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NASA scientists have been studying crystals to optimise the process of crystallisation for decades. Various researchers have conducted research on crystals within the first quarter of the year, the latest being protein crystallisation in microgravity. Alexandra Ros from Arizona State University led the research by launching a protein crystallisation test in the International Space Station (ISS). The experiments are meant to determine the growth of protein crystals in space using newly developed microfluid devices. The research agenda is to examine whether space-grown crystals can achieve better quality than those formed on Earth.

What is Crystallisation, & How Does It Impact Our Lives?

It is the process of freezing of liquid or molten materials in the form of highly organised molecules called crystals. These crystals can be a blend of different types of materials. This world consists of crystal examples everywhere. It would be wrong to say that we don’t live in a world of crystals.

Be it a coffee mug, cellphone or silicon that is used to form the brains of electronics and used in memory chips, everything is a result of crystallisation. Other types of semiconductor crystals are used as detectors for different radiations, such as gamma rays, infrared rays, etc. Lasers used in scanning the product are made of optical crystals. Turbine blades are an example of metal crystals used in the jet engine.

Why and How NASA Studies Crystals?

The scientists studied the growth of zinc selenide crystals in space, with the crystals on Earth, explained NASA. The result from the observations marked the way for the improvement of the operations of infrared wavelength in the high powered lasers. The research findings provide an insight into the strong influence of gravity on the electrical, optical and structural characteristics of the crystals.

Researchers have optimised the crystal usage for several years to study the types of crystals for growing in space.

The crystals grown on Earth have defects such as little cracks; these cracks can damage the properties of the crystals. This marks a strong reason why scientists want to study crystals in space, thus getting a complete microgravitational environment where they can grow better. Convection produced due to the presence of the gravitational force degrades the quality of crystals.

However, this convection is not seen in the environment of microgravity, helping in the better quality crystals. The ISS is now converted to a complete lab for the study of the formation of crystals, which can be further applied in technology and medicine.

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Doomed Exoplanet TOI-2109b Spirals Toward Its Star with Three Possible Fates

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Doomed Exoplanet TOI-2109b Spirals Toward Its Star with Three Possible Fates

The gas giant TOI-2109b is more than five times as massive as Jupiter, and resides in a perilous orbit 870 light-years from our planet. As an “ultrahot Jupiter,” it completes a lap around its parent star in a mere 16 hours, the briefest orbit of any such planet known. It is baking its atmosphere to broiling temperatures, and inching closer to oblivion in an orbit that is slowly pulling it in toward its parent sun. Using archived space telescope data from TESS and Cheops, astronomers have observed the testimony of this inevitable spiral, and contemplated three (wildly divergent) possible fates of the doomed planet.

Fates for TOI-2109b

According to the new research, conducted with data from NASA’s TESS and ESA’s Cheops missions shows that TOI-2109b’s orbit is decaying — a process it will continue for thousands of Earth’s years to come by 10 seconds over three Earth years. This proves that it is in a process of slow in fall. If the decay becomes worse, the planet may start falling directly into its host star and create a luminous flare, just like ZTF SLRN-2020. Alternatively, the star’s tidal forces could permanently warp the planet and rip it asunder.

A Potential Planetary Rebirth

There is a third, less-tragic possibility which could happen through a process of photoevaporation, in which strong radiation from the hosting star removes TOI-2109b’s gaseous envelope to reveal its rocky core. If the planet shrinks quickly enough, it might survive the process, avoiding its destruction by spiraling within its eternal Roche limit, and settling as a super-Earth or Neptune-sized blow-up hard relic. Then TOI-2109b would be an odd, rare opportunity to witness up close how this process unfolds.

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Hubble Spots Interstellar Invader Comet 3I/ATLAS for the First Time

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Hubble Spots Interstellar Invader Comet 3I/ATLAS for the First Time

The Hubble Space Telescope has taken its initial shots of comet 3I/ATLAS, a comet visiting us from beyond our solar system that recently fell apart — but not before it struck a pose for the cameras. It’s only the third such object ever known, after 1I/ʻOumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. The subject of numerous scientific tweets and some frantic searches by astronomers anxious to figure out just what it is — and where it came from — before it is gone into the pitch black of deep space forever, 3I/ATLAS was first sighted by the ATLAS survey telescope on July 1, 2025.

Ancient Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Offers Clues to Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

According to As per Space.com, recent studies indicate that 3I/ATLAS could be some 7 billion years old, well beyond the 4.6 billion years of our solar system. That’s an indication that the comet arose in the more ancient parts of the Milky Way, which would give researchers a rare glimpse of what the early days of other planetary systems were like. Undergraduate researcher Astrafoxen first flagged the Hubble images on Bluesky, noting the comet’s “nice and puffy” coma, despite interference from cosmic rays.

A newly available preprint paper has already revealed that 3I/ATLAS contains abundant water ice and a dust makeup resembling D-type asteroids—organic-rich bodies typically found in the outer solar system. Unlike ultrared trans-Neptunian objects, D-types are believed to have high carbon and silicate content, potentially shedding light on the comet’s deep-space origins and volatile chemistry.

The comet 3I/ATLAS was discovered just as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory was gearing up to carry out its initial observations of the heavens, dovetailing with the LSST’s expected discovery of many more interstellar objects in the coming decade.

Until then, 3I/ATLAS holds the astronomical spotlight. Its brief solar system passage offers a precious opportunity for researchers to analyse the material makeup of alien planetary systems. The Hubble images, now available for download, are expected to aid future papers as scientists continue to unravel the story of this ancient cosmic traveller.

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Meet Walker S2: The Self-Sufficient Humanoid Robot with Swappable Battery Tech

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Meet Walker S2: The Self-Sufficient Humanoid Robot with Swappable Battery Tech

In today’s world, there are amazing and weird humanoid robots; however, there is one which is an eye-catching machine launched in 2025 with its battery pack. This makes it more capable of running for a full day and even seven days a week. The robot’s name is Walker S2, and it has been made by the Chinese company UBTECH with dimensions of 5 feet 3 inches or 162 centimetres in height and weighs 43 kilograms or 95 pounds, which makes it a perfect size and weight for a small adult.

Walker S2: A Self-Sufficient Humanoid Robot with Swappable Battery System

As per UBTECH, it is a great robot, as with the help of a 48-volt lithium battery wrapped in a dual battery system, the robot can stand for four hours and walk for two hours before the power runs out. It takes 90 minutes to recharge the battery completely once it is depleted. It is the first robot which doesn’t need human interference to remove and recharge the battery, as it can do this on its own.

In a video published on July 17, 2025, on YouTube, the Walker S2 is also observed as charging its battery by approaching the station. It uses its arms to remove the battery pack, which is fitted in the back and places it into a vacant slot to recharge. It then takes out a fresh battery pack then inserts it into the dedicated port.

UBTECH’s Vision: Walker S2 as the Future of Factory and Public Service Robotics

It has been reported by the Chinese publication CnEVPost that Walker S2 removes and swaps its battery pack when one of its batteries is out of power. It can also detect the remaining power left and decide whether it can swap or charge the battery pack.

This robot is designed to be used in factories and other places where it can do the jobs of humans and greet and meet customers at public places. Further, it has 20 degrees of freedom and is compatible with Bluetooth and WiFi.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


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