News for T2

Photos show the USS Eisenhower carrier strike group's 9-month deployment leading the ferocious Houthi fight

Sat, 27 Jul 2024 08:00:02 +0000

Sailors aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower man the rails on their return to Norfolk, Va. after a 9-month combat deployment.

US Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Hunter Day

Carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower recently returned home after a deployment for the history books.
The aircraft carrier sailed on the front lines of the Red Sea fight against Houthi attacks.
Photos show the Ike's twice-extended deployment in the Middle East.

A US Navy carrier and its strike group returned home earlier this month after a grueling nine months fighting Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

During the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower's twice-extended deployment, the carrier bore the brunt of the fight in the Red Sea as its air wing and destroyer squadron fended off relentless Houthi attacks and struck inside Yemen, in the process notching some firsts in warfare.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, left the Middle East on June 22 and returned to its homeport at Naval Station Norfolk on July 14. The Red Sea fight has attested to the combat power of carrier strike groups while still increasing strain on a fleet that can't fight this way forever.

USS Theodore Roosevelt, also a Nimitz-class carrier, is en route to replace the Ike Carrier Strike Group in the fight against the Houthis.

Photos captured operations on and off the storied aircraft carrier during its historic nine months at sea.

Virginia, USA

The Eisenhower deployed from Norfolk last October.

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anderson W. Branch

A week after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, the Pentagon deployed the Ike and its strike group as a show of power and support for Israel.

Alongside the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, the Ike Carrier Strike Group was the second one sent to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea to deter escalation in the Israel-Hamas war.

The crew aboard the Ike manned the rails as it departed its homeport of Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on October 13, 2023.

Mediterranean Sea

Ships from the Gerald R. Ford and Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Groups sailed in a show of force in the eastern Mediterranean.

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Mattingly

While transiting the Mediterranean in early November, the Ike participated in a photo flyby with the Ford and other warships, including Italian frigates, operating in the region in a "show of force" in the eastern Mediterranean.

Gulf of Aden

US Navy sailors embrace on the flight deck aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Gulf of Aden.

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Janae Chambers

While the Ike was initially deployed to the eastern Mediterranean as a show of force against Hamas, the Pentagon later shifted the carrier's focus to defending key shipping lanes and international vessels from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen.

Gulf of Oman

US Navy aviators walk near F/A-18 aircraft on the Ike's flight deck in the Gulf of Oman.

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jorge LeBaron

In November, the Ike briefly moored in the Port of Duqm, Oman, for a three-day visit — one of the few port calls the carrier made throughout its monthslong deployment.

Thanks to supporting vessels in its strike group, including the replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha, the dry cargo ship USNS Alan Shepard, and the fast combat ship USNS Supply, the Ike was able to sustain itself for long stretches of time with minimal port calls.

Persian Gulf

US Navy sailors prepare for a replenishment-at-sea aboard Eisenhower in the Persian Gulf.

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Nicholas Rodriguez

In late November, the Eisenhower and its escorts entered the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first time a Navy carrier had been present in the maritime flash point since carrier USS Nimitz in 2021.

While it was "conducting routine flight operations" in the Persian Gulf, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, then-commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, said an enemy drone flew dangerously close to the carrier.

No injuries or damages were reported in the November 2023 incident.

Cooper said the unmanned aerial vehicle, which was "visually identified as Iranian," came as close as 1,500 yards to the Ike, violating safety precautions directing drones to stay at least 10 nautical miles away from the vessel.

"This unsafe, unprofessional, and irresponsible behavior by Iran risks US and partner nation lives and needs to cease immediately," NAVCENT said in a statement at the time.

Southern Red Sea

The guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely, part of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, launches a Tomahawk missile at Houthi targets in the Red Sea.

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jonathan Word

But the near-brush with the Iranian UAV was the first of many encounters the Ike and its fellow warships would have with Houthi drones and missiles as 2023 came to a close.

The destroyers USS Laboon, Mason, and Gravely, all of which deployed with the Ike, defended and assisted several commercial ships targeted by the Houthis.

The Navy destroyers collectively took out dozens of drones, as well as multiple land attack and anti-ship ballistic missiles, launched by the Houthis.

During the last weekend of December, the Ike and destroyers Laboon and Gravely responded to a distress call from MV Maersk Hangzhou, a Singapore-registered, Danish-owned cargo ship that came under fire from Houthi rebels in the southern Red Sea.

USS Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles, while Navy helicopters embarked on the Eisenhower "returned fire in self-defense" as Houthi militants attempted to board and seize the commercial vessel, CENTCOM said in a statement at the time.

The Gravely and helicopter squadron sunk three Houthi small boats and killed 10 crewmembers — the first time the US Navy killed Houthi fighters since the Red Sea conflict began.

Red Sea

An airman inspects ordnance on an F/A-18E Super Hornet aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.

US Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Janae Chambers

As the conflict in the Red Sea continued to escalate into the new year, F/A-18 fighter jets aboard the Ike supported the Navy destroyer squadron and the British warship HMS Diamond after Houthi rebels launched "complex" airstrikes on ships in the Red Sea.

Two cruise missiles, one ballistic missile, and 18 Iranian drones were shot down in the combined effort that took place in early January, which was seen as a final warning to the Houthis to stop threatening international shipping vessels.

Cmdr. Benjamin Orloff, commanding officer of the Rampagers, an F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter squadron attached to the Ike, said the operations in the Red Sea required an "incredible amount" of collaboration, innovation, and ingenuity to "come up with new tactics, to tweak systems that we already have, in order to optimize our employments."

"We developed an awful lot from this fight that I think has an incredible amount of applicability to current and future conflicts around the globe," Orloff told USNI News.

Strikes inside Yemen

An F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet takes off from Ike's flight deck.

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zachary Elmore

The US and UK launched a series of retaliatory airstrikes against the Houthi militants in mid-January.

Armed forces led by the US and UK, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, used more than 100 precision-guided munitions on more than 60 Houthi targets in Yemen.

A little over a week following the intense multinational strikes, the US continued to pummel Houthi targets, including an underground storage site and key missile and air surveillance locations.

Capt. Marvin Scott, commander of Ike's Carrier Air Wing 3, acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the Ike operating at the front lines in the Red Sea.

"It was something we really haven't seen — for a carrier strike group to be close to that kind of fight — really since World War II," Scott said earlier this month, referring to the high-tempo combat environment that took place in the Pacific theater.

"We responded precisely, violently to degrade their capability, destroying their methods to wage war — essentially, their one-way attack UAVs, their anti-ship ballistic missiles, their anti-ship cruise missiles," he added. "That's what we've been targeting to get them to stop targeting merchant vessels and the Red Sea."

Souda Bay, Greece

The Eisenhower pulls into port in Souda Bay, Crete.

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jonathan Word

In late April, the Eisenhower traveled back to the eastern Mediterranean and moored at US Naval Support Activity Souda Bay in Greece for four days to refuel, resupply, and rearm after more than 150 consecutive days at sea.

Rear Adm. Marc Miguez, commander of Carrier Strike Group 2, said the long-awaited port visit was "well-deserved."

"The sailors of Carrier Strike Group 2 have worked tirelessly for six months straight to keep us operating on station in the most challenging, dynamic combat environment the Navy has seen in decades," Miguez said in a statement.

Though the carrier strike group was nearing the end of its scheduled seven-month deployment — the standard duration for US carriers — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin extended their operations in the Red Sea as the conflict showed little signs of slowing down.

Northern Red Sea

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group steams in formation with the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and other Italian warships in the Red Sea.

Official Italian Navy photo

The Ike and its accompanying destroyers continued to operate in the northern Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The group participated in a photo exercise with Italian navy vessels, including aircraft carrier Cavour and guided missile frigate ITS Alpino, as well as French anti-air frigate Forbin.

En route to the Mediterranean

US Navy officers salute during a change of command ceremony aboard Eisenhower in the Red Sea.

US Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kalvin Kes

In mid-June, the Ike also hosted a change-of-command ceremony.

Rear Adm. Kavon Hakimzadeh, who previously commanded the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, relieved Rear Adm. Miguez as commander of CSG-2.

"Words cannot express how honored I am to have served among these battle force warriors," Miguez said during the ceremony, adding that the Ike strike group delivered "decisive combat power to preserve freedom of the seas."

The battle's tally

Sailors wait to moor the Eisenhower in Souda Bay, Greece.

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrew Eder

Austin announced that the Ike strike group would stay in the Red Sea for a little while longer after extending their deployment for a second time in June, underscoring their critical role in deterrence efforts.

After nearly nine months of battling the Houthis in the Middle East, a Navy tally released in mid-July reported that the Eisenhower and its attached warships and aircraft fired nearly 800 munitions, including Standard Missile interceptors, Tomahawk strike missiles, air-to-air missiles, and air-to-surface weapons.

The Ike CSG's aircraft logged more than 27,000 flight hours over 12,000 sorties, according to Lt. Cmdr. Lauren Chatmas, a Navy public affairs officer.

A few weeks after the deployment extension, the Pentagon deployed the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group to the Middle East.

The carrier and its cruiser returned to Souda Bay for another brief port visit in preparation for the long journey home. The destroyers in the strike group were initially set to remain in the US 5th Fleet, USNI News reported, but have since returned to their respective homeports at Naval Station Norfolk and Mayport.

Ionian Sea

A fighter jet is seen aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp with the Ike seen beyond.

US Navy photo by Mass C

How to watch free Olympics tennis live stream from anywhere: Nadal, Alcaraz, Djokovic, Swiatek, Gauff, and more

Sat, 27 Jul 2024 07:30:02 +0000

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Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will be doubles partners at the 2024 Olympics.

MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images

With so many sports events happening right now in Paris, it can be hard to track down the specific ones you want. That's why we've put together everything you need to know about where to watch free Olympics tennis live streams. Wherever you are in the world, we can help you tune in.

