Static Fire Test Ends in Fiery Blast at SpaceX Starbase A dramatic explosion rocked the SpaceX Starbase in Texas on Wednesday night during a routine engine test. The incident occurred around 11pm when the Starship 36 rocket was undergoing a static fire test—where engines are ignited while the rocket remains anchored to the launch pad. Shocking video footage captured the moment the rocket’s nose burst open, briefly flooding screens with a white flash. The explosion sent thick, dark smoke billowing into the sky, and nearby residents reported shaking windows and rattling dishes. What Happened at Starbase? Static fire tests are…
Author: Arushi Pandey
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A Major Step by Honda Towards Suborbital Launch Goals Honda has successfully completed a key launch and landing test of its prototype reusable rocket, marking significant progress in its goal to achieve suborbital spaceflight by 2029. The surprise announcement came on Tuesday, following a test conducted by Honda R&D, the carmaker’s research division, in the space-focused town of Taiki in northern Japan. The experimental vehicle reached an altitude of 271 metres before landing safely. Measuring 6.3 metres in length, the rocket was developed as part of Honda’s broader exploration into space technology. While Honda has not confirmed plans to commercialise…
What Is Ordinary Matter and Why It Matters The universe contains two types of matter. One is invisible dark matter, detected only by its gravitational pull. The other is ordinary matter—everything from stars and planets to gas, dust, and even items like biscuits or boats. Surprisingly, ordinary matter makes up just 15% of all matter in the universe. Scientists have known this for years, yet half of it remained missing—until now. A team of researchers has finally tracked it down using fast radio bursts, or FRBs. Discovering the Hidden Ordinary Matter Between Galaxies Fast radio bursts are strong pulses of…
Webb Telescope Captures Young Gas Giants in Early Stages of Planet Formation The James Webb Space Telescope has captured detailed images of two young gas giant planets orbiting a sun-like star. Each planet is in a different stage of development, revealing how complex the process of forming planetary systems can be. Rare Glimpse Into Infant Planets These two massive planets were observed in a star system located about 310 light years away in the Milky Way, near the constellation Musca. Both are larger than Jupiter and orbit a young star named YSES-1, which is only 16 million years old. In…
Paris Airshow to Spotlight Big Aircraft Deals Amid Global Aviation Uncertainty Aerospace giants will aim to project stability and progress at the upcoming Paris Airshow, even as tariffs, ongoing conflicts, and fragile supply chains continue to challenge the global aviation and defence industries. Major Orders and New Technology Set to Take Centre Stage The world’s largest aviation trade show will run from 16 to 20 June at Le Bourget, providing a global platform for showcasing advanced technologies like AI and autonomy. It’s also a key venue for announcing headline aircraft orders. Airbus is expected to kick off the show on…
Tesla to Launch Public Robotaxi Rides in Austin Starting June 22 Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the company plans to begin offering public rides in its self-driving robotaxi starting 22 June 2025. The initial rollout will take place in Austin, Texas, marking a key milestone in Musk’s long-promised vision for autonomous vehicle (AV) services. Safety and Cautious Launch In a post on X, Musk stated that the launch date is tentative and subject to change, citing heightened safety precautions. “We are being super paranoid about safety, so the date could shift,” he said. The robotaxi service is set to…
Falcon 9 Launch Postponed Again Due to Technical Glitch and Weather Concerns The launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has been delayed once more, marking the fourth postponement of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The delay comes as SpaceX works to fix a technical issue and as weather conditions remain unstable at the launch site. LOX Leak Forces Another Delay SpaceX announced on X that the launch, originally scheduled for 11 June 2025, has been stood down. The reason cited was a Liquid Oxygen (LOX) leak discovered during post-static fire booster checks. “Standing down from…
South Korea Nears $6 Billion K2 Tank Deal with Poland South Korea is on the verge of finalising a $6 billion defence contract with Poland for the supply of 180 K2 tanks, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday. Production to Be Shared Between South Korea and Poland Under the expected agreement, South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem will manufacture 117 of the tanks. The remaining units will be produced in Poland by the state-owned Polish Armaments Group. The production partnership reflects a growing defence relationship between the two countries. While Hyundai Rotem has not commented on the report,…
Getty Images vs Stability AI: Landmark Copyright Case Begins in UK A landmark copyright case between Getty Images and artificial intelligence firm Stability AI has opened at London’s High Court. The outcome could shape how UK copyright law applies to AI in the years ahead. Getty Accuses Stability AI of Copyright Infringement Getty Images alleges that Stability AI, the company behind the image-generating tool Stable Diffusion, illegally used its copyrighted images. Getty claims Stability AI scraped millions of its photos to train Stable Diffusion, without permission or compensation. Getty, a major player in the editorial and creative stock content industry,…
“Encounters in the Milky Way” Brings Galactic Motion to Life at Hayden Planetarium The American Museum of Natural History is set to unveil its latest planetarium show, “Encounters in the Milky Way,” on 9 June at the Hayden Planetarium. The production offers an immersive look at the journey of our solar system through the galaxy. Using advanced scientific data and vivid visualisations, the show highlights how these cosmic movements continue to shape our place in space. At the heart of the presentation is a breakthrough discovery. While creating visuals for the show, researchers identified a previously unseen spiral structure within…