Someone waking up inside of WEST, the French tokamak located barely one kilometer away from ITER, would think they had been transported into an alien spaceship—and more specifically, into the stranded star-faring vessel in the movie Alien (1979), with its strange ribcage-like walls and dull metal vertebrae. Last week, a (perfectly awake) Newsline reporter was privileged to spend a few hours inside the machine's plasma chamber, where some of the longest plasma shots in fusion history were produced.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc., an end-to-end space transportation company, today announced it signed a multi-launch agreement with L3Harris Technologies for three dedicated launches on Firefly’s Alpha vehicle in 2026. With the capability to launch more than 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit, Firefly’s Alpha vehicle provides affordable, responsive, and reliable launch services for small satellites and spacecraft. Firefly is ramping up Alpha production at its rocket manufacturing and test site in Briggs, Texas, to support multiple government and commercial launches, while also doubling the size of its facilities to support the ongoing development of its medium launch vehicle that will first launch in 2025. The agreement further positions Firefly as the leader in small-lift launch services as the company ramps up production of its Alpha vehicle to support the growing needs of both government and commercial customers.

Aston University research has shown the way forward for making renewable hydrogen and propane fuel gases from glycerol. An organic compound, glycerol is produced mainly from fats and oils and is often used in health and beauty products. With crude glycerol from biodiesel production plants cheap and abundant the researchers have explored its potential for making hydrogen gas and biopropane - pioneering work that could benefit the environment and reduce reliance on fuel imports.

Structure-based designs are integral to advancing drug discovery, and in this regard, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has emerged as a pivotal tool for achieving high-resolution structures of proteins and protein complexes. Particularly noteworthy is its utility in elucidating the structures of protein classes that have historically resisted crystallization.

RegO Products has unveiled its latest breakthrough: the CBE504 Series of Half-Inch Pressure Builder-Economizer Regulators. Designed to enhance cryogenic vessel operations, these regulators prioritize pressure control and product preservation.

UK-based Tokamak Energy’s superconducting magnet system, which is being built to replicate fusion energy power plant forces, has passed significant milestone cryogenic tests. Creating fusion energy requires strong magnetic fields to confine and control the extremely hot hydrogen fuel, which becomes a plasma several times hotter than the center of the sun.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of quantum technology, cryogenics is an indispensable and fascinating domain that pushes the boundaries of low-temperature physics. Harnessing the power of extreme cold, this groundbreaking field plays a pivotal role in unlocking the true potential of quantum phenomena. This field of research has its origins in the early 20th century and has since become a vital area of study for understanding quantum phenomena and developing advanced technologies like superconductors and quantum computing.

In the realm of scientific discovery, the value of biological specimens cannot be overstated. They serve as essential windows into understanding life's intricate mysteries. From the smallest molecules to the most complex organisms, researchers strive to unlock the secrets held within these samples. To safeguard these invaluable assets, a pioneering leader emerges – Ziath, a company committed to revolutionizing sample management with their CryzoTraq™ 2D Barcoded Sample Storage Tubes.

When it comes to battling cancer, innovation and evolution in medical technology play a vital role in improving treatment outcomes and patients' quality of life. One such innovation that has been making strides in recent years is cryotherapy for kidney cancer. Cryotherapy, also known as freezing therapy, cryosurgery, or cryoablation, is a cutting-edge procedure that harnesses the power of extreme cold to combat cancer cells effectively. This revolutionary technique is particularly promising for treating small, early-stage kidney cancers.

At a somewhat small and unassuming airport in Maribor, Slovenia, German hydrogen propulsion startup H2FLY has quietly been building up to a major milestone in zero-emission aviation over the summer. And all the hard work has come to fruition, with the successful completion of the world’s first crewed liquid hydrogen-powered flights.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and Carle Health, a vertically integrated healthcare system with hospitals, physician practices and a medical school, have formed a unique partnership to co-own and operate a Siemens Healthineers MAGNETOM Terra 7 Tesla MRI scanner. This collaboration has significant implications for both research and clinical care. The scanner, with its high-powered magnetic field and advanced neuroimaging capabilities, offers transformative potential. 

QuantX Labs, an Australian deep technology company, has achieved a groundbreaking advancement with its cryogenic sapphire oscillator, the Cryoclock. Operating at microwave frequencies, it offers unparalleled signal purity and stability, attracting interest from defense and commercial markets while also spearheading the development of advanced quantum technology for space applications. 

Topological effects are predicted to have many potential uses in future electronic devices. Therefore, finding ways to control these effects is desirable. As predicted by first-principles calculations, the one-dimensional (1D) transition-metal trichalcogenide TaSe₃ is a strongly topological semimetal. It has a unique atomic arrangement of two inequivalent chains; the shorter distance between the Se atoms in the type-I chains (red in figures) creates strong covalent p-p bonding between the two Se atoms, whereas this bond is broken in the type-II chains (blue in figures) so that bonds form with the Ta atoms from the neighboring type-I chains. The chains are along the b-axis crystallographic direction. Calculations suggest that nontrivial topological phases can be induced by the distorted type-II chain under ambient conditions and/or strain. In collaboration with John Singleton at the Pulsed-Field Facility, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, research led by Dr. Rongying Jin of the University of South Carolina (USC) investigated the effect of strain on TaSe₃ by measuring its magnetoresistance (MR) in fields of up to 60 T. Both ribbon-shaped (under ambient conditions) and ring-shaped (i.e., deliberately strained) samples were studied. 

The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) in Darmstadt, Germany, is embarking on a pioneering mission that will transform accelerator research and expand our understanding of the universe. With its ambitious vision to explore an extensive research canvas, FAIR is set to become a global hub for scientific exploration, spanning diverse domains such as hadron physics, nuclear structure, astrophysics, atomic physics, materials science, radiation biophysics, cancer therapy and space science. 

December 5, 2022, marked a historic breakthrough in the field of fusion research as scientists achieved ignition, a momentous achievement that has been a scientific grand challenge spanning over 50 years. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) within the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) achieved an igniting fusion reaction where the nuclear energy output surpassed the input of optical energy—a remarkable feat known as ignition. 

In the pursuit of scientific knowledge, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) embarked on a mission to explore the enigmatic properties of atomic oxygen in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Understanding the impact of this element on satellite corrosion, deceleration in low-Earth orbits and its role as an indicator of climate change held great importance for DLR’s research. Its ambitious endeavor involved deploying the OSAS-B oxygen spectrometer as part of Europe’s HEMERA balloon campaign. For this intricate task, DLR sought the expertise of Infrared Labs (IRLabs), a respected industry leader boasting decades of experience in high altitude cryostats. 

Germany's first cryogenic measuring setup for the statistical quality measurement of qubit devices on 200- and 300-mm wafers has commenced operation at Fraunhofer IAF. With the newly established cryogenic on-wafer prober, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF aim to gain a deeper understanding of the functioning of quantum devices based on semiconductor quantum dots, quantum wells, and superconductors.

Like something out of science fiction, small colonies of mature corals have been safely frozen and revived for the first time, though more work will be needed to ensure their long-term survival, researchers report reported in Nature Communications. Freezing chunks of living corals for safekeeping — or cryopreserving them — could save them from extinction as the oceans heat up and acidify from human-caused climate change.