SpaceX makes it easier for small satellite operators to reach space
SpaceX is ramping up its commercial efforts with a new program offering regularly scheduled, dedicated rideshare missions for small satellite operators. Until now, smaller operators had to join a mission for a larger company, but this can entail long waits, or disruption if the main company has to delay the launch.
What Bill Nye’s solar sail means for the future of space travel
The unique spaceship LightSail 2 was recently able to fly through space powered solely by sunlight. This is a remarkable achievement in its own right, but it could have even more profound effects on the future of space travel -- making it possible to visit other planets and even other solar systems.
Flyboard Air inventor plans to unveil 250-mph flying sports car by 2020
After designing a hoverboard and crossing the English Channel with it, Franky Zapata plans to develop a flying car capable of cruising at up to 250 mph. The 40-year-old Frenchman has already started testing prototypes, and he wants to unveil the final model (with no fewer than 10 gas turbines) by the end of 2019.
CGI faces will soon be indistinguishable from real ones. Here’s how
British computer graphics company Cubic Motion has developed a breakthrough way of doing high fidelity motion capture without requiring markers and a motion capture suit. Here's how it works -- and why the company's dream of next-gen motion capture goes way beyond video games.
Elon Musk’s Boring Company plans to tunnel beneath another country
Elon Musk revealed over the weekend that he's planning to launch his Boring Company in China. The move, details of which will be released later this month, will mark the company’s first step outside of the U.S. as it seeks to build an advanced, subterranean transportation system.
Someone just flew across 21 miles of open water on a jet-powered flyboard
Franky Zapata has become the first person to fly across the English Channel on a jet-powered flyboard. The French inventor made the crossing in 22 minutes, reaching speeds of 110 mph as he flew over 21 miles of open water. The successful flight came a week after his first attempt which ended in failure halfway across.
3D map of the Milky Way depicts our galaxy’s twisted disk
Astronomers have created a 3D map of our entire galaxy, pinpointing stars called Cepheids which pulsate and can be used to track distance and changes in space. When put into a map, the data showed how the Milky Way is warped. The disk of the Milky Way is not uniform but rather twists at its edges.
Hubble image shows a glowing spiral galaxy turned on its side
A new image shows the galaxy NGC 3432, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Although it appears to be a flat line from this angle, the galaxy is actually spiral-shaped and we are observing it edge-on. The galaxy is located 45 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Leo Minor.
Soft robots can be formed into firm shapes using light and magnets
Soft robots may be the future, but there are challenges with them. Some applications require a stiff material which will hold its shape, and soft materials won't do the job. Now, scientists have come closer to overcoming this challenge by creating soft robots which can be reconfigured into firm shapes.
Extreme forces shape this planet like a football and cause metals to boil away
Astronomers have discovered a planet where heavy metals like magnesium and iron are being turned into gas and streaming out into space. Using Hubble, they observed the metals being are heated so much that instead of condensing into clouds, they are evaporating and escaping from the planet entirely.
There may be frozen water on the moon, new study suggests
A new study suggests that there could be thick deposits of frozen water on the moon, located in craters near the lunar pole. Discovering potential frozen water on the moon is not only of scientific interest. It could also be important for future lunar exploration, providing a water source for astronauts.
Planet hunter TESS finds more potentially habitable worlds
NASA's planet-hunting satellite TESS has been hard at work lately discovering a bevy of exoplanets, some of which could be potentially habitable. The findings include GJ 357 d, a prime candidate for further exploration, which is located within the outer edge of its star’s habitable zone.
Apollo rocks show the moon is 100 million years older than previously thought
The moon is 100 million years old than we thought, according to a new study from the University of Cologne's Institute of Geology and Mineralogy. Previously, the moon was thought to have formed 150 million years after the Solar System was formed. But the new study suggests the moon is much older.
See Hayabusa2 touch down on asteroid Ryugu and collect a sample
Japanese probe Hayabusa2 has been exploring asteroid Ryugu since it first touched down in February, and now the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) has shared a video of the touchdown the craft made last month. The video is a 10 times speed animation captured by the CAM-H small monitor camera.
The U.S. military is using solar-powered balloons to spy on parts of the Midwest
The U.S. military is using balloons to monitor activity in the Midwest. The 25 solar-powered balloons are reportedly being launched from South Dakota and used to monitor portions of Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. They're also capable of tracking multiple individuals or vehicles during the day or night
Got a bunch of old receipts? This $89 camera turns them into instant photos
Some receipts can't be recycled, but they can be used as paper for an instant camera. The Alulu is an instant camera that uses thermal receipt paper instead of instant film. The camera's creators say the camera creates affordable instant prints that are also environmentally friendly.
Has science gone too far? This invincible robo-cockroach is impossible to squish
A new cockroach-inspired roachbot can withstand weights of up to 1 million times its body weight. It can also carry heavy loads, climb slopes, and move at speeds of seven body lengths per second. Here's how its creators believe it could one day be used to help save lives.
