Mondo News

NASA Delays Artemis II Moon Launch Due to Rehearsal Challenges

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

During the crucial refueling process, initiated at 12:30 PM ET on Monday, mission managers temporarily halted operations twice to investigate a hydrogen fuel leak emanating from the rear of the rocket.

Although testing of the Orion spacecraft atop the rocket resumed, the hydrogen leak reoccurred in the final moments of the mock launch countdown.

NASA reported that a built-in control system on the rocket, designed to manage the booster in the countdown’s critical final minutes, “automatically halted the countdown due to a sudden spike in liquid hydrogen leakage.”

Engineers are also looking into audio issues that affected communication channels for ground teams during the wet dress rehearsals.

The four astronauts set to embark on Artemis II — NASA’s Reed Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — were expected to arrive at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday afternoon after being quarantined in Houston since January 21 to minimize exposure to bacteria before their mission.

However, NASA has confirmed that the astronauts will not proceed to Florida as anticipated and will be released from their quarantine.

Instead, they will undergo quarantine again approximately two weeks before the next targeted launch opportunity, according to agency officials.

Artemis II marks the second flight for NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule, and it will be the first mission with humans on board.

This much-anticipated launch is set to advance NASA’s objectives of returning astronauts to the lunar surface.

The previous unmanned Artemis I lunar orbit mission in 2022 faced a six-month delay due to a hydrogen leak detected during the initial wet dress rehearsal.

The Artemis II flight carries significant importance, being the inaugural crewed mission aboard the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule.

“Our highest priority remains the safety of our astronauts, personnel, systems, and the public,” Isaacman stated on X, emphasizing that NASA will “proceed with the launch only when we are confident in our readiness for this historic mission.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

NASA Gears Up for ‘Wet Dress Rehearsal’ in Preparation for Artemis II Moon Launch

Posted on February 2, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

As NASA gears up for the highly anticipated Artemis II mission, the space agency is preparing for a crucial test that will determine the readiness of its powerful Moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS).

This essential “wet dress rehearsal” simulates a full launch day, allowing engineers to fill the SLS rocket with fuel and perform all launch operations up to 30 seconds before liftoff, mimicking real mission conditions.

The results of this rehearsal will be instrumental for engineers and mission managers to evaluate the booster’s performance and overall readiness for the Artemis II mission.

Set to launch by Sunday, Artemis II will embark on a groundbreaking 10-day mission, taking four astronauts farther from Earth than any humans have ventured before.

However, the actual launch date will heavily rely on the outcomes from the wet dress rehearsal.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will hold a press conference with the Artemis II crew on January 17th at Kennedy Space Center.
Joe Radle/Getty Images

“We’ll take some time to review the data and prepare for launch,” stated Artemis launch director Charlie Blackwell Thompson during last month’s press conference.

If the rehearsal proceeds without issues, NASA could announce a targeted launch date in a matter of days. Conversely, any problems could lead to mission delays.

Engineers and mission managers will execute a countdown to the mock launch scheduled for 9 PM ET on Monday. Over 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant will be loaded into the SLS in the hours leading up to the test, with NASA planning to livestream this crucial process. For more information, check out the Artemis Rocket 24/7 Live Stream at the launch pad.

As part of the rehearsal, mission managers will simulate the countdown several times during the final 10 minutes, which will provide essential data on the rocket’s systems, including an automated control that engages 30 seconds prior to launch.

Artemis II marks NASA’s second mission using the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule, with this being the inaugural crewed flight—a pivotal step toward NASA’s goal of returning astronauts to the lunar surface.

The Artemis II crew consists of NASA astronauts Reed Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who have been in isolation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to ensure they remain healthy prior to the mission.

On January 17, NASA successfully positioned the Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion capsule at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The agency initially planned a wet dress rehearsal for Saturday but rescheduled due to unexpected cold weather across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic.

NASA’s Artemis II at Kennedy Space Center on January 17th.
Joe Radle/Getty Images

Due to the scheduling changes, NASA has eliminated the first two launch windows (Friday and Saturday) for this month, which ends on February 11th. If additional launch opportunities arise, slots may also be opened in March and April.

Ensuring a successful wet dress rehearsal is crucial for a smooth launch this month.

Should issues arise during testing, NASA may need to return the rocket to the vehicle assembly building, reminiscent of the six-month delay faced by Artemis I’s unmanned lunar orbit flight after a hydrogen leak was detected during its initial wet dress rehearsal.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Revolutionary Weight Loss Drug Launch: The Ultimate Solution is Here!

Posted on February 1, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Ozempic is a well-known name, primarily approved for diabetes treatment in the UK and US, yet it is commonly prescribed ‘off-label’ for weight loss. This medication has essentially become synonymous with a groundbreaking new category of weight loss drugs.

Injectable medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, Rybelsus, and Saxenda can facilitate significant weight loss, approaching 20% of a person’s body weight in certain individuals.

Now, the next generation of weight loss solutions has arrived, and they are available in pill form.

The debut of these tablets occurred in the United States, with Novo Nordisk (the producer of Ozempic) launching Wegovy tablets on January 5, 2026. Their quick rise in popularity resulted in over 18,000 new prescriptions issued in the first week alone.

But Wegovy won’t stand alone for long. Eli Lilly’s competing drug, orforglipron, is projected to gain FDA approval this spring, and several alternatives are in development.

(Currently, these tablets are not available in the UK; however, UK policies are anticipated to follow the FDA’s example.)

The mechanism of these tablets mirrors that of injectables. The active compounds, known as “incretins” (like Wegovy’s semaglutide and Mounjaro’s tirzepatide), deceive the body into feeling full by imitating natural satiety hormones.

As digestion slows down, you naturally consume less, leading to weight loss. Don’t let hunger hinder your journey to success.

Now available in pill form, this medication promises similar life-altering effects and protection against obesity-related illnesses, all while being more affordable than ever.

Is it too good to be true? Experts caution that while the pill presents notable risks, it also brings substantial benefits.

Read more:

Can Weight Loss Drugs Transform the Landscape of Treatment?

These tablets could signify a new chapter in the management of obesity, providing broader access to life-altering healthcare.

“Not everyone prefers injectable medications,” states Dr. Simon Cork, a senior lecturer in appetite and weight regulation at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK. “Injections can be uncomfortable for many patients, making oral administration a more appealing option.”

Besides comfort, switching from injections to pills could massively reduce monthly costs. Those using weight loss drugs today often spend hundreds of dollars each month on injections.

Weight loss pills can be stored at room temperature in standard pill blister packs, making them more accessible – Credit: Getty Images

Thanks to the absence of needles and refrigeration needs, these pills can be produced and distributed at lower costs, providing weight loss solutions to millions who previously faced exorbitant prices.

“Overall, these pills are expected to be significantly more affordable than current injection therapies,” says Cork.

This trend is already visible in the US, where Wegovy pens are priced at $349 (approximately £250) per month, whereas Wegovy tablets retail for $149 (around £110).

In the UK, nearly 95% of incretin users incur high private fees. According to Professor Giles Yeo from the University of Cambridge, the NHS often cannot prescribe these expensive medications to all patients who need them.

“Patients may need to maintain these drugs for extended periods, which exacerbates the financial barrier, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds most susceptible to obesity,” Cork noted. “I hope that these oral medications will democratize access.”

Addressing Long-Term Challenges

However, these drugs may not be the most effective options, even as their availability increases.

Incretins tend to offer lower efficacy in pill form. Injectable Wegovy has demonstrated a capacity to help users lose 15% of body weight after 68 weeks, while Wegovy tablets showed only 13.6% weight loss across 64 weeks.

The efficacy of pills may not match that of modern injected solutions. Retatortide, still in development, has shown results of 24% body weight reduction in just 48 weeks.

Administering these drugs through pills poses inherent challenges. Oral medications must traverse the stomach and liver before entering circulation, resulting in the manufacturer needing to increase the amount of active ingredient to achieve desired outcomes.

Consequently, weight loss results from pills may not be as rapid as from injections. Nevertheless, a significant complaint regarding injections—that discontinuing them often leads to weight regain—may see improvement.

A 2022 study revealed that participants who halted Wegovy injections regained up to two-thirds of their lost weight within one year.

The emergence of the pill could provide a solution. A recent study, the Eli Lilly ATTAIN-MAINTAIN Trial, showed that Orforglipron tablets helped participants stabilize their weight after stopping injectable therapy.

“Many might rely on these medications to maintain weight loss,” Yeo suggests.

Cork adds, “Injectables can be utilized for optimal weight loss, and pills can help maintain this weight affordably.”

Most incretins mimic the natural satiety hormone GLP-1, but new treatments are targeting multiple hormones for enhanced effectiveness – Credit: Getty Images

The Risks and Concerns of the Pill Revolution

While these drugs possess the potential to catalyze significant positive change, their widespread availability also raises risks for vulnerable populations.

“The major danger is these drugs entering the wrong hands,” warns Yeo. “Since there’s no weight limit to how these drugs might impact individuals, a 300-pound person aiming to lose 50 pounds could utilize it as well as a 16-year-old girl weighing 75 pounds.”

“Pills can easily be trafficked, making them accessible to anyone. It’s essential to establish strict regulations around their distribution,” he urges.

Cork shares concerns over side effects. Incretins can provoke various symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. Clinical trials found that three-quarters of participants experienced digestive issues.

Moreover, there are rare but serious risks such as pancreatitis, gallstones, and gastroparesis. Additionally, interactions with other medications, including contraceptives, could affect their efficacy.

“The risk of pancreatitis is low, around 1%,” Cork notes. “But with millions potentially using these drugs, this risk becomes concerning without appropriate oversight.”

Though these warnings are sobering, they remain speculative. The actual impact of these drugs is still uncertain.

“2026 is poised to be a crucial year in understanding the efficacy, prevalence, and applications of these medications,” Yeo concludes. “Time will tell how things unfold.”

Read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

NASA Moves Moon Rocket to Launch Pad for Upcoming Astronaut Mission

Posted on January 17, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

NASA is set to roll out a massive 322-foot-tall rocket towards its launch pad this Saturday, a crucial milestone in the preparation for its highly anticipated Artemis II mission, which aims to send four astronauts around the moon.

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will transport the Orion capsule containing the astronauts, beginning its slow four-mile trek from NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7 a.m. ET. Viewers can catch the event, known as the “rollout,” live on NASA’s YouTube channel.

This event marks the beginning of essential tests and rehearsals that will pave the way for the first manned flight to the moon in over 50 years. Artemis II is tentatively scheduled for launch between February 6 and 11, with additional windows available in March and April.

The rollout is a critical phase for mission managers as they assess the rocket’s health and safety prior to setting a formal launch date.

“These are the kind of days we are living in,” stated John Honeycutt, chairman of the Artemis II mission management team, during a recent press conference.

Artemis II will feature a crew of four, including NASA astronauts Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. They are scheduled to spend 10 days in space, initially orbiting Earth before heading into lunar orbit.

The deployment process is expected to take up to 12 hours. The Crawler Transporter, a giant mobile platform, will carry the 11 million-pound Artemis II rocket to NASA’s historic launch pad 39B, previously used in the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs.

NASA has indicated that the stacked rocket will move forward at a cautious pace, approximately 1 mile per hour.

Upon reaching the launch pad, preparations will begin for the essential launch day walkthrough, known as a wet dress rehearsal. This procedure includes refueling the rocket and conducting all standard protocols leading up to the T-29 second mark on the countdown, as detailed by Artemis launch director Charlie Blackwell Thompson.

“Launch day will closely mirror a wet dress rehearsal,” she explained. “The two main differences are sending our team to the pads and proceeding past the 29-second mark.”

This wet dress rehearsal serves as an opportunity for mission managers to evaluate the rocket’s systems in a real-world context while allowing engineers to identify any potential fuel leaks or technical issues.

If any problems arise, the rocket will be returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building for necessary repairs. However, if everything proceeds smoothly, NASA may soon announce a target launch date.

The Artemis II mission will serve as the most rigorous test yet for the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, marking the first time the system will carry a crew.

During their time in the Orion capsule, astronauts will test the spacecraft’s docking capabilities and life support systems while in orbit around both Earth and the Moon.

Success in this mission will establish a foundation for Artemis III, slated for 2027, aiming to land astronauts near the moon’s south pole.

Returning to the moon has emerged as a priority for the U.S. government, particularly amid a new space race with China, which aims to land its own astronauts on the Moon by 2030.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

China’s Ambitious Plan: Why Is the Nation Aiming to Launch 200,000 Satellites?

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Increasing Traffic in Earth’s Orbit

Maciej Florow/Getty Images

Busy Earth Orbit — Increasing Traffic in Earth’s Orbit

Maciej Florow/Getty Images

China has proposed launching nearly 200,000 satellites into Earth orbit, potentially aiming to secure orbital space rather than genuinely establishing the largest satellite constellation.

On December 29, China’s newly formed Radio Technology Innovation Research Institute submitted a proposal for two satellite constellations, CTC-1 and CTC-2, to the Chinese government and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which manages frequency allocations in space.

Each constellation will consist of 96,714 satellites arranged across 3,660 orbits. This starkly contrasts with the current active satellite count of approximately 14,300, of which around 9,400 are SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, providing internet service. SpaceX has also applied to the ITU for a total of 42,000 satellites.

Victoria Samson from the US nonprofit Secure World Foundation indicates that this application might reflect a strategy of land grabbing in space. “They might be preparing for something much larger,” she suggests.

By raising this claim with the ITU, other satellite operators intending to launch in the same orbits must prove that their operations won’t be affected. According to ITU regulations, at least one satellite must be launched within seven years of the initial application, and all proposed satellites must be deployed within another seven-year timeframe.

“If you apply early and meet the deadlines, you can deter others from launching in your designated space,” states Tim Farrar, a US satellite communications expert. He further clarifies that China’s extensive applications for multiple orbits suggest some uncertainty in their constellation plans, giving them flexibility. “There’s almost no penalty for doing it this way.”

However, should this application be legitimate, achieving such a launch scale appears nearly impossible. In 2025, China achieved a record of 92 rocket launches. To deploy 200,000 satellites within seven years would necessitate launching over 500 each week, translating to hundreds or even thousands of launches annually.

This is not the first instance of spatial land grabbing; Rwanda previously applied to the ITU for a constellation of 327,000 satellites in 2021, yet this did not impede the operations of Starlink and other satellite providers. “Operations remain largely unchanged,” remarks Farrar. “It seems doubtful that Rwanda will achieve such a massive number of satellite deployments.”