Rafa Nadal is the payer on everyone's minds this year, as this might end up being the last event for the iconic player. He's currently planning on playing in the singles tournament on Sunday and is also pairing up with one Carlos Alcaraz first in the doubles. If that's not enough for you, you don't like tennis.

Andy Murray has confirmed this will be his final tournament, and he recently pulled out of the singles to concentrate on his doubles partnership with Dan Evans. Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Jasmine Paolini, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Naomi Osaka are all vying for Olympic glory, too, in a star-studded schedule. Notable players not competing include Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalanka, Ons Jabeur, Elena Rybakina, and Emma Raducanu.

The Olympics is being streamed for free in various countries around the world. If you want a piece of the action gratis, too, we can help you bypass geo-blocks that would usually stop overseas viewers from accessing the free Olympics tennis live streams. A VPN (virtual private network) changes the digital location of your viewing device (phone, laptop, Fire TV Stick, etc) to a country of your choosing, unlocking the international options from the box below, along with a range of other international streaming options.

See also: How to watch every Olympic event free | Free Love Island UK live stream | Free Olympics rugby live stream

Olympics tennis live stream quick links:

Access live streams from anywhere via ExpressVPN (try it risk-free for 30 days)
Australia: Select matches on 9Now (FREE) / Full coverage on Stan Sports ($27 pm)
UK: Select matches on BBC iPlayer (FREE) / Full coverage on Eurosport (£3.99/month)
USA: Full coverage - Peacock ($7.99) / select events - Sling TV ($25 p/m), Fubo (free trial)
Australia: Select matches - 9Now (FREE), Full coverage - Stan Sports ($27 pm)
When: July 27 - August 4. Play starts daily at 6 a.m. ET / 11 a.m. BST / 6 p.m. AWST
Notable upcoming matches:
- Saturday: Alcaraz vs. Habib
- Saturday: Djokovic vs. Ebden
- Saturday: Paolini vs. Bogdan
- Saturday: Swiatek vs. Begu
- Saturday: Osaka vs. Kerber
- Saturday: Nadal/Alcaraz vs. Gonzalez/Molteni
- Saturday: Gauff/Pegula vs. Perez/Saville
- Sunday: Nadal vs. Fucsovics

How to watch a free Olympics tennis live stream from anywhere

If you're not currently in one of the countries mentioned above and are struggling to find a decent option locally, you can use a VPN to temporarily change your viewing device's location to act as if you were located elsewhere. VPNs are an essential tool for any sports fan nowadays, as shown in our vast collection of streaming guides. They're not just great for streaming, as they protect your digital privacy online on all your devices at home and, more importantly, on vulnerable public WiFi.

If you fancy taking one for a spin, I recommend ExpressVPN. It's an efficient, user-friendly option that I've been using for years, and it has a 30-day money-back guarantee policy. You can find full details in our ExpressVPN review.

How to watch Olympics tennis with a VPN

Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.
Install it on the device you're using to watch the tennis.
Turn it on and set it to an Australian location.
Go to 9Now.
Create a free account.
Watch Olympics tennis online.

How to watch Olympics tennis in the USA

The best, and by far the cheapest, option to watch Olympic tennis in the USA is Peacock. The streaming service is covering the entire Olympics and you can enjoy it all for just $7.99. This is for a rolling one-month plan that you're under no obligation to keep once the Olympics end on August 11. With a strong selection of on-demand content to watch, you might end up keeping it for a while longer, though.

We'd only stump up for the ad-free $13.99 tier if you're going to dive into the on-demand content, as ads still show on live sports coverage. So you're not missing out on any additional coverage or panelist discussion if you get the cheapest option - we've tested both this week to make sure.

Some Olympic coverage will also be broadcast on TV via NBC and the USA Network, but only for select events. If you don't mind missing some of the action and want a more comprehensive cable alternative, you can try a live TV package like Sling or Fubo.

Sling is $40 a month (but the first month is reduced to $15 at the moment) and offers NBC (in select regions) and USA Network (in all regions) through its Sling Blue subscription. Fubo is $79.99 a month and offers comprehensive NBC and USA Network coverage. It's pricey, but you can also enjoy a one-week free trial.

Where to watch Olympics tennis in the UK

The UK's BBC will show select Olympics tennis events for free via the BBC iPlayer. This option covers a great deal of the major Olympic events, making it one of the best free options around the world. Better yet, it has zero ads. Just create a free account, and you're all set. If you're not in the UK right now and looking for a VPN-compatible option, the UK is a great pick.

For more comprehensive tennis coverage, if you find a specific match isn't being covered by the BBC, you'll be able to see it on Eurosport, which is only £3.99 a month during the Olympics.

Where to watch Olympics tennis in Australia

Vast amounts of Olympic coverage will be available to live stream on 9Now in Australia, a free option you can access after creating a free account. Select tennis matches will be included in this coverage. To watch absolutely every part of the Olympics and every round of tennis in Australia, fans can subscribe to Stan Sport for $27 a month ($12 for Stan's base subscription and $15 for the necessary Sport Add-on).

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

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FBI confirms that a bullet or bullet fragment hit Trump during assassination attempt

Sat, 27 Jul 2024 03:04:51 +0000

Former President Donald Trump was escorted off-stage with blood on his face after an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.

Evan Vucci

The FBI confirmed on Friday that Donald Trump's ear was hit by a bullet or a bullet fragment.
The FBI's director previously said there's "some question" whether Trump was hit by a bullet or shrapnel.
A firearms expert told BI that a bullet or shrapnel would have done a similar amount of damage.

In the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump earlier this month, the former president said in a post on his Truth Social platform that he was "shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear."

The FBI confirmed Trump's assertions Friday evening, saying that the shooter who aimed his rifle at the former president had indeed hit his ear.

"What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject's rifle," the FBI said in a Friday statement, per multiple news outlets.

Prior to Friday, FBI Director Christopher Wray cast some doubt when he said before the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee that it was not clear whether Trump was struck by a bullet or shrapnel at Trump's July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"I think, with respect to former President Trump, there's some question about whether or not it's a bullet or shrapnel that, you know, hit his ear," Wray said on Wednesday.

His comment was in response to a question from the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who asked where the eight shots fired by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks went.

Wray added, "So it's conceivable, although as I sit here right now I don't know whether that bullet, in addition to, you know, causing the grazing, could have also landed somewhere else. But I believe we've accounted for all of the shots in the cartridges."

Jordan followed up, "It's my understanding that the very first one was the one that hit the president. The very first shot. Or is that not accurate?"

"As I sit here right now, I don't know the answer to that. I believe we know the answer to that. I just don't have it in front of me," Wray responded.

The gunman — who was shot dead by the Secret Service —opened fire from a rooftop just minutes into Trump's July 13 rally, leaving the former president's ear bloodied, one attendee dead, and two others injured.

When asked for comment Thursday regarding Wray's testimony about there being a question of whether Trump was hit by a bullet or shrapnel, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told Business Insider: "Anyone who believes this conspiracy bullshit is either mentally deficient or willfully peddling falsehoods for political reasons."

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, appointed Wray as FBI director in 2017.

The FBI told BI in a statement that since the day of the attack the agency "has been consistent and clear that the shooting was an attempted assassination of former President Trump which resulted in his injury, as well as the death of a heroic father and the injuries of several other victims."

"FBI Director Wray provided extensive congressional testimony on Wednesday about the FBI's investigation. This was a heinous attack and the FBI is devoting enormous resources to learn everything possible about the shooter and what led to his act of violence. The FBI's Shooting Reconstruction Team continues to examine evidence from the scene, including bullet fragments, and the investigation remains ongoing," the agency said.

Meanwhile, firearms expert Peter Diaczuk told BI that whether a bullet or shrapnel struck Trump, both would have done a similar amount of damage to his ear and that the former president would not have known the difference.

"They're both going to rip the ear apart. They're both passing by at a relatively high rate of speed," said Diaczuk, a professor of forensic science at New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Additionally, Diaczuk told BI that it's most likely that it was, in fact, a bullet that hit Trump's ear instead of shrapnel.

In order for a bullet to break up and cause a fragment, "it's got to hit something substantial to disrupt its integrity," Diaczuk explained.

"And from what I saw — clearly, I don't have as much information as people who have been to the scene looking at things — but from what I saw the day of and the day after, was that it was a clear line of sight between the sniper's nest and the podium," said Diaczuk. "And if that's the case, then there's nothing to cause the breakup of a bullet."

"I don't see any indication of an intervening object to cause the bullet to fragment," he said.

Republican Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, who served as Trump's White House doctor, said in a previously released note that the former president "sustained a gunshot wound" that caused "significant bleeding" and "marked swelling" of his entire upper ear.

"The bullet passed, coming less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear," the memo read. "The bullet track produced a 2 cm wide wound that extended down from the cartilaginous surface of the ear."

Update July 26, 2024: This story was updated to include a statement from the FBI that a "bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces," hit Trump's ear.

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Elon Musk made another big promise he may not be able to keep

Sat, 27 Jul 2024 02:57:35 +0000

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he plans to make Dojo compete with Nvidia, but his supercomputer has a long way to go before competing with the chip-producing giant.

Marc Piasecki via Getty Images

Amid a lackluster earnings call, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he plans to make Dojo compete with Nvidia.
But his fledgling supercomputer has a long way to go before competing with the chip-producing giant.
It's not the first time Musk has made an extremely optimistic promise about what his tech can do.

Elon Musk made another big promise this week during a lackluster earnings report that sent Tesla stock tumbling more than 7% before he logged off the call and didn't recover all week.

The Tesla CEO said the company will "double down" on developing its Dojo supercomputer, in hopes of competing with the chip-producing giant Nvidia.

