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Rocket Lab delays its Venus atmospheric probe mission
Last year, Rocket Lab announced that it would embark on an ambitious mission to send a small probe to Venus to hunt for organic molecules in its atmosphere.
DOJ reportedly investigating Tesla’s Autopilot self-driving claims after crashes
The Justice Department launched a probe last year to look into whether Tesla had made unsupported full self-driving claims, according to Reuters.
Big tech companies to face UK probes over cloud service, messenger and smart speaker dominance
Ofcom wants to ensure there's healthy competition in various digital markets.
The SEC is reportedly investigating Amazon over its use of third-party seller data
Last month, the Congress also asked the DOJ to investigate Amazon in relation to its use of third-party seller data for its private-label business.
Virgin Galactic cleared to fly again following FAA investigation
Virgin Galactic has been cleared to fly again by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following an anomaly on its previous flight.
NASA's InSight probe reveals the first detailed look at the interior of Mars
NASA's InSight lander arrived on Mars in 2018 to learn about its interior by monitoring "marsquakes," and now the project is starting to really pay off.
China probe delivers its first photo of Mars
China's Tianwen-1 probe has sent its first photo of Mars, marking a historic moment for the country's space program.
NASA abandons InSight mission to crack the surface of Mars
Martian soil does not behave in the way NASA engineers expected.
Boeing agrees to pay $2.5 billion to settle criminal charge over 737 Max crashes
In addition to paying $2.5 billion, Boeing will have to continue cooperating with the FAA’s fraud section for any ongoing and future investigations.
Solar Orbiter probe makes its first Venus flyby
The ESA-NASA Solar Orbiter probe has made its first flight past Venus, collecting valuable data in the process.
China Moon probe starts return to Earth with lunar samples
China's Chang'e-5 probe has started its return to Earth with the first Moon samples in decades.
China’s lunar-sampling robot has landed on the Moon
It's been more than 40 years since humans last harvested lunar dust.
Italy is launching an antitrust investigation into Amazon and Apple
Italian officials want to know whether Amazon and Apple reached an antitrust agreement.
NASA is fixing a Voyager 2 snag that deactivated sensors
Voyager 2 might already have crossed into interstellar space, but that isn't stopping NASA from providing some technical help. The administration is in the midst of fixing a problem with the probe that led it to shut off its science equipment. When a delay in the execution of a standard rotation maneuver (to calibrate the magnetic field instrument) left two high-power systems running at the same time, Voyager 2 overdrew from its power supply and tripped a system that shut off the scientific gear to conserve electricity. NASA turned off one of the power-hungry systems and revived the science hardware, but has yet to resume collecting data or otherwise restore business as usual.
Facebook subpoena refusal forces California to make its privacy probe public
For the first time, California's State Attorney General has admitted that his office has been investigating Facebook's privacy dealings over the past 18 months -- and we wouldn't even have known if the social network had just complied with his requests. Attorney General Xavier Becerra has revealed in new court documents that Facebook failed to comply with subpoenas asking for more information related to the Cambridge Analytica fiasco.
NASA's InSight lander can finally dig a hole for its Mars heat probe
NASA's InSight lander was supposed be digging a hole so a probe (above) could measure the heat escaping from Mars' interior, but it hasn't made much progress since work got started in February -- it hadn't even finished burying itself. At last, it's making some headway. The agency has revealed that the probe, nicknamed "the mole," is finally digging in earnest thanks to a new strategy. The arm had been stymied by unusually rough soil, but the team found it could get the necessary friction by having InSight press its robotic arm against the probe.
Google could soon face another antitrust investigation
Next week, more than half of the nation's attorneys general are expected to announce an antitrust investigation into Google, The Washington Post reports. Details on the investigation are limited, but it's yet another probe into fears that big tech has amassed too much power.
Facebook’s Libra Association is being investigated by EU antitrust regulators
Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency project is being probed again, this time by European Union antitrust regulators. The European Commission said it is "currently investigating potential anti-competitive behavior," related to the Libra Association, Bloomberg reports. In a questionnaire sent out this month, the EU authority expressed concerns that Libra would unfairly shut out rivals.
NASA confirms mission to Jupiter's moon Europa
NASA has been talking for years about sending a probe to Europa, and now it's locking down those plans. The agency has confirmed the next phase of its Europa Clipper mission, which will send a spacecraft to the Jovian moon to determine if it could support life. The move allows progress toward finishing and testing a final design for the spacecraft. The administration is developing for a 2023 launch target to ensure a "cost-effective" process, but it's prepared to launch as late as 2025.
FTC to accuse Facebook of misusing phone numbers and facial recognition
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reportedly plans to issue a complaint over Facebook's handling of phone numbers and facial recognition. According to The Washington Post, the FTC plans to allege that advertisers managed to target users who provided their phone numbers for Facebook's two-factor authentication security feature. Sources also told The Washington Post that the FTC will accuse Facebook of providing insufficient information about the ability to turn off the facial recognition tool that offers photo tag suggestions.
