A technology that could lead to crewed missions to Mars and robotic spacecraft throughout the solar system was recently tested NASA‘S Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The result was a milestone that engineers and space scientists have been working toward for decades, and it brings the possibility of humans setting foot on Mars meaningfully closer to reality. For years, the central obstacle to crewed deep space travel has been not ambition or money but physics, in particular, the brutal mathematics of how much fuel a chemical rocket must carry to carry a crewed spacecraft hundreds of millions of kilometers into space. What JPL displayed in February 2026 shows that the gap is finally beginning to close. The test didn’t make a Mars mission imminent, but it did make it plausible in a way that even cautious engineers are finding it difficult to dismiss.

NASAMars thruster test sets a new US power record for manned missions

On February 24, 2026, NASA put its new magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster to the test in a special water-cooled vacuum chamber at JPL’s Electric Propulsion Lab. During testing, engineers fired the thruster five times and observed that the tungsten electrode in the center of the thruster was burning rapidly, causing temperatures to exceed 2,800 degrees Celsius. The tests successfully set a new record in the United States of 120 kilowatts of power, which is estimated to be 25 times more than the thrusters aboard NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, which is currently on its way to asteroid 16 Psyche and includes the most powerful electric thrusters ever flown by NASA. That comparison matters. Psyche represents the current frontier that NASA has managed to impose on operational space flight. The fact that this new thruster dwarfs it in the test chamber is a sign of how significant the leaps forward could be, not just incrementally, but in terms of which classes of missions suddenly become conceivable.

What makes this thruster different from anything NASA has flown before

Why this test is important helps us understand what electric propulsion really is and why it is considered the most likely route to efficiently get humans to Mars.Electric propulsion is nothing new at NASA. The agency is already flying solar electric thrusters on missions like Manas. Those systems use electricity to accelerate propellant and can cut propellant use by up to 90 percent compared to traditional chemical rockets. The tradeoff is that thrusting chemical rockets produce a powerful thrust. Electric propulsion, in contrast, builds momentum slowly and steadily, making it not suitable for launches, but exceptionally suitable for long stretches of deep space travel where steady acceleration over weeks and months translates into truly impressive final speeds.Unlike conventional electric thrusters, which use electric fields to accelerate ions, MPD engines use both electric currents and magnetic fields to generate thrust, enabling significantly higher power operation. That difference is what allows lithium-powered MPD thrusters to operate at power levels that surpass current ion drives. The lithium metal vapor propellant, which burns at extreme temperatures inside the chamber, is central to this advantage, as it allows the system to handle power inputs that would destroy conventional thruster designs. The concept behind MPD thrusters is not new, dating back to research efforts in the 1960s, but it has taken decades of incremental progress to turn the principle into a viable propulsion system. What JPL has now demonstrated is that engineering has finally caught up with physics.

The numbers behind the Mars mission

The February test was a proof of concept rather than a finished product, and NASA has been clear about that. according to NASA JPLThe team aims to reach power levels between 500 kW and 1 MW per thruster in the coming years. Because the hardware operates at such high temperatures, proving the components can withstand the heat over many hours of testing will be a significant challenge.The scale that a crewed Mars mission would actually require puts that challenge into sharp relief. As Phys.org reportFuture manned missions to Mars would require 2 to 4 megawatts of power, include multiple thrusters and require more than 23,000 hours of continuous operation, approximately 958 days or 2.6 years. That is not a fast race. It is a sustained endurance test of the operation of hardware in one of the most hostile environments imaginable, at temperatures that would destroy most materials and in a vacuum where there is no possibility of repair in flight.The 120 kW result from February is therefore a first step rather than a finished answer. But it is a first step that has validated the basic approach, confirmed that the design can operate stably at record power levels, and generated data that will directly inform the next series of tests. From an engineering perspective, a successful proof-of-concept test does exactly that.