"We do see a path to being competitive with Nvidia with Dojo," Musk told investors and analysts during Tuesday's call. "And I think we kind of have no choice because the demand for Nvidia is so high, and it's obviously their obligation essentially to raise the price of GPUs to whatever the market will bear, which is very high. So I think we've really got to make Dojo work, and we will."

It's not the first time Musk has made a grandiose promise about what his tech could do without certainty he'd reach his desired outcome — and it's not clear he'll be able to follow through with this one, either.

Musk first mentioned Dojo, the supercomputer designed to improve Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, in 2019. While the company has invested heavily in the ultra-powerful training computer and associated hardware, analysts agree Dojo doesn't yet compare to Nvidia.

The most bullish investors, like Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, see Tesla as just starting the next chapter in its "growth story" via its investments in AI. Though Musk has big goals for advancement in AI technology, Ives predicted in a recent company report for Tesla that "that vision is on the doorstep."

Nvidia, which was founded in 1993, has market dominance with a $2.78 trillion market cap — and its GPUs are in such high demand (from clients including Musk's Tesla and xAI) that the CEO Jensen Huang has had to assure analysts that the company is allocating them fairly.

Roey Kosover, director of the investment fund FinYX Fund SPC, told Investing.com that shareholders have benefited tremendously from Musk's businesses, but "some of his assertions are not always accurate." Dojo, he estimated, has a capability roughly 10 years behind Nvidia's current power and Nvidia has an "incredible record of continuing to evolve and expand."

"So perhaps his recent claim that Tesla's Dojo would rival Nvidia shouldn't necessarily be taken at face value," Kosover told the outlet, adding: "Where Nvidia is now is not where they will be in the future, if and when Dojo has the capability to do that."

Representatives for Tesla and Nvidia did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

When addressing questions about continued delays to Tesla's Robotaxi project, Musk acknowledged during the Tuesday call that his predictions "have been overly optimistic in the past."

With his various business ventures, Musk has made massive strides in turning EVs into a status symbol, bringing forth innovations in space exploration with his reusable rockets and low Earth orbit satellites with Starlink. But while the billionaire has big dreams to innovate across industries, he's been off with his timeline — when his ideas make it to market at all.

Musk, in 2016, promised Teslas would have fully functional FSD technology within two years. In 2019, he predicted regulatory approval for his still-yet-to-be-revealed Robotaxi project would take about a year. He estimated in 2014 SpaceX would take people to Mars by 2024. The startup that tried to bring Musk's 2013 Hyperloop idea to life shut down last year.

For now, it remains unclear if Musk's planned competition with Nvidia will meet the same fate.

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NASA says it can ask SpaceX to bring Boeing astronauts home if needed, as they reach 51 days on the space station

Sat, 27 Jul 2024 01:19:44 +0000

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore made a brief appearance on a call with press from the space station.

NASA TV

A NASA official said SpaceX's Crew Dragon is the "backup option" to bring home two astronauts in limbo.
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore flew to the space station aboard Boeing's Starliner but got stuck.
NASA and Boeing are troubleshooting and trying to bring them back on the glitchy Starliner spaceship.

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stuck on the International Space Station for nearly two months due to thruster issues and helium leaking on Boeing's Starliner spaceship.

It's looking more and more like SpaceX may have to step in and bring them home. The company's Crew Dragon spaceship has been successfully flying astronauts to and from the ISS for years.

"We have two different systems that we're flying," Steve Stich, the manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said in a press briefing on Thursday. He was referring to the Boeing Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

"Obviously, the backup option is to use a different system," Stich added. "I would rather not go into all those details until we get to that time, if we ever get to that time."

SpaceX got astronauts to space a lot faster than Boeing

A Crew Dragon approaches the International Space Station with astronauts on board.

NASA

The Commercial Crew Program funded SpaceX and Boeing to develop their respective spaceships into reliable astronaut vehicles for NASA.

SpaceX did it much faster and cheaper. Crew Dragon completed its first astronaut flight in 2020. Starliner is fumbling its own first astronaut flight right now.

Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, even posted about the disparity on the day of Williams' and Wilmore's launch.

Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, took a stab at Boeing when it first launched Starliner.

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

"Too many non-technical managers at Boeing," he wrote on X.

How long Boeing's astronaut crew has been stuck

When the astronauts arrived aboard Boeing's Starliner spaceship on June 6, they were supposed to stay on the space station for about eight days.

Their mission is a test flight, after all, and they are the spaceship's first crew. The point was just to fly there, leave the spaceship docked to the station for a week for testing, and return to Earth, proving Starliner was up to the job.

"We kept saying 'eight-day minimum mission.' I think we all knew that it was going to go longer than that. We didn't spend a lot of time talking about how much longer," Mark Nappi, the vice president and program manager of Commercial Crew Program efforts at Boeing, said in the briefing on Thursday.

"It's my regret that we didn't just say, 'We're going to stay up there until we get everything done that we want to go do,'" Nappi said.

Boeing's Starliner spaceship, which Williams and Wilmore flew on, docked at the space station 262 miles above Egypt.

NASA

NASA had pre-ordained a maximum of 45 days for Starliner's stay, based on how its batteries might perform in space.

As of Friday, the astronauts and their spaceship had been on the station for 51 days.

Now NASA says Williams and Wilmore might stay there until mid-August while Boeing's troubleshooting continues. The agency has extended the 45-day battery waiver to 90 days.

"We don't have a major announcement today relative to a return date. We're making great progress, but we're just not quite ready to do that," Stich said in the briefing.

NASA's plan to bring the astronauts home

It was the second press conference in about a week where NASA announced there was still no return date.

That's because the agency is testing a spare Starliner thruster at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico and hasn't finished yet. Engineers have been replicating the thruster issues that developed while Williams' and Wilmore's ship was on its way to the space station.

The next step is replicating the return journey, Stitch said, to see if Starliner's thrusters could safely bring the astronauts home.

"NASA always has contingency options. We know a little bit of what those are, and we haven't worked on them a whole bunch, but we kind of know what those are," Stich said. "But right now we're really focused on bringing Butch and Suni home on Starliner."

In the meantime, both NASA and Boeing have repeatedly said, Williams and Wilmore are safe.

"Someday Starliner could be a backup to a Dragon mission," Stich added.

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Where to watch Olympic handball: Live stream 2024 competition

Sat, 27 Jul 2024 00:08:06 +0000

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Romain Lagarde from France and Mikkel Hansen from Denmark played in the men's handball final at the Tokyo Olympics.

Marijan Murat/picture alliance via Getty Images

Handball is among the handful of Olympic sports to kick off early, with the women's portion of the tournament beginning ahead of the official Olympic start date. We'll show you everything you need to know about where to watch Olympic handball, including free streaming options.

Since debuting at the Olympics in 1936 and becoming a regular fixture in 1972, handball has slowly gained traction at the Summer Olympics. The Tokyo Olympics saw France dominate the sport, with both the men's and women's teams returning home with gold medals. For the women's competition, the ROC won silver, and Norway won bronze. For the men's portion of the tournament, Denmark won silver, and Spain won bronze.

So far, in the women's handball portion of the competition, Sweden, France, South Korea, Brazil, Netherlands, and Denmark have all won one game. Norway, Hungary, Germany, Spain, Angola, and Slovenia have all been on the losing side. The men's part of the tournament kicks off on Saturday, and the next games in the women's preliminary round continue on Sunday.

No matter who you're rooting for, we'll show you how to keep up with handball at the 2024 Olympics. And make sure to bookmark our Olympics streaming guide for additional info and notable daily events.

See also: Where to watch Olympic football | How to watch WNBA | Where to watch MotoGP

Where to watch Olympic handball in the US

American fans' best bet to see every single handball match is through Peacock in the US. The streaming service is one of the most comprehensive hubs for all things 2024 Olympics. Subscriptions start at $7.99 a month.

People seeking out a live TV option beyond just the Olympics (who don't mind missing some matches) can follow select handball matches and Olympic events through NBC and USA broadcasts in the US. For example, women's Slovenia vs. Denmark, Netherlands vs. Angola, and Hungary vs. France will all air live on USA on July 25. If you don't have cable, you can access these channels through live TV packages like Sling TV and Fubo.

The Sling Blue plan carries NBC (in select regions) and USA (in all regions). A subscription includes access to over 40 channels, including FS1, FX, and the new USA 4K for top-tier Olympic viewing. Plans start at $40 a month, but new users can get their first month for just $15 right now. Fubo offers more than 180 channels, including broad NBC and USA coverage. Subscriptions start at $79.99 a month, but new users can try the service free for one week.

Where to watch Olympic handball in the UK

In the UK, select Olympic coverage is available for free through the BBC and BBC iPlayer. For comprehensive coverage, viewers will need to subscribe to Eurosport through Discovery+, with subscriptions starting at £3.99. While later handball matches might be available through BBC, early coverage will only be found on Eurospot.

Where to watch Olympic handball in France

France.TV is the streaming home of the Olympics in France, and the host country's coverage is impressive. The service is free to use, and viewers just need to create a free account to sign up. If you're not in France right now, you can access the channel via a VPN.

Where to watch Olympic handball in Australia

9Now is the free Olympic streaming home in Australia. The service only requires account creation to use. Australia's handball team doesn't usually qualify for the Olympics, so there's not a ton of coverage of early handball matches, but later stages will most likely be available here. Stan Sport has full handball (and every other Olympic sport) coverage in Australia, for $27 a month (a $12 base subscription and a $15 Sport Add-on price).

How to watch Olympic handball from anywhere

Handballs fans who will be away from the above countries during matches can keep up with the free streaming options using a VPN. VPNs, short for virtual private networks, enable people to temporarily alter their device's virtual location so they can keep up with their usual websites from anywhere. They're often used by those looking to add an extra layer of online privacy or hoping to access their usual apps while traveling.

