• Nasa details trio of missions to prepare the lunar surface for future Moon base

    Nasa has detailed a series of lunar rovers, drones and equipment that it plans to send to the Moon as part of plans for a crewed landing and eventual Moon base. The agency also outlined plans to send the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS) instrument to the Moon later this year. This will study how rocket exhaust displaces lunar soil during a spacecraft’s descent and landing. As the Artemis programme shifts to launching larger, heavier payloads and building sustained structures at the lunar south pole, engineers must predict how thruster plumes interact with the ground prior to the manned landing that will take place in 2028. In addition to SCALPSS, Nasa plans to deploy an instrument called the Laser Retroreflective Array, which helps orbiting spacecraft determine a…

  • Miniature ground station achieves laser data link with satellite

    Oxford-based laser communications company Archangel Lightworks has successfully completed field trials of the TERRA-M, the world's smallest deployable operational optical ground station. The trials were funded by the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and saw the ground station, which is approximately the size of a mini-fridge, securely and rapidly transfer data between itself and a satellite in low-Earth orbit (LEO). The TERRA-M was placed in an unspecified location in the Mediterranean and, during a 90-second satellite pass, many gigabytes of data were downloaded, proving the capability of its laser communications technology. Laser communications transmit information using very low power, non-visible light instead of radio waves. As light has a much shorter wavelength…

  • Recycling push could slash Europe’s reliance on Chinese rare earths

    More than half of Europe’s demand for critical minerals (CRM) could be met within the continent itself if a robust recycling system is implemented, researchers have said. Europe is currently facing difficulties in sourcing enough CRMs to fuel its green, digital and defence sectors. With many countries around the world decarbonising their energy grids and moving towards electric vehicles (EVs), global demand for the elements is expected to increase. China has long been the dominant player in the market, accounting for around 70% of global mining production and over 90% of global processing of rare earth metals – a key subset of CRMs. While the elements can be found outside of China, decades of investment in supply chains mean the country has by far the most robust production pipeline. …

  • New heat-resistant material could help astronauts build on the Moon

    Researchers at Nasa have discovered a new material with extreme heat resistance that could be used in future lunar structures and vehicles. Nasa is researching ways in which future lunar astronauts could harness resources on the Moon to support life, such as using materials to build infrastructure. A team at its Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland has studied how various materials interact with melted Moon rocks, which are highly corrosive, quickly wearing through a lot of materials. They combined simulated lunar dust with a compound called scandium oxide. Following heat treatment using a furnace that can reach around 1,590°C, the mixture had formed into a completely new material – one that did not match any of the more than one million substances in their X-ray analysis database. To…

  • Interview: Why Pablos Holman believes AI and nuclear can transform the future

    Don’t worry, be happy: meet Pablos Holman, the tech evangelist who’s (mostly) optimistic about a global future centred on AI and nuclear energy. Intellectuals in the public eye are different from what they used to be. Once they were venerable Oxbridge dons who might risk their reputations by stepping out from their ivory towers to explain the complexities of the modern world in what they imagined to be the common tongue. Now, they’re technology’s rock stars. They wear black leather jackets and funky eyewear, and sprinkle their lectures with unprintable vocabulary (for E+T, at least). They also express their ideas in broad brush strokes that seem to imply the outline of the message is more important than the detail. When Pablos Holman bounds onto the stage to deliver his keynote at the…

  • Fighting the fog of war with AI and satellite communications

    Ahead of the IET’s annual International Satcoms Conference in June, we look at how technology can help deal with the battlefield’s biggest imponderable: friction. In May 2025, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced £1bn of investment in technology to speed up battlefield decision-making. Technology, military planners hope, will help overcome battlefield friction, a phrase coined by 19th-century German philosopher of war Carl von Clausewitz to describe unforeseen circumstances and challenges that occur on the battlefield to disrupt or delay operations. In Clausewitz’s seminal work On War, he surmised that friction could be caused by logistical and supply issues, equipment malfunction, environmental factors such as weather and terrain, communication breakdowns, or unexpected actions taken…

