News
Rocket launch setback challenges Elon Musk’s space ambitions
Jeff Bezos’s space firm has successfully launched its inaugural rocket into orbit, posing a challenge to rival entrepreneur Elon Musk.
In a significant development, the space company founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos has successfully launched its inaugural rocket into orbit, posing a challenge to the existing dominance of Elon Musk's SpaceX in the commercial space industry.
The launch of the New Glenn rocket occurred at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with liftoff taking place at 02:02 local time, which corresponds to 07:02 GMT.
This achievement sets the stage for a high-stakes competition between the world's two wealthiest individuals, as they strive to develop and deploy increasingly advanced rockets.
The long-term goals of both Bezos and Musk include establishing constellations of satellites, operating private space stations, and facilitating regular lunar trips for individuals.
Following the successful launch, Elon Musk extended congratulations to Jeff Bezos via a post on X, acknowledging the achievement of reaching orbit on the first attempt.
Dave Limp, the CEO of Blue Origin, expressed his pride in the team's accomplishment, highlighting the significance of this milestone.
Limp also outlined the company's plans to build upon this success, stating that valuable lessons would be derived from the current launch and applied to the next scheduled launch in the spring.
Despite encountering technical hurdles earlier in the week, including issues related to ice formation that led to launch delays, the Blue Origin team was able to overcome these challenges and achieve a successful launch.
As the 98-meter-tall New Glenn rocket soared into orbit, it was met with cheers from Blue Origin employees and spectators gathered near the Cape Canaveral launch site.
However, the company faced a setback in its attempt to recover the main rocket engine, or booster, which was intended to land on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean, but was ultimately lost.
The loss of the booster occurred approximately 20 minutes into the flight, with the company confirming that it would not be reusable for future launches as initially hoped.
Although Blue Origin has faced challenges in keeping pace with the progress of SpaceX, this successful launch marks a substantial step forward for the company.
The New Glenn rocket was named in honor of John Glenn, the American astronaut who became the first person from the United States to orbit the Earth over 60 years ago.
In terms of capabilities, the New Glenn rocket surpasses SpaceX's Falcon 9, offering greater power and the ability to carry a larger number of satellites, which aligns with Bezos's plans for Project Kuiper, a initiative aimed at deploying thousands of low-earth satellites to provide broadband services.
This endeavor would place Blue Origin in direct competition with Musk's Starlink service, which has similar objectives.
Blue Origin was founded by Jeff Bezos 25 years ago, with the stated goal of enabling "millions of people to live and work in space."
Over the years, the company has successfully launched its New Shepard rocket to the edge of the Earth's atmosphere on multiple occasions, transporting both passengers and payloads, including Bezos himself in 2021.
However, Blue Origin has struggled to match the launch frequency of SpaceX, which conducted 134 launches in the previous year alone.
Furthermore, SpaceX is developing a new generation of rocket, known as Starship, which boasts even greater capabilities and is slated for its seventh test flight.
According to experts, a successful New Glenn rocket launch could create meaningful competition between Blue Origin and SpaceX, potentially driving down the costs associated with space operations.
Dr. Simeon Barber of the Open University in the UK suggests that the rivalry between these two companies will push them to achieve even greater advancements in the field.
Historically, governments have borne the significant financial burden of developing and launching rockets, as well as funding space missions.
However, the US space agency NASA is increasingly shifting its approach, relying more on private companies to provide rockets and other space-related services, and awarding substantial contracts to these entities.
Elon Musk's SpaceX has already secured billions of dollars in space contracts, further solidifying its position in the industry.
Musk's close relationship with former US President Donald Trump could potentially lead to additional opportunities and strengthening of his company's position.
Entertainment And Arts
Spielberg Contributes $25,000 to Van Der Beek’s $2 Million Crowdfunding Campaign
The relatives of the deceased actor, known for his role in Dawson’s Creek, have expressed gratitude to those who contributed to the $2m fund.
A donation of $25,000 (£21,000) has been made by film director Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, to a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $2m (£1.6m) for the family of late actor James Van Der Beek.
Van Der Beek, who passed away at the age of 48, is survived by his wife Kimberly and their six children, and the crowdfunding effort to support his family has now exceeded its initial target of $2m.
Other notable donors include Oscar-winning actress Zoe Saldana, who contributed $2,500 (£2,108), and director Jon M Chu, who gave $10,000 (£8,432) to the cause.
A statement from the organizers of the fundraiser, Friends of the Van Der Beek family, expressed gratitude to all contributors, stating that their support is deeply appreciated.
The statement highlighted the significance of the donations, saying that the kindness shown by contributors is beyond words.
