launch

China has understood better than anyone where the space launch bottleneck is. Your solution: the sea

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On April 18, China will launch a space rocket from open waters for the first time. The Dong Fang Hang Tian Gang vessel has been modified to function as a launch platform, minimizing many of the problems that terrestrial platforms currently represent. The facts. This aquatic launch platform is a vessel that measures 162 meters long and 40 meters wide. The Jielong-3 rocket will be on board31 meters, designed by the Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology for commercial flights. It will be launched from the South China Sea, marking the first time a launch has been carried out from open waters. If all goes well, China’s goal is to make it far from the last time. A huge waiting list. China has decided to launch rockets from the sea to address various problems. The first, without a doubt, is the saturation to which conventional launch platforms are currently exposed. The rise of the satellite industry, both for telecommunications as with other crazier purposeshas led to more and more launches scheduled on all launch platforms around the world. As a result, each new release must go onto a long waiting list, which can get complicated when you consider that there is usually only a few days’ release window available. It’s cheaper. Another advantage of aquatic launch pads is that they are very easy to build. To build one on dry land it is necessary to acquire a large amount of land and install all the necessary infrastructure. The result is not only complex. It is also very expensive. In the sea, on the other hand, a platform adapted to the immensity of the ocean is enough. Also safer. On the other hand, these types of offshore launch platforms are much safer than land-based ones for several reasons. To begin with, methane is increasingly being used as fuel. It is very powerful, but also very explosive. Therefore, large safety zones must be established around the launch pad. This is vital in case of an accidental explosion. In the ocean, however, it is not necessary. On the other hand, space launches cause great noise pollution for surrounding populations. If we add to all this that they could suffer the risk of falling parts, the truth is that living near a launch pad is not almost anyone’s dream. All of them are problems that are solved by launching rockets in the middle of the ocean. If there are accidents, the pieces must be removed to avoid contamination, but at least there are no populated areas that are at risk. The rocket to be launched will be a Jielong 3 Proximity to the equator. As a bonus, the ability to move barges wherever needed makes it easier for the Chinese Academy of Sciences to take its launches closer to the equator than land enclaves allow. This is very advantageous, since at this point the benefit of the Earth’s rotation can be maximized, giving greater momentum during launch. It’s not the first time, but there is a nuance. Actually, China has already launched rockets from water platforms in the past. A good example of this is Ceres-1S, which even used the same boat. Gravity-1 was also launched from a cliff. However, there is a difference. While Jielong-3 will be launched from open waters, Ceres-1 and Gravity-1 were launched near the coast, with logistics controlled from land and some of the same drawbacks that a land launch would have. A launch from open water, far from the coast, is another step forward. China continues to advance. In recent years, China has been positioning itself as a major space power. Just look at the progress it has made in lunar exploration. His plan to take humans to the Moon advanceswhile that of NASA does not stop finding impediments. Furthermore, its space station, Tiangong, continues receiving astronauts at a good pace, robotic exploration of Mars It is quite advanced and even They have found in Europe a great partner to explore solar inclemencies. Having an aquatic platform that gives agility to your throws can be another big step forward. Images | Freepik | China News Service In Xataka | China has the Moon between its eyebrows: it has now created the first chemical map of the hidden face