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Why getting to Mars faster really matters

There is a tendency to present rapid Mars transit as a matter of convenience or ambition. In fact, it is a medical and operational necessity. Each additional day a crew spends in deep space increases their cumulative exposure to cosmic radiation, an exposure that current shielding technology can only partially reduce. Muscle degradation in microgravity, psychological stress from isolation, and the complex possibility of mechanical failure all scale directly with mission duration.Electric propulsion is designed for steady acceleration rather than explosive lift power. After a week in space, a spacecraft using this system would race across the solar system at speeds of more than 400,000 kilometers per hour. That kind of velocity, sustained during a Mars transit, compresses travel time in a way that chemical rockets can’t match without increasing the fuel load, making it impractical to launch the mission in the first place.

New Delhi: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Wednesday objected to the “insistence” of a section of the Muslim community on cow slaughter during Eid-ul-Azha and said religious sentiments of the Hindu community should be respected to ensure peaceful co-existence in the society.VHP central joint general secretary Surendra Jain said the Hindu community worships the cow as “Mother Cow” and alleged that repeated arguments in support of cow slaughter hurt Hindu sentiments.Jain said, “Hindu society worships cow as a mother. Despite this, this kind of insistence continues to be very unfortunate. Every day new arguments are being given to justify cow slaughter and this is hurting the sentiments of Hindu society.”He also objected to the arguments seeking to declare the cow as the “national animal” and claimed that referring to “Mother Cow” as merely an animal is an insult to the sentiments of Hindus.He said, “Calling mother cow just an animal is an insult to the sentiments of mother cow and Hindu society. The attitude towards the symbols associated with the nation and Sanatan traditions is well known.”Referring to past incidents, Jain cited the cattle slaughter rules of 2017 and alleged that after the implementation of the rules, cows are openly slaughtered in some states.He said, “When rules were made in 2017 to regulate animal slaughter, it also included cows. In some states where governments were supportive, cows were reportedly slaughtered openly. The demonstrations that took place were extremely unfortunate and condemnable.”The VHP leader said anti-cow slaughter laws are in place in more than half of the country and added that the Hindu community will not tolerate cow slaughter.He said, “Hindu society will not tolerate cow slaughter at any cost. People should understand the sentiments associated with mother cow and respect the laws already in force in large parts of the country.”Citing history, Jain claimed that the rebellion of 1857 was also related to the protection of cows.He said, “Hindu society had fought to protect mother cow even during the revolution of 1857. The society can go to any extent to protect its faith and belief.”He also stressed the need for mutual respect between communities. Jain said, “If peaceful coexistence is to be maintained in the society, then every community must learn to respect the religious beliefs and sentiments of others.”

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Several hundred meters below the surface, the limestone caves around Minamidito Island are mostly untouched by sunlight, currents, and regular marine surveys. The landscape is narrow, uneven, and difficult to navigate even with modern submarines. During one of the deeper exploratory dives last year, a remotely operated vehicle passed close to a colony of precious corals and disturbed a group of small yellow animals attached to its surface. For a moment, they emitted a green glow.The light disappeared almost immediately. It was not bright enough to illuminate the cave or be visible from a distance, but it was enough to disrupt the regular pace of the survey. The organisms had not been previously cataloged, and the brief response sparked a closer investigation that later identified an entirely new coral-associated species with a rare form of bioluminescence.

Rare glowing coral species found 385 meters beneath the Pacific Ocean

The expedition took place in May 2024 as part of a deep-sea cave survey led by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, known as JAMSTEC, BioScience reports. The researchers were using a robotic vehicle to inspect submerged limestone formations near Minamidato Island, a remote Pacific island east of Okinawa.While maneuvering through the cave system, the vehicle’s manipulator arm collided with coral colonies belonging to the genus Pleurocorallium. Attached to those corals were small yellow polyps, which the team did not expect to find in that setting.Response came immediately after contact. The green light flickered from the creatures’ tent area for only a moment and then disappeared again. This response appeared to be localized and short-lived rather than continuous, which immediately distinguished it from many known glowing marine animals that exhibit steady or repeated light displays. The video captured during the dive later became the focus of analysis.

