Latest news with #human spaceflight
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The Elusive Aerospike Engine Is Finally Moving From Theory to Reality
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: The aerospike engine—which uses air pressure to shape the downward force needed to launch a spacecraft—has been on the cusp of entering mainstream rocketry for decades. Now, a new company called Leap 71 is moving fast, designing a new aerospike engine and 3D printing it for testing all within a few weeks. The successful test this past December paved the way for the company's adoption of a reference design called the Noyron XRA-2E5, which could be tested no later than the end of 2026. For 65 years of human spaceflight, rockets ferrying astronauts to the stars have all had bell-shaped nozzles specifically designed to produce enough thrust to lift massive payloads off the launchpad. But this decades-old design comes with limitations. The biggest one is that bell nozzles only work optimally at certain atmospheric pressures, which is one reason why most rockets actually contain many stages during a mission. If you could improve this inefficiency, rockets could just have one single stage that they use for the entire mission. That would save on payload weight and, of course, money. So, for decades, scientists have wondered whether other geometric designs—ones that could effectively adjust to atmospheric pressure during flight—could one day replace bell-shaped nozzles. The leading contender is an idea known as the aerospike, which relies on atmospheric pressure itself to create the outside wall of a virtual bell. The idea is that as atmospheric pressure changes, the bell itself would change as well. The idea isn't new, as this rocket engine—designed in both toroidal and linear configurations—has been on the precipice of the mainstream ever since NASA strapped one to an SR-71 in the 90s. However, the engine has never proven itself to be adequate replacement for traditional rocket bells. But times have changed, and in 2024, the aerospike had one of its best years in recent memory. In late October, the German aerospace company Polaris Spaceplanes successfully demonstrated a linear aerospike (LAS) engine mid-flight. Now, the company hopes to launch a successor, called the Nova, in 2025. But it was actually a late entry from the Dubai-based computational engineering company Leap 71 that gave a glimpse of what the future research into aerospikes—and aerospace propulsion more broadly—might look like. On December 18, 2024, the company test fired its oxygen-and-kerosene-burning toroidal aerospike rocket for 11 seconds, recording a 1,110 pounds of thrust. And while that's cool in and of itself, it's not as impressive as how it was made. Leap 71 used an in-house AI computation engineering model known as Noyron to design the rocket and then used a 3D-printing technique known as 'Laser Powder Bed Fusion' to create an engine built from an aerospace copper alloy. Building a new rocket engine usually takes several years (at least), but Leap 71 claims that their aerospike engine took only a matter of weeks to design, manufacture, and test. The company even addressed one of the aerospike's biggest design challenges—how to cool the spike itself. 'We were able to extend Noyron's physics to deal with the unique complexity of this engine type,' Leap 71 CEO Josefine Lissner said in a press statement. 'The spike is cooled by intricate cooling channels flooded by cryogenic oxygen, whereas the outside of the chamber is cooled by the kerosene fuel.' In April 2025, the company announced that they're moving forward with an aerospike reference design called the Noyron XRA-2E5, and it hopes to perform first tests on the design by the end of 2026. Aerospike engines have long been waiting for a chance to prove their usefulness, and thanks to AI computational tools and rapid prototyping via 3D printing, that chance may come much sooner than anyone expected. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Arabian Business
21-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
UAE astronauts reveal ambitious space plans at GITEX EUROPE
UAE astronauts Hazza Al Mansouri and Nora Al Matrooshi outlined the Emirates' expanding space ambitions on the sidelines of the inaugural GITEX Europe in Berlin, highlighting the nation's progress in satellite development, human spaceflight, and space-related artificial intelligence applications. Speaking to Arabian Business on Wednesday at Messe Berlin, where the first European edition of the Dubai-born technology exhibition is being held from May 21-23, the astronauts detailed how the UAE is positioning itself as both a regional and global player in space exploration and technology. UAE's expanding space capabilities 'In the UAE, we are now focusing on developing our in-house capabilities in terms of satellite development,' said Al Mansouri, who made history in 2019 as the first Emirati in space. 'We are already reaching a point where we are developing our own satellites in-house in the UAE, with Emirati engineers involved in the whole process.' Al Mansouri highlighted the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre's (MBRSC) latest satellite, where more than 90 per cent of components were built and provided by the UAE's domestic industry, spanning mechanical and electronic elements. The UAE's human spaceflight programme, established in 2017, has rapidly evolved from its first short-duration mission to more ambitious long-term goals. Following Sultan Al Neyadi's six-month mission to the International Space Station in 2023, the nation is preparing for future ventures with a sustainable approach. 'Our space programme, new space flight is a sustainable one. We are looking at really four to five years to launch an astronaut to space and different various missions,' Al Mansouri explained. A cornerstone of the UAE's space strategy is its participation in NASA's Lunar Gateway project, where the Emirates will provide a critical airlock component. 'With that partnership, with NASA and the international partners, we are going to be building the Gateway, part of Gateway, which is the airlock,' said Al Mansouri. 'The UAE is going to provide to NASA the airlock at 2030 and at that time we can launch also an astronaut with that mission.' Al Matrooshi, who in 2021 became the first female Arab astronaut, highlighted the programme's readiness approach. 'The space missions are usually decided on by our leadership. So it's not my choice on what the mission is or when it's going to be, but the goal is to be ready for each and every mission,' she told Arabian Business. 'If it's a mission to the ISS, if it's a mission to the moon, if it's a mission to Mars, the UAE astronauts will be ready for that. We are training continuously with our international partners,' Al Matrooshi added. AI revolutionises space exploration Both astronauts highlighted the growing importance of artificial intelligence in space exploration. The MBRSC is already implementing AI for analysing satellite data to aid urban planning, agriculture, and global disaster management. 'We are focusing on implementing AI with the data analysis and photos and pictures that we are taking from our satellites, and how we can help people on ground, not only in the UAE or the region, but the whole globe,' Al Mansouri said. He cited a project where AI helped count approximately four million trees in the UAE's Al Ain city to inform planning decisions. The centre has also provided satellite imagery to assist with international disaster responses, including the earthquake in Japan and flooding in Libya in recent years. Looking forward, Al Matrooshi identified lunar exploration as the next frontier for AI applications in space. 'Everyone is looking towards the moon. So I think utilising AI, for example, to select locations where humans can land on the moon, where we can start to build our permanent settlements on the moon, and then start doing the same to Mars as well.' The astronauts' presence at GITEX Europe underscores the UAE's strategy of expanding its technological footprint globally. The Dubai-born exhibition has previously launched editions in Africa and Asia before making its European debut this year. 'Taking GITEX all around the world makes it easier to reach more people, and that's what the UAE is going to be doing,' Al Matrooshi noted. 'The amount of information or collaboration that you get when you visit these types of events… it's very important to make sure that you have a presence in these types of events.' Al Mansouri echoed this sentiment, viewing the expansion as evidence of the UAE's growing technological leadership. 'That showcases that the UAE is a leading partner, also a leading entity in that sector, technology itself and AI,' he said. 'We are leading so many countries in the region, and being here in Europe, it's a proof of that… UAE is the future, UAE is the hub for AI, and definitely our impact gonna be huge in the region, and now, global.' The strong UAE presence at GITEX Europe, particularly from public sector entities, reflects the nation's coordinated push to establish itself as a key player in the global technology ecosystem while advancing its space programme as part of a broader economic diversification strategy.
