Working in tandem A perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cell. (Courtesy: Oxford PV)”> Working in tandem A perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cell. (Courtesy: Oxford PV) Late in 2020, scientists in Germany and Lithuania announced a new milestone in so-called “tandem” solar cells – that is, cells made from two different types of photovoltaic material. Writing in Science, the
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SAN FRANCISCO – Optical communications startup BridgeComm announced a strategic partnership with satellite component supplier Space Micro to work together on the design, development and testing of optical communications technology for U.S. government and commercial customers. BridgeComm is working to establish a global network of ground stations and a laser communications constellation in low Earth
SAN FRANCISCO – Switzerland-based additive manufacturing specialist Swissto12 announced plans Sept. 8 to collaborate with Saturn Satellite Networks, a U.S. firm focused on small geostationary satellite missions, to market small geostationary telecommunications satellite missions. “There is a lot of opportunity in MicroGEO satellites which is currently not addressed,” Swissto12 CEO Emile de Rijk said in
Compact core: artist’s impression of a star that has swallowed a compact object. The compact object has an accretion disc and two jets that poke out of the star, which is about to explode. (Courtesy: Chuck Carter) A black hole or a neutron star may have merged with a normal massive star and caused it
SAN FRANCISCO – Bradford Space is updating its Comet electrothermal propulsion technology and transferring production of the small satellite thrusters from the United States to Luxembourg. “The Luxembourg ecosystem allows more supportive financing of the venture of improving the technology, transferring the technology and building a facility,” said Patrick van Put, Bradford Space managing director.
WASHINGTON — The House Science Committee will mark up its portion of a multitrillion-dollar spending bill this week that includes several billion dollars for NASA infrastructure but nothing for lunar lander development. The House Science Committee is scheduled to meet Sept. 9 to mark up a portion of a $3.5 trillion spending bill being considered
NGA provides firefighting agencies updated maps in 15 minute intervals on areas where fires are rapidly spreading. WASHINGTON — The Pentagon announced it plans to extend a pilot program that provides imagery from satellites, drones, ground sensors and cameras to help track and combat wildfires. The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) started the program in
China’s moon-sampling mission spacecraft is continuing its extended mission with its destination currently unknown. HELSINKI — The Chang’e-5 orbiter module which facilitated China’s complex lunar sample return last year is on its way to the moon following deep space tests. The orbiter, one of four distinct Chang’e-5 mission spacecraft, delivered a return module containing 1.731
Taken from the September 2021 issue of Physics World. Members of the Institute of Physics can enjoy the full issue via the Physics World app. Free and open-source software is growing to be a powerful tool in academic research, helping scientists to collaborate better and work smarter. Achintya Rao investigates how such software is being
WASHINGTON — Firefly Aerospace said Sept. 5 its first Alpha rocket failed when one of its first-stage engines shut down seconds after liftoff. Firefly posted a video of the Sept. 2 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, which ended when the rocket tumbled out of control about two and a half minutes after
The program office for the Electro-Optical Infrared Weather System extended the competition to spring 2022, said Col. Brian Denaro, program executive officer at the Space Systems Command WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force was expected this year to choose which vendors will build next-generation weather satellites for the Defense Department. But the competition is being
Top of the world: a mountain near the town of Lenghu in Qinghai Province has ideal conditions as an astronomy hub (courtesy: Licai Deng) Astronomers in China have found that the Tibetan Plateau offers conditions that make it ideal for future gigantic optical-based telescopes. The researchers report that a mountain near the town of Lenghu
LOMPOC, Calif. — Space technology company Redwire announced Sept. 2 that it closed its merger with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), taking the company public and providing it with capital for future acquisitions. Shareholders of Genesis Park Acquisition Corporation voted Sept. 1 to approve the merger with Redwire, with 97% of votes, representing 73% of
LOMPOC, Calif. — Rocket Lab announced Sept. 1 that it is expanding production of satellite components to meet demand from companies developing satellite constellations. The company said it is increasing production of reaction wheels, components used for attitude control of spacecraft. The company started offering those components after acquiring Sinclair Interplanetary, a smallsat component manufacturer,
Long distance: a study of the front crawl suggests that long-distance swimmers could benefit from using a different hand technique than short-distance swimmers. (Courtesy: iStock/mihailomilovanovic) The Paralympic Games in Tokyo will be wrapping up this weekend and to honour the hosts, this edition of the Red Folder is focussing on Japan. World-class swimmers must work
How satellites are stitched together needs to be at the forefront of SDA’s Transport Layer discussion The Defense Department’s Space Development Agency just issued a request for support to build 144 spacecraft. The agency’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer is expected to be one of the most complex networks the U.S. government has ever deployed in
LOMPOC, Calif. — The Federal Aviation Administration will not allow Virgin Galactic to resume flights of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane until it completes an investigation into a problem on the vehicle’s previous flight in July. In a Sept. 2 statement, the FAA said it is overseeing a Virgin Galactic mishap investigation into the July 11