96 drones with a science fiction launch

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In recent years, the cost of many drones has dropped to the point that many military models are infinitely cheaper than the missile that tries to shoot them down. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence have allowed relatively simple machines execute tasks that previously required entire human teams. In China they have taken an unprecedented step towards the war of the future. The next step. Yes, Beijing just taught in a video something that goes far beyond the individual drone: a coordinated swarm of up to 96 units which works like a single system intelligent at a devilish speed. This is not about launching devices, but about orchestrating a distributed air force where each drone has a role and all act as a single organism, marking a clear leap towards a dominated war by software, algorithms and autonomy. The demonstration also leaves a clear idea: the future will not be a more advanced drone, but rather many drones working together as if they were one. The “kill chain” converted into a single system. As can be seen, the Atlas system integrates a single sequence the entire combat process, from detection to attack, eliminating traditional intermediate steps along the way. In the test, the swarm identified a target among several similar ones, made decisions autonomously and executed a precise attack in mid-flight, displaying a chain of destruction continuous and automated. There is no doubt, this approach completely transforms war, because it is no longer a question of isolated platforms, but of complete systems capable of to perceive, decide and act without interruptions. Science fiction. The heart of the system is its deployability: we are talking about a vehicle that can launch drones at a rate of one every three secondsquickly generating a critical mass in the air. This technical detail is key, because it allows one to be built in a matter of minutes. dense and coordinated formationone capable of saturating defenses or executing complex attacks. It is, therefore, not just speed, it is the ability to turn a launch into a controlled avalanche of perfectly synchronized units. A swarm that thinks and reorganizes itself. As we said, each drone is equipped with algorithms that allow you to communicateshare information and adapt in real time, avoiding collisions and adjusting your position within the group. Besides, can be reassigned during the mission, changing functions as the combat evolves, which introduces unprecedented flexibility in conflicts. In other words, this kind of “collective brain” turns the swarm into something closer to a distributed intelligence than to a set of independent machines. Algorithmic control. They had something in the PLA that already we had seen beforethat one of the most profound changes has to do with the fact that a single operator can control the entire system, delegating complex tasks such as target recognition, mission assignment or route planning to artificial intelligence. This reduces human burden and accelerates decision times to levels that are difficult to match by traditional systems. War thus goes from depending on operators to depending on previously trained algorithms. Attack and defend in another way. Plus: the system allows combine different types of drones in the same mission, from reconnaissance to electronic warfare and attack, creating staggered waves capable of overcoming defenses or penetrating in depth. That is to say, for either side, progress blurs the line. between front and rear and forces us to completely rethink anti-aircraft defenses, which no longer face just one missile or drone, but dozens of them acting in a coordinated manner. A new and disturbing scenario where the real weapon is no longer the drone itself, but the system that connects them. Image | CCTV In Xataka | Ukraine is close to achieving a milestone that no one has achieved: building the largest drone industry without China’s help In Xataka | 200 drones in the hands of a single soldier: China is advancing very quickly in a type of war that seemed like science fiction

Spaniards, the price war at gas stations has begun. And Repsol is the first to launch its attack

