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.
Cornell University researchers developed the DEER method that restores worn lithium-ion battery electrodes without recycling into raw materials. Treatment in an electrolytic bath with DMI removes excess SEI layer: restored cells recovered up to 95% capacity and degrade slower (0.042% vs 0.072% per cycle).
Researchers from Mepco Schlenk Engineering College in India replaced part of the fine aggregate with zeolite and part of the cement with bamboo biochar. The best mix ZB5 (50% zeolite and 1% biochar) showed compressive strength of 38.49 MPa — 7.48% higher than ordinary concrete — and absorbed 1.2 g of CO2 per day.
ETH Zurich and PSI have learned to produce cold muonium atoms in superfluid helium and will build an interferometer to test the equivalence principle on second-generation particles. The first test of the method is this year, the gravity experiment in 2–3 years.
BMW added a third shift at its iX3 plant in Debrecen, Hungary, due to over 100,000 orders in Europe. Half of the cars have already been assembled; the €2 billion factory operates around the clock — the fastest production launch in BMW's history.
SpaceX performed the 700th launch of a Falcon rocket — 687 Falcon 9 and 13 Falcon Heavy. ULA, once dominant in the US, is losing ground due to its reliance on an expendable rocket. Rocket Lab protested NASA's selection of Blue Origin for a $700 million Mars mission.
TACLS, developed by UCSD, NWS, and NASA, uses GNSS satellite data and machine learning to identify flash flood risk zones and help NWS issue faster warnings. It currently operates only in California and will later expand to all 122 NWS offices.
A*STAR researchers developed a method to analyze microbial RNA directly from skin, described in Nature Biotechnology. Cutibacterium acnes accounts for 46–90% of microbial DNA but only 2–31% of RNA, while Malassezia fungi and staphylococci are more active than DNA analysis suggests.
The Allen Institute, University of Washington, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center launched AI BioDesign, led by 2024 Nobel chemistry laureate David Baker. The project uses AI and lab experiments to design molecules and biological functions not found in nature, aiming to create databases and models for future cancer and neurodegenerative disease drugs and enzymes for plastic degradation.
Tesla launched its first Accordion Supercharger station in Irschenberg, Bavaria: eight V4 stalls at a site near an FC Bayern store. The structure is assembled at the factory and transported whole — two blocks of eight stalls fit in one truck, and installation costs about 20% less than a conventional station.
Scientists at Xiamen University showed that a decline in Menin protein in the hypothalamus is linked to aging: restoring it in 20-month-old mice improved memory, skin, and bones, while D-serine improved only cognitive functions. The work was published in PLOS Biology.
Gazoo Racing is preparing the DKR GR FC Hilux hydrogen fuel-cell pickup for Dakar 2027, replacing the twin-turbo V6 with a hydrogen system that emits only water. The race runs January 1–15, 2027 in Saudi Arabia with 13 special stages and 1000 competitive kilometers. A road-going Hilux Fuel Cell is expected in 2028 with about 400 km range and 2.5-tonne towing.
PacWave South has opened off the Oregon coast as the first grid-connected, pre-permitted marine test site for wave energy converters in the US. Four 5 MW berths allow up to 20 MW to be transmitted to the grid, with a 25-year FERC license permitting up to 20 devices.
South Korea proposed replacing 39 of 60 coal power units with LNG and pumped-storage hydro by 2038 and phasing out the remaining 21 units in 2037-2039. Up to 10 units would stay as reserve sources for peak loads and grid instability.
Waymo announced it will launch a commercial robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028. Vehicles will arrive in the coming months, with mapping and safety-driver tests in 2027, pending approval from Singapore's LTA.
Norway's first fully automated vegetable farm has begun operation: robots grow and package lettuce year-round. The facility launched in autumn, and the first produce reached stores in spring.
Hanwha Systems signed a contract with the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute to develop space surveillance satellites and a ground-based space situational awareness system under the national K-SSA project. The satellites will operate in low orbit at about 480 km with optical cameras to track objects, and AI will predict their orbits.
Starlink's scale in low Earth orbit has cemented its lead in commercial space for a decade. Against this backdrop, China is betting on very low Earth orbit (VLEO), and AI is shifting competition from chips to satellite networks.
Taiwan is nearing the release of a request for proposals (RFP) for a 150-qubit quantum computing system. Authorities are seeking partnerships with global suppliers on a 'win-win' model.
Lockheed Martin released a promo video of the Vectis stealth drone for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. The first prototype is to fly in 2027, with four more aircraft in development. Length is about 34 feet, wingspan 38 feet, and AIM-120 missiles and GBU-53 bombs are carried in internal bays.
Physicists at City College of New York demonstrated conversion of microwaves to an optical signal using the layered magnetic semiconductor CrSBr. Magnons excited by microwaves interact with excitons and transfer the signal to laser light in a band around 300 MHz. The work, published in Nature Materials, could form the basis for interfaces between quantum processors and fiber-optic networks.
Startup Mazama Energy closed a $135M Series B round. The company drills horizontal wells in super-hot rocks at temperatures up to 400 °C to produce up to 15 MW per well. The first site in Oregon could yield 10 GW, with power generation starting in 2027.
Arevon Energy is building the Cormorant battery storage facility in Daly City, California, with 250 MW capacity and 1,000 MWh using LFP batteries. Launch is planned for 2027, expanded from initial 188 MW/752 MWh, with MCE signing a long-term purchase agreement.
The Nevada Transportation Authority permit limiting Zoox's fleet to 100 robotaxis expires on September 25. This will allow the Amazon-owned company to expand its commercial fleet in Las Vegas amid Waymo's launch and permits for Tesla and Uber.
University of Warwick scientists used 3D visualization to show that a material considered a uniform superconductor for 40 years is actually a mosaic of different crystal structures throughout its volume.
NASA scientist Robert Wagner discovered a new crater on the Moon during a routine check of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data. The impact occurred between April 11 and May 22, 2024, and an object the size of a six-story house left a crater 728 feet wide and 141 feet deep. NASA named it McGetchin.
Scientists at HZDR and the University of Rostock have developed a method to produce ultra-small, high-purity nanodiamonds by compressing plastic with laser shocks. The method provides a narrow particle size distribution, unlike explosive technologies, and is scalable for clean production.
BMW has unveiled iX5 Hydrogen prototypes without camouflage and is preparing fuel cell production at its Steyr plant. Range is up to 750 km WLTP, refueling at 700 bar takes up to 5 minutes, and 0-100 km/h acceleration is under 5 seconds. Serial production is planned for 2028.
