Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 09, 2026
Controlling light across scales, from microscopes and telescopes down to nanometers, is a central challenge in modern optics. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam have now demonstrated a nanoscale mirror whose reflectivity can be switched on and off electrically using quantum effects in an atomically thin material. Physicists Tom Hoekstra and Jorik van de Groep of the UvA-Institute o

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 13, 2026
Stringent quality control is essential in the pharmaceutical industry, as both cosmetics and pharmaceutical products must maintain a high standard of quality. Any deviation from these standards poses a significant threat to their market survival. Customers believe that every product will work with every use. In vitro release testing (IVRT) is a crucial process that enables manufacturers to meet

San Francisco, United States (AFP) Jan 13, 2026
A trial in the lawsuit brought by Elon Musk against OpenAI CEO Samuel Altman and other defendants - including tech giant Microsoft - is scheduled to begin April 27, according to a federal court order issued Tuesday. The legal showdown will center on Musk's claim that OpenAI and Altman abandoned the startup's original nonprofit, public-benefit mission and misled him while turning the lab in

Beijing, China (SPX) Jan 13, 2026
Low-Earth orbit slots are finite, nonrenewable and increasingly scarce. Once they are occupied or effectively locked by early movers, latecomers face severe constraints on their ability to deploy satellite systems critical for communications, navigation, remote sensing and digital services. Under the long-standing "first-come, first-served" principle of the International Telecommunication

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 14, 2026
Diffraqtion, a space startup spun out of MIT and the University of Maryland, has closed a pre-seed funding round to advance satellite constellations and telescope systems powered by a novel quantum camera. The round is led by QDNL Participations, with participation from milemark+ capital, Aether VC, ADIN, Offline Ventures, and a non-dilutive DARPA SBIR Direct-to-Phase 2 contract that supports sp

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 14, 2026
In a key step toward sustaining crews on future lunar missions, Nimbus Power Systems has completed a campaign of shock and vibration tests on its advanced, gravity independent fuel cell hardware in cooperation with Blue Origin. The tests reproduced the harsh launch and ascent environments expected for NASA Artemis crewed missions, and the fuel cell met all specified performance targets while mai

by Poornima Apte for MIT News
Boston MA (SPX) Jan 14, 2026 Going to the moon was one thing; going to Mars will be quite another. The distance alone is intimidating. While the moon is 238,855 miles away, the distance to Mars is between 33 million and 249 million miles. The propulsion systems that got us to the moon just will not work. Taylor Hampson, a master's student in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineeri

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 14, 2026
Aerospacelab, a satellite manufacturing and design company, has been selected by Xona Space Systems to produce eight additional satellites for Pulsar, a low Earth orbit navigation constellation designed to deliver high performance positioning, navigation and timing services. The new order is intended to bridge early commercial demand, with launches scheduled to begin in late 2026 as Xona develop

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 14, 2026
Nullspace Inc. has released a new version of its electromagnetic simulation suite that targets large-scale antenna and radar applications with faster frequency analysis and streamlined CAD preparation for RF engineers. The company positions the software as a way to shorten design cycles and time-to-market for complex RF systems by combining high-accuracy solvers with new automation features.

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 14, 2026
As lunar exploration intensifies, the cislunar space is experiencing increasing congestion. Traditional two body Keplerian elements, which have long been the standard for Earth orbiting objects, prove insufficient for accurately describing the complex orbits near the Earth Moon Lagrange points due to the chaotic and non integrable nature of three body dynamics. This fundamental deficiency