Independent thinking for complex markets and current events
NASA’s 5,000°F “Plasma Spear” clears path for 2030s Mars missions — May 7, 2026 JPL successfully tests a 120-kilowatt lithium-fed magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster… The engine uses electromagnetic fields to accelerate plasma, reaching internal temperatures exceeding 5,000°F… This “Nuclear Electric Propulsion” (NEP) is designed to move massive payloads to Mars far more efficiently than chemical rockets… …
Investing.com — The Trump administration has secretly authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, according to Bloomberg, citing U.S. officials, marking an escalation in pressure against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. This authorization represents the latest move in the administration’s campaign against Venezuela’s government. The new authority would permit the CIA to carry out …
China unveiled a mosquito-sized drone designed for covert military operations and espionage — a development that’s raising alarms over the potential consequence of the tech falling into the wrong hands. The miniature device, featuring two leaf-like wings, a black vertical body, and three hair-thin legs, was engineered to mimic the blood-sucking insect by scientists at …
by Stephen Green https://twitter.com/Trump__Train__/status/1847276415063863783 SLS requires Starship and the Lunar Gateway to get enough mass to the moon to make Artemis work. Starship can do the whole thing by itself. All things being equal, Artemis makes no sense. But all things aren’t equal. SLS costs $4 billion per launch — just for the disposable rocket. …
In Ukraine, Mexico and Honduras, Mel Gibson is making 4-part docu-series on the $34 billion global child sex trafficking market. Mel called former Special Agent Tim Ballard to head rescue missions.