CubeSat propulsion technologies are taking off

CubeSats are becoming ever more popular, with about 2,400 total launched so far. However, the small size limits their options for fundamental space exploration technologies, including propulsion. They become even more critical ...

NASA tests new spacecraft propellant gauge on lunar lander

It's easy to measure fuel in tanks on Earth, where gravity pulls the liquid to the bottom. But in space, the game changes. Quantifying fuel that's floating around inside a spacecraft's tank isn't so simple.

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 picks Lockheed Martin to develop nuclear rocket

NASA and the US military said Wednesday they had selected defense contractor Lockheed Martin to develop a nuclear powered rocket, with a view to using the technology for missions to Mars.

NASA's Lunar Flashlight SmallSat readies for launch

When NASA's Lunar Flashlight launches no earlier than Nov. 30, the tiny satellite will begin a three-month journey, with mission navigators guiding the spacecraft far past the moon. It will then be slowly pulled back by gravity ...

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