Cornwall space launch: why the environmental cost of rocket launches is large even when they fail
A recent UK mission to launch satellites into space from Spaceport Cornwall in the west of England failed to deliver the satellites to orbit. But the rocket, LauncherOne, succeeded in releasing hazardous pollutants to the middle and upper layers of the atmosphere where many will remain for years....
The Engineering behind how Scientists are steering lightning with lasers
Lightning may look beautiful but every year it kills thousands of people, does huge amounts of damage to buildings and infrastructure, and causes power outages. The only protection we have is lightning rods, which were invented 300 years ago and only protect a small area. The cost of...
DragonFire – Britain test fires its high-energy laser
The MoD ( Ministry of Defence ) has revealed that it has successfully test-fired the country's first long-range laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW). The agency announced that the high-powered laser, named DragonFire, was tested last month, October 17, in Wiltshire at its Porton Down science park test range. ...