Space

SpaceX caught a rocket with robot “chopsticks”

Maybe we should just get rid of NASA. On Sunday, SpaceX completed a historic aerospace engineering feat after launching its uncrewed Starship's fifth test flight and catching the rocket’s booster with “chopsticks”.

For the private space company and the US' ambitious space objectives, which include sending humans to the moon and Mars using a reusable Starship, the booster's return marks a significant milestone (to put it mildly).

Making history

The second successful launch, flight, and reentry for the world's largest and most powerful rocket went all according to plan and marked a turning point for space travel in human history.

• SpaceX employees described it as “a day for the engineering history books” while others said the milestone was “magic”.

The Super Heavy booster separated from Starship at an altitude of around 40 miles and started to descend to Earth, while Starship continued on its path before making a carefully planned dip in the Indian Ocean.

But the landing is what made it really special:

During the mission, the 233-foot Super Heavy rocket booster that sent the Starship into space was captured by two enormous mechanical arms (or “Mechzilla”, per SpaceX) that emerged from the launch tower as it returned to Earth, demonstrating the first-ever "chopstick" landing in history. Watch it here.

• On its descent, the booster used four fins to steer itself into exactly the right place in order to land safely.

• It’s the first time SpaceX (or anyone, for that matter) has attempted to catch a booster with a launch tower.

The "chopstick" technique moves the company's objective of making its flagship rocket completely reusable closer to the finish line and also represents a significant engineering milestone that will make waves in the aerospace industry.

Why is it that big of a deal?

Prior to SpaceX’s emergence into launching rockets, the majority of rocket operators used single-use, disposable boosters. However, CEO Elon Musk has long held the view that reusable rockets are the way of the future as they will drastically cut expenses and speed up times between launches.

Thanks to Mechzilla and its “chopsticks”, this proposed improbablity has been brought to reality and could speed up human’s multiplanitary timeline by decades, if not centuries.

Looking forward: The Starship is essential to NASA’s plans to send humans to the moon for the first time since the 70s, as well as an eventual trip to Mars, which Musk says could happen as soon as 2028.

Asteroids could feed astronauts for 600 years

We’re getting closer and closer to the Weyland-Yutani Corp. becoming a reality. According to a recent study by The International Journal of Astrobiology, a single carbon-rich asteroid could supply over 600 years’ worth of sustenance for astronauts too far from home.

I’m not sure the diet switch from freeze-dried food to space rocks will be a welcome one.

How does one eat an asteroid?

A fair question, but the astronauts wouldn’t necessarily be eating the rock itself. Get ready for some science:

• The asteroid's substance would be broken down chemically and physically, and the organic elements that remain (hydrocarbon compounds) would then be fed to bacteria.

• Once the bacteria can't eat anymore, the astronauts would then consume the mixture of microbes, known as "biomass," (sounds yummy).

The origin of this idea was found in US defense departments, surprise surprise, where the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) conducted experiments to demonstrate plastics’ ability to break down into edible material.

Military microbes

In one experiment, DARPA tried using an oxygenless heating process—called pyrolysis—to turn hard plastics, like MRE packages, into food that humans could consume (watch a breakdown here).

• The process is similar to the edible asteroid theory: as the plastic is broken down into an oil that bacteria eat, it becomes an edible biomass that soldiers could scarf down.

We could be munching on asteroids soon: Studies have shown that bacteria can consume carbon from meteorites, it’s just up to the space chefs to produce it on a bigger scale. Plus they have to figure out how to do it in space.

Banking

This bank was fined $3 billion for helping criminals

Maybe now they’ll think twice before abetting criminal behavior. TD Bank pleaded guilty to failing to prevent money laundering by drug cartels, and as a result, will pay about $3.1 billion in fines and have its US retail banking assets capped.

This marks the highest fine of any bank found to have violated US anti-laundering legislation and is the largest financial institution to admit to conspiring to commit money laundering in the US.

Breaking bad

The Justice Department claims that between January 2018 and April 2024, TD Bank failed to track the vast majority of its transactions (over 90%), and assisted criminal networks in laundering $670 million, most of which was drug money.

• At one point, the bank allowed a “client” to deposit and transfer $470 million from fentanyl and other drug sales.

  • This individual bought off TD Bank staff with $57,000 worth of gift cards, which allowed him to withdraw 40–50 times the daily limit.

• The bank also refused to acknowledge several shell companies that moved over $100 million through its accounts.

