US forecasters at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center have declared the largest solar radiation storm in over 20 years is now impacting Earth. Reaching a severe level four out of five, the event, caused by a massive X-class solar flare, disrupts GPS and aviation while creating stunning auroral displays across Europe.
Wood and Niron Magnetics are building the world’s first large-scale plant for rare-earth-free permanent magnets in Minnesota. Slated for 2027, the facility will produce 1,500 tons of powerful Iron Nitride magnets annually from abundant materials, creating a secure U.S. supply for EVs and green tech and challenging China’s rare earth dominance.
A team of Chinese scientists led by Professor Zheng Yangheng has made the first-ever direct observation of the Migdal effect, a quantum phenomenon theorized in 1939. This breakthrough, achieved with 5 sigma confidence, provides the experimental foundation needed to potentially detect elusive light dark matter particles.
University of California, Riverside astrophysicist Stephen Kane has identified Mars as a key amplifier of Earth’s ice age cycles. His models show the Red Planet’s gravity drives a 2.4-million-year “Grand Cycle” that intensifies glacial periods, with potential links to human evolution.
Sierra Space has delivered the first nine satellite buses for the Pentagon’s Space Development Agency (SDA) Tranche 2 Tracking Layer a full three months ahead of schedule. These satellites will carry advanced infrared sensors to track hypersonic and ballistic missile threats.
NASA’s Pandora space telescope is now in orbit, beginning a year-long mission to study 20 exoplanet atmospheres for signs of water and clouds while simultaneously monitoring their host stars to rule out false signals.
Chinese company CAS Space has achieved the country’s first commercial suborbital capsule recovery with its Lihong-1 vehicle. The mission, reaching 120 km altitude, conducted microgravity experiments including space-based 3D-printing before a successful parachute-assisted touchdown.
Chinese entities have filed plans with the UN to launch more than 200,000 satellites, a move that escalates the space race with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The filings, including two proposals for 96,714 satellites each, come just as Beijing criticized Starlink for crowding orbits and increasing collision risks.
Scientists from China’s Purple Mountain Observatory have released the world’s first lunar timekeeping software. It solves the problem caused by the moon’s weaker gravity, which makes clocks run 56 microseconds faster per day, and is essential for coordinating future missions and a lunar “GPS.”
UK startup Space Forge has fired up the first commercial semiconductor factory in space aboard its ForgeStar-1 satellite, generating 1,832°F plasma. This breakthrough paves the way for making materials in microgravity that could slash electronics’ energy use by up to 60%, according to CEO Joshua Western.
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