News Summary:
On July 24, 2026, UK astronomers advanced development of a core instrument for NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), positioning the UK to lead a key component in the search for Earth-like worlds. Separately on the same day, NASA's long-running research into growing plants in space, which includes producing fresh vegetables aboard the International Space Station, could enable astronauts to grow medicines on demand, starting with tobacco and a harmless virus. Earlier on July 24, GE Aerospace, in collaboration with NASA, Boeing, and BETA Technologies, successfully tested a hybrid-electric propulsion aircraft at typical passenger cruising altitudes for the first time, marking a historic event in commercial aviation. This follows news from July 23, when the joint NASA-ISRO satellite NISAR transmitted images from Earth orbit, including radar data revealing a "hummingbird"-shaped formation in the East Antarctic ice, demonstrating the mission's capability to scan beneath snow for hidden planetary features. Also on July 23, more than two dozen major NASA projects reported impacts from the loss of a fifth of the agency’s civil servant workforce in the last year, raising concerns about potential delays and cost increases.
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