  • Ferrari unveils the Luce, its first all-electric vehicle

    Italian luxury sports car maker Ferrari has unveiled the Luce, a €550,000 electric vehicle (EV) with a top speed of 310km/h and a 530km range. Unveiled at an event in Rome, the brand said its launch marks “the beginning of a new chapter in Ferrari’s storied history of engineering excellence and innovation”. Drawing on in-house electric technology developed through its World Endurance Championship programme and ocean-racing yacht Hypersail project, the Italian marque has showcased its EV ambitions while rival brands such as Porsche and Lamborghini are scaling back. Like its predecessors, the Luce’s main components are engineered, developed and manufactured in-house at its facility in Maranello, Italy, from the electric engines to the battery pack. As such, the project includes more than…

  • IBM and US government plan US-based $2bn quantum wafer foundry

    IBM and the US Department of Commerce have announced plans for a US-based quantum chip foundry aimed at scaling quantum computing from laboratory research towards industrial-scale manufacturing. The quantum foundry will be built by a standalone IBM company called Anderon, which will see $1bn in funding from the US Department of Commerce under the CHIPS and Science Act and a further $1bn from IBM itself. The US tech giant will also invest intellectual property, assets and a skilled workforce to the initiative. Based in Albany, New York, the project aims to create a purpose-built quantum fabrication platform to manufacture wafers for multiple quantum technology companies across the globe. Anderon’s facility is expected to support 300mm wafer processing for quantum hardware including superconducting…

  • Modular micro-refineries to extract rare earths from waste streams at source

    A UK tech firm has developed modular micro-refineries to extract and process rare earth elements from industrial waste at source, reducing reliance on China. Silex World, a spin-out from the University of Leeds, has launched a modular micro-refinery that can recover and recycle rare earth elements and other metals locally from waste streams, instead of sending the waste away to large centralised refineries. Rare earth elements feature in a vast array of high-tech and everyday products, from electronics and medical equipment to clean energy and defence systems. While these elements are primarily extracted through mining, there is also a growing market to extract these elements from end-of-life products or electronics waste and refine them so they can be reused. Currently, China is a dominant…

  • World’s first power grid in space set to be reality as Star Catcher secures $65m

    US-based Star Catcher Industries has raised $65m to bring the “first space-based energy grid” to orbit, with a demonstration mission planned for later in 2026. Founded less than two years ago, Star Catcher is developing a space-based energy network designed to power satellites and other spacecraft in low-Earth orbit. Its ‘Star Catcher Network’ uses optical power beaming technology or lasers to wirelessly transmit energy on demand. The system works by collecting and concentrating diffuse sunlight, converting it into wavelengths optimised for standard satellite solar panels, and beaming it precisely to spacecraft. The company says that this technology is compatible across existing satellite systems, allowing satellites to generate between 10 times the amount of power they would generate…

  • First Great British Railways train unveiled prior to nationalisation of largest operator

    The first Great British Railways (GBR) branded train has been unveiled in Brighton ahead of the nationalisation of Govia Thameslink Railway, Britain’s largest train operator, on Sunday 31 May. The Class 387, operated by Southern, will be the first of many trains to bear the GBR logo. Passengers will also begin to see the design at stations, on staff uniforms and on trains, but the Department for Transport (DfT) said that the rollout would happen gradually to ensure value for taxpayers’ money. GBR branding will be most prominently displayed in England because the DfT will manage those franchises directly. In Scotland and Wales, services including ScotRail, the Caledonian Sleeper and Transport for Wales will continue to be owned by the devolved governments. However, the branding is expected…

  • Airbus inaugurates new supercomputers for next-gen aircraft design

    European aerospace giant Airbus has deployed new supercomputing infrastructure across two sites to help its engineers accelerate the development of future aircraft. The supercomputing infrastructure has been supplied by French high-performance computing (HPC) provider Bull. The contract covers the installation of supercomputers and their respective data centres across two sites. The first was delivered to Airbus’ site in Toulouse, France, in 2025 and the more recent was delivered to its site in Hamburg, Germany. According to Bull, this latest delivery paves the way for the inauguration of a fully operational, multi-site supercomputing infrastructure. This upgrade to Airbus’ existing HPC infrastructure will provide the aerospace giant with a “more powerful and flexible solution”, Bull said…