Our go-to recommendation for the VPN-curious is ExpressVPN, a straightforward and user-friendly option with a 30-day money-back guarantee policy. You can find all the details in our ExpressVPN review, and see below for highlights.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

Read the original article on Business Insider

NASA just scored a badly needed win: The best potential evidence of alien life yet

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 23:57:24 +0000

The Cheyava Falls rock sample inside Perseverance's drill bit.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

NASA's Perseverance rover has found potential evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars.
Scientists must bring the rock to Earth for further study, but three key features make it promising.
The discovery is a crucial win for NASA after a series of budget cuts and mission setbacks.

NASA has snagged a chunk of rock on Mars that could someday prove to be the first clear evidence of alien life.

To be clear, NASA is not declaring that it's discovered Martian life. Rather, its Perseverance rover has drilled a sample from a rock with attributes that could have come from ancient microbial activity, the agency announced Thursday.

To confirm their suspicions, scientists would need to bring the rock sample to Earth and study it in more detail.

"This is exactly the kind of sample that we wanted to find," Katie Stack Morgan, a lead scientist on the Perseverance mission, told Business Insider.

3 key features could point to alien life

"Cheyava Falls" (left) shows the dark hole where NASA's Perseverance took a core sample. The white patch directly beside the hole is where the rover abraded the rock to investigate its composition.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

The rock, nicknamed Cheyava Falls, has three critical features:

First, white veins of calcium sulfate are clear evidence that water once ran through it.
Second, the rock tested positive for organic compounds, which are the carbon-based building blocks of life, as we know it.
Third, it's speckled with tiny "leopard spots" that point to chemical reactions that are associated with microbial life here on Earth.

A reddish Mars rock, nicknamed "Cheyava Falls," contains leopard spots that could point to ancient microbial life.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

However, both the organic material and the leopard spots could have come from non-biological processes. That's why scientists need to study the sample more closely on Earth to know for sure.

The rover has reached the limit of what it can learn about the rock.

"We're not saying there's life on Mars, but we're seeing something that is compelling as a potential biosignature," Stack Morgan said.

A biosignature is any feature that points to the presence of life.

"This is a very significant discovery," she added.

It's a much-needed win for the space agency. In recent months, NASA has taken hit after hit from budget limitations and technical errors across missions.

NASA needs this win

Earlier this year, the agency's first attempt to return to the moon since 1972 failed. The NASA-funded Peregrine moon mission, by the company Astrobotic suffered a fuel leak shortly after launch, forcing it to return to Earth and burn up in the atmosphere. (The next attempt, a mission by the company Intuitive Machines, also funded by NASA, successfully landed on the moon.)

Then, new budgeting decisions came down. NASA's budget proposal for 2025 effectively defunds the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which is still a highly productive and functional mission.

And just last week, NASA officials announced they were scrapping the VIPER moon rover that the agency has already spent $450 million to build. NASA plans to disassemble it and reuse some of the parts for future moon missions.

Meanwhile, two astronauts have been stuck on the International Space Station for 51 days because the NASA-funded Boeing spaceship that carried them there is leaking helium and having thruster malfunctions.

Even Perseverance wasn't spared. In April, NASA announced it was canceling its $11 billion plan to send a follow-up mission, called Mars Sample Return, to collect the rover's tubes of Martian rock and carry them back to Earth. That was the plan that could've brought scientists the Cheyava Falls rock sample.

Instead, NASA is asking companies to step in and propose their own cheaper, faster versions of the mission.

Those aren't light sabers, they're Perseverance's sample tubes, stashed on the Martian surface.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

The Cheyava Falls rock especially needs the extra studying.

"This rock is also one of the most complex rocks we've seen on the surface of Mars. There is a lot going on in this rock," Stack Morgan said.

Is it aliens? Check the CoLD scale

For now, this discovery is just a "step one" on the seven-step "confidence of life detection" (CoLD) scale.

The CoLD scale is a rough rating of scientific confidence in any potential alien-life discovery.

The CoLD (Confidence of Life Detection) scale helps scientists research whether a signal could indicate life.

NASA/Aaron Gronstal

"We've taken us up to the start of that scale, and I think that's what the rover was sent to Mars to do," Stack Morgan said.

A possible biosignature can climb to higher levels of confidence as evidence builds. For example, if scientists can confirm that known non-biological processes didn't create the leopard spots, the Cheyava Falls rock might ascend to step two or three.

But they need to get the sample to Earth first. And NASA needs to figure out how to do that.

"We're hoping that our most recent sample can play into the conversation about whether this effort is worth it," Stack Morgan said. "And we believe that it is."

Read the original article on Business Insider

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22 details you might've missed during the Paris 2024 opening ceremony

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 22:21:25 +0000

Paris is hosting the 2024 Summer Games.

Franck Fife - Pool/Getty Images

The 2024 Paris Games kicked off with an impressive opening ceremony.
There were several allusions to famous French works of art, including "Les Misérables."
The bells of Notre-Dame were rung for the first time since the destructive fire in 2019.

The 2024 Olympics are being held in Paris this year, kicking off with Friday's opening ceremony.

The final budget for this year's Games is set to come in under $10 billion, which is only 25% more than the city's initial number. And nothing shows off the production value of the Summer Games quite like the opening ceremony.

From incredible performances to a parade of boats, here's what you may have missed during the opening ceremony.

The ceremony opened with a reference to the French Revolution.

The opening ceremony started with a section titled "Ça ira."

NBC

The first section of the ceremony after the opening performance was titled "Ça ira."

The phrase, which was also the title of a popular song during the French Revolution, roughly translates to, "It will be OK."

The parade of nations took place right on the River Seine.

Athletes road to the stadium on boats instead of marching in.

NBC

Instead of walking into the arena, athletes from each country paraded down the Seine on boats of all shapes and sizes. Some countries shared vessels, and others appeared on smaller boats.

The Seine has been a major character in these Olympics so far. Even though swimming in the river has been illegal for the public for about 100 years, Olympians from several water sports are meant to compete in it throughout the 2024 Paris Games.

Paris put over $1 billion into cleaning the river for the events, but there are still concerns about E. coli levels. It's unclear which (if any) events will actually be able to happen in the river.

Lady Gaga paid tribute to an iconic French performance style.

Lady Gaga performed at the opening ceremony.

NBC

Lady Gaga — surrounded by dancers holding pink feathers — was the first entertainer to perform at the opening ceremony.

She sang "Mon Truc en Plumes," a cabaret song made famous by French ballerina Zizi Jeanmaire.

Jeanmaire debuted the song wearing a black outfit while dancing with men holding pink feathers, making Lady Gaga's performance a fitting tribute.

Simone Biles wasn't at the opening ceremony, but her family was.

Snoop Dogg spoke with the Biles family at the opening ceremony.

NBC

American gymnast Biles was not at the opening ceremony. Her events start on Sunday, and it's common for athletes competing in the opening weekend to skip the long ceremony day.

But Snoop Dogg interviewed her family, who were watching the parade of nations from the banks of the Seine.

Louis Vuitton cases will be featured throughout the Games.

The performers did a bit with Louis Vuitton cases during the opening ceremony.

NBC

Part of the performance honored the legendary French fashion house Louis Vuitton with a routine centered on extra-large cases on luggage carts.

Later in the Games, the medals will be handed out in (much smaller) Louis Vuitton cases.

Each one of this year's Olympic medals contains a sliver of the Eiffel Tower.

The Monnaie de Paris made this year's medals.

NBC

The Monnaie de Paris made the medals for this year's Olympics, and each one contains a sliver of the Eiffel Tower.

Michael Phelps and Martin Fourcade made a somewhat strange cameo.

Michael Phelps and Martin Fourcade during the opening ceremony.

NBC

US swimmer Phelps holds the record for the most Olympic medals in history, and Fourcade is the most successful French Olympian.

Although it's not surprising that they were present at the opening ceremony, it was a little odd that they were just briefly shown standing next to the water in the midst of a dance performance.

The bells of Notre Dame rang for the first time since 2019.

Notre-Dame has been under construction since 2019.

NBC

Paris' famous Notre-Dame experienced a devastating fire in 2019. During the opening ceremony, the iconic cathedral's bells rang for the first time since then.

Earlier in the ceremony, dancers dressed in construction gear performed around the scaffolded cathedral to highlight the reconstruction. The repairs are set to be completed by the end of the year.

Performers recreated an iconic scene from "Les Misérables."

At one point in "Les Mis," the performers sing around a barricade.

NBC

The "Liberté" section of the opening ceremony opened with a hommage to the musical "Les Misérables."

Dancers performed around a barricade in the center of a stage as the masked torchbearer made their way through the theater.

Marie Antoinette, complete with a severed head, opened up a heavy-metal performance.

The camera zoomed in on Marie Antionette's severed head.

NBC

A performer dressed like Marie Antoinette (after her head was severed) sang the opening lines of a heavy-metal musical performance during the ceremony.

The ceremony almost got a little NSFW.

Three performers went into a bedroom together.

NBC

Part of the performance played into Paris' romantic reputation by featuring diverse couples and unique performances.

Scenes set in a library were intercut with the live performances of dancers suspended in the air above the bridge. The dancers gracefully (and safely) fell from suspended heights during the routine as it began raining heavily.

Affectionate moments and kisses were shown between various couples, including a trio that entered a bedroom together (possibly representing a polyamorous relationship).

All 58 of Ethiopia’s Olympic medals are for track and field.

Ethiopia is back at the Summer Olympics.

NBC

As the Ethiopia delegates and athletes sailed down the Seine, the US hosts on the NBC broadcast highlighted the team's unique Olympic record.

All 58 of the country's medals have been won for track and field events.

The Statue of Liberty made an appearance.

France gifted the US the Statue of Liberty.

NBC

During an animated segment of the show, the torchbearer flew in a hot air balloon past a number of recognizable figures, including the titular character from the famous French novella "The Little Prince" and the Statue of Liberty.