Scientists trace this glowing creature to the Zoantharia genus

Detailed testing placed the organism within the Zoantharia, a group that includes animals such as sea anemones and colonial corals. This species is now named Corallizoanthus aureus, the second part of the name referring to its distinctive golden-yellow appearance.Its anatomy differs from that of its closest known relatives in several ways. The tentacle count is slightly higher, the muscles around the oral disc are arranged differently, and the body coloration is unusually bright for an animal living in such a dim environment.The species also appears to be highly selective about where it lives. Each observed specimen was directly attached to precious coral colonies, suggesting that it survives as an epibiont, an organism that grows without harming any other living animal. Back on the research vessel, scientists attempted to understand the source of the green glow. Measurements showed that the emitted light reached approximately 515 nanometers, placing it within the green portion of the visible spectrum.The brightness was not constant. It appears only after the tissue is physically disturbed or exposed to a chemical stimulus. Undisturbed samples remained in the dark. Many marine organisms display fluorescent colors in blue light, but fluorescence depends on absorbing external light and re-emitting it. The behavior of the new species was different. Light originated from animals only. The team also ruled out luminous bacteria living in coral tissue. Instead, evidence points to an intrinsic biochemical response that has already been recorded in jellyfish and other marine invertebrates.Scientists suspect that the process involves coelenterazine, a molecule widely used in marine bioluminescence. In the presence of oxygen and an enzyme called luciferase, the compound releases visible light through a chemical reaction occurring inside the animal’s tissues.

Scientists suspect the flash may help the creature avoid predators

The function of the glow remains uncertain. In cave environments where visibility is already limited, sudden brightness may seem counterintuitive. Yet bioluminescence in deep-sea ecosystems often serves purposes that are indirect rather than communicative.One possibility being considered is the so-called burglar-alarm effect, an old ecological idea first proposed decades ago. Under this theory, a small organism emits light when attacked or disturbed to attract a larger predator that might threaten anyone trying to eat it. In open ocean species, these reactions can spread rapidly. A fish bites a small animal, the small animal flashes, and the light attracts the attention of an even larger predator nearby. Whether that chain of events operates within confined cave systems is still unknown.

Actor Gaurav Sharma, famous for ‘Do Dooni Pyaar’, is making his debut in films with ‘Momacku: Motor Matchbox Aur Cutter’. He emphasizes that exploring different mediums such as television, films and streaming platforms encourages reinvention and expands an actor’s range, circumventing typecasting and offering new creative challenges.

After leading the television show love twice as muchActor Gaurav Sharma is now preparing for his next chapter with the upcoming film Momaku: Motor Machine and Cutter. Having worked across television, film and OTT, Gaurav says he consciously avoids limiting himself to a single medium because, for him, growth lies in reinvention. “Each medium trains a different muscle. For an actor, curiosity matters more than comfort, and today’s best roles don’t live in just one place,” he shares. Talking about his approach towards acting, Gaurav explains that constantly moving between mediums helps him grow creatively. “Sticking to one medium means repeating the same audience, pace, and pay structure. Exploring different niches keeps work unpredictable, expands your range, and prevents typecasting,” he says. Reflecting on his television journey, the actor acknowledges the unique bond that TV creates with the audience. “Television makes you a household name because you enter people’s homes every evening. Even though my show ran for a short period of time, people still recognize me for that role,” he says. love twice as muchWhich aired on Star Plus. “TV teaches you the craft through repetition and creates daily intimacy with millions of viewers.” However, he believes that films and streaming platforms demand a different kind of performance pressure. “On OTT and in films, that trust is tested on a much larger canvas. The timelines are shorter, the audience is wider, and a performance has to leave a lasting impression,” he explains. For Gaurav, the move to different formats is ultimately about accepting challenges. “This change brings new directors, styles and budgets that push you out of your comfort zone,” he says. “You move from household familiarity to cinematic legacy. The risk of failing publicly is what makes the leap addictive for actors.” Apart from television, Gaurav has also worked in projects like guns and roses And Chandigarh make loveConstantly creating a wide variety of work across a variety of platforms.

