Prototype NASA robot will burrow through sheets of alien ice

   

When it came to life on Mars, NASA might have struck out, but it's got a good feeling about Europa. The agency is working on a probe designed to scan its vast oceans for signs of alien life, but there's a problem, namely the 30 feet of ice that covers the moon's surface.That's where VALKYRIE comes in, a torpedo-shaped robot that'll suck up water, warm it and fire it back into the ice to quickly and easily drill through the layer. Once the hardware reaches its destination, it'll release a swarm of smaller 'bots that'll map the geography and hunt for alien microbes. There's still a few issues to work out with the gear, like the fact that it can't properly change course while tunneling, which would be pretty essential if it were to come across a rock or other blockage. Then again, given that we won't be ready to launch a mission to Jupiter's moon until the early 2020's, NASA's got some time to fix the problems.

Own the record-breaking scramjet NASA and Russia built

   

In the market for a really fast ride? If so, 8 September may be your lucky day. Collectors looking to shell out for a major piece of aerospace history will have a chance to place their bids on this CIAM-NASA HFL "Kholod" scramjet, one of the fastest machines ever to fly.

The first Kholod was launched by the Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) in 1991, just weeks before the dissolution of the USSR. CIAM then joined forces with NASA and in 1998, the rocket flew at a record-breaking Mach 6.47 – nearly 8000 kilometres per hour.

  (Image: Courtesy of the owner)

Nine Kholod rockets were made, but five were destroyed during test flights, so you're unlikely to feel the embarrassment of rolling up next to another one at a red light. As for how much this little beauty will cost you, we don't know – it's being sold in London without estimate or reserve.