Northvolt Faces Production Challenges Amid Strategic Restructuring Northvolt, Europe’s prominent green tech battery maker, is grappling with significant production challenges at its Skellefteå plant in northern Sweden. Internal company documents and sources reveal missed production targets and operational cutbacks, underscoring the hurdles in ramping up output in a competitive and complex industry. Missed Targets and Production Slowdowns Internal production plans marked “Production plan 2024” show that Northvolt consistently failed to meet weekly goals for producing deliverable cells—batteries of sufficient quality for client use—since September. By mid-November, weekly production hovered around 20,000 to 26,000 shippable cells, far short of the company’s…
Author: Kanika Sharma
NASA Warns of Risks from Prolonged Air Leak on ISS The International Space Station (ISS) faces an escalating problem as NASA warns of potential “catastrophic failure” caused by a persistent air and pressure leak. The issue, which has persisted for five years, has worsened in recent months, raising concerns about crew safety and the station’s long-term functionality. The Source of the Leak The leak originates from a tunnel connecting the Russian Zvezda module to a docking port used for supply spacecraft. Zvezda, launched in 2000, is a critical part of the ISS infrastructure. According to NASA, the cracks causing the…
Rising Land Conflicts in India and Bangladesh Threaten Solar Energy Expansion India and Bangladesh are accelerating efforts to expand solar power as part of their climate and clean energy goals. However, this ambitious shift is meeting resistance, with land conflicts increasing as rural communities push back against renewable energy projects encroaching on agricultural land. In both countries, smallholder farmers, herders, and local communities are demanding fair land use and compensation, complicating plans for solar growth. India’s Solar Growth and Land Disputes In 2022, Modhera, a village in Gujarat, became India’s first fully solar-powered village with a 6-megawatt (MW) solar plant…
Lopburi’s Monkey Mayhem: City Battles Overpopulation and Aggression In Lopburi, a historic city in Thailand, residents are all too familiar with the sight of monkeys looting fruits from vehicles or swarming buildings. Known as “Monkey City,” Lopburi has long coexisted with its thousands of long-tailed macaques, which locals and tourists alike considered a charming aspect of the city. However, the pandemic disrupted this harmony, leading to a monkey mayhem and the residents are now struggling to manage. A Change in Behaviour Post-Pandemic Before the COVID-19 lockdowns, Lopburi’s residents would feed the approximately 3,000 macaques living among them, even hosting an…
Voyager 2’s Historic Flyby of Uranus: New Findings Reveal a Cosmic Coincidence When NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft passed by Uranus in 1986, it delivered the first and only close look at this tilted, unusually rotating planet. During the flyby, scientists discovered new moons and rings, but they also encountered baffling mysteries. The radiation particles around Uranus defied existing theories on magnetic fields, establishing Uranus as an exceptional planet in our solar system. A Unique Snapshot: Understanding Uranus’ Magnetosphere An artist’s rendering illustrates Uranus’ magnetosphere before and during the Voyager 2 flyby. The first panel shows the planet’s magnetosphere, a protective…
Hong Kong Stocks Drop on Weak China Loan Data; Mainland Shares Stabilise Hong Kong stocks fell to a three-week low on Tuesday as unexpectedly weak loan demand in China weighed on investor sentiment. In contrast, mainland stocks held steady, buoyed in part by reports that China may reduce taxes on home purchases to support its housing market. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Declines, Mainland Markets Mixed Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 1.7% by midday, marking its third consecutive day of losses. The Hang Seng has lost around 13% since reaching a peak in early October, as investors took profits following…
Focus on Mars Likely to Intensify Under Trump Administration Elon Musk’s Mars Vision, an ambitious goal of humans expected to become a central priority under President-elect Donald Trump, sources suggest. This shift could bring significant changes to NASA’s Artemis program, which currently aims to use SpaceX’s Starship rocket to return humans to the moon as a preliminary step toward Mars. However, Trump’s administration is now likely to prioritise Mars exploration, potentially launching uncrewed Mars missions within the decade, according to four sources familiar with Trump’s evolving space policy. Mars: A Higher-Risk, Higher-Cost Objective Trump’s renewed focus on Mars marks a…
SpaceX Schedules Sixth Starship Flight Test for November 18 SpaceX plans to conduct its sixth Starship flight test as early as Monday, November 18. SpaceX’s test aims to further develop Starship’s capability as a fully reusable launch system, expanding on key milestones achieved in previous flights. Launch Details and Live Broadcast Information The launch window opens at 4:00 p.m. CT on November 18, and SpaceX will broadcast a live webcast of the event approximately 30 minutes before liftoff. Viewers can tune in on SpaceX’s official X account (@SpaceX) or through the new X TV app. As with all developmental testing,…
Trump’s 60% Tariff Threat Adds Pressure to China’s Economy Donald Trump’s 60% tariff threat on Chinese imports could have serious consequences for China’s already struggling economy. Unlike in 2018, when Trump imposed 7.5%-25% tariffs on Chinese goods, China’s economic foundation has weakened significantly, largely due to its ailing property sector. In 2018, the property market played a central role, contributing to about a quarter of the country’s economic activity and boosting local government finances through land sales. However, the market downturn since 2021 has left real estate in crisis, with reduced local revenues and a high risk of housing oversupply.…
Repairing Internal Divides and Restoring Production After a narrow vote by 33,000 machinists to accept Boeing’s latest contract offer, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg finds himself tasked with rebuilding unity in a deeply divided company. The seven-week strike, which brought Boeing’s production to a standstill, ended just months into Ortberg’s tenure. Now, his focus must shift to repairing fractured relationships among employees, union members, and leadership. The recent strike exposed internal tensions within Boeing, affecting not only factory-floor employees but also relationships across the company’s divisions. White-collar staff, union workers, and upper management each harbour frustrations that may complicate Boeing’s efforts…
