NASA grants Voyager 2 spacecraft another year of power with risky 'Big Bang' maneuver. Next, it's Voyager 1's turn.

• Jan-Werner Müller argues that the Trump administration is subjugating scientific research to political imperatives, undermining U.S. soft power and technological progress. • Science adviser Michael Kratsios, who lacks a research background, proposes shifting decision-making power from university experts to private corporations.

• Researchers tracked 12 people in Antarctica for 10 months using sensors and questionnaires to simulate the social dynamics of future Mars missions. • The study revealed that frequent physical proximity did not necessarily improve social outcomes; instead, it was often linked to increased tension, mistrust, and conflict.

• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineers have successfully optimized power management on Voyager 2 to extend its operational lifespan. • The team freed up critical electrical power, allowing the spacecraft to continue operating its scientific instruments longer than previously expected.

• Readers are responding to an editorial warning that cuts to science funding will damage Britain's global standing and research capabilities. • A primary concern highlighted is the potential closure of the Jodrell Bank Observatory, a key site for astronomical research.

• The article highlights some of the most expensive scientific endeavors in history, focusing on the high costs of space, ocean, and human exploration. • A primary example is Skylab, a space station that cost over $2.3 billion to construct for studying long-term space exposure and solar radiation.

• On August 6, 2012, NASA successfully landed the Curiosity rover on Mars using an innovative, rocket-powered "sky crane" maneuver. • The landing followed a high-stakes descent sequence known as the "7 minutes of terror," marking the first time this complex delivery method was attempted.

• New high-resolution images published in the journal *Nature* reveal that the Sun's visible surface is teeming with a vast number of whirling vortices. • These findings highlight the extreme turmoil and complex fluid dynamics occurring on the solar surface, providing a more detailed look at solar activity than previously captured.

• A total solar eclipse is scheduled to occur on August 12, 2026, with the path of totality crossing through Greenland and Spain. • Live reporting and expert updates are currently being provided as the countdown to the event reaches its final six days.

• An international research team led by the University of Birmingham discovered a previously unknown natural process that significantly increases cloud-forming particles in the Arctic atmosphere. • Published in Nature Geoscience, the study provides the first real-world evidence that the intersection of sea ice and the open ocean serves as a major source of these particles.

• Scientists report that global warming is accelerating, suggesting the Earth may reach the critical 1.5°C temperature limit sooner than previously projected. • While temperature rises historically followed a stable upward trend influenced by sporadic events like El Niño or volcanic eruptions, recent data indicates a shift in the broader trajectory.

• New research warns that up to half of the world's dams could become "functionally inoperable" by 2060 due to excessive sediment accumulation. • Currently, approximately one-fifth of global reservoirs are classified as being at high risk of filling with sediment, with the American West identified as a major hotspot.