The French famously gifted Lady Liberty to the US in the late 1800s, and a smaller version of the statue sits in Paris.

Statues of women appeared on the Seine during the “Equalité” section.

A statue of historic French magistrate Simone Veil rose from the Seine.

NBC

During the section of the ceremony celebrating equality, statues of significant women in French history rose from the Seine in an hommage to the gender disparity of statues in Paris.

The women featured were Olympe de Gouges, Alice Milliat, Gisèle Halimi, Simone de Beauvoir, Paulette Nardal, Jeanne Barret, Louise Michel, Christine de Pizan, Alice Guy and Simone Veil.

After the ceremony, the statues will be gifted to Paris.

Coco Gauff is the first tennis player to carry the flag for the US.

LeBron James and Coco Gauff were this year's flag bearers for Team USA.

NBC

This year, basketball player LeBron James and tennis player Gauff were the two US Olympians carrying the flag during the parade of nations.

Gauff is the first tennis player to be named a flag bearer for the US.

French rapper Rim'K mentioned Snoop Dogg during his performance.

Snoop Dogg interviewed people during the opening ceremony.

NBC

When French rapper Rim'K performed, he mentioned Snoop Dogg.

The American musician, who was working as a commentator at the ceremony, could be seen smiling and dancing throughout the performance.

America has the largest number of athletes in the 2024 Olympics.

The US boat looked completely full.

NBC

America's boat for the parade of nations held 594 athletes, making it the largest team at this Olympic Games.

France is No. 2 with 579 competitors.

A message calling for peace appeared after “Imagine” was performed.

Pianist Sofiane Pamart and singer Juliette Armanet performed "Imagine."

NBC

John Lennon's "Imagine" has been performed at a number of Olympics opening ceremonies. This year, pianist Sofiane Pamart and singer Juliette Armanet took on the quasi-tradition.

After a passionate dance performance meant to represent different turmoils, the musicians performed the peaceful song while floating down the Seine on a flaming stage.

After "Imagine" ended, a message appeared on the screen: "We stand and call for peace."

The torchbearers weren't all French.

Rafael Nadal is a Spaniard, but he's won the French Open 14 times.

NBC

Toward the end of the opening ceremony, famed athletes from the host nation typically carry the torch to the cauldron.

The final procession started with French soccer player Zinedine Zidane. But in a twist of events, he passed the torch to Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, who holds the record for the most French Open titles (14).

The tennis player then boarded a speedboat with Romanian gymnast Nadia Comănect, US tennis player Serena Williams, and US track and field star Carl Lewis.

After a short ride on the Seine, the torch was returned to the hands of famous French athletes who lit the cauldron together in the Tuileries Garden.

Cèlion Dion performed in a rare appearance.

Cèlion Dion sang at the opening ceremony.

NBC

French Canadian singer Dion performed at the end of the ceremony, a rarity since she has been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome.

She performed "Hymne à l'amour," a song made famous by French singer Édith Piaf, on the Eiffel Tower.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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The best Fitbit in 2024

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 22:10:20 +0000

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Fitbit sells a variety of activity trackers and smartwatches. We tested current models to find the best Fitbit for various use cases.

Fitbit; Alyssa Powell/Business Insider

Fitbit's wearables do almost everything. From counting steps and tracking workouts to monitoring sleep patterns and stress levels, the best Fitbit can help improve your well-being. And there are a variety of Fitbit models designed for different types of users.

Our top pick is the Fitbit Sense 2. Although it's an average smartwatch, it's a quality health and fitness tracker offering multi-day battery life, a suite of health-monitoring tools, and comprehensive activity tracking. For a budget pick, we recommend the Fitbit Inspire 3 — an effective entry-level wearable with basic health and fitness tools for less than $100.

We chose our list based on tracking accuracy, fit and comfort, battery life, and ease of use. Although every Fitbit offers similar activity-tracking capabilities, some are better for certain users. Picking the best Fitbit depends on your intended use and the advanced features you need.

Our top picks for the best Fitbit

Best overall: Fitbit Sense 2 - See at Amazon

Best budget: Fitbit Inspire 3 - See at Amazon

Best for style: Fitbit Luxe - See at Amazon

Best for kids: Fitbit Ace 3 - See at Amazon

Best overall

Fitbit's flagship, the Sense 2, nails everything a quality fitness tracker should be. It offers a variety of activity tracking and useful fitness insights, tracks sleep, stress, and menstrual cycles, and has built-in GPS and a battery that lasts around five to six days on a single charge.

It does lack in one major area, however: smarts. Though it's touted as a "smartwatch," it doesn't quite stack up in that department the way an effective smartwatch should. For starters, it doesn't offer third-party app support, which is disappointing, and it doesn't allow access to things like Google Assistant. It also can't store or play music.

The Fitbit Sense 2 is a great all-around activity tracker, and though it does lack some standard smartwatch features, it's still an impressive wearable.

Rick Stella/Business Insider

But those drawbacks don't equate to being a dealbreaker. The Sense 2 offers a suite of useful health and wellness insights that put it on par with some of the best in the industry. There's a skin temperature sensor, ECG readings, and a real-time stress tracker.

The stress tracker is especially interesting as it not only charts your body's stress levels but also provides feedback on how to lower it, and can paint a picture of how your body handles stress overall.

It's also an accurate fitness tracker. Its built-in GPS synced well during our tests, and it's compatible with a variety of activities and exercises. Plus, its interface is easy and intuitive to use, making it a great watch for beginners.

Read our full Fitbit Sense 2 review.

Best budget

Fitbit's Inspire line of entry-level activity trackers is the brand's most basic offering. Its latest model, the Inspire 3, features a slim, vertical screen that sits comfortably on your wrist while offering a suite of advanced health and fitness tracking features right at your fingertips. It even has a skin temperature sensor and can track your sleep habits. The original Fitbit has come a long way.

But what makes the Inspire 3 especially attractive is its price, which makes it appealing for beginners or those new to wearing activity trackers. At under $100, it delivers a wearable experience similar to the Sense 2 without the large touchscreen, downloadable apps, or built-in GPS. It's also compatible with a range of the best Inspire 3 bands to change its look slightly.

The affordable Inspire 3 is a worthwhile fitness tracker.

Shannon Ullman/Business Insider

That may seem like the Inspire 3 lacks key features, but those are typically hallmarks of a smartwatch, and the Inspire 3 is a bonafide fitness tracker. That is, it offers straightforward health and fitness features in an easy-to-use and intuitive package. It uses the same fitness tracking tech as all of Fitbit's other wearables, tracks heart rate, skin temperature, and sleep patterns, and even offers the brand's new Daily Readiness Score feature.

That's a lot in such a small, budget-friendly package. Advanced athletes may view the lack of built-in GPS as a dealbreaker, but for anyone looking for a basic, straightforward activity tracker, the Inspire 3 is the best Fitbit has.

Read our full Fitbit Inspire 3 review.

Best for style

Although the Fitbit Luxe looks similar to the Inspire 3, it has a few subtle design features that give it some style. There's a stainless steel casing that achieves a nice, clean look for either the office or a night out, a bright AMOLED screen, and the ability to swap out the band for something like a chic mesh or metal option.

As a quality health and fitness wearable, the Fitbit Luxe tracks basics like running and cycling. It offers insights into sleep patterns, stress management, and fitness trends. Some features require a paid subscription to Fitbit Premium (as is the case for several watches in this guide), but even the basic features are highly useful.

The Luxe is a classier take on the Inspire 3.

Lisa Eadicicco/Business Insider

One area where it lags is in the smartwatch department, but it was never designed to be one in the first place. However, it can still display text and phone call notifications, and you can use things like timers and alarms, but that's about the extent of it. It also has a battery that lasts upward of six days.

Read our full Fitbit Luxe review.

Best for kids

Most fitness trackers are inherently designed for adult use. Then, there's the Fitbit Ace 3, an activity tracker designed entirely for kids ages six and up, outfitted with features such as parental controls, a custom kid-friendly stat viewer, and fun customization options.

What makes the Ace 3 great for kids is its whimsical approach. There are band options with Minion-themed designs, as well as colorful custom watch faces. It is also water-resistant up to 50 meters or 164 feet, so kids can wear it in the pool.

The Ace 3 makes a great first wearable for kids.

Fitbit

One of the Ace 3's best features is its focus on gamification. The wearable offers various challenges and badges that can motivate kids as they achieve a certain step goal or complete an activity.

It's also a great communication tool for parents as it delivers text notifications. What's particularly great about this is that parents can utilize the parental controls to manage exactly what connections are permitted on the watch. These controls are set up via the Fitbit app and require a family account, but they can be customized at any time, with or without the watch nearby.

These parental controls ultimately make it a better purchase for kids than, say, the Inspire 3. While the Inspire 3 offers a similar tracking experience, the ability to customize and tailor everything from the wearable's settings to the specific activity goals makes the Ace 3 a more family-friendly option.

Models we don't recommend

Our favorite budget Fitbit that's also a smartwatch rather than purely a fitness tracker, the Versa 3, was discontinued to make way for the Versa 4. However, we cannot recommend the Versa 4, unless the budget smartwatch you're looking for has to be a Fitbit. Even then, you should look at the Pixel Watch 2 from Fitbit's parent, Google, which is a terrific fitness tracker and smartwatch, albeit compatible with Android only.

Fitbit's generational upgrades to the Versa 4 left us wanting.

Rick Stella/Business Insider

The Versa 4 offers few or no appreciable upgrades over the Versa 3 and actually omits features that made the Versa 3 a great option for the price, including third-party app support and music playback. The Versa 4's watered-down experience would have been acceptable if it had a lower price than the Versa 3, but it has the exact same price tag.

