nasa

NASA takes delivery of first all-electric experimental aircraft

The first all-electric configuration of NASA’s X-57 Maxwell now is at the space agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

The X-57, NASA’s first all-electric experimental aircraft, or X-plane – and the first crewed X-plane in two decades – was delivered by Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) of San Luis Obispo, California on Wednesday, October 2, in the first of three configurations as an all-electric aircraft, known as Modification II, or Mod II.

The X-57’s Mod II vehicle features the replacement of traditional combustion engines on a baseline Tecnam P2006T aircraft, with electric cruise motors. [Read more…] about NASA takes delivery of first all-electric experimental aircraft

Nasa installs 7-foot-long robotic arm on Mars 2020 Rover

Nasa has integrated a 7-foot-long robotic arm on the Mars 2020 Rover.

In the image shown above, taken about a week ago, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, install the main robotic arm on the Mars 2020 rover.

A smaller arm to handle Mars samples will be installed inside the rover as well. [Read more…] about Nasa installs 7-foot-long robotic arm on Mars 2020 Rover

NASA selects first three companies for commercial moon landing technologies

Three companies awarded total of $250 million to develop lunar technology

NASA has selected three commercial Moon landing service providers that will deliver science and technology payloads under Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) as part of the Artemis program.

Each commercial lander will carry NASA-provided payloads that will conduct science investigations and demonstrate advanced technologies on the lunar surface, paving the way for NASA astronauts to land on the lunar surface by 2024.

Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator, says: “Our selection of these US commercial landing service providers represents America’s return to the Moon’s surface for the first time in decades, and it’s a huge step forward for our Artemis lunar exploration plans. [Read more…] about NASA selects first three companies for commercial moon landing technologies

Nasa selects some early winners in its Astrobee robotic arm competition

Nasa turns to freelancers to design a robotic arm for a flying robotic assistant on the International Space Station

Nasa and Freelancer.com announced three of the winners of the ongoing Astrobee Challenges Series, the latest crowdsourcing contest held by Nasa via Freelancer.com.

In recent years, Nasa has used Freelancer.com to hold several crowdsourcing campaigns in order to find innovative solutions to engineering problems they come across.

This time the Astrobee Challenges Series encouraged participants to design a robotic arm for a project on the International Space Station. [Read more…] about Nasa selects some early winners in its Astrobee robotic arm competition

Robots in space: Russians to send Fedor the humanoid robot to the International Space Station

The Russian space agency is planning to send its humanoid robot Fedor to the International Space Station.

Fedor stands for Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research and seems to have been developed as a fighting robot.

Fedor can shoot guns, drive cars and use a variety of tools, including drills, according to a video by Interesting Engineering (video below). [Read more…] about Robots in space: Russians to send Fedor the humanoid robot to the International Space Station

Spherical robot designed and developed by Airbus, IBM and DLR to be launched into space later today

Later today – at 5.42am EST to be exact – a spherical robot designed and developed by IBM, Airbus and DLR will be launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard a SpaceX rocket on a journey to the International Space Station.

The robot, called “Cimon”, is said to contain “next-level intelligence” and will take part in many scientific experiments on the ISS mission.

Cimon – which is pronounced “Simon” and stands for Crew Interactive Mobile Companion – is about the size of a basketball and will accompany German astronaut Alexander Gerst. [Read more…] about Spherical robot designed and developed by Airbus, IBM and DLR to be launched into space later today

NASA to send tiny robotic helicopter in search for aliens on Mars

NASA is planning to send a tiny robotic helicopter to Mars in its ongoing search for alien life on the Red Planet.

The Mars Helicopter, a small, autonomous rotorcraft, (see video below), will travel with the agency’s Mars 2020 rover mission, currently scheduled to launch in July 2020, to demonstrate the viability and potential of heavier-than-air vehicles on the Red Planet.

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine apparently dropped subtle hints that aliens could finally be found for the first time. “NASA has a proud history of firsts,” he said. [Read more…] about NASA to send tiny robotic helicopter in search for aliens on Mars

Nasa puts Puerto Rico on the road to helping search for aliens

Nasa has apparently put Puerto Rico on the path to possibly providing assistance to the space agency in its never-ending search for alien life in the universe.

Puerto Rico’s scientists and residents may be able to help Nasa make contact with aliens, and the space agency’s decision to choose the Caribbean island to host the Technology Infusion Road Tour in 2019 is highly likely to help in that ultimate goal.

Puerto Rican scientists claim Nasa’s only purpose with the decision to hold the conference on the picturesque island is to “contribute to the strengthening of the country’s aeronautical and aerospace industry”. [Read more…] about Nasa puts Puerto Rico on the road to helping search for aliens

Nasa considers sending shapeshifting robots to search for aliens near Earth

Nasa is planning to send shapeshifting robots to search for alien life on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.

Titan is 50 per cent larger than Earth’s moon and is said to be “Earth-like” in the way it has wind, rain, volcanoes and other climactic characteristics.

However, while it looks and behaves somewhat like Earth, Titan is believed to be full of methane and ethane, which are obviously not breathable by humans. [Read more…] about Nasa considers sending shapeshifting robots to search for aliens near Earth

Robotic inspection: Nasa testing new system for checking and fixing aircraft fuselages

Inspecting the outer shell of an aeroplane sounds so mind-numbingly boring that it absolutely must be one of those so-called “3D” – dirty, dull and dangerous – jobs that robots are supposed to save us from.

The absolute tedium of closely inspecting every square centimetre of the surface area of, for example, a typical Boeing 747 – which is about 22,000 square feet – would inevitably mean that some tiny imperfections can be missed by human eyes.

But could robots do the job any better? [Read more…] about Robotic inspection: Nasa testing new system for checking and fixing aircraft fuselages