Latest news with #NASA
NZ Herald
37 minutes ago
- Science
- NZ Herald
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing
Kiwi PhD students heading to US for world-leading space scholarships Three Victoria University of Wellington students are off to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California this week where experts work on NASA missions. Video / NZ Herald
Digital Trends
38 minutes ago
- Science
- Digital Trends
These 6 rocket explosions show how SpaceX likes to roll
The upper-stage of SpaceX's next-generation Starship rocket exploded in a massive fireball at its Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas, on Wednesday night. No one was hurt in the incident. The vehicle was being prepared for the 10th flight test of the most powerful rocket in the world, which also includes the first-stage Super Heavy booster. Recommended Videos The dramatic explosion highlights SpaceX's bold, iterative approach to rocket testing that views anomalies as a learning opportunity rather than an outright failure. Instead of relying solely on simulations or lengthy design reviews, the spaceflight company — founded by Elon Musk in 2002 — prefers to rapidly build and test rocket parts, using gathered data to refine future designs. The approach means that spectacular events like the one involving the Starship on Wednesday are to be expected. SpaceX's controversial approach is designed to accelerate development by uncovering complex issues early on. It's important to note that almost all of the tests are uncrewed and designed to minimize risk while maximizing insight to push a project forward. In stark contrast, NASA prioritizes safety and reliability, while also considering potential political challenges, especially after past disasters like those involving the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia. The different approach means that NASA's development cycles are slower and more cautious, with strict oversight and procurement rules that make rapid iteration difficult. Unlike SpaceX, the U.S. space agency doesn't aim to move fast or mass-produce rockets, instead focusing on things like long-term research and human safety. Critics have argued that SpaceX's so-called 'fail fast, learn faster' approach poses risks to both safety and the environment, especially when testing near populated areas or delicate ecosystems. Some worry that moving so fast could also put workers at risk and make it harder for regulators to ensure safety. Whether you like its approach or not, SpaceX seems intent on continuing as usual, learning what it can when it all goes wrong. Below are six videos demonstrating just how SpaceX likes to roll … Starship, 2025 First up, the spectacular explosion that destroyed a Starship rocket on June 18, 2025. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described the incident as 'just a scratch.' Falcon 9, 2016 The Falcon 9 rocket is now SpaceX's workhorse vehicle, carrying out almost all of its missions to orbit, including crewed flights to and from the International Space Station. But it wasn't always so reliable. This incident happened during a routine static-fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket, which was preparing to launch a communications satellite. Starship, 2021 In high-altitude testing of the upper-stage Starship spacecraft, the vehicle reached an altitude of about 6.2 miles (10 km). But after successfully performing several planned maneuvers during its six-minute entirely solo flight, the vehicle didn't slow down enough and failed to achieve the correct orientation for landing. Falcon 9, 2015 This Falcon 9 rocket exploded about two minutes after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, destroying a Dragon cargo ship bound for the space station. The failure was put down to a faulty steel strut in the liquid oxygen tank that broke under stress, causing a helium vessel to break free and rupture the tank. Starship, 2023 During the Starship's first-ever integrated flight test in April 2023, the rocket experienced multiple engine failures and ultimately lost control, leading to its intentional destruction before reaching orbit. Prior to launch, Musk had tempered expectations by saying the 120-meter-tall rocket only had a 50% chance of reaching orbit. Falcon 9, 2015 A key part of SpaceX's spaceflight system is the ability to reuse rockets, which means landing them back on Earth after carrying a crew or payload to orbit. While it's now perfected the maneuver with the Falcon 9's first-stage booster, there were a lot of failures in the early days. Here's one of them. A compilation of SpaceX rocket disasters In 2017, Elon Musk posted a compilation video showing numerous SpaceX rocket disasters as its engineers continued to develop the technology.
See - Sada Elbalad
44 minutes ago
- Science
- See - Sada Elbalad
SpaceX Starship Explodes on Test Stand in Texas
Taarek Refaat An uncrewed prototype of SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded on the launch pad at the company's Starbase facility in Texas during pre-flight preparations late Wednesday, dealing another setback to Elon Musk's ambitions of interplanetary travel. A video circulating online shows a massive fireball engulfing the stainless steel rocket as it stood on the test stand, followed by towering plumes of flame and smoke lighting up the night sky. In a statement, SpaceX confirmed that the vehicle suffered a "major anomaly" during preparations for what would have been its 10th test flight. The company said no one was injured and that local residents were not at risk. The cause and full extent of the damage remain unclear, but the incident adds to a growing list of challenges facing the Starship program — a centerpiece of both NASA's Artemis initiative to return astronauts to the Moon and Musk's long-term vision of colonizing Mars. Just last month, a Starship test vehicle broke apart mid-flight after losing control due to a fuel leak — the third consecutive failure in the current phase of testing. SpaceX has yet to conduct a fully successful orbital mission of the spacecraft. Musk has repeatedly described Starship as a breakthrough platform capable of delivering satellites, cargo, and eventually humans to the Moon and Mars. He has said he plans to launch an uncrewed mission to Mars by 2026, potentially carrying autonomous Tesla-made robots as part of a precursor mission. But the repeated failures raise questions about timelines, funding priorities, and internal decision-making at SpaceX. Industry observers are watching closely to see how Musk will adjust course — both technically and strategically — to restore momentum. 'Starship is a bold engineering challenge, but delays like these signal the immense complexity of scaling up reusable deep-space transport,' said one aerospace analyst. As SpaceX races to meet NASA deadlines and fend off growing competition from rival space programs, the Starship explosion is a stark reminder of the risks inherent in pushing the frontiers of human spaceflight. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean News 3 Killed in Shooting Attack in Thailand
