ToughSF
@toughsf.bsky.social
Matterbeam.
Author of the ToughSF blog. Original SuperNerd.
Ex-Kurzgesagt Duck. Freelance writer.
Discord https://discord.gg/nXvRPcE7uU
Author of the ToughSF blog. Original SuperNerd.
Ex-Kurzgesagt Duck. Freelance writer.
Discord https://discord.gg/nXvRPcE7uU
Velocity Minimum Unstick testing of Airbus airliners:
youtu.be/4FSm_SL2n9o
These involve pitching up as early as possible on the runway and dragging the tail against the ground in a shower of sparks until the wheels leave the ground.
youtu.be/4FSm_SL2n9o
These involve pitching up as early as possible on the runway and dragging the tail against the ground in a shower of sparks until the wheels leave the ground.
December 5, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Velocity Minimum Unstick testing of Airbus airliners:
youtu.be/4FSm_SL2n9o
These involve pitching up as early as possible on the runway and dragging the tail against the ground in a shower of sparks until the wheels leave the ground.
youtu.be/4FSm_SL2n9o
These involve pitching up as early as possible on the runway and dragging the tail against the ground in a shower of sparks until the wheels leave the ground.
Enceladus station is busy cracking local ices into H2/O2 rocket fuel to refill visiting spacecraft. With low gravity and no atmosphere to deal with, launchers can be reduced to mass-efficient spheres in exposed structures.
#space #art by William Black.
www.renderosity.com/gallery/item...
#space #art by William Black.
www.renderosity.com/gallery/item...
December 5, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Enceladus station is busy cracking local ices into H2/O2 rocket fuel to refill visiting spacecraft. With low gravity and no atmosphere to deal with, launchers can be reduced to mass-efficient spheres in exposed structures.
#space #art by William Black.
www.renderosity.com/gallery/item...
#space #art by William Black.
www.renderosity.com/gallery/item...
Optimizing molten salt mixtures for both higher temperatures (500°C -> 800°C) and lower cost so that next generation Concentrated Solar Plants can operate at increased efficiency, potentially reachind a competitive LCOE:
www.engineering.org.cn/engi/EN/10.1...
MgCl2/KCl/NaCl is the best.
www.engineering.org.cn/engi/EN/10.1...
MgCl2/KCl/NaCl is the best.
December 5, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Optimizing molten salt mixtures for both higher temperatures (500°C -> 800°C) and lower cost so that next generation Concentrated Solar Plants can operate at increased efficiency, potentially reachind a competitive LCOE:
www.engineering.org.cn/engi/EN/10.1...
MgCl2/KCl/NaCl is the best.
www.engineering.org.cn/engi/EN/10.1...
MgCl2/KCl/NaCl is the best.
The most relevant F-35 in the Pacific Theatre, the one facing China's J-20 and soon J-36, is the Navy's F-35C.
Yet out of the 1250 F-35s built so far, only about 150 are F-35Cs. None are exported. The F-35A can't be deployed on carriers and the F-35B is very restricted.
Yet out of the 1250 F-35s built so far, only about 150 are F-35Cs. None are exported. The F-35A can't be deployed on carriers and the F-35B is very restricted.
December 5, 2025 at 12:33 AM
The most relevant F-35 in the Pacific Theatre, the one facing China's J-20 and soon J-36, is the Navy's F-35C.
Yet out of the 1250 F-35s built so far, only about 150 are F-35Cs. None are exported. The F-35A can't be deployed on carriers and the F-35B is very restricted.
Yet out of the 1250 F-35s built so far, only about 150 are F-35Cs. None are exported. The F-35A can't be deployed on carriers and the F-35B is very restricted.
Lockheed Martin's X-33 Venture Star tried to become an SSTO by combining multiple new technologies, from conformal cryogenic tanks to a linear aerospike engine, but failed in all aspects.
#space #art by Ijsz23.
www.artstation.com/artwork/m8XbxZ
#space #art by Ijsz23.
www.artstation.com/artwork/m8XbxZ
December 5, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Lockheed Martin's X-33 Venture Star tried to become an SSTO by combining multiple new technologies, from conformal cryogenic tanks to a linear aerospike engine, but failed in all aspects.
