Elon Musk's decision to have his rocket company SpaceX take over his artificial intelligence outfit xAI has added fuel to the debate about whether orbiting data centers are feasible or foolish.

- Who are the players? -

SpaceX has set the pace in the rocket launch market and Musk has spoken of putting data centers in space.

Musk-led electric car company Tesla is also working on humanoid robots, providing potential workers and maintenance crews in space.

US startup Starcloud late last year sent a refrigerator-sized satellite containing an Nvidia graphics processing unit into orbit in what the AI chip maker touted as a "cosmic debut" for the mini-data center.

Meanwhile, tech giant Google has laid out plans to launch test satellites by early 2027 as part of its Suncatcher project to build solar-powered data centers in space.

Blue Origin, the rocket and satellite company established by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is touting a TeraWave space-based high-speed network that can be used by data centers to move information anywhere around the planet.

More than a dozen startups, aerospace leaders, and major tech firms are involved in the development, testing, or planning of space-based data centers.

- Why look up? -

The big draw of space for data centers is power supply, with the option of synchronizing satellites to the sun's orbit to ensure constant light beaming onto solar panels.

Building in space also avoids the challenges of acquiring land and meeting local regulations or community resistance to projects.

And advocates argue that data centers operating in space would be less harmful overall to the environment, aside from the pollution generated by rocket launches.

"The idea is that it will soon make much more sense to build data centers in space than it does to build them on Earth," Starcloud chief executive Philip Johnston said at a tech conference last year.

Current projects envision relying on clusters of low Earth orbit satellites positioned close enough together to ensure reliable wireless connectivity.

Lasers will connect space computers to terrestrial systems.

- What could go wrong? -

An obstacle to deploying servers in space has been the cost of getting them into orbit.

But a reusable SpaceX mega-rocket called Starship with massive payload potential promises to slash launch expenses.

Critical technical aspects of such operations need to be resolved, however, particularly damage to the orbiting data centers from high levels of radiation and extreme temperatures, and the danger of them being hit by space junk.

Another question is how malfunctioning or damaged gear would get fixed in an economical way.

Phillip Metzger, a professor in the University of Florida physics department and a former NASA scientist, reasoned in a recent online post that orbiting data center maintenance could be managed in ways such as using robots and small modular parts that could easily be replaced.

"A lot of the skepticism of data centers in space probably comes from failing to price in the effects of exponential expansion," Metzger said in a recent post on X, formerly Twitter.

"If AI doesn't grow exponentially, then I don't think it will make sense very soon to put them in space; but I think it will grow exponentially."

]]> Sat, 07 FEB 2026 10:17:09 AEST San Francisco, United States (AFP) Feb 5, 2026 - Anthropic on Thursday released its latest high-performing artificial intelligence model, escalating its challenge to OpenAI in the intensifying AI race.

Founded by former OpenAI staffers in 2021, Anthropic has gained significant momentum in recent months with a series of product releases that have impressed Silicon Valley -- and rattled Wall Street.

Releases including an AI automation tool and a legal field product contributed this week to a broad selloff in software stocks, as they exacerbated concerns that AI models can replace the utility of stand-alone business apps and platforms.

While its archrival OpenAI targets consumers directly with the hugely popular ChatGPT, Anthropic appeals to computer coders and enterprises seeking artificial intelligence products that prioritize data security and predictability alongside raw performance.

Anthropic says its latest model, Claude Opus 4.6, represents a fundamental shift in how AI handles complex workplace tasks.

The company highlighted use cases including financial modeling that synthesizes complicated regulatory filings and market data, plus document and presentation outputs that require minimal refinement.

"Claude Opus 4.6 gets much closer to production-ready quality on the first try than what we've seen with any model," Anthropic said, adding that deliverables will require "less back-and-forth" to finalize.

The launch caps a productive stretch of more than 30 product releases in recent months. In November, Claude Code -- a highly regarded coding tool -- surpassed $1 billion in revenue just six months after its public launch.

However, that revenue comes with massive computing costs. Like OpenAI, Anthropic remains far from profitability.

OpenAI is not taking the challenge lying down, and on Thursday released its own business-focused product, a platform for AI agents called Frontier.

The rivalry between the two companies extends beyond technical features.

