Rocket

• Los Angeles Lakers locked in as fourth seed in Western Conference, gaining home-court advantage over Houston Rockets in first-round NBA playoffs. • The seeding positions Lakers favorably entering postseason amid tight Western standings. • Playoff matchups highlight Lakers' strong finish to regular season.

• The IDF issued warnings on April 2, 2026, of potential coordinated rocket attacks by Iran and Hezbollah toward Israel as rocket sirens sounded across the country on Passover eve. • Hezbollah reported a top commander killed in a Beirut strike, escalating tensions amid broader Middle East conflict. • This development heightens risks of multi-front escalation, directly impacting US ally Israel and regional stability critical to American interests.

• NASA's most powerful rocket, Artemis II, faces its critical pre-launch test essential for future crewed missions. • The test evaluates structural integrity and systems for the high-stakes lunar program. • Success is vital for U.S. leadership in space exploration and timeline adherence.

• Waymo achieved skyrocketing ridership in its autonomous ride-hailing service, as charted in recent data highlighted March 31, 2026. • Expansion in US cities drives surge, with millions of miles logged safely. • This breakthrough validates robotaxi scalability amid regulatory progress.

• Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta agreed to purchase the WNBA's Connecticut Sun and will relocate the franchise to Houston, as announced by the team on March 30, 2026. • The move expands Fertitta's sports portfolio and brings a WNBA team to Houston for the first time, tapping into the city's growing basketball market. • This relocation could boost WNBA visibility in the South, with Fertitta's resources likely accelerating arena and fanbase development for the team.

• NASA announced nuclear rocket development as part of this week's major science news, signaling advancement in propulsion technology for future space missions. • The announcement was featured in Live Science's weekly roundup of the latest scientific developments, alongside research on space reproduction challenges and insights into cannabis effects on appetite. • Nuclear propulsion systems represent a significant technological leap that could enable faster deep-space exploration and reduce mission duration for long-distance space travel.

• NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the Artemis 2 mission began rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B on March 20, 2026, targeting first motion at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT). • The four Artemis 2 astronauts entered quarantine at Johnson Space Center in Houston on March 18 at 6 p.m. EDT, limiting exposure before heading to Kennedy Space Center five days prior to launch. • Rollout addresses a helium flow issue in the rocket's upper stage, with teams planning to install access platforms, replace batteries in the flight termination system, and retest components upon return to the VAB if needed.

Moon orbit program, preceding planned landing in 2028, has been delayed due to fuel leaks and clogged helium linesFor the second time this year, Nasa moved its moon rocket from the hangar out toward the launchpad on Friday in hopes of sending four astronauts on a lunar fly-around next month.If the latest repairs work and everything else goes Nasa’s way, the Space Launch System could blast off as early as 1 April from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The Artemis II crew went into quarantine this week in Houston in preparation for blastoff. Continue reading...

After series of delays, US space agency hopes to carry out first crewed flyby of the moon in more than half a century Nasa has begun returning its towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to its Florida launch pad ahead of a planned flyby of the moon, after completing necessary repairs.Artemis engineers began the manoeuvre, which can take up to 12 hours, at 8pm local time. The US space agency will then begin the final preparations before its next launch window opens on 1 April. Continue reading...

• NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for Artemis 2 began rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B on March 19, targeting first motion at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT March 20) for a 12-hour, 4-mile journey. • The rollout follows repairs for a helium flow issue in the upper stage, battery replacements in the flight termination system, and two prior wet dress rehearsals marred by leaks since the initial January 17 rollout. • The four Artemis 2 astronauts entered quarantine on March 18 at Johnson Space Center, limiting exposure for a week before heading to Kennedy Space Center five days before the planned April 1 launch.

• North Korea conducted a test of nuclear-capable rocket launchers, adding to regional tensions as international attention remains focused on the escalating Iran conflict and Middle East instability. • The weapons test underscores ongoing security challenges facing the United States across multiple regions simultaneously, from the Middle East to the Korean Peninsula. • The development occurs as the Trump administration manages diplomatic challenges with multiple countries and military operations abroad.

• A rocket attack struck Baghdad International Airport on Sunday, which houses a US diplomatic facility, wounding five people according to Iraqi authorities. • The attack represents continued escalation in regional tensions amid the broader US-Israeli conflict with Iran. • The incident underscores the expanding scope of the Middle East crisis beyond direct US-Iran military engagement into broader attacks on US diplomatic and military infrastructure in Iraq.

The facility was attacked on Friday night, bringing the toll of medical staff to 31 killed in past 12 daysIsrael killed 12 medical workers in a strike on a medical centre in south Lebanon on Friday night, bringing the toll of healthcare staff killed in the country by Israel to 31 over the past 12 days.A primary healthcare facility in the town of Burj Qalaouiyah was struck by Israeli rockets late on Friday, setting it ablaze and causing the structure to collapse on top of the staff inside. The strike killed doctors, paramedics and nurses on duty, according to the Lebanese ministry of health, which said it “violated all international humanitarian laws” in a statement. Continue reading...