In a bold leap toward extraterrestrial living, scientists at IIT Madras have developed a revolutionary water-free concrete designed for future Mars colonies. With water being an extremely scarce and precious resource on the Red Planet, the team’s sulphur-based concrete offers a practical alternative for building durable structures without relying on Earth-dependent supply chains. By leveraging sulphur—abundant in Martian soil—the ExTeM (Extraterrestrial Manufacturing) group has created a material that meets Earth-like strength standards while being fully suited for Mars’ harsh conditions. This innovation, led by Professor Sathyan Subbiah and researcher Adithya Plato Sidharth, marks a major step in sustainable space architecture. The development allows future missions to construct habitats using in-situ resources, reducing payload weight and improving self-sufficiency. As space agencies gear up for long-term habitation on Mars, this pioneering approach could redefine how we think about construction beyond Earth. #IITMadras #MarsHabitat #SpaceInnovation #WaterlessConcrete #FutureOfColonies

A signal to Voyager 1 now takes over 23 hours to arrive—and just as long to return. That’s nearly a full day round-trip just to whisper across the stars. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 is still exploring—now the most distant human-made object in space. In January 2027, it’s set to hit a cosmic milestone: one light-day (about 25.9 billion km) from the Sun—right in time for its 50th anniversary. But as its power source weakens, NASA may soon begin shutting down some of its instruments to keep the mission going just a little longer. To put it all in perspective: Nearest star, Proxima Centauri? Still 4.24 light-years away. At Voyager 1’s current speed, it would take ~74,000 years to get there. 50 years later, this tiny spacecraft is still writing history beyond the edge of our solar system.

The company I work for just made a space suit

Astronomers are raising alarms over SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation, which is leaking unintended radio signals that could severely interfere with cosmic observations. While Starlink satellites are designed to beam internet across the globe, researchers have discovered that these spacecraft are also emitting low-level radio frequencies outside their intended transmission bands. This unintentional leakage could hinder the ability of radio telescopes to detect faint signals from the early universe, effectively masking some of the oldest and most distant cosmic phenomena. Despite SpaceX’s efforts—like disabling signal beams over major observatories—the growing swarm of satellites continues to pose a challenge. With over 6,000 Starlink units already in orbit, and tens of thousands more planned, the scale of potential interference is massive. This issue underscores a rising conflict between tech innovation and scientific exploration, sparking urgent calls for stronger regulations and international coordination to protect the integrity of space-based astronomy. #Starlink #AstronomyThreat #RadioInterference #SpaceScience #ProtectAstronomy

The United States has achieved a major milestone in laser science with the activation of the ZEUS laser at the University of Michigan. This system released a pulse of energy reaching 2 petawatts (2 quadrillion watts), but only for a brief duration of 25 femtoseconds (25 millionths of a billionth of a second). This immense power output makes it the most powerful laser ever fired, measured by peak power. The phrase “100 times the power of global electricity use” refers to how, during that split-second, the laser's power output temporarily exceeds the combined electricity usage of the entire world. However, this power is not continuous; it’s a burst used for extremely short, controlled experiments. ZEUS is designed to explore some of the most extreme environments in physics. It enables cutting-edge research in plasma interactions, space particle simulations, and vacuum-based quantum phenomena. Unlike conventional lasers, ZEUS is not built for energy supply, but for pushing the boundaries of high-energy physics and understanding the fundamental nature of matter and energy.