Anthropic has publicly committed to keeping its Claude chatbot ad-free, calling advertisements "incongruous" with the personal nature of user conversations.

This was in veiled contrast to OpenAI's decision to introduce ads to the non-premium portion of its roughly 800 million ChatGPT users, a move that critics say will create distrust for the technology.

Anthropic relies instead on enterprise deals and paid subscriptions for revenue, a distinction it's highlighting in its first Super Bowl ad campaign, airing this weekend.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hit back sharply at the campaign in a post, calling Anthropic "dishonest" and "authoritarian."

"Anthropic serves an expensive product to rich people," he wrote, defending ChatGPT as a product that brings AI "to billions of people who can't pay for subscriptions."

According to US media reports, Anthropic is planning a tender offer for its staff that would value the company at approximately $350 billion -- staggering growth for a four-year-old company but below OpenAI's reported target valuation of $800 billion in its next fundraising round.

Both companies are widely rumored to be preparing for IPOs in the near future.

]]> Sat, 07 FEB 2026 10:17:09 AEST San Francisco, United States (AFP) Feb 3, 2026 - Elon Musk has announced that his rocket company SpaceX will take over his artificial intelligence outfit xAI, as he seeks to raise billions of dollars for his science fiction-worthy outer space projects.

Musk wrote on the SpaceX website Monday that the merger further entwining his business interests would create "the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth".

He cited capabilities in "AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world's foremost real-time information and free speech platform".

SpaceX has set the pace in the space launch market, offering reusable rockets that vastly reduce the cost of putting satellites into orbit and itself owning the largest satellite constellation, Starlink.

The company is set for a stock market listing this year widely expected to be the biggest in history, with The Financial Times reporting the initial public offering (IPO) could come in June and aim to bring in $50 billion.

Musk called SpaceX's absorption of xAI "not just the next chapter, but the next book" in what he said was the companies' "mission" to "make a sentient sun".

- Space data centers -

Behind the science fiction language is a plan to use SpaceX's rockets to launch solar powered, satellite-based data centers to develop and run future AI models.

The merger comes as funding for the AI buildout embraced by big tech companies begins to show signs of tension.

"Global electricity demand for AI simply cannot be met with terrestrial solutions... The only logical solution therefore is to transport these resource-intensive efforts to a location with vast power and space," Musk wrote.

The announcement did not disclose financial terms of the acquisition or provide a timeline for initial satellite deployments.

But the project fits into Musk's long-term ambition to build colonies on the Moon and Mars and is "a first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization", he wrote.

Coined in the 1960s by a Soviet astronomer, the futurist term refers to a civilisation able to use all of the energy from its home system's star.

More prosaically, "Musk announced during last week's Tesla results that he would be pivoting the business away from electric vehicles to automation and artificial intelligence, and this will be true of his space travel ambitions too," said Emma Wall, chief investment strategist at Hargreaves Lansdown.

"There are technological synergies to be made across all his businesses" but "what will be key is the market's view of the valuation", Wall added.

- Trillion-dollar price tag -

Suggested valuations for the merged SpaceX and xAI entity vary, with Bloomberg reporting $1.25 trillion and The Financial Times $1.5 trillion.

A January fundraising round valued xAI, which owns the X social network and the Grok chatbot, at $230 billion, while SpaceX was estimated at around $800 billion late last year.

The combined company could pool capital, computing resources and talent.

Musk had previously opposed an IPO for SpaceX because he had not enjoyed the required scrutiny of publicly traded carmaker Tesla.

He also argued that the market's desire for financial returns was at odds with his ultimate goal of settling Mars.

But the company's latest priorities will require significant investment.

SpaceX is currently developing the biggest rocket in history, Starship, designed to carry future manned missions into space.

Amazon founder and fellow multibillionaire Jeff Bezos is determined to compete with Musk using the New Glenn rocket built by his Blue Origin company.

The two are at odds over NASA's Artemis programme, a new generation of Moon missions, with the American space agency saying it could turn to other suppliers than SpaceX over delays.

Such concerns did not figure in Musk's statement, as he wrote that SpaceX aimed to launch one million satellites operating as data centers using its Starship rocket.

The South African-born billionaire claimed that SpaceX would soon achieve launch rates of one flight per hour carrying 200 tons of payload.

