Protesters rally in Stockholm against Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon
Demonstrators gathered at Observatorielunden Park in Stockholm, Sweden, on Saturday, to protest ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, Anadolu Agency reports.
Organized by multiple civil society organizations, the protest featured Palestinian, Lebanese and Iranian flags, along with banners reading “Stop killing civilians,” “End the food blockade on Gaza,” and “Stop attacks on Lebanon and Iran.”
Protesters also condemned what they described as Greece’s passive stance regarding Israel’s intervention against the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Swedish activist Dror Feiler criticized Israeli policies in Gaza and Lebanon, accusing the international community of remaining silent over the humanitarian situation.
READ: Israel to release 2 activists of Gaza aid flotilla, says rights group
Feiler also criticized Israeli and US strikes on Iran as violations of international law and called on the Swedish government to halt arms sales to Israel.
Despite a ceasefire announced on April 17 and extended until May 17, the Israeli army continues daily strikes in Lebanon.
Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 2,759 people, wounded 8,512 and displaced more than 1.6 million, about one-fifth of the population, according to the latest official figures.
Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, including some it has held for decades and others since the 2023-2024 war, and has advanced about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) inside the southern border during the current conflict.
READ: Sweden calls for immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, urges protection of civilians
The Iran War Leaves Every Player With a Bill to Pay
Giorgia Valente’s analysis argues that the Iran war has produced no clean winners, only a more dangerous regional equation in which military power, maritime pressure, domestic politics, and great-power rivalry are now tangled together. The latest reports of explosions near Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and other sites in Hormozgan province, along with US self-defense strikes and renewed clashes near the Strait of Hormuz, show how fragile the emerging diplomatic track remains. Washington and Tehran were still discussing a short-term memorandum mediated by Pakistan, but the proposal would leave the central disputes unresolved: Iran’s nuclear program, missile arsenal, proxy network, and growing maritime leverage.
The piece moves country by country through the wreckage. The United States showed it could hit Iranian targets, but it could not turn battlefield reach into political control. President Donald Trump faced weak approval numbers at home, while Gulf allies proved reluctant to be dragged too deeply into a conflict with Tehran. Iran, meanwhile, was damaged but not defeated. Its commanders, infrastructure, and economy suffered, yet the regime preserved key tools of coercion: missiles, internal repression, proxy links, and the ability to turn the Strait of Hormuz into a bargaining chip.
The Gulf emerges as one of the story’s central fault lines. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are moving toward different models of regional power, with Abu Dhabi leaning into ports, logistics, alternative routes, and defense technology, while Riyadh remains more cautious about becoming a platform for escalation. Qatar’s mediation role has narrowed, Pakistan has gained diplomatic weight, and Turkey is looking for openings in a more fragmented order.
China and Russia also appear in Valente’s account as pressured but opportunistic actors. China faces energy risk from disrupted Iranian and Venezuelan oil flows, yet gains by presenting itself as steadier than Washington. Russia benefits from renewed concern over energy security and a less cohesive Western front.
Israel, too, is left with a familiar problem: battlefield gains without strategic closure. Michael Milshtein argues that Israel has not achieved “total victory” and has failed to turn military success into a coherent postwar plan. For readers trying to understand why the Strait of Hormuz has become the test of whether force can produce a political settlement, Valente’s full article is worth reading.
A routine grocery store trip turned into a nightmare for the family of Atlanta Falcons brothers AJ and Avieon Terrell after their beloved aunt was tragically killed in a violent parking lot crash that witnesses say looked “like a missile” slammed through the lot.
Giselle Perry, 49, was sitting in her parked car outside a Kroger supermarket in Decatur, Georgia, on Wednesday afternoon while waiting for her mother when disaster suddenly struck.
According to local reports, a driver lost control and barreled through the parking lot around 3:20 p.m., smashing directly into Perry’s vehicle with terrifying force. Police say the impact shoved her car into a metal pole and sent debris flying across the sidewalk.
Witnesses described a horrifying scene.
“We seen and heard the car coming and two seconds later, boom,” barber Tony Lackey told local reporters. “It was horrible.”
Another witness, Doderick Moore, compared the speeding vehicle to a “missile.”
“The woman came down here like a missile,” he said. “She knocked every brick off that pole in one lick.”
