Latest news with #Sunbird
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pulsar Fusion Confirms Expansion to U.S. with New Texas Office, Signs MOU with Thales Alenia Space, Unveils UK's Largest Space Testing Facility, and Releases New Mission Video to Titan
Sunbird Thruster Image Thales Alenia Space (TAS)-Image Pulsar Fusion & Thales Alenia Space (TAS)-Image LONDON and AUSTIN, Texas, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pulsar Fusion, the UK-based fusion propulsion company behind the breakthrough Sunbird platform, today announced a series of major developments as it expands its global footprint, advances key partnerships, and showcases its vision for interplanetary travel. The company is opening a new U.S. office in Austin, Texas, positioning itself at the heart of the rapidly growing American space and innovation ecosystem. This strategic move supports Pulsar's increasing engagement with U.S.-based clients and investors. Pulsar UK has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Thales Alenia Space (TAS) in relation to Pulsar's 5kW MOONRANGER Hall-effect thrusters, which are being live test-fired. This signifies the latest indication of Pulsars broadening commercial appeal to Tier 1 aerospace primes. Meanwhile in Bletchley, England, Pulsar is preparing to pump down the first of its two newly built space-grade vacuum chambers, now officially the largest of their kind in the United Kingdom. These facilities will enable critical qualification and endurance testing for both Pulsar's Hall-effect thrusters and its next-generation Sunbird platform. As part of its public outreach and future mission planning, the company has also released its latest concept video, showcasing a Sunbird-powered mission to Saturn's moon Titan. The video illustrates how Pulsar's fusion systems could cut travel times dramatically, delivering critical payloads across the solar system faster and more efficiently than current propulsion methods allow. CEO Richard Dinan said: 'Nuclear fusion is the pinnacle of space propulsion technology. These reactors are uniquely suited for in-orbit use, and in many ways, it's more practical to use fusion for space propulsion than for energy on Earth. That said, we must pursue both and I believe we will ultimately succeed in both. The recent acceleration in AI capabilities is a true game-changer for fusion. These systems will help us manage ultra-hot plasmas with far greater precision, enabling reactors to become smaller, more intelligent, and vastly more practical. It's an incredibly exciting time to be building fusion systems' About Pulsar Fusion Ltd. Established in 2013 as Applied Fusion Systems, Pulsar Fusion develops hyper-fast space propulsion systems using nuclear fusion. Fusion offers the best alternative with sufficient exhaust speed and thrust to propel spacecraft beyond our solar system. In 2022 and 2023 Pulsar Fusion was awarded multiple funding rounds from the UK Space Agency to conduct research into nuclear electric propulsion and to expand their large HET development. Pulsar is creating an ecosystem of propulsion systems and services that advance the use of fusion as a near-limitless, clean energy source. For more information, visit Media Contact Danielle PerezFirecracker PRdanielle@ (888) 317-4687 ext. 705 A video accompanying this announcement is available athttps:// Photos accompanying this announcement are available athttps:// in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Times
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Most Open-Eared Festival in America Is Ojai
A crowd had gathered at the Ojai Meadows Preserve early Saturday morning. The nearby mountains were still shrouded in mist, and the cool, gray quiet was interrupted only by the sound of birds. Then a throaty quivering of flute emerged from behind the audience — and a stab of clarinet from another spot, a distant burr of saxophone, pips from a second flute. An almost avian quartet gradually coalesced from specks of song and chatter among the instruments, in conversation with the animals in the trees. This was Susie Ibarra's 'Sunbird.' That a couple of hundred people showed up at 8 a.m. for an experimental performance in the middle of a field speaks volumes about the Ojai Music Festival. Since the 1940s, this annual event, nestled in an idyllic valley in Southern California, has catered to audiences eager to be challenged. Each year, a different music director is invited to guide the programming. For