That would be a massive step up from the roughly one launch every other day the company achieved in 2025, mostly with its smaller Falcon rockets.

arp-bl/tgb/js

Tesla

Hargreaves Lansdown

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Amazon.com

]]> Sat, 07 FEB 2026 10:17:09 AEST Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 03, 2026 - Nanyang Technological University, Singapore is launching three new space projects under Singapore's Space Technology Development Programme, a national initiative to accelerate the commercialisation of space technologies. The projects are among the first supported under the Space Access Programme, which targets annual launches in 2026, 2027 and 2028 to give local researchers and companies faster, more cost effective access to space for in orbit testing and validation.

One of the new projects will see scientists from NTU's Satellite Research Centre integrate an edge computing artificial intelligence payload into a nanosatellite built by space technology firm Satoro Space. The 3U nanosatellite, measuring 30 centimetres by 10 centimetres by 10 centimetres, will process images directly on board using small AI models and an edge engine. This approach reduces the need to send large volumes of raw data back to Earth and enables quicker, more intelligent decision making in orbit.

The same satellite will also test next generation perovskite solar cells in space. These lightweight solar panels are being developed by researchers from NTU's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering, and local technology start up Singfilm. In orbit demonstration of the devices will provide critical data on their performance and durability in the harsh space environment.

Dean of the NTU College of Engineering, Professor Warren Chan, said that the Space Access Programme marks a significant step for Singapore's growing space ecosystem and represents a new phase for NTU, which pioneered the country's satellite and space education programme. He noted that space technologies are moving towards faster development cycles and smarter operations, and highlighted NTU's two decades of experience in co developing and deploying satellite technologies rapidly and cost effectively.

Chairman of Satoro Space, Mr Maverick Shih, said the joint project allows the company to build proven and reliable CubeSat solutions while working locally with the Satellite Research Centre in Singapore. He added that the collaboration will help Singapore research institutes to develop cutting edge space technology rapidly by combining academic expertise with commercial satellite platforms.

Under the second Space Access Programme project, NTU and its partners will deploy a larger nanosatellite designed for in orbit manoeuvres. The 16U satellite, measuring 40 centimetres by 30 centimetres by 30 centimetres and weighing up to 30 kilograms, will carry a MUlti Stage Ignition Compact engine developed by NTU spin off Aliena. This propulsion system electrically ionises a gas propellant and accelerates the ions using controlled electric and magnetic fields to generate steady and efficient thrust for orbit raising or lowering.

Aliena co founder and CEO Dr Lim Jian Wei, Mark, said that participation in the programme demonstrates the company's commitment to providing versatile propulsion systems across a wide range of satellite platforms. He pointed out that as the number of satellites in low Earth orbit continues to grow, advanced in orbit mobility is becoming essential rather than optional, enabling new mission concepts and supporting the effective, sustainable operation of satellite constellations.

The manoeuvring satellite will also carry an Atomic Oxygen Detector developed by NTU Temasek Laboratories. The instrument will study how advanced materials stand up to atomic oxygen, a highly reactive form of oxygen that can erode satellite components in very low Earth orbit. Understanding material durability in this regime is critical for designing long lived spacecraft operating at lower altitudes.

The third project in the programme will validate a Singapore developed electro optical imaging payload, known as LEOCAM, on the International Space Station. The payload uses a unique triple mirror optical design to deliver high resolution Earth observation images, with each pixel capturing finer ground details such as objects about a metre across. Operating from the space station will give engineers valuable performance data in an operational environment.

Dr Phua Poh Boon, Chief Technology Officer of LightHaus Photonics, said that testing the optical imaging payload on the International Space Station will be a key milestone for the company. LightHaus expects to become the first Singaporean firm to build a space based optical system, and in orbit verification of LEOCAM's capabilities will support future commercial Earth observation services.

Together, the three Space Access Programme projects underscore a wider shift in the global space sector towards smaller, more agile satellites that can be built, launched and tested faster than traditional large spacecraft. Professor Warren Chan said that NTU's strengths in artificial intelligence and space technologies place the university in a strong position to lead the development of edge computing AI in orbit, where data can be processed on board rather than relying solely on ground systems.

Developing AI capabilities in space reduces dependence on ground based processing and allows satellites to make faster, more informed decisions about what data to collect, process and downlink. According to Professor Chan, this provides Singapore with a strategic advantage as it builds a more agile and competitive space ecosystem, and will help partners bring innovations to market sooner by shortening development and validation cycles.