Perry was killed in the crash. A nearby pedestrian also suffered serious injuries, while the driver who allegedly caused the collision was reportedly badly hurt as well.
The driver’s daughter later claimed her mother had blacked out behind the wheel moments after leaving home.
“My mom blacked out while she was driving and she didn’t even know what was happening,” she said.
The heartbreaking loss sent shockwaves through the Atlanta Falcons organization and the Terrell family.
AJ Terrell, the Falcons star cornerback who joined the team in 2020, shared a touching black-and-white tribute photo with his aunt on Instagram, writing: “I can still hear you.”
His younger brother Avieon Terrell, who was recently drafted by Atlanta in the second round of the NFL Draft, also mourned the woman he called one of his biggest supporters.
The 21-year-old shared emotional footage from his high school football days that showed Perry wildly cheering for him from the sidelines after a touchdown.
Just weeks ago, the brothers celebrated an emotional reunion after Avieon joined AJ on the Falcons roster following the draft. Now, the family is mourning an unimaginable tragedy.
Perry’s husband, Laddyan, revealed the couple was preparing to celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary next month.
“She was everything to me,” he said through tears.
“She was loving, caring, she would do everything for me.”
He added that simply seeing her belongings around their home now causes him to “break down.”
Friends and loved ones have since flooded social media with tributes remembering Perry as the heart of the family and one of the loudest supporters at her nephews’ football games.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the deadly crash.
Record number of candidates fuels fears of political fragmentation in Cyprus
A record number of candidates submitted bids for Cyprus’s May 24 parliamentary election this week in a race which could shape one of the most fragmented legislatures in the island’s history and weaken the influence of three parties supporting incumbent president Nikos Christodoulides.
Some 753 people representing more than 15 parties or themselves put their names forward for 56 seats in the House of Representatives. Cyprus has a presidential system of government, with the vote outcome likely to be a sign of trends for the presidency in 2028. The previous parliament had seven political parties represented.
Polls show three parties supporting Christodoulides – the centrist DIKO, DIPA and EDEK – losing ground, with the far-right ELAM party making gains. Newcomers ALMA, headed by former auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides, look set to win at least 8-10% of the vote.
Michaelides was instrumental in revealing shortcomings in a passports-for-cash scheme which gave wealthy foreigners EU passports in return for investments. Frequently criticised by the EU, it was dismantled by authorities after a string of exposures in 2020.
Opinion polls are showing corruption high on voters’ agenda, said analyst Fiona Mullen. “I think this will be quite a big protest vote against what voters see as a system that just rewards insiders,” she told Reuters. The far right, ELAM, is set to become the third-largest party in parliament, mirroring trends across Europe.
“It’s a by-product of the financial crisis with people trying to find people to blame,” she said.
These Pop Tart Cookie Bars are a fun and irresistible twist on the classic toaster pastry! Imagine everything you love about strawberry pop tarts—sweet jam filling, soft cookie layers, and a sugary glaze—transformed into thick, chewy cookie bars. Easy to make and packed with nostalgic flavor, these bars are perfect for sharing (or keeping all to yourself 😉).
🌟 Why You’ll Love These Bars
Tastes like a real pop tart – but softer, richer, and homemade
Easy to make with simple pantry ingredients
Soft & chewy texture with a sweet fruity center
Customizable – swap the jam flavor for any occasion
Fun and colorful with glaze + rainbow sprinkles
🧁 Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup strawberry preserves
For the Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2–2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Rainbow sprinkles
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prep the Pan
Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Make the Dough
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
Stir in flour, salt, and baking soda until a soft dough forms. Chill for 20 minutes.
3. Create the Layers
Press half of the dough into the pan. Remove and freeze briefly.
Press remaining dough evenly into the pan. Spread strawberry preserves on top.
Place the chilled dough layer over the jam and press gently to seal.
4. Bake
Bake for 25–28 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely.
5. Glaze & Decorate
Flip the bars so the bottom becomes the top.
Whisk glaze ingredients until smooth, spread over bars, and add sprinkles.
Let set for 1–2 hours before slicing into bars.
