PACE

SpaceX's Starship megarocket is set to launch to orbit for the first time ever today, September 28, with live coverage available. The flight marks a major milestone for the company's next-generation launch system, and space watchers around the world are following the attempt closely.

SpaceX launched the 14th flight of its Starship rocket from Starbase, Texas, with the live stream covering liftoff and the Super Heavy booster's splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The launch drew well over a million engagements as space enthusiasts followed updates on the vehicle's ascent, stage separation and recovery performance in SpaceX's ongoing test campaign toward reusable deep-space flight.

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on Flight 14, and a full 15-minute breakdown of the mission is drawing large audiences. Coverage walks through every stage of the test flight, from liftoff through the rocket's performance. Viewers are following closely as each Starship flight is treated as a key step toward future deep-space missions, including SpaceX's long-term plans for Mars.

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on the program's 14th test flight, with live coverage showing the vehicle heading for orbit from the company's Texas launch site. The flight is part of SpaceX's ongoing campaign to prove out the massive rocket intended for missions to the Moon and Mars. Viewers worldwide followed the launch online, and spaceflight watchers are discussing the vehicle's performance and what it means for upcoming test milestones.

SpaceX's Starship lifted off on its 14th orbital test flight, broadcast live with mission control commentary. The launch drew hundreds of thousands of viewers following along in real time, tracking the rocket's ascent and performance as SpaceX continues developing the vehicle for future orbital missions.

A slow-moving storm continues to churn off the coast while crews work to restore electricity to affected communities. Power is starting to come back on for many residents, though the storm's sluggish pace is prolonging the threat of coastal impacts. Readers are following updates on outage recovery and whether the system will come ashore.

Google has announced Project Suncatcher, a research initiative to put machine learning infrastructure into space, using solar-powered satellites to run AI compute in orbit. The company published early findings on its blog, describing how constellations of small satellites could capture near-continuous solar energy and address terrestrial power and cooling limits for data centers. The plan is at an exploratory stage, with prototype launches proposed in the coming years.

SpaceX's Starship mission ended with the vehicle breaking apart in a fiery failure, as reported by Al Jazeera. The loss of the spacecraft marks another setback in the test programme that Elon Musk's company hopes will eventually carry crews to the Moon and Mars. Attention is focused on what caused the destruction and what it means for the next planned flights.

SpaceX's Starship, the largest rocket ever built, lifted off from Boca Chica, Texas, on its first integrated orbital test flight, but the mission ended early when the vehicle broke apart before completing its planned flight profile. The company framed the launch as a valuable test that gathered data for future attempts.Observers note that the booster failed to separate as planned and that the loss of the vehicle was within the range of expected outcomes for a first flight.

New figures on global electricity generation show coal remains the largest single source in 2024, producing roughly 34% of the world's power. Wind and solar together now account for about 15%, a sharp rise from just 4% a decade earlier. The data is presented as charts drawn directly on an interactive world map, letting viewers zoom in for country-level detail, and is drawing attention for how clearly it shows the slow pace of the transition away from fossil fuels.

Africa’s space programmes are entering a practical phase, with ambitions once confined to policy documents now being turned into concrete projects across the continent. Reporting highlights growing investment in satellites, national space agencies and regional cooperation. The development is being read as a sign that African states increasingly view space capability as essential to development, security and communications.

SpaceX is reportedly planning to launch three Starship test flights within roughly five weeks, a dramatic acceleration of its launch cadence from Starbase, Texas. The schedule would mark the fastest turnaround yet for the programme, which has so far flown flights weeks or months apart. Space commentators are debating whether the company can realistically achieve the rapid sequence, pointing to booster reuse, pad readiness and regulatory approvals as the key hurdles.

The large robotic arm on the International Space Station, known as Canadarm2, has reportedly stopped working, according to an Ars Technica report. The arm is critical for capturing cargo spacecraft, moving equipment and supporting spacewalks, so a failure would be a significant operational problem for the station's crews and their partners at NASA and the Canadian Space Agency.