The three Space Access Programme projects are scheduled to start this year and will run for the next three years. Over that period, they are expected to strengthen NTU's role in advancing Singapore's space capabilities, expand opportunities for local companies in the commercial space sector, and provide new platforms for testing advanced technologies ranging from AI and propulsion to novel solar cells and imaging systems.

]]> Sat, 07 FEB 2026 10:17:09 AEST Paris, France (SPX) Feb 04, 2026 - When satellites fall back to Earth, most of their structure burns up in the atmosphere, but engineers still lack detailed data on how real spacecraft actually break apart during reentry and which components survive the plunge. To close this gap, the European Space Agency has retargeted the final orbits of its remaining two Cluster satellites so that both can be observed from an aircraft during their destructive descent over the South Pacific Ocean on 31 August and 1 September 2026.

The Cluster mission, launched in 2000, consists of four identical satellites that have studied Earths magnetosphere for more than two decades. The first pair, including Cluster 2 or Salsa, has already been guided to a targeted atmospheric reentry, while the remaining spacecraft, Cluster 3 and 4, nicknamed Samba and Tango, are being steered towards controlled disposal. ESA is using these end of life events as a rare opportunity to gather scientifically valuable reentry measurements that can inform safer and more sustainable satellite designs.

"Moving two satellites to meet a plane sounds extreme, but the unique reentry data well collect is worth orchestrating the challenging encounter over a remote stretch of ocean," said Beatriz Jilete, space debris systems engineer at ESA. Samba and Tango were already set to burn up safely over a remote corner of the South Pacific in 2024, one after the other about 24 hours apart, but the team also had to satisfy the demanding logistics of aircraft based observations, which require transit time, refuelling and crew rest between flights.

To make both events reachable from the same airport, ESAs mission operations team adjusted the reentry trajectories of the two spacecraft. Samba will now come down further east, while Tango will reenter somewhat further west, reducing the distance the aircraft must cover between events and keeping both reentries within range of a small plane operating from a single base. These small modifications preserve safe disposal over remote ocean regions while enabling back to back observing campaigns.

Reentry data is essential for "design for demise" approaches, in which satellites are engineered to burn up as completely as possible so that dangerous fragments do not reach the ground. "With better data on exactly when and how they heat up, break up, and which materials survive, engineers can design satellites that burn up completely, so called design for demise satellites," said Stijn Lemmens, Draco project manager at ESA. However, gathering such data is difficult because reentries occur high in the atmosphere, typically around 80 km altitude, far above balloons and below most satellite orbits, and usually over locations that cannot be predicted with enough precision for reliable ground or air based observations.

With the Cluster quartets targeted reentries, ESA is demonstrating a more responsible way to reduce the growing problem of space debris and uncontrolled reentries, even from orbits that were not originally designed for such precise disposal. By watching four identical satellites reenter in a predictable region but under slightly different trajectories and weather conditions, researchers can compare how each spacecraft breaks up and identify consistent patterns in the fragmentation process. "The four Cluster satellites are identical and so by watching them reenter the atmosphere in a predictable location with slightly different trajectories and in different weather conditions, we get a unique opportunity to conduct a valuable reentry experiment to study the break up of satellites," said Jilete.

The first of the four spacecraft, Salsa, reentered on 8 September 2024 and was successfully observed by scientists aboard a research aircraft. The team flew for hours to reach the edge of a no fly safety zone around the predicted reentry location and then waited for the spacecraft to appear. Instruments on board the plane captured images and measurements of the fiery breakup, even though the actual timing differed somewhat from predictions, turning the observation into a tense exercise until the sighting was confirmed.

Those initial observations demonstrated that targeted reentries can be monitored even in remote ocean regions and provided baseline data on Cluster fragmentation. "The reentry was captured by various onboard instruments, even though the predictions were slightly off. It was a tense time until the sighting could be confirmed definitively," said Lemmens. The planned repeat observations of Samba and Tango, built on lessons from Salsa, are expected to add a valuable comparative dimension, showing how small changes in trajectory and atmospheric conditions influence the break up sequence and debris cloud.

