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🇺🇸 US company launches Haven Demo to test systems for first commercial space station

American space firm Vast has launched the Haven Demo satellite to test core technologies for Haven-1, its upcoming private space station set to debut in 2026. Deployed via SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, the uncrewed Haven Demo will spend six months validating critical systems - such as propulsion, power, and communications - under real orbital conditions. The mission marks a key step toward commercial space habitats, aiming to reduce risk before human crews arrive.

🇩🇪 German AI controls satellite in orbit for first time, advancing space autonomy

German researchers have successfully tested an AI-based attitude controller aboard the InnoCube nanosatellite, marking the first time a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) system has independently executed satellite maneuvers in orbit. Developed by Julius Maximilians Universität Würzburg under the LeLaR project, the AI controller learned its behavior in simulation and adapted seamlessly to real-space conditions, proving it can function without human tuning. This breakthrough paves the way for future spacecraft to autonomously handle long-duration missions where human control is limited or delayed.

Nanalyze, our go-to source for no-BS analysis on disruptive tech, just broke down the booming market for data-center power solutions - and whether companies like Caterpillar are a smart way to play the AI-driven surge in energy demand.

🇨🇳 Chinese scientists extract rare earth minerals from living fern, advancing green mining

In a world-first, researchers in China have discovered nanoscale monazite - a rare earth-rich mineral - naturally crystallized inside the tissues of a living fern, Blechnum orientale. Conducted by the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry in collaboration with Virginia Tech, the study shows that these valuable minerals can form at ambient temperatures through plant-driven processes, proving the feasibility of “phytomining.” Published in Environmental Science & Technology, the work opens a path to sustainable rare earth extraction with lower environmental and geopolitical risks.

🇺🇸 US researchers create solar-regenerating air filters that capture carbon through building vents

Scientists at the University of Chicago have developed carbon nanofiber air filters that fit into standard ventilation systems, capturing CO₂ while reducing energy use. These solar-regenerable filters, described in Science Advances, can remove up to 596 megatonnes of CO₂ annually if widely deployed, while lowering indoor energy demands by reducing the need for fresh air exchange. The decentralized, scalable system offers a low-cost, low-footprint alternative to large carbon capture plants and also improves indoor air quality.

🇦🇺 Australian scientists develop roof coating that cools buildings and harvests drinking water

Researchers from the University of Sydney and Dewpoint Innovations have created a nano-engineered polymer coating that passively cools surfaces by reflecting 97% of sunlight and capturing water from the air. In outdoor trials, the coating reduced surface temperatures by up to 6°C and collected up to 390 mL of water per square meter daily - enough to meet one person's drinking needs from just 12 m². Published in Advanced Functional Materials, this scalable, energy-free technology offers a dual solution to rising urban heat and water scarcity.

🇺🇸 🇱🇹 🇬🇧 US, Lithuanian, and UK team performs first transatlantic robotic stroke surgery on human model

In a world-first, doctors in the US remotely performed a robotic thrombectomy on a human cadaver in Scotland, demonstrating the potential for long-distance stroke treatment. Using Lithuanian company Sentante’s robotic platform, the procedure was controlled from Florida with near-instant feedback, replicating the tactile precision of live surgery. This breakthrough, supported by the University of Dundee, could expand access to life-saving stroke care in remote regions where specialist availability is limited.

🇺🇸 US scientists use sound waves and gene therapy to control seizures without surgery

Bioengineers at Rice University have developed a nonsurgical method that uses focused ultrasound and gene therapy to control seizure activity in the hippocampus with precision. The approach, described in ACS Chemical Neuroscience, allows gene delivery across the blood-brain barrier and later seizure control via a simple oral drug, functioning like a molecular “dimmer switch” for neurons. This minimally invasive technique could lead to safer, controllable treatments for epilepsy and other brain disorders without implants or surgery.

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