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Webb telescope uncovers merger of two massive black holes from early universe
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TechCrunchSpaceX sent Starship to orbit — the next launch will try to bring it back
SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket could take to the skies for the fourth time on June 5, with the primary objective of evaluating the second stage’s reusable heat shield as the vehicle tries to safely reenter the atmosphere for the first time. CEO Elon Musk said on his social media platform X that "There are many tough issues to solve with this vehicle, but the biggest remaining problem is making a reusable orbital return heat shield, which has never been done before." One of the biggest issues, Musk suggested, is the vulnerability of the system overall: “we are not resilient to loss of a single tile in most places,” he said.
- Engadget
NASA’S James Webb Space Telescope has found the most distant galaxy ever observed
NASA’S James Webb Space Telescope has found the most distant and oldest known galaxy. The “bright, massive and large” star system reportedly formed just 290 million years after the big bang.
- Engadget
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft may finally take its first crewed flight next week
Boeing's Starliner crew capsule is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex-41 in Florida on Monday, May 6. The launch window opens at 10:34PM ET. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be on board.
- TechCrunch
Boeing, NASA indefinitely delay crewed Starliner launch
If you've been looking forward to seeing Boeing’s Starliner capsule carry two astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time, you'll have to wait a bit longer. The mission, which has already been beset by issues with both the rocket and helium tanks, is now delayed indefinitely, NASA said in a statement late Tuesday. There is little else to go on at the moment other than that statement, so it’s unclear whether the helium leak issue in the spacecraft’s propulsion system — which was identified a few days before the CST-100 Starliner was due to launch on May 17 — is the sole cause for the ongoing delay.
- Engadget
How to watch NASA's first Boeing Starliner crewed flight launch today (scrubbed)
The Boeing Starliner should finally conduct a crewed flight to the ISS today after years of delays.
- TechCrunch
Boeing Starliner's first crewed mission scrubbed
Boeing's Starliner launch tonight has been postponed "out of an abundance of caution" scarcely two hours before the historic liftoff. After years of delays and over $1 billion in cost overruns, the mission is set to be Boeing's first attempt to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. Once the issue is resolved with the upper stage, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V will carry the CST-100 Starliner capsule to orbit along with the two onboard astronauts — Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams — from Florida’s Cape Canaveral at 10:34 p.m. local time Monday evening.
- TechCrunch
Blue Origin to resume crewed New Shepard launches on May 19
Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket will take a crew to suborbital space for the first time in nearly two years later this month, the company announced on Tuesday. The NS-25 mission will launch from Blue’s launch site in West Texas on May 19. The launch window opens at 8:30 a.m. The six-person crew includes Ed Dwight, the first Black astronaut candidate (but for whom this would be the first visit to space), along with investor Mason Angel, who founded the space- and defense-focused Industrious Ventures.
- Yahoo Finance
What Boeing's delayed rocket launch means for the company, according to Intuitive Machines CEO
The delay of Boeing's Starliner launch, which was supposed to take two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, marked the latest setback for a company already grappling with quality control and safety issues in its aviation business.
- TechCrunch
ESA prepares for the post-ISS era, selects The Exploration Company, Thales Alenia to develop cargo spacecraft
The European Space Agency selected two companies on Wednesday to advance designs of a cargo spacecraft that could establish the continent’s first sovereign access to space. The two awardees, major aerospace prime Thales Alenia Space and French startup The Exploration Company, will receive €25 million ($27 million) each to advance concepts for vehicles that can transport cargo to and from stations in low Earth orbit. The aim is to have at least one capsule conducting a demonstration flight to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2028 and to have a cargo transportation service online by the end of the decade.
- TechCrunch
Astronauts fall over. Robotic limbs can help them back up.
Astronauts are no exception. You need to be in peak physical condition for space travel, but bulky space suits and lower gravity levels can be a recipe for disaster, causing them to trip over themselves. Engineers at MIT have developed an exoskeleton designed to help give astronauts more support and help right themselves after stumbling in the moon’s low gravity.
- TechCrunch
TechCrunch Space: Star(side)liner
For those who haven't heard, the first crewed launch of Boeing's Starliner capsule has been pushed back yet again to no earlier than May 25. From NASA: "The additional time allows teams to further assess a small helium leak in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft’s service module traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster." Scheduling note: TechCrunch Space will be off on May 27 in observance of Memorial Day.
- Engadget
Starliner’s first crew mission will now launch on June 1... maybe
NASA announced last night that the Starliner team is now targeting a June 1 launch as engineers continue to assess the vehicle in the wake of discovering a helium leak from the propulsion system earlier this month.
- Yahoo Life
Are milk and ground beef safe from bird flu? What the latest testing tells us.
U.S. scientists have tested everything from milk to sour cream and ground beef for bird flu amid an outbreak among dairy cattle.
- TechCrunch
Hubble Network makes Bluetooth connection with a satellite for the first time
Hubble Network has become the first company in history to establish a Bluetooth connection directly to a satellite — a critical technology validation for the company, potentially opening the door to connecting millions more devices anywhere in the world. The Seattle-based startup launched its first two satellites to orbit on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 rideshare mission in March; since that time, the company confirmed that it has received signals from the onboard 3.5mm Bluetooth chips from over 600 kilometers away. Haro said the low-hanging fruit is those industries that are desperate for network coverage even once per day, like remote asset monitoring for the oil and gas industry.
- TechCrunch
Women in AI: Arati Prabhakar thinks it's crucial to get AI 'right'
To give AI-focused women academics and others their well-deserved — and overdue — time in the spotlight, TechCrunch has been publishing a series of interviews focused on remarkable women who’ve contributed to the AI revolution. Arati Prabhakar is director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the science adviser to President Joe Biden. Previously, she served as director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) — the first woman to hold the position — and director of DARPA, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
- TechCrunch
Women in AI: Chinasa T. Okolo researches AI's impact on the Global South
To give AI-focused women academics and others their well-deserved — and overdue — time in the spotlight, TechCrunch has been publishing a series of interviews focused on remarkable women who’ve contributed to the AI revolution. Chinasa T. Okolo is a fellow at the Brookings Institution in the Center of Technology Innovation's Governance Studies program. Before that, she served on the ethics and social impact committee that helped develop Nigeria's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and has served as an AI policy and ethics adviser for various organizations, including the African Union Development Agency and the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute.
- TechCrunch
LatAm startups: Apply to Startup Battlefield 200
Startup Battlefield 200 (SB 200) is the leading global startup competition showcasing 200 of the most promising, impactful early-stage startups. TechCrunch vets all applicants and handpicks the participants.
- Yahoo Sports
Chiefs' Harrison Butker may be removed from kickoffs due to new NFL rules
Kansas City Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub said kicker Harrison Butker may be removed from kickoffs. But not because of Butker's recent controversial remarks.
- Yahoo Sports
Gable Steveson, Olympic gold medal winner and NCAA champion wrestler, signs with Bills
Olympic gold medal and two-time NCAA champion wrestler Gable Steveson has signed with the Buffalo Bills. He'll attempt to make the team as a defensive tackle.
- Yahoo Finance
Warren Buffett's son Howard Buffett on his life as the potential next chairman of Berkshire Hathaway
Howard Buffett talks about life at Berkshire Hathaway and why he is donating hundreds of millions of dollars to Ukraine.