This magnified satellite could be the key to clearing space junk
Japanese space solutions mogul Astroscale has launched the first commercial mission to remove debris from our atmosphere. Spoiler: it involves a giant magnet. It appears we’ve finally found a feasible solution to make a dent in the storm of space junk currently orbiting the Earth – though it may sound...
Current in Science
Global psychedelics market projected to reach $10.75bn by 2027
Australia will soon be trialling psychedelic drugs as a treatment for mental illness, while California is looking to decriminalise them altogether. The marketplace is expected to grow – fast. At present, society is experiencing an acute mental health crisis, exacerbated tenfold by a pandemic that’s dramatically intensified feelings of loneliness, uncertainty,...
Orbital Assembly’s commercial ‘space hotel’ to open by 2027
Orbital Assembly, an ambitious manufacturing firm centred on space colonisation, has unveiled new details for its celestial ‘space hotel’ planned for a momentous opening in 2027. Thanks to the pandemic, the prospect of going abroad anytime soon to soak up sea, sun, and unwind seems an unrealistic one. Fret not...
What to expect from NASA’s ‘Perseverance’ Mars landing
Perseverance, NASA’s most sophisticated rover ever, is due to land on the surface of Mars on Thursday. This is your pre-event guide on what to expect and how to follow the mission throughout the year. NASA’s Perseverance rover is just 48 hours from making its descent onto the surface of...
High school astronomers have discovered four new ‘exoplanets’
A teenage duo from a Massachusetts high school have discovered four new exoplanets and co-authored a paper in the Astronomical Journal. It’s high time we officially axed the term ‘pie in the sky’. Two Massachusetts high schoolers have blossomed from keen physics students into renowned astronomers seemingly overnight. Thanks to a...
The UN announces bold new framework for space sustainability
With concerns growing over space debris and satellite traffic, the UN and UK government has signed a one-of a-kind agreement to ensure the sustainability of space missions going forward. If you keep up to date with our stories, you’ll know that space junk – though it may sound like a...
Synthetic CBD could be used to treat antibiotic resistant superbugs
Research has established the antibiotic potential of synthetic CBD, after discovering that some cannabis molecules can effectively destroy previously untreatable bacterial strains. With doctors concerned that antibiotics have become increasingly ineffective since Fleming first purified penicillin in 1928, the recent discovery that some cannabis molecules can effectively destroy previously untreatable bacterial strains is a welcome one. An unlikely novel weapon in the war against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, synthetic CBD (a non-psychoactive cannabinoid...
Nasa’s new AI has found millions of trees in the Sahara
A new method of mapping the location and size of trees growing in arid and semi-arid regions is laying the groundwork for a more accurate global measurement of carbon storage on land. According to a recent study that combines Artificial Intelligence with detailed satellite imagery, there are in fact far more trees in the West African Sahara Desert than you may expect. This is all thanks to Nasa (who else, of...
Japan developing wooden satellites to reduce space junk
Kyoto University has teamed up with Sumitomo Forestry to create the first satellites made entirely of wood. It’s hoped that they’ll reduce the levels of space junk in our atmosphere. If you thought human littering and wastage was a problem confined to just our planet, you may want to look into the ever-pressing issue of space junk. More satellites are being launched into our atmosphere every year. Tiny alumina particles are...
Students to race remote control cars on the moon in 2021
Two teams of high-school students are creating remote control cars to race on the moon. No, this isn’t Mario Kart. In the new year, a few lucky high-school students will get the chance to try their hand at automotive engineering alongside Frank Stephenson, the motor genius behind the design of McLaren’s flagship supercar the M-P1. Get this though, that isn’t even the most exciting part. The competition, devised by SpaceX chief...