this installment, which took place Thursday through Sunday, morning to night, the festival looked to the flutist Claire Chase, one of the most important nodes of creation and collaboration in contemporary music. Chase, a founder of the International Contemporary Ensemble and the instigator of 'Density 2036,' an ongoing 24-year commissioning project to create a new repertoire for her instrument, has an aesthetic well matched to Ojai. Her approach is rigorous yet relaxed, with an improvisatory, cooperative, nature-loving, even hippie bent — meditative, sunny and smiling, encouraging open minds and open ears. Two dozen musicians performed in shifting combinations throughout the weekend, so you had the feeling of being dropped in the middle of a joyfully bustling commune. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Dr. Saji Varghese on going beyond teaching to make a social impact
The next in the monthly series by WWF-India that highlights niche and unconventional green careers through the stories of well-known personalities from the field of environment and conservation I never imagined that a casual walk across my university campus would lead to a global eco-innovation. I've been an Associate Professor of English at Christ University, Bengaluru, for over two decades. But, along the way, my passion for sustainable change nudged me beyond the classroom; into a world of agri-waste, biodegradable straws, and circular innovation. Born and raised in Maharashtra, I studied at Mt. Carmel Convent School in Chandrapur and completed my higher education at Dr Ambedkar College, Nagpur. I earned my PhD in English from Nagpur University. Teaching was something I was always drawn to, but I also carried within me a constant urge to 'do more.' While teaching at a college in a remote village in Maharashtra, I saw the stark realities of farmer suicides and poverty. I kept thinking about the children in slums who deserved a better future. That experience pushed me to ask, 'I might teach English for another 15 years, but how will I make a tangible impact on the life of at least one such child?' Turning point The spark came unexpectedly. One day, a visitor from the Netherlands mentioned how disturbing it was to see so many single-use plastic straws and how it has become a scourge to our environment. The next morning, I noticed coconut leaves littered across campus and, almost like an epiphany, it struck me. I picked one up, steamed it in my kitchen, and it clicked! The natural wax coating on the coconut leaf was perfect; it didn't need a polymer lining. That moment became the birth of Sunbird Straws, the world's first biodegradable drinking straw made from dead coconut leaves. With no lab, no funding, and just a desire to make a difference, our straws are today not only reducing plastic pollution but also supporting the livelihoods of over 200 women across India's coastal states. Sunbird is a small idea that continues to grow. Now, my mornings start at 3:30 a.m. and my 'lab' is still my kitchen. Whether it's exploring the use of pineapple leaf cuticle or pandanus leaves, I keep experimenting. At Christ University, I prepare for classes and lead the Centre for Design and Innovation for Social Entrepreneurship, where I mentor students to turn their ideas into scalable solutions. I spend my evenings at the Sunbird office, interacting and planning with our team. What excites me most is the ability to close loops: to turn waste into something of value. Discoveries that I make during my experiments promote waste to wealth, circularity, and biodiversity are helping both the environment and the lives of women in rural areas. One challenge we face is pricing. Sustainable products often cost more because they're labour-intensive. We've had to find a balance between improving efficiency and protecting the livelihoods our work supports. Every decision we make — whether it's adding a new machine or changing a material — is weighed against its social impact. To students and young innovators, my message is this: look around you. There are problems waiting for creative solutions. There's no 'right' time. You just need a critical eye and the tenacity to come up with sustainable alternatives. Innovation doesn't require a lot; sometimes, it just needs a critical mind, a coconut leaf, and a question worth chasing.
Irish Independent
24-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Nature Trail: How many kinds of wild birds can you identify?
