-
Rocket Report: India’s Vikram-1 nears debut flight; AST to become rocket company?
This Rocket Report round-up covers developments in commercial and reusable rocket programmes across India, Japan and Australia. – Skyroot Aerospace plans Vikram-1’s first orbital launch attempt on 18 July, aiming to carry up to 350kg to low Earth orbit. – A successful flight would mark the first attempt by an Indian commercially developed rocket to…
-
The war on ‘woke science’ comes for space research
A proposed US Office of Management and Budget rule could give political appointees greater control over federal research grants, prompting warnings that it would damage space science. The Planetary Society argues that the changes could weaken peer review, restrict public access to taxpayer-funded findings and make scientists vulnerable to politically motivated funding decisions. The proposal…
-
‘Adversarial clothing’: are garments designed to confuse facial recognition systems about to go mainstream?
As facial recognition technology becomes more widespread across Britain’s public spaces, a growing number of fashion designers are creating “adversarial clothing” – garments featuring specially designed patterns intended to confuse computer vision systems. Brands such as Vollebak, Cap_able and Urban Privacy argue their designs offer both a degree of protection from surveillance and a visible…
-
Green-light for next steps on Doncaster Sheffield Airport Airspace Change Proposal – Business Doncaster
Business Doncaster has announced that the Doncaster Sheffield Airport Airspace Change Proposal has been given approval to proceed to its next stage. The decision matters because changes to controlled airspace could support the airport’s future operations and potential reopening, while also affecting airlines, nearby communities and other airspace users. The supplied article text contains only…
-
SpaceX scrubs Starship launch after some of its engines didn’t start
SpaceX called off Thursday’s planned test flight of its Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster at Starbase, Texas, after the countdown’s automated systems detected that some of the booster’s Raptor engines failed to ignite. The abort triggered automatically as the countdown reached zero, forcing engineers to drain the rocket’s propellant before any launch could take…
-
SpaceX suddenly aborts second Starship V3 launch after ignition
The company didn’t immediately say what went wrong. SpaceX’s stock plunged more than 4% in after-hours trading before paring losses.
-
Control a human proxy on an abandoned spaceship by typing in every command or risk losing your job in Remote Control
Remote Control is an upcoming game in which players type every command to direct a human proxy through the abandoned spaceship The Pelican. Its unusual control scheme makes exploration deliberately tactile and potentially tense, as players must manage hazards, illness and the risk of losing their final available proxy—and their job with the mysterious company.…
-
EXCLUSIVE: Hawley expands USPS probe with blistering letter accusing chief of dodging Congress
Senator Josh Hawley has expanded his oversight investigation into the US Postal Service, accusing Postmaster General David Steiner of failing to respond adequately to Congress. The dispute matters because it concerns the postal service’s accountability to elected lawmakers and its management of potential operational changes. In a strongly worded letter, the Missouri Republican demanded records…
-
Time and Money well spent: This retro-styled Pink Floyd x We Are Rewind cassette player lights up The Dark Side Of The Moon
We Are Rewind has partnered with Pink Floyd on a limited-edition retro cassette player inspired by The Dark Side Of The Moon. The release reflects continuing interest in cassette culture and ties a modern portable player to one of rock’s most recognisable albums. The WE-001 player is supplied in a box set with an exclusive,…
-
Wildfire so big it could be seen from space rages across northern Scotland, with four-mile long blaze still spreading after 24 hours
A large wildfire was reported to be burning across northern Scotland, with the blaze said to extend for about four miles and still spread more than 24 hours after it began. Its reported visibility from space underlines the scale of the incident and the potential threat to nearby land, wildlife and communities. The available article…