Space Exploration Technologies

A Balloon With a Tether Could Explore Venus’ Surface

Venus is very variable. Its surface constantly changes from volcanic activity, and the difference between its lower and upper atmosphere…

1 day ago

A Blown-Glass Structure Could House Astronauts on the Moon

Humanity will eventually need somewhere to live on the Moon. While aesthetics might not be the primary consideration when deciding…

2 days ago

Measuring Lightsail Performance in the Lab

Sailing has been a mainstay of human history for millennia, so it's no surprise that scientists would apply it to…

2 weeks ago

A Balloon Mission That Could Explore Venus Indefinitely

Sometimes, the best innovative ideas come from synthesizing two previous ones. We've reported before on the idea of having a…

2 weeks ago

Communicating with Gravitational Waves

When astronomers detected the first long-predicted gravitational waves in 2015, it opened a whole new window into the Universe. Before…

2 weeks ago

Fusion-Enabled Comprehensive Exploration of the Heliosphere

Novel propulsion systems are one of the most important ways to push space exploration forward - literally. Traditional propulsion systems,…

2 weeks ago

Space Shipyards Could Build Missions in Orbit

A classic scene from several high sci-fi movies and shows is when the characters approach their new spaceship in space…

2 weeks ago

Dynamically Stable Large Space Structures via Architected Metamaterials

Exoplanet exploration has taken off in recent years, with over 5500 being discovered so far. Some have even been in…

3 weeks ago

NASA is Testing Shape Memory Alloy Wheels

Rovers on alien worlds need to be built of strong stuff. The dry rugged terrain can be punishing on the…

3 weeks ago

Getting To Mars Quickly With Nuclear Electric Propulsion

A spacecraft takes between about seven and nine months to reach Mars. The time depends on the spacecraft and the…

3 weeks ago