Science

Four ways: the slice of carbon fibre in this microelectric measuring circuit is electrically connected to gold/chromium electrodes with platinum/carbon electrodes. (Courtesy: Satoshi Matsuo and Nancy Sottos) The electrical properties of a carbon fibre are very different when measured across its width or along its length, according to a new study by Satoshi Matsuo and

The Space Force Intelligence Activity was stood up as an interim organization until the National Space Intelligence Center is established WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force has established an intelligence analysis group within the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. A new organization called the Space Force Intelligence

WASHINGTON — NASA’s administrator says he remains confident that Congress will provide the agency with funding to allow it to select a second lunar lander developer despite a lack of public progress on funding and concerns raised elsewhere in the agency about the effect an ongoing protest could have on congressional support for the program.

The Ulissi research group. (Courtesy: Carnegie Mellon University) Designing efficient new catalysts is no easy task. In catalysts that contain more than one element, for example, researchers not only need to take into account all the possible elemental combinations, they must also add a number of other variables, such as particle size, shape and surface

SAN FRANCISCO – Launchspace Technologies Corp., a company developing technology to capture orbital debris, is the latest space startup to seek funding on an equity crowdfunding platform. As of Oct. 2, LaunchSpace had raised $58,351 at a valuation of nearly $49 million on Netcapital. On the Netcapital site, LaunchSpace is heralding its recent grant from

The SWAC briefing Oct. 27 not be about contract opportunities but rather a strategic-level discussion about what capabilities the Space Force will need in the coming decades WASHINGTON — When Space Force officials meet with defense contractors later this month they will share intelligence about threats to U.S. satellites at an unusual level of detail. 

In the run-up to the announcement of the 2021 Nobel Prize for Physics on 5 October, we’re running a series of blog posts looking at previous recipients and what they did after their Nobel prize-winning work. Margaret Harris examines the circumstances that shaped the career of 1993 laureate Russell Hulse

WASHINGTON — The Defense Innovation Unit in a new solicitation is asking space and information-technology companies for ideas on how to build a “hybrid architecture” of government and commercial satellites.  “The Department of Defense seeks a hybrid space architecture to integrate emergent commercial space sensor and communications capabilities with U.S. government space systems while incorporating

SAN FRANCISCO – Tomorrow.io won a $19.3 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to support its planned constellation of approximately 32 weather satellites. The Air Force issued the contract for Tomorrow.io’s constellation of radar-equipped weather satellites through its AFVentures Strategic Funding Increase program, which is focused on large-scale, strategic capabilities in support of Department

Smart cat: The new mobile game “Kitty Q – a quantum adventure” can be pre-ordered now. (Courtesy: Philipp Stollenmayer/ct.qmat) Some parents would probably baulk at the idea of teaching their 11-year-old about quantum mechanics, but here at Physics World we believe that it’s never too early to ponder the weirdness of the quantum world. Indeed,

The Pentagon’s trusted capital office was created to help U.S. startups get access to ‘clean sources’ of capital BOSTON — Chinese investments in U.S. space startups and use of Chinese software by DoD suppliers are issues of growing concern at the Pentagon, officials said.  “I will tell you that supply chain is one of the

WASHINGTON — A satellite servicing industry group is making progress on a series of standards that it believes can help enable the growth of the nascent field. In a presentation at its Global Satellite Servicing Forum Sept. 29, Brian Weeden, executive director of the Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS), said three

Zhi-Min Liao and his strain sensor. (Courtesy: Peking University) A new atomically-thick strain sensor is 100 times more sensitive than commercial devices and 10 times more sensitive than alternative versions based on graphene. According to its developers at China’s Peking University, the prototype device, which is made from tungsten diselenide, could be used to make

Sen. Bennet’s letter to Frank Kendall: ‘We urge you to formally suspend any actions to relocate the headquarters’ WASHINGTON — Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and other lawmakers are asking Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to suspend all activities related to the relocation of U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama. Due to “irregularities

SAN FRANCISCO – Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite operator Capella Space named Amy Hopkins, former Boeing Phantom Works Strategy Director, as its first vice president and general manager of U.S. Government Services. “Amy has firsthand experience as both the tactical user and the policymaker,” Payam Banazadeh, Capella CEO and founder, said in a statement. “She brings

In the run-up to the announcement of the 2021 Nobel Prize for Physics on 5 October, we’re running a series of blog posts looking at previous recipients and what they did after their Nobel prize-winning work. Here Matin Durrani talks to Brian Josephson, who originally made his name with superconductors but has since spent more

Dan Hastings: ‘I can’t tell you how many students think that flying a helicopter on Mars is just a cool thing to do’ BOSTON — MIT’s Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics graduate admissions program this past year saw a record number of applicants, “most of whom want to work in the space business,” said Daniel

SAN FRANCISCO – Spire Global is working with SpaceChain, a company focused on space applications for blockchain technology, to demonstrate the technology in orbit. Under the partnership announced Sept. 28, Spire will upload SpaceChain software onto a satellite in Spire’s existing constellation. Later this year, Spire plans to launch a SpaceChain payload on a new