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The world's largest RC Boeing 777-9X takes flight

Popular Science

Technology Aviation The world's largest RC Boeing 777-9X takes flight Filmmaker Tyler Perry piloted the remote-controlled behemoth, which weighs 630 pounds with a 33-foot wingspan. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. The remote-controlled aircraft is roughly the same size as a human-piloted Cessna 150. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .


The world's first 'hovertrain' could reach speeds of 270 mph in the 1960s

Popular Science

The world's first'hovertrain' could reach speeds of 270 mph in the 1960s But the futuristic Aérotrain never saw the light of day. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. This cancelled Mongolian postage stamp shows the Aérotrain Orleans, circa 1979. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .


Could aliens ever visit Earth? An aerospace scientist unpacks the challenges of interstellar spaceflight.

Popular Science

Science Space Could aliens ever visit Earth? The universe is vast and teeming with stars - but if intelligent life exists, it may not be able to visit Earth. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. On May 22, 2026, the Pentagon released a second batch of previously classified photos and videos showing what appear to be unexplained flying objects. These file dumps were the culmination of a process that was set in motion back in July 2023, when a group of government whistleblowers testified before Congress that the U.S. government was secretly in possession of extraterrestrial spacecraft and suspected alien body parts.


The Ukrainian Stunt Pilot Hunting Russian Drones

The New Yorker

A Ukrainian flying ace is leveraging his aerobatics skills to protect his countrymen from nightly attacks. The most challenging part of an international aerobatics contest is the Free Unknown. Pilots arrive at a competition after having polished sequences of loops, stall turns, and barrel rolls. But for the Free Unknown section they learn which assortment of tricks they must perform only a day in advance. Contestants plan out how they will string together the stipulated moves in the most pleasing fashion, but they cannot rehearse the routine, except in their minds. It's a test of imagination and airmanship that often decides the competition. In 2019, the World Intermediate Aerobatics Championship, which was held on an airfield in the Czech town of Břeclav, contained three Free Unknowns. The winner of the first was a twenty-five-year-old Ukrainian pilot named Timur Fatkullin. At the controls of his red-and-silver Extra 330LX--a nimble German sports plane--he made the unusual move of starting his sequence upside down. He then executed a complicated routine as if he'd practiced it for months. The Ukrainian team, boosted by Fatkullin's performance, won gold. Trevor Dugan, who served as a navigator with the R.A.F. in Afghanistan and Iraq, was on the British team, which took bronze. Fatkullin, he said, was "absolutely phenomenal." Not long after that championship, Fatkullin stopped entering aerobatics competitions: first came the pandemic, then the war with Russia. He moves through life impatiently. Now thirty-two, he has five children. He is tall, with a tight beard, pale-green eyes, and a square jaw. Even in casual situations, he stands ramrod straight, as though about to give or receive an order. He often wears a shirt with three buttons undone, a beige leather flying jacket with the collar turned up, combat pants, and Nike high-tops. He plays the guitar, a little piano. He often carries a thick fold of high-value bills. He speaks several languages, including English (almost perfectly) and Spanish (conversationally). He once spent thirty days in jail after breaking the ribs of a man who'd threatened his wife. He can dance the tango. When Fatkullin was in his mid-twenties, he started doing stunts with a group of other extreme athletes: parachutists, motorcyclists, a free diver.


Why the SpaceX IPO is the talk of Wall Street and beyond

Al Jazeera

Tech billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX is preparing to list its shares on the US-based Nasdaq in what will be the most hotly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) in years. Here's everything you need to know about the deal: Founded in 2002 by Musk, now the world's richest man, SpaceX is best known for designing and launching rockets, spacecraft and reusable launch vehicles. Since 2006, the company has partnered with NASA to deliver cargo and crew to the International Space Station (ISS). The Texas-based company has also launched rockets, satellites and spacecraft for various private companies. As well as its aerospace business, SpaceX provides internet services and artificial intelligence platforms through its dedicated divisions, Starlink and xAI.


