China’s iSpace raises first batch of series E funding for reusable rocketry Chinese reusable launch vehicle maker has secured a first batch of series E funding, months after a huge D++ round, with fundraising still ongoing.

NewsdeskAug 12, 20262 min read

Efan in a white spacesuit and helmet. He is smiling at the camera.

Science

Eclipse: Space superfan's tips on how to watch the celestial event

Efan Dafydd's love of the cosmos continued to grow after meeting his hero, astronaut Tim Peake.

NewsdeskAug 12, 20261 min read

A group of six people on the deck of a sailing boat

Science

Humpbacks return to Rio: the whales are back from the brink of extinction – but will tourism help or hinder?

The gigantic aquatic acrobats are exciting Brazil’s tourists as numbers recover from whaling. But some marine biologists question how booming tourism and conservation can coexist

NewsdeskAug 12, 20265 min read

Science

One species, one planet: The moon is our ethical dress rehearsal for Mars

NewsdeskAug 12, 20265 min read

Dead fish lying in a river. Fish lying on the rock with white underbellies and grey fins.

Science

Kilkeel: Generations of fish 'wiped out' after pollution incident

The Department of Environment said 5km of the Kilkeel River in the Mournes area was impacted.

NewsdeskAug 12, 20261 min read

Science

Halting the march of the African armyworm: a natural cure offers hope to farmers

South African scientist’s breakthrough research shows soil fungus could be used in fight against devastating crop pest

NewsdeskAug 12, 20263 min read

Science

Heard about the ‘luteal uglies’? Women know more about our hormones than ever – and that’s beautiful

When I was younger, female biology was seen as something to be overcome. Now we can talk about the reality of living in our bodies, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

NewsdeskAug 12, 20264 min read

Science

British driver who broke sound barrier sets new speed record

Andy Green set the fastest time ever recorded in a hydrogen-powered car, reaching 406mph (654km/h).

NewsdeskAug 12, 20261 min read

Science

Stops Along the Path of Totality

Western Iceland and northern Spain are among the few Northern Hemisphere locations experiencing a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026.

NewsdeskAug 12, 20263 min read

Cross-section of an organoid showing different brain regions with cells in blue, neural stem cells in red, and neurons in green against a black background.

Science

‘A mouse can’t tell us what works’: UK scientists to grow miniature human organs for drug testing

Organoids and tissues grown from human cells promise more accurate results, with £20m Cambridge project to create standardised models

NewsdeskAug 12, 20263 min read

Science

Firefly increases vehicle production even as launches lag

Firefly Aerospace is seeing strong interest in its launch vehicles and is ramping up production, but that has yet to create an increased launch rate.

NewsdeskAug 12, 20263 min read

Science

U.S. expands missile production as Army seeks more depth in its arsenal

U.S. expands missile production as Army seeks more depth in its arsenal U.S. expands missile production as Army seeks more depth in its defensive arsenal

NewsdeskAug 12, 20265 min read

Science

Golden Dome faces 2027 funding cliff

Learn about the Golden Dome funding cliff 2027 and its potential impacts on funding and resources for key programs.

NewsdeskAug 11, 20264 min read

Image shows an illustration of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope with a galaxy illustration in the background. Formerly known as WFIRST, is an upcoming space telescope designed to perform wide-field imaging and spectroscopy of the infrared sky.

Science

What Is the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope? (Grades 5-8)

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is NASA’s newest astrophysics observatory; it will scan large sections of space and help astronomers answer questions about dark energy, dark matter, exoplanets, and more.

NewsdeskAug 11, 20265 min read

Science

National lab visit boosts NASA’s confidence in space nuclear propulsion mission

NASA officials are confident in plans to launch a nuclear electric propulsion demonstration mission by the end of 2028 after visiting a national lab.

NewsdeskAug 11, 20266 min read

Science

Golden Dome money starting to reach contractors, but long-term funding still unclear

Golden Dome money starting to reach contractors, but long-term funding still unclear Golden Dome money starting to reach contractors, but long-term funding still unclear

NewsdeskAug 11, 20265 min read

Science

We’re reading less. And it’s making us stupid

Books have never been trendier, but studies show that as more and more things compete for our frazzled attention spans, we’re reading less and less. This is a problem because reading has a wealth of cognitive benefits that we’re in danger of missing out on.To find out why declining literacy could affect everything from memory to IQ, Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s science editor, Ian Sample. She also hears from Prof Falk Huettig, an experimental psychologist at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and author of The Perks of Being a Bookworm

NewsdeskAug 11, 20261 min read