Axios

Several futuristic space experiments involving orbital data centers and high-tech energy transfers launched into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Thursday afternoon.

Driving the news: Among the 130 payloads aboard the Transporter-18 "rideshare" mission:

1. Google's MVP satellite, designed to test the concept of solar-powered data centers in space.
2. Protostar, a satellite from startup Star Catcher meant to transmit energy to another satellite — to bear out the idea of an orbital power grid.
3. Reason-1, a satellite from startup Cowboy Space designed to collect solar energy in space and beam it to Earth.

What they're saying: Cowboy Space founder and CEO Baiju Bhatt tells Axios that the idea is to provide power in places without an existing power grid — a kind of Starlink for energy — while also working toward orbital data centers.

• There are also potential military applications, Bhatt adds — powering high-endurance surveillance drones, for example.

Reality check: It's early days for all of these concepts, which have long existed on drawing boards and in sci-fi novels but have yet to be borne out.

The bottom line: It's a boom time for intriguing commercial efforts in Earth orbit, though SpaceX's plan to wind down its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket has left the space industry scrambling for launch alternatives.

Energy stocks were some of the best-performing U.S. assets to own in the just-ended third quarter, as inflationary pressures related to the Iran war and irrepressible U.S. growth established themselves as key price-drivers.

Why it matters: The performance of oil-and-gas drillers, refiners and retailers was crucial to keeping broader indexes such as the S&P 500 in the black (+2%) during the three months that ended Wednesday.

• For the year so far, the S&P is up 11.8%.

The Army National Guard plays a critical role when communities face natural disasters and emergencies. Now, it's helping high school students understand what that work looks like up close.

LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA — The build room at BWXT's Innovation Campus was quiet. On the far end, perched above the ground and cloaked in what looked like plastic, the reactor core stood like an altar to nuclear energy.

• Just weeks ago, crews installed the core barrel, lowering it through a hatch in the roof. That pushed Project Pele, and potentially the future of military energy, one step closer to realization.
• "We are, truly, into the fabrication and assembly cycle," Charles Graves, director of government microreactors, told Axios. "There is a huge difference between looking at a paper reactor and getting to a point like this."

The big picture: BWXT was selected by the Defense Department's Strategic Capabilities Office in 2022 to develop and deploy a mobile microreactor capable of energizing troops and their gear in remote locations.

The Trump administration picked an awkward moment to relax America's fuel-economy rules: just as gasoline prices are reminding drivers why fuel economy matters.

Why it matters: Trump is pitching its rollback as an affordability measure, saying he's knocking about $1,300 off the price of a new car. The question is how much of that drivers will hand back at the gas station.

Memes and the diesel shock aside, maybe the recent bond yield surge is simply telling us to kick back and enjoy a revving U.S. economy.

Why it matters: While the energy spike caused by the Iran war is a big deal, some analysts stress that the main takeaway of the bond market's recent turn should be that the U.S. economy is simply far stronger than many previously thought.

States still have powerful energy and technology tools to cut emissions, but the path is getting harder as the Trump administration retreats from climate action and a key global warming threshold slips out of reach.

Why it matters: A UN report maps out what's needed now that a long-term breach of the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal is considered unavoidable — making rapid emissions cuts critical to limiting how high temperatures rise and for how long.

University of British Columbia researchers discovered two new species of sea spiders that have been deemed "nightmare fuel."

Why it matters: Scientists are trying to understand how climate change and other disturbances are affecting marine life, but researchers say they first need a better picture of what species are actually out there.

Leaf-peepers, mark your calendars: Fall color is expected across most of the country by mid-October, according to a map on Explore Fall.

Zoom in: Peak foliage is expected to sweep south over the next several weeks.

Tesla's long-delayed electric Semi is finally going into mass production, with the company opening its first factory Thursday in Nevada.

Why it matters: The economics of electric 18-wheelers have long been challenging, but record diesel prices are suddenly making the equation a lot more compelling.