China’s proposal underscores the intensifying rivalry among mega-constellation players, particularly among space internet companies vying for a market potentially encompassing millions or more, thus influencing global information distribution. Many entities are racing to catch up to SpaceX, including Amazon’s Project Leo (formerly Project Kuiper), which has launched about 200 of its intended 3,236 satellites. Additionally, China’s state-backed constellations, Qianfan and Wang, have launched several hundred of their anticipated thousands.

“Fifteen years ago, the notion of a single constellation hosting 1,000 satellites seemed far-fetched,” states Samson. “Currently, over 9,000 personnel are engaged in Starlink operations.”

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Launch of ‘Knit’ Satellite: Advanced Radar Technology for Earth Surface Monitoring

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Artist’s Impression of CarbSAR Satellite Orbiting the Earth

Credit: Oxford Space Systems

Artist's impression of CarbSAR satellite orbiting Earth — Artist’s Impression of CarbSAR Satellite Orbiting the Earth

Credit: Oxford Space Systems

Britain’s newest satellite, **CarbSAR**, is set to launch on Sunday, equipped with cutting-edge knitwear technology. This innovative satellite will deploy a mesh radar antenna crafted using machinery typically found in textile manufacturing.

“We utilize a standard industrial knitting machine for jumpers, enhanced with features tailored to create specialized threads,” says Amur Raina, Director of Production at Oxford Space Systems (OSS) in the UK.

OSS collaborates with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) to install the antenna on a compact, cost-effective spacecraft capable of capturing high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface.

If successful, this unique design could be integrated into the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) surveillance satellite network later this year.

The “wool” utilized in OSS’s weaving process is ultra-fine tungsten wire, coated with gold. The machines produce several meters of fabric simultaneously, which are then cut into segments and sewn into 3 millimeter-wide discs. These discs are tightly stretched over 48 carbon fiber ribs to form a smooth parabolic dish optimized for radar imaging.

The key innovation lies in the structural design, where each rib wraps radially around a central hub, resembling a 48-coil tape measure. This unique design enables the entire assembly to collapse down to just 75 cm in diameter, drastically reducing the volume of the 140-kilogram CarbSAR satellite during launch.

Upon reaching orbit, the stored strain energy in the bent carbon fibers will allow the ribs to return to their original shape, thereby pulling the mesh into a precise parabolic configuration.

“For optimal imaging, we must deploy it accurately to achieve the perfect parabolic shape,” adds Sean Sutcliffe, CEO of OSS. “Our design’s precision is its standout feature.” Testing has shown the mesh sheet remains within 1 millimeter of its ideal shape, ensuring exceptional performance.

The demand for Earth observation via small radar satellites is on the rise, thanks to their ability to image the ground in all weather conditions and even at night—a capability increasingly appreciated by emerging space companies.

This data is particularly sought after by military forces globally and played a crucial role as an intelligence resource during the recent Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Despite once leading Europe in space radar developments in the 1990s, the UK has fallen significantly behind in the international arena.

With CarbSAR and the upcoming MoD constellation named Oberon, part of the broader ISTARI program, UK aerospace engineers have a chance to re-establish their presence in the industry.

“We’re seeing heightened interest from foreign governments in radar solutions,” states Andrew Cawthorn, Managing Director of SSTL. “Our primary focus is demonstrating that we can successfully deploy this antenna and capture images.”

CarbSAR is engineered to detect objects as small as 50 cm, sufficient for identifying tanks and aircraft.

After deployment, approximately two days post-liftoff, the Royal Space Force, supervised by the Royal Air Force, will closely monitor the antenna’s performance.

“CarbSAR symbolizes the innovative spirit and collaboration of one of the UK’s leading space companies,” said Major General Paul Tedman, Commander of the UK Space Force. “We eagerly anticipate seeing CarbSAR operational and exploring how its advanced technologies can enhance Oberon and our comprehensive ISTARI satellite initiative.”

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2026 Controversial Satellite Launch: Reflecting Light Back to Earth

Posted on January 5, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Artist Rendering of Reflect Orbital Satellite

Image Credit: Reflect Orbital

Artist’s rendering of Reflect Orbital satellites — Artist Rendering of Reflect Orbital Satellite

Image Credit: Reflect Orbital

The bold initiative by Reflect Orbital aims to commence in 2026, deploying satellites to reflect sunlight back to Earth. This technology seeks to illuminate dark regions for visibility and enhance energy generation. However, many astronomers express skepticism regarding the project’s feasibility and its implications for scientific research.

Reflect Orbital, a US-based company, aspires to provide “sunlight on demand.” Their first satellite is expected to launch in early 2026, illuminating ten locations as part of its inaugural “world tour.” Plans include deploying thousands of satellites fitted with extensive mirrors designed to reflect sunlight back to the Earth, catering to needs such as remote control, defense, infrastructure, and energy production.

By 2030, Reflect Orbital anticipates having sufficient satellite coverage to deliver 200 watts per square meter to solar farms on Earth, mimicking the light levels of dusk and dawn, thereby facilitating reliable energy production, especially in regions lacking natural light.

Despite these ambitions, their Federal Communications Commission (FCC) specifications suggest that a single satellite may not generate significant power. Astronomers, including members from Tucson’s Dark Sky Consulting and the American Astronomical Society, utilized these filings to underscore potential energy limitations.

As highlighted by John Valentine, a prominent scholar in the field, the reflected light would only exceed a full moon’s brightness fourfold, indicating insufficient electricity generation. In order to produce more significant light output, deploying satellites with a multitude of reflectors would be essential, presenting logistical challenges and increased costs.

Furthermore, the dynamic nature of the mirrors could pose challenges for astronomical research, since they might intermittently produce flashes of sunlight. Additionally, even micro-damage to a satellite’s reflector from tiny meteoroids could scatter light unintentionally, complicating operational efficiency.

Reflect Orbital is actively engaging with the scientific community to explore solutions for these arising concerns. As of now, the company has not responded to inquiries from New Scientist.

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Satellites/
2026 News Preview

US to Launch Small Nuclear Reactors by 2026: A New Era in the Nuclear Renaissance

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Valar Atomics’ Ward 250 Reactor Under Construction

Daria Nagovitz/Valar Atomics

Valar Atomics’ Ward 250 reactor under construction — Valar Atomics’ Ward 250 Reactor Under Construction

Daria Nagovitz/Valar Atomics

Despite contributing nearly one-fifth of the U.S. power generation, nuclear energy in the country has seen stagnation for decades. Factors such as regulatory challenges, public apprehension, and affordable energy sources have hindered growth, coupled with factory closure moratoriums and insufficient funding for new nuclear technologies. However, an increasing demand for power, especially from data centers, is reviving interest in nuclear energy. The Department of Energy is moving rapidly to rectify this delay with its reactor pilot program, aiming for a major milestone by mid-2026.

This initiative is part of the Department of Energy Strategy, which seeks to quadruple nuclear production by 2050. Eleven companies focused on advanced nuclear reactor technology have been chosen to participate, with expectations for at least three to reach criticality – a stable and self-sustaining nuclear fission state – by July 4, 2026.

“We intentionally set very ambitious deadlines,” stated Leslie Dewan, a nuclear engineer specializing in advanced reactor technology. “One of our pilot’s goals is to evaluate which concepts thrive under real-world conditions.”

The reactor designs under development range from molten salt and hot gas reactors to fast reactors, sodium-cooled systems, and pressurized water reactors. Notably, California-based Valar Atomics is regarded as a frontrunner, especially with its Ward 250 high-temperature gas reactor.

High-temperature gas reactors utilize small particles of uranium surrounded by carbon and ceramic coatings, transforming them into self-contained fuel units. This coating ensures that the particles remain intact even at extreme temperatures, creating a protective safety barrier to contain any radioactive materials.

Fuel particles are embedded within graphite blocks, which serve as the reactor core, featuring channels for helium gas circulation. The nuclear fission reaction generates heat that boils water, producing steam to power generators and generate electricity. The helium gas then returns to the reactor for reheating.

Valar broke ground on Ward 250 in September, marking it as the second company to initiate construction, following Texas-based Arlo Atomics which began in August. Valar has achieved the first low-temperature criticality, demonstrating a self-sustaining fission reaction under controlled conditions, offering valuable data to confirm core physics. “It’s not equivalent to constructing and operating your integrated test reactor at full power,” Dewan explained.

Texas-based Natura Resources is also developing molten salt reactors known for their inherent safety features, although they function differently. In these designs, uranium is dissolved in molten salt, heated by fission. A pump circulates this liquid salt to a heat exchanger, generating steam or driving a turbine. If overheating occurs, the molten salt expands and melts an emergency “freeze plug,” allowing the fuel to safely drain and preventing chain reactions.

“Molten salt reactors operate at atmospheric pressure, containing any accidents to the plant site,” emphasizes Dewan. “Even in a total power failure, the reactor can come to a safe stop without on-site operator intervention.”

Natura has not yet commenced construction but secured a permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build a 1-megawatt research reactor. Additionally, it has recently acquired Shepherd Power, which will enhance its supply chain and regulatory expertise to expedite its technology’s implementation. Dewan noted, “We have fostered a highly collaborative relationship with the NRC,” though she cautioned, “the challenges posed by molten salts, which are corrosive and radioactive at high temperatures, should not be underestimated.”

With the critical deadline approaching in about six months, Valar, Natura, and nine other companies in the pilot program must work at an exceptional pace to meet this goal. However, this is just one of many challenges that must be navigated.

“The true evaluations will center around whether we can safely power the reactor on and off, operate it for extended periods at design temperatures, and ensure that materials and fuel perform as anticipated. All of this must be reliably demonstrated to gain trust from the NRC and future clients,” Dewan concludes. “I see the 2026 date as the beginning of an intriguing data collection phase, far from the conclusion.”

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Nuclear Energy/
2026 News Preview

Revolutionary Fully 3D Printed Microscope Set to Launch in 2025

Posted on December 25, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

3D Printed Microscope

Dr. Liam M. Rooney/University of Strathclyde

In early 2025, a groundbreaking paper revealed the world’s first fully 3D printed microscope, sparking significant enthusiasm among researchers. This innovative microscope can be constructed in just a few hours and costs significantly less than traditional models.

Dr. Liam Rooney, a professor at the University of Glasgow involved in this project, stated to New Scientist that coverage of the microscope has prompted outreach from biomedical researchers, community organizations, and filmmakers worldwide. “The community response has been amazing,” he noted. The research has been subsequently published in Microscope Journal.

His team utilized the OpenFlexure design, a publicly available resource for creating scientific instruments via 3D printing. Additionally, they incorporated a commercially available camera and light source, all controlled by a Raspberry Pi computer.

A major breakthrough was the 3D printing of microscope lenses using clear plastic, significantly reducing costs and making microscopy more accessible. While traditional microscopes can cost thousands, this new version is available for under £50.

Since January, the team has produced approximately 1,000 lenses in various shapes, according to Gail McConnell from the University of Strathclyde, UK.

Several companies manufacturing products requiring lenses have shown interest in the team’s research, as inexpensive, lightweight 3D-printed lenses are rare in large-scale production. They tested the microscope on blood samples and thin sections of mouse kidneys, confirming its potential utility in medical and biological research.

The team’s mission is to democratize access to microscopy. They are collaborating with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, aiming to enhance microscope accessibility for researchers and students in West Africa. They have also secured funding from the UK Institute for Technology Strategy and participate in initiatives that empower students facing educational barriers.

In addition, they have developed a new microscope course at the Strathclyde Light Microscopy Course, tailored for researchers of all experience levels. Mr. Rooney emphasized, “This is truly changing how we educate.”

Furthermore, researchers believe there’s ample opportunity for improvement. They are focused on enhancing resolution without adding costs, having already improved contrast by up to 67%.

McConnell remarked that because the microscope is designed for low-cost consumer electronics and accessible 3D printers, its future scalability is tied to advancements in 3D printing technology. “As these printers improve, so will we. The bottleneck isn’t imagination,” she explained. “We are continually receiving inquiries to develop new innovations.”

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3D Printing/
2025 News Review

Upcoming Satellite Launch May Distort Hubble Space Telescope Images

Posted on December 4, 2025 by

Simulated representation of satellite trails contaminating images from future space telescopes

NASA/Boruff, Markham, Howell

Should space companies proceed with plans to deploy hundreds of thousands of satellites, up to a third of the images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope may be compromised.

In the last five years alone, over 75% of the approximate 14,000 satellites now orbiting Earth have been launched, many as part of megaconstellations, notably Elon Musk’s Starlink. Proposals indicate that we could see the deployment of as many as 500,000 satellites by the end of the 2030s, according to submissions to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Astronomers have long raised concerns regarding the potential impact of these satellites on ground-based telescopes. However, research by Alejandro Borlaf and his team at NASA’s Ames Research Center indicates that space telescopes are at risk as well.

“A telescope in space benefits from an unblemished environment; there’s no atmosphere or city lights,” Borlaf explains. “For the first time, we’re facing the issue of a man-made object contaminating our observations. This discovery was startling.”

By analyzing filings from the FCC and the International Telecommunication Union, Borlaf’s team estimated the anticipated number of satellites and their orbits over the next decade. They simulated the effect of these satellites blocking observations from four space observatories, including Hubble and China’s Shuntian telescope, as well as the Arrakis dark matter telescope set to launch in 2030, and the already launched SPHEREx galaxy telescope.

The researchers found that if 560,000 satellites are launched as projected, Hubble photos may capture an average of two satellite orbits, while Xuntian images could have approximately 90 satellite orbits due to a broader field of view and orbital altitude.

They validated their simulations by demonstrating that with the existing number of satellites, 4% of Hubble’s images would be influenced by the trajectories of these satellites, consistent with analyses of actual images.

These predictions could materialize if satellite launches proceed as planned. According to John Valentine from Dark Sky Consulting, a Tucson-based firm, it’s uncertain how many satellites will ultimately launch. “Many experts believe that over the next 15 years, the number of operational satellites could stabilize between 50,000 and 100,000.”

If the final number turns out to be only a fraction of the proposed figures, Valentine suggests, the impact on space telescopes would be notably reduced. “The number of trajectories per image would increase only slightly for ARRACHIS and Xuntian, while remaining relatively unchanged for SPHEREx and HST.”

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What Does Russia’s Failure to Launch a Crewed Mission Mean for the ISS?

