On Earth Day 2024, the focus is shifting 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, a UK astronaut trainee, 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 Congress votes in support of legislation calling for a ban if its Chinese owner ByteDance does not sell its stake by January 1st 2024 . The legislation will move to President Biden’s desk for approval before it takes effect.
Additionally, a study reveals that seeing oneself on video calls can lead to mental fatigue and wet wipes containing plastic are set to be banned in the UK as part of an effort to reduce plastic waste. Lastly ,the world’s first fully AI-generated film is being trolled online after its release on major streaming platforms like Netflix , Amazon Prime Video and Hulu . You can listen to more on these topics and others on Tech & Science Daily podcast available on platforms like Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google Podcasts etc