To enable this extended campaign, ESAs flight dynamics team first analysed how to shift the reentry footprints of Samba and Tango without compromising safety. Once a workable plan was in place, the space debris team verified that the new trajectories would not introduce unacceptable collision risks with other objects in orbit. The flight control team then uplinked the necessary commands, and the satellites executed small thruster burns on 19 and 20 January to reshape their orbits so that both final descents would fall within range of the observing aircraft.

There is also the possibility that the Cluster spacecraft themselves will report data almost until the moment of destruction. "An interesting opportunity might also be the Cluster satellites themselves reporting until shortly before their demise. Their power is working better than in the first two Clusters to reenter, so we are hopeful that we might be able to stay in contact longer and collect some more data this time around," said Bruno Sousa, Cluster operations manager at ESA. Because the solar panels on Samba and Tango have not degraded as much as on the first pair, the team hopes that the satellites may remain operational through their last close approach to Earth before reentry, potentially returning temperature and system health data as low as about 110 km altitude.

During earlier reentries, the satellites entered safe mode during their final perigee pass because their solar panels overheated when they dipped deep into the upper atmosphere. If Samba and Tango can keep transmitting telemetry at similar altitudes, engineers will gain a rare direct look at how the thermal environment evolves during the moments leading up to catastrophic breakup. This information can refine models of heat loads on structures, solar arrays and internal components, supporting more accurate predictions of when and where a spacecraft will fragment.

Beyond Cluster, ESA is preparing an even more ambitious reentry research mission called Draco, designed to watch the entire destructive process from the inside. Scheduled for launch in 2027, Draco will carry more than two hundred sensors and four cameras, all focused on recording how the spacecraft heats up, deforms and breaks apart as it plunges back through the atmosphere. An indestructible capsule on board will protect the recorded data and ensure it can be recovered after the spacecraft itself is destroyed.

The Draco mission will be complemented by another aircraft based observing campaign, with ESAs reentry scientists once again ready to fly beneath the path of the falling spacecraft. With three practice runs from the Cluster reentries behind them, the team aims to link visual and instrument measurements from the plane directly to the internal sensor data from Draco at each moment in time. This combined inside outside view should provide an unprecedented benchmark for validating and improving computer models of reentry physics.

With data from the Cluster series of targeted reentries and the dedicated Draco mission, ESA expects to significantly improve its reentry simulations. Better models will help predict where fragments might land and how they interact with the atmosphere, reducing uncertainty in risk assessments and support for civil protection authorities. Over the longer term, the findings will feed into the design of future satellites so that more of their mass is guaranteed to burn up during reentry, lowering the chances that surviving parts could endanger people or infrastructure on the ground.

]]> Sat, 07 FEB 2026 10:17:09 AEST Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 04, 2026 - In collaboration with the National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Oshima College, the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) has developed a new regenerator material composed solely of abundant elements such as copper, iron and aluminum that can achieve cryogenic temperatures around 4 K (minus 269 degrees Celsius) without using any rare earth metals or liquid helium. The work targets the growing demand for reliable cryogenic cooling in applications such as medical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and quantum computers, where dependence on scarce resources poses technical and economic risks.

Conventional cryogenic cooling used in medical MRI and related systems relies heavily on liquid helium and rare earth elements, which face supply instability and concerns over long term resource depletion. Holmium, a key element in many existing regenerator materials, has an annual production of only about 100 tons and reserves that are unevenly distributed globally. With demand for cryogenic cooling expected to rise, researchers have been seeking alternative materials and mechanisms that remove this dependence on rare resources while maintaining practical performance.

The joint NIMS and KOSEN Oshima College team focused on regenerator materials for mechanical coolers of the Gifford McMahon (GM) type, which can operate without liquid helium. They designed and tested a regenerator material that uses only abundant elements, demonstrating that it can cool to cryogenic temperatures while delivering performance comparable to conventional rare earth based materials. The composition, described as CuFe0.98Al0.02O2 (CFAO), avoids rare earth metals entirely and instead exploits a magnetic phenomenon to achieve high specific heat at low temperatures.

The key physical mechanism at work in the new material is magnetic frustration, a property found in some magnetic systems with a triangular lattice crystal structure where spins cannot simultaneously satisfy all mutual interactions. In such lattices, the spin orientations remain difficult to fully align until the system reaches cryogenic temperatures, which creates enhanced magnetic entropy and high specific heat in the low temperature regime. By harnessing this frustrated spin state in a transition metal oxide made from copper, iron and aluminum, the researchers achieved cryogenic specific heat behavior previously associated mainly with rare earth based compounds.

