WASHINGTON, D.C. — From airborne research to quantum navigation and space robotics, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) will showcase emerging defense technologies at the Sea-Air-Space (SAS) Conference and Exposition in booth 347, held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., April 7-9.

The same dirt that clings to astronauts’ boots may one day keep their lights on. In a study publishing April 3 in the Cell Press journal Device, researchers created solar cells made out of simulated Moon dust. The cells convert sunlight into energy efficiently, withstand radiation damage, and mitigate the need for transporting heavy materials into space, offering a potential solution to one of space exploration's biggest challenges: reliable energy sources.

In a paper published in National Science Review, a research team from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, reveal differences in the near and far side lunar space environment from Chang’e-6 sample-based evidence. The Chang’e‑6 samples, from the Moon’s far side, lack the vapor deposited layers commonly generated by micrometeorite impacts, which are typically observed in samples from the Moon’s nearside and asteroids. The differences could mainly be driven by the specific space environment of the near and far side of the Moon.