Launchpad

Launchpad

Autonomous space launch system

Researchers in China are building an intelligent space transportation system for autonomous reusable launch vehicles that can be relaunched in as little as an hour. The AI-enabled system includes smart test launches, high-reliability...

Launchpad

Power management for in-orbit AI processing

A radiation-tolerant, high current density DC–DC converter module powers an AI-enabled transponder in space systems. Spacechips is using a radiation-tolerant DC–DC converter from Vicor for the most power-dense, reliable transponder for in-orbit...

Launchpad

Extending the life of the Mars rover

NASA has updated the capabilities of the Curiosity rover on Mars to extend the mission life. Thirteen years since Curiosity landed, the six-wheeled robot has been given more autonomy and the ability to multitask. There have also been improvements...

Launchpad

3D printing isn’t lost in space in zero gravity

Researchers in Scotland have developed a 3D printer that can operate in zero gravity in orbit. Instead of the filaments used in 3D printers on Earth, the printer uses a granular material, designed to work effectively in microgravity and the vacuum of space....

Launchpad

Powered descent guidance algos for reusable rockets

Blue Origin and Space X have shown how rocket launchers can return autonomously to Earth, and now researchers in China have published algorithms for powered descent guidance (PDG) for reusable rockets to accomplish high-precision landing...

Launchpad

Organic photovoltaic solar cell works in space

Researchers in the US have developed a flexible, organic, photovoltaic (OPV) solar cell that functions well in space. Space missions often decide on gallium arsenide for its high efficiency and resistance to damage from protons, but it is expensive...

Launchpad

NASA report on Ingenuity rotorcraft’s failure on Mars

US space agency NASA has published its accident report into the failure of its Ingenuity rotorcraft on Mars, showing early designs for its successor. Ingenuity lasted 72 missions on Mars and flew 30 times further than intended Engineers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and AeroVironment...

Launchpad

Space gyroscope aims to surpass navigational grade

The Resonator Laser Gyroscope is being created for the US Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the US Space Force. The gyro will be used in space missions to navigate autonomous systems...

Launchpad

Shielding spacecraft from heat in re-entry

The thermal protection system (TPS) is based on silicon carbide. Developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory...

Launchpad

Mini gyro will explore Phobos moon

Two of the CRM200 gyros will be used by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) for use in the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX)...

Launchpad

Robot care for orbiting satellites

The team at the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Naval Centre for Space Technology (NCST)...

Launchpad

Thruster lifespan tester

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a technique that will help determine the lifetime of electric propulsion systems for autonomous space vehicles. The team used data from low-pressure chamber experiments and large-scale computations to develop a model...

Launchpad

Mars ‘copter reaches 50

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has completed its 50th flight on the Red Planet...

Launchpad

ISS craft nears launch 

Sierra Space has completed a key step in its preparations for the launch of its Dream Chaser...

Launchpad

Space tests for rollable solar cells

Rollable perovskite photovoltaic (PV) solar cells are being tested in orbit to provide power for satellites...

Launchpad

Four-legged robots explore Moon-like terrain

Researchers are teaching dog-like robots to navigate craters of the Moon and other challenging...
UPCOMING EVENTS