Published By: Devyani

Science & Space Roundup: Top News of the Day (June 7)

Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.

SpaceX Sends SiriusXM-10 Sky High in 69th Mission of the Year

(@SpaceX/X)

SpaceX kicked off the weekend with a spectacular pre-dawn launch for SiriusXM! Early Saturday morning (June 7th), a Falcon 9 rocket roared to life from Cape Canaveral, Florida, successfully boosting the SXM-10 satellite into orbit. True to form, the rocket's first stage made a perfect return just minutes later, landing smoothly on the drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" waiting in the Atlantic. This particular booster is a seasoned veteran, having previously launched astronauts and even moon landers – one succeeded, while another sadly crashed just days before this flight.

About half an hour after liftoff, the upper stage delivered SXM-10 exactly where it needed to be high above Earth. This marks SpaceX's second SiriusXM satellite delivery in just six months. Incredibly, it was also the company's 69th Falcon 9 mission this year alone, with most dedicated to expanding their massive Starlink internet network.

Astronomers Find Planet Nine Skeptic Orbiting Solar System's Edge

(@NewsfromSpace/X)

Astronomers might have found Pluto's cosmic cousin! A small world dubbed 2017 OF201 is looping way out in the solar system's deep freeze on a truly epic journey. Its wildly stretched orbit takes a staggering 24,000 years to complete, swinging from relatively "close" to the sun (still 45 times farther than Earth) out to a mind-boggling distance 1,600 times farther than we are.

This potential dwarf planet, roughly the size of a small country but as heavy as our Moon, is interesting for more than just its marathon orbit. Its path is tilted differently from a cluster of other distant objects whose aligned orbits hint at a hidden giant planet ("Planet Nine"). 2017 OF201's odd angle throws a bit of a wrench into that theory, challenging the idea that a single unseen world is shepherding everything out there. The jury's still out, but this little traveler is making astronomers rethink the solar system's outer limits.

Record-Breaking Cosmic Monsters: Black Holes Gobble Stars, Unleash Biggest Bangs Since Big Bang

Space feels a little emptier lately, thanks to three monstrous black holes far, far away – a staggering 80 billion light-years from Earth. These cosmic beasts are gobbling up stars ten times bigger than our sun like they're mere snacks.

Astronomers spotted these supermassive black holes by combing through NASA and ESA data. The explosions unleashed when these giants shred and consume such massive stars are mind-blowing – the most powerful events witnessed since the Big Bang itself!

Scientists are thrilled. "We're exploring the universe's most extreme energy limits," said co-author Anna Payne. These violent feasts act like spotlights, revealing hidden, inactive black holes, explained lead author Jason Hinkle. Essentially, watching stars get torn apart gives us an incredible peek into the behavior of these otherwise invisible cosmic titans.

Tokyo Falls Silent: Japan's Private Moon Lander Crashes in Tense Touchdown Attempt

(@SpaceX/X)

The tension in Tokyo was palpable as hundreds watched the live feed, only for silence to fall when Japan's private moon lander, "Resilience," lost contact moments before touchdown. Hours later, ispace confirmed the harsh reality: their second attempt to land commercially on the moon had ended in failure. 

Likely crashing due to problems gauging its altitude and slowing down, Resilience joins its predecessor lost in 2023. This setback stalls Japan's commercial lunar dreams, even as the country remains key to the US-led Artemis program. While shares plummeted, ispace insists they're financially stable and vows to push ahead. Their next chance? A bigger NASA-backed lander launching from the US in 2027. Despite the sting of two crashes, the race to the moon continues, and ispace is determined to get it right next time.