A new spacecraft is being launched in about a year, one designed to travel across the solar system. But instead of using rockets to propel itself, it uses sails. Sails pushed by light. More »
The IBEX launch, which we previewed here at Gizmodo last Monday, went off without a hitch today. The ottoman-sized probe was strapped to a rocket that was strapped to the belly of an aeroplane, which carried it to 40,000 feet. From there, the rocket fired up and took IBEX to an orbit about 320,000km up. Fun! But it gets worse. Much worse. I hope everyone has their lead-lined fallout suits at the ready, because things could get a bit freaky in a few decades.
