biology with innovations like artificial muscles improves. The latest breakthrough in this field comes from the National University of Singapore’s Faculty of Engineering where researchers have developed a “robotic” muscle that extends like real muscle tissue to five times its original length, has the potential to lift 80 times its own weight and holds out the promise of smaller, stronger robots capable of more refined movements... Continue Reading Artificial muscles could allow robots to lift 80 times their own weight

Section: Robotics

Tags: Android, Artificial Muscles, Biomimicry, Muscle, National University of Singapore,Robotics

Related Articles:
Wax-infused "nanoyarn" used to create artificial muscles
Crumpled graphene and rubber combined to form artificial muscle
World's most anatomically correct musculoskeletal robot is presented in Japan
Tiny twisting muscles developed for propelling nanobots
Learning robot puts on a happy face
Cambridge scientists use LEGO MINDSTORMS to build bone-making robots

Jaguar takes the wraps off the C-X17

After hinting at its new C-X17 concept, Jaguar has finally taken the lid off of its first sports crossover concept vehicle at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. This is not only the first vehicle of its kind to be designed by Jaguar, but it also acts as a demonstration of a new architecture that will be common in future Jaguar models as the company seeks to expand into new markets... Continue Reading Jaguar takes the wraps off the C-X17

Section: Automotive

Tags: 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, Concept Cars, Crossover, Jaguar, Luxury

Related Articles:
Jaguar takes the wraps off the C-X17
Jaguar concept art embodies future design language
Jaguar pounces on the water with speedboat concept
Jaguar Land Rover launches "industry's most advanced" digital showroom
London skyscraper reportedly "melts" parked Jaguar
Jaguar's new generation XK sports car unveiled

Scramspace scramjet arrives in Norway for test flight

A revolutionary jet engine capable of operating at eight times the speed of sound has arrived in Norway. Designed and built in Brisbane, Australia by the University of Queensland (UQ), the Scramspace is a hypersonic scramjet that will be fired by rocket in the Arctic Circle, where it will very briefly fly fast enough to travel from London to Australia in two hours. It’s part of a project to develop hypersonic technology that may one day be used to put payloads into orbit at a much lower cost than is possible today... Continue Reading Scramspace scramjet arrives in Norway for test flight

Section: Space

Tags: Australia, Hypersonic, Spacecraft

Related Articles:
Waverider makes hypersonic history
X-51A Waverider breaks supersonic flight record
Successful Hypersonic Scramjet flight tests in Australia
X-51A Waverider fails to reach full power in second hypersonic test flight
Third test flight of X-51A hypersonic missile ends in failure
NASA's X-43A Scramjet Breaks Speed Record - again!

LADEE probe heads Moonward despite early malfunction

On Friday, NASA made a historic launch that sent an unmanned probe to the Moon to study something you could be forgiven for thinking doesn't exist: the Moon's atmosphere. At 11:27 PM EDT, the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) lifted off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia atop a US Air Force Minotaur V launch vehicle provided by Orbital Sciences Corp. The unmanned probe is now on a 30-day journey to the Moon, where it will study the all but non-existent atmosphere of the satellite... Continue Reading LADEE probe heads Moonward despite early malfunction

Section: Space

Tags: LADEE, Launch, Moon, NASA, Spacecraft

Related Articles:
NASA and ESA to communicate with lunar orbiter using lasers
NASA's twin GRAIL spacecraft now together in lunar orbit
GRAIL mission on final approach to Moon
NASA's twin GRAIL probes complete primary mission ahead of schedule
Astrium presents study for European lunar landing in 2019
GRAIL spacecraft hit lunar mountain

Fraunhofer studies probe impacts to deflect asteroids

There are hundreds of near-Earth asteroids hurtling through space that are a potential danger to our planet. One way of dealing with the problem is to deflect them with a space probe deliberately set on a collision course. To see how effective such a collision would be, Frank Schäfer of the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI in Freiburg, Germany is looking at what asteroids are made of and how this affects a deflection impact... Continue Reading Fraunhofer studies probe impacts to deflect asteroids

Section: Space

Tags: Asteroid, Fraunhofer, Impact

Related Articles:
ESA to test asteroid deflection
Laser-wielding satellite swarm to deflect asteroids
Deflecting asteroids with paint balls
Sentinel mission to place asteroid-hunting telescope into orbit around the Sun
NASA brings WISE probe out of retirement to hunt asteroids
Asteroid deflection schemes go green with solar-powered laser spacecraft

SpaceShipTwo sets new altitude, speed record

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo (SS2) broke its own speed and altitude records on Thursday as it successfully completed its second rocket-powered, supersonic flight. At 8:00 AM PDT, SS2 took off slung beneath the WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) carrier aircraft from Virgin Galactic’s Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California. According to the company, the tourism spacecraft went through its full technical mission profile in a single flight for the first time, including the deployment of its “feathering” re-entry mechanism at high altitude. .. Continue Reading SpaceShipTwo sets new altitude, speed record

Section: Space

Tags: Record-breaking, Rocket, Sir Richard Branson, Spacecraft, SpaceShipTwo, Tourism,Virgin Galactic

