Tag: NASA

New report sheds more light on climate change

Alicia Moore
Climate Change Report

Human activity is affecting global climate Government agencies in the United States have released their latest National Climate Assessment. This is the fourth heavily peer-reviewed report concerning climate change that has been released by these agencies. These agencies include NASA, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Global Change Research Program, as well as others. The report notes that climate change is real and that human activity has made the phenomenon significantly more potent. A changing climate is having a major impact on many countries The…

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NASA invests to further embrace fuel cell technology

John Max

Infinity has acquired funding from NASA for further fuel cell research Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Inc., a company focused on fuel cell technology, is set to receive funding from NASA’s Glenn Research Center. The funding will help the company continue its research and development on new fuel cell technology, which could have possible applications in space. New fuel cells developed by Infinity could be used as part of NASA’s Space Launch Systems vehicle, building upon a longstanding trend of NASA using fuel cell technology for propulsion and energy purposes.…

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Report warns of the brutal impact of climate change

Stephen Vagus

Efforts to fight climate change may be failing The European science journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics has published a new report from numerous scientists that notes that current efforts to fight climate change may be failing. Several years ago, the world’s leading nations banded together and agreed to limit the level of global warming to a degree they believed would be manageable. The report found, however, that allowing temperatures to rise by this agreed upon level may have disastrous consequences for the planet. Nations may be too slow to fight…

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AFC Energy reaches new milestone with its alkaline fuel cells

Bret Williams

Alkaline fuel cell power plan exceeds expectations AFC Energy, a leading developer of fuel cells, has reached a new milestone in terms of energy generation through its KORE fuel cell power plant in Stade, Germany. The power plant makes use of alkaline fuel cells that have been developed by AFC Energy as part of its KORE line of products. According to the company, more than 200 kilowatts of electrical power have been generated by the power plant. Fuel cells continue to gain support from those interested in renewable energy Fuel…

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AFC Energy receives approval for new hydrogen fuel facility in Germany

Alicia Moore

Fuel cell developer receives final approval needed to build its new energy facility AFC Energy, a developer of hydrogen fuel cells, has announced that it has received the final permit needed to finish construction on what it believes to be the world’s largest industrial alkaline fuel cell facility. The facility is located in Germany, a country that has been growing more interested in fuel cell technology and renewable energy. The new facility will be equipped with alkaline fuel cells, which will produce electrical power that is expected to be delivered…

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Solar energy generated in space could be the renewable power of the future

Erin Kilgore

Space-based solar power could become the most powerful energy source. While the idea of a solar energy station in space is not a new concept, unlike the past, when it was more of a concept that only seemed possible in a science fiction novel, today, the idea of building a solar power station in space, that could harvest non-stop continual power, is becoming an idea that scientists may actually be able to make possible, CNN reported. No clouds or night exists in space to inhibit sunlight. Space is absent of…

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The Impact of Climate Change

Bret Williams

A changing climate is not a comfortable subject Climate change can be an uncomfortable subject for many people. This may be due to some of the “doomsday” scenarios that have garnered a great deal of attention in relation to the subject. Others simply believe that climate change and its impact on the world is nothing more than hyperbole. Many argue that climate change is nothing more than a natural cycle that humans cannot have any influence on. Whatever the case may be, the potential effects of climatic changes do not…

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India continues work on large-scale solar energy project

Angie Bergenson

Solar power may help India move away from fossil-fuels more quickly India’s Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the construction of what is being called the country’s “ultra-mega solar power project.” India has adopted a strong interest in solar energy as the cost of oil continues to increase. Clean power is expected to help the country establish some economic stability as it begins to transition away from fossil-fuels. Solar power has also gained India’s support as the country…

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NASA to develop new clean fuel

Bret Williams
Clean fuel NASA

Space agency to develop new fuel for spacecraft NASA has managed to grab headlines with the successful launch and landing of the Mars Curiosity Rover, but the U.S. space agency may be able to grab more attention with its development of a new clean rocket fuel. For several years, the agency has relied on hydrogen and as type of hydrazine fuel. While hydrogen produces no emissions when it is used, it is often produced through the burning of fossil-fuels. Hydrazine is notoriously corrosive and toxic and can often be the…

