space technology
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SpaceX Working on Hundreds of Swarming Spy Satellites for U.S. Intelligence Agency
SpaceX is working with the National Reconnaissance Office to build a classified system of swarming spy satellites, according to a report published by Reuters. And while the $US1.8 billion contract was reportedly signed in 2021, news of the program’s ties to NRO just leaked on Saturday—a great reminder that it’s entirely possible for some tech…
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You Up? SpaceX Sends First Text Message From Starlink Satellites
SpaceX used its Starlink satellites to send and receive a text message from low Earth orbit in an effort to expand its connectivity beyond the reach of traditional cell tower signals. On Monday, January 8, the space company tested one of its new direct-to-cell satellites, sending a text message using the T-Mobile network for the…
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Rings Around Uranus, Leather Made of Human Skin, and More Top Science News of the Week
The week’s top three stories on the science beat all made me a little uncomfortable, to be honest. The news that scientists found a credible link between having a cat during your childhood and later being diagnosed with schizophrenia was troubling. Then there was the 2,400-year-old leather than turned out to be made of human…
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Returning SpaceX Rockets Are Creating Bright Glowing ‘Holes’ in the Sky
In mid-July, viewers hoping to catch a glimpse of a SpaceX rocket launch were stunned to see it followed by a bright aurora-like phenomenon over Arizona. The rocket had formed a hole in the upper atmosphere, evinced by a red glow captured by photographers on the ground. The glow itself was nothing new, these types…