OR KEEP READING SIMILAR STORIES BELOW ↓

Science

Sep 30, 2026, 7:18 AM

No cross-spectrum stories qualified in this run.

SCIENCETHE BRIEFDEVELOPING09/30/26

SpaceX's Starship completed its first orbital flight before splashing down in the Indian Ocean.

DEVELOPING TIMELINE

First Report Sep 29: SpaceX's Starship rocket achieves orbit for the first time in Monday test flight

Sep 30: 14th Starship flight reached orbit, splashed down

WHAT'S REPORTED

▸The mission was the 14th flight of Starship. — NPR Science, BBC Science
▸The spacecraft ended with a fiery splashdown. — NPR Science, BBC Science
▸The mission was supposed to last 10 hours but ended after 90 minutes. — BBC Science
▸Starship is key to NASA's plans to land humans on the moon. — NPR Science

SCIENCETHE BRIEF09/30/26

The MacArthur Foundation awarded $800,000 fellowships to 20 recipients including researchers bridging science and justice.

WHAT'S REPORTED

▸A historian studying racial wage gaps and a saxophonist whose performances include a chef were among recipients. — NPR Science
▸Recipients were recognized for work at the intersection of science and justice. — NPR Science

SCIENCETHE BRIEF09/30/26

Philadelphia's 198-year-old Academy of Natural Sciences is closing due to financial pressures.

WHAT'S REPORTED

▸The museum houses important scientific specimens and a beloved dinosaur exhibit. — NPR Science