Virgin Orbit is moving ever closer to launching a rocket to space for the first time.
Why it matters: The company is one of a number of private spaceflight companies aiming to capitalize on what it sees as a boom in demand for small spacecraft launches.
A newly selected European Space Agency mission expected to launch in 2028 is designed to get up close and personal with a comet.
Why it matters: If all goes according to plan, the new mission — named the Comet Interceptor — will give us an unprecedented look at a pristine comet that has never visited the inner solar system before and hasn’t been altered by the heat of the Sun.
The most comprehensive search for signs of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe has come up short so far, despite generating more than 1 petabyte of data. But such efforts are just getting started.
The big picture: The project — known as Breakthrough Listen — observed more than 1,300 relatively nearby stars over the course of 3 years, listening for any signs of radio waves that would signal the presence of technologically advanced aliens.
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket just launched for the third time, lofting 24 payloads for the Air Force, NASA, NOAA and a variety of universities to orbit as part of a rocket ride share.
Why it matters: Ahead of the launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said in a tweet that this Falcon Heavy launch would be the "most difficult launch ever." If those stakes weren't high enough, this also marked the first time the Air Force has flown its wares to space aboard a Falcon Heavy.
On Monday at 11:30 pm ET, SpaceX plans to launch 24 satellites into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. You can watch a stream of the launch below.
The big picture: Per SpaceX, the mission will be "among the most challenging launches in SpaceX history."
Air imported directly from the Sahara Desert into Western Europe will result in a record-shattering heat wave this week that could break all-time monthly temperature records in some locations, including Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Poland and Denmark.
Why it matters: An extended heat wave at the start of summer is a threat to public health, since people are not yet accustomed to such high temperatures, making them more susceptible to heat-related illnesses. Europe has a history of deadly heat events in recent years. In 2003, for example, an August heat wave contributed to as many as 70,000 excess deaths, primarily in France, and became the first extreme weather event to be conclusively tied to human-caused global warming.
