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@ToughSf • 37,472 subscribers

Matterbeam. Author of the ToughSF blog. Original SuperNerd. Ex-Kurzgesagt Duck. Freelance writer. Discord https://t.co/Q4cBKnMezk

Shorts

The lunar rover scene from 'Ad Astra' raises so many questions... How do they transition from day to night so quickly when the terminator is ~15 km wide? Where can pirate rovers hide on the Moon? Who are the neon signs on the outside of the base meant for?

The lunar rover scene from 'Ad Astra' raises so many questions... How do they transition from day to night so quickly when the terminator is ~15 km wide? Where can pirate rovers hide on the Moon? Who are the neon signs on the outside of the base meant for?

24,433 Aufrufe

The bacterial flagellar motor can spin at 100,000 RPM in one direction, then switch gears and flip to spinning in the other direction. How does this work? Cryo-electron microscopy reveals some of the nanoscale mechanics involved:

The bacterial flagellar motor can spin at 100,000 RPM in one direction, then switch gears and flip to spinning in the other direction. How does this work? Cryo-electron microscopy reveals some of the nanoscale mechanics involved:

1,110,686 Aufrufe

The F-22's Jet Fuel Starter first spins up its small APU turbine, which gradually turns the much larger F119 engines via connecting gearboxes:

The F-22's Jet Fuel Starter first spins up its small APU turbine, which gradually turns the much larger F119 engines via connecting gearboxes:

348,555 Aufrufe

Intercepting KKVs in low Earth obit with a laser: It's got all the right elements: radiators heat up as power increases, the laser itself is invisible but focusing optics do scatter it, targets are conical and gradually vaporize under fire...

Intercepting KKVs in low Earth obit with a laser: It's got all the right elements: radiators heat up as power increases, the laser itself is invisible but focusing optics do scatter it, targets are conical and gradually vaporize under fire...

21,953 Aufrufe

Videos

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A mini-movie showing off the Skyhook concept, where an SSTO is boosted off an electromagnetic accelerator and ramp to meet a 230 km long rotating tether that flings it to the Moon:

A mini-movie showing off the Skyhook concept, where an SSTO is boosted off an electromagnetic accelerator and ramp to meet a 230 km long rotating tether that flings it to the Moon:

1,053,848 Aufrufe • vor 8 Tagen

Is this the largest rocket explosion on US soil ever?

Is this the largest rocket explosion on US soil ever?

1,375,747 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten

The Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS) that lets ships ride on a low-friction 'air carpet': It was already demonstrated to reduce fuel consumption by 13% in its first trials.

The Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS) that lets ships ride on a low-friction 'air carpet': It was already demonstrated to reduce fuel consumption by 13% in its first trials.

1,438,456 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr

Just incredible in-air camera work by Aviation PhotoCrew: Watch the original in 4K if you can.

Just incredible in-air camera work by Aviation PhotoCrew: Watch the original in 4K if you can.

11,087 Aufrufe • vor 3 Tagen

A Tu-22M3 'Backfire' takes off on full afterburner. Its two NK-25 turbofans produce nearly 500 kN of thrust.

A Tu-22M3 'Backfire' takes off on full afterburner. Its two NK-25 turbofans produce nearly 500 kN of thrust.

80,114 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat

The largest CFD sim ever on a single computer was a NASA simulation of the X-59 using FluidX3D: It used 117 billion cells loaded on 6 Terabytes of RAM and generating 7.6 PB of volumetric data.

The largest CFD sim ever on a single computer was a NASA simulation of the X-59 using FluidX3D: It used 117 billion cells loaded on 6 Terabytes of RAM and generating 7.6 PB of volumetric data.

117,236 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten

The largest non-nuclear artificial explosion in history is the Minor Scale test: 4744 tons of ANFO packed into a dome simulated the blast for an 8 kT yield airburst nuke.

The largest non-nuclear artificial explosion in history is the Minor Scale test: 4744 tons of ANFO packed into a dome simulated the blast for an 8 kT yield airburst nuke.

139,459 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten

The Sukhoi Albatros was a fully reusable launch system with winged booster and 80 ton spaceplane. It used sea launch, but totally not in the way you'd expect: By Hazegrayart

The Sukhoi Albatros was a fully reusable launch system with winged booster and 80 ton spaceplane. It used sea launch, but totally not in the way you'd expect: By Hazegrayart

26,148 Aufrufe • vor 29 Tagen

You'll find an excellent example of hard-SF space combat in SAD:Frontier. Here, the PFS-028 Bellerophon fends off a wave of missiles in orbit around Callisto.

