FlashFeed

Full text

The world's most powerful solid-fuel rocket just aced its third-ever mission.

Gravity-1, a distinctively squat and stubby rocket , launched Tuesday night (July 21) from the deck of a ship stationed off the coast of Shanghai.

Liftoff occurred at 10:54 p.m. EDT (0254 GMT and 10:54 a.m. Beijing time on July 22), according to the state-run Chinese outlet Xinhua, which further reported that all nine satellites reached "their designated orbits." Details about those satellites were not provided.

Orienspace's Gravity-1 rocket launches nine satellites to orbit from a ship at sea on July 21, 2026. (Image credit: CCTV) Gravity-1 is operated by Orienspace, a company based in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong. The rocket stands about 100 feet (30 meters) tall — less than half the height of SpaceX 's workhorse Falcon 9 vehicle.

Gravity-1 consists of three core stages and four strap-on boosters, all of which feature solid rocket motors. The launcher can haul up to 14,300 pounds (6,500 kilograms) of payload to low Earth orbit (LEO), making it the most powerful solid rocket in the world. (For comparison: The liquid-fueled Falcon 9 can deliver a maximum of 50,265 pounds, or 22,800 kg, to LEO.)

The Chinese vehicle now has three flights under its belt, all of which launched from ships at sea and achieved full mission success. Gravity-1's first two flights occurred in January 2024 and October 2025 .

There won't be such a long gap before Gravity-1 flies again, if all goes to plan. The rocket is expected to launch a batch of Chinese internet satellites in the next few months, according to the state-run outlet CGTN.

And Orienspace's ambitions don't end with Gravity-1. The company is also developing Gravity-2 and Gravity-3, larger, more powerful rockets that will feature liquid-fueled core stages and solid rocket boosters.

Gravity-2 could be ready to fly by the end of the year, CGTN reported. And that vehicle will likely lift off from an ocean-based pad as well.

"Sea launch of solid-propellant rockets paves the way for future launch of liquid rockets at sea," said Gravity-1 chief designer Xu Guoguang, according to CGTN. "We are also considering other methods, such as launching from drilling platforms."

Full text

Russia is adding magnetic compasses to drones affected by satellite navigation jamming

The Molniya can use Earth’s magnetic field for basic directional guidance

A camera periodically checks the compass during the drone’s flight

Russian engineers have reportedly fitted a basic magnetic compass onto the cheap Molniya attack drone to counter satellite jamming.

The modification offers a low-cost alternative when electronic warfare systems interfere with GPS or GLONASS signals used by many unmanned aircraft.

Although the upgrade does not make the drone completely immune to interference, it removes dependence on satellite signals for basic directional guidance.

A compass helps the Molniya survive satellite jamming

Most drones depend on satellite navigation systems that both Ukrainian and Russian electronic warfare units have spent the war jamming and spoofing.

Unlike satellite navigation, a magnetic compass reads Earth’s magnetic field directly and does not depend on an external radio signal.

This makes the system difficult to disrupt through conventional jamming, which targets the signals drones use to determine their position and maintain planned flight paths.

The modification could therefore help the Molniya continue following a general course after electronic warfare systems interfere with satellite navigation.

According to Ukrainian defence advisor Serhii Beskrestnov, the latest upgrade was done by Skolkovo technologies.

“Skolkovo technologies continue to develop. A compass was installed on the Molniya drone, and the camera periodically tilts down to look at it,” he said.

The Molniya has also appeared in versions controlled through fibre-optic cables, which cannot be disrupted wirelessly because commands travel through a physical connection.

Those cables, however, add weight and create limitations for range, payload capacity and deployment flexibility.

Beskrestnov has also reported a Molniya attack involving no control antenna, with an onboard camera and computer handling navigation and target selection.

These developments suggest that the low-cost drone is being adapted through different approaches to reduce dependence on vulnerable communications links.

Low cost makes simple upgrades attractive

Russia’s approach to cheaply upgrading the Molniya drones suggests that it is focused on spending less in the war against Ukraine.

The Molniya drones are pretty cheap and are largely made of plywood and aluminum tubing.

This explains why Russian engineers can add simple technologies instead of redesigning the entire aircraft around more expensive navigation systems.

Beskrestnov has estimated that Russia can build 10 to 15 Molniya drones for the cost of one Supercam reconnaissance drone.

The Supercam can cost close to $100,000 per aircraft, according to the estimate, making the cheaper Molniya suitable for modifications that prioritise affordability over sophisticated hardware.

In response to Beskrestnov, Russian military analyst Ian Matveev said, “I’m sure in the documents it says: Navigation equipment based on the principles of Earth’s magnetism.”

His remark captured how a low-cost compass fix can outperform far pricier electronic warfare countermeasures on the battlefield.

However, the magnetic compass does not provide precise satellite positioning, and the drone remains vulnerable to other countermeasures affecting its control, sensors or flight systems.