💡 Baking Tips
Use a metal square pan for best texture
Chill dough to make layering easier
Let glaze fully set before cutting
Use clean hands when pressing dough
🔄 Variations
Swap strawberry for blueberry, raspberry, or grape jam
Add flavored sprinkles for themed occasions
Try almond extract for a flavor twist
📦 Storage
Store at room temperature for up to 4–5 days
Freeze for up to 3 months
✨ These Pop Tart Cookie Bars are soft, sweet, and full of nostalgic flavor—perfect for parties, bake sales, or whenever you want a fun homemade treat!
Hezbollah Drones Wound 3 Israeli Soldiers as IDF Strikes Scores of Targets in Lebanon
A reserve Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier was seriously wounded, and an officer and another reserve soldier were moderately injured Saturday after explosive drones detonated in the Shlomi area near the Lebanese border, as Hezbollah continued launching drones toward Israeli forces and the Israeli military carried out strikes across Lebanon.
Wounded soldiers were evacuated to a hospital for treatment and that their families had been notified, the military reported.
Several aerial launches directed at soldiers in southern Lebanon were intercepted, with no casualties reported.
Lebanese media reported that 12 people were killed on Saturday in southern Lebanon during Israeli airstrikes. Earlier Saturday, the Israeli military instructed residents in several villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate.
“In light of the Hezbollah terror organization’s violations of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is forced to act against it with force and does not intend to harm you,” army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee said in a warning to residents.
Over the past 24 hours, the military said it has struck more than 85 Hezbollah infrastructure targets in multiple areas of Lebanon.The targets included weapons depots, launchers, and Hezbollah buildings.
The military also said it struck an underground weapons manufacturing facility in the Bekaa Valley and targeted militants in southern Lebanon.
Separately, the IDF reported it attacked warehouses containing combat equipment and a Hezbollah drone launch site in southern Lebanon that had been used to launch drones toward Israeli troops. The military added that it also struck two launchers that were loaded and prepared for firing.
Drone infiltration alerts were activated in the Western Galilee on Saturday before the Home Front Command announced the incident had ended and residents could leave protected spaces.
The Air Force also intercepted several suspected aerial targets launched from Lebanon toward Israeli territory, according to the military. In Metula, an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah was detected near the border. The IDF said there were no casualties or damage and that security forces were examining the site.
One Palestinian killed, several injured in Israeli strike in northern Gaza despite ceasefire
One Palestinian man was killed and several other Palestinians injured on Saturday in an Israeli drone strike targeting a motorcycle west of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, part of Israel’s continued violations of a ceasefire agreement in force since last October.
A medical source told Anadolu that Eyad al-Motawwaq was killed in the strike, while several others were wounded, without specifying their number.
Witnesses told Anadolu that an Israeli drone targeted the motorcycle in an area west of the camp that lies outside the zones of Israeli military deployment under the ceasefire agreement.
READ: Protesters rally in Stockholm against Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon
In a separate incident, witnesses said Israeli artillery intermittently shelled eastern areas of the eastern Gaza City neighborhood of Al-Tuffah, with no casualties immediately reported.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, around 850 Palestinians have been killed and 2,433 others injured by Israeli fire and bombardment since the ceasefire took effect, amid repeated violations by the Israeli army.
The agreement was reached after two years of a genocidal Israeli war starting in October 2023, which later continued in various forms and left more than 72,000 people dead, over 172,000 injured, and caused widespread destruction to 90% of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.
READ: Britain quietly approves $11.85m arms licence to Israel despite Gaza ban
Ted Turner: The Visionary Who Rewired the Media World
Media mogul Ted Turner, who pioneered the modern 24-hour news culture when he launched the CNN channel, has died at the age of 87.
Ted Turner did not simply build a media empire — he reshaped the way the world receives information. Few figures in modern broadcasting have left a legacy as deep or as disruptive. Turner saw possibilities long before others did, and he pursued them with a mix of audacity, instinct and relentless drive.
His first breakthrough was the “super‑station”, a radical idea that cable television could become a national force independent of the traditional networks.
By turning a struggling Atlanta UHF station into WTBS and distributing it via satellite, Turner proved that cable could be more than a local curiosity. He created a new model for broadcasting — one that others would soon race to copy.
But his most transformative achievement came in 1980 with the launch of CNN, the world’s first 24‑hour news channel. At a time when network news was confined to fixed evening slots, Turner insisted that news should be constant, global and immediate.
CNN became the template for modern rolling news, influencing every major broadcaster that followed. Its coverage of international crises, conflicts and political upheavals changed public expectations of what news could be. Some commentators even credited CNN’s global reach with helping accelerate the collapse of the Iron Curtain.