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The price of gasoline has skyrocketed. Diesel is through the roof. It has already been dropped that The Government has studied discounts on purchases of fuel as it already did in 2022. And while the Spanish are looking for the cheapest gas stations to refuel, service stations have just opened a war to continue attracting customers. through the clouds. If we talk about average prices, we are still far from the figures that we end up paying for gasoline and diesel in 2022. In the days that followed the first stages of the Ukrainian War, gasoline came to reflect an average price in Spain of 2.152 euros/liter and diesel 2.106 euros/liter, according to the portal dieselgasolina.com which monitors the price of all service stations in the country. Today, March 19, gasoline reflects an average price of 1,784 euros/liter on average. 98 gasoline already scales at 1,938 euros/liter. The basic diesel is already paid at 1,906 euros/liter and the “premium” at 1,988 euros/liter. With these data, gasoline is about 40 cents/liter of what was paid in 2022 but diesel is already at 20 cents/liter. Not only that. If we look back we find a brutal increase in prices. On March 1, the average price of gasoline was 1.495 euros/liter. That is, in 19 days the average price has increased by almost 30 cents/liter. Diesel is even more worrying, rising almost 50 cents/liter from the 1,447 that it reflected on average on March 1. A relief to the pocket. At least cosmetically. That is what happened in 2022 when the Government applied a fuel reduction of 20 cents/liter. It was a flat rate for all drivers which partially alleviated the effect of rising fuel prices, without taking into account if the client was doing it for recreational useto go to work or because he was a professional who needed it to provide his services. However, prices continued to rise and just a few days after the aid began to be applied, which arrived when gasoline was 1.84 euros/liter, we were already paying the same than before the subsidy. Did the marketers take advantage to continue raising prices and increase their business? The CNMC suspected so. Repsol tightens. Although rumors point to a possible subsidy again, oil companies have already begun to take positions in the face of a new price war. The most ambitious has been Repsol, which has in its Waylet program the best tool to build customer loyalty. The company has announced that double your discounts with Waylet. That is, now they deduct 10 cents/liter for each refueling. But Repsol has turned Waylet into its own ecosystem from which it is difficult to get out. If you have electricity contracted with Repsol, the savings double and go from 10 cents/liter to 20 cents/liter. And if you have other contracted services, such as car or home insurance, the discount is 40 cents/liter. Added to this are the discounts with every electric car recharge and domestic rates or subscriptions outside the home, which is why they have managed to position themselves as a very attractive option for those who have both technologies at home, combustion and electricity. A price war. Repsol, yes, is the company that has the highest prices on the market, according to dieselgasolina.com. On average, gasoline at Repsol costs 1,763 euros/liter and diesel 1,861 euros/liter. Moeve, the second most expensive supplier, is very far away, with an average price of 1,693 euros/liter and 1,760 euros/liter for gasoline and diesel respectively. The gap with low cost is gigantic. Alcampo currently sells gasoline at 1,594 euros/liter and diesel at 1,706 euros/liter. However, Repsol has a reason to push: low cost. They explain in Expansion that these service stations are more sensitive to price increases because the volume of each purchase is smaller. They do not have the storage capacity of large companies, which forces them to buy more often and, therefore, increasingly more expensive when the price skyrockets. This reduces your profit margins. And although in the middle they assure that the low cost ones continue to be cheaper, the truth is that the margin is narrowing. When the difference is small, it is easier for Repsol to gain followers and build customer loyalty with large discounts since “cheap gasoline” loses much of its appeal. This loss of competitiveness translates into the results of dieselgasolina.com that collects that Ballenoil has, right now, gasoline more expensive than Moeve, just one step below Repsol. under the magnifying glass. The aggressive discounts on gasoline have fueled the debate about the extent to which oil companies are taking advantage of the situation. In 2022, Repsol has already taken the opportunity to make aggressive discounts. Those, according to the CNMCthey took advantage to try to take smaller gas stations out of the market. Those days, low-cost service stations already assured that the Government subsidy was suffocating them due to the particularities of their business model. Just a few days ago, The OCU has already filed a complaint with the CNMC that the increases that were occurring in the price of fuel were being abusive. They noted that according to the Official Gazette of the European Union, Spain was the third country in which prices had increased the most and that the cost of diesel was higher than the European average. As in the case of Expansion According to his calculations, the low cost ones were the ones that reflected the most striking increases. It remains to be seen what the response of the rest of the service stations is. Repsol has already shown that it has room for maneuver. In 2022, the oil companies that entered the game did so in the same way, with wide discounts within their loyalty plans. And that has some clear losers: the low cost ones. Photo | Juanedc In Xataka | Fear of gasoline at 2 euros per liter: the sector is already preparing for the worst after the start of the war in Iran

The new HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2 is now on sale and it does so with a launch promo: it comes with a discount and gifts