Posted on December 1, 2025 by

Soyuz spacecraft launched on November 27th

Roscosmos Space Agency, via AP/Alamy

The International Space Station (ISS) might be facing a significant shift towards reduced international collaboration. A critical launch site in Russia, the only one capable of sending humans into orbit, has been heavily damaged and could remain non-operational for up to two years. This situation presents a challenging dilemma for NASA: either shoulder increased expenses and duties or consider decommissioning the ISS.

The Soyuz spacecraft took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 27, transporting two cosmonauts alongside an American astronaut. While all three arrived at the ISS safely, subsequent evaluations of the launch pads revealed that a crucial multi-layered support structure, which is typically retracted during the initial launch phases, had collapsed into the flame trench, sustaining significant damage.

According to reports, repairs might take as long as two years. The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, stated that damage repairs will begin “soon.” The actual extent of the issues remains uncertain.

While the Baikonur Cosmodrome has several launch pads, the damaged one, Site 31, Launch Pad 6, has been operational since 1958 and is the only pad configured for manned missions. David Amato from Imperial College London notes that alternative Russian launch facilities face similar complications that eliminate their viability. The Plesetsk Cosmodrome, located 650 kilometers northeast of St. Petersburg, is positioned too far north for efficient ISS launches, while Vostochny Cosmodrome, near the Chinese border, lacks sufficient infrastructure.

“Many space missions hinge on critical vulnerabilities like this, particularly those that are winding down, such as the ISS,” Amato indicated.

Certainly, the ISS’s operational lifespan has exceeded expectations, having initially been planned for decommissioning in 2020, with several delays thereafter. Current intentions forecast a gradual descent to lower orbits beginning next year, potentially lasting until 2030, after which the crew will dismantle its functional and historic equipment before its final descent toward Earth, expected to fully disintegrate by 2031. Details regarding this process can be found here: “A 400-ton mass of flame is hurtling through the upper atmosphere at orbital velocity.”

Should Russia withdraw, NASA would likely need to further invest in resources and funds to maintain ISS operations—a daunting prospect, especially since the program is nearing its conclusion.

However, Amato casts doubt on whether the U.S. aims to fully terminate the ISS. Without it, both the U.S. and Europe would lack a venue for astronauts, leading to minimal incentives to launch personnel into orbit until longer-term projects like a commercial space station or lunar habitats are established. In contrast, China, America’s principal economic competitor, operates a flourishing space station.

“The optics are not favorable,” Amato noted, “and losing the ISS would be substantial since invaluable research facilitated by this platform would cease to exist.”

The ISS’s inception in the 1990s emerged from a different geopolitical context. Following the Soviet Union’s collapse, there was a mutual interest in launching a collaborative initiative between the former superpowers. The ISS was meticulously crafted to foster not only cooperation but to necessitate it. The Russian orbital segment (ROS), managed by Roscosmos, plays a critical role in trajectory control, while the US orbital segment (USOS), overseen by NASA and collaborated on with European, Japanese, and Canadian space agencies, is solar-powered. Cooperation is essential for both components to function effectively.

However, relationships have soured, and current tensions between the United States and Russia parallel geopolitical strains on Earth, a reality worsened by Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Should Russia entirely pull out from the ISS partnership, NASA and its counterparts would face the daunting task of transporting not only astronauts but also crucial supplies like fuel and food—a responsibility previously managed by Russia. NASA would have to address these adjustments. There are more complex inquiries to address, notably regarding the formal management and operation of the Russian section of the ISS. Given recent budget reductions, NASA must scrutinize the feasibility of such an undertaking.

As of this writing, many of Roscosmos’ websites are down, and inquiries regarding the condition of Site 31 have gone unanswered. The European and Canadian space agencies have also not replied to media requests for commentary on the situation with Roscosmos. New Scientist reports.

Nadie Russell, a NASA Public Relations Officer, told New Scientist that the agency would “collaborate closely with our international partners, including Roscosmos, to ensure the safe operation of the ISS and its crew.” Nonetheless, Russell refrained from addressing specific queries about Russia’s ongoing involvement or whether contingency measures are in place should Russia choose to disengage.

Russia has time to evaluate these matters before its next crewed flight to the ISS, slated for July, although it must quickly formulate a strategy to rectify the issues at Baikonur.

Lia Nani Alconcel, a professor at the University of Birmingham in the UK, points out that there are alternatives for crewed travel to the ISS, such as SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which has successfully transported American astronauts to orbit. Should U.S.-based SpaceX become the sole option for reaching the ISS, it would represent a stark reversal from the early 2000s, when the U.S. was dependent on Russia for crew transport after the retirement of the Space Shuttle.

“Contractual issues may arise regarding launch agreements, but those are legal matters, not engineering challenges,” Alconcel remarked.

This alternative approach could ease some burdens on NASA and alleviate the pressure of urgently needing to establish a new program to compensate for the loss of Russian expertise and capabilities.

“Roscosmos specifically trains astronauts for essential tasks related to the Russian orbital segment, making it a formidable challenge for NASA to independently operate the ISS,” Alconcel explained, highlighting that NASA is pursuing a similar approach on the American segment.

Topics:

International Space Station/
Russia

Waymo Announces Launch of Driverless Taxis in London Next Year

Posted on October 15, 2025 by

Waymo has announced that its driverless taxis will be available for hire on the streets of London next year.

This makes London the first European city to implement Waymo’s technology for a self-driving taxi service, similar to what’s currently operational in San Francisco and four other cities in the US.

The company confirmed that its vehicles are en route to London and will start navigating the city’s roads in the coming weeks, with “trained human experts,” or safety drivers, overseeing operations.

Originally a spin-off of Google’s self-driving car initiative and part of the parent group Alphabet, Waymo stated it would collaborate closely with the London Department for Transport to secure the necessary permits for fully autonomous vehicles by 2026.

Uber and UK tech firm Wave have also revealed plans to trial their own driverless taxis in London next year, following the UK government’s decision to fast-track regulations permitting public trials of self-driving vehicles ahead of complete legislation.

Heidi Alexander, Secretary of Transportation, expressed: “We are thrilled that Waymo intends to bring this service to London next year, in line with our proposed pilot program.

“Revitalizing the AV sector will create jobs, draw investment, and provide opportunities within the UK, while expanding accessible transportation options. Advancements like this will support our goal of becoming a leader in new technologies and spearheading national rejuvenation.”

The comprehensive rollout of self-driving taxis in the UK is anticipated to happen after the Self-Driving Vehicles Act is fully implemented in the latter half of 2027.

Waymo has a solid relationship with the UK, having established its first European engineering hub in Oxford back in 2019. The firm is also launching a service in Tokyo utilizing Jaguar Land Rover electric vehicles, marking its only current venture outside the United States.

Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, remarked that the technology is enhancing “road safety and making transport more accessible,” adding: “We have shown how to responsibly scale fully autonomous ride-hailing services, and we are eager to share the advantages of our technology in the UK.”

Waymo initiated its self-driving taxi services in 2020 and claims to have transported over 10 million passengers in the United States.

Despite some concerning incidents, Waymo asserts that data indicates that human-driven vehicles are involved in pedestrian accidents 12 times more frequently than self-driving cars.

U.S. Regulators Launch Investigation into Tesla’s Self-Driving System Following Multiple Crashes

Posted on October 9, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

U.S. automotive safety authorities have initiated an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with fully autonomous driving technology due to traffic safety infractions following multiple accidents.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that the electric vehicle manufacturer’s automated driving assistance system, which necessitates driver attention and intervention when required, “caused vehicle actions that contravened traffic safety regulations.”

NHTSA’s preliminary evaluation marks the initial step that could lead to a vehicle recall if deemed a safety risk.

The agency reported incidents of 2.88-metre Teslas disobeying red lights and traveling against oncoming traffic while changing lanes while utilizing the system.

NHTSA indicated that there were six reports of Tesla vehicles in fully autonomous driving (FSD) mode “entering intersections on red, proceeding into intersections against red lights, and subsequently colliding with other vehicles within those intersections.”

The agency highlighted that at least one individual sustained injuries in four of the crashes. Tesla has not yet responded to Reuters’ request for comments.

NHTSA documented 18 complaints and a media report stating that Tesla vehicles operating in FSD mode “failed to adhere to red lights, did not come to a complete stop, or inadequately detected and displayed the appropriate signal conditions on the vehicle interface.”

Some whistleblowers expressed that the FSD “failed to provide any alerts regarding the system’s operation when approaching a red light.”

Tesla’s FSD is more sophisticated than the Autopilot system and has been under NHTSA scrutiny for a year.

In October 2024, authorities initiated an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD following four accidents under poor visibility conditions, such as sun glare, fog, or airborne dust. One incident in 2023 resulted in a fatality.

According to Tesla’s website, FSD is “designed for fully attentive drivers who maintain their hands on the wheel and are prepared to assume control at any moment. These features are meant to grow more capable over time, but the features currently enabled do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Reuters contributed to this report

iOS 26 Launch: Essential Insights on Apple’s Liquid Glass Enhancements

Posted on September 15, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Apple is set to unveil major software updates for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch this Monday, significantly altering the icons, lock screen, and overall system appearance, along with introducing features for compatible devices.

Unveiled during the company’s developer conference in June, iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, and macOS 26 Tahoe introduce a new liquid glass design, offering a softer, rounder look that enhances the overall user interface.

Here’s what you should know regarding the update:

When can I get it?

Updates for iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS typically become available around 6pm in the UK (1pm in New York and 3am in Sydney). Unlike other manufacturers, all eligible Apple devices can download and install these updates immediately upon release.

Which devices are supported?

All Apple smartphones starting from the 2019 iPhone 11 and newer can install iOS 26. The 2018 iPad Pro, 2019 iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Mini (5th generation), and iPad (8th generation), along with all newer tablets, are also supported. Furthermore, iMacs from 2020, Mac Studios from 2022, and Mac Pros from 2019 onward can run macOS 26 Tahoe.

How can I install it?

To download, open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, navigate to General > Software Updates. If available, tap on Install, confirm, restart, and exit. You can also update using a Windows computer via iTunes or the Mac app.

For watchOS 26, ensure that your iPhone 11 or later is running iOS 26. Then, open the Watch app on your phone and go to General > Software Updates to start the installation. Ensure your smartwatch is on the charger to complete the update.

On your Mac, update through System Settings, going to General > Software Update.

What is the cost?

Apple updates are free of charge. If prompted to pay for an update, it is likely a scam.

What happened to iOS 19-25?

Apple has adopted a new year-based naming format for its software updates. Thus, iOS versions 18 and earlier released between September 2024 and 2025 are now replaced by iOS 26 and subsequent versions from 2025-2026. This is akin to sports season naming conventions.

Liquid glass design

Each operating system now sports a cohesive translucent design, reminiscent of frosted glass bubbles overlaid on a flat background, providing depth to your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac, influenced by the Vision Pro headset. Buttons, menus, icons, and notification banners are shiny and responsive, enabling translucence with wallpapers and content below them.

iOS 26

The liquid glass aesthetic on the home screen and icons is one of the most significant changes in iOS history. Composite: Apple

The liquid glass redesign alters the shape and appearance of home screen icons and widgets. Alongside redefined app icons, you have the option to make them translucent in color.

Notifications and other elements now bounce from the top of the screen. A widget appears on the bottom of the lock screen that dynamically scales the clock size based on the number of notifications displayed.

Dynamic and concealed buttons

Buttons will condense when not engaged. For instance, the camera app has been optimized to conceal extra modes behind sliders or larger pop-up menus. Safari’s address bar and navigation buttons shrink into a small button at the bottom while scrolling. You can access tabs and controls by swiping up or tapping the 3-dot button.

Easier spam filtering

Enhanced spam filtering is integrated into the phone and messaging applications. Composite: Apple

The phone app can automatically screen calls from unknown numbers by answering and asking why they are calling before your iPhone notifies you. Messages will screen texts from new senders to detect spam, organizing them into separate inboxes. The phone app also allows you to hold while waiting for customer service representatives.

Both the phone app, FaceTime, and Messages now feature live translation capabilities.

Game Center App

The new gaming app acts as a centralized hub on your iPhone, featuring a game library that showcases what your friends are playing, replacing the Arcade for tracking achievements, competitions, and gaming events.

iPadOS 26

iPadOS 26 features a significant upgrade for multitasking, aligning more closely with macOS. Composite: Apple

iPadOS shares the new visual redesign with the iPhone, featuring clear icons and hidden buttons. More importantly, it introduces an innovative multitasking feature tailored for users utilizing iPads as laptop substitutes.

The familiar macOS menu bar is now available on the iPad. Composite: Apple

A key addition for the iPad is the introduction of the Mac-like menu bar and window management features. You can swipe down from the center at the top of the app screen to access a menu bar containing various functionalities including settings, files, views, and more as on a Mac.

It features the classic red, yellow, and green three-dot menu allowing you to close, minimize, and resize windows. Holding the button reveals tiling and movement options similar to macOS, or you can manually resize windows to your desired size. Swipe to expose, flick left or right to snap apps to the sides, or flick to make an app full-screen.

You can easily open and overlap multiple windows, tile them side by side, or transform your home screen into a desktop interface akin to a Mac.

Preview and Files Apps

The Files app has been enhanced to streamline document and file management on your iPad. You can designate a default app for certain file types, similar to a computer setup. Specific folders like Downloads and Documents can now be directly added to the dock for easier access.

The Preview app from Mac is now on your iPad, allowing the viewing, editing, and annotation of PDFs, images, and more with Apple Pencil.

watchOS 26

watchOS 26 enhances your fitness experience and includes many features from iOS 26. Composite: Apple

The liquid glass design of the iPhone is even more prominent on the Apple Watch, featuring notification bubbles overlaying the Watch Face, floating buttons within apps, and smart widget stacks for a softer aesthetics.

Workout Companion

Apple’s new Fitness for Fitness chatbot, named Workout Buddy, provides ongoing conversation and motivation during workouts similar to the guidance offered by an Apple Fitness+ Coach. It marks significant training achievements, such as reaching specific milestones or pacing goals and summarizes your workout afterward. This feature requires Bluetooth headphones connected to the watch and an iPhone 15 Pro or later nearby.

Sleep Score and Hypertension Alerts

The sleep app calculates a sleep score every morning, giving you an overview of your rest quality. For Series 9 or Ultra 2 and newer watches, a blood pressure monitoring feature will alert you if hypertension signs are detected over the past 30 days.

