Dreams of antimatter space propulsion are closer to reality than most rocket scientists could ever imagine, says former Fermilab physicist Gerald Jackson. In fact, if money were no object, he says an antimatter-driven spacecraft prototype could be tested within a decade. To that end, next month, Jackson and his Chicago-based Hbar Technologies firm are launching a $200,000 Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund the next phase of its antimatter propulsion research.
Category Archives: News
Student Expelled over Gun-Firing Drone Sues University
Austin Haughwout, the Central Connecticut State University engineering student who was expelled last October for building a gun-firing drone, has filed a lawsuit against the university. The lawsuit, filed in New Britain Superior Court, alleges that Haughwout, of 7 Egypt Lane in Clinton, was expelled unlawfully by university officials. Continue reading
Broadcast TV Drone Launched at SXSW
Amongst the music and films that make up the annual South by Southwest Festival, New York-based startup Aerobo will launch its new Micro Unmanned Aerial System that it says it specifically designed for the broadcast TV industry. The drone will be unveiled toady, Monday, March 14, at the Google Fiber Pavilion with FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and UAS Integration Senior Advisor Marke “Hoot” Gibson.
UAE is First Hammerhead Customer
Piaggio Aero has secured the first export order for its P.1HH Hammerhead unmanned air vehicle, following the United Arab Emirates’ decision to acquire eight of the type.
Area 6: America’s Secret Drone Testing Ground?
The asphalt runway stretches for a mile on Yucca Flat, deep in the Nevada National Security Site about 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Built in 2005, the runway covers a dirt landing strip from the 1950s, when the wide, flat valley was used for atomic bomb test shots. A small complex of buildings dominated by a large hangar with unusual clamshell doors dominates the southern end of the asphalt strip.
Laser-Based Aircraft Tracking System in Development
A ground-breaking tracking system called HYPERION based on eye-safe lasers could enable aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and even orbiting satellites to transmit vital data to ground stations more securely, quickly and efficiently. Continue reading
Drones Over Water Collect and Test Samples
Amphibious drones are being developed to collect and test potentially dangerous water samples from difficult to access watercourses. Dan Squire founded Drones Over Water last year in South Australia and has developed a sensor unit, which attaches to amphibious drones to allow the collection of samples from watercourses.
Pentagon Office Plans Drone Swarms
High over Alaska last summer, the Pentagon experimented with new, secret prototypes: Micro-drones that can be launched from the flare dispensers of moving F-16s and F/A-18 fighter jets. Canisters containing the tiny aircraft descended from the jets on parachutes before breaking open, allowing wings on each drone to swing out and catch the wind. Inch-wide propellers on the back provided propulsion as they found one another and created a swarm. Continue reading