Mountain View, CA

It took feats of engineering and deft piloting to map the planet’s topography, an achievement that continues to pay dividends decades later. In 2000, Commander Kevin Kregel led the Endeavour space shuttle mission, equipped with a 200-foot-long mast for the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) to create a detailed 3D map of Earth. Despite technical challenges like mast flexibility and frozen gas jets, innovative solutions like the fly-cast maneuver allowed the team to map over 80% of Earth’s landmass. Today, SRTM data continues to aid global environmental and economic studies.

NASA’s Daring Mission to 3D Map the Globe

New evidence supports the hypothesis that a fragmented comet triggered a dramatic climate change 12,800 years ago, with findings across the U.S. indicating the occurrence of powerful “touchdown” airbursts without forming craters. Researchers are further strengthening the case for the Younger Dryas Impact hypothesis, which suggests that a...

Shocking Discovery: Cosmic Airburst May Have Sparked Global Cooling 12,800 Years Ago

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has provided groundbreaking data from near the edge of the solar system, revealing the cosmic optical background—the faint glow left by billions of galaxies since the Big Bang. This study, which meticulously subtracts interference from cosmic dust and other sources, confirms the lingering light...

From the Edge of the Solar System: NASA’s New Horizons Reveals the Universe’s True Glow

A new study highlights the significant impacts of unprecedented heat waves in Antarctica, which are occurring even during winter months. These extreme temperatures, which are a result of climate change, not only melt glaciers and disrupt wildlife, particularly microorganisms, and invertebrates, but also pose challenges for species adapted to extreme cold and dry conditions. The research underscores the broad ecological consequences and the urgent need to monitor and understand these phenomena as they have implications far beyond the continent.

Earth’s Last Frontier Burns: Record-Breaking Heat Strikes Antarctica in Winter

Washington, DC

Community Voices represent independent, third-party users who have joined our contributor program but not yet verified their accounts. Community Voices are expected, like all users, to adhere to our Community Standards.

community_voice

NewsNinja

A woman says she overheard Texas Roadhouse corporate managers plotting to terminate an employee who is in the intensive care unit (ICU) by baiting her husband with a fake benefits package. The story has sparked outrage in a now-viral TikTok.

Woman catches Texas Roadhouse managers allegedly scheming to terminate an injured worker

MIT researchers have pioneered a method to observe and image the development of scales on butterfly wings during metamorphosis, revealing how the scales’ ridged structures form through a process called buckling. This discovery provides insights into the mechanical properties of scale formation and suggests potential applications in designing new...

Nature’s Engineering Wonders: Butterfly Wings Might Hold the Key to Revolutionary New Materials

Purdue University’s Dan Chavas uses computer models to study how geographic changes, such as flattening mountains or altering sea surfaces, could influence tornado occurrences in North America, providing insights into the climatic factors driving severe weather. During the warmer months in the Midwest, studying the sky for signs of...

Why Does the U.S. Have So Many Tornadoes? New Research Challenges 50-Year-Old Assumptions

Kentucky State

Users in NewsBreak’s Contributor Program who have verified their accounts by showing hard news writing experience on other platforms.

contributor

Northern Kentucky Tribune

Starting in late September, the federal government will relaunch its at-home COVID-19 test program that makes every U.S. household eligible for four free COVID-19 tests to be sent directly to their home.

Every household can get four free COVID-19 tests by mail, starting late September

Los Angeles County, CA

Herbie J Pilato

Beloved actress Nichelle Nichols, who died at 89 in 2022, found fame with her pioneering role as Communications Officer Lt. Nyota Uhura on TV's original Star Trek series (NBC, 1966-1969). She went on to play a groundbreaking role in several feature films and, as an African-American actress, became a beacon of dignity and diversity in Hollywood.

'Star Trek's' Nichelle Nichols Was Not Allowed To Play Secretary 'Peggy Fair' on TV's 'Mannix'

Salem, OH

Every day, 8-year-old Emma sits in a small garden outside her grandmother’s home in Salem, Ohio, writing letters to her mom and sometimes singing songs her mother used to sing to her.

Thousands of parents die of overdoses; advocates say their kids need more help

Jefferson County, KY

Louisville, KY

Federal, state and local public health officials have confirmed the first case of the Oropouche virus in Kentucky and Jefferson County in a person who had returned to Louisville after traveling to the Caribbean.