Wrist Flick

Apple has introduced innovative gestures to the touch-free capabilities of the new Watch. A simple wrist flick away from you will reject notifications, alarms, and alerts. Additionally, double-tap gestures offer an easy way to dismiss things or interact with the watch without touch.

New Watch Faces

A selection of new and improved watch faces is included with watchOS 26. Composite: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian

Three new clock faces have been introduced. Flow features a large digital display that utilizes a liquid glass design, changing colors in response to movement. Exactograph separates hours, minutes, and seconds into distinct analog dials available in various styles. Ultra-exclusive waypoints surround the time with live compasses pointing to landmarks and significant locations. Additionally, revamped photo faces feature floating numbers.

macOS 26 Tahoe

macOS 26 Tahoe incorporates the same liquid glass design elements as the other updates. Composite: Apple

macOS receives a majority of the new features and design updates seen in iOS and iPadOS, including rounded window corners and glass-like design elements.

Phone App

The Phone app allows you to initiate and manage calls seamlessly. Composite: Apple

Apple enhances the Phone app on Mac, enabling calls through Wi-Fi and connected iPhones. It shows recent calls, voicemail, contacts, includes new call screening features, and maintains iPhone assist functionality.

Live activities, such as sports scores and streaming updates, are now visible in the Mac’s menu bar.

Spotlight

Actions have been incorporated into the Spotlight search system. This allows you to send messages and emails, generate notes, and set reminders, all directly from the search bar. You can filter files by type, group them, find documentation from third-party cloud services, and explore apps, files, clipboard history, and other content instead of using traditional search methods.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Launch Causes Crash in Online Game Store | Games News

Posted on September 5, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The enigmatic three-person game development team based in Adelaide has stirred up a storm on the global online gaming scene.

On Friday, major platforms like Steam, Nintendo’s eShop, PlayStation Store, and Microsoft Store all experienced crashes as they struggled to keep up with the demand for Hollow Knight: Silksong, the eagerly awaited sequel to the acclaimed 2017 indie sensation, Hollow Knight.

The game’s launch resulted in widespread outages, with thousands of players reporting difficulties in purchasing the game during the initial hours of its release. Many faced persistent error messages for almost three hours post-launch, preventing them from completing their transactions.

The spike in demand was evident on down detectors across troubleshooting platforms, which recorded a surge to 3,750 users immediately after the game’s launch, slowly diminishing thereafter.

Social media erupted with complaints about error codes and shared screenshots as frustrated gamers expressed their disappointment over the absence of pre-order options. Some labeled the situation as “absurd,” while others criticized the lack of measures to prevent such congestion.

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Another digital retailer, Humble Bundle, indicated that the game was momentarily unavailable due to high traffic, although this notification was later removed once the situation stabilized.

Regardless of these technical challenges, Steam noted over 100,000 active players within just 30 minutes of launch, implying that many managed to secure their copies.

Hollow Knight was crafted by Ari Gibson, William Pellen, and Jack Vine, along with music from Christopher Larkin, representing the Adelaide-based indie studio, Team Cherry. Set in a vividly imagined realm of insect warriors, the game has garnered a passionate following since its debut in 2017, selling over 15 million copies globally.

Hollow Knight: Silksong screenshot. Illustration: Team Cherry

The New York Times recently hailed the original Hollow Knight as a “Modern Metroidvania Classic,” praising its “engaging and detailed hand-drawn animations, challenging boss encounters, and twists with secret pathways.”

The original has achieved cult status, largely through word-of-mouth recommendations. Anticipation for a sequel focusing on Hornet, the sword-wielding princess who served as a supporting character in the first game, has grown, as highlighted by a recent New York Times report that discussed at least seven new game developments avoiding past conflicts and employing gaming demons in baby steps and tactical roles in Walking Sims.

The development of the game was financed independently, though a South Australian film company celebrated Team Cherry’s global success on Friday, stating, “This small team of combat developers in Adelaide showcases world-leading talent and the creative excellence that emerges from South Australia.”

In a recent Bloomberg interview, Gibson mentioned that the seven-year development timeline of Silksong is entirely attributed to the team’s choice of project.

“We’re a small team, and it takes us considerable time to create the game,” he explained. “There wasn’t any significant controversy surrounding it.”

In a previous discussion with ABC, Pellen attributed the original Hollow Knight’s lasting appeal to its blend of classic inspiration and modern aesthetics.

“What was gratifying about Hollow Knight was that we crafted something according to our tastes, leading to a slightly unique product,” Pellen stated in the ABC interview. “We hope Silksong can achieve something similar.”

SpaceX Rockets Cleared for Launch After Successful Set Fold | US News

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The third story focused on the appeal of SpaceX’s Starship Megarocket launch on Tuesday, which was postponed twice in recent days. This successful 10th flight demonstrated that the spacecraft has triumphed over previous challenges associated with Mars Rocket’s reusable design.

The stainless steel giant, standing 403 feet tall (123 meters), was lifted from the company’s star base in southern Texas at 6:30 PM local time (2330 GMT), with the engineering team celebrating loudly on the webcast. The mission aimed to test the ship’s new heat shield tiles and satellite deployment capabilities, featuring numerous upgrades from earlier versions.

As planned, the top half of the rocket separated from the Super Heavy booster. This first stage, measuring 232 feet, usually lands on a giant catch arm at the launch tower but targeted Gulf of Mexico waters this time to test an alternative landing engine.

Shortly after reaching space, satellite deployment systems, including Starship’s “Pez,” distributed mock Starlink satellites for the first time.

The spaceship achieved a successful splashdown in the Indian Ocean, marking a crucial milestone in testing rockets that had been destroyed in previous flights after experiencing intense heat during atmospheric re-entry.

The 10th test flight follows a series of explosive failures, raising doubts about whether the world’s most powerful launch vehicle will aid in colonizing Mars or if NASA can realize founder Elon Musk’s vision of assisting astronauts in returning to the moon.

SpaceX opted not to attempt to recover boosters from Tuesday’s flight, focusing instead on in-flight experiments to “collect real-world performance data on future flight profiles and scenarios.”

Monday’s launch was canceled due to thick clouds lingering overhead for much of the day, leading to a delay just 40 seconds before the countdown ended. Sunday’s attempt was scrubbed due to liquid oxygen leaks on the Starship launch pad, as billionaire Musk mentioned on X overnight.

Following the last three flights, many were concerned after the rocket suffered explosions—twice in the Caribbean and once after reaching space. In June, the upper stage exploded during ground testing.

“We’ve conducted numerous tests but haven’t achieved reliability,” noted Dallas Kasaboski, a space analyst at the consulting firm Anacys Mason, in an interview with AFP. “Success doesn’t outweigh failure.”

The objective is to send upper stage ships carrying crews and cargo around the globe before departing from northwest Australia.

Equipped with prototype heat shield materials, it deployed a dummy Starlink satellite while flying on a trajectory designed to stress-test the rear flap.

Known as Super Heavy, the booster is expected to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX had previously surprised observers by catching boosters using the “chopstick arm” at the launch tower; however, this flight will prioritize data collection under less-than-ideal flight conditions.

This year, two spacecraft tests failed early in the flight, alongside another failure in space during the ninth flight, and a “devastating explosion” during ground testing in June, forcing the spacecraft to fly into nearby Mexican territory, testing SpaceX’s capital-intensive approach to operational development.

This approach contrasts sharply with SpaceX’s competitors, like Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. The New Glenn Rocket made its operational debut in January after years spent on ground development and testing. The United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Rocket, co-owned by Boeing and Lockheed Martin, underwent a similar upbringing before its 2024 debut.

Despite recent setbacks, the spacecraft isn’t viewed as being at a crucial juncture. SpaceX’s “Fail Fast, Learn Fast” philosophy positions it ahead of Falcon rocket launches, while Dragon Capsules ferry astronauts to the International Space Station, and Starlink becomes a geopolitical asset.

Nevertheless, Starship introduces new challenges. Musk identifies the development of a fully reusable orbital heat shield as the most daunting task, noted that restoring heat shielding for the Space Shuttle took nine months between flights.

“Our goal with the spaceship is to create a heat shield that can be used immediately,” he stated during a webcast on Monday.

SpaceX’s Starlink Satellite Internet enterprise is also intertwined with Starship’s success, a major source of corporate revenue. Musk aims to use Starship to launch larger batches of Starlink satellites, which have been deployed using SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.

Musk remains optimistic, asserting, “In about six to seven years, there will be days when Starships will be launched more than 24 times in 24 hours,” he replied to X users on Sunday.

Another hurdle is to demonstrate that the spacecraft can refuel in orbit using supercooled propellants. This step is critical yet untested for a vehicle aiming to undertake deep space missions.

Preparing a modified version of NASA’s Lunar Lander for 2027 will take time, as Musk aims to send a non-white-knuckle spacecraft to Mars next year.

Can I Launch a Spacecraft to Intercept the Interstellar Object 3i/Atlas?

Posted on August 4, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

NASA’s Juno spacecraft may be tasked with intercepting interstellar objects

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Interstellar objects passing through our solar system make a brief journey around the sun before heading back into deep space. While astronomers can capture images of comet 3i/Atlas traversing our universe, is there a possibility of intercepting this object?

Researchers globally are investigating several strategies, including repurposing European Space Agency (ESA) missions and rerouting existing NASA endeavors to intervene. However, the task is complicated by the comet’s speed of 60 km/sec and the limited preparation time available.

One notable proposal comes from Avi Loeb at Harvard University, who suggests that the interstellar object “Umuamua is akin to an alien spacecraft; I made a similar assertion regarding 3i/Atlas.” Loeb and his team have published a paper, which, despite not being peer-reviewed, indicates that NASA’s Juno spacecraft could adjust its orbit around Jupiter to rendezvous with 3i/Atlas on March 14th next year.

Nonetheless, this idea faces challenges. Mark Burchell from the University of Kent emphasizes the aging spacecraft’s limitations. Launched in 2011, Juno was initially slated to end its mission with a collision into Jupiter’s surface in 2021, which has been delayed until September this year. It has already experienced two technical issues this year, both resolved by engineers.

“The current orbit allows for closer views of Jupiter and a pass by Io [Jupiter’s moon] in 2023. By 2024, it will be exposed to significant radiation, which is unsurprising given the performance anomalies observed that necessitate a restart,” Burchell explains. “If those modifications are successful and the instruments function properly, there might be valuable data to acquire.”

In a post on X, Jason Wright from Penn State has also voiced skepticism regarding this concept, highlighting that the spacecraft has limited fuel and systematic engine issues.

Another potential avenue to observe 3i/Atlas closely is through the ESA’s Jupiter Ice Moon Explorer (Juice). Luca Conversi from ESA mentions that they are considering this possibility. “We acknowledge this valuable opportunity and are currently assessing the technical feasibility. However, we can’t divulge too much at this stage,” Conversi states.

Despite Juice being closer to 3i/Atlas than Earth, it cannot alter its course towards the comet. “I’m uncertain if redirecting it to a comet is practical. Astrodynamics is far more complex than depicted in science fiction films, and altering a spacecraft’s trajectory is quite challenging,” comments Conversi.

Presently, several spacecraft, including Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey, are in orbit around Mars and nearing the end of their operational lifespans. Research conducted by Michigan State University and colleague Atsuhiro Yaginuma suggests that while this method has advantages, it’s unclear whether these spacecraft possess sufficient fuel for such a journey.

The ESA is developing another mission aimed at improving the chances of approaching interstellar objects in the future. The Comet Interceptor spacecraft, scheduled for launch in 2029, is set to await the discovery of comets or interstellar objects that can be targeted at a stable position between Earth and the Sun, facilitating exploration. These missions are rare, as scientists often do not know what the target will be or its appearance timeline.

Colin Snodgrass at the University of Edinburgh, who serves as the deputy lead of the Comet Interceptor, elaborates that this mission would “require a bit of additional maneuverability” to effectively intercept fast-moving objects like 3i/Atlas. For these swift visitors, he suggests a broader mission with a streamlined payload. “If the goal is simple speed, minimize non-essential equipment and prioritize fuel mass,” he advises.

Another future concept involves deploying small satellites in large orbits monthly. “This would distribute them across Earth’s orbit,” Snodgrass explains. “At any time, one of them could return to Earth and leverage gravity to navigate to interesting locations.”

Astrometric endeavors, such as the legacy investigation of space and time, could quickly enhance our understanding of the frequency of these objects entering our solar system, improving prior warnings about their arrival. “When they are moving rapidly, timely notifications can make a significant difference. Instead of providing alerts months ahead of perihelion, having earlier warnings will significantly impact our response,” Snodgrass remarks.

Topic:

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This “explosive” squirting cucumber can launch seeds at nearly 30 mph!

Posted on July 8, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers have uncovered an astonishing mechanism of seed dispersal in nature: the squirting cucumber.

This plant, Ecballium, boasts an extraordinary method of ejecting seeds over considerable distances, with a new study from Kiel University in Germany providing deeper insight into the process.

The mature squirting cucumber fruits are packed with thick liquid, creating significant internal pressure. When ripe, the stems disconnect, causing the fruit to forcefully discharge its seeds.

“This typically occurs when the fruit is fully mature and is disturbed,” Helengoge from Kiel University mentioned in BBC Science Focus.

“The plant aims to scatter its seeds as far as possible, which can propel them over 12 meters (39 feet) from the parent plant.”

Even minimal contact can trigger the fruit’s release, prompting Gorges’s team to utilize CT imaging to construct 3D models of the fruit without causing any damage.

Additionally, a high-speed camera captured the moment the cucumber expelled its seeds at speeds of up to 47 km/h (29 mph).

The cucumber was recorded at 10,000 frames per second, showcasing the extraordinary force behind the seed ejection.

Gorge observed the maturation process of the fruits, noting that the stems straighten as the cucumber approaches readiness, ultimately hanging at a 52º angle just before bursting. The optimal angle for ballistic projection is theoretically 50º, making the cucumber nearly precise in its seed dispersal.

Like many plants, cucumbers aim to distribute their seeds widely to minimize competition for essential resources like light, water, and nutrients between parent and offspring plants.

While most plants have evolved to rely on wind, water, or animals for seed dispersal, squirting cucumbers have taken an active, ballistic approach.

The research team hopes their findings will inspire others to develop naturally derived solutions for future challenges.

“There are numerous applications in soft robotics, drug delivery systems, and similar technologies where efficient launching systems are needed,” Gorges stated.

https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2025/07/squirtingCucumberSlow5.mp4

Slight disturbances can cause ripe cucumbers to explode.

