tires Archives - Universe Today

A future rover on Mars may include shape-shifting capabilities. This innovative tech won’t quite be like the liquid-metal polymorphing robot from “Terminator 2,” but will solve a problem that have plagued previous rovers: wheel wear and tear.

NASA’s Glenn Research Center is now using shape memory alloys (SMA) to build better wheels for driving on Mars.

Universe Today Podcast

Universe Today podcasts with Fraser Cain

The Guide to Space is a series of space and astronomy poddcasts by Fraser Cain, publisher of Universe Today

Another week, another Open Space. This week, I answered questions about whether space-time could freeze, are standard candles like Type 1a supernovae still useful? And is the Great Attractor just a black hole?

04:33 Could spacetime freeze?
06:48 Any plans for solar observing in the star parties?
07:26 Are standard candles still useful?
14:15 Predicting future locations of planets?
15:26 Is the great attractor a black hole?
19:02 Is there a speed limit for gravity assists?
20:04 Why are there so many red dwarfs?
22:02 Did the Big Bang happen in one place?
23:02 Map of the Solar System's magnetic fields?
23:45 Favorite space travel system?
24:15 Star party for Jupiter/Saturn conjunction?
25:15 Are there stars bigger than UY Scuti?
26:50 Can moons have moons?
28:47 Best Star Trek?
29:33 Does the Moon have Lagrange Points?
30:45 Will Virgo supercluster stay together?
32:11 Favorite artificial gravity?
33:00 Would aliens feel different gravity on Earth?
34:30 What else did Crew Dragon take to the station?
34:56 Are we in a new space race?
36:33 Could you use a Moon for artificial gravity?
37:29 Why does it have to be a space race?
40:25 What did I think of Space Force?
41:26 How would territory be allocated on the Moon?
43:50 Will Mars colonists live underground?
45:00 Is James Webb too big to fail?
47:09 What about NatGeo's Mars?
47:38 Canadian space projects?
50:08 Why no missions to Uranus and Neptune?
51:20 What is Blue Origin up to?
54:50 Isaac Arthur just got married!
56:37 Strange matter versus black holes?
57:00 Canada arms and Canada legs?