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NASA teams with Cella Energy to develop hydrogen fuel technologies

Tami Hood
Cella Energy Develops Hydrogen Storage System

Cella Energy to work with Kennedy Space Center to develop new technologies NASA has announced that the Kennedy Space Center in Florida has teamed with Cella Energy, a leading developer of fuel cell and hydrogen storage technologies. Through the partnership, the two will be working to research and develop hydrogen-powered vehicles. The two organizations have signed a five-year agreement, being called the Space Agreement Act. The two may release a hydrogen-powered vehicle to the commercial market if, during the tenure of the agreement, their fuel cell technologies reach a sufficient…

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NASA develops new biofuel energy system using algae and plastic bags

John Max
algae-biofuel-alternative-energy

NASA’s new interest in alternative energy research gives way to new options with algae biofuel. NASA may no longer be conducting ambitious missions in the field of space exploration, but that does not mean the agency is resting on its laurels. The agency has taken an interest in alternative energy and has recently been experimenting with hydrogen, solar and wind power. NASA has also found an interest in biofuels and their production. This week, the agency unveiled a new system that is capable of growing massive amounts of algae. These…

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Leading alternative energy technology company has plans for a solar satellite

Stephen Vagus
Prototype-solar-energy-satellite-tower

Collecting solar energy in space may seem like a subject plucked out of the annals of science fiction… but Artemis Innovation Management Solutions, a leading alternative energy technology company based in California, believes that such an energy harvesting system is possible. A team of researchers led by John Mankins have developed the first practical solar energy powered satellite, aptly dubbed the Solar Power Satellite. The project is still in very early conceptual stages, but Mankins believes that a space-based solar power system is absolutely feasible. As the world’s population grows…

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Boeing announces successful taxi of hydrogen-powered unmanned aircraft

Bret Williams
Phantom Eye

The Boeing Company, an international aerospace and defense corporation, has announced the first successful medium-speed taxi of its hydrogen-powered unmanned aircraft, the Phantom Eye. The aircraft has yet to take to the air, but Boeing believes that it is on track to do so before the end of the year. The Phantom Eye is designed for lengthy, high altitude flights and will eventually serve as a surveillance tool for military groups. It will be among the first aircraft that uses hydrogen as its source of fuel. Boeing developed the Phantom…

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Human waste may be the future of self-sustaining robotics

Jake Banks
EcoBot III

The future of self-sustaining machines may lie in the realm of human waste. In the past decade, alternative energy systems have become significantly advanced. Today, these energy systems are getting a great deal of attention for their ability to make machines entirely self-reliant. In the robotics industry, microbial fuel cells have proven that self-sustainability is possible. Now, so called EcoBots are beginning to emerge into the world with a great deal of support from NASA and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in the United Kingdom. John Greenman, a microbiologist with the…

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Prototype lighting solution makes an appearance at the Atlantis launch

Jake Banks
Atlantis Launch

A new powerful lighting array was spotted at the launch of space shuttle Atlantis earlier this month. Thousands flocked to the Kennedy Space Center for the last voyage of the space craft, marking the closure of NASA’s space faring program. Given the gravity of the occasion, the space agency was eager to ensure that not a second was missed in the gloomy twilight of the launch. To this end, NASA partnered with Sandia National Labs, a multiprogramming engineering laboratory working with the Department of Energy. Sandia provided NASA with several…

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Hydrogen fuel cell power will “Endeavor”

Bret Williams
Hydrogen Fuel Powered Shuttle

The space shuttle Endeavor’s last mission is not too far away now. While many are looking at the last flight as the end of an era, not much attention is being paid to the fuel system of the shuttle. Endeavor makes use of massive hydrogen fuel cells, specially constructed by NASA to power the intricate computer systems that are vital to the shuttle’s function. Hydrogen fuel cells have been getting a lot of attention lately, but not for powering a spaceship. The auto industry is hydrogen’s most staunch supporter. There…

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