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Southwest Research Institute

SwRI researchers are expanding corrosion modeling software to predict if icy worlds such as Saturn’s moon Enceladus may be able to harbor microbial life. In this cross-polarized light microscope image, pores are visible in glycine-doped ice formed in a laboratory investigation of Enceladus’ subsurface conditions. These pores could form habitable niches for microbial life.

Scientists Use Corrosion Modeling to Study Habitability on Saturn’s Icy Moon

Categories Life & Non-humans, Space, Technology

This image of the Cornelia Crater on Vesta shows lobate deposits (right) and curvilinear gullies (highlighted by the short white arrows, left). According to a newly published paper in The Planetary Science Journal, ice underneath the surface of an airless world could be excavated and melted by an impact, such as from a meteoroid impact, and then flow along the walls of the impact crater as liquid brines to form these distinct surface features.

New Study Sheds Light on Mysterious Surface Features of Airless Worlds

Categories Earth, Energy & Environment, Life & Non-humans

The Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) Demo pilot plant — a $169 million, 10-megawatt supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) test facility at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio — has generated electricity for the first time. SwRI collaborated with project lead GTI Energy and GE Vernova, the U.S. Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory, and several industry participants to develop the STEP Demo project.

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Power Plant Generates Electricity for the First Time

Categories Earth, Energy & Environment, Technology

Southwest Research Institute’s aerospace acoustic test chamber can now simulate the harsh acoustic conductions associated with a rocket launch. SwRI’s new acoustic testing chamber ensures that spacecraft and their payloads can withstand the thunderous blastoff conditions associate with intense, turbulent sound waves.

Acoustic testing system can simulate the deafening noise of a rocket launch

Categories Space, Technology

Mimas’ heavily cratered surface (left) suggests a cold history, but its librations rule out a homogeneous interior. Rather, Mimas must have a rocky interior and outer hydrosphere, which could include a liquid ocean (Option A) or be fully frozen with an irregularly shaped core (Option B). An ocean provides a better fit to the phase of the libration but is difficult to reconcile with Mimas’ geology.

More evidence that Saturn’s moon Mimas is a stealth ocean world

Categories Space

Evidence for an internal ocean in small Saturn moon

Categories Space

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