Space Products & Innovation
Dueling technologies would harness atoms for faster spaceflight
After decades of dormancy, the concept of spacecraft nuclear propulsion has returned to prominence. Projects from NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in partnership with the Department of Energy are looking to test the technology in space as soon as 2027.
Space-based research brings billions in value to medicine
Every year, NASA turns $10 billion in research and development funding into roughly 1,000 technology reports and 100 new patents.
Liftoff: Q1 2024 Highlights
The space industry is advancing faster than ever before with continual progress in the government, military and private sectors. Here are noteworthy business highlights from this quarter.
NASA Completes First Laser Communications Beyond Moon
As scientific instruments get more precise and the private and public sectors work to send humans farther into space than ever before, space data transfers are more important than ever before.
As Global Satellite Data Expands, Companies Develop AI for Initial Analysis
While most people may think of ChatGPT or deep fake images when they hear “artificial intelligence”, AI methodologies are proving beneficial for a wide variety of applications, especially in data-heavy industries such as Earth observation.
Satellite Constellations Weave Growing Global Search and Rescue Safety Net
Satellites have played a pivotal role in search and rescue efforts for more than 40 years. Visionaries from around the world applied space technology to search and rescue efforts on Earth and built an enduring global humanitarian program. Satellite tracking has saved more than 57,000 people worldwide, since the system’s first rescue in 1982. With new equipment in the marketplace, its role keeps growing.
International Space Station Experiments Freshen Laundry on Earth
In an ever-expanding space ecosystem, partnerships between the International Space Station and the private sector are growing more frequent. Product development with the assistance of NASA . . .
Born from NASA Space Innovation, Digital Twin Technology Blooms Across Industries
Digital twinning is a technology with roots in the space program that’s now the beating heart of modern business, solving production, supply chain, and delivery problems before they start and giving managers unprecedented insight into operations.
NASA’s EMIT Instrument Detects Massive Methane Emitters
One of NASA’s newest instruments on the International Space Station (ISS) is proving to be a multipurpose climate research tool as it demonstrated a secondary capability to detect methane gas emissions. The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission seeks to better understand varieties of dust and the effects on the climate. The instrument, launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in July 2022, is an imaging spectrometer that gathers data to determine the mineral compositions of arid regions on Earth.
Handheld Bioprinter Could Be a New Tool in an Astronaut’s First Aid Kit
Astronaut safety in space is always a top priority, especially as deep-space missions become a reality and the risk of medical emergencies increases. Alongside traditional 3D printing applications, bioprinting has the potential to support astronauts for medical issues ranging from small abrasions to lifesaving organ transplants.