How we test Fitbits

In addition to testing past iterations of Fitbit trackers and smartwatches when they launched, I tested each on the list below for several days (some weeks, even), wearing them 24/7 in most cases. I wore each during different workouts, from runs and walks to strength sets and yoga. I also wore the trackers to bed and for mindfulness sessions.

Here are the key features I looked for when testing:

Workout tracking

To successfully record stats during a workout and easily check these as you go, it's important that a watch clearly displays numbers, and quickly and continuously connects to the GPS, particularly if it's built into the watch. I judged the trackers and watches on whether I could easily see my current pace, distance, and time, and if I had quick access to metrics like average pace and heart rate.

The Fitbit Sense 2 has a built-in skin temperature sensor in addition to its heart rate monitor.

Rick Stella/Business Insider

Additionally, I ran another fitness tracking app on my phone to test the accuracy of the watch's distance and pace. For every Fitbit featured, the numbers were always relatively close (and within the normal range you'd find if you compared almost any other fitness tracker).

Because Fitbit offers automatic tracking, I did a few workouts without manually pressing the start button to confirm that it picked up my movement, which it almost always did.

Tracking and comfort while sleeping

I wore these watches and trackers to bed to test the automatic sleep tracking. I checked these stats in the morning to make sure they recorded my time in bed and wake-up times throughout the night. I also wore the devices when occasionally taking naps throughout the day, which they also picked up on.

The devices needed to be comfortable enough to wear all night to get those stats, too. While the bands occasionally stuck to my skin if I got sweaty at night, it never disturbed my sleep — I only noticed this after waking up.

Battery life

I tested the battery life of each Fitbit by charging it to 100% battery and wearing it through workouts, nights of sleep, and throughout the day to see how long each would last. They all surprised me, too — the life lasted even after several workouts, including those using the built-in GPS (which typically drains batteries quickly).

App usability

One huge perk of Fitbit is the built-in stress-reducing apps, so how easy these were to use was a key part of testing. I tried Fitbit's mindfulness program, the Relax app, on all devices, and the EDA scan app on the Sense 2, which contributes to stress management numbers. I looked for ease of use, visuals, and the stats provided after recording a mindfulness session, like changes in heart rate.

FAQs

Are Fitbits worth it?

Yes, especially if you want a reliable fitness wearable. A Fitbit can be beneficial for anyone who keeps active each day, even if that activity is walking a few blocks around the neighborhood or lifting weights at home.

They do an excellent job of counting steps, tracking a wide range of activities, and providing other useful health information like sleep insights and calories burned. You don't need to be an avid fitness pro or athlete to get a lot out of a Fitbit, and with so many options in the brand's lineup, finding one that's "worth it" means just picking out the option that best fits your lifestyle.

Plus, Fitbits are device agnostic, so they're compatible with devices running iOS or Android. This versatility places them among the best Android smartwatches and best fitness trackers you can buy.

What is Fitbit Premium?

Fitbit Premium is the brand's monthly membership option that offers access to more in-depth health and fitness features like nutrition insights, advanced sleep tracking, and the Daily Readiness Score.

It also provides access to guided meditations, exclusive video workouts, in-depth goal setting, various unique challenges, and other health insights such as blood oxygen level readings, heart rate variability, and breathing rate.

All Fitbit Premium features are accessible via the Fitbit app and do a lot to elevate the base Fitbit experience, especially for wearables like the Sense 2 or Versa 4. The brand does offer a free trial to new Fitbit users, allowing you to test out the service before committing to its recurring membership fee (which costs $10/month).

Is a Fitbit better than an Apple Watch?

This ultimately comes down to personal preference. The best Apple Watch models are undoubtedly more powerful and full-featured, but if you don't need access to a suite of apps, then a Fitbit will suffice. Both watches offer deep tracking capability for activities like running, cycling, and lifting weights, and each comes standard with a user-friendly interface.

One area where Apple outdoes Fitbit is in terms of its ecosystem. Anyone using an iPhone can get more out of an Apple Watch than a Fitbit (but as mentioned below, it's not always enough to be considered a dealbreaker).

And although the Apple Watch now offers a deep well of fitness and activity tracking capability, it still leans more heavily toward being a smartwatch (similar to Fitbit's Versa line), so if it's basic fitness tracking you're after without the frills, something like Fitbit's Charge would be more your speed.

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The author, Jen Glantz.

Gaby Deimeke

I've always struggled with budgeting. I try different tactics but always abandon them fast.
But a conversation with a friend turned things around for me, and now I'm saving more than ever.
She taught me how to build a budget that's realistic, flexible, and helps me achieve my goals.

For most of my life, the idea of setting and sticking to a budget seemed impossible. I'd make a draft of how much I wanted to spend for the month ahead, have a loose plan, and end up forgetting about the budget a few days later.

One of my biggest goals for this year was to get over that bad habit and take budgeting more seriously. I researched other people's best tricks and tips (like using a budget worksheet, putting money in envelopes for the month, and paying for things with just cash) but I found myself still wary that any of those approaches would stick with me.

I brought this up to a friend of mine, who is a mother of three kids and prides herself on being true to her budget. She sat me down, showed me her process, and sent me away with five techniques that I've put into place. The result? I've stayed on budget every month this year and even found ways to save an extra $1,000 a month. Here's what has worked for me, inspired by that friend's worthwhile advice.

1. Be realistic

One of the biggest mistakes I routinely made when I tried to budget was vowing to spend a certain amount each month, which just was not realistic. It was always at least 25% less than what I had spent in the months before.

Rather than try to fix two habits (overspending and not sticking to a budget), my friend taught me to pick one goal at a time. Setting a budget that is in line with your current spending is a good way to get on track and organized. After that, you can adjust the budget to reduce spending in certain categories to help you save more.

I not only did that, but I also made sure to plan my budget around what I knew would pop up that month. Every single month, the amount I budget to spend varies. Some months, I spend more and save less, and others, I do the reverse.

2. Update it regularly

The art of creating a budget is not only a process, it's also something that can be super time-consuming. Even if you use someone else's budget worksheet, you still have to adjust categories based on what applies to you and also audit your spending so you know how to make the plan personalized for you.

Once I put in the hard work there, I usually found that I abandoned the budget a few days later.

Instead, updating my budget and tracking my spending has now become a daily practice. Every night, after dinner, I sit down with my Excel spreadsheet, write down what I spent that day, and soak in how my spending for the month is looking. This helps me be more aware and in tune with what's going on financially and not get surprised or shocked at the end of the week by any purchases I didn't plan properly for.

3. It's OK to move money around

I always thought the secret to staying on budget was making sure you stayed very strict. According to my friend, the opposite is true. It's OK to look at your spending week by week and see what categories need to be adjusted.

Let's say you overspend in your dining category, but you have been underspending in your clothing category. You can move money from one category to the other.

I sit down every Sunday and move allocated money around based on my spending needs for that month. The lesson: Stay strict with the amount you've budgeted for that month, but be more casual about where exactly that money is going.

4. Plan for unexpected expenses

I never had an emergency category in my budget, so whenever something happened that I didn't plan for (a health bill, a home repair, etc.) I would get frustrated and abandon the budget. While we can't predict what might happen during the month, putting aside a few hundred dollars for any pop-up or last-minute expenses can help you stay true to your budget.

Since I've been doing that, it's allowed me to feel less pressure and anxiety if something happens that I didn't plan for. I just pull the money from that emergency category and supplement the rest of that expense from my general emergency fund.

5. Learn to say no

Having a budget allows you to know how much you can spend that month on everything from groceries to activities with friends. Having this sort of structure has allowed me to know in advance what I can say yes to and what I have to decline.

It's made it much easier for me to say no to things in advance (whether events, happy hours, or weekend travel). If I didn't put it in and can't make it work that month by cutting back spending in other categories, it's a no. This has helped me save money throughout the year and not give into extra expenses that are "nice to have" but not must-haves.

This article was originally published in September 2021.

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Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Shares Gap Down to $181.79

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 22:02:42 +0000

Shares of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL – Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $181.79, but opened at $173.60. Alphabet shares last traded at $174.79, with a volume of 8,997,428 shares. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms recently commented on GOOGL. […]

Doug Emhoff blasts JD Vance's 'stupid, uninformed' comments about Kamala Harris being a 'childless' cat lady: 'It hurt my feelings'

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:55:00 +0000

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff blasted Sen. JD Vance of Ohio after it came to light that Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, had once criticized Vice President Kamala Harris.

Nathan Howard/Getty Images

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff pushed back after Sen. JD Vance criticized Vice President Kamala Harris.
In a 2021 interview, Vance claimed that Harris was part of a clique of "childless cat ladies."
Harris co-parents two children Emhoff had from a previous marriage.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff on Friday slammed Sen. JD Vance of Ohio after it emerged that Vance had previously criticized Vice President Kamala Harris over not having children even though she is a co-parent to Emoff's two children from a previous marriage.

"What he said was abhorrent. It was stupid, uninformed, and I think the reaction of not only the country but the world — I mean, look at what Jennifer Aniston said — it has touched a chord in a way that has just upset nearly everyone, because everyone's family is their family " Emhoff told former US Attorney Preet Bharara on Bharara's podcast in an episode published on Friday.

Emhoff said that Vance's remarks show he doesn't appreciate the reality of a modern family.

"So you're telling many people in this country and this world that they don't matter," Emhoff said.

"That the only thing that matters is this so-called, you know, old fashioned view of, you know, traditional quote unquote family," he added. "And it is so abhorrent and I am so proud of Kirsten, who we love so much and we are so close and we have coparented, the three of us, so brilliantly and seamlessly and it hurt. It hurt my feelings. It was upsetting and I was so proud of our daughter, Ella, who supported her mother and her mothers."

Emhoff's daughter, Ella Emhoff, and his ex-wife, Kerstin Emhoff, had already teed off on Vance over previously coming after their family. Both Ella and her brother Cole were teenagers when Emhoff and Harris were married.

