Aerospace
The Biden Administration Must Designate Civilian Satellites Critical Infrastructure
Nongovernment satellites are vulnerable to attack, and calling them critical infrastructure would make it easier for the U.S. to fight back
Aerospace125 articles archived since 1845
Space Exploration
A New Private Moon Race Kicks Off Soon
Commercial spacecraft are vying to land on the lunar surface, but can they jump-start a new space economy?
Artificial Intelligence
AI Can Predict Potential Nutrient Deficiencies from Space
New work maps a region’s nutrient landscape
Defense
Kyiv Cruise Missile Strike Highlights Need to Protect U.S. Cities
A top U.S. commander wants to test technology that can better defend domestic targets
Aerospace
Electric Planes Take Off
More than 170 projects are underway worldwide
Natural Disasters
Starlink Offers Internet Access in Times of Crisis, but Is It Just a PR Stunt?
There are no individual saviors for Tonga’s Internet infrastructure
Aerospace
How Airlines Can Solve Their 5G Problem
A delayed rollout bought time to address worries that the new telecommunications standard would interfere with aviation instruments
Defense
Hypersonic Weapons Can’t Hide from New Eyes in Space
Tracking the missiles is like picking out one light bulb against a background of light bulbs, but new technology aims to see them more clearly
Aerospace
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Aces Helicopter and Plane Flight Tests
The biofuel, made from used cooking oil, could help the aviation industry cut climate-threatening carbon emissions
Engineering
Winged Microchips Glide like Tree Seeds
The tiny sensors could gather and transmit environmental data as they drift through the air
Aerospace
Starlink, Internet from Space and the Precarious Future of Broadband in Rural America
President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan includes an unprecedented $65 billion for broadband deployment, but money alone will not fix the U.S.’s Internet problem. This short documentary shows why...
Aerospace
Electric Aviation Could Be Closer Than You Think
Enabling air travel to decarbonize
Aerospace
Birdlike Flight Formations Could Cut Airline Emissions
A bioinspired arrangement could save energy by allowing one plane to provide extra lift to another—if both aircraft can remain stable
Aerospace
Rubber Airplane Propellers Can Eliminate Icing
Originally published in June 1994
Aerospace
Famed U-2 Spy Plane Takes on a New Surveillance Mission
Designed with slide rules in the 1950s, the stealthy high flier still has a lot to offer
Aerospace
“We Flew 100 Feet—Really We Did”
Originally published in June 1904
Aerospace
Like Taxicabs, New Airplanes Will Need Roofs
Originally published in January 1912
Space & Physics
No One Can Explain Why Planes Stay in the Air
Do recent explanations solve the mysteries of aerodynamic lift?
Aerospace
Plane Deicer Lasts Several Thousand Hours
Originally published in April 1945
Engineering
The Next DARPA X-Plane Won’t Maneuver like Any Plane Before It
The challenge is to build an airplane without moving control surfaces
