Electric or ion propulsion is the newest propulsion system that NASA has put into successful operation. The Deep Space 1 mission used the ion engine as its primary propulsion system and tested its capabilities for the 21st century. Its advantages over conventional propulsion include lower fuel weight, much higher fuel efficiency, and longer operational life. [...]
Kites have existed for thousands of years, but even today, little is understood about them. While the aerodynamics of a kite are known in theory, in practice deformability makes its behavior highly unpredictable - yet, precise control of kites has rarely been a concern since kite flying has been relegated to the hobbyist's realm. The [...]
The art of pitching a baseball requires great skill and dexterity to master. A great pitcher is one who understands the engineering of the baseball itself and the aerodynamic principles at work while the ball is in flight. Furthermore, a great pitcher is able to exploit these laws of physics with a variety of pitches, [...]
Launched in 1997, the Cassini-Huygens mission is a seven-year project that reached Saturn in June 2004. Upon arrival Cassini began four years of data gathering on Saturn and nine of its twenty known moons. In November 2004 the probe Huygens was released and descended to the surface of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Some scientists view [...]
Millions of people ride roller coasters every year and have turned the roller coaster business into a billion dollar industry. Usually, while the passengers are whizzing around on the hills of the coaster they aren't thinking about the designers that made the rides possible or the laws of physics that coasters are based on. Roller [...]