Turner’s innovations extended far beyond news. He built TNT, Turner Classic Movies, and the Cartoon Network, each expanding the boundaries of what cable television could offer.
His purchase of the MGM film library — mocked at the time — became a masterstroke, fuelling multiple networks and enabling the restoration of classic cinema. He understood content value long before “content is king” became a media cliché.
Even his missteps were bold. His experiments with colourising black‑and‑white films sparked controversy, yet his commitment to film preservation through TCM earned him lasting respect.
His ventures into sports ownership and the creation of the Goodwill Games reflected the same restless ambition: Turner believed media could connect people, entertain them, and push cultural boundaries all at once.
Beyond business, Turner became one of America’s most significant philanthropists. His $1 billion donation to the United Nations and his environmental work through the Turner Foundation showed a global conscience as expansive as his media vision.
Ted Turner was a contradiction — part southern gentleman, part rebel, part showman — but above all, he was a pioneer. He changed how news is delivered, how television is structured, and how audiences around the world understand events as they unfold. His influence is woven into every 24‑hour news cycle, every global broadcast, every moment when information travels instantly across continents.
Turner didn’t just make an impact on the media world. He reinvented it.
Simon Cowell is finally admitting what millions of viewers were thinking during Susan Boyle’s unforgettable Britain’s Got Talent audition — the judges looked “awful” and “horrible” for the way they reacted to her before she even sang.
The music mogul, now 66, reflected on the now-iconic 2009 moment during the debut episode of Celebrity Trenches with Jamie East, confessing that he, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan completely misjudged the Scottish singer the second she walked onto the stage.
And according to Simon, the footage still makes him cringe.
Susan Boyle shocked the world when she appeared on Britain’s Got Talent looking shy, awkward and completely unlike a typical pop star. Audience members laughed, the judges exchanged skeptical looks, and expectations couldn’t have been lower.
Then she opened her mouth and delivered a jaw-dropping performance of I Dreamed a Dream from Les Misérables — instantly becoming one of the biggest reality TV sensations of all time.
Looking back, Simon admitted the panel’s reactions were even worse behind the scenes than what viewers saw on TV.
“I look back and I just think, ‘My God, we look so awful, horrible,’” Simon confessed. “I actually don’t think we look bad enough. I think we were even worse than that.”
He even singled out former judge Piers Morgan’s facial expression during the audition, calling it one of the worst looks he’s ever seen.
“That look that Piers gives me… I think out of all the looks I’ve ever remembered, that might be the worst,” Simon said. “I was just as bad.”
The American Idol creator admitted he could have edited some of the footage out before the episode aired, but chose not to because it became an important lesson.
“It was a bit of a wake-up call,” he explained. “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”
Simon also acknowledged how quickly public opinion turned once Susan’s performance aired.
“A lot of people are going to realize in about 24 hours that we are just horrible,” he recalled thinking at the time.
Susan herself has spoken openly over the years about how painful the experience initially felt.
The singer, now 65, previously revealed she felt like “an act in a freak show” during her first audition because of the way people mocked her appearance, hair and clothing before she performed.
“It felt quite suffocating,” Susan said in an earlier interview. “Everyone was laughing at me. They wondered who this daft woman with the crazy hair was.”
Despite the humiliation, Susan ultimately had the last laugh.
Her audition became one of the most-watched reality TV moments ever, launching her into international superstardom almost overnight. Since then, she has sold millions of albums, performed around the world and reportedly built a fortune estimated at roughly $40 million.
In recent years, Susan has also undergone a major image transformation, showing off a glamorous new look, lighter hair and a more active social media presence.
The beloved singer regularly shares photos with stars like Sir Elton John, Lionel Richie and Peter Kay, while also promoting her own “Subo” merchandise line to fans online.
And more than 15 years later, that one audition still remains the moment that completely changed reality television forever.
Rocket Report: Alpha Block 2 coming this summer; Falcon sets booster landing mark
Welcome to Edition 8.40 of the Rocket Report! One of the remarkable things about SpaceX is that, after a quarter of a century and becoming the most important launch company of this era, it remains a disruptive force. Even though the Falcon 9 is the most used rocket of the world, and groundbreaking in its reuse capabilities, SpaceX is actively seeking to make it obsolete with the Starship program. Stephen has a great story in this week’s newsletter highlighting the fact that we’re probably past the peak of the Falcon era of flight.
