New aluminum-water rocket propellant promising for future space missions

Researchers are developing a new type of rocket propellant made of a frozen mixture of water and "nanoscale aluminum" powder that is more environmentally friendly than conventional propellants and could be manufactured on the moon, Mars and other water-bearing bodies.

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Gravitational Corridors Act Like Space Lanes

Gravitational corridors describe minimum energy pathways between objects in the solar system; they connect Lagrange points where gravitational forces balance out. They were first investigated by Jules-Henri Poincare, the French mathematician, in the 1890's.

These twisting, ever-changing pathways provide low speed but highly fuel efficient paths between planets and moons. They create what some call an Interplanetary Transport Network connecting all of the major bodies in the solar system.

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New research brings 'invisible' into view

A group of researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology has developed a handheld camera that uses microwave signals to non-destructively peek inside materials and structures in real time.

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Super-thin flexible OLED from Sony

Sony's new "bendable" and transparent organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology is being shown in prototypes featuring an OLED a mere 0.2 mm thick. The prototype devices are a Vaio notebook, a flexible e-book, and a Walkman bracelet.

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Researchers create smaller and more efficient nuclear battery

Batteries can power anything from small sensors to large systems. While scientists are finding ways to make them smaller but even more powerful, problems can arise when these batteries are much larger and heavier than the devices themselves. University of Missouri researchers are developing a nuclear energy source that is smaller, lighter and more efficient.

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Bacterium helps formation of gold

Australian scientists have found that the bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans catalyses the biomineralisation of gold by transforming toxic gold compounds to their metallic form using active cellular mechanism.

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Navy Looks to Stop Enemy Ray Guns

The Office of Naval Research recently asked scientists and gadget-makers to send in their ideas for projects that will “form the foundation” for tomorrow’s “Counter Directed Energy Weapons (CDEW).” High energy lasers, “high power microwave transmitters, particle beam weapons [and] high power electromagnetic frequency pulsed weapons systems” are all on the Navy’s list of blasters that might need to be stopped, some day.

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Salt and paper make disposable batteries

A battery made up of paper and simple table salt has been created by scientists in Sweden. The battery can hold up to one volt of electricity.

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Xombie rocket goes the distance

Masten Space Systems' Xombie rocket has prevailed in its second attempt to qualify for a $150,000 rocket prize from NASA. The first attempt, back on Sept. 16, ended at the halfway point of the required round trip due to an engine leak, but today the rocket went the full distance.

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FCC warns of mobile’s looming spectrum crisis

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission warned Wednesday of "a looming spectrum crisis" if the U.S. government fails to find ways to come up with more bandwidth for mobile devices.

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SAM Manufacturers Eye 27 Billion Dollar Market Through 2018

Although surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) have seldom been used in active combat in recent years, their production is still anticipated to be worth some $28 billion to manufacturers worldwide over the next 10 years.

"MBDA, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon will dominate this market," said Larry Dickerson, Senior Missile Analyst for Forecast
International.

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