Apr 17, 2017

NASA plans 360-degree live stream of Tuesday's rocket launch

United Launch Allaince

If you've ever wanted to get close to a rocket launch, NASA is offering a new way to do so.

For the first time, the space agency is broadcasting a launch live in 360-degree video. The 360-degree live stream is scheduled to start 10 minutes before liftoff on NASA's YouTube channel. The launch of an International Space Station resupply ship is targeted for some time in a 30-minute window that starts around 11:11 a.m. ET. At the moment, the weather forecast looks good, with a 90 percent chance of favorable launch conditions.

While you can view the launch from a computer or standard mobile device, a virtual reality headset offers the best opportunity to feel like you are right there at Cape Canaveral.

Why it matters: Virtual Reality headsets hold the promise of allowing people to put themselves in places they would never normally be. Being able to be on a rocket launch pad is a perfect example of that.

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Axios

China tries to contain coronavirus, as Apple warns of earnings impact

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's NHC; Note: China refers to mainland China and the Diamond Princess is the cruise ship offshore Yokohama, Japan. Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios

As China pushes to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus — placing around 780 million people under travel restrictions, per CNN — the economic repercussions continue to be felt globally as companies like Apple warn of the impact from the lack of manufacturing and consumer demand in China.

The big picture: COVID-19 has now killed at least 1,775 people and infected more than 70,000 others, mostly in mainland China. There are some signs that new cases are growing at a slower rate now, although the World Health Organization said Monday it's "too early to tell" if this will continue.

Go deeperUpdated 2 hours ago - Health

Ina Fried

Apple will miss quarterly earnings estimates due to coronavirus

Apple CEO Tim Cook

Apple issued a rare earnings warning on Monday, saying it would not meet quarterly revenue expectations due to the impact of the coronavirus, which will limit iPhone production and limit product demand in China.

Why it matters: Lots of companies rely on China for production, but unlike most U.S. tech companies, Apple also gets a significant chunk of its revenue from sales in China.

Go deeper2 hours ago - Technology

Orion Rummler

America's dwindling executions

The Trump administration wants to reboot federal executions, pointing to a 16-year lapse, but Pew Research reports the government has only executed three people since 1963.

The big picture: Nearly all executions in the U.S. are done by states. Even those have been steadily dropping for two decades, per the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) — marking a downward trend for all executions in the country.

Go deeper4 hours ago - Politics & Policy