• more about #engine more comments →
    Quilt: It's not very often, but sometimes I really feel like I'm living in a science-fiction type future. I am so excited to see where mankind goes in my li... more »
    CoyoteBrown: As long as we don't name the ship Ares Seven, and get work on bubble drive tech, stat, we should be fine. more »
    alphanumeric1971: So, TIE fighters could actually exist then? more »
    robertmonsters: So, what are the chances of survival if a spaceship hit, I dunno, some random particle the size of a grain of sand. Game over? more »
    Jonny_eh: NOVA Science NOW recently had a great segment on this technology and the genius behind them (not literally, that would be BAD) http://www.pbs.org/wgb... more »
    joetato: Let's put twin ion engines on the spacecraft and make it give off a really cool whining noise as is streaks past, kinda like a fighter. Hmmmm. I wo... more »
    Belabras: Read about this last week. Hope they get it working. The problem with propulsion in space has always been a payload issue, so anything they can do t... more »
    Ruthless, If you let me: This is the rocket being developed by former astronaut Chang-Diaz right? I just watched something on PBS about this, and never was the moniker VASIMR ... more »
    ihfiapc: Soooo... more »
    Mathmos: this is why I sent io9 a tip about detection of uranium on the moon some time ago. more »
    LittleDragon: I remember reading something about the Russians working on something similar back in the late 90's. But it disappeared. more »
    NotChoinski: Does it come with Ion Brakes? more »
  • #spaceexploration

    Earth to Mars in 39 Days

    A six-month space journey away, Mars often seems an almost impossible planet to reach. But engineers are developing a new engine that could turn six months to six weeks, bringing the Red Planet much, much closer than ever before. More »
  • #conceptart

    Shiny, Badass Fire Fighting Machine for the Year 2025

    Now this is a fire engine that kids from 5 to 105 would like to see under the Christmas tree next year. How sleek and shiny does this thing look? Instead of the boxy fire fighting vehicles of the past, this baby looks streamlined enough to win a race or two as well as do some good. More »