Red Arrows to fly with fewer jets to preserve ageing fleet

BBC News

The Red Arrows will fly with fewer aircraft for most of their displays as the RAF seeks to preserve the famous aerobatics team's ageing fleet. Pilots will fly in a nine-aircraft formation for King Charles III's birthday flypast in June and one month later to help the US mark its 250th anniversary of independence but they will fly with seven aircraft for other events from this year. The current fleet of Hawk T1s - which have been flown by the Red Arrows since 1980 - is due to be retired in 2030, with spare parts less readily available. An RAF spokesperson said scaling back would support the sustainable management of the fleet and prepare the team for a transition to a future aircraft type. The Red Arrows are used to display the force's military capabilities and help with recruitment.


SpaceX files for IPO that could make Elon Musk a trillionaire

BBC News

Elon Musk's SpaceX has revealed its plans to go public in the US, allowing people to trade shares in the firm on the stock market. SpaceX makes rockets, offers a satellite internet service called Starlink, and also owns Musk's controversial artificial intelligence (AI) firm xAI. The initial public offering (IPO) on the US stock market is set to be the largest in Wall Street history and could start next month under the ticker symbol SPCX. Because of the shares he will own in SpaceX, the IPO could make billionaire Musk, who is already the world's richest person, a trillionaire. SpaceX values itself at $1.25tn, and Musk's majority ownership of the company means his share could be worth more than $600bn.


Former OpenAI Staffers Warn xAI's Poor Safety Record Could Complicate SpaceX's IPO

WIRED

The ex-employees, who cofounded a new AI watchdog group, say investors deserve more information about xAI's safety practices before SpaceX goes public. Two former OpenAI employees and a group of AI safety nonprofits are warning that Elon Musk's AI lab, xAI, could become a liability for prospective investors in SpaceX, which is preparing to file what's expected to be the largest initial public offering in Wall Street History. In a letter directed to investors published on Tuesday, the ex-staffers highlighted what they describe as "unpriced risks" related to xAI that could complicate SpaceX's reported plans to raise up to $75 billion as part of its IPO. The rocket company's private valuation shot up to over $1 trillion after it acquired xAI last year . Musk claimed his rocket company could launch data centers into space for his AI lab, but the letter's authors argue that xAI's poor record on safety issues could complicate how investors view the combined company as it gets ready to submit its IPO prospectus filing .


SpaceX backs Anthropic with data centre deal amidst Musk's OpenAI lawsuit

Al Jazeera

SpaceX backs Anthropic with data centre deal amidst Musk's OpenAI lawsuit Anthropic has reached a deal to tap the computing resources of Elon Musk's SpaceX, marking a detente with its one-time critic and a boost for both companies in the high-stakes artificial intelligence race. Under the agreement announced on Wednesday, Anthropic will use the full computing power of SpaceX's Colossus 1 facility in Memphis, Tennessee, which houses more than 220,000 Nvidia processors and will give the Claude chatbot maker 300 megawatts of new capacity within a month. That's enough electricity to power more than 300,000 homes - as the Dario Amodei-led company seeks to boost the capacity of its Claude Pro and Claude Max AI assistants for subscribers. The tool allows AI systems to review work between sessions, spot patterns, and update files that store user preferences and other context. Available as a research preview, "dreaming" comes with software for managing agents, or AI programmes that perform tasks with little human involvement.


Anthropic Gets in Bed With SpaceX as the AI Race Turns Weird

WIRED

In an unexpected turn, the two companies signed a deal for Anthropic to use computing resources from Elon Musk's xAI. Anthropic and Elon Musk's SpaceX said on Wednesday that the two entities have signed an agreement for Anthropic to use computing resources from xAI's data center in Memphis, Tennessee. It's the latest tie up in an industry that is scrambling to find enough computers to run complex AI software. SpaceX and xAI were previously separate companies, but the two merged earlier this year. The combined entity, also owned by Musk, is called SpaceXAI.