Via Defence Blog

Full text

Jake Johnson will forever be known to television audiences as Nick Miller, the on-again-off-again love interest of Zooey Deschanel 's Jess in Fox's smash-hit sitcom New Girl . The series helped launch him into the stratosphere as a charismatic comedic sensation, going on to land roles in everything from Jurassic World to the Spider-Verse movies and even his own film, Self Reliance . He's now about to take the pickleball court with his new film, The Dink , premiering on Apple TV this Friday, July 24, and casting him as a former tennis prodigy finding new meaning in playing the hot new sensation sweeping through his strict father's country club. Before that, however, the crew at Mythical Kitchen has prepared him a meal and a chance to reflect on his career thus far.

Full text

Buying someone else a Steam game got a lot easier today. You no longer have to be Steam friends with the person you're sending a gift to, and don't even need a Steam account. You can also select gifts directly from a shared wishlist, which have gotten new categorization features.

Here are today's Steam gifting changes , in short:

It's now possible to gift a game without having a Steam account. (Previously, guest checkout could only be used for digital gift card and hardware purchases)

You also don't need to know the recipient's Steam account, and can gift games and digital gift cards with just an email address (even if it isn't the address associated with their Steam account)

You can now gift games across regions. You need to know the recipient's Steam account for this, as the price you pay will be the price of the game in their region

You can now send gifts directly from a shared wishlist

Previously, sending a gift on Steam meant asking the recipient for their Steam account name and friending them, which dampens the surprise a bit.

My only wish now is for a simple way to stuff a Steam game into a physical card for birthdays and holidays. Steam retired physical gift cards recently, citing fraud. (With these new features, you could gift a game to an email address you control, and then print out the redemption link and make the recipient type it in manually, which is slightly mean in a way that I approve of as an uncle.)

Alongside the gifting update are some new wishlist features .

The big one is the ability to organize your wishlist into categories. When you share your wishlist with someone else, you can also now share just a specific category (eg, 'Xmas list'), and as mentioned above, it's now possible to purchase gifts directly from a shared wishlist.

Full text

A Good Samaritan arrested for DUI later tested negative for alcohol and drugs.

Fort Collins agreed to pay $500,000 to settle the federal civil rights lawsuit.

The case renews debate over roadside testing and probable cause in DUI arrests.

There are few things more expensive than arresting a sober driver for DUI. Just ask the taxpayers of Fort Collins, Colorado, who are now on the hook for a $500,000 settlement after police arrested a man who had stopped to help at the scene of a motorcycle crash. It’s the latest in a growing list of high-profile cases involving motorists who ultimately proved they weren’t impaired at all. It’s also another reminder that quick roadside testing could have changed everything before handcuffs ever came out.

var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};

adpushup.que.push(function() {

if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){

adpushup.triggerAd("0f7e3106-c4d6-4db4-8135-c508879a76f8");

} else {

adpushup.triggerAd("82503191-e1d1-435a-874f-9c78a2a54a2f");

}

});

According to CBS Colorado , Jesse Cunningham, a Nebraska resident, stopped on the side of the road to assist after witnessing a serious motorcycle crash in 2022. Instead of heading home after trying to help, he ended up in the back of a patrol car, accused of driving under the influence.

More: Sober DUI Arrests In Tennessee Raise New Questions After Internal Emails Surface

The now-settled lawsuit said Cunningham repeatedly asked officers to administer a roadside breath test, believing it would immediately demonstrate he hadn’t been drinking. Instead, he was arrested and forced to undergo blood testing. Those results later came back negative for both alcohol and impairing drugs. Prosecutors dismissed the DUI charge roughly three months later. Of course, it took years of litigation after the fact for the city to settle.

var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};

adpushup.que.push(function() {

if (adpushup.config.platform === "DESKTOP"){

adpushup.triggerAd("ea4d4b5a-f8e5-4d5d-9d9a-53a3b956b6cd");

} else{

adpushup.triggerAd("44c0a4dc-e25b-4ba5-ac64-2c510461b92a");

}

});

This isn’t the first time we’ve covered a case where a sober driver ended up facing a DUI charge despite later chemical testing proving otherwise. In several previous incidents, including another Colorado lawsuit, drivers blew 0.000% on a breathalyzer or later tested negative. Despite that, they were still arrested and prosecuted before the cases ultimately collapsed. Tennessee recently began issuing breath test devices because of a staggering amount of sober DUI arrests .

That’s what makes Cunningham’s allegations particularly noteworthy. Had officers administered a preliminary breath test at the scene, they would have at least known alcohol wasn’t involved. While a zero reading doesn’t rule out impairment from drugs, it can dramatically narrow the scope of an investigation. Depending on the surrounding circumstances, it may prevent an unnecessary arrest altogether. It could also help taxpayers avoid massive payouts over these cases.

var adpushup = window.adpushup = window.adpushup || {que:[]};

adpushup.que.push(function() {

if (adpushup.config.platform !== "DESKTOP"){

adpushup.triggerAd("bb7964e9-07de-4b06-a83e-ead35079d53c");

} else {

adpushup.triggerAd("9b1169d9-7a89-4971-a77f-1397f7588751");

}

});

Lead Image: Fort Collins PD