R Ashwin’s big support to RCB captain Rajat Patidar (Image: X)

Rajat Patidar Performed one of the best innings of his IPL career in Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans. The RCB captain played a sensational inning of 93 not out off just 33 balls, helping his team reach 254/5 – the highest score in the history of the IPL playoffs. Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin Patidar was praised profusely after the innings.Royal Challengers Bangalore reached their second consecutive IPL final after defeating Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala. Patidar was undoubtedly the star of the night, demolishing the GT bowling attack with a breathtaking innings full of fearless strokeplay.The RCB captain hit nine sixes and five fours at a tremendous strike rate of 281.82. One of the highlights of his innings came when he scored 28 runs in a single over off Kulwant Khejroliya. However, the extraordinary moment came in the 17th over Kagiso Rabada. Soon after completing his stormy half-century in 21 balls, Patidar hit a brilliant backfoot six off a pace ball outside the off stump. Instead of defending, he stayed deep in the crease, opened his arms and fired the ball across the cover boundary with incredible power and timing.Ashwin called it the “shot of the day” and even suggested that it could be the “shot of the tournament”.

“The backfoot six by Rajat off Kagiso Rabada was the straight-up shot of the day, maybe even a contender for the shot of the tournament. How he managed to generate that power from there is beyond me,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Aish Ki Baat’.“Before this knock, Shreyas Iyer Maybe a little ahead in the captaincy and batting conversation, but after tonight, Patidar is right up there,” Ashwin said.“We all know how good Rajat Patidar is against spin, but the way he handled the fast bowling today was also impressive. And the sixes he hit off Rashid Khan… I have seen very few batsmen who can come on the front foot, get the pitch of the ball right and still hoist Rashid over extra cover for six. Pure class. The man comes, the time comes,” he added.

For much of the twentieth century, the story of how humans arrived in North America felt settled. They came from Siberia, crossed a land bridge called Beringia, moved south as the ice sheets retreated, and gave rise to the Clovis culture about 13,000 years ago, the earliest widely accepted evidence of human presence on the continent. It was a well-organized, well-secured consensus. Then, in 2019, archaeologists digging in the gypsum dunes of White Sands National Park in New Mexico uncovered something from the ground that couldn’t be unanimously absorbed: a set of fossilized human footprints so old that they were buried in the soil during the peak of the last ice age, when the land bridge that those same humans were still waiting to cross had not yet opened.

How scientists determined the date of the footprints and why there was controversy over it

The original 2021 study, published in the journal Science, dates the footprints using radiocarbon analysis of seeds of an aquatic plant called Rupiah cirrhosa, found in sediment layers just above and below the tracks. The results placed the footprints, dated to 21,000 to 23,000 years ago, within the Coldest and most extreme phase of the last ice age, the Last Glacial Maximum, when vast ice sheets covered much of the Northern Hemisphere.The dates were immediately disputed. Critics argued that seeds of aquatic plants are unreliable radiocarbon markers because they can absorb ancient dissolved carbon from groundwater, a phenomenon known as the reservoir effect, which can make materials appear older than they actually are. The debate was so abstract as to cast real doubt on what was otherwise an historical discovery.

How did the White Sands footprints survive for 23,000 years?

White Sands National Park is located in the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico, a landscape today defined by fine white gypsum dunes, one of the most striking geological features in North America. Beneath those dunes lies a different world altogether: the dry bed of an ancient lake called Otero Lake, which existed during the last ice age when the area’s climate was wetter and cooler than today. It was along the muddy shoreline of that lost lake where the footprints were made and preserved.The track was excavated by a team from Bournemouth University in collaboration with the US National Park Service. They were found buried in several layers of sediment, pressed into ancient lakeshore soil and left there by people who walked, stood and moved along the shoreline thousands of years ago. Many of the tracks were made by children and teenagers, a detail that has left researchers quietly extraordinary, with young people preserving evidence about their lives in a landscape that no longer exists.