As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don’t want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.
Firefly readies for upgraded Alpha rocket launch. Firefly Aerospace plans to debut the upgraded version of its Alpha rocket late this summer, Space News reports. In a May 4 earnings call about the company’s first-quarter financial results, Jason Kim, chief executive of Firefly, confirmed the company was moving ahead with the Alpha Block 2 rocket after a successful return to flight of the original version of the vehicle in March.
Block 2 coming for you … The company announced the Block 2 version of Alpha in January, with stretched first and second stages and upgrades to avionics, batteries, and its thermal protection system. The company said the upgrades were intended to improve the reliability of the vehicle, which suffered two failures and two partial failures in its first six launches. He did not disclose the customer for the Flight 8 mission, but said the company was planning two more launches after that this year.
Orbex was losing nearly $3 million a month. Orbex, the rocket company behind plans for the Sutherland Spaceport in Scotland, collapsed earlier this year after failing to secure fresh funding, The Northern Times reports. According to the filing lodged at the end of April, the company was losing around 2 million pounds ($2.7 million) a month before entering administration in February. By that point, total losses had reached about 73 million pounds ($100 million).
No buyers … The filing shows Orbex had 163 staff and had been working on two rocket systems: the Prime micro-launch vehicle, which was in development, and a larger system called Proxima, still at the design stage. In 2025, Orbex attempted to raise additional capital through a Series D funding round, but this was unsuccessful. Earlier this year, as many as 69 parties expressed interest in buying Orbex, but all discussions fell through.
The Ars Technica Rocket Report
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Rocket Lab posts record revenue. In its first-quarter financial results for 2026, Rocket Lab reported a record revenue level of more than $200 million. This was a 63 percent increase over the first quarter of last year. The publicly traded company also said it had a $2.2 billion backlog and has $2 billion in liquidity that will enable it to make further acquisitions. During the first quarter the company completed its acquisition of Mynaric AG, a leading provider of laser optical communications terminals.
Lots of launch contracts … The company said it signed 31 new Electron and HASTE contracts during the quarter, plus five new dedicated Neutron launches. Rocket Lab has now sold more launches in Q1 2026 than in the full year of 2025. From all appearances, Rocket Lab is continuing to grow as both a formidable launch and space services company.
Have we passed peak Falcon 9? It is far too soon to mention retirement, but astute observers of the space industry have noticed SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket is not launching as often as it used to, Ars reports. The decline is modest so far, and it does not signal any problem at SpaceX or with the Falcon 9. Rather, it is a manifestation of SpaceX’s eagerness to shift focus to the much larger Starship rocket, an enabler of what the company wants to do in space: missions to land on the Moon and Mars, orbital data centers, and next-gen Starlink. Elon Musk’s SpaceX conducted 165 launches with the Falcon 9 rocket (no Falcon Heavy missions) last year, up from 134 Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches in 2024 and 96 Falcon flights in 2023.
Moving away from one of two Florida launch pads … The company plans “maybe 140, 145-ish” Falcon launches in 2026, according to SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell. The changes are most apparent at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Until last December, SpaceX launched Falcon 9s with regularity from two pads on Florida’s Space Coast—one at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and another a few miles to the south on military property at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX is transitioning the site at Kennedy, known as Launch Complex-39A, to launch Starships. LC-39A is out of the rotation for Falcon 9 launches.
ESA may move launch from Vega C to Ariane 6. In October 2024, the European Space Agency awarded OHB a 280 million euro contract to develop and build a pair of satellites for its Harmony mission. European Spaceflight recently looked into how this payload will reach orbit. ESA confirmed Vega C as the mission’s baseline launch vehicle during a presentation given by Project Manager Florence Hélière at the agency’s Living Planet Symposium in June 2025. Hélière explained that both satellites would be launched in 2029 aboard a single Vega C Block 2, which features the P160C booster upgrade. She also indicated that cost constraints had helped shape the decision to select a single Vega C launch for both satellites.
