Dragon

NASA says it will attempt to put crews aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, pressing ahead with the troubled capsule despite years of delays and technical setbacks. The decision keeps Starliner in contention as a second commercial crew vehicle alongside SpaceX's Dragon. Space observers are debating whether the program can overcome propulsion problems that sidelined the craft after its last crewed test flight.

NASA is reportedly standing behind Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, giving the programme renewed backing despite a string of technical setbacks that have delayed its crewed missions. The move signals the space agency's continued commitment to having two commercial providers for astronaut transport to the International Space Station. Observers are weighing what the decision means for Boeing's aerospace business and for competition with SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

Nippon Professional Baseball's off-season contract notification period is underway, with the Chunichi Dragons confirming which players will not be offered contracts for next season. Fans are tracking the club's official announcements as teams across the league trim their rosters, a difficult annual ritual that can end players' careers or prompt moves to other clubs or independent leagues.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 astronauts have arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of their upcoming mission to the International Space Station. The crew’s arrival marks a standard pre-launch milestone, as astronauts typically quarantine and complete final training at the Florida facility in the weeks before liftoff on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.

The four astronauts assigned to NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission have arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of their launch to the International Space Station. Arrival at KSC roughly one to two weeks before liftoff is standard procedure, allowing the crew to complete final training, quarantine and preflight checks as SpaceX readies the Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket.

Reports suggest Qualcomm's upcoming flagship Snapdragon chips could be made using Samsung's 2-nanometer process, a move that would divert orders currently going to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. The news highlights intensifying competition between Samsung Foundry and TSMC over next-generation advanced chip manufacturing, with major implications for the semiconductor supply chain and each foundry's market position.

Qualcomm's next flagship smartphone chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, is the first mobile processor to reach a clock speed of 5 GHz. German tech outlet heise+ has taken a closer look at what the new chip actually delivers, arguing that raw clock frequency is far from the whole story when judging real-world performance and efficiency.

Qualcomm has confirmed it is evaluating Samsung's 2nm manufacturing process for future Snapdragon chips. The move would mark a significant win for Samsung Foundry, which has been seeking major customers for its most advanced node as it competes with TSMC. Industry watchers see the confirmation as a signal that Qualcomm is diversifying its supply chain, with Samsung hoping to regain ground after earlier yields struggles on advanced nodes.

Qualcomm has announced two new flagship phone chips, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and, for the first time alongside it, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. The company describes both as flagships, with differences between them relatively minor: improvements are concentrated in AI processing, video capture, and gaming performance rather than a broad spec overhaul.

The astronauts of NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 mission have arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of their upcoming launch to the International Space Station. The crew's arrival marks the final pre-launch preparations, with final checks and training underway. Coverage is drawing attention to the mission as the next rotation of astronauts heads to orbit aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.

Qualcomm has announced its next generation flagship mobile processors, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. The new chips are set to power upcoming premium smartphones, continuing Qualcomm's Elite line of top-tier mobile silicon. Details on performance gains and supported devices are expected as handset makers confirm adoption in the coming months.

Yokohama DeNA BayStars have notified right-handed pitcher Kenta Ozono, the club's top pick in the 2021 draft and a former ace candidate wearing number 18, that he will be released after just five seasons. Ozono said he could not repay the expectations placed on him with results, but expressed his determination to continue his playing career. The move is drawing attention ahead of DeNA's matchup with the Chunichi Dragons.

The Chunichi Dragons have notified infielder Bright Kenta, their first-round pick in the 2022 draft, that he will not be offered a contract for next season. He played only five games this year. The move follows notices to six players the previous day, including 2023 third-round pick Tsujimoto Rintaro, who hopes to continue his playing career. Only two players from the ten-man 2023 draft class remain with the club after three seasons.

The Chunichi Dragons have issued notices of release to six players, with reports naming infielder Tsunamoto Rintaro among them alongside reliever Fukusei Takato, the 2020 Central League's top setup pitcher, who says he hopes to keep playing. The move reflects the club's roster trimming ahead of the offseason, and fans are reacting to the departures of both long-serving names and younger players.

Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, a new audio platform that brings on-device AI processing to wireless earbuds and other audio wearables. The move signals Qualcomm's push to add smarter, locally processed features to audio devices rather than relying on cloud connectivity. Details beyond the announcement are limited so far, with tech outlets picking up the news as part of the latest wave of AI-focused gadget launches.

Spaceflight journalist Ars Technica reports that NASA is grappling with a 'Dragon dilemma' — a problem involving SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft — and, per the report, there appear to be no good answers to it. Details beyond the headline are not available, but the story concerns NASA's reliance on Dragon and the difficult choices it now faces.

NASA and SpaceX are watching the forecast ahead of the Crew-13 launch, with weather officials currently rating conditions at 60% favorable for a liftoff. The mission will carry a crew to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. A final go/no-go decision will depend on whether conditions improve before the scheduled launch window.

A reader shared their September reading roundup, finishing only two books: Rachel Gillig's YA fantasy romance The Knight and the Moth, and Struan Murray's middle-grade fantasy Dragonborn, which earned top marks at four out of five stars. They admitted it was a slow month, with attempts to catch up on other tasks leaving them falling further behind. The post invites the usual book-community chatter about reading slumps and favourite fantasy titles.

NASA is reportedly confronting a difficult decision regarding SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, the vehicle currently responsible for carrying NASA astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station. Ars Technica reports that the agency has a dilemma for which there appear to be no good answers, highlighting a potential problem in NASA's near-term human spaceflight plans.

NASA and SpaceX's Crew-13 mission could arrive at the International Space Station in under nine hours after launch, a notably fast transit for a crewed flight. The reported timeline highlights how quickly astronauts may travel from liftoff to docking, a capability that has been progressively shortened on recent Dragon missions.

Warner Bros. has given a 2029 release date to 'Aegon's Conquest', a Game of Thrones movie based on George R.R. Martin's history of the Targaryen conquest of Westeros. The project will expand the franchise to the big screen for the first time, years after the original series ended and alongside the ongoing House of the Dragon TV prequels.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 lineup is built around sustained thermal performance and on-device AI rather than short benchmark peaks. Observers say the shift could shape the next wave of Android flagship smartphones, as manufacturers prioritise consistent performance under load and local AI processing over headline-grabbing benchmark scores.