Military & Aerospace
Engineering Newswire 3: Building planes that avoid crashes
September 12, 2012 9:34 am | Videos | CommentsIn this episode of Engineering Newswire, the Air Force is developing a new technology that can take control of the plane in the event of a likely crash; will.i.am premieres the first musical broadcast from another planet; companies are customizing climates on airplanes; Georgia Tech develops a self-charging power cell...
Invisible QR codes tackle counterfeit bank notes
September 12, 2012 8:57 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsAn invisible quick response (QR) code has been created by researchers in an attempt to increase security on printed documents and reduce the possibility of counterfeiting, a problem which costs governments and private industries billions of pounds each year.
Less wear, longer life for memory storage device
September 12, 2012 8:56 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsProbe storage devices read and write data by making nanoscale marks on a surface through physical contact. The technology may one day extend the data density limits of conventional magnetic and optical storage, but current probes have limited lifespans due to mechanical wear.
Dark energy is real, Anglo-German researchers argue
September 12, 2012 8:55 am | by Chris Wickham, Reuters | News | CommentsDark energy, the mysterious cosmic force thought to be the fuel behind the accelerating expansion of the universe, is real, according to an Anglo-German team of astronomers.After a two-year study, scientists at the University of Portsmouth
Europe space agency eyes manned flights with China
September 12, 2012 8:47 am | by FRANK JORDANS Associated Press | News | CommentsEuropean astronauts could hitch a ride into orbit aboard Chinese spacecraft before the end of the decade, a senior official at the European Space Agency said Tuesday. The head of ESA's human spaceflight division said his agency
DC-DC converter designed for military vehicles, ships, weapons, and other rugged systems
September 11, 2012 11:22 am | Product Releases | CommentsVPT announces the availability of a new triple output DC-DC converter uniquely designed to power electronics in military vehicles, ships, weapons, and other rugged systems. Delivering up to 30 watts, the new VPT30-2800T DC-DC converter meets several military standards and features three outputs...
GA-ASI introduces system-wide enhancements for Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper
September 11, 2012 10:37 am | Product Releases | CommentsGeneral Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced the successful first flight of the Block 1-plus Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper, an upgrade to the original Block 1 Predator B that has been in production since 2003. The MQ-9 Block 1-plus test flight occurred on May 24 at the company’s Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif., with no discrepancies.
Meeting satellite design challenges with both off-the-shelf and customized space-grade DC-to-DC converter solutions
September 11, 2012 9:30 am | by Rob Warren, Vice President and General Manager, Microsemi Corporation | Articles | CommentsSatellite design engineers face many difficult issues. End customers such as the U.S. Air Force are demanding ever higher levels of reliability. Failure in space-related applications is not an option. The products used in satellites must work every time, in a plethora of environmental extremes...
Istanbul -- The earthquake risk of a megacity
September 10, 2012 9:10 am | by Engineering.com | News | CommentsToday the drilling starts for a seismic monitoring network on the Marmara Sea near Istanbul. Specially designed seismic sensors in eight boreholes on the outskirts of Istanbul and around the eastern Marmara Sea will monitor the seismic activity of the region with high precision.
Enough wind to power global energy demand
September 10, 2012 9:09 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsThere is enough energy available in winds to meet all of the world's demand. Atmospheric turbines that convert steadier and faster high-altitude winds into energy could generate even more power than ground- and ocean-based units. New research from Carnegie's Ken Caldeira examines
Connector system ideal for DC servers
September 7, 2012 3:02 pm | Product Releases | CommentsAnderson Power Products announces the launch of the Saf-D-Grid connector system for use in the direct connection of DC electronic devices to a DC micro grid. This connector system is ideal for use in DC servers or any device connecting directly to renewable energy sources such as Solar or Wind power.
Ku-band block up converter designed for transportable satellite communications uplinks
September 7, 2012 10:55 am | Product Releases | CommentsComtech Xicom Technology today introduced a new compact, lightweight and highly efficient solid-state Ku-band block up converter (BUC) designed for transportable satellite communications uplinks. The Comtech Xicom Technology Model XTS-40KHE-B1 is the perfect solution for commercial and military users ready to take advantage of available Ku-band capacity.
Neil Armstrong to be buried at sea: family
September 7, 2012 8:52 am | by Kim Palmer, Reuters | News | CommentsU.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, will be buried at sea, family spokesman Rick Miller said on Thursday. Armstrong died on August 25 following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures. He was 82.