Related Articles:
SpaceShipTwo's nitrous venting tested in-flight
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo glides towards first powered flight
SpaceShipTwo makes a spectacle of itself in “Cold Flow” test
Virgin Galactic steps up the pace with latest SpaceShipTwo glide flight test
Virgin Galactic’s VSS Enterprise makes first manned flight
Virgin Galactic's VSS Enterprise achieves first captive carry flight

Kirobo robot speaks from the ISS

In space, no one can hear you scream, but they can hear a little robot speaking greetings in Japanese. Toyota announced today that a robot spoke from space for the first time. On August 21, the communications robot, Kirobo, sent greetings back to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS). Kirobo said, in translation, “On August 21, 2013, a robot took one small step toward a brighter future for all.” .. Continue Reading Kirobo robot speaks from the ISS

Section: Space

Tags: International Space Station, Japan, JAXA, Robots, Toyota

Related Articles:
Robot astronaut Kirobo headed for ISS in August
Kibo space robot revealed, undergoes zero G testing
Japan to send mini robot to the ISS by mid 2013
Maido-kun bipedal humanoid robot on the moon by 2015
German robots could team up to explore lunar craters
Toyota unveils helpful Human Support Robot

Audi Sport Quattro Concept to debut at Frankfurt Motor Show

Audi will commemorate the 30th anniversary of its Sport Quattro by unveiling the Audi Sport Quattro Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show this month. With an emphasis on lightweight construction, the plug-in hybrid-concept combines a four-liter, twin-turbo V8 with a 110 kW electric motor to achieve acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 305 km/h (189 mph). .. Continue Reading Audi Sport Quattro Concept to debut at Frankfurt Motor Show

Section: Automotive

Tags: Audi, Concept Cars, Frankfurt Motor Show 2013, Hybrid

Related Articles:
Audi reveals 'Le Mans quattro' concept
Audi hybrids take 1-2 Le Mans win
Audi's A3 TDI clubspot quattro
Audi Q5 quattro brings hybrid technology from concepts to the road
Audi Nuvolari Quattro on show at Le Mans
Audi unveils first luxury-class e-tron concept car in Beijing

Nymi wristband uses your heartbeat as a password

If someone says that they want to steal your heart, be careful. They may be trying to get into your computer files. The Toronto-based biometrics company Bionym wants to replace old-fashioned passwords with Nymi; a bracelet that uses the wearer’s heartbeat in place of passwords. According to the developers, the system delivers a secure and convenient means of identification that also provides the potential to control devices using gestures... Continue Reading Nymi wristband uses your heartbeat as a password

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Biometrics, Bluetooth, Computers, Gesture Control, Heart, Motion sensor, Security

Related Articles:
The ten worst passwords on the web, and why you really should read this article
CyFy WristView integrates bicycle rear view and ID into a wrist-top package
Knottology survival bracelets serve dual functions
LinkMe bracelet displays text messages on your wrist
Dyson energy bracelet a good call

Lely Astronaut A4 milking robot lets cows milk themselves

If cow milking recalls a bucolic image of a farmer strolling out to the barn with a bucket and stool, then the 21st century will be a disappointment to those raised on James Herriot stories. A case in point is the Astronaut 4 from Dutch agricultural firm Lely. With this robotic milker, the farmer needn't come any closer to the action than a readout on a smartphone, leaving the cows to get on with the milking themselves... Continue Reading Lely Astronaut A4 milking robot lets cows milk themselves

Section: Good Thinking

Tags: Agriculture, Food, Robotic

Related Articles:
Skimmed milk and spreadable butter - straight from the cow
WaterBee puts crop irrigation on a smartphone
Cows used to produce milk that protects against HIV
Human breast milk produced by genetically modified cows
Cows check in for meals using electronic ear tags
Old tires find new life in cow mattresses

Jaguar to reveal C-X17 Concept in Frankfurt

Teaser images are, well, a bit of a tease and Jaguar is definitely teasing today with this image of its C-X17 Concept – a study design set to be unveiled on September 9 at the Frankfurt Motor Show... Continue Reading Jaguar to reveal C-X17 Concept in Frankfurt

Section: Automotive

Tags: Frankfurt Motor Show 2013, Jaguar

Related Articles:
Kia set to show four-door sports sedan concept in Frankfurt
Jaguar's striking R-D6 Concept
Jaguar concept art embodies future design language
Infiniti gives glimpse of new Q30 Concept ahead of IAA
Jaguar pounces on the water with speedboat concept
Jaguar's new generation XK sports car unveiled

Software brings eye contact to Skype, with a little help from Kinect

Skype has been around for ten years now. Once a science fiction dream, the video calling service has 300 million users making two billion minutes of video calls a day. The only problem is, most of them can't look each other in the eye. Claudia Kuster, a doctoral student at the Computer Graphics Laboratory ETH Zurich, and her team are developing a way to bring eye contact to Skype and similar video services with software that alters the caller's on-screen image to give the illusion that they’re looking straight at the camera... Continue Reading Software brings eye contact to Skype, with a little help from Kinect

Section: Telecommunications

Tags: Computers, ETH Zurich, Kinect, Skype, Smartphones, Software, Tablet

Related Articles:
Ubi brings touchscreen functionality to any projection surface
Face-scanning cameras could pick out drunks
One Million Simultaneous Users on Skype
Asus releases world's first Skype-certified standalone Videophone
Portable foldable document camera provides an alternative to scanners
Videoconferencing system copies users’ head movements