Swimming robot makes waves

Researchers at the University of Bath have used nature for inspiration in designing a new type of swimming robot which could bring a breakthrough in submersible technology.

Electric solid propellant: Can it take the heat?

Electric solid propellants are being explored as a safer option for pyrotechnics, mining, and in-space propulsion because they only ignite with an electric current. But because all of these applications require high heat, ...

ESA's tiny pinhole thruster is ready for production

Rocket propulsion technology has progressed leaps and bounds since the first weaponized rockets of the Chinese and Mongolian empires. They were nothing more than rocket-powered arrows and spears but they set the foundations ...

NASA Spins Manufacturing Technology to Forge New Tank Hardware

Five years ago a group of engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., had the bold idea to manufacture a five-meter diameter fuel tank entirely out of ...

Electron microscopes with a twist

Vortex beams, rotating like a tornado, offer completely new possibilities for electron microscopy. A method of producing extremely intense vortex beams has been discovered at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Vienna).

Detecting material defects in ship propellers

Ship propellers are as large as a single-family home – and manufacturing them is quite a challenge. During the casting process, pores and miniscule cracks can form that in the worst case may cause a blade to break. Now ...

First journey for Alphabus spacecraft

(PhysOrg.com) -- The service module of the new Alphabus generation of telecommunication satellites has completed its first journey ? from Cannes to Toulouse, in France. The three-day trip was completed last Friday.

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