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NASA is on track to launch a crewed mission around the Moon in November of next year after a successful unmanned test flight, the US space agency said Tuesday.

NASA officials provided an update on the Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the Moon for the first time since the historic Apollo missions ended in 1972.

The first Artemis mission wrapped up in December with an uncrewed Orion capsule returning safely to Earth after a more than 25-day journey around the Moon.

Artemis 2, scheduled to take place in late November 2024, will take a four-person crew around the Moon but without landing on it.

“We’re looking forward to that crew flying on Artemis 2,” NASA associate administrator Jim Free told reporters. “Right now there’s nothing holding us up based on what we learned on Artemis 1.”

NASA is to reveal the members of the Artemis 2 crew later this year. All that is known so far is that one of them will be a Canadian.

Artemis 3, scheduled for about 12 months after Artemis 2, will see astronauts land for the first time on the south pole of the Moon.

“Our plan has always been 12 months, but there are significant developments that have to occur,” Free cautioned.

“We’re still sticking with that 12 months, but we’re always looking at the development of all the hardware that has to come together for that.”

Among the items still in development are a lunar lander being built by SpaceX and spacesuits, Free said.

NASA hopes to establish a lasting human presence on the Moon and later launch a years-long trip to Mars.

As part of the Artemis missions, NASA is planning to send a woman and a person of colour to the Moon for the first time.

Only 12 people — all of them white men — have set foot on the Moon.

During the trip around Earth’s orbiting satellite and back, Orion logged well over a million miles and went farther from Earth than any previous habitable spacecraft.

From smartphones with rollable displays or liquid cooling, to compact AR glasses and handsets that can be repaired easily by their owners, we discuss the best devices we’ve seen at MWC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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SpaceX Launches 26 New Starlink Satellites, Expands Global Internet Network

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June 13, 2025

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SpaceX Launches 26 New Starlink Satellites, Expands Global Internet Network

SpaceX just aced another launch of its Starlink internet satellites. On Thursday night (June 12), the company launched 26 new Starlink spacecraft to join its ever-growing internet megaconstellation in orbit. Flying from Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base, the launch occurred at 9:54 p.m. EDT (6:54 p.m. PDT or 0154 GMT) on June 13. The satellites are planned to be deployed into orbit from the second stage about one hour and one minute after liftoff. This accomplishment brings to more than 7,600 the number of active satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink.

As per SpaceX’s official update for its 15-6 mission, the rocket’s first-stage booster, known as B1081, flew for the 15th time after 14 prior flights. It successfully touched down on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of southern California, yet again. The company’s current record for reflight of Falcon 9 boosters is 28 flights, proving itself at the same time to be the best at orbital launch efficiency.

Thursday’s mission marks the 72nd Falcon 9 launch, with 53 of those dedicated to the Starlink network. The system aims to provide high-speed internet access around the world, and an increasing number of satellites provide direct-to-cell services for texting and a limited data connection on certain kinds of smartphones and through certain carriers.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX continues to add satellites to the Starlink constellation to increase redundancy and coverage, particularly in remote areas. The current constellation has wide coverage of the Earth, allowing small satellite dishes and mobile phones to connect to the internet in real time in dozens of countries.

SpaceX is simultaneously expanding the reach of Starlink and laying the groundwork for next-generation applications like in-flight connectivity and emergency response communications. With more than 7,600 satellites now orbiting Earth and as many as dozens of additional launches on the docket, Starlink is rapidly redefining how global internet coverage can work in the modern era.

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Aurora Alert! Northern Lights May Be Visible as Far South as New York on June 14

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June 13, 2025

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Aurora Alert! Northern Lights May Be Visible as Far South as New York on June 14

A rare display in the night sky could be visible to skywatchers in the U.S., as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a geomagnetic storm watch for the night of June 14. The moderate G2-level event, fuelled by disturbances in solar wind, might produce auroras visible as far south as New York and Idaho, providing a spectacular light show far beyond the usual polar zones. While it’s welcome news for aurora enthusiasts, experts caution that extended daylight hours due to the approaching summer solstice could limit ideal viewing windows.

Coronal Hole Sparks Geomagnetic Storm; Auroras May Glow as Far South as New York June 14

As per the statement from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC), this increase in geomagnetic activity is associated to a greater degree with a co-rotating interaction region (CIR), a turbulent region where high-speed streams of solar wind collide with slower-moving wind. While these CIRs may not be as dramatic as CMEs, they can still lead to shock waves that rattle the Earth’s magnetic field. The latest CIR was formed around a large coronal hole – a particularly dark region in the Sun’s outermost atmosphere – that is currently facing Earth and spewing high-speed solar wind directly into space.

Coronal holes are allowed to expand and develop into space weather due to reduced density and lower temperature solar wind pressing outward. Forecasts suggest a Kp index of 5.67 on 14 June, so there is another chance for auroras at lower latitudes.

To catch the northern lights, search for dark, clear skies in the hours before dawn, and check in with NOAA’s 3-day space weather forecast, as well as real-time resources like the “My Aurora Forecast & Alerts” app.

The aurora is weather and atmospheric conditions permitting, and should be visible for those based outside of the Arctic Circle viewing it during an approaching storm.

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New Island Forms in Caspian Sea as Water Levels Drop, Russian Scientists Confirm

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June 13, 2025

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New Island Forms in Caspian Sea as Water Levels Drop, Russian Scientists Confirm

Russian scientists have confirmed a brand-new island in the northern Caspian Sea. Satellite imagery from late 2024 first hinted at a sandbank breaking the surface, and a field expedition in mid 2025 verified it. The feature lies about 30 km southwest of Maly Zhemchuzhny Island, on the Europe-Asia boundary of the world’s largest inland sea. It barely rises above the water, and it appeared as the Caspian’s level reached unusually low values. Scientists note the sea has fallen in recent decades (linked to higher evaporation in a warming climate and regional tectonic shifts) and has been dropping again since the 2010.

Confirming the Island’s Emergence

According to a translated statement , in November 2024, satellite images showed a pile of sand and sediment poking above the sea surface. When a Russian research vessel reached the location, scientists saw a flat, sandy patch just above the water. Its surface was damp and crisscrossed by small ridges of sand, but only a few inches higher than the surrounding sea. Approaching by boat proved tricky: very shallow water and foul weather meant the team could not actually land on the new islet. Instead, researchers flew drones (quadcopters) to photograph the site from above. These aerial pictures confirmed the island’s outline and scale. In the field images, the new island appeared as a low, sandy plain with no vegetation.

Environmental Significance and Future Outlook

The island highlights the Caspian’s shifting waters and geology. Scientists have observed that long-term cycles of water rise and fall can expose underwater banks as temporary islands, as seen in the Kumani Bank mud volcano off Azerbaijan’s coast. The island, which could become a nesting ground for seabirds or a haul-out site for Caspian seals, could be influenced by climate-driven water loss and tectonic or volcanic activity. The island’s fate will help scientists understand the interaction between Caspian water levels, climate change, and Earth movements, and what new habitats may emerge when an inland sea shifts its shoreline.

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