5 MAY 2024 · After facing years of setbacks and challenges, Boeing is now on the cusp of sending astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in partnership with NASA. This mission will mark the first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner capsule, with NASA pilots conducting a comprehensive test of the spacecraft during their journey to and from the ISS, expected to last about a week. Following the retirement of the space shuttles, NASA turned to U.S. companies for astronaut transportation services. While Elon Musk's SpaceX has successfully completed nine crewed missions for NASA since 2020, Boeing has faced delays, with only two uncrewed test flights under its belt.

5 MAY 2024 · NASA and Boeing have evaluated the likelihood of a catastrophic incident resulting in the loss of astronauts during a Starliner mission, known as a "loss of crew" scenario. The minimum safety requirement set by NASA was a 1 in 270 chance of loss of crew, a threshold that Boeing exceeded with a probability of 1 in 295, as stated by Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Comparatively, such odds would be unacceptable for commercial airplanes, highlighting the inherently riskier nature of spaceflight due to its relative novelty and unique challenges

5 MAY 2024 · Set to launch on Monday evening, NASA's Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will embark on Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spaceship, aiming to dock with the International Space Station early Wednesday. While SpaceX's Crew Dragon has been ferrying astronauts to the ISS, Boeing's Starliner is finally catching up after a decade-long journey. Despite Boeing's recent passenger-plane woes, NASA insists that Starliner is ready and safe for launch, emphasizing rigorous testing and preparation.

4 MAY 2024 · At first glance, Neo Px appears to be an ordinary houseplant, but beneath the surface lies a powerhouse of pollution-fighting bacteria. This week, Neoplants, a biotech company based in France, unveiled the world's first bioengineered houseplant designed to combat harmful chemicals found in indoor air. Specifically targeting volatile organic compounds (VOCs), emitted by common household items like gas stoves, paints, and furniture. Indoor air quality can be significantly worse than outdoor air, sometimes up to 100 times more polluted, as noted by the American Lung Association. This is primarily due to elevated levels of VOCs, which can lead to various health issues ranging from irritation to serious conditions like liver damage and cancer.

4 MAY 2024 · Researchers observed an orangutan named Rakus treating his wounds with medicinal plants, displaying behavior reminiscent of humans. Rakus resides in Gunung Leuser National Park in South Aceh, Indonesia, where scientists from the Institute of Animal Behavior meticulously study animals like him, documenting their activities every two minutes. A team of researchers, led by evolutionary biologist Caroline Schuppli and cognitive biologist Isabelle Laumer, were observing Rakus when they noticed a deep facial wound. They speculate that it resulted from a confrontation with another male during a "long call battle," where adult male orangutans vocalize to attract females and assert territorial dominance. Sometimes, these vocalizations attract rival males, leading to physical altercations.

4 MAY 2024 · As temperatures rise and urban development creates ideal conditions, termites could spread to new territories. With rising temperatures due to climate change, destructive termite species could invade urban areas from Miami to New York, according to a study published in the journal Neobiota, as reported by Newsweek on May 1st. This could lead to massive losses, as termites already cause $40 billion in damage globally each year.

4 MAY 2024 · Despite existing for several decades, cloud seeding technology continues to be controversial in the weather community, especially following the severe flooding in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). There were reports of unprecedented flooding in the UAE on April 16th. Many media outlets blamed the cloud seeding operations that Dubai frequently conducts to address its water needs. According to Ahmed Habib, an expert at the National Center of Meteorology (NCM), the UAE conducted cloud seeding operations a few days before the rainfall. Aircraft were deployed from Al Ain airport to influence convective clouds forming in the area, as reported by Interesting Engineering. Dubai was left completely paralyzed after heavy rainfall, resulting in the region receiving a year's worth of rain in just 24 hours. Schools were closed, and employees were asked to work remotely as underground parking lots were flooded. The subway service was also disrupted due to the two-day-long rainfall. Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest airports globally, experienced significant operational disruptions, with flights being diverted or delayed for hours. The damage wasn't limited to Dubai alone. Streets in the capital Abu Dhabi were flooded, and a 70-year-old man lost his life after his car was caught in a flash flood in Ras Al Khaimah.

4 MAY 2024 · UAE - The Dubai Mangroves project will cover Dubai's coastline with a massive mangrove forest to prevent erosion, floods, and reduce CO2 emissions. Dubai-based company Urb is planning to transform the area with the world's largest coastal regeneration project. This ambitious development plan includes planting over 100 million mangrove trees to safeguard the city against erosion and rising sea levels, as reported by New Atlas on May 2.

4 MAY 2024 · The Plasma Pulse Rocket technology allows completing trips to Mars in just 2 months, compared to the current time of about 9 months. On May 1st, NASA announced that the U.S. company Howe Industries is developing Plasma Pulse Rocket (PPR) technology to meet the demands of travel to Mars and beyond. Notably, the propulsion system will generate thrust up to 100,000 N with a specific impulse (Isp) of 5,000 seconds. Current spacecraft require high speeds for long-distance travel in space. This can be achieved by designing propulsion systems with strong thrust and high specific impulse. However, such systems do not currently exist. The PPR technology is being developed to meet this requirement.

3 MAY 2024 · A consortium of Japanese telecommunications companies has developed high-speed 6G wireless devices capable of transmitting data at 100 Gbps over a distance of 100 meters. The group, consisting of DOCOMO, NTT Corporation, NEC Corporation, and Fujitsu, formed an alliance for the development project. Since 2021, these companies have collaborated on researching and developing near-terahertz devices, paving the way for the era of 6G, as reported by Interesting Engineering on May 2. In a recent experiment, they successfully transmitted ultra-fast 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) at frequencies between 100 GHz and 300 GHz over a distance of 100 meters.