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HUAWEI continues to strengthen (a lot) its line of watches. We already loved his last WATCH GT 6but now it brings something different. This is the HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2, a lightweight device that is ideal for those who like running, although all without giving up being a complete smartwatch. And be careful, because brings a launch promo that is very worthwhile. Designed for running, but also for everyday life This new HUAWEI watch is, as we said above, very light. It has a titanium case and, with the strap, it weighs less than 45 grams. This will allow you to feel like you don’t have a thing on your wrist all day long, and that’s not to mention that you won’t suffer from annoying bounces when running. But, despite being compact and light, it has plenty of battery: offers up to 7 days of normal use which we can stretch to 14 days in its low consumption mode. Its use is very oriented to all those people who like to go running. Whether you are looking to improve or are already thinking about doing a marathon, with the WATCH GT Runner 2 you will have metrics that are not usually present in most watchessuch as ground contact time or the running ability index (RAI), a parameter that will help you evaluate each race and is based on pace and heart rate. More things to highlight. It has a new 3D floating antenna with a signal that is 3.5 times more powerful than the previous generation. What does that mean? That the watch will track each of your races much more accurately, without interruptions in areas with poor signal that can ruin the measurement of your times. All added to a ‘Smart Marathon Mode’, which allows you to both prepare for one of these events and manage your effort and recovery during it. But we must be clear about one thing: is a very complete smartwatch. Beyond the fact that it is compatible with both iOS and Android, it should be noted that it has an integrated ECG (so you can monitor your heart), microphone and is compatible with sensors from other manufacturers such as chest straps or pedometers. You have it cheaper, with two extra straps and more We always say that when it comes to a new device, it is better to wait. However, there are launch promos like the one for this HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2 that make it worth jumping into it at the start. The price of the device is 399 euros, but if we use the code ‘ARN2XA‘, we can take advantage of a direct discount of 50 euros. Therefore, It remains at 349 euros in the HUAWEI Store. But that’s not the only thing that makes it worth it. In addition to the discount, We will also take two extra straps. This is ideal for two things: it allows you to change the design of your watch so you don’t get bored and it allows you to have spare parts. Along with these, we will also get what HUAWEI calls MultiPass, a package valued at 116 euros and that includes several benefits such as 90 days of HUAWEI Health+ or Komoot, among other things. {“videoId”:”x9zwr94″,”autoplay”:true,”title”:”The pendrive is not dead: 7 ways to give it a second life”, “tag”:”Webedia-prod”, “duration”:”856″} What if you also want headphones? Then one of the two packs that are available may suit you better. The first of them, called ‘Sports Pack‘, includes, in addition to this new watch, the two extra straps and the MultiPass, some HUAWEI FreeArc. This pack would have a value of 587 euros, although it is now reduced to 449 euros. With the code ‘ARN2XA’, its price remains at 449 euros. In Xataka Smart Home New at Lidl (starting next February 23): a power strip for the garden or terrace for less than 10 euros Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | HUAWEI In Xataka | The best smartwatches: their analyzes and videos are here In Xataka | Best smartwatch in quality price. Which one to buy and 10 recommended smart watches (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news The new HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2 is now on sale and it does so with a launch promo: it comes with a discount and gifts was originally published in Xataka by Juan Lorente .

NVIDIA will not launch new graphics this year, according to The Information

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Being a PC gamer today is more like a test of patience than a simple hobby. After years marked by skyrocketing prices and shortages, the rise of artificial intelligence has added a new layer of tension to the hardware market. Memory has become a particularly disputed resource and its effects are no longer limited to data centers or large companies: they are beginning to be felt directly in the game ecosystem, right where users expected at least some stability. what’s happening. The current doubts stem from a chain of information that must be located precisely. The Information points out that NVIDIA does not plan to launch new GeForce graphics cards for gaming in 2026, a decision that this source links to the memory shortage that the industry is experiencing. This is not, in any case, a public confirmation from the company, but it comes from two people with knowledge of the matter who spoke to the aforementioned media on condition of anonymity. What NVIDIA says. The American manufacturer has not remained completely silent. In fact, speaking to Tom’s Hardwarehas revealed part of the problem: “Demand for GeForce RTX GPUs is high and memory supply is limited. We continue to ship all GeForce SKUs and work closely with our suppliers to maximize memory availability.” Understanding pitches. NVIDIA’s historical cadence combines two different rhythms that should be separated. On the one hand there are architectural changes, spaced over time and associated with clear leaps in performance or functions. On the other hand, the intermediate versions that refine what exists through memory, consumption or frequency adjustments, keeping the range alive. This hybrid strategy explains why we see a constant annual presence of new cards even when the technological base remains intact. The best way to understand this cadence is to look at what has happened in recent years, with architectural changes every 2-3 years and refreshes or expansions the rest of the time. Under this pattern, what was expected for 2026 was precisely another intermediate refresh of the RTX 50 series, the one that is now in doubt. The component that really sets the pace. The discussion about new cards usually focuses on the power of the graphics chip, but the current bottleneck seems to be located elsewhere in the chain. NVIDIA usually provides its partners with a complete set that combines GPU and memory, so the lack of sufficient GDDR7 modules prevents closing that package and, therefore, distributing new units. Under this industrial logic, memory shortage stops being a secondary problem and becomes a determining factor. Memory for data centers. The aforementioned material limitation does not appear in a vacuum, but at a time when the technology industry is rearranging priorities around artificial intelligence. Data centers dedicated to training and running advanced models demand huge volumes of memory and largely share the same supply chains as consumer hardware. When that pressure increases, available resources tend to shift toward the business segment. Searching for normality. With the present conditioned by available memory, the great unknown becomes when the true generational change will arrive. According to the information collected by Tom’s Hardwarethe internal roadmap would place mass production of the RTX 60 beyond 2027, which could shift its effective arrival to the market towards 2028. There is no direct confirmation from NVIDIA on these dates, so it is best to treat them as estimates from sources familiar with the planning. Images | Xataka In Xataka | The CEOs of NVIDIA and TSMC sat down for dinner and dessert was a request: the world needs wafers and RAM memory

