Universe Today Podcast [Space Bites] LK-99 Update // Ingenuity's Unscheduled Landing // SuperHeavy Hot Fire Test
6 snips
Aug 11, 2023 AI Snips
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LK-99 Skepticism After Replication Attempts
- Initial LK-99 claims have not held up under replication and likely aren't a room-temperature, room-pressure superconductor.
- Observed levitation and resistance drops are plausibly explained by iron particles and copper sulfide contamination.
Laser Fusion Shows Repeated Net Gain
- The National Ignition Facility again reported net energy gain from laser-driven fusion experiments.
- This success advances fusion understanding though it doesn't yet deliver practical power plants due to uncounted system energy costs.
Voyager 2 Restored After 'Interstellar Shout'
- NASA lost contact with Voyager 2 after an antenna misorientation but kept detecting the spacecraft's heartbeat.
- A powerful radio "interstellar shout" commanded Voyager 2 to reorient and contact was re-established 37 hours later.