About the experts

Helen Gogges is a doctoral student specializing in functional morphology and biomechanics at Kiel University in Germany, focusing on optimizing plant mechanisms for seed distribution.

read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

US to Launch Billions of Flies to Tackle Pest Problems

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Topeka, Kansas – The US government is gearing up to breed billions of flies, which will be released from planes in Mexico and southern Texas to combat meat-eating maggots.

This may sound like a horror movie plot, part of the government’s strategy to safeguard the US from pests that threaten the beef industry, wildlife, and even household pets. This innovative method has proven effective in the past.

“It’s an excellent technique,” remarks Edwin Burgess, an assistant professor at the University of Florida, who studies animal parasites, particularly in livestock. “It’s the best method we have for translating science into solving significant problems.”

The targeted pests are the meat-consuming larvae of the New World Screwworm Fly. The USDA is set to ramp up the breeding and distribution of adult male flies that will mate with wild females, resulting in eggs that will not hatch. Consequently, the larval population will decline over time.

Workers drop New World screwworm fly larvae into trays at a facility that breeds sterile flies in Pacola, Panama last year.
Copeg via AP file

This method is more effective and environmentally friendly than conventional pest control, which was used by the US and other countries north of Panama to eradicate these pests decades ago. Sterilized flies from Panama were effective for years, yet infestations resurfaced in southern Mexico late last year.

The USDA anticipates that a new Screwworm Fly Factory will begin operations in southern Mexico by July 2026. Additionally, a fly distribution center will be established in southern Texas by the end of this year, facilitating the import and distribution of flies from Panama as required.

Fried Live Meat

Most fly larvae consume dead flesh, feeding on decomposing matter from the New World screwworm as well as its counterparts from Asia and Africa, posing a significant threat to the American beef industry. Females lay eggs in wounds, which can sometimes expose the underlying tissue.

“A 1,000-pound cow could perish within two weeks,” stated Michael Bailey, the elected president of the American Veterinary Association.

Veterinarians have effective treatments for infested animals; however, an invasion can still cause significant discomfort and pain for affected animals.

Don Hineman, a retired rancher from Western Kansas, recalls an infected cow from his youth on the family farm.

“It had a terrible smell,” he recounted. “Like rotten meat.”

Utilizing Fly Biology Against Them

The New World Screwworm Fly is a tropical species that historically could not survive winters in the Midwest and Great Plains. However, from 1962 to 1975, the US and Mexico raised and released over 94 billion sterile flies, according to the USDA.

Workers hold two small containers of New World screwworm flies.
Copeg via AP file

The numbers must be large enough so that wild females have no option but to mate with sterile males.

A unique biological characteristic gives fly fighters an edge: females mate only once during their adult life over a short period.

Reasons for Increased Fly Breeding

Concerns have been raised about the potential northward movement of flies. The southern border has been closed to imports of live cattle, horses, and bison, which won’t fully reopen until at least mid-September.

However, female flies can inflict wounds on warm-blooded animals, including humans.

Decades ago, the US operated fly factories in Florida and Texas, which were shut down after the pests were eradicated.

Panama’s fly factory can produce up to 117 million flies per week, but the USDA aims to boost production to at least 400 million per week. It plans to invest $8.5 million in a Texas facility and $21 million to transform it into a breeding site for screwworm flies and fruit flies in southern Mexico.

Methods for Cultivating Millions of Flies

Growing large populations of flies is relatively simple, according to Cassandra Olds, an assistant professor of entomology at Kansas State University.

She notes, however, that “you need to provide females with the necessary cues to lay their eggs, and the larvae must have sufficient nutrients.”

Previous USDA studies indicate that larvae were once fed horse meat and honey before transitioning to a blend of dried eggs and honey or molasses. The Panama facility eventually utilized a mixture of egg powder, red blood cells, and cow plasma.

Workers use machines to mix food for the sterile fly breeding program in Pacola.
Copeg via AP file

In nature, larvae, akin to the pupal stage of butterflies, fall from their hosts to the ground, burrowing just below the surface to grow inside a protective casing resembling a dark brown tic-tac mint. In the Panama factory, workers place them into sawdust trays.

Security measures are crucial. According to Sonja Swiger, an entomologist at Texas A&M University’s Extension Services, breeding facilities need to prevent fertile adults from the breeding stock.

Aerial Fly Release

Dropping flies from aircraft presents certain risks. Recently, a plane releasing sterile flies crashed near the Mexican border, resulting in three fatalities.

Historically, during test runs in the 1950s, scientists placed flies in paper cups, which were then dropped from the planes using a specialized chute. These cups were loaded into boxes on a machine called the “whiz packer.”

The current method closely resembles this. Small aircraft equipped with wooden trays release the flies.

Burgess is recognized for developing the breeding and distribution of sterile flies in the 1950s and 60s, labeling it one of the USDA’s “greatest accomplishments.”

Some farmers now contend that new factories shouldn’t be closed after another successful eradication.

“What we perceive as full control — and declare victory — can always reemerge,” cautioned Burgess.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Investigating Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch: Irregular Driving Captured in Video

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Major US transportation safety regulators are seeking information from Tesla following videos that appear to show the vehicles exceeding speed limits and autonomous robotaxis driving in the wrong lanes. The company unveiled its service in Austin, Texas, over the weekend.

Tesla has notably expedited the initial limited rollout of its Robotaxis, with some influencers being paid to showcase their experiences. However, rather than serve as effective promotion, these videos seem to have drawn the scrutiny of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), particularly as the cars struggled to adhere to traffic regulations.

“The NHTSA is aware of the mentioned case and is in communication with the manufacturer to gather further information,” the agency stated.

The debut of Robotaxi over the weekend featured about 10 “safety drivers” in the passenger seats navigating Austin’s designated areas. Tesla CEO Elon Musk promoted the launch as a significant achievement and committed to enhancing driving safety, but some influencers shared videos that appeared to show glitches or speeding incidents involving the Robotaxis.

One video shared by a Tesla investor, who previously hosted a podcast regarding the brand, displayed a Robotaxi wobbling after misinterpreting a left turn, crossing over a double yellow line before correcting itself. During this time, there were no oncoming vehicles.

In another clip, a pro-Tesla YouTuber praised a car for maintaining speed within legal limits.

Musk has placed significant stakes on the future of the carmaker tied to the Robotaxi program, having long presented a vision where millions of self-driving cars traverse cities globally. Both regulators and investors are closely examining whether Tesla can convert these prospects into tangible outcomes and if it can sustain its operations. Musk’s prolonged history of unmet promises.

“We anticipate millions of Teslas to function entirely autonomously by next year,” Musk declared during an earnings call in April, having made a similar assertion in 2019.

The NHTSA has not pre-emptively greenlit new technologies or driving systems, the statement mentioned. Instead, the manufacturer affirms that the vehicle meets the agency’s standards, while investigators assess potential safety defects. The NHTSA reviews the reports and related information to determine how to tackle road safety concerns.

“NHTSA will persist in enforcing regulations for all automobile manufacturers in accordance with the Automobile Safety Act and our data-driven, risk-based investigation methodology,” the agency remarked.

Robotaxis has gained heightened significance for Tesla this year, particularly as first-quarter sales declined and profits plummeted by 71% year-on-year. Despite diminishing revenues, Musk asserted that Tesla’s Robotaxis are destined to be the future of transportation.

In addition to a preliminary inquiry into Robotaxis, the NHTSA is also conducting an open investigation that began in 2024 to assess the safety of Tesla’s “full self-driving” mode under conditions of reduced visibility. Tesla was reported to have deployed autonomous functions which resulted in a fatality of a 71-year-old woman in 2023 while driving in Arizona during sunset when glare affected road visibility.

Ready for Launch: SpaceX Preparations

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A four-member team is set to launch on Wednesday for a privately funded mission to the International Space Station.

The flight, organized by Houston’s Axiom Space, will take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 8 am. The crew will travel into orbit aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon capsules positioned above a Falcon 9 rocket.

NASA will provide live coverage of the launch, beginning at 7:05 am ET NASA+.

Originally set for Tuesday, the launch was postponed by a day due to strong winds along the Florida coastline. This mission, named AX-4, is anticipated to last approximately two weeks at the International Space Station.

Retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has spent a total of 675 days in space, is leading the mission. Joining her are Pilot Shuvanshu Shukra, an astronaut from the Indian Space Research Institute, Mission Specialist Sworsis Uznaviywiyyewsky, a Polish scientist with the European Space Agency, and Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer from Hungary.

From left: Tibor Kapu, Hungarian AX-4 crew member, Shuvansh Shukla, Indian Space Research Agency astronaut, Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut, and Swaus Uznash Wy Winni Nievski, astronaut from the European Space Agency.
SpaceX

Shukla, Uznaskiwinievsky, and Kapu are making history as the first individuals from their respective countries to live and work on the International Space Station.

During their two-week tenure at the Orbital Lab, the AX-4 crew will conduct various scientific experiments. According to NASA, this includes muscle regeneration studies, examining how Brussels sprouts and edible microalgae grow in microgravity, and how small aquatic organisms thrive on the ISS.

If the launch proceeds as planned, the four astronauts are expected to dock with the space station around 12:30 pm on Thursday.

This upcoming flight marks the fourth crew mission for Axiom Space and will be pivotal for the International Space Station. The company’s inaugural private expedition to the ISS occurred in 2022, featuring an entirely civilian crew.

While the financial details for the AX-4 mission remain undisclosed, it has been reported that space tourists paid approximately $55 million per seat on previous Axiom missions.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Uber to Launch Self-Driving Taxis in London Courts Next Spring

Posted on June 10, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The autonomous Uber is set to hit the roads of London next year, following the government’s announcement that a trial for fully self-driving vehicles will commence in spring 2026.

For the first time in Europe, companies will be allowed to operate publicly, with human safety drivers permitted to oversee “bus-like” service pilots from the driver’s seat or onboard.

Uber is teaming up with UK tech company Wayve to trial taxis that can be booked through the app in the capital, marking a significant step in the largest European market.

A broader rollout of self-driving taxis, or Robotaxis, is anticipated after the full implementation of automated vehicle laws in late 2027.

The UK is accelerating its efforts, as unmanned taxis have already been established in numerous cities across San Francisco, USA, and China. Earlier this year, Uber launched its first unmanned taxi in Austin, Texas, in collaboration with Waymo. Meanwhile, Tesla also plans to introduce autonomous services for its competitors this month.

The Department of Transport (DfT) has stated that if the technology enhances road safety, it could generate 38,000 jobs and create a £42 billion industry by 2035.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander remarked: “The future of transportation is on the horizon. Self-driving cars can create jobs, attract investments, and provide opportunities for the UK to become a leader in new technology.”

“With road safety at the core of the pilot and the legislation, we are committed to taking bold steps to foster job creation, advance innovation, and facilitate transformative plans in the UK industry.”

The DfT emphasized that autonomous vehicles could enhance transport options for millions, especially by offering new public transport solutions in rural areas to those unable to drive.

Thanks to technology from Wayve and fellow UK company Oxa (formerly Oxbotica), self-driving vehicles have been under development for over a decade. However, during all road tests for cars and buses, safety drivers have been present to assume control if necessary.

The Automated Vehicle Act mandates that self-driving vehicles must be approved following thorough testing.

Our earlier commitment to launching Robotaxis in London has yet to realize. The unmanned bus service started in Edinburgh in 2023 has been halted due to a lack of ridership.

Nonetheless, automated taxi services in the U.S. are currently conducting hundreds of thousands of paid rides, although progress has not been without challenges. General Motors has abandoned its autonomous service plans after several incidents, including ones that led to severe injuries for pedestrians. Early indications, however, suggest that self-driving taxis are safer, and some users, particularly women, prefer to use unmanned services.

Wayve co-founder and CEO Alex Kendall stated that accelerated testing will position the UK as a leader in fully autonomous vehicles, adding, “These initial pilots will help establish public confidence and unlock new job opportunities, services, and markets.”

“We are excited about what the future holds,” said Gavin Jackson, CEO of Oxa. “Clear regulations will open up the market and encourage transport companies to embrace the advantages of self-driving cars across the nation. Today’s announcement signifies that the UK is prepared for this technology.”

How Nintendo Navigates Trump’s Tariffs to Ensure the Switch 2 Launch

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

n Nintendo enthusiasts across the United States are breathing a sigh of relief as they unwrap their packages containing the new Nintendo Switch 2 gaming console. This comes amidst unresolved trade tariffs implemented during Donald Trump’s administration. Nintendo’s pre-order delays indicated that a May launch seemed more aspirational than guaranteed. The anticipated price initially soared to $450, but the worst fears of consumers did not materialize.

Nevertheless, Nintendo’s battle against Trump’s tariffs isn’t over yet. The Japanese gaming titan managed to introduce the device just before a 90-day tariff suspension issued by the former president. However, if tariffs in regions like India and Japan revert to those proposed during Trump’s “liberation day” speech earlier in April, analysts suggest Nintendo may have to navigate another fraught trade landscape.

The price of the Switch 2 during the holiday season could exceed that of its launch. Competing gaming hardware brands, and virtually all other electronics firms shipping to the U.S., are closely monitoring the Switch 2 narrative.

“What saved Nintendo in this instance was when Trump caved,” stated Robert Johnson, Professor at Notre Dame and International Economist.

Vietnam’s tariffs forced Nintendo to adapt

Since its debut in March 2017, the Switch has become one of the top-selling gaming consoles of all time, with over 150 million units sold globally. Nintendo unveiled its successor in January, providing full details during a livestream on April 2nd, announcing a release date of June 5th at $450 in the U.S. (Or $500 when bundled with Mario Kart World). Just hours later, Trump addressed the nation, announcing new tariffs on imports from countries with trade deficits with the U.S.

Among these tariffs is a 24% levy from Japan, where Nintendo is headquartered, and a 46% tariff from Vietnam, where much of the Switch’s manufacturing takes place. Stock market fluctuations left Nintendo fans wondering if these abrupt tariffs would increase costs for consumers.

U.S. pre-orders for the Switch 2 were initially set to start on April 9th, but Nintendo postponed to “evaluate the potential effects of tariffs and market developments.” The release date of June 5th remained unchanged. Gamers expressed their frustrations on social media, targeting much of their anger towards the Trump administration rather than Nintendo. Pre-orders resumed on April 24th, with units selling out in no time.

Nintendo has not provided immediate comments on the situation.

