Starship’s orbital refuelling plans
SpaceX and NASA – two of the most recognizable names in the space industry – could be about to make history. The National Agency said that it expects Starship – the tallest and most powerful rocket to have ever reached space – to include “a propellant transfer demonstration” during its next launch. However, a spokesperson for the agency said that those plans aren’t set in stone.
“A propellant transfer demonstration,” is just a fancy phrase for orbital refuelling – also known as refuelling rockets anywhere other than Earth. Should SpaceX get orbital refuelling right, it could lead to developments in propellant depots out in space that could refuel rockets going further than Earth’s orbit. SpaceX is one of four companies working on improving their refuelling capabilities, including United Launch Alliance, Lockheed Martin, and Eta Space.
Cryogenic propellants – made up of liquid hydrogen, methane, and liquid oxygen – are generally considered to be more fuel-efficient but need to be stored at temperatures far below zero, meaning missions using these fuels can’t be away from their launch pad for more than a few hours at a time. Having propellant depots capable of storing cryogenic propellants is a necessary next step in taking space travel to the next level.
The real challenge of pulling off cryogenic refuelling, according to John Dankanich who handles NASA’s in-space transportation efforts, is making all the technical stuff work together in microgravity. That means automated couplers, flow meters, and advanced insulation, each being “highly interdependent” on each other before these ambitions can become reality.
Do you own your digital content? PlayStation and Discovery say no
Digital “ownership” is a feeble notion and PlayStation and Discovery have just proved that. Earlier this week, Sony announced that due to content licensing “arrangements”, customers who have bought Discovery content for years would be locked out of that content, with those customers’ libraries being wiped clean come 31 December 2023.
There’s a rather extensive list of all the shows and movies that’ll be disappearing when the purge commences. It’s not abnormal for streaming services to lose a few shows or movies here and there but losing out on on-demand content that was paid for is the definition of scummy. Even if those Ts & Cs (that nobody reads) specifically outline this eventuality, there should be a failsafe in place that protects the customers financially.
The recent ‘scandal’ was hotly followed by PlayStation’s next demonstration of how digital “ownership” isn’t really ownership when several PlayStation users reported that their accounts were being banned, seemingly randomly. Many users have noted that their accounts have been reinstated after spending a couple of hours locked out, though most are still attempting to get hold of Sony’s ear.
Amazon picks up a new co-showrunner for Spider-Man Noir
It’s finally happening. The moment we’ve waited for since 2010’s Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions game hit our Xbox 360 and introduced us to Spider-Man Noir. Amazon is finally developing a TV show for the 1930s web- and gun-slinger but with one crucial change: it won’t be Peter Parker under the mask for… some reason.
But that’s old news. Amazon first announced the series had been greenlit back in February, though the property has lain dormant ever since. It wasn’t until Variety reported that Amazon had picked up Steve Lightfoot as the series’ co-showrunner that we had our excitement rekindled. That’s partly to do with the Spider-Man in question, and Lightfoot’s other accolades, most famously serving as showrunner on Netflix’s The Punisher. And we know how good that turned out.
It’s also got Phil Lord and Chris Miller of Into and Across the Spider-Verse fame serving as executive producers, meaning Amazon’s Spider-Man projects (including a Silk series) should at least be as good as the company’s other superhero series.
You’ll need to pay for Windows 10 updates, eventually
Unless you’re one of the many who still can’t get hold of Microsoft’s latest OS thanks to the onerous system requirements, you’re still stuck on last-gen software. You might want to change that soon; Microsoft has announced it’ll be ending support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025. Sure, that’s as far away as GTA VI but it’ll sneak up on you faster than you think.
That doesn’t mean Windows 10 is just evaporating into thin air. You’ll still have access to it like you do now, but without all the updates Microsoft springs on you as you want to shut down for the day. Unless you still want those updates – which bring added security. If that’s the case, you’ll need to pay Microsoft for the privilege.
It makes a sort of sense, even if we aren’t very fond of the idea. By the time October 2025 rolls around, Microsoft will likely have moved onto Windows 12 and will be providing security updates to Windows 11. The company wants as many users migrated to the latest OS before that happens because employing people to look after a then-10-year-old product doesn’t make much sense.
Microsoft hasn’t announced any pricing for the new customer-focused Extended Security Updates model, though it will likely be a simple subscription fee that can be cancelled at any time after making the jump to Windows 11 or, by then, 12.