Xataka will launch something new and very big soon. We are looking for xatakeros who want to try it in advance

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We can’t tell you much at the moment, but xatakero, xatakera, we are looking for you (yes, to you). At Xataka we have a huge project in the works, one of the largest and most important we have done to date, and we would love to have your help to put it to the test and polish what needs to be polished. In short, volunteers wanted to try something totally new. If you are interested, are active in the Xataka community or are curious, you simply have to sign up in this form. If you cannot access it under these lines, you can also find it at this link. If you don’t see the form well, you can fill it out from here. From among all those who fill out the form, we will choose a small group to carry out this process of beta testing and give us your feedback and opinion. Thank you in advance to all of you who signed up. See you at the testing ground! Image | Philipp Katzenberger edited by Xataka

“We are not going to launch a flagship a year just for the sake of it”

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If there is an immovable rule in the technological world, it is that every year a new generation of any product must be launched. If not more. The RAM market may explodebut what is certain is that every year we will have a new samsung galaxy and a new iPhone. And to the question of whether it is necessary to have a new high end mobile Every year, someone has answered that, perhaps, it is not necessary. It has been Nothing, and curiously it could do with a high-end. But… it makes sense. In short. Carl Pei is not only one of the founders of OnePlus: is the mind behind the launch of the Nothing brand. After landing in 2022the British company has relied on different marketing, but also on a CEO who is very active in networks, as well as open about the future of the company. Faced with the opacity of colleagues/rivals, Pei has always been quite ‘playful’ with the opinions of both the industry and his brand and the segment in general. In a recent self interview published on his YouTube channel, he has given an interesting key. “We’re not going to launch a new flagship every year just for the sake of it.” There are two melons here: one is that we won’t have the Nothing Phone (4) in 2026. The other is that you are quite right considering how things are. Rampant crisis in the background. Although companies like Micron, Samsung either NVIDIA It is coming in handy, we have been immersed in a -new- components crisis for weeks. RAM was the first product whose price turned this basic component into a luxury one, but the graphics cards and SSDs have followed the same path. And things do not look like they will improve in the short and medium term. This RAM crisis has already resonated in the smartphone segment. There are two options: either -much- more expensive mobile phones or mobile phones with -much- less RAM. Goodbye to the crazy 24 GB of memory on a mobile, welcome 4 GB. Pei himself already commented: if things continued like this, and they have remained the same, the user will have to choose between pay 30% more for a new mobile or settle for a new mobile phone at the same price as the previous one, but with less RAM (and the storage we would see). Come on, Pei has said, without saying it directly, what the decision would be with a Nothing Phone (4). Software > Hardware. Now, as they point out from Xataka Mobilethe fact that there is no new Nothing ‘flagship’ for 2026 does not mean that they are not going to launch a mobile phone. It is estimated that they are working on a mid-range Phone (4a) that will take up the baton of the notable Nothing Phone (3a) at the same time they keep the components short so that the price does not go down. And, furthermore, it gives meaning to an industry strategy, one in which the greatest advances that we have seen in recent generations have more to do with cloud services, artificial intelligence and everything that software encompasses… more than hardware. Yes, more powerful, faster and capable hardware is important to perform tasks within the device, but the cloud is also a pillar in this software. Qualcomm pushes another narrative. On the other hand, there is the strategy of some hardware companies that are obliged to keep the wheel turning. NVIDIA and Qualcomm are two examples, with more capable graphics cards not so much in terms of raw power performance, but rather better processing of artificial intelligence tasks such as DLSS. And also Qualcomm, which every year-end presents its new chips for mobile devicesand those are the ones we see in the new launches of the most premium range. Because each new generation is more powerful than the previous one and -may- have better cameras and more generous batteriesbut it is also true that from year to year we are not seeing considerable jumps between devices from the same brand. And that is when it makes complete sense for a company like Nothing to point out that, perhaps, this annualization of the ‘flagship’ is not necessary. It would be necessary to see what would happen in a context other than a component crisis, of course, but Pei himself has said on occasion that software is the future. Image | Xataka In Xataka | I had no idea what the future of the smartphone is. Until I spoke to Carl Pei

