Phys.org April 25, 2018 Optical solar reflectors (OSRs) made of quartz tiles designed to reject solar radiation and dissipate the heat that is generated on board satellites, are heavy, fragile, cannot be applied to curved surfaces and add significantly to assembly and launch costs. An international team of researchers (UK, Italy, Denmark) working on Horizon 2020 sponsored space technology project, developed a new meta-OSR coating enabled by the use of metal oxide that has very strong infrared emissivity while retaining a low absorption of the solar spectrum. A ‘smart’ radiator based on their metamaterial design allows tuning of the radiative […]
Category Archives: Space technology
Earth’s magnetosphere
Phys.org March 26, 2018 The magnetosphere was key to helping Earth develop into a habitable planet. NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) was launched in March 2015 to observe the electron physics of magnetic reconnection for the first time. Bristling with energetic particle detectors and magnetic sensors, the four MMS spacecraft flew in close formation to areas on the front side of Earth’s magnetosphere where magnetic reconnection occurs. Data from investigations by NASA and partner agencies not only help unravel the fundamental physics of space, but also help improve space weather forecasting. Understanding our magnetosphere is a key element to helping […]