NASA's new ion engine ready for missions in space

(PhysOrg.com) -- A small robotic surveyor arrives to explore a near-Earth asteroid. Another robotic spacecraft is returning to Earth with a pristine comet surface sample. Meanwhile, a robotic explorer is approaching Uranus, ...

For NASA no easy answer for next space destination

(AP) -- Where to next? It's a simple question that NASA can't answer so easily anymore. The veteran space shuttle fleet is months from being mothballed and the White House has nixed a previous plan to fly to the moon.

Powering cube satellites

Right now, 10 to 15 Rubik's Cube-sized satellites are orbiting high above Earth. Known as cube satellites, or "CubeSats," the devices help researchers conduct simple space observations and measure characteristics of Earth’s ...

Electric aircraft take to the air

On the 1st of March 2009, a pair of electric aircraft had simultaneous maiden flights at Sywell Aerodrome near Northampton. These are the first electric aircraft to fly in the UK under the recently introduced sub-115 kg regime, ...

GOCE's electric ion propulsion engine switched on

(PhysOrg.com) -- GOCE's sophisticated electric ion propulsion system has been switched on and confirmed to be operating normally, marking another crucial milestone in the satellite's post-launch commissioning phase.

NASA journeys to the metal-rich asteroid Psyche

It's a world like no other: a metal-rich asteroid that could be the remnants of a small planet, or perhaps an entirely new type of celestial body unknown to science.

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