Experimental measurements revealed that the rare earth free regenerator material exhibits high specific heat at cryogenic temperatures despite being based on transition metals rather than rare earth elements. Its cooling capacity was shown to be comparable to that of lead, which was used in GM coolers in the 1960s, and to holmium based compounds such as HoCu2 that have dominated the field since the 1990s. This marks the first time a magnetic regenerator material without rare earth elements has reached performance levels considered practical for real world cooler applications.

Beyond matching performance, the new material offers advantages in sustainability and environmental impact because it is composed only of widely available elements. The use of copper, iron and aluminum reduces exposure to supply disruptions and price volatility associated with rare earth mining and processing. As a result, the technology could underpin a new generation of cryogenic cooling systems that are more robust against resource constraints and better aligned with long term environmental and economic goals.

The team highlights that this development directly addresses concerns over the limited availability of liquid helium as well as rare earth elements used in current regenerator designs. By decoupling cryogenic cooling performance from these constrained resources, the material could help stabilize the supply chain for critical medical and quantum technologies. In particular, MRI scanners and quantum computing hardware, both of which are expected to see continued growth in deployment, stand to benefit from more sustainable cooling solutions.

The project brought together expertise from NIMS and the National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Oshima College under the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program through Target driven R and D (A STEP). The research, titled "Innovative Cryogenic Cooling Material Using Spin Frustration from Abundant Elements," was led by principal investigator Noriki Terada and involved researchers Hiroaki Mamiya and Akiko Saito of the Green Magnetic Materials Group and Research Center for Magnetic and Spintronic Materials at NIMS, along with Professor Shinji Masuyama at KOSEN Oshima College. The results were published online in the journal Scientific Reports on December 22, 2025.

Looking ahead, the researchers see strong potential for applying the abundant element regenerator material in commercial GM coolers used for MRI systems and emerging quantum computing platforms. They note that the combination of high cryogenic specific heat, absence of rare earth elements and use of abundant resources positions the material as a promising candidate for large scale deployment. Further development is expected to focus on integrating the material into practical cryocooler designs, optimizing manufacturing processes and validating long term operational stability under real world conditions.

Research Report:Innovative Cryogenic Cooling Material Using Spin Frustration from Abundant Elements

]]> Sat, 07 FEB 2026 10:17:09 AEST Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 03, 2026 - Terran Orbital has announced it will provide its Nebula satellite platform for the Mitsubishi Electric LEO Demo Mission, a new project developed with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric US to support future low Earth orbit constellations. The mission is described as a key step in advancing technologies needed for LEO satellite systems and associated services.

The Mitsubishi Electric LEO Demo Mission will fly a Nebula spacecraft bus configured to host a Quantum Key Distribution and Optical Terminal payload. That payload will be supplied by a Japanese consortium that includes the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Mitsubishi Electric, and other partners in Japan.

According to Terran Orbital chief executive officer Peter Krauss, the mission underscores the companys focus on delivering platforms that support emerging secure communications and optical links in orbit. He said the collaboration highlights Terran Orbitals commitment to pushing the boundaries of space technology and to providing tailored solutions for commercial and government customers.

Under the current plan, the project has an 18 month delivery schedule from the Authorization to Proceed agreement, with the Nebula bus handover targeted for 2027. The launch of the Mitsubishi Electric LEO Demo Mission is tentatively planned for 2029, positioning the program within the next generation of LEO infrastructure deployments.

Terran Orbital describes the Mitsubishi Electric LEO Demo Mission as part of its broader strategy to expand its role in satellite manufacturing and mission services. The company views the project as a demonstration that can open additional opportunities for secure communications missions and other advanced payloads using its small satellite platforms.

]]> Sat, 07 FEB 2026 10:17:09 AEST Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 03, 2026 - Lockheed Martin has delivered the first Sentinel A4 radar from the second Low Rate Initial Production tranche to the US Army, marking a key step toward full rate production of the new air and missile defense sensor.

The radar recently completed the first phase of Initial Operational Test and Evaluation, which is designed to assess performance in representative operational scenarios and reduce risk before the system enters large scale manufacturing.