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Elon Musk savages White House aide blamed for sinister move that led to First Buddy's fall out with Trump
Elon Musk continued his feud with the Trump administration on his way out of Washington, referring to the director of presidential personnel as 'a snake.' Sergio Gor, who feuded with Musk during his time as head of DOGE and reportedly killed Musk's preferred nominee for NASA administrator, is accused of not being vetted before taking the job. The media saw it as the man in charge of vetting White House employees not being looked into himself, while Musk saw it in a different way, writing on X Wednesday night: 'He's a snake.' Musk's post remains up which is notable given the Tesla CEO has apologized for going 'too far' in his wild statements regarding Donald Trump during their falling out. When reached out to the White House, they defended Gor's credentials and a White House official noted that he helped Musk get many of his preferred DOGE employees installed in Washington. 'Mr. Gor is fully compliant with all applicable ethical and legal obligations. His security clearance is active, any insinuation he doesn't maintain a clearance is false.' said White House Counsel David Warrington. Nonetheless, several prominent officials defended Gor's work in the second Trump administration. JD Vance added: 'Sergio has led the effort to ensure committed, principled America First advocates staff the President's government. He's done a great job, and will continue to do so.' 'Sergio is a vital member of the team and he has helped President Trump put together an Administration that is second to none,' White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said. 'As a long-time advisor, there is nobody more capable of ensuring the government is staffed with people who are aligned with the mission to make America great again and work towards implementing the President's agenda.' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called The New York Post's original story 'sad' and 'baseless gossip' and called Gor a 'trusted advisor to President Trump.' Trump's surprise decision to change Musk's preferred pick to lead NASA may have done more to fuel the historic blowup between the two men than previously known. The president canceled his nomination of Jared Isaacman as NASA's administrator after Musk officially left the White House on Friday. Isaacman, a billionaire, pilot and astronaut, was close with Musk and even flew to space with Musk's Dragon program on Operation Polaris Dawn in 2024. But he had a history of donating funds to Democrats, including recent Democratic candidates who ran against GOP senators Tim Sheehy of Montana and Bernie Moreno of Ohio in 2024. Despite his donations, Isaacman was approved by the Senate committee in April and was expected to get confirmed this week in the Senate. But Trump's advisor Gor reportedly delivered Trump a list of Isaacman's donations to Democrats. Gor did not appreciate Musk's involvement in personnel matters, the report noted, as they had a tense relationship. 'This was Sergio's out-the-door 'f**k you' to Musk,' one White House official said. Trump and Musk spoke about Issacson's record prior to their press conference last Friday. Despite their conversation, Trump pulled Issacson's nomination on Saturday. 'After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. Musk responded to the news with disappointment 'It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted,' Musk wrote of Isaacman on X. The president mused Thursday that Musk's personal attacks might have been trigged by his decision. 'I know that disturbed him He wanted and rightfully recommended somebody that I guess he knew very well. I'm sure he respected him, to run NASA. But I didn't think it was appropriate. He happened to be a Democrat, like totally Democrat,' Trump said, adding that the administration had the right to nominate a Republican to the position. As the person in charge at the White House personnel office, Gor is a powerful aide that is rarely crossed as he influences who is allowed to work in the administration. Gor, a long-time loyal Deputy Chief of staff to Sen. Rand Paul, left in 2019 to serve as Chief of Staff to Trump Victory Finance Committee. He also is a close associate of Donald Trump Jr. and and officiated Rep. Matt Gaetz's wedding in August 2021. Gor also co-founded Trump Jr.'s publishing company and founded a pro-Trump super PAC in the 2024 election, spending nearly $72 million.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
When is the first day of summer 2025? What to know about the longest day of the year 2025
While scorching temperatures have made it feel like summer, the official start of the season is set to begin. The first day of summer is Friday, June 20, as marked by the summer solstice, or the longest day of the year. "The Northern Hemisphere's tilt toward the Sun is greatest on this day," according to NASA. "This means the Sun travels its longest, highest arc across the sky all year for those north of the equator." During the summer solstice, the Earth's tilt brings its northernmost point closer to the sun, resulting in more sunlight. The solstice itself only lasts moments, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Here's what to know about summer 2025. The first day of summer begins at 8:42 p.m. MT/9:42 p.m. CT on Friday, June 20. Summer ends with the autumnal equinox, which takes place on Sunday, September 22. Unlike the summer solstice which is the longest day of the year, the autumnal equinox marks an equal day and night, lasting around 12 hours each, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. The summer solstice marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Meanwhile, the Southern Hemisphere will greet winter with its winter solstice. The date of the summer solstice can fall at any point between June 20 and June 22, depending on the year, according to the NWS. In 2024, the solstice fell on Thursday, June 20. The Almanac predicts a gradual buildup of warm temperatures. June is expected to be near normal in most regions, while July and August will bring above-normal temperatures. Texas and Oklahoma could see temperatures 4°F above normal. The Heartland states (including Kansas and Iowa) will be 4°F above normal, while the Deep South and Desert Southwest will experience significantly warmer conditions. USA Today contributed to this story. Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@ @NatassiaPaloma on Twitter; natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma Thompson on Facebook. More: Things to do in Ruidoso: Where to stay, eat and play to have fun this summer This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: When is the first day of summer? Details on the longest day of 2025
