Wednesday 30 March 2016

Zeiss telephoto lens used on Apollo 15 up for auction



In October 2015, Boston-based RR Auction set a new record for astronaut memorabilia when the only privately-owned watch to be worn on Moon sold for US$1.6 million. This watch, which was flown on Apollo 15 in 1972, is now followed to the auction block by a Zeiss telephoto lens from the same mission. The Zeiss Tele-Tessar 500mm f/8 lens by Carl Zeiss AG was used by Mission Commander David R Scott with a Hasselblad camera body to set a new standard of photography on manned lunar missions and is expected to fetch around half a million dollars.

.. Continue Reading Zeiss telephoto lens used on Apollo 15 up for auction

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Smartphone and laser attachment form cheap rangefinder



A team of researchers at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) led by Li-Shiuan Peh has come up with a new infrared depth-sensing system. The new system, which works outdoors as well as in, was built by attaching a US$10 laser to a smartphone, with MIT saying the inexpensive approach could be used to convert conventional personal vehicles, such as wheelchairs and golf carts, into autonomous ones.

.. Continue Reading Smartphone and laser attachment form cheap rangefinder

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Mars drone tech sniffs out methane leaks on Earth



Natural gas pipelines stretch for thousands of miles across entire continents and inspecting them for potentially dangerous leaks is a full-time, never-ending job. To take some of the pressure off, NASA is testing a quadcopter equipped with a miniature methane gas sensor originally designed for testing the Martian atmosphere. The space agency says that the exceptional sensitivity of the equipment makes it possible to monitor many miles of pipeline at a time from the air.

.. Continue Reading Mars drone tech sniffs out methane leaks on Earth

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Brain-like supercomputing platform to explore new frontiers



In the old days, it was common to hear a computer chip referred to as an "electronic brain." Modern chip designs are now making such labels even more apt. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is set to take receipt of a brain-inspired supercomputing platform developed by IBM Research. The first-of-a-kind system is based on aneurosynaptic computer chip known as IBM TrueNorth, and can process the equivalent of 16 million neurons and 4 billion synapses while consuming just 2.5 watts of power.

.. Continue Reading Brain-like supercomputing platform to explore new frontiers

Category: Computers

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Monday 28 March 2016

DARPA's satellite repair robot makes house calls



There are over 400 geosynchronous satellites orbiting 22,000 mi (36,000 km) above the Earth. They are a vital part of global communications and represent billions of dollars in investments, but once they break down or run out of fuel, they're so much tin foil. DARPA has released a video outlining the agency's vision of a mobile robotic servicing system designed to rendezvous with and repair ailing telecommunications satellites.

.. Continue Reading DARPA's satellite repair robot makes house calls

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Cygnus cargo ship successfully docks with ISS



The Cygnus Orbital ATk Crs-6 mission has docked with the International Space Station (ISS). According to NASA, the unmanned cargo ship was successfully captured by US astronaut and Expedition 47 Commander Tim Kopra with the assistance of ESA astronaut and Flight Engineer Tim Peake at 6:51 am EDT using one of the station's robotic arms. It was then transferred to the Unity Module, where it docked with one of the Earth-facing ports.

.. Continue Reading Cygnus cargo ship successfully docks with ISS

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DARPA's latest grand challenge takes on the radio spectrum



One of the most hotly contested bits of real estate today is one you can't see. As we move into an increasingly wireless-connected world, staking out a piece of the crowded electromagnetic spectrum becomes more important. DARPA is hoping to help solve this issue with its latest Grand Challenge, which calls for the use of machine-learning technologies to enable devices to share bandwidth.

.. Continue Reading DARPA's latest grand challenge takes on the radio spectrum

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Twisting puts the brakes on light in a vacuum



The speed of light is a universal constant, but, according to scientists at the University of Ottawa, not that constant. A team of researchers led by assistant professor Ebrahim Karimi has discovered that twisted light traveling through a vacuum moves slower than the speed set by Einstein's theory of relativity, which has implications for quantum computing and communications.

