‘Ring of Fire’ Rocket Engines Put a New Spin on Spaceflight
Rotating detonation engines developed by NASA and others could spark a rocketry revolution
Aerospace
Mars Sample Return Is Still Worth Doing—Even If We Have to Wait
We should return samples from Mars to answer fundamental scientific
questions. That could mean stretching out the mission to keep NASA’s
other projects intact
We Need Cybersecurity in Space to Protect Satellites
Amid rising numbers of cyber threats, safeguarding our satellites is no longer optional but a necessity for global security and reliability
The Government’s Former UFO Hunter Found Something More Concerning Than Aliens
Sean Kirkpatrick looked into the skies and deep into government archives for extraterrestrials. What he found is, to him, more concerning than little green men.
Here’s What I Learned as the U.S. Government’s UFO Hunter
A forthcoming investigational report from an office of the Pentagon has found no evidence of aliens, only allegations circulated repeatedly by UFO claim advocates
Space and Submarine Explorers Are Right to Take Risks
What lessons does the loss of the Titan submersible have for preventing spaceflight disasters?
What It Takes to Grow Crystals in Space
Researcher Debbie G. Senesky builds materials that can work on Venus
‘The Moose’ and Other Military Planes May Have to Cut Cargo as Planet Warms
The C-17 Globemaster III—which transports troops and tanks—may have to shed weight as rising temperatures driven by climate change affect flying conditions
India Aims for the Moon with Launch of Chandrayaan-3
After a failure in 2019, India’s second attempt to land on the moon comes as the nation signs on to a U.S.-led plan to shape future global lunar activities
Early-Warning System Could Reduce Injuries from In-Flight Turbulence
Ground-mounted microphones could pick up ultralow-frequency sound waves produced by clear-air turbulence, the leading cause of in-flight injuries and fatalities
Drone-on-Drone Combat in Ukraine Marks a New Era of Aerial Warfare
Antidrone technology is combatting “flying IEDs” in the air over Ukraine—with implications beyond the war with Russia
What High-Tech Prizes Does the Downed U.S. Drone Hold? Russia Really Wants to Know
An MQ-9 Reaper drone is sitting at the bottom of the Black Sea. Will the U.S. or Russia recover it?