The Race for Space-Based Solar Power
“Is space-based solar power a costly, risky pipe dream? Or is it a viable way to combat climate change? Although beaming solar power from space to Earth could ultimately involve transmitting gigawatts, the process could be made surprisingly safe and cost-effective, according to experts from Space Solar, the European Space Agency, and the University of Glasgow.
But we’re going to need to move well beyond demonstration hardware and solve a number of engineering challenges if we want to develop that potential.” (Wired)
- Nuclear fusion experiment hits new record for magnet strength
- Russia to cancel space tug, re-focus space nuclear power efforts
- Inside the three-way race to create the most widely used laser
- SpaceX asks FAA to allow 25 annual Starship launches in Texas
- SpaceX’s workhorse rocket is grounded after failure in orbit
- AI needs copper. It just helped to find millions of tons of it in Zambia.
- The $43M Veterans Affairs simulation hospital where doctors pilot new tech
- A blueprint for quantum-safe utility communications
- NASA built the VIPER moon rover for $450 million. Now it’s canceling the mission.
- DIU clearing more drones for military use
- New AI approach accelerates targeted materials discovery and sets the stage for self-driving experiments
- De-risking drug discovery with predictive AI
- Scientists integrate solid-state spin qubits with nanomechanical resonators
- Energy-storing carbon fiber composites pave the way to weightless batteries
- Soft robot can amputate and reattach its own legs
- Scientists propose glacier geoengineering to avoid sea level rise
- Silicon photonics light the way toward large-scale applications in quantum information
- Atomically thin transducers could one day enable quantum computing at room temperature
- Researchers achieve unprecedented nanostructuring inside silicon
- 3D visualization brings nuclear fusion to life
- Nanomedicine researchers develop new technology to control neural circuits using magnetic fields
- A new approach to accelerate the discovery of quantum materials
- Saronic, a defense technology company, raises $175M in Series B funding
- Marathon Fusion, a startup developing fuel processing technology for the fusion industry, closes $5.9M seed funding
- Nearfield Instruments, developer of Metrology & Inspection solutions for the semiconductor manufacturing industry, raises €135M in funding
- Alpine Space Ventures closes €170M fund
- Taiwan semiconductor chipmaker GlobalWafers to get $400M from CHIPS Act
- NATO allies pledge $1B to promote sharing of space-based intel
- UK solar tech scaleup Naked Energy raises £17M for global expansion
- Neuspera Medical, a neuromodulation company, raises $23M in Series D
- Laser manufacturing technology platform Halo Industries closes $80M Series B funding round
- Velentium, an engineering firm specializing in medical devices, receives $15M growth financing
- Standard Bots, a robotics automation company, raises $63M in funding
- Fusion startups receive $900M in funding to tame power of stars
- Glasses for the blind: Romania’s .lumen has raised €4M
- DreamBig latest chip startup to go big — Raises $75M
- Cardurion Pharmaceuticals, a company developing next-gen therapeutics for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, raises $260M Series B
- Bipartisan Senate bill proposes $12B for DOE’s AI work to spur energy breakthroughs, other advances
- Briefly Bio raises $1.2M to build the GitHub of science experiments
- Model developers Anthropic and Menlo Ventures launch $100M fund to back AI startups
- Deloitte Consulting awarded $2.4B to orchestrate submarine production revival
- U.S. defense contractor KBR to acquire defense and space contractor LinQuest for $737M
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