Saturday, May 23, 2026

SpaceX successfully launched its first Starship V3 megarocket on a test flight from Starbase, Texas, with the Ship upper stage reaching space despite losing one engine and completing most planned objectives including deploying 22 dummy Starlink satellites before splashing down in the Indian Ocean.^[1]

Astronomers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a rare Saturn-sized exoplanet with Earth-like temperatures and a methane-rich atmosphere, representing one of only a small number of known 'temperate' gas giants and the first to have its atmosphere studied in such detail.^[2]

A massive international review of over 90,000 patients found that GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, and premature death over the long term, suggesting these medications could become a major tool against cardiovascular disease.^[3]

A new study of 82 theropod species found that the evolution of tiny arms in T. rex and other large meat-eating dinosaurs was closely linked to the development of powerful skulls and jaws, suggesting the head took over from the arms as the primary method of attacking prey.^[4]

SpaceX announced that cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang, who commanded the Fram2 Dragon mission, will lead the first private Starship mission to fly by Mars, which will also swing past the Moon.^[5]

England manager Thomas Tuchel announced his 26-man World Cup squad with surprise omissions of Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire, and Luke Shaw, stating the goal was to build 'the best possible team' rather than collect the most talented individuals.^[6]

NASA will compete the contract for operating the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with Caltech's current agreement ending on September 30, 2028, after the California Institute of Technology has managed JPL for NASA since the space agency was established in 1958.^[7]

NASA is moving forward with defining the Artemis III mission in Earth orbit for next year, a crewed flight that will test rendezvous and docking capabilities between the Orion spacecraft and commercial landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX ahead of lunar landing missions.^[8]

Researchers have discovered that magnetic field direction and electron spin can influence the behavior and separation of isotopic variants of chiral molecules, suggesting that magnetic environments on early Earth may have helped shape the chemical pathways that led to life.^[9]

President Trump announced plans to deploy 5,000 additional troops to Poland in a sudden reversal from earlier declarations to reduce military support to Europe, with Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski welcoming the move as ensuring American troop presence will be maintained at previous levels.^[10]