#space #art by Ijsz23.
www.artstation.com/artwork/m8XbxZ
#space #art by Ijsz23.
www.artstation.com/artwork/m8XbxZ
Combining gravitational anomalies with oxygen ion readings from JAXA's Kaguya to determine the amount of Earth's atmospheric loss that got deposited on the Moon, and from there a potential 3500 km^3 of terrestrial ice locked in the lunar poles:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
December 5, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Combining gravitational anomalies with oxygen ion readings from JAXA's Kaguya to determine the amount of Earth's atmospheric loss that got deposited on the Moon, and from there a potential 3500 km^3 of terrestrial ice locked in the lunar poles:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
LTT 9779 is an extraordinary find:
-Neptune sized planet (4.6 Re, 29 Me)
-Right in the middle of the Neptune Desert
-Orbital period just 0.79 days
-90% albedo!
-2000K surface temperature, but somehow retained its atmosphere and forms reflective clouds
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
-Neptune sized planet (4.6 Re, 29 Me)
-Right in the middle of the Neptune Desert
-Orbital period just 0.79 days
-90% albedo!
-2000K surface temperature, but somehow retained its atmosphere and forms reflective clouds
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
December 5, 2025 at 12:07 AM
LTT 9779 is an extraordinary find:
-Neptune sized planet (4.6 Re, 29 Me)
-Right in the middle of the Neptune Desert
-Orbital period just 0.79 days
-90% albedo!
-2000K surface temperature, but somehow retained its atmosphere and forms reflective clouds
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
-Neptune sized planet (4.6 Re, 29 Me)
-Right in the middle of the Neptune Desert
-Orbital period just 0.79 days
-90% albedo!
-2000K surface temperature, but somehow retained its atmosphere and forms reflective clouds
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Solid polynitrogen has long been studied as a potential chemical superfuel for rockets:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Isp is not much better than conventional H2/O2 (at ~400s), but it's 4-8x denser (1400-3400 kg/m^3) and potentially stable.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Isp is not much better than conventional H2/O2 (at ~400s), but it's 4-8x denser (1400-3400 kg/m^3) and potentially stable.
December 4, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Solid polynitrogen has long been studied as a potential chemical superfuel for rockets:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Isp is not much better than conventional H2/O2 (at ~400s), but it's 4-8x denser (1400-3400 kg/m^3) and potentially stable.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Isp is not much better than conventional H2/O2 (at ~400s), but it's 4-8x denser (1400-3400 kg/m^3) and potentially stable.
Flying probes for exploring Titan's thick atmosphere, returning to their service station in Saturn orbit. Those rings are always a magnificent backdrop.
#space #art by Vadim Sadovski.
www.artstation.com/artwork/wrv23g
#space #art by Vadim Sadovski.
www.artstation.com/artwork/wrv23g
December 4, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Flying probes for exploring Titan's thick atmosphere, returning to their service station in Saturn orbit. Those rings are always a magnificent backdrop.
#space #art by Vadim Sadovski.
www.artstation.com/artwork/wrv23g
#space #art by Vadim Sadovski.
www.artstation.com/artwork/wrv23g
The world's largest sail ship is the Neoliner Origin, which uses 2x 1500m^2 sails to cross the Atlantic. They're mounted on 76m tall masts that can tilt to go under bridges, and they let it cruise at 20 km/h without consuming fuel.
First voyage was 08/2025.
First voyage was 08/2025.
December 4, 2025 at 11:48 PM
The world's largest sail ship is the Neoliner Origin, which uses 2x 1500m^2 sails to cross the Atlantic. They're mounted on 76m tall masts that can tilt to go under bridges, and they let it cruise at 20 km/h without consuming fuel.
First voyage was 08/2025.
First voyage was 08/2025.
Photonic Integrated Optical Phased Arrays for Space Optical Communication:
ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/922...
10 cm sized optical rectennas can communicate clearly over 2000 km distance, giving satellites a compact 2D alternative to radio or lasers for delivering data.
Wavelength 1550 nm.
ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/922...
10 cm sized optical rectennas can communicate clearly over 2000 km distance, giving satellites a compact 2D alternative to radio or lasers for delivering data.
Wavelength 1550 nm.
December 4, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Photonic Integrated Optical Phased Arrays for Space Optical Communication:
ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/922...