Company officials describe Sentinel A4 as a next generation, 360 degree Active Electronically Scanned Array radar that expands battlespace awareness and strengthens layered defenses against a broad set of aerial threats.

The system is engineered to detect and track cruise missiles, unmanned aircraft systems, helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, rockets, artillery and mortars, giving commanders more time and data to respond to complex air attack profiles.

During the initial test and evaluation phase, Sentinel A4 successfully integrated with the Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control system, demonstrating the utility of its open architecture design and its ability to operate within multiple command and control networks.

This integration is intended to allow the radar to plug into existing and future battle management systems, share target data rapidly and support joint and combined air defense missions.

Sentinel A4 is slated to replace the US Army's currently fielded Sentinel A3 radars, bringing improved sensitivity, coverage and reliability through the use of modern solid state electronics and digital beamforming.

According to Lockheed Martin, the company will continue delivering Sentinel A4 units in line with the Army's fielding plans and ongoing operational testing campaigns.

As additional systems deploy to units, soldiers will use them to refine tactics, techniques and procedures, validate performance in diverse environments and confirm that the radar meets operational requirements before full rate production is authorized.

Lockheed Martin notes that Sentinel A4 benefits from the company's broader portfolio of ground based radar programs, which are focused on early warning, counter target acquisition, situational awareness and integrated air and missile defense missions.

The firm designs its radar families for a high degree of commonality and mobility, with configurations tailored to operate in varied climates and terrains and with systems already fielded to customers around the world.

]]> Sat, 07 FEB 2026 10:17:09 AEST Berlin, Germany (SPX) Feb 04, 2026 - Metamaterials are engineered composites whose internal architecture, rather than their base substances, governs how they respond to forces and deformation. In these systems, repeating building blocks known as unit cells are arranged in regular patterns, and their size, shape, and connectivity determine properties such as stiffness, strength, and energy absorption. Researchers from the University of Groningen, the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), and Karlstad University in Sweden have now shown that the mechanical behavior of these architected lattices depends not only on the geometry of the unit cell, but also on how many of these cells are joined together and how they are arranged at the scale of the overall structure.

In work reported in the journal Small Structures, PhD student H.C.V.M. Shyam Veluvali and colleagues investigated how the scale of the metamaterial architecture affects basic responses such as elasticity under load. By systematically varying the size of the unit cells and the number of cells assembled into a block, the team identified clear trends in how stiffness and other effective mechanical properties change as the lattice grows. They found that as more unit cells are added and the structure becomes larger, its overall mechanical response becomes easier to predict using continuum-style models, whereas smaller assemblies can deviate from bulk behavior and require more detailed treatment.

These findings provide practical guidance for engineering metamaterials for applications where mechanical performance must be tuned very precisely. One area of particular interest is bone implants, which are commonly manufactured from titanium alloys that are far stiffer than the surrounding bone. Because these conventional implants carry most of the load from everyday activities such as chewing or talking, the natural bone experiences reduced stress, adapts to the lower load over time, and can become weaker.

Veluvali and co-authors propose using architected metamaterial implants as an alternative to solid titanium designs. By tailoring the lattice architecture, they can bring the effective stiffness of the implant closer to that of the host bone, allowing loads to be shared more evenly. When the implant and bone carry similar loads, the bone is more likely to maintain its strength over long periods, reducing the risk of degradation and failure around the implant site.

The study also demonstrates that the type of force acting on a metamaterial strongly influences its response, and that this dependence must be considered when designing structures for real-world conditions. The researchers examined how different loading modes, including shear, stretching, and torsion, affect the same lattice architectures. They showed that a configuration optimized for one type of load does not necessarily behave optimally under another, highlighting the need to evaluate multiple loading scenarios during design.

Earlier studies on mechanical metamaterials often focused on a single loading condition, which limited understanding of how these structures behave in more complex environments. By examining several kinds of mechanical forces, the Groningen-led team has provided a more complete picture of how architected lattices deform and carry load when used in practical devices. This broader view is important for optimizing metamaterials that must perform reliably under varied and sometimes unpredictable stresses.

