Starship reached orbit on successive reports but suffered an engine failure and ended in a fiery splashdown. The milestone advances the program while leaving controlled reentry, recovery, and repeatable reuse unproven.
9 stories, Sep 28 to 29
Defined the week
Swiss glaciers lose critical reserves
Swiss glaciers lost about 5% of their volume in one year, following sustained recent declines. The accelerating loss threatens freshwater reserves and weakens the glaciers' ability to buffer future heat and drought.
3 stories, Sep 30 to Oct 1
Major
Commercial crew systems diverge
NASA's commercial crew picture split between Starliner, whose next crewed flight slipped to 2028 after a mishap, and SpaceX, which delivered astronauts to the ISS in a record-fast trip. Coverage of Crew-13 also pointed to continued pressure for faster ISS transportation.
6 stories, Sep 28 to Oct 1
Major
Ocean heat exposure is underestimated
Researchers found that standard marine-heatwave measurements often capture only the most intense phase of longer warm periods. Total ocean heat exposure exceeded those measurements by more than 150% on average, potentially distorting ecological risk assessments.
1 story, Sep 30
Notable
Australian moth swarms draw scrutiny
Moth swarms became a recurring Australian science story, moving from recognition that the event was good news to questions about why endangered moths were gathering along the east coast.