DSIAC collects and publishes articles related to our technical focus areas on the web to share with the DoD community.
New Mexico-based ARCA Space Corporation has announced that it is developing the world”s first Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) launch vehicle that can deliver both a small payload and itself into low Earth orbit, at a cost of about US$1 million per launch. Dubbed the Haas 2CA after the 16th century rocket pioneer Conrad Haas,
Rice University scientists have fabricated a durable catalyst for high-performance fuel cells by attaching single ruthenium atoms to graphene. Catalysts that drive the oxygen reduction reaction that lets fuel cells turn chemical energy into electricity are usually made of platinum, which stands up to the acidic nature of the cell’s charge-carrying electrolyte. But platinum is
The military is beginning to organize around a principle of multi-domain battle — the notion that effects, planning and operations will converge seamlessly among the five domains of warfare: land, sea, air, space and cyber. Rather than thinking about war from a domain-centric perspective, future battles will be fought with a combination of effects. The
UBC engineers have developed a more resilient type of concrete using recycled tires. The concrete has improved durability with better resistance to loads and cracking and could be used for concrete structures like buildings, roads, dams and bridges while reducing landfill waste. The researchers experimented with different proportions of recycled tire fibres and other materials
As additive manufacturing (AM) makes its way into mainstream manufacturing more and more, a growing number of large original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have looked for new ways to adopt the technology. Among the most recent is construction equipment maker Caterpillar, which has signed a deal with AM solutions provider FIT AG to 3D print aluminum
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) scientists are conducting trials that will enable Dstl to characterise the effectiveness of Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW), in support of the LDEW Capability Demonstrator. The programme will culminate in a technology demonstrator in 2019. The goal of the programme is to demonstrate a standalone laser directed energy weapon
Virtual reality (VR) surrounds the lives of civilians and military members serving the Department of the Navy every day. Whether a person goes to the movie theater, sporting event, theme park or plays video games in the comfort of their home, VR becomes something tangible and real in their lives. Now, the intricacies of VR
The U.S. Army and Raytheon have completed a flight test of a high-energy laser system on an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter that was deemed successful, according to a Raytheon statement Monday. The recent test at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, “marks the first time that a fully integrated laser system successfully engaged and fired
A new way to grow narrow ribbons of graphene, a lightweight and strong structure of single-atom-thick carbon atoms linked into hexagons, may address a shortcoming that has prevented the material from achieving its full potential in electronic applications. Graphene nanoribbons, mere billionths of a meter wide, exhibit different electronic properties than two-dimensional sheets of the
Pacific Science EMC announces the release of its new Modular Architecture Propulsion System (MAPS™) for the small satellite market. The compact design of MAPS is a breakthrough in reducing time and cost of integrating the propulsion system with the satellite and launch vehicle. MAPS reduces the time from fabrication and testing to integration on the
Researchers are making progress in developing rechargeable batteries based on potassium, a potential alternative to lithium that”s less expensive and far more plentiful, and also have shown how to derive carbon for battery electrodes from old tires. “With the growth of rechargeable batteries for electronic devices, electric vehicles and power grid applications, there has been
After carrying the M16 or one of its cousins across the globe for more than half a century, soldiers could get a peek at a new prototype assault rifle that fires a larger round by 2020. Army researchers are testing half a dozen ammunition variants in “intermediate calibers,” which falls between the current 7.62 mm