On Earth Day 2024, the world is shifting its focus from our oceans, mountains, and forests to the sky above us. Instead of celebrating the beauty of nature, we are being asked to pay attention to the tonnes of space debris that pose a threat to our satellites. Astroscale, a company that plans to use robotics to clean up the space junk in orbit, emphasizes the potential £7.6 billion loss to the UK economy if satellite navigation services were to go down for just a week. MD of Astroscale, Nick Shave, discusses the severity of the space debris problem and how robotics can help solve it.
Meanwhile, on Earth Day 2024, Rosemary Coogan has graduated from a European Space Agency program. Coogan has spent two years in orientation, learning about the international space station and the scientific experiments conducted in orbit. She has undergone practical training such as scuba diving and centrifuge rides. Libby Jackson, head of space exploration at the UK Space Agency, highlights the exciting time for Coogan to graduate and shares insights from astronauts about their experiences in space.
In music news, Taylor Swift has broken Spotify records with her latest album “The Tortured Poets Department” being streamed over 300 million times in one day. The album features collaborations with artists such as Florence And The Machine and Post Malone. TikTok faces potential ban in the US as House of Representatives votes in support of a measure calling for a ban if ByteDance does not sell its stake. The legislation will move to the US Senate where it is expected to pass, giving ByteDance nine months to find a buyer before a potential ban on TikTok app in USA.
Additionally, a study reveals that seeing oneself on video calls can lead to mental fatigue; wet wipes containing plastic are set to be banned in UK; and online trolls are targeting world’s first fully AI-generated film “Father”. You can listen more about these topics and others on Tech & Science Daily podcast available on platforms like Apple Podcasts
