Aerospace & Defence
High performance server blade for military networked systems
A powerful new packet processing and high performance server blade has been launched by Artesyn Embedded Technologies, the ATCA-7540, based on dual Intel Xeon Scalable processors (codename Skylake), which were recently announced. The ATCA-7540 provides a migration path and future-proof platform for defense applications in air/shipborne data centres, ground control stations, network data analytics, ad-hoc mobile networks and other C4ISR tasks.
'Into the Unknown' inspires next-gen engineers and scientists
Northrop Grumman has highlighted NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) programme to audiences around the U.K. in a series of special screenings of the documentary film Into the Unknown as part of the company’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education outreach efforts. This is the first time Into the Unknown has been screened in the U.K.
An experiment to tidy up outer space
An experimental project has been launched by UK scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to tackle the growing problem of space junk. Hundreds of thousands of man-made objects orbit the Earth, but fewer than 5,000 are operational satellites. The most congested area sits within 2,000km of the Earth’s surface, known as low Earth orbit (LEO), where collisions can cause further debris.
Holograms could be used to detect signs of life in space
The journal Astrobiology has published a special issue dedicated to the search for signs of life on Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. Included is a paper from Caltech's Jay Nadeau and colleagues offering evidence that a technique called digital holographic microscopy, which uses lasers to record 3D images, may be our best bet for spotting extraterrestrial microbes. No probe since NASA's Viking program in the late 1970s has explicitly searched for...
Weight-saving wire benefits from material innovation
Exceptionally thin and lightweight, Alpha Wire’s new ThermoThin Hook-Up Wire offers outstanding performance for a wide range of demanding applications and environments. It is now available from distributor Aerco. ThermoThin Hook-Up Wire delivers 600V performance across an exceptionally wide temperature range of -150degC to +300degC, and is well suited for applications where premium performance must be matched with space and weight savings.
One small step for man, one giant leap for RF modules
Developer of Radio-Frequency (RF)-based ultra-miniature wireless modules for integration into microchips, Insight SiP, has announced that its RF ISP130301 module went into space as a key component of the BodyCap e-Tact wearable device used by the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of its health monitoring programme.
Algorithm helps protect Mars Curiosity's wheels
There are no mechanics on Mars, so the next best thing for NASA's Curiosity rover is careful driving. A new algorithm is helping the rover do just that. The software, referred to as traction control, adjusts the speed of Curiosity's wheels depending on the rocks it's climbing.
Thrusters that self-assemble from fuel hold promise for small spacecraft
University of Michigan researchers have developed a concept for ferrofluid-based propulsion. As the trend for miniaturisation of electronic technology continues, more spacecraft and satellites are becoming smaller, with typical sizes reducing from about that of a fridge or small car to approaching a shoebox or even a smartphone.
Technique elucidates formation of extraterrestrial ice
Stanford researchers have for the first time captured the freezing of water, molecule-by-molecule, into a strange, dense form called ice VII (“ice seven”), found naturally in otherworldly environments, such as when icy planetary bodies collide. In addition to helping scientists better understand those remote worlds, the findings – published in Physical Review Letters – could reveal how water and other substa...
Journey to Mars: pipetting and cell isolation in space
Just like early explorers, NASA Twins Study investigators are venturing into new territory. Conducting human omics research on twin astronauts as part of the One Year Mission that took place aboard the International Space Station is one such venture. As technology evolves so does the research. NASA is evaluating more efficient and innovative research techniques to prepare for the journey to Mars.