SEM image of electrodes infiltrated with quantum dots. Courtesy: LANL Semiconducting nanocrystals called colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are ideal for applications such as large-panel displays and photovoltaic cells thanks to their high efficiency and colour purity. Their main drawback is their toxicity, since they have traditionally been made from cadmium or other heavy metals, such
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WASHINGTON — As revised commercial remote sensing regulations win widespread approval, the industry is turning its attention to how those new rules will be implemented. The Commerce Department published May 19 the final version of revised regulations for commercial remote sensing satellite systems, a year after releasing a draft rule. The intent of the new
The integration of ICBMs and space operations creates synergy and also signals a commitment by the U.S. to deterrence in and out of the space domain. The Air Force personnel who control land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and the Army personnel who operate national missile defense systems will not be part of the U.S. Space
Ocean Insight’s Liquid Transmission Measurement System (LTMS) provides real-time, in-line monitoring of liquid colouring and coating applications used across the consumer electronics and food processing industries Optical know-how: an LTMS test assembly at Ocean Insight’s Rochester, NY, development facility. When deployed into an industry setting, the LTMS can generate high-precision colour and concentration measurements on
SpaceX on June 30 is scheduled to make its first attempt to recover the Falcon 9 booster after launching a military satellite. WASHINGTON — SpaceX’s Falcon 9 to date has performed 86 launches, in 47 of which the rocket’s first stage landed back on earth. While rocket landings have become the norm for SpaceX launches,
WASHINGTON — The Canadian Space Agency announced June 26 it plans to award a contract to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) to build a robotic arm that will be Canada’s contribution to the lunar Gateway. The deal covers development of what the agency calls Canadarm3, which is an overarching robotic system for the Gateway rather
Ringing in the new: microscope image of a ring laser used by the Harvard group. (Courtesy: Capasso Lab/Harvard SEAS) Frequency combs are one of the most important developments in metrology in the 21st century, but conventional combs are bulky and highly sensitive to external perturbations. Now two independent groups present key developments in solid state
The contract would keep the Defense Support Program early-warning satellites in service until 2030. WASHINGTON — Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $222.5 million contract for technology upgrades to the Defense Support Program, a constellation of early warning satellites that has been in operation since the 1970s. The contract announced on June 26 by the
SAN FRANCISCO – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to acquire commercial radio occultation data for operational use, according to a detailed report released June 26 on the agency’s Commercial Weather Data Pilot. “Based on the results of the technical evaluation of the data provided by two vendors in the CWDP Round 2 Pilot,
Interstellar umbrella: artist’s impression of ‘’Oumuamua, which some astronomers claim could be an alien light-sail. (Courtesy: ESO/M Kornmesser) Breakthrough Listen is an organization that searches for evidence of technological life by surveying one million nearby stars in the Milky Way as well as 100 nearby galaxies. The search has been going for five years and
WASHINGTON — The European Space Agency formally started the search for its next leader June 25, with the current head of the agency recommending it select a “dynamic young successor.” ESA formally posted the job opening for director general a day after the conclusion of a meeting of the ESA Council, featuring representatives of its
SAN FRANCISCO – Ball Aerospace won a $96.9 million contract June 25 to build, integrate and operate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Follow On (SWFO) satellite destined for Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 1. Under the firm fixed-price contract awarded by NASA on behalf of NOAA, Ball Aerospace will design and manufacture the satellite
This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features three physicists at McMaster University in Canada. They responded to COVID-19 restrictions on in-person learning by mailing-out simple equipment so their students could do undergraduate lab experiments at home. Instead of just getting by with the new arrangements, Sara Cormier, Adam Fortais and Kari Dalnoki-Veress were
WASHINGTON — Space tourism company Space Adventures has signed a contract with RSC Energia for a Soyuz flight to the International Space Station that will include an opportunity for one customer to perform a spacewalk. Under the contract announced June 25, a Soyuz spacecraft will fly a “short duration” mission, which Space Adventures described in
Griffin’s resignation leaves the SDA without a major advocate inside the Office of the Secretary of Defense. WASHINGTON — Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Mike Griffin and his deputy Lisa Porter submitted letters of resignation to Defense Secretary Mark Esper on June 23 and plan to leave their posts by July 10. Esper
UHV Design continues to push the boundaries when it comes to sample manipulation, positioning and preparation in ultrahigh-vacuum environments Vacuum know-how: senior mechanical design engineer Lukasz Rybacki finalizes the test and assembly of a MultiCentre analytical stage in the UHV Design cleanroom. (Courtesy: UHV Design) There’s much ado about next to nothing, it seems, in
WASHINGTON — Small launch vehicle developer Relativity Space has won a contract to launch six Iridium replacement satellites, which it plans to carry out from a new launch site it proposes to develop at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Relativity announced June 24 that it won a contract from Iridium for “on-demand” launches of six replacement
The Air Force must fund three-year R&D agreements with companies to help them prepare to meet the requirements of the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 competition. WASHINGTON — The Senate Armed Services Committee’s markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 directs the Air Force to fund up to $250 million