Astronomy

Quantum light is key to futuristic quantum technologies, but researchers have been creating it in the same way for 60 years – now liquid crystals offer an easier way to produce it

Quantum light is key to futuristic quantum technologies, but researchers have been creating it in the same way for 60 years – now liquid crystals offer an easier way to produce it

Stoke Space has announced the first successful hot-fire engine test for its Nova launch vehicle, which the company calls the "most robust, fully and rapidly reusable medium-lift rocket in the world."

Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have unexpected effects on the brain, opening up potential new ways to treat depression, anxiety, addiction and Alzheimer’s

Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have unexpected effects on the brain, opening up potential new ways to treat depression, anxiety, addiction and Alzheimer’s

Investments in carbon-free energy will be twice as large as fossil fuel spending in 2024, the International Energy Agency predicts

Satellites in orbit use rocket propulsion to maintain their altitude. These engines require fuel to power their chemical or ion engines but when the fuel runs out, the orbit slowly erodes with the satellite re-entering the atmosphere. A new type of electrical propulsion has been developed that has no need for onboard fuel. Instead it syphons air particles out of the atmosphere and accelerates them to provide thrust. Much like an ion engine but this time, the fuel source is air making it ideal for low Earth orbits. 

Tracing back the invention of the rocket takes us to ancient China around the 13th Century. Gunpowder propelled arrows were in use for military purposes and, known as ‘fire arrows’ were fired at enemy troops. In the 20th Century, rocket propulsion moved forward thanks to key players like Robert Goddard who has been hailed the father of modern rocketry. 

Dr. Robert Goddar with on his early rockets in Roswell

In 1926 Goddard invented the world’s first liquid fuelled rocket which led to a new breed of controllable rocket engines. The advent of the rocket engine in all its flavours has enabled human exploration of the Moon and a multitude of robotic explorers throughout the Solar System. 

The team based at the Surrey Space Centre hope that their new design will allow satellites to orbit at lower altitude and whilst they will experience more atmospheric drag, the plentiful supply of air will allow them to adjust. The concept can help with climate monitoring and modelling, satellite communication and Earth observations. 

At the low altitude orbits, the air is thin but the air powered electric propulsion can still harness the air as a propellant. The idea is very similar to ion engines that typically use Xenon gas as a fuel. Xenon ions are accelerated by a series of charged plates to high velocity and exit the engine producing small amounts of thrust. The new air propulsion works in a very similar way. The adjustments due to drag from friction imposted on the thin air will be constant but directly harvesting the fuel from the air outside means fuel will never run out.

A view of Earth’s atmosphere from space. Credit: NASA

Fundamental to the success of the engine is the air intake which collects gas molecules and directs them to the thruster. The molecules of air are then ionised by the thruster so that they can be manipulated by electrogmagnetic fields. Solar arrays and batteries will provide the power needed to ionise and accelerate the ionised air molecules at high velocities. As the air escapes from the thruster they produce thrust to drive the engine forwards. 

The team is made up of academics and engineers from Surrey Space Centre and Surrey’s Centre for Aerodynamics and Environmental Flow. The UK Space Agency have sponsored the team with £250k funding for a year. This will help them to progress the concept into full design, testing and orbital mechanics analyses. If successful in the coming years we may well see air powered satellites in orbit about the Earth. 

Source : New air-breathing spacecraft to provide better Earth observation and quicker communications

The post Next Generation Satellites Might Skim the Atmosphere, Using Air as a Propellant appeared first on Universe Today.

Alaska's melting permafrost is dumping toxic metals into the state's rivers, turning them bright orange and making the water highly acidic. The contaminated rivers are so vibrant they can be seen from space, and the problem is likely to get much worse in the future.

Tiny diamonds and quantum sensors can be used to measure conditions inside cells or living organisms, potentially offering a way to detect diseases or study biology in minute detail

Tiny diamonds and quantum sensors can be used to measure conditions inside cells or living organisms, potentially offering a way to detect diseases or study biology in minute detail

How could we tell the difference between an ordinary black hole and one connected to a tunnel through space-time?

How could we tell the difference between an ordinary black hole and one connected to a tunnel through space-time?

A gorgeous new photo from the Hubble Space Telescope, which is down to two functioning gyroscopes, captures the barred spiral galaxy NGC 3059.

Martian gullies have been the center of a debate about whether Mars ever has flowing water. Now, a comprehensive study examines the question.

The post What Martian Gullies Mean for Water on Mars appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Ed Stone, who for 50 years served as the project scientist for NASA's iconic Voyager mission, died June 9 at the age of 88.

In an exclusive interview with Space.com, Lego senior design manager Dan Meehan discusses the role 'space storytellers' have had on shaping the company's new space-themed sets.

Japan’s LignoSat will test wood’s resilience in space and could lead to a new era of more sustainable, less polluting satellites

Faster-than-light warp drives are theoretically possible to build, and if aliens are using them, we should be able to detect the gravitational waves produced when one goes wrong

Faster-than-light warp drives are theoretically possible to build, and if aliens are using them, we should be able to detect the gravitational waves produced when one goes wrong

The nova caused HM Sge to brighten in our night sky by 250 times.