Saved by ‘tacos’ after preparing for the wrong tariffs

Johnson remarked, like many home appliance manufacturers, “Where is the production happening?”

In 2019, near the end of Trump’s first administration, gaming companies began relocating production for the Switch from China to Vietnam to avoid U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. While Nintendo still produces some Switch items in China, these units are generally directed to non-U.S. markets. Other prominent tech firms like Apple have similarly shifted manufacturing away from China to nations such as India to diminish tariff impacts.

Gamers lined up outside Nintendo’s store in New York. Photo: Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

This strategy became contentious when the current administration announced a 46% tariff on imports from Vietnam, catching virtually everyone off guard, according to Johnson. These impending tariffs and the uncertainty they generate can affect the pricing strategies of nearly all consumer technology products reaching the U.S.

Sony and Microsoft, both slated to release new consoles in 2027, are likely to encounter similar hurdles to those faced by Nintendo.

“Setting up new production facilities takes considerable time and capital investment. Manufacturers prefer operating in a stable environment,” Johnson noted. “The current trade climate is the exact opposite.”

Tariffs tied to the release date could have easily inflated Switch 2 prices or delayed its rollout. However, Nintendo avoided this predicament due to the Trump administration’s withdrawal. This scenario is described in financial terms as “Taco,” stemming from Trump’s call for a 90-day tariff suspension to facilitate negotiations with the affected country—allowing the Switch 2 to launch in a timeframe where import duties were not in effect.

Even if negotiations with Vietnam ultimately fall through, reports indicate Nintendo has already shipped approximately 746,000 Switch 2 units to the U.S., which remain exempt from increased tariffs.

Higher add-on costs

Nintendo consumers will not escape the impact of customs duties. The company has indicated that accessories related to the device, which comprise a significant portion of the Switch’s dual functionality, are now experiencing price adjustments. So far, CNBC reports that the dock for playing the Switch on a larger screen costs an additional $10, while the straps for the two controllers are up by $1. Johnson also expressed that he wouldn’t be surprised if Nintendo contemplates increasing console prices over the holiday season, particularly if Trump proceeds with the 46% tariff in Vietnam.

“It’s hard to envision Trump’s administration publishing numerous articles about how he ruined Christmas during the holiday season,” Johnson remarked. “So I hope they find a way through this; still, like everyone else, I am uncertain.”

However, there’s another factor motivating Nintendo to minimize price hikes. A significant portion of its revenue doesn’t come from console sales. Instead, the real profit drivers for Nintendo and its competitors are software and online subscriptions, which are not impacted by customs duties.

“Ultimately, Nintendo aims to sell consoles to enable game and accessory purchases,” Johnson noted. “As a result, they may be inclined to keep console prices down.”

Meta Plans to Launch AI Ad Creation for Facebook and Instagram by Year-End Next Year

Posted on June 2, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The proprietors of Facebook and Instagram are set to assist advertisers in fully developing and targeting campaigns using artificial intelligence tools by the end of next year, potentially disrupting the traditional marketing landscape.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, which also owns WhatsApp, aims to directly reach brand marketing budgets and challenge client campaigns and media organizations managing these budgets.

The AI tool currently under development, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, will enable brands utilizing Meta’s advertising platform to generate ads by leveraging product images and planned marketing expenditures.

Meta’s platform already provides various AI tools that allow advertisers to modify existing ads before they go live on Facebook or Instagram.

These new tools could bridge the gap between traditional ad creation, planning, and purchasing roles that agents perform, while also catering to smaller advertisers who cannot afford marketing service companies.

AI tools will be capable of generating complete ads, including images, videos, and text, targeting users based on the client’s budget.

For instance, targeting parameters such as geolocation can allow holiday companies to tailor advertisements that are particularly relevant to destinations appealing to users.

Following the announcement of Meta’s planned AI rollout, investors quickly divested from some of the world’s largest marketing services.

WPP shares dropped 3% during early trading, while French firms Publicis Groupe and Havas saw declines of 3.9% and 3%, respectively.

Zuckerberg, emphasizing the shift towards AI-driven advertising, describes the evolution of these tools as a “redefinition of advertising categories.”

In April, Meta revised its financial outlook for next year, announcing plans to invest between $64 billion and $720 billion in capital expenditures, which include the costs associated with building AI infrastructure.

The company had initially projected expenses of up to $650 billion in 2025.

Back Among Your Own: Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Revives Midnight Releases

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

tThis was an era when certain stores resembled nightclubs at the stroke of midnight, filled with a long line of eager customers.

Witnessing a crowd of gamers lined up to snag the latest hardware at midnight is becoming increasingly rare. Yet, if you happen to stroll by Smyths Toy Shop on the night of June 4th, you might just experience a nostalgia-infused event.

This particular launch marks the first major gaming console release since 2020, with fans eagerly anticipating the monumental Nintendo Switch 2.

What stands out about this launch is not just the excitement in the air, but also the surprisingly small queue. Approximately a decade ago, the hype of midnight launches began to fade. With more players opting for digital downloads, the need to go out and purchase a physical copy diminished.

The Nintendo Switch 2 could become the most significant game release ever. Photo: Richard Drew/AP

Consequently, Smyths stands as the sole UK chain participating in this event. Even in the US, which is known for its consumer culture during launch days, only Nintendo’s stores in San Francisco and New York have announced midnight openings.

This is a sharp contrast to the early 2010s. Back then, thanks to the monumental success of consoles like PlayStation, Wii, and Xbox, gaming launch events for titles like Call of Duty, Halo, and Grand Theft Auto were celebrated across thousands of stores around the globe, widely publicized and expertly managed.

For instance, Microsoft’s Halo 3 launch in the US featured actors dressed as Space Marines, with Bill Gates showing up at Best Buy in Seattle. Meanwhile, the Call of Duty Ghost event in the UK at Westfield Stratford hired a drill sergeant to rally the crowd.

“My favorite was Skyrim,” reminisces Greg Weller, who served as the UK Marketing Manager at Bethesda Softworks then. “I got the specs from the game’s flagship store on Oxford Street and decorated the entire front with Elder Scroll artwork. We even installed snow machines on the roof so that snow could cascade down Oxford Street in November. There was a competition for cosplay too.”

The launch of a console was a grand event comparable to a film premiere. For instance, during the Xbox One launch in 2013, Microsoft transformed Leicester Square into a hub of Xbox branding, complete with live performances from artists like B and Katy B. Just two weeks ago, Sony commandeered the Highline Hotel in New York, creating a massive video game arcade and showcasing games to thousands of eager fans.

Such extravagant launch events not only boosted retailer visibility but also created meaningful word-of-mouth promotion and press coverage. For fans, these gatherings offered a sense of belonging. “Having grown up gaming in the 90s, we often felt ostracized for our interests,” shares Rich Thompson, now the founder of Hull’s Black Rose Studios. “But hosting a midnight launch was electric. When Fallout 4 debuted, our local store even brought in a DJ. The atmosphere was like a celebration, with hundreds of people gathered.”

However, these late-night events occasionally spiraled into chaos. “We had one store in the city center filled with people coming out of pubs,” Thompson recounted. “Rowdy patrons sometimes caused trouble. I remember a significant fight breaking out on the night of a FIFA launch.”

Soldiers at the Midnight Release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 at Game Oxford Street, London in November 2011. Photo: Michael Bowles/Rex

In 2006, a man was tragically shot by a masked robber while attempting to claim his new PlayStation 3 during a Walmart event in Putnam, Connecticut. (He later recounted to a local newspaper how despite his injuries, he remained in the store to pick up his console.) In London, the police were so apprehensive about potential disturbances that they prohibited the PlayStation 3 Midnight Launch at all stores in the city, except for Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street.

The shift towards digital media, fierce competition from online giants like Amazon, and the devastating impact of Covid lockdowns have led to a decline in specialist high street stores. Once boasting over 600 locations in the UK, the Game retail chain now counts around 240. Data from the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association reveals that physical game sales in the UK plummeted by 35% last year.

Could the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 signal a change? As observed with the resurgence in vinyl records and unexpected spikes in Blu-ray sales (a response to consumer dissatisfaction with ad-laden streaming services), there appears to be a growing interest in physical media.

Interest in physical games seems to be on the rise. Boutique publishers like Strictly Limited and Limited Run are releasing elegantly packaged modern and classic titles, while game cafes and retro arcades are flourishing.

Ultimately, the unique experience of launch events, the buzz, the shared joy, cannot be duplicated through online transactions.

“Dad took me to the store in the middle of the night for the Xbox release,” reminisces Thompson. “He had just wrapped up a 12-hour shift. He thought it would just be the two of us, but there was an enormous line. The staff were handing out drinks, Limp Bizkit was blasting through the speakers. As a 13-year-old, I couldn’t imagine anything cooler. I looked up at my dad and saw the excitement on his face mirroring my own.”

Amazon Challenges Musk’s Starlink with Launch of First Internet Satellite

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Amazon’s Kuiper Broadband Internet Constellation successfully launched its first 27 satellites into space from Florida on Monday, marking the beginning of a significant rollout of space-based internet networks, comparable to SpaceX’s Starlink.

These satellites are the initial part of a larger plan to deploy 3,236 at low Earth orbit as part of Project Kuiper. Launched in 2019, this billion-dollar initiative aims to deliver beam broadband internet globally to consumers, businesses, and government entities. SpaceX has been a notable client in this competitive landscape due to its robust Starlink operations.

Launched aboard the Atlas V rockets from Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s Joint United Launch Alliance, the batch of 27 satellites lifted off at 7 PM EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The initial launch attempt on April 9th was postponed due to bad weather.

Project Kuiper represents Amazon’s largest venture into the broadband sector, entering the fray against Starlink and established telecom providers like AT&T and T-Mobile. The company aims to enhance connectivity in rural areas where access is limited or absent.

The deployment of the first operational satellite faced delays exceeding a year, with Amazon initially targeting early 2024 for its first batch. The Federal Communications Commission has set a deadline for Amazon to launch 1,618 satellites by mid-2026, prompting the company to likely seek an extension.

Following the launch, Amazon anticipates publicly confirming initial contact with the satellites from its Mission Operations Center in Redmond, Washington, within hours or days. If successful, the company expects to commence customer service later this year.

According to ULA CEO Tory Bruno, five more Kuiper missions can be launched this year. Amazon indicated in its 2020 FCC filing that it could start service with some of its 578 satellites in the northern and southern regions, gradually extending towards the equator as more satellites are deployed.

As an ambitious initiative in a market primarily dominated by SpaceX, Project Kuiper reflects Amazon’s extensive experience in consumer products and established cloud computing services, positioning itself as a competitor to Starlink.

In 2023, Amazon successfully launched two prototype satellites, paving the way for further developments. The program had maintained a lower profile until unveiling its initial Kuiper launch plans earlier this month.

SpaceX enjoys a unique advantage, serving as both a satellite operator and launch provider with its reusable Falcon 9 rockets, having placed over 8,000 Starlink satellites into orbit since 2019. Monday marked the 250th dedicated Starlink launch, with a rapid deployment schedule of at least one mission per week to enhance network bandwidth and replace outdated satellites.

This accelerated pace has led to SpaceX acquiring over 5 million internet users across 125 countries, boosting the global satellite communications market while supporting military and intelligence operations through Starlink’s advanced capabilities.

Amazon’s executive chair, Jeff Bezos, expressed optimism regarding Kuiper’s competitive potential against Starlink, noting to Reuters in a January interview that there is “an insatiable demand.”

“There’s a lot of room for winners there. Starlink expects it will continue to succeed, and Kuiper expects it will succeed,” Bezos stated.

“It will be primarily a commercial system, but these LEO constellations have defensive applications as well,” he added, referring to low Earth orbit.

In 2023, Amazon unveiled the Kuiper Consumer terminal, a compact antenna the size of an LP record that connects with overhead Kuiper satellites, along with a small terminal comparable to Kindle e-readers. The company aims to produce devices for tens of millions of users, each costing less than $400.

In 2022, Amazon secured 83 rocket launches from French Arianespace and Blue Origin ULA.

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Get in the Race with Mario Kart World: Nintendo’s Must-Have Title for Switch 2 Launch

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

hDoes OW follow just as complete and wide-ranging games as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? Nintendo has banked in the answer: it’s getting bigger. Double the number of racers to 24. Increase the number of characters (total of 60). More weapons. And, by catching the eye the most, more exploration.

While this is not a term related to closed circuits, the three-lap formula that the series has completed over the past 30 years, in the upcoming Switch 2 flagship launch title, Mario Kart World, Nintendo has demolished the tire barrier and offers players a For the Horizon style open world. It’s not exactly a complete reinvention of the wheel, but it’s a major change in format since the series began. Considering that a physical copy of Mario Kart World is retail for £75, is that enough?

I had the opportunity to spend some time playing new games, but what immediately struck me was that it was what I would expect from the next generation Mario Kart title. It’s familiar, incredibly refined, it plays perfectly no matter what’s slaughtered, and it looks fantastic. As I ran through the course, the temptation was to slow down and incorporate all the small, quirky details.

The famous internet… Mu Moo Meadows Beef. Photo: Nintendo

Perhaps you’ll have the opportunity to do that with the free roaming element of the game. I didn’t get much opportunity to explore this. It was essentially a lobby while waiting for 24 players to join. I had two modes. First it was the Grand Prix. This is your traditional Mario Kart incident: start, 3 laps, finish. The slight tweak here is that it’s not using closed circuit courses, but sprints all over the world. The moment you are in Boo’s cinema, the next moment you’ll become a prehistoric jungle. I chose to play as a cow of Mu Moo Meadows, a breakout star known for the recent Nintendo direct internet.

As a veteran Mario Kart player (to put it gently), I found you to play as expected. Muscle Memory Takes over: You skid (maybe less agile than the MK8D to explain the wider track). You throw a shell at the enemy. Just like he was trying to use the boost, he screams in frustration when he gets hit by lightning. The level’s design is beautiful, with each track apparently packing with alternative routes and small secrets. Wideer roads mean that the game will lose some of the claustrophobic massacre and cannot escape the sense that the emphasis on weapons rather than promoting skills in the series iterations, but I can live with it. Anyway, I win my first race – I want to record it – and my cow is given a glorious crown.

