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DTN 124: LuSEE in the Sky with Diamonds

Plus: A secret plan to dim the sun, experimental robotic surgery, over-the-air internet lasers, quantum sensors on DoD space plane, and more.

01 Aug 2025 — 5 min read

Scientists and Engineers Craft Radio Telescope Bound for the Moon

“Scientists, engineers, and technicians were tasked with developing a one-of-a-kind scientific instrument with strict, and often competing, mass and energy consumption limits for each component. The successful completion of the phase marks a substantial scientific and engineering achievement — and a key milestone for the entire LuSEE-Night project…LuSEE-Night’s complex design empowers the telescope to survive in an infamously inhospitable place: the lunar far side. Named for its inability to be seen from Earth, this area of the moon sits in total darkness for 14 Earth days followed by 14 days of brutal sunlight. Without an atmosphere, temperatures swing from -280 to 280 degrees Fahrenheit and there’s no protection from cosmic radiation.”

Brookhaven National Laboratory

The US Navy, in partnership with Skydweller Aero, a US-based aerospace startup, announced the successful completion of a continuous solar-powered unmanned test flight. Led by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), the nonstop test flight lasted 73-hours and validated Skydweller’s technology and the possibility of replacing combustion-powered, manned aircrafts, which the US Navy has traditionally used to monitor vast areas for maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). (via NAVAIR News)