February
Texas firm hitches ride with SpaceX to send drone to the moon
Intuitive Machines’ lander, named Athena, is taking a fast track to the moon while hoping to avoid the fate of its predecessor, which tipped over at touchdown.
Aussie firm sets March date for rocket launch
Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space Technologies, which represents Australia’s best chance to rival SpaceX, has cleared its final regulatory hurdle.
January
Why Musk’s radical Washington plans are deja vu
Millions of workers have been offered exits and engineers asked to show their skills – just like when Elon Musk bought Twitter. The similarities have been uncanny.
Inside Musk’s huge White House power grab
The billionaire is pushing ahead with plans to infiltrate all parts of Trump’s administration after axing his co-leader at DOGE.
Sydney attack meets ‘modern standard of terrorism’: Jewish leader
Alex Ryvchin, the suspected target of an antisemitic attack, warns about a rise in levels of hate directed at Jewish communities; Israel confirms deal to handover hostages reached. Follow updates here.
Qantas delays flights to avoid debris from SpaceX rockets
Recent rocket launches have changed their timing at short notice, in turn forcing Qantas to postpone flights right before departure.
‘Leaving in droves’: LA lost its lustre long ago, just ask Musk
The fires and the failure to manage them mean more Californians are heading for the exits, according to demographers. It might also spell trouble for the Olympics just three years away.
Telstra moves to overtake Optus in race to plug into Musk’s Starlink
Telstra is hoping to steal a march on its rival, signing a new deal with SpaceX to connect its mobile customers to the billionaire’s satellite network.
December 2024
‘Ridiculous amounts of money’: Bezos gets serious in Musk space race
Jeff Bezos and Amazon are set to launch a massive rocket and a set of satellites that could take on SpaceX’s dominance.
Elon Musk’s net worth tops $625b, a historic first
The most recent catalyst was an insider share sale at SpaceX, though his net worth has primarily been turbocharged by Donald Trump’s election win.
Employment shock; Libs leader loses trial; Forrest’s vital moment
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
This is why the US military takes Elon Musk’s Martian dream seriously
The Pentagon figures a rocket transport system could shuttle troops and weapons to Asia within 90 minutes if a war broke out with China – and SpaceX’s Starship rocket is about a decade ahead of any rival.
November 2024
What’s it like to be stuck in space? Horrible says this astronaut
Astronauts know missions can go awry but still, an extended stay is tough on your body and your relationships. It’s also kind of boring.
Rio angers both sexes; Zelensky ups stakes; Fewer Chinese house buyers
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Musk’s SpaceX fails to catch Starship booster as Trump attends launch
The catch was called off just four minutes into the test flight from Texas for unspecified reasons, and it hit the water three minutes later.
Why Musk will struggle to reinvent American government
Those carrying scars from previous efforts to streamline US bureaucracy are sceptical about the billionaire’s ability to get any of his agenda through.
Musk to dispatch his job-slaying ‘A-team’ to Washington
The billionaire is likely to push for government roles for his acolytes and allies to cut regulation, public sector jobs and protect his businesses.
Australia’s rocket industry reaches a crucial inflection point
Local space entrepreneurs are attempting to take a slice of SpaceX’s business, as demand for launch services far outweighs supply.
The billionaires in charge of Trump’s White House
His first term was heavily reliant on the party establishment. The inner circle now includes billionaires and is in tune with the ideas of the new right.
What now for Musk as Trump gamble pays off?
The billionaire chief of Tesla and X looks set to take up an influential adviser role in the White House.