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Systems Engineering
Government-spec’d glory projects produce tech demos. Enduring progress demands a better way forward.
With new labs, funding models, and institutions, metascience is reinventing the machinery of discovery.
The Juno spacecraft, orbiting and imaging Jupiter since 2016, is still succeeding. Without a further extension, the mission now faces death.
"Gyroscope-on-a-chip" technology could soon enable us to navigate over long distances without GPS.
A wave of innovation is coursing through the nuclear industry — but ingrained opposition is the biggest roadblock.
Experts answer 10 big questions about the nightmare scenario that could send us back to the pre-Space Age.
MIT Scientist Jason Soderblom describes how the NASA mission will study the geology and composition of the surface of Jupiter’s water-rich moon and assess its astrobiological potential.
Hypersonic aircraft can fly at least five times the speed of sound. They would make for terrifying weapons.
CERN's Large Hadron Collider is the most powerful particle accelerator ever. To go even further, we'll have to overcome something big.
Memorial day is a time to remember veterans killed in the line of service. These spaceflight heroes deserve to be remembered, too.
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works engineering division has devised many jaw-dropping aircraft. Here are some of the best — and one ship.
The authors call it "wildly theoretical" — but let's take a look, anyway.
Once water gets more than about 200 feet deep, building on the sea floor is out of the question.
They are expected to be cheaper to build and even more reliable than today’s nuclear plants.
Venus Life Finder could launch as early as 2023.
We've been somewhat lucky in the past...
The surface of asteroid Bennu is more like a plastic ball pit than the Moon.
Small spiders use their silk threads to passively fly, a process called ballooning. Learning how could help atmospheric scientists.
In general, 5G is not a threat to human health or activities, but there are some legitimate questions about interference with airplane instruments.
With advanced laser technology and an appropriate sail, we could accelerate objects to ~20% the speed of light. But would they survive?
A century ago, electric cars were common. The fact that they were almost entirely replaced due to the internal combustion engine is a testament to the glacial pace of battery breakthroughs.
After decades of development, whether NASA's Webb succeeds or fails all comes down to five critical milestones that are only days away.
It’s about 7.6 million times faster than what you probably have at home.
We give it the flight plan, and it takes care of the rest. It has to. Here’s why. No matter how advanced our technology becomes, there are certain limits that can […]
It’s last “hard” test is over. Now, we wait for its launch. Despite numerous delays, funding crises, and technical challenges, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is almost ready. The science instruments […]
We all have obstacles to overcome in pursuit of our goals. For Santa Claus, it’s clear that science is the key. Of all the challenges we face in our work, perhaps […]
Even with the best preparation imaginable, sometimes you have to get lucky, too. Even from our perspective in 2019, 50 years later, humanity’s achievements from July, 1969, still mark the pinnacle […]
With 1.6 billion households in the world, how does Santa do it? With a little Christmas magic… and a lot of science! How does Santa Claus do it? In one long […]