We are all on learning curves and fortunately long gone are the days of aimlessly flicking through the pictures in a bird book hoping to find a matching mugshot of a mystery bird that you happened to get a fleeting glimpse of. The wonders of artificial intelligence (AI) are now readily available in a new app thanks to BirdWatch Ireland and Sunbird. With over 100 apps to its name, Sunbird Images are the global market leader for digital nature guides. The company has just developed and produced BirdWatch Ireland's first ever app. Called 'Birds of Ireland Field Guide', the app is available both on the Apple App Store for iOS and on the Google Play Store for Android. 492 species of wild bird have been recorded in Ireland. Well over 100 of them are common and regularly occur and all of these are featured on the new app free of charge. The others are uncommon species, unusual species, rare vagrants, and ones that may have been recorded only once. Access to these additional species can be unlocked on the app with an annual subscription The free version of the app includes high-quality identification plates, in-depth species profiles, bird names in 20 languages including Irish, a manual ID tool, a 'Similar species' tool, side-by-side comparison of up to eight species, European range maps, and the ability to create and export lists of personal sightings. The premium paid version features cutting-edge AI to identify birds by sound or photo, access to over 1,140 bird calls and songs, plus video clips showcasing typical behaviour, lifelike 3D bird models using augmented reality, egg images for all native breeding birds, custom-made Irish distribution maps, and more. The Sandeel in the bill of the bird in the image above is the give-away that tells you it is a seabird. Three marks for correctly identifying it as a tern and all six marks for knowing that it is a Roseate Tern, the rarest breeding seabird in Europe and a species that Ireland is a hotspot for.
Gizmodo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Jaw-Dropping Video Shows Concept for Fusion Rocket That Might Halve Mars Travel Time
Over the past decade, a U.K.-based nuclear propulsion startup has been working behind the scenes to develop a fusion rocket that could cut flight time to Mars in half. This week, it unveiled the concept in a striking new video. The Sunbird Migratory Transfer Vehicle, designed by Pulsar Fusion, would be capable of reaching 329,000 miles per hour (over 529,000 kilometers per hour), the company claims. This would make it the fastest self-propelled object ever created, drastically reducing space travel time. Unlike current rockets that launch from terrestrial bases, Sunbirds would be stored on giant orbital docking stations each designed to host up to five at a time, Richard Dinan, CEO of Pulsar Fusion, told Gizmodo in an email. In the video, one of these rockets undocks from its station and uses its eight thrusters to gently attach to a larger spacecraft (the video portrays what appears to be a SpaceX Starship upper stage), then propel it to a faraway planet. Picture a jet pack, but for spaceships. Once it reaches the destination, Sunbird detaches and docks to an awaiting station. Such a system would allow these rockets to be used again and again, carrying spacecraft to and from deep space. The Sunbirds' unprecedented speed would be generated by their Dual Direct Fusion Drive (DDFD) engines, which the company claims will harness the power of nuclear fusion: the atomic process that powers the Sun and other stars. In theory, this type of engine could produce significantly more energy per unit of fuel than any that exist today. Pulsar Fusion says its DDFD engines are projected to produce exhaust speeds of roughly 310 miles per second (500 kilometers per second). But this technology still has a long way to go before it becomes available. The company aims to demonstrate components of its power system later this year, according to an emailed statement. The next step will be in-orbit testing, with a goal of achieving nuclear fusion in space by 2027. Getting the world's first nuclear fusion rocket off the ground in just two years is a lofty goal. But Pulsar Fusion is confident that growing interest in fusion-based propulsion will drive development forward, so to speak. Indeed, the U.S. and other global spaceflight leaders have set their own ambitious timelines for missions to the Moon and Mars. Sunbirds could quickly deliver cargo to both destinations. Pulsar Fusion expects these rockets to be able to propel 2,200 to 4,400 pounds (1,000 to 2,000 kilograms) of commercial cargo, such as habitats, rovers, or supplies to Mars in under six months, according to the company's website. Sunbirds could also be used to transport probes throughout the solar system, assist asteroid mining missions, and ferry telescopes to deep space, according to Payload. Each unit is expected to cost about $70 million upon commercial rollout, Dinan said. He believes the rocket's hefty price tag will be tempered by its 'substantial' returns, stating that customers could recoup their investment within one to two years through 'active service in orbital logistics, deep space science missions, or infrastructure deployment.' All of this hinges on rapid development and successful in-orbit testing. But if Pulsar Fusion can get its Sunbirds off the ground, our cosmic neighborhood will suddenly feel a whole lot smaller.