10 must-see posts from August
September 6, 2012 4:23 pm | by Editors | Blogs | CommentsHere’s a rundown of the most read, most popular, most awesome articles for August. They all come with a witty, engaging summary just in case you missed them the first time or want to check up on an old favorite. Keep checking out the Lead and follow us on twitter @ecnmagazine for our most up-to-date articles.
Seeing the birth of the universe in an atom of hydrogen
September 6, 2012 10:24 am | by EurekAlert! | News | CommentsWindows to the past, stars can unveil the history of our universe, currently estimated to be 14 billion years old. The farther away the star, the older it is — and the oldest stars are the most difficult to detect. Current telescopes can only see galaxies about 700 million years old, and only when the galaxy is unusually large or as the result of a big event like a stellar explosion.
Pressure sensor designed for mobile phones, portable devices
September 5, 2012 2:13 pm | Stmicroelectronics | Product Releases | CommentsSTMicroelectronics has introduced a new pressure sensor that allows mobile phones and other portable devices to calculate their vertical elevation relative to sea-level with very high accuracy. This means that the mobile device will know not only on which floor of a building it is located, but almost on which step of the staircase.
Power supplies designed for compact spaces
September 4, 2012 2:23 pm | TDK-Lambda Americas, Inc. | Product Releases | CommentsTDK Corporation announces the new TDK-Lambda ZWS-BP series of single output, PCB-type AC-DC power supplies. Based on the popular ZWS series, the ZWS-BP is 30 percent smaller than its predecessor, thus simplifying equipment design and is offered in two mid-power output models – ZWS150BP (150W) and ZWS240BP (240W). With a 200% peak power capability, the ZWS-BP is ideal for use in electromechanical equipme
Shapeable LED backlight designed for enhanced light distribution
September 4, 2012 10:14 am | Product Releases | CommentsLumex announces the global launch of its first-in-the-industry QuantumBrite Shapeable LED Backlight. With the new shapeable LED backlight, holes can be cut into the backlight in virtually any shape (for example, to allow space for a switch or other component on the circuit board). This combination of flexible and shapeable LED backlight technology...
The Norton Report: Removal of conformal coating with small sandblasters
September 4, 2012 9:45 am | by Jim Norton, President, Custom Products & Services, Inc. | Blogs | CommentsThe development of conformal coating technology was driven to a large degree by the military and aerospace industries. While conformal coatings are mostly used on populated, printed wiring boards (PWBs), they are also used to protect components such as transistors, diodes, rectifiers, resistors, integrated circuits (ICs) and hybrid circuits including multi-chip modules (MCMs) and chip on board (COB).
Scientists test new marine robot hurricane-hunters
September 4, 2012 9:02 am | by Harriet McLeod, Reuters | News | CommentsAs Tropical Storm Isaac was on its path through the Caribbean before becoming a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico this week, U.S. scientists were testing an experimental new weather spy tool - an unmanned, marine robot about the size of a surfboard that can gather storm data at sea level.
35 years later, Voyager 1 is heading for the stars
September 4, 2012 8:58 am | by Alicia Chang AP Science Writer | News | CommentsThirty-five years after leaving Earth, Voyager 1 is reaching for the stars. Sooner or later, the workhorse spacecraft will bid adieu to the solar system and enter a new realm of space - the first time a manmade object will have escaped to the other side.
Stuck bolt on space station stymies spacewalkers
August 31, 2012 9:00 am | by Irene Klotz, Reuters | News | CommentsNASA on Thursday halted attempts to replace a power distributor on the International Space Station after spacewalking astronauts were repeatedly stymied by a jammed bolt, officials said. NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and Japan's Akihiko Hoshide, both station flight engineers
Smartphone app can track objects on the battlefield as well as on the sports field
August 30, 2012 1:38 pm | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsUniversity of Missouri researchers have developed new software using smartphones' GPS and imaging abilities, that determine the exact location of distant objects as well as monitor the speed and direction of moving objects. The software could eventually allow smartphone-armed soldiers to target the location of their enemies.
'Nano machine shop' shapes nanowires, ultrathin films
August 30, 2012 9:20 am | by Eurekalert! | News | CommentsA new "nano machine shop" that shapes nanowires and ultrathin films could represent a future manufacturing method for tiny structures with potentially revolutionary properties. The structures might be "tuned" for applications ranging from high-speed electronics to solar cells
Newly discovered dust-obscured galaxies may be missing link
August 30, 2012 9:18 am | by Irene Klotz, Reuters | News | CommentsScientists on Wednesday unveiled a new species in the cosmic zoo, a super-heated, dust-shrouded object called a "hot DOG," which may represent a missing link in galaxy evolution. A full-sky survey by NASA's wide-field infrared WISE telescope turned up about 1,000 hot