You'll find an excellent example of hard-SF space combat in SAD:Frontier. Here, the PFS-028 Bellerophon fends off a wave of missiles in orbit around Callisto.

179,960 Aufrufe • vor 10 Monaten

There's been 12 succesful Falcon Heavy launches since 2018. The next one, happening this year, will take the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope into orbit. Here's stabilized footage of USSF-67's spectacular booster separation:

There's been 12 succesful Falcon Heavy launches since 2018. The next one, happening this year, will take the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope into orbit. Here's stabilized footage of USSF-67's spectacular booster separation:

59,429 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten

It's not often that you can see the blue glow of ionized air surrounding a mushroom cloud, filled with radioactive particles from a fission bomb:

It's not often that you can see the blue glow of ionized air surrounding a mushroom cloud, filled with radioactive particles from a fission bomb:

44,319 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten

The original 4000t Orion design dropped a nuclear shaped charge every second, averaging 100 TW of thrust power. A single launch of this vehicle would deliver more payload to LEO than the entire Apollo program. Brian Mac Mághnais:

The original 4000t Orion design dropped a nuclear shaped charge every second, averaging 100 TW of thrust power. A single launch of this vehicle would deliver more payload to LEO than the entire Apollo program. Brian Mac Mághnais:

112,745 Aufrufe • vor 11 Monaten

The Shuttle Training Aircraft was a Grumman Gulfstream II modified to simulate a gliding Shuttle orbiter: It still needed to drop gear and reverse thrust to match the terrible L/D of the orbiter on descent.

The Shuttle Training Aircraft was a Grumman Gulfstream II modified to simulate a gliding Shuttle orbiter: It still needed to drop gear and reverse thrust to match the terrible L/D of the orbiter on descent.

56,429 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten

On the dark side of the moon, a radio telescope could be suspended over a 5km diameter crater. it'd bypass the ionosphere and be shielded from Earth's electromagnetic noise, achieving substantially greater sensitivity. Real Engineering (Brian Mac Mághnais):

On the dark side of the moon, a radio telescope could be suspended over a 5km diameter crater. it'd bypass the ionosphere and be shielded from Earth's electromagnetic noise, achieving substantially greater sensitivity. Real Engineering (Brian Mac Mághnais):

45,992 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten

Traquinniad 2085, an insanely detailed but unfinished short film by Melänovis showcasing a setting where humanity has moved into mechanical bodies and AI-commanded industries have evolved to act like ecosystems: And there's giant fusion-powered spacecraft!

Traquinniad 2085, an insanely detailed but unfinished short film by Melänovis showcasing a setting where humanity has moved into mechanical bodies and AI-commanded industries have evolved to act like ecosystems: And there's giant fusion-powered spacecraft!

13,392 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat

This is Magnetized Target Fusion by General Fusion, using liquid metal walls imploding onto a plasma torus, driven by pistons:

This is Magnetized Target Fusion by General Fusion, using liquid metal walls imploding onto a plasma torus, driven by pistons:

20,684 Aufrufe • vor 2 Monaten

The Star Forge Class Armed Star Frame, a space warship with massive phased array lasers, spinal UREB cannons and beautiful dusty plasma radiator arcs. By Staladus 🐁:

The Star Forge Class Armed Star Frame, a space warship with massive phased array lasers, spinal UREB cannons and beautiful dusty plasma radiator arcs. By Staladus 🐁:

47,778 Aufrufe • vor 8 Monaten

We might live in the narrow slice of time between drone warfare surprising the armed forces of the world, and cheap+effective countermeasures becoming standard. Here's Northrop Grumman's C-UAS solution based on Bushmasters in light trucks:

We might live in the narrow slice of time between drone warfare surprising the armed forces of the world, and cheap+effective countermeasures becoming standard. Here's Northrop Grumman's C-UAS solution based on Bushmasters in light trucks:

45,829 Aufrufe • vor 8 Monaten

Mars Express is an excellent animated movie that has not received the attention it deserves. Bravo to Jérémie Périn (Mars Express). Here's a space launch scene from Earth to Mars during the opening credits, with a smart title reveal:

Mars Express is an excellent animated movie that has not received the attention it deserves. Bravo to Jérémie Périn (Mars Express). Here's a space launch scene from Earth to Mars during the opening credits, with a smart title reveal:

105,735 Aufrufe • vor 2 Jahren