“he dropped it” during the launch

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If someone asked you to imagine how a rocket launch could fail, you would normally think of an explosion, an engine failure, or a maneuver that goes wrong. What almost no one would have chosen as an answer is this: a rocket that takes off and, in the middle of the trip, “runs out of a satellite.” That’s what happened to the Japanese H3 in its last attempt to launch a navigation satellite into orbit, a mission that ended in the most absurd way possible, with the payload breaking loose prematurely and falling back to Earth. The launch. To understand why this case has attracted so much attention, it is worth setting the scene. On December 22, 2025, H3, the Japanese space agency’s most modern launcher, took off from Tanegashima with the Michibiki 5 satellite on board, a navigation device weighing about five tons. As explained by JAXA on December 25the mission ended in failure because the second firing of the second stage engine did not start normally and stopped prematurely, which prevented reaching the planned orbit. From there, the agency activated a specific team to investigate the origin of the failure and reconstruct minute by minute what happened during the climb. This is how JAXA draws it so that no one has to imagine it: separation of the cap and a satellite that begins to go freely What is the cap and why is it separated?. The cowl is the cover that protects the satellite during the first minutes of launch, when the rocket is still passing through the densest layers of the atmosphere and the payload is exposed to vibrations, friction and possible impacts with particles. It is a piece made up of two halves that open and detach when the vehicle is high enough so that this protection is no longer necessary. The normal thing is that it is a routine step, quick and without consequences. In this case, however, it is the moment that appears in the center of all eyes. Diagram of the H3 cowl opening and separation system The problem. According to the reconstruction presented by JAXAthe critical moment comes just after the separation of the fairing, around 3 minutes and 45 seconds after takeoff. In the images from the onboard cameras, a kind of “rain” of fragments can be seen around the satellite and, in the following seconds, an anomalous behavior: it begins to oscillate and tilt. At the same time, the rocket’s sensors detected accelerations outside of expectations in the junction area between the satellite and the launcher, an indication that something was not going well at that interface. “Ghost flight”. The strangest thing is that, despite that initial blow, the satellite did not detach immediately. The connecting structure was damaged at that moment, but the assembly continued flying as if nothing had happened during the remaining combustion of the first stage. The explanation is almost domestic: as the rocket continued to accelerate, that acceleration acted as a kind of constant pressure that kept the satellite supported on its base, even if the fixation was no longer reliable. The outcome came with the shutdown of the main engine, the moment known as MECO. With that force gone, Michibiki 5 separated early, just before the second stage could take control and place it into orbit. More consequences. During that same flight segment, a pressure drop was also confirmed in the liquid hydrogen tank of the second stage. The working hypothesis is that the same event that damaged the satellite docking could have affected the pressurization line, and that is why the pressure did not recover even though the system tried to compensate for it. With this scenario, the second stage engine did start, but it did so at a penalty. The result was a kind of “partial salvage,” enough to reach a low orbit, but not to complete the planned profile, and the stage ended up re-entering and disintegrating in a matter of hours. What do we know. The JAXA indicates that the satellite would have detached and fallen into the Pacific Ocean in an impact zone planned for debris from the launch itself, east of Minamitorishima, and no damage has been reported on the ground. The agency has presented a failure analysis in which it keeps several possibilities open to explain the anomalous blow recorded at the time of releasing the cap: from an impact or collision with a fragment to the sudden release of tensions in the union system. It is also carefully considered whether any element of the system could have generated an abnormal acceleration at that time. A key rocket. The H3 is a modern rocket, but still young, and every anomaly counts double when trying to build a reputation. This launch was his eighth and his record combines six successes with two failures. The impact on the agenda has not been long in coming. Science Portal points out that JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have postponed the next launch, scheduled for February 1 with another Michibiki satellite, after announcing the delay on January 7. Now the agency needs a response that will allow the rocket to be put back on the ramp with guarantees. Images | JAXA In Xataka | February 7 is already on the calendar: what has to go perfectly for Artemis II to take off next week