.. Continue Reading Twisting puts the brakes on light in a vacuum

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Thursday 24 March 2016

Wraparound jet engine design could put window seats at a premium



If you like the window seat while you fly, then maybe enjoy it while it lasts. Airbus has filed a US patent application for a new multi-fan jet engine design, which has the engine nacelles wrapping around the airplane's fuselage instead of suspended from the wing. Still a very high concept, the new engine is designed to improve engine efficiency while keeping overall size down.

.. Continue Reading Wraparound jet engine design could put window seats at a premium

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British Army's new cannon takes its ammo on the side



The British Army has taken delivery of its first completely new cannon system in 50 years – and it loads sideways. This loading system on the new 40mm Cased Telescoped Cannon System, which was handed over to the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Bourges, France by CTA International (CTAI), is claimed to provide more firepower while saving space.

.. Continue Reading British Army's new cannon takes its ammo on the side

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First observed shockwave to shed light on supernovas



As the late Carl Sagan said, "we are made of star stuff." The question is, where did this star stuff come from? The answer may be a bit nearer now that an international team of astronomers has for the first time captured the initial few minutes of a pair of supernovae as they exploded, as well as the first recorded supernova shockwave. According to the scientists, this could give us a better understanding of how many of the elements formed that make up the Earth and us.

.. Continue Reading First observed shockwave to shed light on supernovas

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Cygnus Orbital ATK CRS-6 cargo mission on its way to the ISS



The Orbital ATK CRS-6 mission is on its way to the International Space Station (ISS). The unmanned Cygnus cargo ship lifted off today atop an Atlas V booster in a spectacular nighttime launch at 11:05 pm EDT from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a three-month mission to deliver about 7,500 lb (3.400 kg) of supplies and experiments to the space station.

.. Continue Reading Cygnus Orbital ATK CRS-6 cargo mission on its way to the ISS

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Trident ballistic missile flies with first 3D-printed part



Three-dimensional printing has been applied to handguns, rockets, hypersonic jet engines,bicycles, ears, objects d'art, and now submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM). Lockheed Martin has announced that the first 3D printed components for an SLBM flew this week on test launches of three unarmed US Navy Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missiles from a submerged submarine in the Atlantic Ocean. The component tests, which were conducted from March 14 to 16, are part of Lockheed's program to create an all-digital manufacturing process.

.. Continue Reading Trident ballistic missile flies with first 3D-printed part

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Unmanned Warrior to demonstrate latest in autonomous maritime warfare



To examine to feasibility for using greater numbers of unmanned and autonomous systems in maritime environments, the Royal Navy is conducting Unmanned Warrior. Scheduled for the last quarter of 2016, the large-scale technology demonstration off the west coast of Scotland will showcase air, surface and sub-surface vehicles and sensors.

.. Continue Reading Unmanned Warrior to demonstrate latest in autonomous maritime warfare

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NASA to light fire on orbiting space craft



In what might sound like a rather frightening first, NASA plans to set fire in a spacecraft in orbit. Scheduled for May, the Spacecraft Fire Experiment-I (Saffire-I) will take place aboard an unmanned Cygnus cargo ship after it completes its resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The purpose of this controlled pyrotechnic experiment is a better understanding of large-scale fires in zero gravity and improving spacecraft design safety.

.. Continue Reading NASA to light fire on orbiting space craft

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We can't print entire satellites yet, but the 3D printing of major components is moving forward with ESA unveiling a prototype 3D-printed radio antenna. Currently undergoing testing at ESA's Compact Antenna Test Facility in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, it's the space agency's first 3D-printed dual-reflector antenna incorporating a corrugated feed horn and two reflectors.

.. Continue Reading ESA puts 3D-printed satellite antenna to the test

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Can Boom bring back supersonic flight without the astronomical price tag?