This robotic ping-pong trainer is basically a mechanized version of Forrest Gump
Table tennis is not a sport that’s particularly easy to practice on your own. That’s where the new Infinity Smart Table Tennis Training Robot, created by iPong and table tennis company veteran Joola, literally comes in to play. Here's how it works -- and where you can get your hands on it.
The best electric bikes for 2019
A capable electric bike is perfect for a daily commute or trek along the trailhead. From Specialized to Giant, these are the best e-bikes currently available.
Biologists recovered RNA from a frozen prehistoric wolf. Don’t freak out, though
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have managed to successfully isolate and sequence the RNA genetic information of a 14,300-year-old mummified wolf from the Pleistocene era. Just try and tell us that this doesn't sound like the first act of a great horror movie!
B4UFLY app for drone pilots gets overhaul, so it should actually work now
The FAA's original B4UFLY app for drone pilots was roundly lambasted for being confusing, slow, and glitchy when it launched in 2016. On Wednesday the FAA rolled out an improved version to help drone owners fly safely. The app was knocked into shape by drone fleet management software firm Kittyhawk.
Malfunctioning postal delivery drone crashes and nearly hits kindergarten class
A Matternet delivery drone used by Swiss Post deployed its emergency parachute too early, causing it to break and crash about 50 yards away from a group of kindergarten children playing. The drone was a part of a pilot program that Swiss Post was testing in three Switzerland cities.
NASA will work with SpaceX on orbital refueling tech to get to the moon and Mars
NASA has tapped SpaceX to figure out a way to allow ships to refuel in orbit, the space agency announced Tuesday. The groundbreaking technology could eventually help crewed ships get to the moon and Mars in the future
In the future, hackers could cause traffic chaos by stalling self-driving cars
Think self-driving cars will solve all our traffic problems? Not if hackers have anything to do with it. Physicists at Georgia Tech University say that hackers could wreak havoc on cities by seizing control of a limited percentage of autonomous cars and causing them to stall.
Watch NASA’s Mars rover train for its 2020 mission with some bicep curls
The Mars 2020 rover is preparing for its big mission by doing some "bicep curls" in a new video released by NASA. The rover will head to Mars in July 2020 and is scheduled to land on the Red Planet’s Jezero Crater in February 2021 -- with a swole arm to collect dirt and rocks.
CRISPR gene editing to take on inherited blindness in U.S. study
A new study in the United States will use CRISPR gene-editing technology to attempt to treat LCA, a retinal condition that is one cause of inherited blindness. The study, which will take place later in 2019, is currently open for would-be patients to enroll. Here's what you need to know.
Saudi prince is planning a futuristic city with robot dinosaurs and flying cars
Want to live in a city featuring drone taxis, A.I. maids, glow-in-the-dark beaches, artificial rain, and robot dinosaurs? It sounds like something straight out of a Michael Crichton techno-thriller, but it’s actually a real proposal by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Scientists created a pair of contacts that zoom in when you blink
Ever wish your eyes came with a zoom lens? Soon they might. Scientists at the University of California San Diego have successfully created a pair of contact lenses measure signals sent by the electrical impulses of eye movement, and can zoom in on something when you blink twice.
Digital Trends Live: 5G iPhones, Fortnite World Cup, Siri is listening, and more
On this episode of Digital Trends Live, we discuss the biggest trending stories in tech, including rumors of 5G connectivity in upcoming iPhones, Fortnite World Cup winnings, Siri conversations being listened to, Teslas will stream Netflix and Hulu, asteroid samples, coffee-stirring robots, and more.
NASA’s TESS satellite discovered three new planets right next-door
NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, affectionately called TESS, discovered three new worlds during its latest exploration. The exoplanets are the smallest, nearest known to date and orbit a star that’s just 73 light-years away,
Micro machines: How the next big thing in robotics is actually quite small
Think that robots need to be the size of a dog or even a full-grown person to be exciting? Not so, as the fast-developing field of micro-robotics demonstrates. As it turns out, in some cases the world's most innovative robots may even be too small for many of us to see.
Astronomers spot formation of baby gas giant using planet-hunting satellite TESS
A young planet still in the process of being formed has been identified using NASA’s planet-hunting satellite, TESS. The planet, DS Tuc Ab, is nearly six times the size of the Earth, making it in between the sizes of Neptune and Saturn and most similar to the gas giants in our Solar System.
Scientists re-create marsquakes here on Earth using data from InSight lander
One of the primary objectives of the InSight mission is to gather information from a seismometer placed on the surface of Mars which listens to vibrations from within the ground, known as marsquakes. Now, a team at ETH Zurich has re-created the experience of a Marsquake here on Earth in a shake room.
Space telescope to probe the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter
Two of the biggest mysteries in astronomy are dark matter and dark energy. A new project from the European Space Agency (ESA), the Euclid mission, will attempt to unravel some of the puzzles over these forces and is set to launch in 2022. Euclid will perform a survey of billions of distant galaxies.