China is pushing ahead rapidly in robotics, and Hong Kong is struggling to keep pace with the mainland's accelerating robot industry. A new report highlights the widening gap between the mainland's state-backed automation drive and Hong Kong's slower adoption of robotic technology in industry and services, prompting debate about whether the city risks falling behind in a key technology sector.

Reports are circulating about the IPL 2027 trading window, with a list of confirmed player swaps and rumours gathering pace. The biggest name is Hardik Pandya, who is being linked with possible moves to Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. No official confirmation of a Pandya transfer has been made, and the reported swaps remain part of an evolving trade picture.

Experts including former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe warn that the odds of someone being hurt by falling space debris are increasing. While a person is still more likely to be struck by lightning than by reentering space junk, the growing number of launches and satellites is shifting those odds. O'Keefe and others argue governments and companies should be compelled to use materials that fully burn up on reentry.

Malaysia's Science Minister has called on ASEAN member states to adopt common standards for the region's rapidly growing space sector. The appeal reflects concern that fragmented national rules could hold back cooperation and investment in satellites, launch services and related industries across Southeast Asia, as more countries in the bloc develop their own space programmes and commercial space activities expand.

DW News examines whether India's rapidly growing space startups can transform the country into a leading global space power. India has opened its space sector to private companies, with startups developing rockets, satellites and launch services alongside the state-run space programme. The report looks at the ambitions, funding and challenges facing this new private space industry.

A widely shared statistic states that the Earth's climate system is accumulating heat at a rate equivalent to the energy released by four Hiroshima atomic bombs every second. The figure illustrates the scale of excess energy trapped by greenhouse gases, most of which is absorbed by the oceans. It has become a common way for scientists and communicators to make global warming's pace tangible to the public.

Writer Richard J Tilley has published 'The Collaborator and the Carriage' on his site, alongside references to 'Rockslide On The Garden's Edge', a work archived on the Internet Archive, and his poetry projects poet.garden and tilley.solar. Readers on Mastodon are sharing the links, drawing modest attention to his small-press nature and garden-themed poetry.

Japan's Foreign Ministry held a missile non-proliferation workshop focused on the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC), paired with a site visit to the Hokkaido Spaceport. The event brought together participants to discuss norms against ballistic missile proliferation while showcasing Japan's commercial space launch facilities, linking arms-control diplomacy with the country's growing space sector.

A new analysis argues the West's heavy dependence on Chinese shipping giant COSCO leaves it exposed to concerns the company's vessels could serve intelligence-gathering roles at sea. The piece suggests space-based surveillance and monitoring capabilities can help track suspicious maritime activity while Western economies work to reduce reliance on Chinese-controlled logistics and shipping networks.

An opinion piece by Huey Perry argues that societies cannot afford a wait-and-see approach to climate change and artificial intelligence. Perry contends that both challenges demand action now, before their consequences become irreversible, and that policymakers should treat them as urgent priorities rather than distant threats to be studied further.

UK-based satellite company Open Cosmos took part in the inaugural Vaduz Space Dialogue, a new forum discussing how European nations can build a federated approach to space-based connectivity. The talks focus on coordinating EU and partner-country efforts on satellite communications infrastructure, an area gaining urgency as Europe seeks alternatives to non-European constellations.

South Korea's National Space Committee, operating under the Aero-Space Administration (KASA), has held a workshop for its civilian members. The session is aimed at briefning outside experts and civilian representatives on the committee's space policy work. The announcement was posted on the administration's official website. Public interest so far appears limited, with little wider discussion recorded.

Richard J. Tilley's poetry collection Elephant Snow, now available to read on the Internet Archive, is drawing renewed attention alongside a blog essay titled The Cries of Bitterns, revisited. The essay revisits the sounds of bitterns as a poetic motif, and small circles of poetry readers are sharing the piece along with the free copy of the book.