10 cm sized optical rectennas can communicate clearly over 2000 km distance, giving satellites a compact 2D alternative to radio or lasers for delivering data.
Wavelength 1550 nm.
ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/922...
10 cm sized optical rectennas can communicate clearly over 2000 km distance, giving satellites a compact 2D alternative to radio or lasers for delivering data.
Wavelength 1550 nm.
The original vision of Space Based Solar Power relying on kilometer-scale megaton stations in GEO isn't suitable for today's world.
Can it be adapted to survive? Or is a wholly new approach needed?
@brianmcmanus.bsky.social:
youtu.be/Vf_pS0XSTyo
Can it be adapted to survive? Or is a wholly new approach needed?
@brianmcmanus.bsky.social:
youtu.be/Vf_pS0XSTyo
December 4, 2025 at 10:15 PM
The original vision of Space Based Solar Power relying on kilometer-scale megaton stations in GEO isn't suitable for today's world.
Can it be adapted to survive? Or is a wholly new approach needed?
@brianmcmanus.bsky.social:
youtu.be/Vf_pS0XSTyo
Can it be adapted to survive? Or is a wholly new approach needed?
@brianmcmanus.bsky.social:
youtu.be/Vf_pS0XSTyo
A shining cyberpunk city built atop the drowned ruins of the old one, in Jung_E's 2153 Earth devastated by rising sea levels.
#art by SU JUNG
www.artstation.com/artwork/JvaJPv
#art by SU JUNG
www.artstation.com/artwork/JvaJPv
December 4, 2025 at 7:14 PM
A shining cyberpunk city built atop the drowned ruins of the old one, in Jung_E's 2153 Earth devastated by rising sea levels.
#art by SU JUNG
www.artstation.com/artwork/JvaJPv
#art by SU JUNG
www.artstation.com/artwork/JvaJPv
The red dwarf star Proxima Centauri would appear three times wider in the sky of its nearest planet compared to the Sun in Earth's sky. It would also be a fixed light casting permanent shadows as Proxima Centauri b is tidally locked.
December 4, 2025 at 7:05 PM
The red dwarf star Proxima Centauri would appear three times wider in the sky of its nearest planet compared to the Sun in Earth's sky. It would also be a fixed light casting permanent shadows as Proxima Centauri b is tidally locked.
Here's a chart to understand what astrobiology news means for the Fermi Paradox:
News like the Bennu sugars move us to the right. Discovering that the Solar Sytem is unique moves us to the left.
Zoom in!
News like the Bennu sugars move us to the right. Discovering that the Solar Sytem is unique moves us to the left.
Zoom in!
December 4, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Here's a chart to understand what astrobiology news means for the Fermi Paradox:
News like the Bennu sugars move us to the right. Discovering that the Solar Sytem is unique moves us to the left.
Zoom in!
News like the Bennu sugars move us to the right. Discovering that the Solar Sytem is unique moves us to the left.
Zoom in!
Humid air condensing in the lower pressure cooler region near an F-16's intake forms a visible vortex!
December 4, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Humid air condensing in the lower pressure cooler region near an F-16's intake forms a visible vortex!
Reposted by ToughSF
TODAY. Watch this space for updates.
December 4, 2025 at 7:33 AM
TODAY. Watch this space for updates.
Spacecraft for rapid interplanetary travel always end up converging on this design:
-Very high specific impulse engine
-Just enough propellant for the mission
-Long body with minimal structure
-As much radiator area as possible
@tylerraiz.bsky.social: youtu.be/Ugct0LL_QaM
-Very high specific impulse engine
-Just enough propellant for the mission
-Long body with minimal structure
-As much radiator area as possible
@tylerraiz.bsky.social: youtu.be/Ugct0LL_QaM
December 4, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Spacecraft for rapid interplanetary travel always end up converging on this design:
-Very high specific impulse engine
-Just enough propellant for the mission
-Long body with minimal structure
-As much radiator area as possible
@tylerraiz.bsky.social: youtu.be/Ugct0LL_QaM
-Very high specific impulse engine
-Just enough propellant for the mission
-Long body with minimal structure
-As much radiator area as possible
@tylerraiz.bsky.social: youtu.be/Ugct0LL_QaM
Combining fission and fusion rocket engines for a Mars transport:
www.researchgate.net/profile/Mich...
