Scientists turn toy into a 20-cent blood centrifuge

Many of us have played with whirligigs as kids, but now these playthings made of buttons and twine are getting a new life as medical lab tools for the developing world. Bioengineers at Stanford University have developed a blood centrifuge based on the children's toy that costs only 20 US cents in materials to build, yet can compete with commercial lab centrifuges costing thousands of dollars.

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Super Hornets drop world's largest swarm of micro-drones

With a whine like a swarm of giant angry wasps descending on a picnic, 103 micro-drones recently carried out organized maneuvers in the skies over China Lake, California. Billed by the US Department of Defense (DoD) as the world's largest micro-drone swarm, the Perdix drones were launched last October from three F/A-18 Super Hornets and autonomously carried out a series of missions that demonstrated collective decision-making, adaptive formation flying, and self-healing.

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Plastic bags made from shrimp shells might help Egypt's trash problem

A team of bioengineers from the University of Nottingham and Nile University in Egypt are developing a new substitute for conventional plastic carry bags using a material made out of shrimp shells. This biodegradable alternative to the more conventional polythene made from fossil fuels that is used in shopping bags is not only greener, but can also extend theshelf life of foodstuffs.

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Rocket Crafters granted patent for safer, cheaper 3D-printed rocket fuel

We've seen 3D-printed rocket engines, but what about 3D-printed rocket fuel? Florida-based Rocket Crafters, Inc. (RCI) has been awarded a patent for a method of fuelling hybrid liquid/solid rockets using 3D printing technology. The company claims that the process ensures the fabrication of flawless, high-performance, safer-handling fuel grain. It will enter service in 2019 for launching satellites.

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Lexus Sport Yacht Concept take Lexus styling and dual V8 power to the water

Lexus has taken the wraps off of something a bit different for the luxury car brand – a Sport Yacht Concept. Making its debut at Di Lido Island on Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach, Florida, the seagoing Lexus is a one-of-a-kind proof-of-concept that uses similar design language to the marque's land-lubber vehicles and is powered by two Lexus V8 engines.

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Falcon 9 returns to space with Iridium-1 launch

SpaceX's Falcon 9 booster roared back into service today over four months after a disastrous launch pad explosion threw its future into doubt. At 9:54 am PST (17:54 GMT), the reusable rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California carrying the 10-satellite constellation of the Iridium-1 mission. According to the company, this is the first of a series of launches that will eventually form the 81-satellite Iridium NEXT global communication network.

.. Continue Reading Falcon 9 returns to space with Iridium-1 launch

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New 3D graphene is ten times as strong as steel

It's incredibly strong and has unique electrical, thermal, optical, and chemical properties, but in some ways Graphene's two-dimensional structure makes it a bit like the laser was in the 1960s – a solution in search of a problem. To give graphene a new dimension, a team of MIT scientists have developed a sponge-like 3D version that has only five percent of the density of steel, yet is ten times as strong.

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Hubble charts path of the Voyager probes out of the Solar System

As NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 unmanned deep space probes head out of the Solar System, they are in territory that is the very definition of "uncharted." To help fill in the map, the Hubble Space Telescope is charting their path in order to learn more about the mysterious regions of deep space.

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Earth-like planets may not be very Earth-like

When is an "Earth-like" planet not Earth-like? It's a question that the search for life beyond the Solar System revolves around, and a team of scientist are using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to shed some light on the subject. By looking at the composition of exosolar planets, they conclude that some Earth-like candidates, including "garnet planets" may not be as habitable as once thought.

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DARPA's TUNA program completes first phase

If truth is the first casualty of war, then communications come a close second. To keep the US Navy and allied fleets operating when data systems are disrupted, DARPA is conducting its Tactical Undersea Network Architectures (TUNA) program, which has completed its first phase of development. The tactical data network uses a system of rapidly-deployable buoys and advanced fiber optic technology to temporarily reestablish data networks at sea, that may have been destroyed due to enemy action or other forces.

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Britain approves funding to develop laser weapon

Following in the US military's footsteps, Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded a £30 million contract to the UK Dragonfire consortium to build a Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) Capability Demonstrator. The prototype laser, which is scheduled for completion in 2019, will be used to assess the practicality and effectiveness of laser weapon technologies in the field.

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New radiation-tracking wearable gives you something else to worry about

To some people, the fact that radiation is an odorless, tasteless, intangible, and invisible potential hazard is alarming. To help reassure this market, Dosime is being released by the company of the same name. This personal radiation dosimeter aimed at the consumer market works with a digital app to display "accurate, reliable and easy-to-understand" information about personal radiation exposure because, you know, worrying about our step counts, resting heart rates and blood pressure thanks to wearables just isn't enough.

