Propulsion - George Washington University and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Are Working On An Air-breathing Thruster For Satellites

     Earth’s orbit is getting so populated that the space industry is now developing technologies to remove space debris left by satellite launches from an over-crowded low Earth orbit (LEO).
     There is an untapped orbit above Earth, though. The very low Earth orbit (VLEO) would allow satellites to fly in a less crowded space closer to home and take more detailed pictures of our planet.

Propulsion - Positron Dynamics Is Working On Anti-Matter Engines For Space Craft - Part 1 of 2 Parts

Part 1 of 2 Parts
     Interstellar travel is only something humanity has achieved in science fiction such as Star Trek's USS Enterprise, which used antimatter engines to travel between star systems. However, antimatter isn't just a sci-fi trope. Antimatter actually does exist.

Interstellar - Thousands Of Tiny Probes Could Be Sent By Laser To Proxima Centauri In Eight Years

     Tiny gram-scale interstellar probes pushed by laser light are probably the only technology capable of reaching another star in this century. A laser beamer powerful enough (~100-GW) to boost a few grams to relativistic speed will probably be available by 2050 as well as laser sails robust enough to survive launch, and terrestrial light buckets (~1-sq.km) big enough to catch the optical signals.

Life Support - NASA Funding Study Of Biological Water Decontamination For Martial Colony

     Water is the lifeblood of human survival and civilization on Earth. It is also critical for our sustained exploration beyond Earth. Mars has plenty of water to sustain our exploration and colonization in the form of subsurface ice. However, it is not clean water. It is contaminated by toxic perchlorates which are a serious environmental hazard on Earth.

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