By Allison Kubo Graphene is a comprised of a one-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb structure. This sheet can be wrapped into fullerenes, rolled into nanotubes, or stacked to form graphite the same thing uses ing pencils. All of these are made of carbon: diamonds, graphite, graphene are all different arrangements of
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WASHINGTON — While NASA seeks to eventually transition from the International Space Station to commercial stations in low Earth orbit, the agency is putting on hold a solicitation to support development of such a free-flying platform. One element of NASA’s LEO commercialization strategy, announced in June 2019, was to fund development of commercial platforms, including
A grasshopper lands at a random location on a patch of lawn and then jumps a fixed distance in a random direction. What shape of lawn has the highest probability of retaining the grasshopper after its jump? In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast, we talk to a quartet of physicists and mathematicians
Marine Corps Mastery Gunnery Sgt. Scott Stalker will take over for Space Force Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman WASHINGTON — Marine Corps Mastery Gunnery Sgt. Scott Stalker on Aug. 28 will assume duties as the senior enlisted leader of U.S. Space Command, a spokesperson for U.S. Space Command said Aug. 27, Stalker will take over
WASHINGTON — A new report offers ways both astronomers and satellite developers can reduce the effect megaconstellations have on ground-based astronomy, but warned that no combination of measures can entirely eliminate the problem. The report released Aug. 25 by the American Astronomical Society and the National Science Foundation’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, or NOIRLab,
Studies suggest that human error is responsible for over 90% of the 1.25 million people who die each year globally due to car accidents. Therefore, improving driver safety is one of the biggest incentives for increasing the autonomy of vehicles. But this brave new world of autonomous driving is not without its own risks –
To create its own identity separate from the Air Force, the Space Force is naming its units deltas. WASHINGTON — The 45th Space Wing that oversees the space launch ranges in Florida will no longer be a wing, it will be a space delta. To create its own identity separate from the Air Force, the
Dorothea Klumpke. Photo: Wikipedia By Korena Di Roma Howley Just before 1 a.m. on November 16, 1899, an American astronomer named Dorothea Klumpke began her voyage over Paris and northwest France in a balloon called La Centaure, from which she hoped to witness the Leonid meteor shower as nearly no one had done before. Handpicked
WASHINGTON — Despite a weather-related pause in testing work, NASA still hopes to complete the Green Run test of the Space Launch System core stage in October, keeping its first launch on track for late next year. NASA said Aug. 24 that it suspended work on the SLS core stage at the Stennis Space Center
Let’s stay together: More than 100 organizations and individuals from the European scientific community have called on the UK and EU to agree terms for the UK’s membership of Horizon Europe. (Courtesy: Shutterstock) Rapid progress is needed in negotiations regarding the UK’s participation in the EU’s major scientific framework programme if collaborations are to continue
WASHINGTON — Satellite antenna company Kymeta has raised $85.2 million in a new funding round led by Bill Gates, the company announced Aug. 25. Redmond, Washington-based Kymeta will use its new funding to complete development of its second-generation flat-panel antenna, the u8, ahead of a release late this year, Walter Berger, president and chief
HELSINKI — Private Chinese space launch firm iSpace has raised $172 million in series B round funding to back development of a new series of launch vehicles and reusable methalox engines. The round was led by Beijing Financial Street Capital Operation Center, CICC Alpha, Taizhonghe Capital, citic securities and more, including existing shareholders, iSpace announced
Super sniffer: a male pine processionary moth. (Courtesy: Alvesgaspar/CC BY-SA 4.0) Inspired by the behaviour of moths, researchers have developed a novel collective search algorithm for locating the source of an odour. Robots that mimic moth search patterns have been proposed before for the detection of harmful gases and volatile substances. Now, research led Antonio Celani
NROL-44 is the first of the final five missions to be flown by Delta 4 Heavy between now and 2024 WASHINGTON — A Delta 4 Heavy rocket is scheduled to launch a classified mission for the National Reconnaissance Office Aug. 26 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. NROL-44 will be the 41st launch of
By Jonna Jasmin Güven I was pumping out the air from a vacuum tupperware box that had a marshmallow inside. The kids’ smiles were widening as the marshmallow was expanding inside the box. I asked one of the dads to try and remove the lid from the box. It wouldn’t come off as the vacuum
WASHINGTON — NASA is seeking ideas from scientists on the research astronauts could carry out on the first Artemis lunar landing mission in 2024. NASA announced Aug. 21 it seeking brief white papers on the science the astronauts on the Artemis 3 mission can carry out. The papers, no more than two pages long, are
Join the audience for a live webinar at 2 p.m. BST/4 p.m. EST on 16 October 2020 to share the results of End-to-End dose measurements for stereotactic radiosurgery quality assurance on a periodic basis Want to take part in this webinar? This webinar will share the results of End-to-End dose measurements for stereotactic radiosurgery quality
HELSINKI — China launched its latest Gaofen-9 Earth observation satellite and two smaller payloads from the Jiuquan launch center late Saturday. The Long March 2D rocket carrying the satellites lifted off from Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert at 10:27 p.m. Eastern. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) confirmed (Chinese) the launch, mission success