My time in the game also had one race in the knockout tour mode in Nintendo’s Battle Royale Style series. Follow the course and you will encounter checkpoints on the horizon. Crossing these, the four racers below block continuous and dropouts. This continues up to the final track where the remaining four races compete on the podium. I hadn’t noticed that I would race 23 other journalists in the room with me, so I chose to choose a racing comedy choice as a Wiggler on the Pink cruiser. If I had noticed the stakes, I would have been a Wario/Monster bike, but it’s my fault to assume that it’s a race that doesn’t matter. They are all important.

Knockout Tour mode is refreshing. If, like me, you believe you can achieve a godlike position in the MK8D and run each course during your sleep, if you are used to cruising in the first place without any single bananas in your name, prepare yourself. In Knockout mode, you may start from 24th to 24th.

The solution is to embrace the massacre. I feel that weapons are more important (I lost the number of golden mushrooms, bullet bills, and star powers I experienced). Amidst all the enthusiastic confusion, I had no idea how long the race had lasted – I think I’m somewhere between 3 minutes and 3 hours. I see the checkpoint and know that I know there is only one scary, timing red shell apart. Clearing the checkpoints provided relief. It was a hurry. I finished fifth and couldn’t qualify for the final section. Aside from this shame mark, my first impression of knockout mode is that it is an exciting reinvention of form and there is a strong chance that it is trying to become my whole personality.

Continental Europe’s First Orbital Rocket Launch Ends in Crash

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The engine trembled about half the local time on Sunday, with a brave roar, and the 92-foot-high spectral rocket slowly lifted from the launch tower, marking the first lift-off of its kind on the continent of Europe.

The rocket launched by ISAR aerospace from within the Arctic Circle on the space column of Andea Island, Norway, was the first orbital flight to leave Europe, a continent other than Russia. Approximately 30 seconds after the rocket cleared the launchpad, it pitched to the side and plunged back to Earth.

But Daniel Metzler, CEO of Isar Aerospace, was cheerful. He said in a statement that the test flight “meeted all our expectations and was a huge success” despite the crash.

“We had a clean lift-off, a 30-second flight and even validated the end-of-flight system,” Metzler said. The rocket fell directly into the sea, the launchpad was not damaged and no one could be hurt when the spacecraft crashed, he added.

Andøya Spaceport could not be immediately contacted for comment. Previously, they posted on social media that “crisis management” was activated after crash and was working with emergency services and ISAR Aerospace.

The test flight was seven years in 2018 for Isar Aerospace’s Making for Isar Aerospace, a German-based company with a mission to make satellite launches more accessible. There are European companies push Beyond space technology and research, we explore the possibilities of the space sector for defense, security and geopolitics.

“There are about a million things that could be wrong, and in reality, only one method can go well,” said Metzler, CEO of Isar Aerospace, in a video interview before its launch. The team had rescheduled several previous launch attempts, citing unfavourable weather conditions. “Frankly, if we only fly 30 seconds, I’d be happy,” he said at the time.

He said that time would provide the team with a lot of information to analyze and use. And that was the time that mostly had the flights on Sunday.

In the video, Metzler noted that SpaceX, the first private company to launch its own designed rocket into orbit before achieving that milestone in 2008, had failed three attempts.

There are several private companies in Europe design Spaceport for new waves of rockets. Sweden has revamped its old research foundation for its state-of-the-art satellite launch centre north of the Arctic, and the UK has also opened a space centre in Cornwall, far southwest of the UK. However, misfires can be costly. Virgin Orbit, a space company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, has finally collapsed after an unsuccessful attempt to launch the rocket into orbit in 2023.

“Space has become a very important component of geopolitics and global insights. Of course, it’s a huge economic opportunity,” Metzler said.

The company was initially supported by former senior Space X executive, Bulent Altan. It was raised Its website has raised more than $430 million in funding from international investors, including securing support from NATO innovation. Fund.

Ali Watkins I contributed to this report.

Source: www.nytimes.com

ISAR AEROSPACE: German company poised to launch Europe’s first commercial rocket

Posted on March 22, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Spectrum rocket on the launch pad of Norway’s Andea Space Centre

Wingmen-Media

Preparations for rocket test flights in Norway are underway, making history and could bring Europe to greater independence from market leaders in US orbital launches.

Who is behind the rocket launch?

The company that developed the new rocket called Spectrum is ISAR Aerospace based in Germany. The spectrum is 28 meters high and consists of two stages, using oxygen and propane as propellants. ISAR Aerospace states that the purpose of a test flight without payload is to “collect as much data and experience as possible.” The company said New Scientist That the staff were busy preparing for the test flight for an interview.

When and where will the release be made?

The launch will take place at the Andea Space Centre in Norway, and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been granted permission to move forward. ISAR Aerospace says it will be released on March 24th between 12:30pm and 3:30pm, when the weather is permitted.

If successful, it will be the first flight of orbital launch vehicles from the European continent except Russia.

Are there any other launch companies already in Europe?

That’s true, and some are pretty well established. Arianespace, a European market leader, was founded 45 years ago and will be launching it in collaboration with the European Space Agency and the French National Space Agency CNES. However, these launches take place in Guiana, France, a French territory in South America, with the rocket itself (Vega C and Arian 6) being built by other companies.

In addition to ISAR aerospace, there are clutches from European startups looking to start competing, including Spain. Zero 2 Infinity And Germany’s Rocket Factory Augsburg and Highpurs.

Why does Europe need its own launcher?

Davide Amato At Imperial College, London says there are many reasons why there is a demand for small European launch providers. For one thing, the logistics of creating satellites in Europe and then launching them in Europe will be simpler and cheaper, rather than shipping them all over the world.

It’s also easier to have a small, inexpensive launch vehicle that can bring a single satellite into orbit, rather than having to share the ride with several other missions.

Then there is the current political situation. Given the link between unpredictable CEO Elon Musk and the Trump administration, businesses and countries may not want to rely on US launch providers, particularly SpaceX.

These concerns were hinted at by Daniel Metzler, CEO of ISAR Aerospace. Recent Statements“In today’s geopolitical climate, the first test flight is more than a rocket launch.”

Is Norway a good place to start?

A rocket launched near the equator gives it a boost. Thanks to the planet’s spin, they begin to travel much faster than the rockets launched near the poles compared to the centre of the Earth.

The Andea Space Center is 69° north, so the Earth’s rotation speed is much weaker than in the French Guiana. However, this is not important for high incolination trajectories. It is a trajectory that creates a larger angle at the equator.

ISAR Aerospace says it can orbit 1,500 kilogram payloads can be orbited up to 30 times a year, with orbit trends of 90° to 110.6°. This includes sunlight orbits that always pass through a certain point at the same local location, ideal for spies and weather satellites. ISAR has already signed a contract for Norwegian space agencies to bring the Arctic Ocean Surveillance Satellite into exactly that orbit.

Launch sites benefit from all the infrastructure required for small launch vehicles, as they lack considerable air or marine traffic. “It’ll be more limited in terms of what you can achieve, but I think that’s still reasonable,” says Amato.

Will ISAR be successful?

Amato says Isar Aerospace may be chasing SpaceX from a traditional space approach of broader design and careful testing to Silicon Valley’s “test, fail, improve” strategy. “I expect a failure,” says Amato. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

“Now, the question is, can you reach a design that survives? He says. “That’s the race. You’re basically competing for your investors.”

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Space Flight/
Space exploration

Italian newspapers report the launch of the world’s first AI-generated edition | Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Posted on March 18, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

According to Italian newspapers, it is the world’s first fully produced version created by artificial intelligence.

Il Foglio, a conservative liberal newspaper, is conducting a month-long experiment to showcase the impact of AI technology on our work and time, as stated by Claudio Cerasa, the newspaper’s editor.

The four-page IL Foglio AI is included in the Slim Broadsheet edition of the newspaper and can be found on newsstands. Online starting Tuesday.

Cerasa mentioned that Il Foglio AI will be the world’s first daily newspaper fully created using artificial intelligence, covering everything from writing, headlines, quotes, summaries, and even sarcasm. Journalists will have a limited role in questioning and reading the responses generated by the AI tool.

This experiment coincides with global news organizations exploring the use of AI. The Guardian recently reported that BBC News will utilize AI for more personalized content delivery.

The debut edition of Il Foglio AI features stories on US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with various other topics.

Cerasa emphasized that Il Foglio Ai represents traditional newspapers but also serves as a testing ground for understanding the impact of AI on the creation of daily newspapers.

“Do not consider Il Foglio as an artificial intelligence newspaper,” Serasa stated.

Delayed Launch for NASA Astronauts heading to the Space Station

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The journey to the International Space Station for the four astronauts has been delayed due to issues with one of the clamp arms holding the SpaceX rocket in place on the launch pad. The mission controller stopped the planned launch on Wednesday, and NASA has not yet announced the new release date and time.

Originally, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Willmore were expected to stay at the ISS for just a week in June as part of a test flight for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, but due to vehicle issues, they are now in orbit for nine months.

Astronauts Butch Willmore and Suni Williams will be on the ISS in June.
AP

The launch for Crew 10 was scrubbed with about 43 minutes left on the countdown clock. The lift-off was scheduled for 7:48pm from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket.

There are additional opportunities for the launch this week on Thursday at 7:26pm and Friday at 7:03pm, pending resolution of clamp arm hydraulic issues.

SpaceX Crew-10 Commander Anne McClain is waving alongside his crew at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday. From left are pilots Nicole Ayers, Japanese astronauts Onish and McClain, and astronaut Kiril Peskov.
Greg Newton / AFP-Getty Images

Once Crew 10 arrives at the space station, they will take over from the current crew, including Williams, Wilmore, and two other members, preparing for the astronauts’ return home.

Williams and Wilmore will return home on the SpaceX Dragon Capsule, which arrived at the space station in September. This will mark the end of their months-long mission on the ISS.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spaceship is being prepared for launch at the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday.
Terry Renna / AP

The situation has sparked political discussion, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump involved. Trump claimed that the Biden administration returned the astronauts to Earth for political reasons, which has been refuted. Plans for NASA to use SpaceX vehicles for the return journey remain unchanged.

NASA has not yet announced the date of the crew’s closure and landing, which typically occurs after a handover period for exchanging information about ongoing projects at the space station.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

NASA’s Spherex set to launch after delays, will map 450 million galaxies on mission

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The new NASA Observatory was launched into space on Tuesday with a mission that would help scientists unravel what happened in the first fraction one second after the Big Bang.

The Spherex mission (short for Universe History, Reionization Epoch, Ice Explorer’s Spectroscopic Optical Meter) is designed to map the entire sky, study millions of galaxies, and stitch together how the universe has formed and evolved.

According to NASA, it has been postponed several times since late February to help engineers evaluate the rocket and its components recently due to bad weather at launch sites.

The cone-shaped spacecraft ended Tuesday at approximately 8:10pm above the Space Sex Falcon 9 rocket from Van Denburg Space Force Base in California. Also, to get into orbit there were four suitcase-sized satellites deployed on another mission by NASA to study the sun.

The $488 million Spherex Observatory will investigate the entire sky four times over a two-year mission. Spacecraft instruments observe the universe in 102 different colors or wavelengths.

The Spherex Observatory, located horizontally, allows you to see all three layers of photon shields and telescopes.
BAE System / NASA

Colors in the infrared range have longer wavelengths than what the eye sees, so they are essentially invisible to humans. However, in the universe, infrared light from stars, galaxies and other celestial bodies contains important information about composition, density, temperature and chemical composition.

A technique known as spectroscopy allows scientists to analyze infrared light and divide it into different colors, just like the way prisms divide sunlight into colorful rainbows. Therefore, data collected by the Spherex Observatory gives researchers insight into the chemistry and other properties of hundreds of millions of galaxies in the universe.

NASA said these observations would help scientists study how galaxies are formed, trace the origins of Milky Way waters, and connect what happened later. The Big Bang that Created the Universe Approximately 13.8 billion years ago.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Mayorana 1: Microsoft ignites controversy with claims of new quantum computer launch

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Microsoft’s Majorana 1 Quantum Computer

John Brecher/Microsoft

SEI 242916156 — Microsoft’s Majorana 1 Quantum Computer

John Brecher/Microsoft

Last month, Microsoft announced at Fanfare that it had created a new kind of problem and used it to create a quantum computer architecture that could lead to a machine. It can solve industrial-scale problems that have meaning over many years, not decades“.

But since then, the tech giant has been increasingly burning from researchers who say it’s not doing something of a kind. “My impression is that the response of the expert physics community is overwhelmingly negative. Personally, people are just furious.” Sergei Frolov at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Microsoft’s claim is based on an elusive, exotic quasiparticle called Majorana Zero Modes (MZMS). These can theoretically be used to create topological kibits, new types of qubits, i.e. components of information processing within quantum computers. Due to their unique properties, such qubits can be excellent at reducing errors and can address the major drawbacks of all quantum computers used today.

MZM is theorized to emerge from the collective behavior of electrons at the edges of thin superconducting wires. Microsoft’s new Majorana 1 chip contains some such wires, and according to the company it contains enough MZM to create eight topological maize. A Microsoft spokesperson said New Scientist Chip was a “big breakthrough for us and the industry.”

However, researchers say Microsoft does not provide sufficient evidence to support these claims. In addition to the press release, the company published its paper in the journal Nature He said the results confirmed the results. ” Nature The papermark shows a peer-reviewed confirmation that not only did Microsoft have been able to create majorana particles, but it also helps protect quantum information from random interference, but also allows for reliable measurement of information from that information. A Microsoft press release said.

But the editor Nature It explicitly made it clear that this statement was incorrect. A published report on the Peer-Review process states, “The editorial team wants to point out that the results of this manuscript do not represent evidence of the existence of Majorana Zero Mode in the device on which it was reported.”

In other words, Microsoft and Nature They are directly contradictory to each other. “The press release says something completely different [than the Nature paper]” I say Henry Legg At St Andrews University, UK.

This is not just an unorthodox aspect of Microsoft’s papers. Legg points out that two of the four peer reviewers initially gave rather critical and negative feedback. The peer review report shows that by the final round of editing, one reviewer still opposed the publication of the paper, and three others registered with it. spokesman for Nature I said New Scientist The ultimate decision to publish it came down to the possibilities we saw for future experiments with MZM on Microsoft devices.

Also, one of the reviewers is rare. Hao Chang Legg says that at China’s University of Tsingea, previously collaborated on MICSOFT and MZM research. The work published in Nature In 2018, it was later withdrawn, and the team apologized, “.” Scientific rigor is insufficient” After other researchers have identified inconsistencies in the results. “That’s very shocking Nature You can choose the judge who retracted the paper just a few years ago,” says Legg.

