MIT engineers are testing a new propulsion system that combines the power and speed of conventional chemical thrusters with the precision and fuel-efficiency of electrical thrusters. The system could enable the design of nimbler, more flexible small satellites, which could perform both fast, powerful manoeuvres and slower, precise adjustments, depending on the mission and … [Read more...] about MIT’s new spacecraft engine could send tiny satellites to Mars
Technology
Staple-like particles reveal new path to strong materials
A team of engineers and materials scientists in the Paul M Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Colorado Boulder is exploring a new class of materials that’s built on interlocking particles. Their inspiration comes from the behaviour of tightly packed balls of office staples. Try to pull the ball apart and the tangled metal resists like a solid object, … [Read more...] about Staple-like particles reveal new path to strong materials
Advanced airliner concept delivers 17 per cent better efficiency
A new turboelectric airliner concept capable of delivering 17 per cent better efficiency over 2050 projections for standard airliners has been unveiled at the AIAA AVIATION Forum. The aircraft design project, led by the hybrid-electric aviation company Electra and assisted by engineers from the University of Michigan, is part of NASA’s Advanced Aircraft Concepts for … [Read more...] about Advanced airliner concept delivers 17 per cent better efficiency
Innovative, safer all-solid-state sodium battery could cut grid storage costs and reduce lithium dependence
Researchers from the National University of Singapore have developed a safer all-solid-state sodium battery using a low-cost 2D material. According to the researchers, the breakthrough overcomes key safety and durability barriers, advancing sodium batteries as a practical alternative to lithium for large-scale storage. Lithium-ion batteries dominate the market for … [Read more...] about Innovative, safer all-solid-state sodium battery could cut grid storage costs and reduce lithium dependence
Omnidirectional, sea-urchin-like robot defies traditional designs
Engineers at Duke University have developed a robot with no front, no back and 20 eyes set into telescoping legs, as proof-of-concept for a new design principle called dynamic symmetry. Symmetry is everywhere in nature, from the bilateral form of vertebrates to the radial geometry of starfish. For decades, roboticists have tried to copy these shapes and their abilities with … [Read more...] about Omnidirectional, sea-urchin-like robot defies traditional designs