3 Questions: Fortifying our planetary defenses
MIT astronomers are developing a new way to detect, monitor, and mitigate the threats posed by smaller asteroids to our critical space infrastructure.
Finding a nanoscale solution to safer spaceflight
Using boron nitride nanotubes, mechanical engineering doctoral student Palak Patel develops materials for space that block dangerous ionizing radiation.
Featured video: How tiny satellites help us track hurricanes and other weather events
Mini microwave sounders developed at Lincoln Laboratory, demonstrated on a NASA mission, and now transferred to industry, are expanding storm-forecasting capabilities.
Fueling research in nuclear thermal propulsion
Master's student Taylor Hampson is modeling the behavior of an unconventional rocket engine that will heat propellant using nuclear energy.
Scientists get a first look at the innermost region of a white dwarf system
X-ray observations reveal surprising features of the dying star’s most energetic environment.
MIT Haystack scientists study recent geospace storms and resulting light shows
Solar maximum occurred within the past year — good news for aurora watchers, as the most active period for displays at New England latitudes occurs in the three years following solar maximum.
Using classic physical phenomena to solve new problems
Marco Graffiedi, a doctoral student in nuclear science and engineering, is researching quenching processes to help cool nuclear cores, and NASA craft the next generation of space vehicles.
Lincoln Laboratory and Haystack Observatory team up to unveil hidden parts of the galaxy
A proposed telescope made of thousands of tiny, identical satellites will work to reveal low-frequency radio waves in space.
3 Questions: How a new mission to Uranus could be just around the corner
PhD student Chloe Gentgen discusses why the ice giant is such a high-priority solar system target, and how the Starship launch vehicle may hasten our explorations there.
The first animals on Earth may have been sea sponges, study suggests
MIT researchers traced chemical fossils in ancient rocks to the ancestors of modern-day demosponges.
Lincoln Laboratory technologies win seven R&D 100 Awards for 2025
Inventions that protect US service members, advance computing, and enhance communications are recognized among the year's most significant new products.
Study finds exoplanet TRAPPIST-1e is unlikely to have a Venus- or Mars-like atmosphere
Astronomers led by EAPS postdoc Ana Glidden ruled out several atmospheric scenarios for the planet, narrowing ideas of what habitability there might look like.
Engineering fantasy into reality
PhD student Erik Ballesteros is building “Doc Ock” arms for future astronauts.
Astronomers discover star-shredding black holes hiding in dusty galaxies
Unlike active galaxies that constantly pull in surrounding material, these black holes lie dormant, waking briefly to feast on a passing star.
Supporting mission-driven space innovation, for Earth and beyond
Aurelia Institute, founded by a team from MIT, serves as a research lab, an education and outreach center, and a policy hub for the space industry.