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A SpaceX shipment of ants, avocados, and a human-sized robotic arm rocketed toward the International Space Station on Sunday.

The delivery — due to arrive Monday — is the company’s 23rd for NASA in just under a decade.

A recycled Falcon rocket blasted into the predawn sky from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. After hoisting the Dragon capsule, the first-stage booster landed upright on SpaceX’s newest ocean platform, named “A Shortfall of Gravitas.” SpaceX founder Elon Musk continued his tradition of naming the booster-recovery vessels in tribute to the late science fiction writer Iain Banks and his Culture series.

The Dragon is carrying more than 4,800 pounds (2,170 kilograms) of supplies and experiments, and fresh food including avocados, lemons and even ice cream for the space station’s seven astronauts.

The Girl Scouts are sending up ants, brine shrimp, and plants as test subjects, while University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists are flying up seeds from mouse-ear cress, a small flowering weed used in genetic research. Samples of concrete, solar cells, and other materials also will be subjected to weightlessness.

A Japanese start-up company’s experimental robotic arm, meanwhile, will attempt to screw items together in its orbital debut and perform other mundane chores normally done by astronauts. The first tests will be done inside the space station. Future models of Gitai’s robot will venture out into the vacuum of space to practice satellite and other repair jobs, said chief technology officer Toyotaka Kozuki.

As early as 2025, a squad of these arms could help build lunar bases and mine the moon for precious resources, he added.

SpaceX had to leave some experiments behind because of delays resulting from COVID-19.

It was the second launch attempt; Saturday’s try was foiled by stormy weather.

NASA turned to SpaceX and other US companies to deliver cargo and crews to the space station, once the space shuttle programme ended in 2011.

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ISRO Successfully Tests SE2000 Engine for Next-Gen LVM3 Rocket Upgrade

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June 3, 2025

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ISRO Successfully Tests SE2000 Engine for Next-Gen LVM3 Rocket Upgrade

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully carried out the third hot test of its semi-cryogenic engine Power Head Test Article (PHTA) on 28 May 2025 at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri. The test is part of a series of performance evaluations aimed at validating key subsystems of the 2000 kN-class SE2000 engine that will eventually power the SC120 propulsion stage intended to replace the existing L110 liquid core stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle. ISRO began this series of performance evaluations in March 2025, focusing on critical components such as low- and high-pressure turbo-pumps, the pre-burner, the start-up system, and various control mechanisms.

The three-phased trials

According to the official ISRO press release, the PHTA has undergone two hot tests earlier, which included all systems except the thrust chamber. The first test on 28.03.2025 demonstrated the smooth ignition & bootstrap operation over a short duration of 2.5 seconds. The second hot test on 24.04.2025 demonstrated the start transient build-up and tested the start-up sequence by carrying out a hot-firing for a duration of 3.5 seconds. The third test was carried out for a duration of 3 seconds to fine-tune further & finalize the start-up sequence.

The SE2000 employs an oxidizer-rich staged combustion cycle using liquid oxygen and kerosene. It is able to deliver a chamber pressure of 180 bar and a specific impulse of 335 seconds—an upgrade over the L110 stage’s hydrazine-based propulsion.

Future Integration and Impact on Indian Launch Capability

With the subsystem validations complete, ISRO will now begin integrated engine-level trials, moving toward full operational readiness. The SC120 stage powered by SE2000 is expected to increase LVM3’s payload capacity from 4 to 5 tonnes to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) and from 8 to 10 tonnes to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

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Japan’s Resilience Lander to Touch Down on the Moon on June 5

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June 3, 2025

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Japan’s Resilience Lander to Touch Down on the Moon on June 5

After spending months in space, Japan’s Ispace is on the verge of touchdown on the surface of the Moon on June 5, 2025. Ispace’s resilience lunar lander will land in Mare Frigoris ( Sea of Cold), in the moon’s northern hemisphere, on this Thursday. This is the completion of Mission 2 in the company’s ambitious SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon program after the journey of one million kilometres in deep space. It was launched on January 15, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It completed its long journey with a low-energy transfer orbit.

About Resilience Lander

Resilience is a private space sector of Japan‘ Ispace. It measures 2.3 meters in length and 340 kilograms in weight, carrying a water electrolyser experiment, a deep space radiation monitor and an algae-based food production module. Further, it has a micro rover for in situ resource use demos, highlighting the goal of ispace of allowing sustainable lunar exploration and other commercial activities.

A Bigger Milestone for Japan

The previous lunar lander of ispace launched in 2023 failed, and this is the second lunar lander. If Resilience succeeds on June 5, it will deploy the small rover known as Tenacious and also operate scientific instruments on the surface of lunar. The success is going to be huge if it lands safely, as Japan had just one landing on its books till date, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s SLIM spacecraft landed last year.

Resilience Enters Lunar Orbit After Fuel-Efficient Journey

Resilience took a longer route to the Moon, with a lunar Flyby and other manoeuvres for conserving fuel. Such gravity-assisted moves helped it move into lunar orbit on May 6. A 10-minute engine burn kept the lander in a circular orbit at 100 kilometres altitude.

Engineers Analyse Trajectory Ahead of Landing Attempt

Since its latest manoeuvre, scientists have begun analysing the trajectory of the spacecraft. If adjustments are required, they may perform an orbital trim of the manoeuvre. In the meantime, Resilience caught a photo of the Moon’s surface. It is now orbiting every two hours at 3,600 mph, the lander is preparing for its landing this week.

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Blue-eyed Bavarian toddler buried with sword, silk robe, and piglet

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June 3, 2025

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Blue-eyed Bavarian toddler buried with sword, silk robe, and piglet

A blue-eyed toddler buried 1,350 years ago in southern Germany was laid to rest with extraordinary wealth, including a small sword, silk-trimmed garments, silver jewellery, and even a cooked piglet, according to archaeologists. The child, dubbed the “Ice Prince” for the frozen excavation technique used, was about 18 months old at the time of death and appears to have belonged to a powerful regional family near Mattsies, Bavaria. Genetic analysis showed he had light hair and blue eyes, and anatomical studies suggest he died from an ear infection that developed into a chronic illness.

Aristocratic Bavarian Toddler Buried With Sword, Silk, and Piglet in Roman-Era Villa Tomb

As per a translated statement from Bavarian state archaeologists, the child’s tomb was found within a Roman-era villa that had later been repurposed, possibly reflecting the family’s desire for a high-status burial. The sealed stone chamber was frozen in liquid nitrogen, then excavated as a single block to preserve its immaculate contents. Radiocarbon dating puts the burial between A.D. 670 and 680; enamel isotopes point to the infant having lived and died locally.

Inside the grave, the boy was placed on a fur blanket and dressed in leather and silk — a textile linked to Byzantine trade and exceptional wealth. Silver spurs were found on his shoes, and a small sword hung from an ornate belt. A gold cross was embedded in fabric placed near the body, possibly reflecting early Christian practices, although Bavaria wasn’t fully Christianised until after Charlemagne’s rule.

The burial chamber also held nuts, apples, and a pear, suggesting ceremonial food offerings. What were once thought to be dog bones turned out to be those of a dismembered piglet, potentially cooked as part of burial rites. The inclusion of a bronze basin, comb, bowl, and silver-fitted cup further suggests an elite burial.

Renovations to the Roman villa site after the death of the lad testify to its long-term usage as a family monument. The great preservation and abundance of burial goods reflect the aristocratic origins of the child and provide uncommon understanding of early mediaeval Bavarian society.

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