The Launchpad
It's Friday!

The weekend is almost here, space fans! And we've got quite a weekend in spaceflight to look forward to.

SpaceX is set to launch its massive Starship rocket on its tenth test flight on Sunday, and if this launch is anything like the previous nine, we can expect quite a show.

Blue Origin will also launch its 35th New Shepard rocket mission this weekend, carrying over 40 scientific experiments into space.

This week, astronomers announced they've detected what may be the brightest flash of radio waves ever seen and were able to track this fast radio burst (FRB) back to its source.

On Saturday (Aug. 23), we will see a "black moon" with August's new moon, defined as the third new moon in a season that will see four new moons. Use the dark skies to get some skywatching in!

Ad astra,
Brett Tingley, Managing Editor

SpaceX moves Super Heavy to pad ahead of Starship Flight 10
a large rocket rolls on a large wheeled vehicle across a lit highway at night
(SpaceX)
Liftoff of Flight 10 is scheduled for Sunday evening (Aug. 24).
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Astronomers discover brightest ever fast radio burst
a white cloud on a starry background
(Daniëlle Futselaar/MMT Observatory)
"This result marks a turning point: instead of just detecting these mysterious flashes, we can now see exactly where they're coming from."
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Skywatching
How to hunt sparking wonders in the Milky Way this weekend
a starry night sky
(Alan Dyer/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The dark skies surrounding this weekend's new moon phase present an excellent opportunity to spot a trio of star clusters and stellar alignments embedded in the glowing band of the Milky Way.
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Spaceflight
SpaceX launches Space Force's X-37B space plane
a white rocket lifts off above a plume of fire and smoke
(SpaceX)
The latest mission of the U.S. Space Force's mysterious X-37B space plane is underway.
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Science & Astronomy
Astronomers trace cosmic explosion back 12 billion years
a purple jet of light on a starry background
(NASA/Swift/Cruz deWilde)
"This explosion gave off more energy in a few seconds than the sun will over its entire life."
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Venus, Earth and Jupiter may reduce extreme solar storms
a fiery orange orb
(ESA/NASA/SOHO)
A new study suggests that the planets in our solar system may be helping to keep the sun calmer than other sun-like stars.
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Search for Life
If aliens explore space like us, we know where to look
a beam of concentric circles leaves earth and stretches into space
(Robert Lea (created with Canva))
Scientists have taken a close look at our activity within the solar system to determine where to look for signals from intelligent alien life.
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Entertainment
Did the 'Fallout' Season 2 teaser spoil too much? (video)
three silhouettes walk through a desert landscape under a sign that reads "welcome to fabulous new vegas"
(Amazon Prime Video)
It's back to the Wasteland for more nuked nightmares when Prime Video's hit sci-fi series returns in December.
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