[Interview+] How Metamaterials Can Help Moon Rovers Survive Both Days and Nights, NIAC 2026

BONUS PART STARTS AT 30:33

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bbJ3I37yS4o

🟣 Guest: Dr. Austin Phoenix https://nationalsecurity.vt.edu/personnel-directory/phoenix-austin.html

📜 ECLIPSE – Efficient variable Conductivity Lunar Insulator for Passive Surveyor Environmental control https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/eclipse-efficient-variable-conductivity-lunar-insulator-for-passive-surveyor-environmental-control/

👉 All 2026 NIAC Selections https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/niac-2026-selections/

The Moon is brutal. It's super hot during the day and super cold during the night. Most landers and rovers can't survive that swing. So, how do you mitigate it? One of this year's NIAC projects has a potential solution.

00:00 Intro
01:04 Why is the Moon so terrible?
04:56 Mitigation strategies
30:33 Bistable booms https://arxiv.org/pdf/2605.13818
37:26 Current obsessions
45:03 Final thoughts

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Universe Today Podcast

Visar 1–10 av 1594 avsnitt

26 augusti 2026
[Interview+] How Much Gravity Is Too Much To Escape A Planet?
42 min
Läs mer
25 augusti 2026
[Q&A+] Can We Turn The Entire Moon Into a Giant Datacenter?
27 min
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21 augusti 2026
[Space Bites+] Swift Will Now Inevitably Die // China Lands a Rocket (again) // Starship Survived
34 min
Läs mer
20 augusti 2026
[Q&A+] Earth’s True Path Through The Galaxy | Q&A 451
18 min
Läs mer
19 augusti 2026
[Q&A+] How Bad Would a Super Solar Storm Be for The Moon Base? | Q&A 450
18 min
Läs mer
14 augusti 2026
[Space Bites+] Bad News for Europa Exploration // Watching Pluto’s Atmosphere Fade Away // Auroras on Mars
22 min
Läs mer
13 augusti 2026
[Q&A+] Alien Megastructures or Microbes?
18 min
Läs mer
12 augusti 2026
[Interview+] Swarming The Rings of Saturn With Tiny Probes, NIAC 2026
35 min
Läs mer
11 augusti 2026
[Q&A+] Best Way For The Universe To End
18 min
Läs mer
7 augusti 2026
[Space Bites+] SpaceX Slams Into The Moon // Liquid on Pluto // Venus Isn’t Dead
28 min
Läs mer

BONUS PART STARTS AT 30:33

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bbJ3I37yS4o

🟣 Guest: Dr. Austin Phoenix https://nationalsecurity.vt.edu/personnel-directory/phoenix-austin.html

👉 All 2026 NIAC Selections https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/niac-2026-selections/

00:00 Intro
01:04 Why is the Moon so terrible?
04:56 Mitigation strategies
30:33 Bistable booms https://arxiv.org/pdf/2605.13818
37:26 Current obsessions
45:03 Final thoughts

[Interview+] How Metamaterials Can Help Moon Rovers Survive Both Days and Nights, NIAC 2026

[Interview+] How Much Gravity Is Too Much To Escape A Planet?

[Q&A+] Can We Turn The Entire Moon Into a Giant Datacenter?

[Space Bites+] Swift Will Now Inevitably Die // China Lands a Rocket (again) // Starship Survived

[Q&A+] Earth’s True Path Through The Galaxy | Q&A 451

[Q&A+] How Bad Would a Super Solar Storm Be for The Moon Base? | Q&A 450

[Space Bites+] Bad News for Europa Exploration // Watching Pluto’s Atmosphere Fade Away // Auroras on Mars

[Q&A+] Alien Megastructures or Microbes?

[Interview+] Swarming The Rings of Saturn With Tiny Probes, NIAC 2026

[Q&A+] Best Way For The Universe To End

[Space Bites+] SpaceX Slams Into The Moon // Liquid on Pluto // Venus Isn’t Dead

[Interview+] How Metamaterials Can Help Moon Rovers Survive Both Days and Nights, NIAC 2026

[Interview+] How Much Gravity Is Too Much To Escape A Planet?

[Q&A+] Can We Turn The Entire Moon Into a Giant Datacenter?

[Space Bites+] Swift Will Now Inevitably Die // China Lands a Rocket (again) // Starship Survived

[Q&A+] Earth’s True Path Through The Galaxy | Q&A 451

[Q&A+] How Bad Would a Super Solar Storm Be for The Moon Base? | Q&A 450

[Space Bites+] Bad News for Europa Exploration // Watching Pluto’s Atmosphere Fade Away // Auroras on Mars

[Q&A+] Alien Megastructures or Microbes?

[Interview+] Swarming The Rings of Saturn With Tiny Probes, NIAC 2026

[Q&A+] Best Way For The Universe To End

[Space Bites+] SpaceX Slams Into The Moon // Liquid on Pluto // Venus Isn’t Dead