Lifeboat Foundation

Earlier this spring, Russian billionaire Yuri Milner casually announced his intention to develop spacecraft that can travel at up to 20 percent the speed of light and reach Alpha Centauri within twenty years. From the outset, it was clear that no humans would be making the warp jump—the mission will involve extremely lightweight robotic spacecraft. A new fleet of tiny satellites hints at what those future interstellar voyagers will look like and be capable of.

Meet Sprites: sticky note-sized devices that sure look like the result of the Pentagon’s long-anticipated floppy disk purge, but are in fact state-of-the-art spacecraft complete with solar cells, a radio transceiver, and a tiny computer. Later this summer, a Cornell-led project called Kicksat-2 will launch 100 of these puppies to the International Space Station. There, the satellites will spend a few days field-testing their navigational hardware and communications systems before burning up in orbit.

The project’s lead engineers, Zachary Manchester and Mason Peck, are on the advisory committee for Breakthrough Starshot, an ambitious effort to reach our nearest neighboring star system within a generation. (In fact, the potato chip-sized computer Milner held up during a highly publicized press conference in April was Manchester’s own design.) Sprites, and the “chipsat” technology they’re based on, are a step toward that goal of interstellar travel. More generally, they’re an indication of the future of space exploration.

Continue reading “These Tiny Spacecraft Could Lead Us to Alpha Centauri” »

The US military’s research arm says its robotic “space plane” program has received funding for the next phase of development. Aiming to provide a quicker and cheaper way to launch satellites, the still-conceptual vehicle may fly as early as 2019.

The Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program is intended to prove that “routine and responsive access to space can be achieved at costs an order of magnitude lower than with today’s systems,” according to Jess Sponable, program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

After reviewing studies submitted by several aerospace conglomerates, DARPA has now issued a call for design proposals. The deadline for submissions is July 22.

Imagine these fighter jets being equipped with the DARPA death laser that is being worked on. Very deadly mix.

The size of a matchstick, the stentrode can provide the “brain-machine interface” or BMI necessary for thought-controlled devices. Neural implants currently in use require invasive surgery.

Stentrodes can be attached to the brain using catheter angiography. This procedure passes the device through blood vessels in the neck and into the brain without cutting open the skull.

Continue reading “DARPA Sees US Fighter Jets as First Thought-controlled Weapon” »

Official US defence and NATO documents confirm that autonomous weapon systems will kill targets, including civilians, based on tweets, blogs and Instagram by Nafeez Ahmed.

This exclusive is published by INSURGE INTELLIGENCE, a crowd-funded investigative journalism project for the global commons

The new focus of military weapons right now is the railgun. It is capable of launching a projectile 125 miles at Mach 6 speeds using electromagnetic fields.

For several years now, America has been toying with the idea of railguns, weapons that fire not through gunpowder or chemical explosives, but through electromagnetic fields. Yes, these are electromagnetic projectile launchers. Now, they are not only close to reality, but right on the cusp of deployment.

Essentially, the railguns being developed right now operate on the following concept: There are electrical current charges on either side of the barrel of the gun, creating magnetic fields that push projectiles at amazing speeds.

Continue reading “America’s New Superweapon? Electromagnetic Projectile Launchers That Fire at 4500 MPH” »

DARPA’s new mind control fighter jets (BMIs are coming here soon) — BMI tech will mean smart devices will not be needed by most of the population.

University of Melbourne has developed an implant that could plug the brain directly into a vehicle.

Oh boy.

Got a design concept? You have until July 22 to submit your plan.

By Jennings Brown.

Bionic Power makes wearable technology for charging batteries. Today, we are focused on developing our PowerWalk^® Kinetic Energy Harvester for military use and will begin multi-unit field trials with the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps next year. In the future, we see our walk-recharge technology being used in disaster zones and remote worksites, and by consumers in recreational, emergency preparedness and backup applications.

LAPEER COUNTY, MI – U.S. Army convoys are set to roll down the interstate in Lapeer and St. Clair counties as part of a first-time testing of driverless military vehicle equipment on public roadways in the state.

If successful, officials say the technology that may save the lives of soldiers thousands of miles away.

Representatives from the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center, or TARDEC, and Michigan Department of Transportation met with residents in Imlay City and Capac on May 23 to discuss the testing scheduled for late June along Interstate 69.

Continue reading “U.S. Army using Michigan interstate to test driverless vehicle tech” »