Science

In Depth: All About NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover

NASA may not be sending up manned shuttles anymore, but that doesn’t mean we’re done exploring the solar system — not by a long shot. On August 5, the space agency’s new flagship rover is expected to land on Mars as part of an unprecedented search for traces of life on the Red Planet.


May 25, 2012
Science

NASA’s Environment Simulation Lab Recreates Space On Earth

During the Apollo years, NASA basically made up spaceflight as it went along. Nobody was really sure what would happen to spacecraft and astronauts in the cold embrace of space. So, before exposing these multi-million dollar investments into real space, NASA subjected them to the same harsh climates — except, in Houston.


May 24, 2012
Geek Out

US Navy’s Wooden Avengers Are Real-Life Minesweepers

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategically important stretches of water on Earth. Though just 47km wide, it accommodates the passage of 20 per cent of the world’s oil. Were Iran to plant sea mines there (again), global trade would be severely affected. Luckily, the Strait is defended by the Avengers — not the superheroes, the mine hunters.


May 23, 2012
Geek Out

This Giant Ship Ships Ships

When the USS Cole was disabled by an al-Qaeda attack in 2000, the US Navy faced a serious dilemma: How do you sail a 150m warship from Yemen to Mississippi when it’s got a 12m wide gash in its hull? You hire the world’s biggest semi-submersible ship to piggy-back it home, that’s how.


May 22, 2012
Entertainment

This Gigantic Pneumatic Cannon Fires Cars

Air guns are good for more than launching potatoes, marshmallows, or testing missile ballistics. Turns out, they’re also really handy for making cars fly.


May 19, 2012
Science

SpaceX Falcon 9: The Future Of Commercial Space Flight Blasts Off Tomorrow

Until just a few years ago, manned spaceflight was the exclusive sandbox of not just nations, but of the world’s select superpowers — the countries with enough disposable income to say, “F**k it. Let’s go to the Moon.” Those days are over, sadly, slowly smothered by shrinking budgets and realigning priorities.


May 18, 2012
Science

The HyQ Is A Robotic Italian Stallion

DARPA may be the Big Dog of robotic cargo transport for now, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only game in town. A new design from the Italian Institute of Technology may look like the US Army’s pack-bot but it runs like a Ferarri — or at least a skittering, mechanical Ibex.


May 17, 2012
Science

NASA Shot The MESSENGER — Into Orbit, Around The Iron Planet

And you thought hitting a thermal exhaust port was tough? Try shooting a 450kg satellite 7.8 billion kilometres across the solar system into orbit around a planet less than half the size of Earth, and just 45.8 million kilometres from the sun.


May 16, 2012
Geek Out

New Do-It-All Airbus Tanker Transport Will Keep RAF Flying High

As the Royal Air Force’s fleet of heavy transport and tanker jets come to the end of their operational service lives, the RAF is faced with replacing a lot of planes. Luckily, the new Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport is a union jack of all trades.


May 15, 2012
Science

How Scientists Suck The Salt Out Of Seawater With Electricity

Potable water is both a finite and renewable resource. While it is infinitely recyclable, the Earth’s stores of fresh water at any point are limited. So when humanity’s booming populations drain these reserves faster than they can be replenished, shit gets real. And this is how we fix it.