A group of Spanish pilots wait in front of Russia for an alarm that will sound 500 times in 2025. They only have 15 minutes to launch their fighters

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A few minutes from Russian airspace, a handful of Spanish pilots live in the most tense routine that exists in peacetime: be ready to take off at any moment from an icy base from the Balticone where the sky is watched as if each blip on the radar could be the start of something bigger. Fifteen minutes. At Šiauliai, a Lithuanian air base that functions as first line of surveillance over the Baltic, the routine can be broken at any second with a siren and a countdown. When the alert goes off (in 2025 alone it did so up to 500 times), the Spanish pilots of the 15th Wing They put on their equipment, get into the vans and run towards the hangars with a single objective: to be in the air in less than fifteen minutes. It is a millimetric mechanic, repeated so many times in training that becomes automaticbecause the mission does not wait for anyone and because in that area an unidentified plane, without a transponder or without communication, can be the beginning of a serious incident. The shadow of an enemy. The function of these quick exits, called “scrambles”is to intercept and escort suspicious aircraft until they leave Allied space or their intentions become clear, and in the Baltic they are almost an everyday language. The route is especially sensitive because it connects Russia with the militarized enclave of Kaliningradand there intersect fighters, surveillance planes and traffic that sometimes fly without a flight plan or without the expected signals. The result is constant tension: some days there are several outings and other weeks everything seems calm, but the feeling is always the same, that the next warning can come when you are resting or half asleep. 15th Wing Fighter Mission since 2004. NATO started this baltic air police in 2004 to protect the space of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and since then the countries have taken turns in rotation four months so that the umbrella is permanent. Over time, the deployment was expanded to other bases in the region, first after the first Russian invasion of Ukraine and later with further expansion, because the Eastern Front ceased to be a theoretical concept. In recent months, furthermore, the incursions became more disturbing due to a new detail: not only manned aircraft appeared, but also drones that crossed borders and forced us to react quickly. Spain and the fighters. The Spanish contingent arrived in December with more than 200 troops and eleven EF-18Ma modernized version of the Hornet that Spain operates and maintains ready to fly day or night. The planes are armed with air-to-air missiles and the pilots train with night vision goggles, because surveillance does not stop when the sun goes down. Behind each exit there is a system that monitors the sky relentlessly, control centers that detect traces on the radar and a decision chain that, when activated, turns the entire base into a fast, silent and perfectly rehearsed choreography. Drones change the script. The big twist is that now the problem is not only the classic military plane that approaches without identifying itself, but the emergence of cheap dronesslow, low and erratic, more difficult to classify and more complicated to stop with means designed for another era. It we have counted. In September last year, a wave of Russian drones penetrated Polish airspace during an attack on Ukraine, and then there were similar episodess that forced the activation of fighter jets in countries like Romania. In parallel, small unidentified drones began to be seen near airports, bases and sensitive facilities throughout Europe, fueling the feeling of vulnerability and suspect that someone is measuring response times and blind spots. Crow, the anti-drone. For this reason, in this deployment the 15th Wing arrived with a historical novelty for them: the Indra Crow systeman anti-drone defense that adds a different layer of protection to the base and its surroundings. Crow combines radars, cameras and sensors to detect small aircraft and, once located, attempts to take them down using signal jamming, that is, electronic warfare from fixed or mobile positions. Its range not only protects planes and runways, it also covers the nearby city, because the real goal is to shield critical infrastructure and reduce the risk of a cheap drone causing disproportionate damage. The cost dilemma. Behind this adaptation is a problem that NATO is being forced to solve at full speed: intercepting cheap drones with weapons designed to shoot down fighters is an unsustainable equation. Firing expensive missiles from a fighter jet to take down a small aircraft may work, but it turns every defense in a waste and opens the door to volume saturation. That is why procedures and tactics are being reviewed, looking for cheaper and more specific systems, and assuming that the fighter will no longer always be the best tool to put out the fire. The strategic signal. The arrival of fighters with anti-drone protection It reflects a Europe that begins to fortify the sky as if war were already knocking at the door, although it has not yet fully crossed. In the Baltic, each rotation is a political and military message: there is presence, there is a response and there is an intention to fill gaps that did not exist before. Thus, what was previously an almost routine escort and identification mission is becoming a comprehensive defense exercise against hybrid threatswhere the enemy can be a large plane, a tiny drone or a provocation designed solely to check if, when the alarm sounds, there is really someone capable of taking off in those fifteen minutes. Image | Pexels, Pavel Vanka In Xataka | There are “invisible” Russian submarines happily sailing through the Baltic and that has led Europe to unprecedented measures In Xataka | A Russian submarine has appeared off the coast of France. And Europe’s reaction has been surprising: have a laugh

