In this week’s edition of The Prototype, we look at SpaceX’s plans for Starship, a startup laying a lifeline for leukemia patients, a potential replacement for silicon in processors, and more. You can sign up to receive Prototype in your inbox here. AFP via Getty Images Elon Musk may be preoccupied exerting his influence on … Read more
If we ever find ourselves living off Earth, we’ll bring other species with us—for example, animals and plants to feed on. But we will also be accompanied by a host of uninvited escapees: bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms. What will happen to these microbes in extraterrestrial environments remains a mystery. For years, research has used … Read more
In July 2024, five student-built capsules endured the scorching heat of re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere as part of the second Kentucky Re-Entry Probe Experiment (KREPE-2). Scientists are now analyzing data from the KREPE-2 experiments, which could advance the development of heat shields that protect spacecraft when they return to Earth. The mission was designed to … Read more