Lifeboat Foundation

Earth has been hit by an intense, unusual blast of light that could change our understanding of the universe, scientists have said.

Late last year, scientists spotted a 50-second-long blast of energy coming towards Earth, known as a gamma-ray burst or GRB, which are the most powerful explosions in the universe. Immediately, researchers started looking for the afterglow that such blasts leave behind, with that visible light being useful to find where the blast has come from.

The animation describes the concept of launching a nuclear fusion reactor into orbit in sections for final assembly in space. The concept uses live footage of Pulsar’s existing hall effect plasma thrusters (HET) and hybrid rocket engines tested at RAF Westcott in March 2022. Pulsar is also developing LOX / Methane rocket motors to support this concept.

The space firm has already built the most powerful electric propulsion engine in Europe.

Nuclear fusion-powered rockets might be nearer than you think. UK rocket company Pulsar Fusion has been awarded funding from the UK Space Agency to help it develop “integrated nuclear fission-based power systems for electric propulsion”, a press statement shared with IE via email reveals.

Continue reading “A company’s nuclear fusion rockets could help us escape the Solar System in our lifetime” »

Interesting Engineering sighted ‘Spot the Dog’ with construction group Balfour Beatty. Naturally, we had a chat with one of their technicians.

‘Spot the dog,’ Balfour Beatty’s first robotic employee, was sighted by Interesting Engineering (IE) at the ‘Brooklands Science Summer School event’ yesterday (Nov. 29).

Continue reading “Spot the Dog: The robotic dog busy delivering data on dangerous construction sites for Balfour Beatty” »

Result from gigantic laser might help establish a new source of energy.

Google, Chevron and a Japanese investment company have invested in TAE Technologies, a nuclear fusion startup, which has raised $1.2 billion so far.

Work, conducted at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and featured in Nature Physics, shows that ions behave differently in fusion reactions than previously expected. Credit: John Jett and Jake Long/LLNL

Ions behave differently in fusion reactions than previously expected, according to new findings by scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). This discovery provides crucial insights for the future design of a laser–fusion energy source.

The findings, entitled “Evidence for suprathermal ion distribution in burning plasmas,” were featured in a new paper published in the November 14 issue of Nature Physics.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ui2NftuINZE

The rover is expected to be larger than the two China-operated rovers on the Moon earlier. Wu claimed that nuclear energy could also be used to power the hopper, a machine intended to lift off from the lunar surface numerous times and bounce in and out of a crater’s constantly shadowed section in search of water.

Nuclear energy will support the station’s communications facilities to maintain communication with Earth and power the station’s communications systems. It will also stay connected to the Earth and relay signals between the Earth, Mars, and deep space. China has also announced its desire to explore deep space.

Continue reading “China Could Set Up ‘Moon Base’ By 2028; Lunar Station Likely To Be Powered By Nuclear Energy” »

Someone else posted about this, but this is from LLNL. I love what they do, and Twitter reminded me of the many Photonics shares I have. This is cool, and Ill post more links.

November 7, 2022

A record high-laser-energy NIF target shot on Sept. 19 produced about 1.2 million joules of fusion energy yield. Compared with the groundbreaking 1.35-megajoule (MJ) experiment of Aug. 8, 2021, this experiment used higher laser energy and a modified experimental design.

Continue reading “High-Laser-Energy Shot Puts NIF Back on Track Toward Ignition” »