SpaceX’s Starship is set to conduct its seventh flight test, marking another step in the company’s push for fully reusable space launch systems. The test is scheduled for January 10 at 3:30 a.m. IST from SpaceX’s Starbase Orbital Launch Pad A in Boca Chica, Texas. The 97-minute launch window extends until 5:07 a.m. IST, with backup opportunities available until January 16. For the first time, the spacecraft will attempt to deploy simulated Starlink satellites, a significant milestone in its development trajectory.

Payload Deployment to Be Tested with Starlink Simulators

According to a statement by SpaceX, as reported by space.com, the flight will involve the deployment of 10 Starlink simulators to evaluate Starship’s capability to release active next-generation satellites in future missions. The simulators, traveling on a suborbital trajectory alongside the Starship upper stage, are expected to splash down in the Indian Ocean. This mission aims to demonstrate Starship’s ability to carry and deploy heavier, more advanced payloads in the future.

Upgrades Introduced to Enhance Flight Performance

Several design changes have been introduced for this test. The flaps on the upper stage of Starship have been reduced in size and repositioned closer to the tip of the vehicle, minimizing heat exposure and simplifying the protective tile design. Additionally, propulsion system modifications have increased the propellant volume by 25 percent, as reported by space.com. Enhanced heat shield tiles, featuring a backup layer to address potential damage, are also being tested during this flight.

Super Heavy Booster Reusability in Focus

The Super Heavy booster, equipped with Raptor engine number 314, will attempt a return to the launch site, aiming for a catch using the launch tower’s chopstick arms. If conditions are unsuitable, the booster will perform a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Upgrades to the tower’s radar sensors have been made to improve precision during recovery operations.

SpaceX has described 2025 as a transformative year for Starship, with plans for increasingly ambitious missions, including transporting humans and cargo to the moon and Mars.

A detailed analysis of Yemeni genomes has shed light on ancient migration patterns, uncovering genetic influences from the Levant, Arabia, and East Africa. The research indicates that Yemen’s geographic location as a historical crossroads has shaped its modern genetic makeup. Maternal DNA has highlighted significant East African ancestry, while paternal DNA has linked Yemeni populations to the Levant and Arabia. These findings underscore Yemen’s role in facilitating interactions among Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Levant over millennia.

Historical Genetic Contributions Examined

According to the study titled Human Migration from the Levant and Arabia into Yemen since Last Glacial Maximum, published in Scientific Reports, researchers analysed 46 whole genomes and 169 genotype arrays from Yemenis, along with 351 comparative genotype arrays from neighboring populations. As reported by phys.org, findings revealed that Yemen’s genetic makeup reflects multiple migration waves, with major events identified 5,220 years ago involving populations from Palestine and around 750 years ago from East Africa.

The study highlights the prevalence of the J1 haplogroup in Yemen, a paternal marker linked to Southwest Asia, while mitochondrial DNA showed substantial African matrilineal influence. Nearly one-third of Yemeni individuals carried African-specific mitochondrial haplogroups, such as L2a1, suggesting a continuous female-mediated gene flow from East Africa.

Impact of Historical Events on Genetic Diversity

The genetic signatures align with historical periods of trade and migration. Researchers noted the Levantine contributions coincided with the Bronze Age and earlier, while the East African component appeared linked to Yemen’s involvement in the Red Sea slave trade. The research pointed to the unique demographic effects of medieval forced migration, with African maternal lineages persisting despite the dilution of East African alleles in Yemen’s autosomal DNA.

Regional Variations in Genetic Profiles

The study observed differences in genetic influences across Yemen, with coastal populations showing stronger African admixture compared to inland regions, which were genetically closer to Arabia and the Levant. These genetic patterns provide insights into Yemen’s historical role in regional trade and migration networks and its diverse ancestral connections.

A new theory has emerged to explain how Pluto may have captured its largest moon, Charon, billions of years ago through a unique “kiss-and-capture” collision. The process, proposed by researchers, suggests that two icy bodies in the Kuiper Belt collided, briefly merged into a spinning “cosmic snowman,” and then separated to form the Pluto-Charon system. This scenario, which lasted around 10 hours, challenges previously established theories and offers a new perspective on moon formation in the distant regions of the solar system.

Collision Dynamics in the Kuiper Belt

According to a study published in Nature Geoscience, Pluto and Charon’s interaction likely occurred in the Kuiper Belt, a region filled with icy bodies at the solar system’s edge. As reported by space.com, the research team, led by Adeene Denton, a lunar and planetary researcher at the University of Arizona and NASA postdoctoral fellow, believes that the collision involved material strength rather than fluid dynamics, as these bodies are composed of ice and rock.

Denton explained to Space.com that the process, referred to as “kiss-and-capture,” occurred when the two bodies briefly merged before separating again. This differs from traditional planetary collision scenarios like “hit and run” or “graze and merge,” where either a permanent merger or complete separation occurs.

The Formation of the Pluto-Charon System

Charon, which is about half the size of Pluto and 12 percent of its mass, is considered unusually large compared to other moons. Its formation has been linked to a significant collision event, similar to the theory of Earth’s moon forming after a massive impact. During this icy encounter, Charon could not penetrate deeply enough into Pluto to merge due to the structural strength of both bodies. This caused the two to separate but remain gravitationally linked, with Charon eventually moving into a stable orbit around Pluto.

Implications for Kuiper Belt Objects

The findings, according to the study, may also shed light on how other large moons in the Kuiper Belt, such as those of Eris and Orcus, could have formed through similar processes. The research team plans to explore this mechanism further and investigate Charon’s long-term tidal evolution to confirm the theory.