World's Largest Plane Drops a Hypersonic Aircraft
Stratolaunch flew its Talon-A hypersonic vehicle for the first time after dropping it out of the belly of Roc, an utterly massive aircraft with a 385-foot wingspan. Meanwhile, SpaceX flew its Starship for the third time in a test that pushed the limits of the megarocket. Catch up on these and other top science stories from this week. - Rose Pastore
Massive Pallet of Old Batteries Re-Enters Earth’s Atmosphere, Marking Heaviest ISS Trash Return Yet
On Friday, March 8, a pallet of used batteries from the International Space Station (ISS) reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the Gulf of Mexico following an unpredictable journey through orbit. - Passant Rabie Read More
Watch as World’s Largest Plane Releases Hypersonic Vehicle for Its First Powered Test Flight
California startup Stratolaunch completed the first powered flight of its Talon-A hypersonic vehicle as it works to develop a reusable version that’s capable of carrying science payloads and flying them at five times the speed of sound. - Passant Rabie Read More
NASA’s Voyager 1 Spacecraft Briefly Reconnects, Keeping Hope Alive for the Historic Mission
The Voyager 1 spacecraft sent a new signal that contains valuable data, which may save the aging probe. Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are currently looking for discrepancies in the message in order to find out why the spacecraft—the farthest piece of human technology from Earth—has been speaking gibberish for the past few months. - Passant Rabie Read More
See the Captivating Winners of the British Wildlife Photography Awards Contest
Each year, photographers across Britain—and, unknowingly, Britain’s wildlife— vie for the attention of the British Wildlife Photography Awards, a competition celebrating the Britain’s biodiversity. Only a handful of the 14,000-odd photos could be selected as honorees, with the grand prize winner taking home over $6,000. - Isaac Schultz Read More
Everything We Noticed During Starship’s Remarkable Third Test Flight
Starship flew faster and longer than ever before on Thursday, but with both stages lost during the mission, there’s clearly much more progress to be made. Here’s our detailed breakdown of Integrated Flight Test 3 and what happens next. - George Dvorsky Read More
A Florida Man’s Migraines Turned Out to Be Literal Brainworms
A Florida man’s agonizing migraines turned out to have a terrifying cause: actual brainworms. In a recent case study, his doctors describe how he developed a parasitic infestation of tapeworm eggs in his brain, possibly caught from eating undercooked bacon. Thankfully, the man was successfully treated. - Ed Cara Read More
Study Finds No Strong Evidence for Benefits of Wim Hof Method
New research seems to throw cold water on the Wim Hof method, an endurance training technique that intentionally exposes people to frigid temperatures. The study, a review of the scientific literature, did find some evidence that the method could have anti-inflammatory properties, but did not find strong data supporting any other supposed benefits, such as better exercise performance. - Ed Cara Read More
