NASA’s Safeguard uses geo-fencing technology to create no-fly zones for any equipped UAV to assure it only operates in approved airspace. It can also be used to establish flight ceilings to ensure a UAV’s flight remains under its allowable maximum altitude.

University of Illinois researchers have demonstrated a new method for testing microscopic aeronautical materials at ultra-high temperatures. The test combines two commonly used tools in a unique way. Using a transmission electron microscope and targeted laser heating, they were able to see and control where and how the material deformed at the highest temperature possible before the sample evaporated.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego developed a wearable technology that can hide its wearer from heat-detecting sensors such as night vision goggles, even when the ambient temperature changes. It's a feat that current state of the art technology cannot match. The new technology can adapt to temperature changes in just a few minutes, while keeping the wearer comfortable.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and its partners rely on timely development and deployment of diverse materials to support a variety of national security missions. However, materials development and deployment can take many years from initial discovery of a new material to deployment at scale.

New Jersey Army National Guard soldiers train daily to operate the RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle for surveillance, targeting and communications relay.

As NASA leads the way for human exploration at the Moon and beyond, space radiation is one of the biggest hazards crews face. NASA is testing the AstroRad radiation protection vest on Artemis I, the first flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft.

Ending NASA’s Space Shuttle into orbit required more than 3.5 million pounds of fuel, which is about 15 times heavier than a blue whale. But a new type of engine — called a rotating detonation engine — promises to make rockets not only more fuel-efficient but also more lightweight and less complicated to construct. There’s just one problem: Right now, the engine is too unpredictable to be used in an actual rocket.

GPS is used every day to navigate on Earth. As NASA prepares to land humans on the Moon by 2024, new laser-based technology will safely and precisely navigate astronauts to their destination.

Brown University researchers have developed a new wing design for small drones that could make them far more stable and efficient. The wing replaces the smooth contour found on the leading edges of most airplane wings with a thick, flat plate and a sharp leading edge.

Argonne National Lab scientists developed a numerical modeling tool that helps researchers better understand Rotating Detonation Engines that could one day propel the next generation of airplanes and rockets. The computer simulations are combined with X-ray experiments to help engine designers understand the fundamental physics that, ultimately, affect engine performance, thrust, and emissions.