Commercial companies to collaborate for DARPA’s new lunar economy study

Establishing commercial markets on the moon is going to require thinking a little differently. That’s DARPA’s hunch, anyway. DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is the U.S. Department of Defense’s R&D arm, which has just selected 14 companies to participate in a new study to develop technological frameworks for a lunar future. “The next decade … Read more

Pentagon: US warship, multiple commercial ships have come under attack in the Red Sea

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Three commercial ships in the Red Sea were struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen on Sunday and a U.S. warship shot down three drones in self-defense during the hourslong assault, the U.S. military said. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Houthi rebels, who are backed by … Read more

US threatens ‘appropriate responses’ after Iran-backed assault on commercial ships

The U.S. warned it was considering “all appropriate responses” after Houthi rebels attacked three commercial vessels in the Red Sea on Sunday, ramping up its rhetoric as Iran-backed militants continue to harass American and international interests in the region. Following the attacks, a U.S. warship operating nearby responded to the distress calls from the commercial … Read more

Pentagon reports U.S. warship, commercial ships attacked in Red Sea

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) sets sail in the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, July 14, 2019. Yoruk Isik | Reuters A U.S. naval ship and several commercial vessels were attacked in the Red Sea, the Pentagon reported on Sunday, the same day Yemen’s Houthi rebel group said it had targeted two Israeli … Read more

This week in AI: The OpenAI debacle shows the perils of going commercial

Keeping up with an industry as fast-moving as AI is a tall order. So until an AI can do it for you, here’s a handy roundup of recent stories in the world of machine learning, along with notable research and experiments we didn’t cover on their own. This week, it was impossible to tune out — for … Read more

US destroyer has ballistic missiles fired toward it, after responding to attack on commercial tanker

Two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi rebel-controlled Yemen toward a US warship in the Gulf of Aden, after the US Navy responded to a distress call from a commercial tanker that had been seized by armed individuals, the US military said Sunday. The tanker, identified as the Central Park, had been carrying a cargo … Read more

GM absorbs commercial EV unit BrightDrop, CEO is out

BrightDrop, the commercial EV subsidiary of General Motors that launched in 2021, is being swallowed up by its parent company. GM said Thursday that BrightDrop — a “startup” that spun out of the automaker’s Global Innovation organization to become a wholly owned subsidiary — will become part of GM. BrightDrop CEO Travis Katz, who was … Read more

ESA Looks to Airbus’s Commercial Space Station to Replace ISS

In an effort to secure precious access to low Earth orbit, the European Space Agency (ESA) signed an agreement with Airbus and Voyager Space for the use of their commercial space station which is currently under development as a replacement for the International Space Station (ISS). Taking out the Trash (in Space) The agreement explores … Read more

A commercial plane took off with 2 missing windows and reached 10,000 feet before anyone realized there was a problem

An Airbus A321 took off from London Stansted with two missing window panes. The plane climbed more than 10,000 feet before anyone realized there was a problem. The AAIB said a filming event the day before, using high-power lights, may be to blame. A commercial plane took off with two missing window assemblies and reached … Read more

World’s First Commercial Spaceplane Faces Crucial Test at NASA

Dream Chaser, built by Sierra Space, is being prepped for transport to a NASA facility in Ohio, where it will undergo a series of tests to make sure the spaceplane can survive its heated reentry through Earth’s atmosphere. Starting these tests is crucial, demonstrating Dream Chaser’s readiness for flights and potentially transforming commercial space travel. … Read more