Major Developments: From Space Satellites to Surgical Robots
Recent science news highlights Airbus' contract to build advanced radar satellites for Spain, the debut of an AI-guided surgical robot, Trump's appointment of Sean Duffy as interim NASA administrator, and Varda Space Industries' funding success to innovate drug manufacturing in space, collectively marking advancements across various scientific fields.
Airbus has secured a contract with Spanish satellite operator Hisdesat to develop two advanced PAZ-2 radar satellites for Spain's defense ministry. These satellites will provide continuous radar imagery for both military intelligence and civilian purposes, such as disaster assessment, replacing the PAZ satellite that's been operational since 2018.
In a groundbreaking medical advance, an experimental surgical robot guided by artificial intelligence has successfully performed a complex phase of a gallbladder operation autonomously. Unlike current surgical robots controlled by surgeons, this new AI system can make independent decisions and adapt to unforeseen complications, as revealed by a research team led by Axel Krieger at Johns Hopkins University.
In a political development, President Trump has appointed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as the interim administrator of NASA. This move comes amidst Trump's withdrawal of his initial nominee and a public spat with Elon Musk, who favored Jared Isaacman for the role. Meanwhile, Varda Space Industries announced it has raised $187 million to advance its pioneering work in robotic drug manufacturing in space.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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