Optical lifting demonstrated for the first time
Scientists observed and experimentally verified a micrometer-scale object being lifted by a beam of laser light. Optical lifting may be useful for improving the design of solar sails for interstellar space travel. The scientist...
Privatisation of space flights
Growing efforts of commercial firms to commercialise space travel, including space tourism. For example, Boeing has teamed up recently with a private spaceflight marketing firm to sell passenger seats for future flights of its ...
Low-cost space travel and human enhancement technologies enable massive migration of humans from earth and establishing permanent space colonies on other planet or on large space stations.
Ideas for radically new ways to reach Space
Several innovative ideas published over the years point to potential alternatives to conventional space propulsion and may revolutionise space travel (e.g. by using much less energy). A well-known (but hard to realise) concept ...