Science & Technology — August 19, 2026

SpaceX salvages Starship from Indian Ocean. After a 24-day recovery effort at sea, the company towed the vehicle into port at Christmas Island, where engineers will conduct additional analysis.

Ars Technica · Read more →

Astronomers discover rocky mega-Earth. The newly found world is 23 times Earth's mass, a so-called mega-Earth that defies expectations about how large rocky planets can grow.

Space.com · Read more →

China recovers rocket stage on land. The country recaptured a rocket's first stage on land for the first time, a milestone in its push toward reusable launch capability rivaling SpaceX.

According to Phys.org, the land-based recapture follows an earlier recovery the country conducted at sea, giving China experience with both approaches to retrieving spent boosters. The achievement advances Beijing's broader effort to develop reusable launch systems, a capability it is pursuing to compete with SpaceX's established position in reusable rocketry.

Phys.org · Read more →

Meta child-safety trial opens. Prosecutors accused Meta of deliberately addicting children to its platforms in opening arguments; the company argued social media addiction does not exist.

According to AP News, advocates and parents who say their children were harmed by social media regard the proceedings as a significant moment in their broader push for stronger online protections for minors. The opening arguments set out sharply opposed positions, with prosecutors alleging intentional design choices aimed at young users and the company disputing the underlying premise that such addiction exists.

AP News · Read more →