NASA extended its contract with SpaceX by $950 million for three additional crewed Dragon flights to the ISS, bringing the total to 17 missions under the Commercial Crew program. If all flights are completed, SpaceX will receive $5.92 billion from NASA. Crew 13 is expected in October, Crew 14 in spring.
Scientists used laser experiments to reproduce magnetic reconnection, the process behind solar flares and Earth's magnetospheric substorms. Measurements showed consistent reconnection rates.
Joby Aviation said an aircraft using its autonomous control technology flew more than 3,100 miles across the US without pilot intervention. The Cessna Caravan-based flight included autonomous taxi, takeoff, navigation and landing, controlled remotely from California and a South Carolina Air Force base.
City of Hope tested the PANXEON test on 1,800 participants from the US, Italy, Japan and South Korea; results were published in Nature Medicine. The AI combines three biomarkers into one score: 87% sensitivity for stages I-II, AUROC 91.7%, and 64% detection of precancerous dysplasia. The test is still investigational.
Two studies in Science describe an RNA-guided system that originated in viruses and is likely a predecessor of CRISPR. The finding could expand gene-editing tools.
Researchers found a way to use low-grade waste heat from electrolysis to desalinate seawater while producing fresh water and hydrogen. This solves the problem of electrode damage during direct seawater electrolysis.
Firefighters responded Friday to a fire at the damaged Vistra Corp. battery storage site in Moss Landing, California. The facility had already been damaged earlier.
Researchers from Radboud University and Columbia University suppressed collisional losses in a molecular gas, creating stable artificial quantum matter. The results, published in Science, open a path to studying strongly interacting quantum systems.
ALS patient Kenneth Shock in the VOICE trial demonstrated output of imagined speech via the N1 implant: a wireless device reads cortical signals and synthesizes words in his pre-illness voice. Independent data on accuracy and the several-second delay have not yet been published.
SoftBank, Hitotsubashi University, and the Japanese Polar Research Institute conducted the world's first demonstration of ground-based laser tracking of a stratospheric HAPS platform. The experiment took place on August 23–24, 2026, off Cape Muroto: laser pulses reflected off a corner reflector on the Sceye platform and were received by a compact ground system.
US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced on September 14 the deployment of space control assets in orbit to protect Joint Forces. In a Live Science poll, 80% of more than 280 readers fear an arms race in space, and 14% expect a reaction from other countries.
Scientists found that the first solid bodies of the solar system — planets, moons and protoplanets — were based on heated chondrules rather than cold dust with water ice and organics. The conclusion is based on analysis of the composition of early bodies.
Research by Sandra Chapman shows solar activity maxima have a sharp decline point, and the sunspot number at that moment correlates with the strength of the next maximum. The Sun is currently in cycle 25, with decline lasting until ~2030; cycle 26 is expected to be weaker, with an accurate forecast after the decline point around 2028.
The ARISE consortium led by Iceye will conduct a 20-month study of sovereign space intelligence architecture for ESA and EU EOGS under the European Resilience from Space initiative. The results will inform EOGS implementation in the EU's 2028–2034 financial program.
Telesat signed an agreement with Orange to host a ground gateway for the Lightspeed satellite network in Europe. The next Starship test flight, expected no earlier than September 28, will for the first time deploy higher-capacity Starlink V3 satellites into orbit and put them into service.
A Volkswagen ID. Buzz Pro Long Wheelbase traveled 99,767 km through 92 countries on six continents in 445 days, earning a Guinness World Record for the most countries visited in a continuous EV journey. The battery retained 95.75% capacity with no breakdowns.
Startup Fluxnium emerged from stealth with $7 million in seed funding from Congruent Ventures, Active Impact Investments and Constellation Energy. It licensed Oak Ridge amidoxime fibers from the US Department of Energy to extract uranium from seawater, where about 4 billion tonnes are dissolved — 1,000 times more than in mines. Current costs exceed $200 per pound, twice the market price, and commercial scale is unproven.
RWE has commissioned the Limondale battery in New South Wales with 50 MW power and 400 MWh capacity on 144 Tesla Megapack modules. It discharges for 8 hours—four times longer than typical two-hour systems—and charges faster (about 100 MW) than it discharges.
Scientists developed a sustainable refrigeration system that maintains performance after one million cycles. The technology aims to replace conventional vapor-compression systems, which are energy-intensive and use refrigerants harmful to the climate and ozone layer.
At a conference in Shanghai, China presented the HL-4 tokamak concept—the world's first experimental facility with high-temperature superconducting magnets for continuous "burning" mode. A 25 T field will reduce reactor size, and AI systems will control the plasma. Construction is underway in Shanghai, and the team will move to a new 500 m-long workshop by June 2027.
The US Navy awarded Saildrone a $10 million contract to map the Atlantic Ocean seabed using autonomous Surveyor vessels. The survey will run from 2026 to 2027 and support submarine navigation and anti-submarine warfare.
The EU moves its sovereign satellite communications project IRIS² into implementation: 330 LEO and 18 MEO satellites, launches by 2029. Airbus, Aerospacelab, Thales Alenia Space and OHB build the core constellation, Eutelsat leads LEO, SES leads MEO, Hispasat handles the ground segment.
Neptune Medical announced FDA clearance for its Triton 1 robotic endoscopic system for diagnosis and treatment throughout the colon. In the CARE 1 study, the system achieved 100% cecal intubation, no adverse events, and an adenoma detection rate of 54.2% versus the industry threshold of 35%.
Scientists at the University of Groningen found that tin-based perovskite solar cells slow the cooling of 'hot' electrons by 1000 times — down to nanoseconds. This could allow surpassing the theoretical efficiency limit of solar panels of 33%.
An analysis of electric vehicle sales in the US predicts a record share of EVs among new cars by 2030 — 32%, despite the cancellation of federal incentives. This is the highest figure in the history of the market.
Researchers at Michigan State University analyzed DNA from 46 international cohorts and identified 1,260 genetic variants linked to the 'Big Five' personality traits. 824 variants were previously unknown; the results were published in Nature.
Weizmann Institute researchers described compensatory proliferation: caspases, which usually trigger cell death, help some cells survive radiation and restore up to half of damaged tissue within 48 hours. The finding also explains cancer recurrence after therapy.
The US Navy awarded Boeing a $562 million contract for low-rate initial production of the MQ-25A Stingray unmanned tanker. The contract covers three Lot 1 aircraft and components for three Lot 2; deliveries begin in 2029, with 76 drones planned in total.
The Mercedes GLC 400 4Matic electric crossover covered 632 km (393 miles) in the Eurocharge rally, with 80% of the route on highways at 130 km/h. One 17-minute charge at a 400-kW station added 51 kWh (from 31% to 81%), and average consumption was 21.4 kWh/100 km.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope could operate for at least 22 years instead of the planned 10: the first course correction was performed with over 99% accuracy and used 18 kg of fuel out of 200 kg. Fuel savings at launch and the second correction provide about eight more years of operation.
