Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
SpaceX Adds More Satellites to Starlink Fleet in Routine Night Launch
Falcon 9 completes the first 30th launch and landing of an orbital class rocket
pic.twitter.com/L7pLOhID1D
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 28, 2025
(@SpaceX/Instagram)
In a stunning predawn display, another SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lit up the California sky. The mission: deploy 24 new Starlink internet satellites into orbit.
The rocket’s first stage then made a now-routine return, landing smoothly on a drone ship in the Pacific. This marked the 15th successful trip for this particular booster, showcasing SpaceX's mastery of reusability.
This launch is part of an ambitious effort to expand the massive Starlink network, which already boasts over 8,200 active satellites. With more than 70% of this year's 107 Falcon 9 flights dedicated to Starlink, the constellation continues to grow at an incredible pace, pushing the boundaries of global connectivity.
Webb Telescope Finds a Planet-Forming Puzzle
(@latestinspace/X)
The James Webb Space Telescope has stumbled upon a cosmic head-scratcher. While studying a newborn star, it found a planet-forming disk brimming with carbon dioxide but holding almost no water.
This is the complete opposite of what scientists expected. In the zone where rocky planets like Earth are born, water vapor usually dominates. This strange chemical recipe challenges everything we thought we knew about how planets are built.
Researchers suspect intense ultraviolet radiation from nearby massive stars might be to blame, completely reshaping the disk's chemistry. This mind-blowing discovery shows that the environments where planets form are far more diverse and extreme than our models predicted.
Neutron: The "Hungry Hippo" Rocket is Almost Ready
(@Alexendre_Chat/X)
Move over, traditional rockets - Rocket Lab’s Neutron is here to shake things up. This innovative, reusable medium-lift rocket, nicknamed for its "Hungry Hippo" jaws that open to release its payload, now has a brand-new launch pad in Virginia.
Its first flight is targeted for late 2025. The Neutron represents a massive leap in capability, designed to carry heavier satellite constellations into orbit and then return to Earth for a landing, either on ground or on a sea-going platform. It’s a smart, sustainable, and exciting new player in the space access game.
Caught in the Act: A Baby Planet's First Feast
(@redditSpaceView/X)
For the first time ever, astronomers have captured a stunning cosmic event: a newborn planet actively devouring gas and dust from the disk that birthed it. This baby giant, located 400 light-years away, is carving a visible path through the material surrounding its young star.
The discovery is a monumental breakthrough, confirming a long-held theory about how planets grow. Dubbed WISPIT 2b, this colossal world is roughly five times Jupiter's mass. It was spotted because it had finally cleared a large enough gap in the swirling disk, allowing telescopes to see its spectacular feeding frenzy. Researchers are thrilled, having accidentally caught this rare glimpse of planetary infancy in action.