  • Worldwide growth in coal plants continued in 2025 despite lower generation

    The number of coal-fired power plants continued to grow on a global basis in 2025 but, despite the increase, the amount of energy generation from fossil fuels fell. A new report from Global Energy Monitor (GEM) found that while global coal capacity increased by 3.5% in total 2025, coal-fired generation fell by 0.6%. This divergence was most pronounced in China and India, where record-breaking wind and solar additions met almost all new demand, displacing coal even as plant commissioning reached decade-highs. Coal produces significantly more CO2 per unit of energy than other fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas, because it contains a higher carbon content. Climate experts have said that countries need to move away from coal or risk failing to reduce carbon emissions enough to tackle…

  • Emirates starts construction on $5.1bn aviation engineering facility in Dubai

    A mega-complex dedicated to airport maintenance and engineering for Emirates has officially begun construction at Dubai South. The Dubai-headquartered airline, and one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates, is building a $5.1bn maintenance, repairs and overhaul facility located on the outskirts of Dubai, near Al Maktoum International Airport. Delivered by China Railway Construction Corporation, a construction and infrastructure company, the new 1.1 million square metre site will feature a hangar complex capable of servicing 28 wide-body aircraft simultaneously, alongside the “world’s largest” dedicated landing gear workshop. Other facilities include: Two advanced aircraft paint hangars77,000m2 of repair workshops380,000m2 of logistics and storage50,000m2 of office space…

  • HS2 costs could top £102.7bn as opening faces 2039 delay

    The total cost of HS2 could now top £102.7bn and trains may not start running until 2039 – six years later than the most recent target of 2033, transport secretary Heidi Alexander has admitted. The project has since been beset by a string of failures and budget overruns since its inception, including the cancellation of routes ending in Leeds and Manchester. It was originally expected to be completed by 2033, but Alexander had previously said this date was unlikely due to a “litany of failure”. The government has now announced that the project will cost anywhere between £87.7bn and £102.7bn, with two-thirds of the increase due to works being missed from the scope of the original project plan, underestimation by previous governments and inefficient delivery, and the remaining third due to…

  • Sizewell C investors expected to reap £4bn in profit from UK energy bill levy

    The government will need to “closely” monitor the finances of the Sizewell C nuclear power station during its construction due to the risky nature of the project, and consumers might not see the financial benefits of the project until 2060. A report from the National Audit Office (NAO) outlined the potential risks of the project’s funding model, which sees the government provide the majority of the money needed for its construction, while only taking a minority share in the company. Last July, a deal was reached with private investors to help spread the cost of the £38bn project due to its massive scale. In total, the taxpayer will take an initial 44.9% stake and EDF 12.5%, while the new shareholders include investment group La Caisse with 20%, Centrica with 15% and Amber Infrastructure…

  • UK government must ‘step up and protect our way of life’, warns climate watchdog

    The government’s climate advisers have published a new report outlining the actions needed to ensure that the UK is prepared for the growing impacts of climate change. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) warned that the UK urgently needs to adapt to climate change and outlined the risks brought by a hotter, wetter climate, with climate resilience being important for food, energy and economic security. The committee’s Well-adapted UK report found that, based on the current trajectory of global greenhouse gas emissions, warming will reach around 1.5°C by the early 2030s and around 2°C by 2050. In such a scenario, heatwave temperatures would regularly exceed 40°C in large parts of the UK, with some of the hottest areas peaking at 43°C or higher. By 2050, 92% of homes will overheat, peak river…

  • Sustainability must be embedded at core of UK’s nuclear sector, according to report

    The UK nuclear sector risks falling behind unless sustainability becomes central to investment, delivery and public trust, according to a report by the Next Generation Nuclear Industry Council (NGNIC). The expansion of Britain’s nuclear energy capabilities are considered to be a key part of the long-term decarbonisation of the UK’s energy grid. Last year energy secretary Ed Miliband said the government aims to kickstart the “golden age” of nuclear energy. Amid this increased government investment and Rolls‑Royce SMR’s recent deal to deliver the UK’s first three small modular reactors (SMRs) at Wylfa, the NGNIC argues that sustainability should be seen as an opportunity, not as an additional burden. Its report – Sustainability in the nuclear sector – sets out how the industry can strengthen…