If that wasn’t bad enough, messages in the bank’s internal communication system showed employees stating they were “100 percent” sure they were helping launder money. At one point, a branch manager wrote, “You guys really need to shut this down LOL.”

Massive penalties: Aside from the giant $3 billion fine, TD Bank had its assets capped, which prohibits growth until the central bank sees fit.

Grab Bag

Get ready to take a ride in Tesla’s Cybercab

After years of anticipation and delays, Tesla’s robotaxi is finally here (sorta). Thursday night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk debuted the much-anticipated robotaxi, a $30K, driverless car known as the Cybercab.

The dystopian-looking vehicle, which has no steering wheel or pedals, will go into production sometime in 2026. Additionally, Musk surprised everyone by revealing a companion Robovan, a 20-seater driverless vehicle without a windshield that can be utilized for either personal or commercial travel.

A driverless future

Investors in Tesla anticipate that by 2029, robotaxis will account for about 90% of Tesla's value and revenue. Musk has repeatedly bet the company’s future on autonomous vehicles and AI as Tesla’s share of the EV market has fallen below 50% in 2024, down 40% from its historic high in 2021.

How would the robotaxi work? The company plans to use a model that works like a mashup of Uber and Airbnb, meaning drivers would rent their cars through an app when they're not in use, generating passive revenue.

• Tesla anticipates that sales of electric vehicles will eventually make up just 9% of its total worth.

However, this model is already in use, and Tesla has some competition: Waymo, which is owned by Alphabet (Google’s parent company), says it already services over 100,000 paid rides per week.

• Robotic taxis have also been used by GM's Cruise, but after a pedestrian was seriously hurt last year, the corporation was forced to use human drivers.

• Amazon-owned Zoox is testing a driverless vehicle that will soon be on the road in San Fransisco. The company also plans to offer a paid service.

Looking ahead: Although Tesla has a leg up on costs since its self-driving tech is cheaper, it will need to ramp up its production and start getting regulatory approval soon so it doesn’t lag too far behind.

How this hospital (on an island) withstood two hurricanes

A vital product protected the Tampa region’s most essential healthcare building. Hurricane Milton was yet another battering ram attempting to break down the AquaFence barrier surrounding Tampa General Hospital after Hurricane Helene. Neither of them broke through.

Surviving the storm

Tampa General sits in one of the region’s lowest points of elevation, Davis Islands (see map), with an approximate elevation of just seven feet. The island was under a mandatory evacuation order and considered a high-risk flood zone from Hurricane Milton.

Despite this, as Milton moved in, much of the staff stayed in the hospital, posting on X that they were “weathering the storm” and confident in the barriers surrounding the only Level 1 trauma center in the area.

• The hurricane killed at least 14, left millions without power, and brought intense rain, flooding, and tornadoes in its wake.

Their confidence was placed well, as AquaFence’s FloodWall, a reusable mobile flood barrier, held strong amid the storm.

What is AquaFence?

Founded in 1999, AquaFence provides waterproof fences constructed from panels that are one inch thick, fastened to the ground, and capable of withstanding strong winds while shielding structures from floods.

• The company claims to have protected over $30 billion worth of real estate.

• The fences can be used up to 60 times, and are quick to put up.

The FloodWall, which is what Tampa General used, is a lightweight Flash Wall that can be carried in a carry bag and set up by one person. They also offer a Flood Barricade, a short barrier that can be placed on items like windows and garage doors.

• Tampa General used the FloodWall in tandem with other measures, like industrial-grade water pumps.

A rising issue: More private companies are starting to create products that help with flood protection and storm damage, but as the risks rise, so do the prices. A home model being developed by AquaFence would cost about $20,000 per household.

Fast Facts

End Times: A bug in the BBC Weather app last Thursday triggered predictions like 13,000 mph winds in Chicago and temperatures of 832 degrees Fahrenheit in Brazil.

Drone Discovery: A suspicious fleet of drones flew over a US military base for days, and the Pentagon doesn’t know what to do, per the WSJ.

Killer Kickers: Around 29% of field goal attempts have been from 50 yards or more this NFL season, and an incredible 76% of those have been made, according to the WSJ. Both of those figures have broken existing records by a wide margin. 

Radio Revival: Congress is debating a bill that would require carmakers to put AM radios back in cars that have gotten rid of them, such as Teslas and Ford’s electric vehicles.

Stone Storage: According to recent research published in Nature Communications, kidney stones are strangely frequent in astronauts, which may be due to the long-term effects of cosmic radiation establishing an "unholy alliance" with microgravity.