August
- Opinion
- Economics explained
The two words you should always treat with caution in business
Sentences which begin “Studies show...” are often followed by a description of a correlation interpreted as if it were a causal relationship - when it’s not.
- Richard Holden
- Opinion
- Australian economy
The late Mike Lynch had big lessons for Australian business
If Australia wants to get the most out of AUKUS, then it must adopt the kind of SME-based procurement rules the controversial entrepreneur pushed for.
- Rohan Silva
Photos go stratospheric with prices 100 times expectations
Photographs of space travel and heavy industry burst free of their lacklustre expectations in an extraordinary auction this week.
- Elizabeth Fortescue
Democrat split intensifies as Harris chooses running mate
The final stage of the campaign to be Kamala Harris’s vice-presidential contender has reached an ugly phase as moderate and progressive donors, interest groups and rivals lobby for their preferred candidates.
- Reid J. Epstein, Theodore Schleifer and Nick Corasaniti
June
Boeing’s new crisis: astronauts left ‘stranded’ by its spacecraft
The Starliner ship has suffered helium leaks and thruster problems. Its delayed return from the International Space Station comes at the worst time for the US company.
- Updated
- Peggy Hollinger
May
- Exclusive
- AI
Rich Lister entrepreneur’s final start-up will build underwater robots
Bevan Slattery is arguably Australia’s most successful tech entrepreneurs of the last 20 years. He thinks he has one more start-up in him, and has big plans for reviving coral reefs.
- Tess Bennett
‘Business spends bugger all’: what landmark R&D review aims to fix
Technology industry experts warn a new government review into the R&D system must not cut tax incentives, and must kick-start anaemic business investment.
- Paul Smith, Tess Bennett and Nick Bonyhady
America’s new moon race is billionaire v billionaire
Today’s space race looks in some ways like that of the 1960s; instead of the US v the Soviet Union, it’s Bezos’ Blue Origin v Musk’s SpaceX.
- Loren Grush
April
China set to launch high-stakes mission to moon’s ‘hidden’ side
China has made leaps forward in its lunar exploration, narrowing the technological chasm with the United States and Russia.
- Albee Zhang and Ryan Woo
Millions watch total solar eclipse across Americas
Experts called the eclipse “the most viewed astronomical event in history” as the moon blocked out the sun across North America.
- Updated
- Marcia Dunn
March
‘The ship has been lost’: SpaceX rocket breaks up on re-entry
Starship soared higher and farther than ever before in a near hour-long test flight that bolstered the spirits of both Elon Musk and NASA.
- Marcia Dunn
February
First private spacecraft lands on the moon
A successful touchdown by Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander heralds a more commercial era for space exploration.
- Updated
- Peggy Hollinger and Clive Cookson
November 2023
- Exclusive
- AI
Australian AI star plans US shift as battle for humanity heats up
Start-up Akin has been struggling to close its $US50 million funding round, while staying true to its goal of building an ethical AI.
- John Davidson
Amputations, death: What it’s really like to work for Musk’s SpaceX
Through interviews and government records, Reuters has found at least 600 injuries of staff at Elon Musk’s firm, including skull fractures and brain injuries.
- Marisa Taylor
October 2023
- Exclusive
- Foreign relations
Australia, US to team up for space race against China
The Albanese government will axe restrictions on commercial US rocket launches in Australia, opening the door for the likes of Elon Musk to set up operations in the outback.
- Matthew Cranston and Andrew Tillett
Big ideas trump commercialisation for new CSIRO boss
Doug Hilton has laid out plans for it to help answer the big questions facing society, while also making some money along the way.
- Updated
- Tess Bennett
September 2023
- Exclusive
- AI
The new $3b robot factory shooting for the moon
Advanced Navigation, a Sydney deep-tech company backed by Malcolm Turnbull, is scaling up a factory that helps NASA navigate when there’s no GPS.
- John Davidson
NASA asteroid sample parachutes safely onto Utah desert
The gumdrop-shaped capsule was released from the robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx as the mothership passed within 107,826 kilometres of Earth hours earlier.
- Steve Gorman and Maria Caspani
August 2023
Is Elon Musk a threat to Australia?
The mercurial billionaire, who is unusually involved in his companies, has huge commercial interests in China, and a growing foothold in Australia.
- Nick Bonyhady
Super savings should be used to invest in defence sector: Chalmers
Last year, the treasurer said there was a role for super in supporting affordable housing and clean energy. Now, he wants to expand that to include defence.
- Lucy Dean