Launching large, rigid satellite dishes into orbit is an expensive and energy-hungry task. But what if those massive structures could start out flat—and then unfold or “grow” into their curved shapes ...

James is a published author with multiple pop-history and science books to his name. He specializes in history, space, strange science, and anything out of the ordinary.View full profile James is a ...

(Nanowerk News) Being lightweight is essential for space structures, particularly for tools used on already small, lightweight satellites. The ability to perform multiple functions is a bonus. To ...

Think you know your Dyson spheres from your dark blobs? This cosmic crossword dives into the strangest, most mind-bending structures ever spotted — or imagined — in the universe. When you purchase ...

UF engineers, backed by DARPA and NASA, are perfecting laser-forming techniques that let metal sheets fold themselves into giant solar arrays, antennas, and even space-station parts right in ...

Abstract: Modern deployable space structures have enabled spectacular missions like the James Webb Space Telescope, but they are constrained by fairing size and by a tradeoff between deployed size and ...

The roots of material science in space began in the mid-20th century during the dawn of the space race. Image Credit: Indometeus/Wikimedia Commons To begin with, rockets, space shuttles, and ...

Aerospace undergrad Alex Kuehnle observes PhD student Ivan Wu in the composites laboratory at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Because it’s costly and cumbersome to transport large ...

The US Military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is attempting to develop and grow large-scale "biomechanical" structures in space. DARPA, known for its somewhat quirky development ...