Topic: Federal Research Funding

Paralyzed woman masters mind-controlled robotic arm

Cathy Hutchinson is one of two patients undergoing a trial of the BrainGate neural interface, a system designed to transmit paralyzed patients' thoughts into commands.

DARPA hypersonic glider skin peeled off, says Pentagon

Darpa Hypersonic Glider: The Pentagon has explained why it aborted the DARPA hypersonic glider last year. Apparently, the unmanned craft's skin started to peel off as it reached speeds of Mach 20. 

Pentagon seeks cheap, disposable satellites to observe battlefields

The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency lab plans to launch a fleet of disposable satellites to provide images for troops fighting on the ground.

From DARPA to Google, the search for sources of innovation

Regina Dugan, the head of the Pentagon's research arm, is going to Google. What her move means in the global race for innovation.

Cheetah robot sets new speed record (+video)

However, a robot in the form of a cheetah and funded by the US military doesn't run as fast as the real thing.

Pentagon loses contact with unmanned glider moving at Mach 20

The Pentagon tested its hypersonic Falcon HTV-2 vehicle Thursday, losing contact with the craft as it hurtled over the Pacific Ocean.

Will crash of hypersonic Falcon HTV-2 set back Pentagon's ambitious plans?

Thursday's test flight of the Falcon HTV-2 ended with signals lost and a crash landing into the Pacific – but not before it sent engineers half an hour of flight data. The Pentagon hopes the design will allow a non-nuclear response to threats anywhere in the world, within one hour.

NASA launches 100-year quest to send humans to the stars

A joint NASA-Pentagon project, called the 100 Year Starship Study, aims to get inventive minds thinking about how human interstellar space travel can become a reality by next century.

Election 101: Rick Santorum makes a bid for the White House

Rick Santorum’s 16-year career in politics can be charted through his rigorous positions on hot-button issues: welfare, abortion, gay rights. His boldness has made Mr. Santorum a politician that people either really like or don’t just as deeply.

Cyberwar timeline

Tracing the history of cyberespionage and cyberwarfare from the invention of the Internet up to the reported Stuxnet attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.

DARPA's mysterious X-37B Space Plane Earth-bound

X-37B Space Plane will return to Earth as early as this week. No word on declassification of its mission or costs to taxpayers.

X-37B Space Plane: What's it for, exactly?

An analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists suggests that just about everything that the Air Force's new X-37B robotic space plane can do could be done using cheaper technology.

Pentagon working on hummingbird-sized spy drones

A new Pentagon project aims to produce unmanned nano aerial vehicles that can be launched by soldiers in crowded urban areas to spy on enemy positions.

Scramjet-powered X-51A Waverider missile breaks Mach 5 record

On Wednesday morning, a US Air Force X-51A Waverider missile sustained speeds of Mach 5 for more than 200 seconds, the US Air Force has announced. The X-51A Waverider, which was launched over the southern California coast, is powered by next-gen scramjet technology.

US Air Force's X-51A Waverider scramjet sets hypersonic flight record

After flying at five times the speed of sound for more than three minutes Wednesday, the US Air Force's experimental X-51A Waverider scramjet has set a new record for the longest hypersonic combustion ramjet-powered flight.

First, last men on moon to testify before Senate

Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, and Eugene Cernan, the last, will testify before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Wednesday, to discuss the future of NASA.

Is the X-37B a prelude to space warfare?

The X-37B, A U.S. Air Force space raises concerns about weapons in space. While its exact purpose remains unclear, it joins a host of new space technology that could usher in a new era of space warfare.

Flying car? Dept of Defense OKs new Jetsons-like vehicle

The US Dept of Defense has budgeted $54 million so far to develop the flying car and believes it will take four years to develop a prototype.

Obama's budget would scrap NASA's moon mission

President Obama's budget for NASA seeks to end its back-to-the-moon program, rely more heavily on private companies, and invest in new technologies for human space exploration.

ARPA-E - are its energy projects crazy or revolutionary?

The Department of Energy's ARPA-E is funding projects it hopes will revolutionize the way Americans produce and use energy.

Obama's teleprompter commits mutiny during major science speech

Science to gain from stimulus funds, but projects must be 'beaker ready'

The first goal is to create jobs, but new technologies – and the employment that comes with them – can take time to develop.

Obama's big changes in stem cell and science policies

Asia trumping US on science R&D

Federal funding for research has been falling in real terms. Is the nation's economic edge at stake?