Beyond implants, the new insights are relevant for technologies that rely on precise control over mechanical performance. For example, the grippers of robotic hands can use metamaterial lattice elements to combine delicacy with strength, enabling secure handling of objects without damage. Similarly, energy-absorbing components such as car bumpers can incorporate architected structures that deform in controlled ways during impact, dissipating energy while protecting occupants and other vehicle systems.

By clarifying how unit cell size, number, and arrangement affect global behavior, the work helps engineers to choose appropriate scales and patterns when they design metamaterial components. The authors emphasize that selecting the right block size and architecture can lead to safer, longer-lasting structures across a range of uses, from orthopaedic and spinal implants to robotic systems and automotive safety components. Their results provide a framework for linking microscopic design choices to macroscopic performance targets in next-generation mechanical metamaterials.

Research Report:When Scale Matters: Size-Dependent Mechanics of Architected Lattices for Implants and Beyond

]]> Sat, 07 FEB 2026 10:17:09 AEST Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 06, 2026 - Prompt, individual dose assessment is a critical part of protecting people after large scale nuclear or radiological incidents, but traditional dosimetry relies on expensive instruments or laboratory processing that can delay decisions on medical care. Researchers at Hiroshima University have now demonstrated a portable, low cost system that pairs a small piece of radiochromic film with a foldable scanner and a smartphone camera to provide on site radiation dose readings for personal preparedness in mass casualty events.

The system uses Gafchromic EBT4 radiochromic film, which changes color instantly when exposed to ionizing radiation in a way that can be seen with the naked eye. In the new setup, a user places a film sample inside a compact, battery powered scanning chamber that provides controlled illumination, then captures an image of the exposed film using a standard smartphone positioned above the chamber. The team reports that doses up to 10 Gray can be quantified from these images with sufficient accuracy for emergency triage purposes, with a 10 Gray skin dose being high enough to cause permanent hair loss.

According to the study, the researchers focused on keeping the design simple, universal, and inexpensive so it can still function during severe accident scenarios, including situations where infrastructure is damaged after a natural disaster. The hardware relies on low cost components and can be assembled for less than about 70 US dollars, excluding the smartphone itself, while the image analysis is handled by mobile applications that are already widely available. This approach is intended to support voluntary, on site dose checks by individuals and first responders when conventional instruments are limited or unavailable.

To evaluate performance, the team tested several smartphone models, including devices from Samsung and Apple, and compared how different color channels in the captured images tracked radiation dose. Their analysis showed that the cyan color channel from the digital images gave the most consistent and reliable dose response, providing a practical basis for calibration curves that convert color intensity into dose estimates. While professional desktop scanners still offer higher precision and lower uncertainty, the authors conclude that the smartphone based method delivers adequate accuracy for emergency applications and benefits from much greater portability.

The portable scanner is designed as a foldable enclosure with integrated LED lighting to ensure stable and uniform illumination of the film during imaging. By controlling the geometry between the smartphone camera and the illuminated film, the system reduces variations due to viewing angle or ambient light, which can otherwise degrade the relationship between color change and dose. The researchers emphasize that this mechanical and optical stability is important if the method is to be used reliably by non specialists in the field.

The study also addresses how such a system could be deployed in real world emergencies, where users might have different smartphone models and where environmental conditions such as temperature or battery life could affect performance. The authors note that, although inter device differences exist, the dominance of the cyan channel response provides a common reference that supports practical cross calibration between phones. They propose that pre defined calibration data and simple instructions distributed in advance could allow large numbers of people to perform their own dose checks during an incident.

Looking ahead, the Hiroshima University team is working on standardizing operating protocols and validating the system under a wider range of environmental and use conditions. This includes testing the robustness of color based dose estimates when films are exposed to different radiation qualities or stored for varying periods before reading. The researchers aim to refine the approach so that governments and organizations can integrate smartphone based dosimetry kits into broader emergency preparedness and response plans.

The paper describing the system, titled "Cost effective on site dose assessment by a combination of radiochromic film and smartphone," appears in the journal Radiation Measurements. The open access publication costs were supported by Hiroshima University, and the work was carried out by doctoral student Hassna Bantan and Professor Hiroshi Yasuda at the university's Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine. The authors see their approach as a practical bridge between high end dosimetry technologies and the need for widely accessible tools that can function during worst case radiological accident scenarios.

Research Report:Cost-effective on-site dose assessment by a combination of radiochromic film and smartphone

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