GTA VI delays its launch again

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Grand Theft Auto VIthe new game in the iconic Rockstar Games saga, has delayed its launch. It is one of the most anticipated titles by gamers around the world, after success from the previous installment, GTA V. Unfortunately, we will have to wait longer to play it. Rockstar confirms new GTA VI release date. The company has announced officially that GTA VI will arrive on compatible consoles on November 19, 2026. The game has delayed its release date by six months, and this It’s not the first time it’s been delayed.. In fact, GTA VI was originally expected to arrive during the year 2025. You can click on the image to go to the post in X. Needs more time to be ready. Rockstar, in its statement, mentions that the reasons for the delay are that the company will take advantage of this additional half year to finish the development of the game and achieve “the level of quality that (fans) expect and deserve.” The company also thanks the players for their patience while waiting for the new game in the saga. More than a decade. The latest installment of the Grand Theft Auto saga arrived on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles in 2013, and a year later on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Therefore, players will have to wait thirteen years to be able to play a new title in the franchise. Furthermore, GTA VI was announced in 2022, so four years will have passed from its announcement to its release… as long as it is not delayed again. What we know about GTA VI. The new game in the saga takes place in the city of Vice City. This is the same city based on Miami in which the plot of GTA: Vice City takes place, a title that arrived in 2002. The biggest difference is that that game was developed in the 1980s, and the new GTA VI takes place in the present and tells the story of a criminal couple, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. The game, of course, is an open-world action-adventure title, and will be available for both PlayStation 5 as for the consoles Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Cover image | Rockstar Games In Xataka | The new record of 40,000 games purchased by a Chinese player on Steam blurs the line between collecting and obsession In Xataka | People are completely obsessed with the ‘GTA VI’ trailer. And he’s looking for clues and theories in every detail

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