How independent studies finally settled the debate

The controversy prompted researchers to return to the site with completely different dating methods. A study published in Science in 2023, led by Jeff Pigati of the US Geological Survey, dated pollen grains and quartz crystals from the same sediment layers using two different techniques: optically stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon dating of the pollen. Both methods returned dates of 20,000 to 23,000 years ago, which were statistically indistinguishable from the original seed-based results.

What do the footprints mean for the Clovis I theory

The implications of the long-standing Clovis First model are significant and irreversible. The Clovis culture, named after a site near Clovis, New Mexico, where distinctive stone tools were found in the 1930s, was long thought to represent the earliest known human presence in North America, about 13,000 years ago. The footprints at White Sands are at least 8,000 years older than we thought.What is even more surprising is what time means in geographical terms. During the Last Glacial Maximum, the two primary corridors through which humans migrated to the Americas, the ice-free corridor east of the Rocky Mountains and the coastal route along the Pacific, were either blocked by ice sheets or were not yet accessible. If humans were already in New Mexico 23,000 years ago, they would have arrived before those routes closed, which suggests either a much earlier migration than any current models, or an alternative route across the continent that has not yet been identified.

What was roaming around White Sands 23,000 years ago

Footprints do not exist alone. The sediments at White Sands also contain traces of animals that shared the lakeshore with these early humans: mammoths, giant ground sloths, and ancient camels, all of which are now extinct. The picture that emerges is of a functioning Ice Age ecosystem: a lake surrounded by grass and wetlands, populated by megafauna, presumably hunted by the humans who lived with them.Vance Holliday, who has been working at White Sands since 2012, said it is “absolutely clear” that humans made these tracks. The question was never really whether the footprints were human. This was when. After four years of scientific debate, three independent dating methods, and three separate studies arriving at a single answer, at last, the question appears to be settled.

The Railway Ministry on Tuesday approved the operation of India’s first hydrogen-powered 10-coach DEMU train between Jind and Sonipat under the Northern Railway zone.As per PTI report, the train will run at a maximum speed of 75 kmph and will use hydrogen fuel cells instead of diesel or conventional electric traction to generate power.With a total power output of 1,200 kW, the train will operate on Distributed Power Rolling Stock (DPRS) technology, where power is distributed across the coaches rather than concentrated in a single locomotive.Security clearance and compliance still ongoingThe ministry’s approval came after technical clearance from the Research Design and Standards Organization and safety testing by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS).As quoted by PTI, the sanction letter sent to the General Manager of Northern Railway has been directed to comply with all safety, maintenance and operational conditions prescribed by RDSO, CCRS and other statutory authorities including Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO).The letter further added, “Various sensors (leak detectors, flame detectors etc.) provided at hydrogen production, storage and distribution facilities on the ground are prone to failure due to dust accumulation. Necessary schedule for regular clearing of failed operations will be ensured.Officials clarified that the approval does not mean immediate start of operations, as several compliance and verification steps are still pending.diesel locomotive to pull train for maintenanceAccording to officials, the hydrogen train will operate only on the Jind-Sonipat section, while maintenance facilities have been set up at Shakurbasti in Delhi.For maintenance movements, the hydrogen system will be shut down and the train will be pulled in a “dead position” using a diesel locomotive.The ministry has also mandated special training and competency certification for staff handling hydrogen fueling and onboard operations.

Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar (R)

New Delhi: Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah On Wednesday, he reacted in a measured tone to the growing discussion over the possible change of leadership in the state Congress government and the ongoing power struggle with his deputy. DK Shivakumar.Responding to questions on the speculation, Siddaramaiah said, “I will speak about it tomorrow,” news agencies quoted him as saying.The leadership debate within the Karnataka Congress has been going on for months, with repeated speculations over a possible power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. According to sources quoted by PTI on Tuesday, the Congress leadership has offered Siddaramaiah a bigger national role and a Rajya Sabha seat, paving the way for DK Shivakumar to take over as chief minister for the remaining term.However, Siddaramaiah has not yet accepted the offer, the report said.Meanwhile, the Karnataka Home Minister also said that no one is aware of the discussions held during CM Siddaramaiah’s recent meeting with the Congress high command in Delhi, adding that AICC Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala’s visit to Bengaluru is expected to bring clarity amid the ongoing speculations.The Congress leadership reportedly held day-long discussions with the two Karnataka leaders in an attempt to resolve the long-running tussle over the chief ministerial post. Despite speculation, the party officially denied that any discussion on leadership change took place during the meeting.Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah was seen paying floral tributes to the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary.

BJP targets Congress over Karnataka power struggle

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP leader Basavaraj S Bommai attacked the Congress over the alleged leadership crisis in the state. Referring to the possible removal of Siddaramaiah, he said, ‘Whenever a Chief Minister is removed, it has an impact. If any OBC leader is removed then OBC people will be unhappy. This will create a lot of problems for Congress in the 2028 assembly elections.He also criticized the administration of the Congress government and questioned whether a change of leadership would improve governance. “The administration in Karnataka has collapsed. No development work is being done. People are suffering. I don’t think DK Shivakumar has any magic wand to change this.” The decline that started during Siddaramaiah’s time will continue with Shivakumar also. By the end of his tenure the government will be in disrepair and the condition of the state will deteriorate.““We have been raising this issue, but there are a lot of power-hungry people in the Congress who do not care about what the opposition or the people say. That is why they (Congress) will have to pay the price in the next elections.”The Congress leadership has intervened several times since the formation of the Karnataka government in 2023 to manage the tension between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. Shivakumar’s supporters have repeatedly claimed that a rotational chief ministerial arrangement was agreed upon at the time of government formation, although the Congress high command has never publicly confirmed such a formula.

north korea A mix of tactical ballistic missiles, artillery rockets and AI-guided precision cruise missiles designed for modern warfare were tested on Wednesday, according to state news agency KCNA.The tests came a day after South Korea’s military said it had detected the launch of multiple projectiles, including a ballistic missile. The projectile reportedly traveled about 80 kilometers before landing in the Yellow Sea.KCNA said the launches were conducted to assess the power of “special mission warheads” mounted on tactical ballistic missiles, the reliability of long-range multiple-launch artillery rockets and the accuracy of AI-guided tactical cruise missiles.According to state agency, North Korean leader kim jong un Said, “The tests specifically confirmed the combat readiness of the cruise missiles that will be deployed in artillery units near the border with South Korea, which are equipped with precise navigation and AI-guided control that can attack targets at a distance of 100 km (62 miles).”He said, “It is an essential condition for our military operations that it must have such destructive power as to make it theoretically impossible for any encountering force to survive except by luck.”Analysts said the latest tests signal Pyongyang’s intention to strengthen its precision-strike capabilities below the nuclear threshold.“With the latest launch, Pyongyang is signaling that it intends to deploy such a weapon system in the event of war,” said Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul. “It unleashes precise, long-range, self-propelled conventional firepower that is capable of striking the South even below nuclear range,” he said.According to Hong, North Korea’s claims probably refer to an upgraded version of an existing digital guidance system integrated with automatic target identification technology. The weapon system reportedly combines tactical cruise missiles, guided multiple-launch rocket systems and tactical ballistic missiles into a single precision-strike complex.According to Reuters, North Korea has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles and artillery rockets since late 2023, which Moscow is believed to have used in the war in Ukraine. Analysts believe battlefield use of those weapons has provided Pyongyang with valuable operational data to improve its missile arsenal.In April, Pyongyang conducted its eighth weapons test of the year to “verify the characteristics and power of a cluster bomb warhead,” state media reported at the time.