A Denver-based startup company is entering the race to reintroduce supersonic commercial travel with the promise of a 40-passenger airliner that can not only fly faster than Concorde, but at business class prices. Boom Technology says it is using modern engines and materials to develop a supersonic passenger jet that can cruise at Mach 2.2 (1,675 mph, 2,700 km/h), with prices starting at US$5,000 for a return ticket between London and New York.

.. Continue Reading Can Boom bring back supersonic flight without the astronomical price tag?

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Monday 14 March 2016

ExoMars 2016 phones home on way to Mars



ESA has confirmed that the ESA/Roscosmos ExoMars 2016 mission is alive and well and on its way to the Red Planet. The news comes courtesy of mission control in Darmstadt, which received telemetry signals from the spacecraft via the Malindi ground tracking station in Kenya at 21:29 GMT today, 12 hours after liftoff from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

.. Continue Reading ExoMars 2016 phones home on way to Mars

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Stripping donor hearts and repopulating them with recipient-derived stem cells



Heart transplants have been around since 1967, but they're still anything but routine. In an effort to ensure a steady supply of compatible organs, a team of scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is working on ways to create bioengineered human hearts by first stripping donor hearts of cells that could provoke an immune response in a potential recipient, and then using the recipient's own induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to generate cardiac muscle cells that can be used to repopulate the heart in an automated bioreactor system.

.. Continue Reading Stripping donor hearts and repopulating them with recipient-derived stem cells

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Review: u-Jays on-ear headphones offer easy repair and upgrade



Shelling out a couple of hundred dollars for a pair of high-end headphones is something of an investment, so if they turn out to be fragile or aren't comfortable, it can be a waste of money. Swedish headphone developer Jays has swapped the bells-and-whistles approach for one of comfort and ruggedness for its latest u-Jays on-ear headphones.We plugged in a pair to see how they performed.

.. Continue Reading Review: u-Jays on-ear headphones offer easy repair and upgrade

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Ford adds armor piercing round stopping power to pursuit-rated Police Interceptor



Getting shot at is, unfortunately, one of the occupational hazards of being a police officer and modern law enforcement vehicles need to keep up with potential threats. In response to police feedback, Ford is now offering optional ballistic panels for its latest Police Interceptor sedan that provide protection against so-called armor-piercing rifle rounds.

.. Continue Reading Ford adds armor piercing round stopping power to pursuit-rated Police Interceptor

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DARPA looks to head off threats from off-the-shelf tech



In a world where 3D-printed guns are a reality, security threats are no longer the reserve of a hostile nation's military. With advanced technologies increasingly accessible to groups and individuals, DARPA is initiating a program called "Improv" that's intended to identify and anticipate potential threats from commercially-available off-the-shelf technology.




.. Continue Reading DARPA looks to head off threats from off-the-shelf tech

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Friday 11 March 2016

Cool Runnings: Lockheed using microscopic drops of water to chill chips from the inside



Every year, electronic components shrink a bit more, allowing engineers to create more powerful and sophisticated chips. Unfortunately, these chips also generate a lot of heat, so novel cooling systems are needed to keep them running. As part of DARPA's ICECool-Applications research program, Lockheed Martin is developing a way of cooling high-powered microchips from the inside using microscopic drops of water.

.. Continue Reading Cool Runnings: Lockheed using microscopic drops of water to chill chips from the inside

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NASA sets new launch date for Mars InSight mission



Following a two-year delay, NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport (InSight) Mars lander is back on track. Previously grounded due to a faulty seismometer, the unmanned spacecraft is now scheduled to lift off during a launch window that starts on May 5, 2018 for a landing on the Red Planet on November 26, 2018.

.. Continue Reading NASA sets new launch date for Mars InSight mission

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Solid lubricant smooths the way for reduced weapon maintenance



One the most tedious yet vital tasks of the foot soldier is personal weapon cleaning and maintenance. Under field conditions, it has to be done daily and failure to do so can literally mean the difference between life and death. To reduce this task and make the weapon more durable and reliable, the US Army Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey is developing a Durable Solid Lubricant (DSL) that replaces the more conventional wet lubricants.