It also noted that the outpouring of support has been a source of comfort during a difficult time, serving as a reminder of the power of love, community, and the enduring legacy of James Van Der Beek.
Van Der Beek was perhaps best known for his starring role in the popular US teen drama series Dawson's Creek, which aired from 1998 to 2003, although he remained associated with the show until 2023.
Although Van Der Beek and Spielberg never collaborated on a project, the late actor's character in Dawson's Creek was a fan of Spielberg's work, with posters of films like ET and Schindler's List featured in his bedroom.
At a Dawson's Creek cast reunion event last year, Spielberg paid tribute to Van Der Beek by sending a video message.
In the message, Spielberg said, "Dawson, you made it," and jokingly added that he hoped to one day have a room like Dawson's, filled with memorabilia from his films.
Van Der Beek passed away on Wednesday after a battle with bowel cancer.
He had been dealing with the diagnosis since August 2023 and publicly disclosed his condition in November 2024.
The GoFundMe campaign was launched to help the family with medical expenses, which had depleted their funds.
The statement from the organizers concluded by saying that the family is currently taking time to grieve and be together, and thanked everyone for their compassionate and generous support in honoring James Van Der Beek's life.
News
Zimbabwe Shocks Australia with Muzarabani’s Exceptional Performance
Zimbabwe secured a stunning 23-run victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup, with Blessing Muzarabani playing a key role by taking 4-17.
In the current T20 world rankings, Zimbabwe occupies the 12th position.
The Men's T20 World Cup is underway in Group B at Colombo.
Zimbabwe's innings concluded at 169-2 after 20 overs, with Bennett scoring an unbeaten 64 off 56 deliveries, while Green claimed 1-6.
Australia's reply ended at 146 after 19.3 overs, as Renshaw top-scored with 65 off 44 balls, and Muzarabani took 4-17.
The match resulted in a 23-run victory for Zimbabwe.
A standout performance from Blessing Muzarabani, who took 4-17, helped Zimbabwe secure a thrilling 23-run win over Australia in the T20 World Cup.
After being set a target of 170, Australia found themselves in trouble at 29-4, but a 77-run partnership between Matthew Renshaw and Glenn Maxwell for the fifth wicket gave them hope.
With 34 runs needed from the last two overs, Renshaw's dismissal for 65, caught off Muzarabani with eight balls remaining, essentially sealed the game's outcome.
The result has left Group B finely balanced after two matches each, with Australia trailing Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka by two points, ahead of their meeting with Sri Lanka on Monday.
Initially, Zimbabwe's approach to batting first at the R. Premadasa Stadium appeared overly cautious.
Brian Bennett's innings of 64 not out from 56 balls, including seven fours, was played at a strike rate of 114.28, as he anchored the Zimbabwean batting.
In contrast, Tadiwanashe Marumani and Ryan Burl adopted a more aggressive approach, scoring 35 off 21 and 30 balls, respectively.
A late surge from Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza, who scored 25 off 13 balls, including the team's only six on the final ball, provided a boost to their total.
Australia's target seemed achievable, given their total of 182-6 in their previous win against Ireland.
However, the Australian batting line-up was severely dented by the loss of key wickets, including Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Cameron Green, and Tim David, courtesy of Muzarabani and Brad Evans.
A partnership between Renshaw and Maxwell offered some respite, but when Maxwell fell for 31, dragged on to Burl, the pressure mounted on Australia.
Muzarabani's return to bowl the penultimate over proved decisive, as he removed Renshaw, and Zimbabwe subsequently wrapped up the win.
There are calls for the ICC to review the rules regarding 12th men.
For more information, including notifications and social media updates, visit BBC Sport.
A blogger who participates in the FPL is also competing in the T20 World Cup.
News
FA Cup Finalists Outside the Big Six Since 2008
As the FA Cup resumes this weekend, assess your understanding of past finalists that have competed from beyond the Premier League’s top six clubs.
This weekend, the FA Cup resumes with 32 teams remaining in contention for the historic trophy, which has been awarded for 155 years and will be presented to the winner in May.
Historically, the Premier League's top six clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham – have dominated the FA Cup, claiming 32 titles out of the last 37.
However, in recent years, teams outside of this elite group have experienced some notable victories in the competition.
Since 2008, 10 teams from outside the traditional 'big six' have advanced to the FA Cup final – can you identify all of them?
For more quizzes, visit our Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes sections, where you can also subscribe to receive the latest quizzes directly on your device.
We have a quiz question tailored to each Premier League team – test your knowledge and see how you score.
Can you recall every team that has won the Women's Champions League?
Which players have made the most appearances in the Premier League – can you name them all?
Explore our Sports Quizzes page for a wide range of challenging and engaging quizzes.
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