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Robot installs new batteries on space station

While people back on Earth were celebrating New Year's Eve, a robot aboard the International Space Station (ISS) got on with the job of upgrading the station's solar power system. Under ground control, the Canadian-built Dextre Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator robot moved on the outside of the orbiting space station, where it started swapping out old batteries dating from 1998 with new lithium-ion versions without the aid of spacewalking astronauts.

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Aermacchi M-345HET jet trainer makes maiden flight

Italian aerospace company Leonardo recently announced that its Aermacchi M-345 High Efficiency Trainer (HET) has completed its maiden flight. On December 29, the prototype tandem-seat basic jet trainer took to the skies over the Venegono Superiore airfield in Varese, Italy, under the command of test pilots Quirino Bucci and Giacomo Iannelli. According to the company, the 30-minute flight went off without incident.

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Boeing T-X jet fighter trainer makes maiden flight

Boeing's T-X single-engine fighter trainer airplane took to the skies for the first time today on a 55-minute flight. The fifth generation trainer being developed in partnership with Swedish defense contractor Saab was flown by Test Pilot Steven Schmidt and Chief Pilot for Air Force Programs Dan Draeger as an initial demonstration of the airworthiness of key systems.

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ESA Mars orbiter prepares for atmosphere plunge

While many people are taking it easy for the holiday season, ESA is gearing up for a very busy New Year. On January 19, the space agency will begin an unprecedented and complicated year-long maneuver to radically alter the orbit of the ExoMars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter around Mars using the Red Planet's atmosphere as a giant brake.

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Maiden flight for Gulfstream G600 business jet

Gulfstream Aerospace's long-cabin, twin-engine G600 business jet has taken to the air for the first time, kicking off its flight-test program. According to Gulfstream, the test flight went off without a hitch with test pilots Scott Martin and Todd Abler at the controls supported by Flight Test engineer Nathaniel Rutland. It took off on December 17 at 1:50 pm EST from Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport, Georgia and was in the air for two hours and 53 minutes.

.. Continue Reading Maiden flight for Gulfstream G600 business jet

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ExoMars 2020 rover mission gets green light

ESA and Thales Alenia Space have signed a contract that puts the ExoMars 2020 mission on track to place a rover on the Red Planet. Scheduled to launch in 2020, the signing of a contract authorizes the final development, construction, and testing of the European components of the lander/rover, including the parachute, radar, inertial measurement unit, UHF radio elements, and the computer and software.

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First production-configuration Scorpion takes to the skies

The first production conforming version of the Textron AirLand Scorpion light reconnaissance/strike/training aircraft has made a successful maiden flight at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas. Experimental test pilots Don Parker and Dave Sitz carried out a series of tests on the multi-mission, twin-seater, twin-engine jet during the one hour and 42 minute flight to verify the avionics and flight performance of the aircraft as well as other flight systems.

.. Continue Reading First production-configuration Scorpion takes to the skies

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DARPA's ALIAS aircraft automation program spreads its wings

The age of widespread autonomous flight came another step closer as DARPA announced its Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) has completed Phase 2 of its development program. The drop-in, removable kit designed to convert conventional aircraft into advanced automated vehicles requiring fewer crew was installed in two different Cessna 208 Caravan fixed-wing aircraft, a Diamond DA-42 fixed-wing aircraft, and a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter.

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Samsung VR7000 robot vacuum takes orders via Amazon Echo

Samsung Electronics will be debuting its latest Powerbot vacuum cleaner, the VR7000, at CES next week. The VR7000 is not only 28 percent slimmer than previous Samsung robotic vacuums, but can be operated by voice commands using Amazon's Echo smart speaker.

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What goes up: The year in space, 2016

2016 was a busy year in space with new Mars missions launched, a NASA probe saying hello to Jupiter, and the most ambitious comet exploration mission drawing to a close. It was a year when NASA geared up for the return of astronauts to deep space, and technological milestones reached in new launch vehicles followed by frustrating setbacks. And it was the year when we said goodbye to the last of the Mercury Seven astronauts. So join us as we look back on the highlights of the year in space, 2016.

.. Continue Reading What goes up: The year in space, 2016

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New frontiers: The year ahead in space

2016 was a busy year in space and 2017 looks like things aren't going to slow down. It's a year that will see new US space priorities, a dramatic ending to a veteran space probe, new missions launched, an orbital cliff hanger, and a free space spectacle for free if you happen to be in the US in August. New Atlas looks at the highlights of the coming year in space.

.. Continue Reading New frontiers: The year ahead in space

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SpaceX Falcon 9 cleared for flight after investigation

After four months of intensive investigation, SpaceX says that its Falcon 9 booster has been cleared for flight and will return to service on January 8. The reusable booster was grounded after a catastrophic launch pad explosion during a fueling operation on September 1, 2016 at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. According to the company, the cause of the accident has been identified and steps have been taken to prevent its recurrence.

.. Continue Reading SpaceX Falcon 9 cleared for flight after investigation

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