  • Lasers placed in the Moon’s darkest cavities could offer GPS-like lunar navigation

    Scientists have proposed building an “ultrastable laser” in one of the Moon’s darkest craters to provide GPS-level navigation on the lunar surface. Many craters in the Moon’s south pole never receive direct sunlight and lie in permanent shadow, which makes them an ideal place to construct the laser technology. Highly stable lasers provide a source of coherent light that has a nearly unwavering frequency, or colour that could provide a master time signal in a GPS-like lunar navigation system. Multiple copies of these lunar lasers could precisely measure the distances between objects and potentially detect exotic physics phenomena such as ripples in spacetime. To construct a lunar laser, astronauts would first install a key component known as an optical silicon cavity – a block of silicon…

  • Fungi turn toxic wood waste into low-carbon insulation material

    Hard-to-recycle construction waste can be transformed into a sustainable, bio-based insulation composite using a common fungus, according to researchers at the University of Bath. The construction industry creates an enormous amount of waste, a large proportion of which is wood waste. While its deemed a natural material, much of this wood has been treated with resins, making it hard to recycle. If left to decompose in landfill, it releases toxic chemicals into the environment. To tackle this issue, researchers at the University of Bath turned to Trametes versicolor, a wood-rotting fungus found throughout UK woodlands and commonly known as turkey tail. As it grows, its mycelium network breaks down the material and binds it together, transforming it into a thermally insulating and fire-resistant…

  • Social media sites urged to deploy revenge porn detection tech

    Ofcom has said social media platforms should start implementing automated detection technology to stop the spread of revenge porn online. The recommendation is part of the regulator’s Illegal Content Codes, which is being strengthened to include provisions designed to tackle the issue. It said that protecting women and girls online was now an “urgent” matter that major tech firms need to address in the short term. In February, the government introduced an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that orders tech firms to take down intimate images shared without a victim’s consent within 48 hours. It described the issue as a “national emergency” and pledged to halve the number of crimes of this nature over the next decade. The UK’s Revenge Porn Helpline has recorded a staggering rise in…

  • 6G system achieves record 112Gbps wireless speeds at 560GHz

    An ultra-fast 6G wireless communication system has transmitted data at 112Gbps using ultra-high-frequency 560GHz radio waves. As the successor to 5G technology, 6G promises ultra-high-speed connectivity, ultra-low latency and AI integration to power smart cities, advanced healthcare and next-generation industrial automation. To achieve this, 6G networks will need to operate across a range of frequencies, from standard microwaves to much higher frequency terahertz waves. Conventional electronic technologies face limitations when generating stable high-frequency signals above 350GHz. As these very high radio frequencies are notoriously difficult to generate and control reliably they hinder the development of ultra-high-speed wireless communications in the terahertz range. A key issue…

  • Organ-on-chip technology to study link between diabetes and dementia

    An ‘organ-on-chip' device that replicates connections between the brain, gut and pancreas could lead to insights into how glucose affects brain function. The GlucoBrain project, led by researchers at the University of Bath, will track how signals move between the organs to uncover why diabetes may lead to changes in memory and cognition. While diabetes is widely known to affect the heart, kidneys and eyes, growing evidence suggests it is also linked with problems in memory, learning and brain function. Most current knowledge on this link between diabetes and dementia comes from animal studies, simple cell cultures and patient studies, which don’t fully capture all the complex interactions between organs, hormones and cells. The aim of this study is to create a connected system on a chip…

  • One in seven turning to AI chatbots for health advice instead of GP

    More than 15% of the UK public have used AI chatbots for health advice instead of seeing their GP or another NHS service, according to a study by King’s College London. In the study over 2,000 people were interviewed about their attitudes towards AI in healthcare – both its personal use and its role in clinical settings. While 15% said they had used AI chatbots for health advice, one in 10 (10%) said they had used them for mental health support instead of seeing a trained professional. The most common reasons people give for turning to AI chatbots is convenience (46%), curiosity (45%) and uncertainty about whether their concern was serious enough to contact a GP (39%). A quarter (25%) said they did so because they were waiting too long for NHS services. Among those who have used AI…

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