P160C upgrade when? … However, last month, ESA published an RFI inviting Arianespace to provide “non-binding information on Ariane 62 launch services for the Harmony mission in Q4 2029 / Q1 2030.” This suggests that ESA may be concerned about whether Vega C Block 2 will be available in time to support the launch. In January 2026, an ESA spokesperson told the publication that there was no urgency to complete the P160C upgrade for Vega C.
Armstrong prize goes to SpaceX reusable team. Purdue University awarded its inaugural Neil Armstrong Space Prize to the Falcon 9 Booster Landing Team for its work to develop the reusable first stage of the rocket. The eponymous award honors aerospace pioneer and Purdue graduate Neil Armstrong (BS aeronautical engineering ’55, honorary doctorate ’70).
Chosen for impact to humanity … The Falcon 9 team was chosen from a long list of impressive nominees. “In the end, the deciding factor was what we felt like was the team’s impact to humanity,” said Dan Dumbacher, chair of the Neil Armstrong Space Prize selection committee. “Their work has had a very clear impact and a very visible impact.” Hard to disagree with that.
Chinese firm pursues aerodynamic recovery. Chinese commercial launch startup Nayuta Space has completed consecutive Pre-A financing rounds to support development of its unconventional Xuanniao-R rocket concept, Space News reports. The two-stage, 70-meter-long, 3.8m-diameter Xuanniao-R launcher features an aerodynamic deceleration and horizontal landing approach to reusability, with Nayuta targeting a debut test flight of the Xuanniao-R in the first half of 2027.
Probably not going to meet that target … While Nayuta Space claims its aerodynamic deceleration approach can reduce the dependence on a launcher engines’ reignition, propulsive braking, and high-precision control capabilities for vertical recovery, the approach will demand new aerodynamic structures, bringing challenges, including increased weight and complexity. The size of the launcher, the novel and unproven approach, and uncertain funding levels suggest that the 2027 timeline for a debut flight is very ambitious.
New record set for safe booster landings. On Tuesday, SpaceX launched another routine Falcon 9 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, putting yet another batch of Starlink v2-mini satellites into orbit. It was the 611th successful recovery overall of a Falcon booster.
That’s a lot of landings … However, a writer at NASASpaceflight.com, Alex Alcantarilla Romera, noted that this actually represents a significant milestone. With this landing, SpaceX has set a record for consecutive successful booster landings at 268. This matters because with its Starship program, SpaceX ultimately aims to land humans back on Earth via vertical landing, and demonstrating a sustained record of success with this method builds confidence in this technology.
Starship nearing Flight 12. SpaceX on Thursday conducted a 15-second test firing of the Super Heavy booster stage for its Starship launch vehicle, and it appeared to go well based on independent videos of the test. This was a critical test in the campaign to ready the newest iteration of Starship, V3, for its debut launch. SpaceX has not announced a launch date, but mid-May appears possible.
More testing ahead … Next up for the company is moving the Starship upper stage to the launch site at Starbase, Texas. There, the vehicles will be integrated into a full stack and will likely undergo further testing before a launch attempt. Starship V3 is needed to begin demonstrating in-orbit refueling, an enabling capability for turning Starship into a human-rated Moon lander for NASA’s Artemis program.
South Texas residents sue over Starship noise. As SpaceX prepares for the first flight of V3 of its Starship vehicle, the company is facing a new legal challenge from local residents who claim its launches damage their homes, Space News reports. The environmental impacts of Starship launches from Starbase, located on the Gulf Coast of Texas near the Mexico border, have been scrutinized for years. SpaceX has secured environmental approvals from the federal government for Starship launches, although some local residents as well as environmental advocates have opposed the launches.
Concerned about intense engine noise … The latest salvo in that debate was a lawsuit filed in US District Court in the Southern District of Texas on April 30 by dozens of residents against SpaceX. In the suit, they claim their homes suffered damage from previous Starship launches. The plaintiffs, who primarily live in the cities of Port Isabel and South Padre Island, the two closest communities to Starbase, argue that the intense engine noise of both Starship’s liftoff and the return of the Super Heavy booster, along with sonic booms, caused damage to their homes. The complaint does not give specific examples of the damage.
Next three launches
May 11: Long March 7 | Tianzhou 10 | Wenchang Space Launch Site, China | 00:14 UTC
May 11: Falcon 9 | NROL-172 | Vandenberg Space Force Base, California | 22:28 UTC
May 12: Long March 6A | Unknown payload | Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China | 11:55 UTC