Health officials report first case of Oropouche virus, aka ‘Sloth Fever,’ confirmed in Kentucky

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft completed a three-month flight test to the ISS, landing safely in New Mexico. This uncrewed mission provided NASA and Boeing with essential data for future crewed missions. Despite challenges like helium leaks and thruster issues, the spacecraft demonstrated its capability for safe space travel. The mission’s insights are crucial for advancing NASA’s goals for space exploration and developing reliable, cost-effective transportation to the ISS.

Starliner’s Troubled Trek Through Space Concludes With Desert Touchdown

Colorado State

Denver, CO

David Heitz

They're shaped like a potato and tend to bake in hot weather, biologists say. That's why you will find cheeky little pikas in Colorado's mountains. But climate change could cause these critters' numbers to dwindle, according to wildlife experts. Like polar bears, Pikas may predict warmer temperatures, scientists say.

Potato-shaped critter visible now may predict climate change in Colorado

Planet’s wild orbit offers clues to how such large, hot planets take shape. A team of astronomers has discovered a juvenile planet, TIC 241249530 b, which is transitioning into a hot Jupiter. This planet, in a unique eccentric and retrograde orbit, is a key to understanding the dynamic processes that transform distant, icy giants into blazing, star-hugging worlds.

Hot Jupiter Rising: A Planet’s Remarkable Transformation

Users in NewsBreak’s Contributor Program who have verified their accounts by showing some writing experience on other platforms.

writer

J. Souza

A Reddit post on the r/Cruise subreddit has caused a stir after a user uploaded a photo appearing to show a mannequin taking a picture from the balcony of Royal Caribbean's new ship, Icon of the Seas.

Is that a Mannequin? Image from Balcony of Largest Cruise Ship Raises Questions

Newly identified Antarctic dragonfish, Akarotaxis gouldae, displays unique traits and faces threats from climate change and fishing, underscoring conservation challenges. Researchers at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) have discovered a new species of Antarctic dragonfish in waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula. The species, named Akarotaxis gouldae or Banded Dragonfish, exemplifies both the unknown biodiversity and fragile state of the Antarctic ecosystem.

Scientists Discover Peculiar New Species of Dragonfish in Antarctica

Invasive peach blossom jellyfish, originating from China, have proliferated across British Columbia’s freshwater bodies, with sightings expected to escalate due to climate change. Researchers at UBC highlight that these creatures, which are clones, pose potential risks to native species by outcompeting them. An invasive, freshwater jellyfish is popping up...

Mysterious Clones: Invasive Jellyfish From China Alarm British Columbia Researchers

New Mexico State

Boeing’s Starliner completed its mission from the International Space Station with a successful deorbit burn, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing in New Mexico. Its advanced heat shield and airbag system facilitated a safe landing, showcasing its capabilities as a reusable spacecraft. At 6:04 p.m. EDT on September 6, Starliner autonomously...

Boeing Starliner Undocks From Space Station, Lands in New Mexico

Aurora, CO

The City of Aurora’s plan for a homeless navigation campus focusing on “work first” is coming together. The City Council will vote during its study session Monday on a resolution sponsored by council member Dustin Zvonek that spells out how the campus will operate. “The City of Aurora wishes to pursue an alternative to the ‘Housing First’ approach, by setting requirements and expectations for housing to include participation in addiction recovery, mental health, and job training programs to better address homelessness,” the resolution states. “It is inhumane and economically unwise to allow individuals experiencing homelessness to remain on the streets, or simply offer unconditional housing, rather than providing them with the necessary support services that offer a structured path to self-sufficiency and housing.”

Aurora’s ‘work first’ homeless plan: Instilling responsibility

Users in NewsBreak’s Contributor Program who have not yet self-verified their accounts.

Devra Lee

Disclaimer: This content was written by Devra Lee for general informational and entertainment purposes only. This service is to provide astrological information that has been researched, recorded, and observed by the author.

Horoscope of the Day, Sunday, September 8th

NewsBreak

Data From the Heavens: The Space Shuttle Maps That Transformed Our View of Earth

This is the second installment of a two-part series about the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. Read part one here. Elevation data collected during a space shuttle...

Data From the Heavens: The Space Shuttle Maps That Transformed Our View of Earth

Comments / 0