90. Hovering Space Rover, New Advances In 3D Printing, Protein Found to Reverse Muscle Aging

<p><a href='https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/mit-engineers-test-an-idea-for-a-new-hovering-rover'>MIT Engineers Test An Idea For A New Hovering Rover</a> | Brighter Side News (01:28)</p> <ul><li style="font-weight:400;">Due to the lack of atmosphere, the moon and other airless bodies such as asteroids can build up an electric field.<ul><li style="font-weight:400;">Because of direct exposure to the sun and surrounding plasma.</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Moon’s electric charge is strong enough to levitate dust more than 1 meter above the ground.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Engineers at NASA and elsewhere have recently proposed harnessing this natural surface charge to levitate a glider<ul><li style="font-weight:400;">Mylar wings, which is a material that holds the same charge as surfaces on airless bodies. </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Thinking of magnets, the same charged sides would repel causing a levitation effect </li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">A design would likely be limited to small asteroids, as larger planetary bodies would have a stronger, counteracting gravitational pull. Or would it?<ul><li style="font-weight:400;">MIT’s rover could get around this</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The concept resembles a retro-style, disc-shaped flying saucer, and uses tiny ion beams to both charge up the vehicle and boost the surface’s natural charge.<ul><li style="font-weight:400;">Generates a relatively large repulsive force between the vehicle and the ground with a small amount of power</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;"> In an initial feasibility study, the researchers show that such an ion boost should be strong enough to levitate a small, 2-pound vehicle on the moon and large asteroids. <ul><li style="font-weight:400;">Large asteroid using a 10-kilovolt ion source</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The Moon the same rover would need a 50-kilovolt source</li> </ul> <ul><li style="font-weight:400;">Design relies on the use of mini