A Direct Fusion Drive delivers up to 26,500s Isp and enables high deltaV burns (100 km/s+) while the Nuclear Thermal Rocket provides short bursts of thrust to break orbit.
www.researchgate.net/profile/Mich...
A Direct Fusion Drive delivers up to 26,500s Isp and enables high deltaV burns (100 km/s+) while the Nuclear Thermal Rocket provides short bursts of thrust to break orbit.
December 4, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Combining fission and fusion rocket engines for a Mars transport:
www.researchgate.net/profile/Mich...
A Direct Fusion Drive delivers up to 26,500s Isp and enables high deltaV burns (100 km/s+) while the Nuclear Thermal Rocket provides short bursts of thrust to break orbit.
www.researchgate.net/profile/Mich...
A Direct Fusion Drive delivers up to 26,500s Isp and enables high deltaV burns (100 km/s+) while the Nuclear Thermal Rocket provides short bursts of thrust to break orbit.
A very strange configuration for a rotating space colony.
#space #art by Krishna Keshav Devmurari.
www.artstation.com/artwork/QKK5lE
#space #art by Krishna Keshav Devmurari.
www.artstation.com/artwork/QKK5lE
December 3, 2025 at 10:34 PM
A very strange configuration for a rotating space colony.
#space #art by Krishna Keshav Devmurari.
www.artstation.com/artwork/QKK5lE
#space #art by Krishna Keshav Devmurari.
www.artstation.com/artwork/QKK5lE
An analysis of the 10-100 MW cooling requirements of SDI-era satellites finds that the optimal radiator is cruciform, made of large flat panels operating at around 400-800K, with up to 20 kW/kg possible:
www.osti.gov/servlets/pur...
www.osti.gov/servlets/pur...
December 3, 2025 at 9:58 PM
An analysis of the 10-100 MW cooling requirements of SDI-era satellites finds that the optimal radiator is cruciform, made of large flat panels operating at around 400-800K, with up to 20 kW/kg possible:
www.osti.gov/servlets/pur...
www.osti.gov/servlets/pur...
USGS and NatGeo maps of the world's major volcanoes.
www.usgs.gov/media/images...
education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/ear...
There's a 1 in 6 chance of a catastropic eruption this century
www.usgs.gov/media/images...
education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/ear...
There's a 1 in 6 chance of a catastropic eruption this century
December 3, 2025 at 12:20 PM
USGS and NatGeo maps of the world's major volcanoes.
www.usgs.gov/media/images...
education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/ear...
There's a 1 in 6 chance of a catastropic eruption this century
www.usgs.gov/media/images...
education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/ear...
There's a 1 in 6 chance of a catastropic eruption this century
This is how the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider registers the shower of particles and exotic radiation released by a heavy ion collision:
youtu.be/k64s4Ho-8-I
youtu.be/k64s4Ho-8-I
December 3, 2025 at 12:01 PM
This is how the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider registers the shower of particles and exotic radiation released by a heavy ion collision:
youtu.be/k64s4Ho-8-I
youtu.be/k64s4Ho-8-I
The Phoenix SSTO, made to land on Earth, Moon and Mars, that combined a plug nozzle aerospike engine with a reusable heatshield.
#space #art by Owen Richards.
www.artstation.com/artwork/ell1D
#space #art by Owen Richards.
www.artstation.com/artwork/ell1D
December 2, 2025 at 10:14 PM
The Phoenix SSTO, made to land on Earth, Moon and Mars, that combined a plug nozzle aerospike engine with a reusable heatshield.
#space #art by Owen Richards.
www.artstation.com/artwork/ell1D
#space #art by Owen Richards.
www.artstation.com/artwork/ell1D
From 525 lightyears away, we get an edge-on view of the protoplanetary disk forming around the new star IRAS 04302. This picture combines images captured by Hubble Space Telescope plus Webb's NIRCam and MIRI:
www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
December 2, 2025 at 7:24 PM
From 525 lightyears away, we get an edge-on view of the protoplanetary disk forming around the new star IRAS 04302. This picture combines images captured by Hubble Space Telescope plus Webb's NIRCam and MIRI:
www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...