Lifeboat Foundation

COLORADO SPRINGS — Axiom Space has introduced a new program to allow countries to create human spaceflight programs without needing to develop their own infrastructure or other capabilities.

The Axiom Space Access Program, announced April 17, offers countries a tiered approach to conducting research on the International Space Station or Axiom’s future commercial space station, as well as flying their own astronauts.

The program is effectively a “space program in a box,” said Tejpaul Bhatia, chief revenue officer at Axiom, in an interview during the 38^th Space Symposium. “The real key is that turnkey access at affordable, sustainable and predictable rates.”

WangAnQi/iStock.

But now we’re learning that researchers in Sydney may have found a way to tackle this issue.

Lithium-ion batteries power our lives.

Because they are lightweight, have high energy density and are rechargeable, the batteries power many products, from laptops and cell phones to electric cars and toothbrushes.

However, current lithium-ion batteries have reached the limit of how much energy they can store. That has researchers looking for more powerful and cheaper alternatives.

Researchers predict that a “flashing” electric ratchet could separate same-charge ions by their diffusion coefficients, a possibility that could improve the energy efficiency of processes such as water desalination and purification.

A vertical farm built inside a greenhouse in Texas can produce hundreds of thousands of heads of lettuce with significantly less energy than usual.

By James Dinneen

Future food.

Think about grasshopper fries, a protein bar made of crickets or silkworm cocoons. As unconventional as it may sound, Singapore is trying to make insect food mainstream. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has given approval to 16 species of insects, such as crickets, silkworms and grasshoppers for human consumption.

Continue reading “Singapore approves 16 species of insects including silkworms and grasshopper for human consumption” »

A new Tesla Megapack project has broken ground in Arizona, and when it comes online in 2024, it will be the state’s largest energy storage system.

For utilities, battery energy storage is one of the most helpful new technologies they can employ to reduce fossil fuel dependence and increase the reliability of their associated grid. By holding onto excess power generated during lulls in demand, power companies can more easily address peak demand and, importantly, reduce costs. Now, a new Tesla Megapack energy storage system is set to do just that in Arizona.

The Sierra Estrella energy storage facility, constructed by utility company Salt River Project (SRP) and energy system constructor Plus Power LLC, will be the largest of its kind in Arizona. The massive network of Tesla Megapacks will have a capacity of 1,000MWh, enough energy to power 56,000 homes for four hours. According to previous information released by SRP, the project was set to cost $400 million, but this does not account for the recent Tesla Megapack price cut.

Sorry I’m not that active. My mom had a heart attack a little over a month ago and I care for her now. Plus last Thursday I went to the ER for overdosing accidentally on depakote which can be deadly. But check this out. In case of an emergency is this cool or what? Kind of expensive though.

If this summer you’re in the mood for some off-the-grid camping trips, this state-of-the-art self-sustainable luxury trailer is what you need. Designed from the ground up for off-grid camping, the trailer can also produce its own water, making it fully self-sufficient. This extremely sophisticated camper is the work of a California-based company called Living Vehicle which specializes in making self-sustainable luxury travel trailers. The 2023 model was recently introduced by Living Vehicle and it boasts a few industry firsts.

According to its makers, the off-grid camper is aimed at those who wish “to travel far away from campgrounds and overcrowded RV parks.” With a starting price of $340,000, the luxury camper is available in three versions: Core, Max, and Pro. Additionally, Living Vehicle offers a laundry list of options that can be added to the camper via the company’s online configurator.

Continue reading “This $340,000 fully self-sufficient, off-grid luxury camper is solar-powered and can produce its own water from thin air” »

Sodium-ion batteries (Na-ion) are being put into small Chinese EVs that are priced significantly lower than prevailing EV models.