OpenAI Moves to Retain Original Mission While Adopting Public Benefit Model OpenAI has announced that its non-profit board will continue to oversee its artificial intelligence ventures, including ChatGPT. This decision reverses earlier efforts to give more independence to its for-profit operations. The change follows extensive discussions with civic leaders and the attorneys general of California and Delaware. CEO Sam Altman shared the update in a letter to employees, confirming that OpenAI’s non-profit foundation will retain control. Altman and Bret Taylor, chair of the board, explained that the decision reflects the company’s commitment to balancing innovation with ethical responsibility. Shift to…
Author: Aditya Lenka
First Reusable Hypersonic Tests Since the X-15 Era The United States has resumed reusable hypersonic flight testing for the first time in over 50 years. This milestone was achieved through test flights of Stratolaunch’s Talon-A2 autonomous drone, which exceeded Mach 5 in both December 2024 and March 2025. These missions were confirmed by the US Department of Defense on 5 May. This achievement marks the first reusable hypersonic test programme since the legendary X-15 project, which concluded in 1968. The X-15, developed in partnership with NASA, the US Air Force, and the Navy, reached speeds of up to Mach 6.7…
ESA Evaluates NASA Budget Changes and Future Cooperation The European Space Agency (ESA) is assessing potential impacts following recent US budget proposals that include significant cuts to NASA’s moon-related programmes. These plans affect key joint projects, including the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion spacecraft, in which ESA plays a vital role. ESA, representing 22 member states, announced it remains open to working with NASA. However, it will carefully examine alternative strategies during a scheduled council meeting in June. The agency said in a statement that it is already in discussions with NASA to understand the broader implications of…
ISRO Demonstrates Satellite ‘Dogfight’ Using Leftover Fuel from SPADEX Mission India has taken a bold step in space manoeuvre technology by conducting a satellite operation that resembled a ‘dogfight’ using leftover fuel. This complex in-orbit test by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was carried out using two satellites from its SPADEX mission, SDX 01 and SDX 02. ISRO Reuses Fuel for Complex Manoeuvre The SPADEX mission was originally designed to test autonomous docking and rendezvous in space. After achieving those goals, ISRO discovered that nearly 50% of the satellites’ fuel remained, thanks to precise launch execution and fuel-efficient operations.…
Microsoft Shuts Down Skype After 21 Years to Focus on Teams Skype, the iconic internet calling service that once transformed global communication, will ring for the last time on Monday, 5 May. Microsoft is retiring the platform to streamline its communication tools and shift its focus to Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Skype Fades as Teams Takes the Lead Microsoft announced the decision in February, saying it would help simplify the company’s product offerings. By retiring Skype, Microsoft aims to consolidate its efforts behind Teams, its all-in-one business communication platform. First launched in 2003, Skype revolutionised how people made calls across borders.…
ITER World’s Strongest Magnet: A Key Step in the Fusion Journey A long-delayed international nuclear fusion project is now assembling the world’s most powerful magnet, marking a crucial milestone. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), based in southern France, is a collaborative effort involving more than 30 countries, including the United States, China, Japan, Russia, and the European Union. The magnet system is central to ITER’s goal of generating clean energy. It is designed to form an invisible cage, known as a magnetic confinement, to contain superheated plasma. This plasma is where fusion occurs, as atomic particles combine under extreme…
UK Startup Advances Electric Propulsion for Satellites Magdrive, a UK-based startup, is pioneering a new era in spacecraft propulsion with its electric, metal-fuelled thrusters. Rogue, designed to enhance satellite manoeuvrability, the lightweight system could significantly change how spacecraft operate in low Earth orbit (LEO). The Rogue thruster weighs only 2.5 kilograms and uses pulsed plasma propulsion powered by solid metal propellant. Energy is stored in onboard supercapacitors, drawing power from a solar array. This allows for efficient thrust generation without relying on traditional liquid fuels. Metal-Fuelled Thrusters Provide Enhanced Manoeuvrability and Longer Missions According to Magdrive CEO and co-founder Mark…
Fossils Reveal Fierce Terrestrial Crocodiles Roamed Caribbean Islands Long after dinosaurs vanished from Earth, mammals rose to dominate. But they were not without rivals. In South America, ancient land-dwelling crocodiles known as sebecids emerged as apex predators. New fossil evidence suggests these powerful predators survived far longer than once believed—thanks to the Caribbean islands acting as a final refuge. A Predator from a Forgotten Age Scientists have discovered sebecid fossils in the Dominican Republic dating back 5 to 7 million years. This is significantly more recent than previously known sebecid remains, which were last recorded in Colombia around 10.5 to…
Shenzhou-19 Astronauts Transfer Space Experiment Samples for Scientific Study Samples from space experiments, brought back to Earth by the Shenzhou-19 mission, have now been handed over to scientists in Beijing. These materials are set to play a key role in advancing research in several scientific fields. Largest Batch of Biological Samples Returned by Shenzhou-19 The Shenzhou-19 spacecraft landed safely on Wednesday, returning from a six-month mission with a total of 37.25 kilograms of samples. The mission carried out 25 experiments in areas such as space life science, materials science, and emerging technologies. Out of these, 20 samples came from biological…
New Unit Reflects Rising Strategic Role of Space in New Zealand The New Zealand Air Force will establish a dedicated space squadron to support space-based defence and global security efforts, a senior official confirmed on Wednesday. The move highlights the increasing importance of space in national and international defence strategies. Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb, Chief of the Air Force, said that although the Air Force already has a team focused on space, formalising it into a squadron underscores its growing role. “Space is now part of our present and will only become more critical in the future,” Webb told Reuters.…