.. Continue Reading Solid lubricant smooths the way for reduced weapon maintenance

Category: Military

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Monday 7 March 2016

Carbon nanotubes shown to protect metals against radiation damage



An international team of scientists led by MIT has discovered that adding small amounts of carbon nanotubes to metals makes them much more resistant to radiation damage. Though currently only proven in low-temperature metals like aluminum, the team says that the ability of the nanotubes to slow the breakdown process could improve the operating lifetimes of research and commercial reactors.

.. Continue Reading Carbon nanotubes shown to protect metals against radiation damage

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Boeing creates self-cleaning, germ-zapping lavatory for airliners



One of the drawbacks of flying is that you're sharing the lavatory with a couple of hundred people of unknown hygiene standards, and the thing won't be properly cleaned again until the plane touches down. To make the airborne germaphobe a bit more comfortable and the facilities more hygienic, Boeing has created a self-cleaning airliner lavatory that uses non-touch technology and ultraviolet light that's claimed to kill 99.99 percent of germs in three seconds.

.. Continue Reading Boeing creates self-cleaning, germ-zapping lavatory for airliners

Category: Aircraft

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Spherical tire takes autonomous cars sideways into the future



As autonomous cars move closer to the showroom, it's clear that they'll be more than just conventional vehicles minus the driver. It means rethinking every major system down to the tires. At the 86th Geneva International Motor show, Goodyear has taken the wraps off two concept tires designed for the autonomous cars of tomorrow – including a spherical tire that allow cars to drive sideways and one that can sense road conditions and adapt to them.

.. Continue Reading Spherical tire takes autonomous cars sideways into the future

Category: Automotive

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SES-9 mission launch successful, but Falcon 9 landing less so



After successfully delivering a satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, SpaceX attempted to land its Falcon 9 booster on a seabarge, the "Of Course I still Love You," in the Atlantic Ocean. The video feed cut out at the last instant, keeping everyone guessing as to the fate of the unmanned first stage rocket, but SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has now confirmed in a tweet that the landing attempt was unsuccessful.







.. Continue Reading SES-9 mission launch successful, but Falcon 9 landing less so

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DARPA's unmanned X-Plane packs electric fans aplenty for vertical take-off and landing



If there was a competition for the oddest looking aircraft, then DARPA's VTOL Experimental Plane (VTOL X-Plane) would have to be in the running for the main prize. With a modularized, cellular wing design that looks like a flying set of cupboards, the unmanned aircraft is a hybrid of fixed-wing and rotary wing technologies designed to create a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft that boasts greater range and speed capabilities.

.. Continue Reading DARPA's unmanned X-Plane packs electric fans aplenty for vertical take-off and landing

Category: Aircraft

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Wednesday 2 March 2016

Orion's solar panels readied for Moon mission



When NASA's Orion capsule made its maiden flight in 2014, it was easy to forget that only half of the spacecraft actually went into orbit. A dummy version of the European Service Module (ESM), which is still undergoing development, sat behind the the unmanned capsule as it lifted off from Cape Canaveral. That development has just passed a major milestone according to the main contractor, Airbus Defence and Space, with a model of the ESM's solar array performing "flawlessly" in a deployment test this week... Continue Reading Orion's solar panels readied for Moon mission

Category: Space

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Solar Powered
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NASARelated Articles:
First high speed laser communication satellite set for launch
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ESA successfully tests 3D printed thruster




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Tuesday 1 March 2016

HMS Artful uses new "brain" to fire torpedo




The Royal Navy's latest and most advanced nuclear submarine, HMS Artful, has successfully fired its first test torpedo using a state-of-the-art "brain." According to the British Ministry of Defence, the 7,400-tonne hunter-killer used the new Command Combat System to integrate data from its suite of sensors to track and hit the moving target with an unarmed practice weapon. The Artful is the third of the Astute class submarines and is the first to have the CCS installed... Continue Reading HMS Artful uses new "brain" to fire torpedo

Category: Military

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Submarine
Royal NavyRelated Articles:
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