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May 13, 2021May 13, 2021 by Nancy AtkinsonExtrasolar Object Interceptor Would be Able to Chase Down the Next Oumuamua or Borisov and Actually Return a SampleWhat if we had the ability to chase down interstellar objects passing through our Solar System, like Oumuamua or Comet Borisov? Such a spacecraft would need to be ready to go at a moment’s notice, with the capacity to increase speed and change direction quickly.That’s the idea behind a new mission concept called the Extrasolar Object Interceptor and Sample Return spacecraft. It has received exploratory funding from NASA through its Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program.“Bringing...

Thousands of patients are facing delays in crucial medical tests because of a shortage of a radioactive substance used in those examinations — all because of the shutdown of one nuclear reactor in Canada. McEwan said the nuclear medicine society has long pushed for the United States to build its own reactor to produce medical materials. That hasn’t happened for a variety of reasons, including cost, he said. He called that “shortsighted.”

NASA selected several radioisotope-based power-conversion technologies for research and development (R&D). The awards are the first competitive technology procurement funded wholly by NASA's Project Prometheus. These systems are distinguished by their use of new technologies for converting heat from radioisotope fuel into electrical power. The technologies are intended for use in improved radioisotope-power systems, which could provide higher efficiencies and power levels than those used on existing devices, enabling more sophisticated science instruments and spacecraft subsystems. The awards cover several distinct power-conversion technology areas: Thermoelectrics, Thermophotovoltaics, Stirling Engines, and Brayton Engines. "With this award, NASA is laying the foundation for...