INSANE: 23 | Vintage Vibes

In 1947, the military sent fruit flies 67 miles into space to test radiation risks. 11 years later, NASA was founded in 1958, with animal flights underway in America now

1947 mission was part of a larger American effort to understand whether living organisms could survive the journey into space. Beginning in the mid-1940s, military and scientific teams used captured German V-2 rockets for research after World War II.

The Economic Times · Sep 3

One of this year’s biggest colour trends is here to stay – Graham & Brown names its colour of the year 2027

Looks like we’re going to be just as obsessed with this shade next year as we have been in 2026

Ideal Home · Sep 3

The Bayeux tapestry: a stupefying, thrilling, horrifying masterpiece that shakes the earth

The greatest battle ever depicted in art is here at last – and it hurtles along, making your heart pound with its sense of doom and destiny, culminating in fires and corpses on a battlefield full of pathos

The Guardian - UK · Sep 3

Rocket issues delay 1st-ever private mission to Venus: 'We are awaiting Neutron readiness'

The first-ever private mission to Venus is still groundbound due to delays with its launch vehicle, Rocket Lab's Neutron. But team members remain bullish on the groundbreaking mission.

Space · Sep 3

In 1970, NASA launched two bullfrogs into orbit to study vestibular function; over six days, the animals provided hours of data on balance in weightlessness

In 1970, an extraordinary experiment sent two frogs, Pierre and Tee-Nom, into orbit around Earth. Researchers closely examined their inner ear organs to determine how zero gravity affected their sense of balance. The rich data they provided on space motion sickness proved invaluable for astronaut training, marking a significant milestone…

The Economic Times · Sep 3

In 1983, NASA flew Neurospora bread mold on STS-9 to test its body clock; the rhythm persisted, but faded out in 25% of flight tubes before light restored it

In 1983, NASA conducted research on fungal circadian rhythms aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, observing the bread mold Neurospora crassa. While some cultures maintained a consistent rhythm under space conditions, others lost this pattern until they were exposed to regular light. This experiment marked an early demonstration of biological clocks…

The Economic Times · Sep 3

8 years, 10 billion km, one shot: The spacecraft racing toward Mercury faces its trickiest hour yet

A spacecraft carrying European and Japanese probes will complete an eight-year journey to arrive at Mercury on Thursday, while still facing high-risk manoeuvres to study the Sun-scorched planet. From April, ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) will begin studying the planet closest to the Sun with unprecedented precision, passing just 480…

The Economic Times · Sep 3

Leonardo DiCaprio helped protect Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem, a rare rainforest where elephants, tigers and orangutans still live together

Long before climate campaigns became a fixture of celebrity activism, Leonardo DiCaprio travelled deep into one of the last places on Earth where orangutans, elephants, tigers and rhinos can still be found within the same connected landscape. His 2016 visit to Indonesia's Leuser Ecosystem lasted only a matter of days,…

The Times of India · Sep 3

In 2000, a crew for the first time headed for the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket for four months to prepare ISS facility for research

In 2000, a crew for the first time headed for the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket for four months to prepare ISS facility for research. Expedition 1 began on October 31, 2000, with William Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev. The crew activated station systems, supported assembly,…

The Economic Times · Sep 2

China's private, reusable Pallas-1 rocket aces debut launch (video)

Galactic Energy's new Pallas-1 rocket aced its debut launch on Monday (Aug. 31), successfully reaching orbit. The vehicle's first stage did not attempt a landing, however.

Space · Sep 2