Physics World October 2020
Revolutionary rocket: could this engine transform space flight?
Reusable vehicles are vital to make access to space more affordable, but conventional rocket engines have their limits. In our cover feature, Oliver Nailard describes how UK firm Reaction Engines hopes to revolutionize space access with a new class of propulsion system, the Synergetic Air Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE). Also in this issue, Helen Gleeson describes her group’s work on auxetic materials, which get thicker (not thinner) when stretched, while Anna Demming looks at the power of optical microscopes that beat the diffraction limit. In Graduate Careers, we look at students who’ve gone down unconventional career paths.
Expand to full screen, bookmark pages or download to read offline using the icons beneath the screen. You can access the videos and audio clips if you read the emagazine online. Read it now
Or you can read selected content from the October 2020 issue of Physics World here
Courting controversy online
Monumental mistake
Green strings attached
Stretching the limits
Path of least resistance
Age of cosmic exploration
Is anybody there?
Want even more from Physics World?
Get more from Physics World without waiting for the next issue. The same great journalism, but delivered to you daily. Read updates on the latest research as soon as they happen and access 20 years of online content, organised across 13 dedicated scientific areas. Visit the homepage to start exploring.