Science fiction revisited: Ramjet propulsion

In science fiction stories about contact with extraterrestrial civilisations, there is a problem: What kind of propulsion system could make it possible to bridge the enormous distances between the stars? It cannot be done ...

Looking for lurkers —a new way to do SETI

The most recently discovered group of rocky bodies nearby Earth are termed co-orbital objects. These may have been an attractive location for extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) to locate a probe to observe Earth throughout ...

Climate change may prevent contact with alien civilisations

Enrico Fermi, when asked about intelligent life on other planets, famously replied, "Where are they?" Any civilisation advanced enough to undertake interstellar travel would, he argued, in a brief period of cosmic time, populate ...

Sailing Among the Stars

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA launch will evaluate how a nanosatellite spacecraft and its payload performs.

Solar sails could reach Mars in just 26 days

A recent study submitted to Acta Astronautica and currently available on the arXiv preprint server explores the potential for using aerographite solar sails for traveling to Mars and interstellar space, which could dramatically ...

Ultrasound can briefly induce a hibernation-like state in animals

Science fiction has long described sophisticated technology that can temporarily put humans into a suspended state, permitting characters to awaken far into the future, often after extended journeys through space. In reality, ...

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