Here’s why Richard Branson’s flight matters—and, yes, it really matters
“I absolutely believe this is that moment." Enlarge / Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson, with Sirisha Bandla on his shoulders, cheers with crew members after flying into space aboard VSS Unity. (credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Gett.....»»
Crew Dragon is about to fly with empty seats for the first time. Here’s why
NASA and SpaceX are making final preparations for the Crew-9 astronaut flight to the ISS next week, but two of the four seats will be empty......»»
Researchers find golden eagles improve their flight skills with age
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany, in collaboration with the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Switzerland and the University of Vienna in Austria, investigated how young golden eagles improve their flight skills a.....»»
The UK and Ireland"s climate was tropical 26 million years ago—here"s why that matters now
Millions of years ago, the climate was much warmer and wetter than today. But exactly how much warmer and wetter?.....»»
SpaceX’s next Starship flight delayed by months
SpaceX had been expecting to launch the Starship rocket for the fifth time around now but the FAA says it needs more time before it can grant a launch license......»»
Polaris Dawn project aims to prevent bone loss in space
Dartmouth researchers have a project aboard the Polaris Dawn mission they hope will help address two major health risks of space flight—the breakdown of astronauts' bones in zero-gravity conditions and the resulting danger of developing kidney ston.....»»
NASA scientific balloon takes flight with student-built payloads
NASA's Scientific Balloon Program's fifth balloon mission of the 2024 fall campaign took flight Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, from the agency's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The HASP 1.0 (High-Altitude Student Platform).....»»
Pay-by-weight airfares are an ethical minefield; we asked travelers what they actually think
Imagine checking in for a flight with your two teenage children. At the counter, you are told that your youngest teenager's suitcase is two kilograms over the limit. You get slapped with a $75 penalty for their excess luggage......»»
Every choice matters in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
reminds me a little bit of Dungeons & Dragons. You can play the protagonist any way you want, but the choices you make have consequences — not just for the ending but throughout the campaign. Warhorse Studios’ next installment of the seri.....»»
The ozone hole above Antarctica will keep opening up each spring for decades to come: Why that still matters
At this time of year, as the sun rises over Antarctica, a "hole" opens up in Earth's ozone layer......»»
Rocket Report: Falcon 9 lifts its 7,000th Starlink; ABL cuts deep
"Branson was determined to be the first billionaire in space." Enlarge / The second stage of the New Glenn rocket rolls to the launch pad on Tuesday. (credit: Blue Origin) Welcome to Edition 7.10 of the Rocket Report! It.....»»
"Some pterosaurs would flap, others would soar"—new study confirms flight capability of these giants of the skies
Some species of pterosaurs flew by flapping their wings while others soared like vultures, demonstrates a new study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology......»»
NASA Earth scientists take flight, set sail to verify PACE satellite data
From sea to sky to orbit, a range of vantage points allow NASA Earth scientists to collect different types of data to better understand our changing planet. Collecting them together, at the same place and the same time, is an important step used to v.....»»
The Vega rocket never found its commercial niche. After tonight, it’s gone.
The larger Vega-C will take over, primarily to launch European government satellites. Enlarge / The final Vega rocket on its launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana. (credit: European Space Agency) The final flight of Europe.....»»
New features aren’t driving iPhone sales, here’s what is
Ahead of the iPhone 16 event next week, CIRP is out with a new report to answer the question, “what compels new iPhone purchases?” Interestingly, only 18% of respondents said new features were a reason to buy a new iPhone, here’s what matters m.....»»
Relativity Space has gone from printing money and rockets to doing what, exactly?
"I would rather make that decision than pathologically hold on to something." Enlarge / The Terran 1 rocket made its only flight (a beautiful one) in March 2023. (credit: Relativity Space/John Kraus) A splashy California.....»»
Going down: A drop in rankings matters more than a rise for organizations, study finds
People love rankings—but do they really mean all that much? Sometimes they do, depending on several factors, according to Wyatt Lee, assistant professor in the Nolan School of Hotel Administration, in the SC Johnson College of Business......»»
The New Glenn rocket’s second stage set to roll to the launch pad on Monday
The large rocket will attempt to land on its debut flight. Enlarge / Image of the New Glenn second stage on its mobile test stand. (credit: Blue Origin) Blue Origin plans to enter the final phase of its launch preparati.....»»
Boeing will try to fly its troubled Starliner capsule back to Earth next week
The two astronauts who launched on Starliner will stay behind on the International Space Station. Enlarge / Boeing's Starliner spacecraft undocks from the International Space Station at the conclusion of an unpiloted test flight.....»»
NASA cuts 2 from next SpaceX flight to make room for astronauts stuck at space station
NASA on Friday cut two astronauts from the next crew to make room on the return trip for the two stuck at the International Space Station......»»
Texas judge decides Texas is a perfectly good venue for X to sue Media Matters
Judge says Musk critic "targeted" advertisers in Texas, denies motion to dismiss. Enlarge / Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks at Tesla's "Cyber Rodeo" on April 7, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (credit: Getty Images | AFP/Suzanne Cordeiro).....»»