Currently, most orbital spacecraft generate thrust by ejecting propellant. The need for propellant has hampered efforts to remove debris from Earth’s orbit – a problem which has resulted in an orbit increasingly cluttered by defunct satellites and the remnants of old space missions. To prevent active satellites from colliding with debris, researchers are developing a new generation of spacecraft – Hyper Transfer Vehicles (or HTVs) – designed to remove orbital debris. These HTVs need to be agile enough to grab debris, drag it down to the Earth’s atmosphere to safely burn up, then return to the higher orbit to repeat the operation.

Aluminum is an extremely energy-rich metal, making it an excellent candidate for fuels, propellants, and other high-power applications. However, its full potential is often locked away beneath a stubborn protective shell, which prevents it from burning efficiently. Dr. Michelle Pantoya and her research team at Texas Tech University have found a way to transform aluminum’s surface chemistry to make it burn faster and more effectively. Their breakthrough could lead to more powerful rocket fuels, explosives, and energy systems.

Current wood processing techniques rely on subtractive manufacturing, where material is carved away from a block of wood to reach the desired shape. However, this approach is inherently wasteful: producing thousands of tons of wood residue each year in Germany alone. The most promising solution to this problem is additive manufacturing, or 3D printing: where materials are deposited layer-by-layer. With this approach, much of the material involved in the manufacturing process appears in the final product, resulting in far greater material efficiency compared to subtractive manufacturing.

What do all these products have in common? The materials they are made of typically contain special nanostructures called ‘hetero-aggregates’, consisting of two or more types of nanoparticles mixed together. Nowadays, these unique materials are crucial components in batteries, solar panels, medicines, and many other products that we rely on. Hetero-aggregates are created when two or more different types of nanoparticles interact with each other on a microscopic scale, creating new, synergistic properties that wouldn’t be possible with just one type alone. However, producing these useful interactions isn’t easy.

Alternating current power systems rely on rotating electric machines, such as generators and motors, whose rotational speed form the power system frequency. The consumption of electric energy, and the generation of renewable energy, are subject to fluctuations, leading to variations in the power system frequency. To cope with this variability, electrical energy needs to be stored – for example in batteries. However, some energy will be wasted in the conversion from electrical alternating current to direct current energy, and from electrical direct current energy to chemical energy. This necessary energy conversion also increases the complexity of the power system.

Brillouin microscopy is a revolutionary imaging technology that offers detailed insights into the mechanical properties of cells and tissues. The technology relies on Brillouin light scattering. When light interacts with a material, it scatters in a way that depends on the material’s mechanical properties. This scattering causes a shift in the frequency of the light, which scientists can measure to determine stiffness and viscosity. This non-invasive technique allows living tissues to be studied in great detail without needing to use chemical labels or physical contact. The field of Brillouin microscopy has seen significant advancements over the past two decades, primarily driven by the development of high-resolution optical spectrometers.

Before they can replace fossil fuels entirely, wind and solar power plants will need to provide electricity to the grid at all times of the day, and in unpredictable weather conditions. To ensure a consistent output, renewable sources can be coupled with energy-storing batteries. Ideally, these batteries can be charged up when excess energy is generated, and then release their energy when the grid’s demand for power outpaces its supply. However, even the most well-designed battery systems only have a limited storage capacity. If this limit is exceeded, any excess energy will simply be wasted. One possible solution to this problem is to combine electrical batteries with chemical energy storage.