The Planet (on, and off)

The UK Space Agency said Friday it would back research by Rolls-Royce looking at the use of nuclear power on the moon. In a statement, the government agency said researchers from Rolls-Royce had been working on a Micro-Reactor program “to develop technology that will provide power needed for humans to Read more…

Twelve years after the triple reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan is preparing to release a massive amount of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea, Japanese officials say the release is unavoidable and should start soon. “Dealing with the wastewater is less of a challenge than Read more…

A newly discovered asteroid roughly the size of an Olympic swimming pool has a “small chance” of colliding with Earth in 23 years, with a potential impact on Valentine’s Day in 2046, according to NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office. The asteroid has a 1 in 625 chance of striking Earth, Read more…

In late January, a geothermal power startup began conducting an experiment deep below the desert floor of northern Nevada. It pumped water thousands of feet underground and then held it there, watching for what would happen. Geothermal power plants work by circulating water through hot rock deep beneath the surface. Read more…

When a Russian spaceship docked as a lifeboat for three stranded men at the International Space Station in February, one may have wondered if Sergei Krikalev, heading the rescue mission, felt any deja vu. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, he’s also sometimes known as “the last Soviet” for Read more…

“For years, California has championed high-speed rail as its future, even as its marquee project faces headwinds,” writes SFGate. “While the high-speed rail connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco slowly comes to fruition, a separate rail plan in Southern California has finalized an important labor deal, and construction is set Read more…