"These are baseless attacks. For over 10 years, since Cole and Ella were teenagers, Kamala has been a co-parent with Doug and I," Kerstin Emhoff said in a statement to CNN. "She is loving, nurturing, fiercely protective, and always present. I love our blended family and am grateful to have her in it."

Vance's comments have only exacerbated his struggle to introduce himself to the nation. He's already set a record for being the most disliked major vice presidential nominee, even after a party convention.

Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance, said that the senator's old remarks were being mischaracterized.

"Once again, the leftwing media have twisted Senator Vance's words and spun up a false narrative about his position on the issues. The Democrats are in complete disarray with the most unpopular Vice President in history as their party's nominee," Van Kirk said in a statement to Business Insider.

In the 2021 interview, Vance, who went on to get elected to the US Senate, was railing against the next generation of Democratic leadership for not having children.

"We are effectively run in this country via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too," Vance told then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Vance has stressed that he wasn't poking fun at people who couldn't have kids, but he did lump Harris into the group even though she has been a stepmother to Emhoff's two children since they married in 2014.

On Friday, Vance tried to clean up some of his old remarks amid the backlash. He did not retreat from his belief that the Democratic Party is "anti-family."

"Obviously, it was a sarcastic comment. I've got nothing against cats. I've got nothing against dogs," Vance told former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly on her podcast. "People are focusing so much on the sarcasm, and not on the substance of what I actually said. And the substance of what I said Megyn, I'm sorry, it's true."

In selecting Vance, former President Donald Trump made clear that he was elevating someone who could lead the populist movement that has supplanted the traditional conservativism within the Republican Party.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Bessemer Group Inc. Boosts Holdings in Boston Scientific Co. (NYSE:BSX)

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Oxford Financial Group LTD. LLC raised its stake in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) by 0.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 44,447 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional […]

How to watch Olympics: Live stream Paris 2024 games free from anywhere

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:49:05 +0000

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The Eiffel Tower with the Olympic Rings ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

David Ramos/Getty Images

The 2024 Summer Olympics are finally here, and the world's best athletes have descended on Paris for the chance to bring home the gold for their country. We've combed through all of the global watch options and compiled everything you need to know about how to watch the Olympics, including free streaming options.

The summer Olympics pick back up only three years after they were last held, at the Covid-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This time, Paris hosts the games, and the weeks ahead are already shaping up to be memorable. A few sports began competition early, but now that the Opening Ceremony has taken place, most major sports kick off this weekend.

Some of the most-anticipated events include those from the gymnastics, swimming, athletics, tennis, and basketball categories, among others. Gymnast Simone Biles, swimmer Katie Ledecky, sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson, tennis player Rafael Nadal, marathoner Eliud Kipchoge, and basketball player LeBron James are just a few of the can't-miss athletes slated to compete in Paris. This year will also bring back surfing, skateboarding, sport climbing, and 3x3 basketball, which each debuted in Tokyo, for their second appearance at the Olympic games. Additionally, 2024 will introduce the sport of breaking (breakdancing) to the competition.

No matter where you are in the world, we'll show you how to watch the Olympics. And keep an eye on our streaming section for more guides on specific sports and events.

See also: Where to watch Olympic football | Where to watch Olympic rugby | Where to watch Olympic handball

How to watch the Olympics in the US

As usual, the Olympics will air on NBC, USA, and Peacock in the US. Peacock will be your cheapest option, with plans starting at just $7.99 a month, and will serve as a bonafide hub for all events. You can upgrade to ad-free for $13.99 or try an annual plan, which offers savings across both tiers. If you miss an event, you can also watch it on-demand here.

If you'd rather watch NBC and USA through traditional methods and don't have cable, you can try out a live TV package like Sling TV or Fubo. When it comes to Sling, you'll need to subscribe to Sling Blue to get NBC and USA. Sling has fairly selective local channel coverage, so you should look up your zip code before subscribing to ensure you will be able to stream NBC in your region. Sling subscriptions start at $40 a month, but the service often offers introductory promos that will knock a few bucks off your first month if you're a new user.

Fubo is another solid live TV cable alternative that carries NBC and USA, in addition to more than 180 other channels. It's a particularly sports-friendly service. Subscriptions cost $79.99 a month, but new customers can get a one-week free trial right now.

How to watch the Olympics in the UK

Olympic coverage will look a little bit different in the UK this year. While lots of coverage will be available for free on BBC and BBC iPlayer, Eurosport has the rights to full Olympic coverage this year. If you're only looking to watch something specific, it'll be worth checking the BBC TV guide to see if it's available and, if not, signing up for Eurosport. BBC iPlayer is free to use and only requires account creation. Eurosport subscriptions through Discovery+ start at £3.99 a month.

How to watch the Olympics in Australia

Extensive Olympic coverage will be available through 9Now in Australia. Viewers just need to make a free account, and they'll be good to go. For Olympic fans who want to watch every single event of every sport, Stan Sport will offer complete coverage of all parts of the Olympics. Base Stan subscriptions start at $12 a month, and Olympic coverage requires the $ 15-a-month Sport Add-on for a total of $27 (although new users can try the base portion of Stan, not the add-on part, free for 30 days).

How to watch the Olympics in France

The Paris Olympics will fittingly be available to watch on France.TV in France. People just need to create a free account and they'll be able to stream the entire games in one place.

How to watch the Olympics from anywhere

If you'll be away from Australia, the UK, or France at any point during the Olympics and still want to keep up with the free streaming options, you can do so using a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs let you temporarily change your device's virtual location, allowing you to use your usual websites from anywhere. They're especially popular among people looking to boost their online privacy and keep up with their usual apps while traveling abroad.

Our go-to recommendation is ExpressVPN, an easy-to-use option with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Check out our ExpressVPN review for additional information, and keep reading to learn how to use it.

How to watch the Olympics with a VPN

Sign up for a VPN if you don't already have one.
Install it on the device you're using to watch the event.
Turn it on and set it to the location of the streaming service.
Go to 9Now (Australia), France.TV (France), or BBC iPlayer (UK) and create a login if necessary.
Enjoy the Olympics.

How to watch the Opening Ceremony

The Olympics Opening Ceremony was held on Friday, July 26, at 1:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. BST / 1:30 a.m. AWST (Saturday). The ceremony occurred over a four-hour-long period on the River Seine in Paris, France. Athletes floated down the river on boats, and LeBron James and Coco Gauff were flagbearers for the US team.

In addition to the iconic Parade of Nations, there were several performances, including musical acts from Lady Gaga and Celine Dion. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke, and beloved Olympic figures like Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal made appearances. If you missed the Opening Ceremony, most of the options we've outlined above allow you to stream it on-demand.

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Ackman's Pershing Square Postpones IPO

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:43:00 +0000

Billionaire Bill Ackman’s investment fund Pershing Square USA has been postponed to another date that the NYSE didn’t disclose.

Dave Portnoy says JD Vance 'sounds like a moron'

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:42:13 +0000

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy called Sen. JD Vance's idea to lower taxes on people with children "fucking idiotic."

Bill Pugliano/Getty Images; Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Barstool Sports Founder Dave Portnoy blasted Sen. JD Vance's idea of taxing childless adults.
"This is fucking idiotic," he wrote. "If you can't afford a big family don't have a ton of kids."
The missive reveals an interesting split within conservatism over the role of government.

On Friday, Barstool Sports Founder Dave Portnoy blasted Sen. JD Vance's idea of taxing childless adults at a higher rate than parents with children.

The Ohio senator floated the idea on a podcast with conservative influencer Charlie Kirk in 2021, saying that "we should reward the things that we think are good, and punish the things that we think are bad."

"Let's tax the things that are bad, and not tax the things that are good," Vance, now Donald Trump's running mate, said at the time. "If you're making $100,000, $400,000 a year, and you've got three kids, you should pay a different, lower tax rate than if you're making the same amount of money and you don't have any kids."

ABC News first reported on the unearthed clip on Friday. In response, a spokesman for Vance told the outlet that the idea was "basically no different than the Child Tax Credit," a policy that Democrats have long supported.

But that idea didn't go over well with Portnoy, who called it "fucking idiotic."

"You want me to pay more taxes to take care of other people's kids? We sure this dude is a Republican? Sounds like a moron," Portnoy wrote on X. "If you can't afford a big family don't have a ton of kids."

This is fucking idiotic. You want me to pay more taxes to take care of other people's kids? We sure this dude is a Republican? Sounds like a moron. If you can't afford a big family don't have a ton of kids. pic.twitter.com/oPCYMkq3G1
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 26, 2024

Though the missive may seem to simply be the opinion of one man, it's indicative of a broader ideological fault lines in the modern GOP.

Portnoy is himself an influential figure on the right, whose media empire has helped to popularize a strain of political thinking dubbed "Barstool Conservatism."

That movement, popular especially with young men, is defined by a strong opposition to political correctness or "wokeness," a generally libertarian outlook, and at times, more socially liberal impulses. Portnoy, for example, opposed the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

On the other hand, Vance is closely associated with the New Right and national conservatism, defined by its championing of nationalism and social conservatism, but also populism and a willingness to use governmental power to achieve certain ends. Both strains of conservatism have seen their influence grow in the Trump era.

Having been selected as Trump's running mate, Vance is now in a strong position to lead the party after a second Trump term.

But the popularity of his ideas, and of national conservatism more broadly, remains to be seen, and for now appears particular vulnerable to criticism in a movement that's long been defined by libertarian thinking.

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Lockheed Martin's new compact hypersonic missile enables America's stealth fighters to engage targets at Mach 5 speeds

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:36:02 +0000

An engineer shines a light on a Mako hypersonic missile model featuring the Lockheed Martin logo.

