On May 26, the US Air Force tested its X-51A Waverider, which flew 200 seconds at Mach 6—six times the speed of sound—setting a new record. The previous record was 12 seconds. The unmanned craft, which is almost wingless, launched from a B-52 bomber and plunged into the ocean at the end of its run, as planned. The craft could have many applications, including space exploration and commercial transportation.
The finding that the Saturnian moon may host layers of icy slush instead of a global ocean could change how planetary scientists think about other icy moons as well.
Modeling the shapes of tree branches, neurons, and blood vessels is a thorny problem, but researchers have just discovered that much of the math has already been done.
January 29, 2026 12:52 PM
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