aerospace engineering

A former NASA engineer has developed a propulsion concept that could let spacecraft ditch onboard fuel entirely, relying instead on electrostatic energy generated inside a vacuum chamber. The system isn't flight-ready yet, but its backers see it as a foundational technology for the next era of space travel.

Lightning currents flowing through an aircraft can couple into wiring in multiple ways, from magnetic‑field induction to capacitive coupling across seams, apertures, and composite structures. Part 2 explores how airframe materials, openings, and cable shielding affect the waveforms and levels imposed on onboard systems.