Acta Astronautica is sponsored by the International Academy of Astronautics. Content is based on original contributions in all fields of basic, engineering, life and social space sciences and of space technology related to: The peaceful scientific exploration of space, Its exploitation for human welfare and progress; Conception, design, development and operation of space-borne and Earth-based systems. In addition to regular issues, the journal publishes selected proceedings of the annual International Astronautical Congress (IAC), transactions of the IAA and special issues on topics of current interest, such as microgravity, space station technology, geostationary orbits, and space economics. Other subject areas include satellite technology, space transportation and communications, space energy, power and propulsion, astrodynamics, extraterrestrial intelligence and Earth observations.
No longer solely in the realm of science fiction, the possibility of interstellar travel has appeared, tantalizingly, on the horizon. Although we may not see it in our lifetimes—at least not some real version of the fictional ...
Astronomy
Jan 6, 2022
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2270
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 ...
Space Exploration
Sep 22, 2023
10
233
Could a laser send a spacecraft to Mars? That's a proposed mission from a group at McGill University, designed to meet a solicitation from NASA. The laser, a 10-meter wide array on Earth, would heat hydrogen plasma in a chamber ...
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists are part of a national planetary defense team that designed a conceptual spacecraft to deflect Earth-bound asteroids and evaluated whether it would be able to nudge ...
Space Exploration
Mar 15, 2018
47
1195
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 ...
Space Exploration
Dec 20, 2021
20
859
Terraforming Mars is one of the great dreams of humanity. Mars has a lot going for it. Its day is about the same length as Earth's, it has plenty of frozen water just under its surface, and it likely could be given a reasonably ...
Space Exploration
Nov 22, 2021
2
280
On January 3, 2019, China's Chang'e-4 lander touched down on the far side of the moon and deployed the Yutu rover. In addition to its many instruments, the rover carried an important science experiment known as the Biological ...
Space Exploration
Oct 30, 2023
5
29
The planet Mars is calling to us. At least, that is the impression one gets when examining all the planned and proposed missions to the red planet in the coming decade. With so many space agencies currently sending missions ...
Space Exploration
Jun 6, 2022
8
61
It's the first time a visitor from another star system has been seen nearby. But what is it? An asteroid, a comet … or an alien artifact?
Astronomy
Dec 5, 2018
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666
One of the hardest things for many people to conceptualize when talking about how fast something is going is that they must ask, "Compared to what?" All motion only makes sense from a frame of reference, and many spacecraft ...
Space Exploration
Dec 26, 2023
4
95
