New footage captures the moment Orion capsule hatch is opened at sea
A recent video captures the instant recovery teams open the hatch of Artemis II’s Orion capsule, revealing the four astronauts in a heartfelt reunion. Excitement erupted as the crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—were all found safe and well after their splashdown on Friday, 10 April.
The historic mission saw the crew venture farther from Earth than any humans have ever traveled. Steve Backshall, during a wildlife observation, noted two of the UK’s last surviving orcas, calling it one of his “greatest British wildlife moments.”
Global landmarks dimmed for an hour
On Saturday night, the Eiffel Tower in France and the Sagrada Família Basilica in Barcelona went dark, joining other global landmarks in a synchronized blackout. Meanwhile, the Space Launch System (SLS), standing 98 meters tall, and Orion spacecraft undertook a four-mile journey from their assembly building to Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“This was one of my greatest British wildlife moments,” Steve Backshall remarked while documenting the orcas.
Weather alerts and celestial events
Storm Therese brought snow to Tenerife, affecting the Canary Islands. The Met Office issued yellow severe weather warnings for wind and rain. Earlier in the year, London Zoo hosted its annual animal weigh-in, with over 10,000 creatures measured to track their health.
From meteor showers to supermoons, stargazers were treated to stunning sights. An astronomical event was recorded in North York Moors National Park on 13 August. BBC science correspondent Pallab Ghosh explored the implications of an astronaut falling ill in space.
Environmental insights and political remarks
Scientists studying ice sheets uncovered an environmental record spanning over a million years. A notable figure in animal rights, who passed away at 91, dedicated their career to researching chimpanzees. President Trump recently suggested that wind power contributes to rising energy bills in the UK, a claim scrutinized by BBC Verify’s Ben Chu.
“Wind power is the reason for rising energy bills in the UK,” President Trump asserted, prompting analysis from BBC Verify’s Ben Chu.
Meanwhile, Storm Floris is expected to deliver “unseasonably strong gusty” winds to the UK. Researchers also detected signs of molecules typically produced by simple organisms in the atmosphere of planet K2-18b, offering new clues about extraterrestrial life potential.
