SpaceX has launched over 7,000 low earth satellites that have disrupted astronomical observations. Another 70,000 LEO satellites are expected to launch before 2031 from SpaceX and its competitors including three 10,000 mega-constellations originating from China. Scientific American explores how astronomers are dealing with the challenge and planning for the future.
Drone footage provided by Isar Aerospace (a startup incubated as part of the Bavaria One space program) shows the first test flight of its Spectrum orbital vehicle in Norway. The flight termination system was triggered before it attempted a first-stage separation, and the rocket fell into the sea, though Isar called it a success and said it has more vehicles in production.
Andoya Spaceport general manager Ingun Berget told TV 2 the flight was aborted because the rocket wasn’t going where it was supposed to go.
Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter notes Apple’s push for an AI agent-powered “Project Mulberry” upgrade for its Health app next year, and that its its long-running attempt noninvasive glucose monitoring via Apple Watch sensors is still “many years away.” (Here’s more on why that’s been so difficult).
But if you’re into hardware, he reports new M5 iPad Pros are already in testing in addition to work on 2027-targeted M6 editions with Apple’s in-house modems, and while the regularly scheduled MacBook Pro M5 refresh is “a lock” for this year, a design overhaul may not come until its M6 update in 2026.
The short-term rain forecasts are now available in Search, the company announced today.
AI isn’t going to replace traditional forecasting anytime soon. But Google and other researchers are developing AI models to help produce more accurate forecasts.
The Trump administration announced 20,000 layoffs at the US Department of Health and Human Services, part of a drastic restructuring of the agency that includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and that oversees Medicare and Medicaid.
More cuts — ranging from 8 to 50 percent of staff across 22 federal agencies — could be on the way, according to an internal White House planning document obtained by the Washington Post.
On April 14th, the pop star will join Jeff Bezos’ fiancé Lauren Sanchez and CBS host Gayle King aboard the New Shepard rocket as part of Blue Origin’s first all-female flight. The rocket will lift off from Launch Site One in West Texas, with a launch window opening at 9:30AM ET.
What happens when a deadly, pathogenic virus collides with Big Agriculture?
The company announced $99 million in new funding, part of its goal of transitioning its supply chain to entirely carbon pollution-free energy by 2030. This marks the second phase of the China Clean Energy Fund that Apple launched in 2018, AppleInsider reports.
[appleinsider.com]