Chang says there was no conflict of interest. “I wasn’t an employee at Microsoft either. [the firm]. Of the more than 100 authors of Microsoft Paper recently, I have worked with three before,” he says. “It was seven years ago, but back then they were Tu Delft students. [in the Netherlands]not an employee of Microsoft. “

Microsoft says the team wasn’t involved in the selection of reviewers and was not aware of Zhang’s participation until the review process was completed. Nature The decision was based on a spokesman who said, “The quality of the advice received can be seen from the reviewer’s comments.”

Looking at the issue, both Leg and Frolov are making more fundamental challenges to Microsoft’s methodology. Experiments using MZM have proven extremely difficult to perform over the past decades. This is because imperfections and obstacles within the device can produce false signals that mimic quasiparticles even if they are not present. This was a challenge for researchers related to Microsoft, including the withdrawn 2018 paper. The withdrawal notice explicitly refers to new insights into the impact of the failure. To address this, Microsoft has been working on 2023. The procedure has been published in the journal Physical Review b It was called the “Topology Gap Protocol” and claimed to tease these differences.

“The whole idea of this protocol was that it was a binary test of whether Mallorna is there,” says Legg. His Unique analysis of code and data However, Microsoft implemented the protocol in 2023, which showed that it was less reliable than expected and changing the format of the data is sufficient to turn the failure into a path. Legg says he raised these issues with Microsoft before its publication. Nature Paper, yet the company was using protocols in new research.

NatureA spokesman for the journal’s editorial team “are aware that some people are questioning the effectiveness of the topology gap protocol used.” Nature Paper and other publications. This was an issue that we were also aware of during the peer review process. “Through the process, the reviewer determined that this was not an important issue at the end of the day, the spokesman said.

Microsoft says it will respond to leg analysis of the 2023 paper. Physics Review B. “Criticism can be summarised as a leg that will build a false strooger for our paper and attack it,” said Microsoft’s Chetan Nayak. He challenged some points to Legg’s work, saying that the 2023 paper “showed that we can confidently create topology phases and Mayorana Zero modes,” and the new paper only strengthens those claims.

A Microsoft spokesperson said: Nature The paper was submitted for review and the company built on its confidence and not only created multi-kut chips, but also tested how to operate these kitz as needed for a working topological quantum computer. The company will release more details at the American Physics Society’s Global Physics Summit in March, the spokesman said. “We look forward to sharing our results and transforming our 20+ year vision of quantum computing into a concrete reality, along with the additional data behind science.”

But for Frolov, the assertion that incomplete results from the past can be ignored as the company is trying to build a more sophisticated device lies in false logic. Legg shares this view. “The fundamental issues of obstacles and materials science don’t go away just because we start manufacturing more fancy devices,” he says.

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NASA to launch Spherex Space Telescope for Sky Scanning Mission

Posted on February 28, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Impressions of the artists of Spherex Space Telescope

NASA/JPL-Caltech

The latest addition to NASA's Space Telescope Fleet will be launched this weekend and will soon scan the entire sky in near-infrared wavelength ranges, collecting a wealth of data on more than 450 million galaxies.

The history of the universe, the reionization epoch, and the spectrophotometer for Ice Explorer (Spherex) will be released on March 2nd on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 10:09 pm local time.

It carries a camera with filters that divide the light that enters like a prism and beams different parts of the spectrum into 102 separate color sensors. As the telescope pans around the sky, it slowly tightens the full image pixels pixel by pixel. This strategy allows you to use a relatively small and simple camera to do what you need to have a heavy, expensive suite of sensors, even without moving parts.

“If you slowly scan the sky slowly by moving the telescope, after a sufficient amount of time, every pixel in the sky is observed over a very wide wavelength range, giving you a coarse spectrum of every bit of the sky that has never been done before.” Richard Ellis University College London. “It's a very small space telescope, but it has some very unique features.”

Ellis says this rich dataset allows for accidental discoveries. “There's a high chance that you'll find something unexpected,” he says.

Infrared data is outside the human vision range, allowing scientists to determine the distance of objects and learn how to form galaxies. It can also be used to determine the chemical composition of an object, potentially revealing the presence of water and other important components.

The interesting stuff thrown by Spherex can be investigated in a more focused way using NASA's existing space telescope fleet.

Christopher Conseris At the University of Manchester in the UK, Spherex says it doesn't match the JWST solution or create similarly adoring images, but it says it will become a “maintainer” for scientific discovery.

“JWST can point to a part of the sky and take some big photos [and reveal] Something completely new. And Spherex really can't do the same thing,” he says. “It's going to be an analysis that takes years, and it's going to cover the sky many times.”

Spherex orbits the Earth 14.5 times a day away from the Earth's surface, completing 11,000 orbits over a two-year lifespan. Three cone-shaped shields protect the instrument from the Earth's radiant heat and interference from the sun.

The same rocket will be released on the polarimeter, another NASA mission to unify the Corona and Heliosphere Fair (punch), which will study the solar winds of the sun.

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After securing the meta contract, Arm unveils its own chip launch

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The UK semiconductor designer ARM reportedly plans to launch its own chip this year after landing Meta as one of its first customers.

The move represents a massive overhaul of the SoftBank-owned group’s business model, licensing chip blueprints to Apple and Nvidia.

ARM CEO Rene Haas is set to announce its first in-house chip as early as this summer, according to a Financial Times report citing people familiar with the plan.

Since the company was founded in 1990, more than 300 million chips have been shipped based on ARM design, and almost all world smartphones are based on ARM technology. Moving from chip design to manufacturing a full, proprietary processor could also compete with the largest customers in the £500 million semiconductor industry.

ARM declined to comment. The company’s shares rose more than 6% on Thursday after finance reported its plans.

Financial Times also has its own intellectual property by creating a vast infrastructure network for AI, which has shifted to the production of AI chips by the son of SoftBank founder Masayoshi, and building a vast infrastructure network for artificial intelligence. It reported that it is one step in a big plan to make more money from.

Masayoshi Son, CEO of Softbank Group. Photo: Mitsui/Aflo/Rex/Shutterstock

Last month, Son announced its Stargate initiative at Openai. It spends an estimated £400 million building AI infrastructure, funded by Abu Dhabi State Fund MGX and Oracle, and is armed as a major technology partner alongside Microsoft and Nvidia.

According to those familiar with the plan, ARM’s chips are the central processing units (CPUs) of servers in large data centers and are expected to be customizable for clients, including Meta. These people said production will be outsourced to manufacturers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

Another transaction essential to ARM’s chipmaking project is SoftBank’s anticipated acquisition of Ampere. It could be valued at nearly $6.5 billion (£5.155 billion).

Cambridge Headquarted Arm has more than doubled to $173 million since it was listed on the Nasdaq in 2023. Before SoftBank took over it in 2016, ARM was previously listed in London.

Meta is the latest big tech company that looks to ARM for power-efficient server chips instead of Intel and AMD. Meanwhile, ARM’s Nvidia partnership with Amazon has driven the rapid growth of data centers that power Openai, Meta, and human AI assistants.

OpenAI set to launch “Deep-Search” tool designed to cater to research analysts

Posted on February 3, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Openai has advanced artificial intelligence development by introducing a new tool that claims to produce reports comparable to those of research analysts.

Developers of Chatgpt have dubbed the tool “Deep Research,” stating that it can accomplish tasks that would take humans hours in just 10 minutes.

This announcement comes shortly after a San Francisco-based company accelerated its product release in response to the progress made by Openai’s competitor, Deepseek.

“Deep Research” is an AI agent that allows users to delegate tasks and is powered by Openai’s latest cutting-edge model, O3 version.

Openai explained that deep research scours hundreds of online sources, analyzes, integrates, creates comprehensive reports, and sifts through massive amounts of text, images, and PDFs.

The company views tools like the Chatgpt button as essential steps towards achieving artificial general intelligence, a concept that aims to match or exceed human intelligence in various tasks.

Last month, Openai unveiled an AI agent named Operator, claiming it can manage an online store based on photos of shopping lists, albeit only in the US preview version.

In a demonstration video released on Sunday, Openai showcased Deep Research analyzing the translation app market, stating that each task takes 5-30 minutes to complete with proper sourcing.

Openai highlighted that deep research targets experts in fields like finance, science, and engineering but can also be utilized for car and furniture purchases.

Leveraging Openai’s latest “reasoning” model, O3, deep research processes queries slower than traditional models and has a partially disclosed entity named O3-mini, a slimmed-down version of O3.

The full capabilities of the O3 model were outlined in the recent international AI safety report, prompting concerns from experts like Yoshua Bengio about the potential risks posed by AI advancements.

Deep surveys are accessible to Openai’s protia users in the US for $200 (£162 per month), with a monthly limit on queries due to processing constraints. Not available in the UK and Europe.

Andrew Rogoyski, director of an AI Research Institute affiliated with Sally University, cautioned about the potential dangers of blindly relying on deep search tools without conducting thorough verifications of their outputs.

“Knowledge-intensive AI faces a fundamental challenge. Human validation and verification are crucial to ensure the accuracy of machine analysis,” said Rogoyski.

Apple surpasses Wall Street expectations in first quarter revenue and plans to launch iPhone sales in China.

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Apple exceeded analysts’ expectations in the first quarter of the 2025 fiscal year on Thursday. The company’s revenue increased by 4% to $124.3 billion, slightly higher than the projected $124.2 billion. Earnings per share were $2.40, beating the forecast of $2.35.

Following CEO Tim Cook’s announcement of the revenue, Apple’s shares surged by more than 8% in after-hours trading as the company is on track for revenue growth next year.

Investors expressed concerns about declining iPhone sales in China, the world’s largest smartphone market, with domestic competitors like HUAWEI gaining ground. Apple confirmed this on Thursday, reporting an 11.1% drop in iPhone sales in China, missing Wall Street’s revenue expectations.

During the earnings call, Cook mentioned Apple’s active device base of 2.35 billion.

Despite the mixed reviews, Cook hailed it as the company’s “best quarter” with a 4% profit increase. Cook highlighted the introduction of Apple Intelligence, which debuted for English-speaking iPhone users in late October. The AI feature has seen strong sales and impacted numbers positively, including in China.

Investors have closely monitored Apple’s progress in AI, which has been slower compared to competitors and has garnered a range of reviews. Despite initial anticipation, the technology has been criticized for inaccuracies and glitches.

During the earnings call, Cook assured analysts that AI technology would become mainstream. Apple Intelligence is currently exclusive to new devices in a limited number of countries, and adoption has been gradual. Cook emphasized the transformative nature of the feature once users experience it.

Apple’s earnings report came amidst a challenging week for high-tech stocks in the US. Following the presence of a Chinese AI company’s app on Apple’s App Store, several tech companies experienced declines. Despite initial setbacks, recoveries were observed in subsequent trading days.

Apple seems to be shielded from the recent stock market turbulence, with its stock rising earlier in the week. Analysts believe Apple’s focus on integrating AI into its products enables cost efficiency compared to developing cutting-edge models.

Despite initial struggles in 2025, Apple’s stock had dropped by about 8% in the first three weeks of the year, primarily due to concerns about declining smartphone sales in China.

Apple Intelligence had faced glitches and generated inaccurate push notifications. In response to feedback, Apple ceased the feature earlier this month. A recent iOS update now explicitly states when notifications are AI-generated.

UK welfare system AI prototype criticized for its “misguided launch,” say officials

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

According to the Guardian, ministers have halted or abandoned at least six artificial intelligence prototypes for welfare systems, indicating that Prime Minister Kia Starmer’s efforts to improve government efficiency are facing challenges.

It has been revealed that these AI prototypes were not advanced to enhance staff training, improve job center services, expedite disability benefits payments, and update communication systems. Officials acknowledge the importance of “thorough testing” to ensure the expandability and reliability of the AI system.

While two of the discarded prototypes were highlighted as successful tests in the latest annual report by the Department of Labor Pensions (DWP), A-Cubed aimed to assist staff in guiding job seekers and Igents to expedite disability benefits for millions of people.

The Prime Minister emphasized the role of AI in transforming public services and urged ministers to prioritize the introduction and growth of AI in each ministry and agency. However, Ada Loveless’s Associate Director, Imougen Parker, highlighted the importance of learning from failures and ensuring that the reality of AI aligns with rhetoric.

The use of AI in welfare systems by DWP has not been disclosed in the government’s algorithm transparency registry, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in the use of AI technology.

While officials have acknowledged that AI technology may play a role in future system developments, they stress the importance of thorough testing before implementation. This indicates the challenges faced by the Labour Party in their efforts to revolutionize public services through AI.

Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, announced plans to utilize AI for transforming public services and improving economic productivity. Director Laura Gilbert highlighted the importance of learning from failures and continuing to explore new opportunities for impact.

The DWP officials emphasized the importance of scalability and reliability in AI products and acknowledged the need for thorough testing before implementing AI systems. However, concerns remain about transparency and the potential impact of AI on inequality and fairness in the welfare field.

The government spokesperson highlighted the short-term nature of concept demonstration projects and the importance of learning from these projects to inform future implementations. The government aims to follow a “Scan, Pilot, Scale” approach outlined in the AI opportunity action plan to harness the full potential of AI in transforming public services.

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket successfully achieves orbit during debut launch

Posted on January 16, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

new glen explodes

blue origin

Blue Origin's reusable New Glenn rocket successfully launched and reached orbit, but engineers were unable to safely land the first stage rocket booster on Earth as they had hoped. There wasn't. Still, the company's first launch into orbit shows that Jeff Bezos' space company can challenge Elon Musk's SpaceX's current dominance in the commercial space launch business.

“We are extremely proud that New Glenn reached orbit on its first attempt,” said Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp. in a statement.

New Glenn, as tall as a 30-story building, launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida around 2 a.m. local time (7 a.m. Japan time). The rocket has experienced numerous delays and setbacks, with its last launch being canceled due to unwanted ice forming in some of the rocket engine pipes.

About 13 minutes after liftoff, the rocket's second stage reached orbit. This has been Blue Origin's goal since its founding more than 20 years ago. It carried a test payload called the Blue Ring Pathfinder, which included communications equipment, power systems, and a flight computer.

Another goal of this mission was to land the rocket booster on a floating landing platform in the Atlantic Ocean so it could be reused on future missions to reduce overall costs. However, engineers stopped receiving data from the booster shortly after launch. “We knew it was an ambitious goal to land the booster on the first try. We learned a lot from today and plan to try again at our next launch this spring,” Limp said.

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