#space technology

All articles tagged with "space technology"

An American startup wants to sell sunlight after dark. Who gets a say?

New

Science

Reflect Orbital’s Space Mirrors Raise a Night-Sky Governance Test

Key Takeaways

Reflect Orbital plans launch tests of an 18-by-18-meter orbital reflector.
The company has proposed uses including solar farms and search-and-rescue operations.
A cited model found sky glow from a future 54-meter mirror could extend tens of kilometers beyond a target beam.

DT Editorial Team·Oct 26, 2026·via phys.org

Why Tech Companies Are Racing to Put AI Data Centers in Space

Key Takeaways

The push for orbital AI data centers is driven by two constraints on Earth: electrical power supply and cooling.
Data centers are expected to account for almost half of U.S. electricity demand growth between now and 2030.
Solar panels in space can collect roughly eight times as much energy as on Earth, with minimal battery storage needed.
Model outputs would be transmitted to Earth by laser or radio, supporting a vision of solar-powered compute swarms.

DT Editorial Team·Oct 4, 2026·via fastcompany.com

NASA’s LunaRecycle Winner Points to a Leaner Moon Mission

Key Takeaways

NASA’s recycling challenge focuses on reducing waste during lunar and deep-space missions.
MIT won for a process that turns mixed trash into usable manufacturing feedstock.
The result supports NASA’s push for more self-sufficient off-world operations.

DT Editorial Team·Aug 29, 2026·via nasa.gov

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Space

NASA Will Test New Gamma-Ray Sensors in Orbit on a Robot Mission

Key Takeaways

AstroPix will get an orbital technology demonstration on a NASA robot mission.
The detector targets a difficult gamma-ray energy range with limited current sensitivity.
Future stacked versions could help study gamma-ray bursts and active galaxies.

DT Editorial Team·Jun 14, 2026·via science.nasa.gov

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Space

NASA Opens M-STAR Funding Call to Expand Space Tech Research

Key Takeaways

NASA opened the M-STAR application window on June 11 and it runs through August 11.
The award supports research tied to the Moon, Mars and deep-space exploration.
NASA says the program will help institutions grow scientific and engineering capabilities.
The initiative is administered by the Office of STEM Engagement and supports the Space Technology Mission Directorate.

DT Editorial Team·Jun 13, 2026·via nasa.gov

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Example of an electric propulsion thruster (this image features an electric Hall thruster) that could be used to send humans to Mars one day. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Space

NASA’s Lithium-Plasma Thruster Hits 120 Kilowatts in Propulsion Test

Key Takeaways

NASA tested a lithium-vapor electric thruster at 120 kilowatts.
The system could support faster, more fuel-efficient deep-space travel if scaled up.
Future human Mars missions would require power levels far beyond today’s test, but this is a key step.

DT Editorial Team·May 3, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Science

NASA’s Artemis II test showed laser communications can change how crews and Earth stay connected

Key Takeaways

NASA tested an optical communications system on Orion during Artemis II.
The payload exchanged 484 gigabytes of data over laser links during the mission.
The demonstration showed how future lunar missions could return more video, science, and operational data.

DT Editorial Team·May 2, 2026·via phys.org

Light-driven ‘metajets’ hint at a new way to steer microscopic flight

Key Takeaways

Researchers say nanoscale metasurfaces let tiny devices move under laser light alone.
The experiment demonstrated lifting and steering in multiple directions.
The long-term idea is that programmable light pressure could aid future propulsion systems.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 30, 2026·via newatlas.com

NASA puts fresh seed funding behind small-business technologies for the Moon, Mars and Earth

Key Takeaways

NASA selected more than 30 companies for roughly $16.3 million in SBIR and STTR seed funding.
The supported projects include work in batteries, propulsion, lunar landing technologies, manufacturing, and robotic gripping.
The agency is using early-stage contracts to build technology options for Moon and Mars missions while supporting wider commercial use.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 22, 2026·via nasa.gov

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Four things we’d need to put data centers in space

Innovation

Orbital Data Centers Remain a Radical AI Idea With Very Earthbound Obstacles

Key Takeaways

Space-based data centers are being pitched as a response to AI’s energy and cooling demands.
The biggest challenges include thermal management, launch, reliability, and scale.
The concept reflects how infrastructure-intensive the AI boom has become.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 3, 2026·via technologyreview.com

NASA readies a dense slate of technology tests for a March 30 Falcon 9 rideshare launch

Key Takeaways

NASA says multiple technology and science demonstrations will launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-16 mission on March 30.
Payloads include the AEPEX CubeSat for studying energetic particle precipitation and CubeSats tied to the MagQuest magnetic-field challenge.
The mission also includes work on in-space communications, logistics, and thermal protection systems.

DT Editorial Team·Mar 29, 2026·via nasa.gov

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