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin's new hypersonic missile can be fired from most US fighter jets, including the F-22.
It can engage air- and sea-based targets within enemy defenses or at longer ranges at Mach 5 speeds.
US Navy warships could also potentially deploy the Mako if equipped with a booster.

Lockheed Martin has released new details about the air-launched hypersonic Mako missile, which promises to be the first hypersonic weapon in the world that can be launched from the internal weapons bay of not just the F-35, but the F-22 Raptor as well.

This new missile has been under development for seven years and has been touted by Lockheed officials as a "multi-mission" weapon system capable of maritime strike, counter-air defense, and a variety of other surface-attack operations. It was originally developed for the US Air Force, but now may find a home with the US Navy instead.

Hypersonic missiles are weapons that are capable of achieving sustained speeds in excess of Mach 5 while maneuvering. But while speed may draw most of the headlines, it's the combination of velocity and unpredictable course changes that make these weapons so difficult to intercept.

"Mako does not travel in a pure arcing ballistic flight path. It is a true hypersonic weapon that operates and maneuvers in a high-altitude hypersonic regime," Paul Sudlow from Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control previously told Sandboxx News. "Its high speed and maneuverability enable it to penetrate advanced air-defense systems, engaging targets at or below hypersonic speeds, depending on mission requirements," he added.

Adding the Mako missile to America's stealth fighters

A render of an F-35 equipped with Mako missiles.

Lockheed Martin

The Mako missile was developed under the auspices of the Air Force's Stand-In Attack Weapon program. A total of some $35 million was awarded to Lockheed Martin in three separate developmental contracts (associated with developmental phases 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3).

The aim was to field a weapon that could effectively engage China's anti-access/area denial assets in the Pacific — so the weapon has to be quick, powerful, and survivable.

Hypersonic missiles are traditionally too large to fit inside the internal weapons bays of stealth fighters. This is because they usually require a large rocket motor and sufficient fuel stores to carry them to high speeds and altitudes. They then separate from the booster and continue on unpowered or under an alternate form of propulsion (as is the case with the Air Force's scramjet-powered Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile).

The Mako missile's ability to be launched from within America's stealth fighters dramatically increases the potential vectors the weapon can attack from, substantially complicating matters for air defenses tasked with identifying and intercepting inbound threats.

Intercepting a maneuvering Mach 5+ weapon launched from a fighter or bomber you can see on radar might be an extremely difficult proposition today for even the most advanced air defense systems, but intercepting one from seemingly anywhere would be even harder.

As Sudlow told Sandboxx News today, this high-speed weapon is also designed to allow for stealth aircraft, like America's 5th-generation fighters, to fly out ahead, locate a target, and then relay that target data back to Mako-armed 4th-generation fighters carrying Lockheed Martin's Sniper Networked Targeting Pod for engagement.

This will allow older 4th-generation platforms to play a vital role in combat operations, even against targets in highly contested airspace, and further increase the destructive capabilities of 5th-generation jets.

To this end, Sudlow also confirmed that the Mako missile has already been fit-checked to be carried externally by the F/A-18 Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16C Fighting Falcon, and even the P-8A Poseidon. In effect, Lockheed Martin designed this weapon to be carried by nearly any aircraft in the US arsenal carrying fairly standard 30-inch lugs.

That means the Mako missile could be another new long-range weapon in the Navy's arsenal, alongside its recently revealed AIM-174B air-to-air missile. Both Mako and the AIM-174B are believed to offer ranges well into the hundreds of miles, meaning these two weapons could provide a significant long-range one-two punch against air- and sea-based targets. Lockheed Martin even says the Mako missile could be fired from the vertical launch tubes on the Navy's warships if equipped with a booster, similar to what's been done with the AGM-158C LRASM.

Nevertheless, in the long run, this weapon could find its way back to the Air Force — assuming the Navy opts to put Mako into production. This could see it carried by 4th-generation fighters supporting forward F-22 or F-35 operations, or even see it carried internally by the F-22 Raptor itself — which is still the stealthiest fighter ever to reach service.

The weapon can also be carried internally by the Air Force's F-35As and Navy and Marine Corps F-35Cs. The only American stealth aircraft that can't fit this new missile is the vertical landing F-35B, as its internal storage capacity is limited by the presence of the aircraft's lifting fan.

Named after the fastest shark in the sea

A Shortfin Mako Shark swims just under the surface, breaking the water with its dorsal fin.

Nano Calvo/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Mako was originally developed as a part of the US Air Force's Stand-In Attack Weapon (SiAW) program. That effort aimed to field an air-launched weapon meant specifically to counter elements of anti-access area denial defenses like air defense radar platforms, surface-to-air missile systems, and anti-ship missile launchers.

That contract ultimately went to Northrop Grumman for a new missile system derived from its radar-hunting AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER).

But Lockheed Martin recognized that its entry to the competition could have much further reaching implications than the suppression of enemy air defenses alone. As such, the company is pitching this new missile design to the Navy as a multi-purpose air-to-surface weapon.

"For the US Navy, this is a multi-mission, highly capable system, highly survivable, affordable, so you're going to hold many targets at risk with one weapons system that's ready now," Rick Loy, Senior Program Manager at the company's Missile and Fire Control division told Naval News.

Its name, Mako, is derived from the world's fastest shark, the Shortfin Mako, which is capable of swimming as fast as 45 miles per hour (74 kilometers per hour). It's a fitting name for a weapon that's capable of screaming across the sky at better than 3,836 miles per hour.

At 13 feet, the missile is, appropriately enough, about as long as a Mako shark might grow. At 1,300 pounds and about 13 inches in diameter, this broadly capable missile is only about an inch longer than the AIM-120 AMRAAM that America's stealth fighters were designed to carry; though Mako comes with significantly more heft, at nearly twice the AMRAAM's diameter and more than three times the weight.

Designed in a 'digital engineering ecosystem'

A render shows the Mako hypersonic missile in flight.

Lockheed Martin Europe/X

This new Mach 5+ missile was among Lockheed Martin's first to be designed from the ground up entirely within a digital environment, which is in keeping with broader Pentagon efforts to use digital design and testing to reduce the real-world costs associated with testing and design revisions.

By designing and then testing the weapon in the digital world first, Lockheed Martin can produce a much more mature design at the onset of operational testing.

Likewise, despite the high level of capability promised by this new weapon, Lockheed went out of its way not to invent any unnecessary components. Instead, when possible, it pulled from several already-fielded systems with existing and proven supply chains to reduce the number of variables that could potentially affect a production order.

As Lockheed Martin's press materials point out, the firm also brought manufacturing engineers in at the earliest stages of development to help streamline the sometimes messy transition from advanced prototyping to serialized production.

A close-up of the Mako's guidance section under inspection.

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin has not been specific about the guidance system carried inside the Mako, but that could be by design. The weapon's original intended mission set for the Stand-in Attack Role suggested the use of a multi-mode seeker that would likely include anti-radiation (radar-hunting) capabilities alongside GPS/inertial guidance and potentially a millimeter-wave radar seeker to boot, allowing the weapon to close with just about any target on the surface of the earth whether moving or stationary.

Yet, as Lockheed Martin has pointed out in promotional materials, the Mako was specifically designed with modularity in mind, allowing for the "rapid integration of mission-specific elements like warheads and seekers."

Further, Lockheed specified that this modular design fully embraces the concept of open system architecture, meaning the Pentagon would not be beholden to the firm for future upgrades or updates. This is in keeping with force-wide Pentagon initiatives to field a new generation of weapon systems and platforms that are easier (and cheaper) to upgrade over decade-spanning service lives that are common for many of today's military technologies.

Making hypersonics affordable?

Visitors observe missiles from Lockheed Martin on display during a defense fair in London.

Leon Neal/Getty Images

One of the biggest challenges facing the laundry list of hypersonic weapons in active development for the US military is cost. In 2021, the Defense Department projected that some of America's hypersonic missiles may cost as much as $106 million per weapon — more than the purchase price of a brand-new F-35 — leading many to argue that these missiles simply aren't economically viable.

As a result, significant efforts to reduce the overall cost of these weapon systems have been underway for some time, with more recent assessments out of the Congressional Budget Office now projecting the per-unit cost of another Lockheed Martin-sourced hypersonic missile, the AGM-183 ARRW, at roughly $15-$18 million a piece.

And Mako continues this pursuit of cost savings by leaning into new additive manufacturing — or 3D printing — technologies. The Mako missile's guidance section and fins are all produced through this additive manufacturing process, which Lockheed claims is ten times faster than traditional production methods while coming in at just 1/10 the cost.

Lockheed Martin has not disclosed the price point for this weapon, but it would certainly be predicated on projected order size, which would be impossible to assume at this point, with no contract yet in place for any branch to purchase this new weapon.

READ MORE FROM SANDBOXX NEWS

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Bill Ackman's IPO of Pershing Square closed-end fund is postponed, NYSE says

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:32:01 +0000

Bill Ackman is postponing the highly scrutinized listing of Pershing Square's U.S. closed-end fund, according to a notice on the NYSE's website.

Ackman's Pershing Square Postpones IPO

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:30:00 +0000

Billionaire Bill Ackman’s investment fund Pershing Square USA has been postponed to another date that the NYSE didn’t disclose.

The Score: Delta Air Lines, Tesla, Warner Bros. Discovery and More Stocks That Defined the Week

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:29:00 +0000

Here are some of the major companies whose stocks moved on the week’s news.

Bloomberg Markets 07/26/2024

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:25:55 +0000

Fiserv (NYSE:FI) Reaches New 1-Year High After Earnings Beat

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:24:45 +0000

Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI – Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $161.73 and last traded at $160.48, with a volume of 984341 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $157.22. The business services provider […]

Heard on the Street's Stock-Picking Contest

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 21:21:00 +0000

Read about our columnists’ favorite and least-favorite stocks and see how they have performed.