March 14, 20253 min readWow! Blue Ghost Captures Total Lunar Eclipse from the MoonFirefly Aerospaces Blue Ghost Mission 1 lunar lander snapped incredible photographs of the March 1314 total lunar eclipse, as seen from the moonBy Meghan Bartels edited by Lee BillingsA view from the Blue Ghost lander on the moon taken on March 14 around 3:30 A.M. CDT, showing the sun about to emerge from totality behind Earth. Firefly Aerospace/FlickrMuch of North and South America was treated to a spectacular total lunar eclipse on the night of March 13 into early March 14. Onlookers watched the moon take on a deep ruddy hue as it slipped through Earths shadow. But what does such an event look like from the moon? A recently arrived lunar lander shared its view in stunning new photographs.The Blue Ghost spacecraft is a NASA-funded commercial lander, that blasted off Earth in January and touched down on the moon on March 2. The spacecraft landed in a region called Mare Crisium, or Sea of Crises, a destination selected by scientists in part because they believe it represents the average composition of the moon.Packed with 10 different science instruments, the lander was designed to last for one lunar day, the equivalent of two weeks on Earth. None of Blue Ghosts science work was designed around the lunar eclipse, but lucky timing gave the spacecraft a unique view of the celestial spectacle. (A less fortunate commercial lunar mission, the Athena lander from Intuitive Machines, was also slated to witness the eclipse but landed crooked and expired after less than a day on the moon.)On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.A view of Earth as seen by Blue Ghost shortly after landing on the moon.Firefly Aerospace/FlickrWhat Did Blue Ghost See?The event was a lunar eclipse as seen from Earth, but to Blue Ghost, it appeared more like a solar eclipse because the lander saw the Earth blocking the suns light. (Were going to still call it a lunar eclipse for convenience.)In some respects, Blue Ghosts observations came with time to spare: unlike the pulse-pounding speed of a total solar eclipse, as seen from Earth, in which totality takes only minutes, a total lunar eclipse lingers as the moon slowly moves through our planets shadow. From start to finish, this one lasted a stunning two hours and 16 minutes.Firefly Aerospace, the Texas-based company that built Blue Ghost, has shared two stunning images from the lander that show what the robot saw from the moon as the lunar eclipse occurred on Earth on its mission updates page.Above is Blue Ghosts view of the sun almost fully eclipsed by the Eartha sight that bears stunning resemblance to Earths view of a total solar eclipse, when the moon blocks the full disk of the sun.A view early in the total solar eclipse showing the blocked sun reflected in Blue Ghosts solar panel.Firefly Aerospace/FlickrWhat Else Is in Blue Ghosts Eclipse Images?A second image shared by Firefly shows a glowing ring of the suns light reflected on the landers solar panel, visible at the bottom of the photograph. Also on display are three Blue Ghost instruments. On the left is the landers large X-band antenna for communicating with Earth. In the middle is the Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI), an instrument that is studying how the solar wind, charged particles that flow from the sun, interacts with the outer reaches of Earths magnetic field. And at the right is a tall mast that is part of the Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS), an instrument that is probing our natural satellites mysterious depths using strands of electrodes deployed on the moons surface.The astronauts of Apollo 12 captured this photograph during their journey home from the moon in November 1969.NASAWas This the First Lunar View of Earth Eclipsing the Sun?Although stunning, the new images do not mark the first time humans have gotten a lunar glimpse of the eclipsed sun. In 1969 astronauts on NASAs Apollo 12 lunar mission observed Earth block our star during their journey home. More recently, in 2009 a Japanese mission called Kaguya witnessed a penumbral lunar eclipse, a type of eclipse in which Earth slips mostly, but not entirely, between the sun and moon.Blue Ghost is expected to remain operational for only about two more Earth days before succumbing to the frigid darkness of the two-week-long lunar night.

Star Wars: KOTOR's troubled remake still coming, suggests studio's latest commentsDespite year of radio silence.Image credit: BioWare News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on March 14, 2025 It's been almost a year since Saber Interactive last shared an update on its long-in-the-works and reportedly troubled Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake. But despite the ensuing radio silence, it's now insisting, "Everything that we have talked about is still in development."A Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake was first announced for PlayStation 5 and PC back in 2021, with developer Aspyr at the helm. Since then, however, the project has been dogged by rumours of difficulties behind-the-scenes, with a report in 2022 claiming it was "in serious trouble" and "delayed indefinitely".Shortly after that report, it was confirmed Warhammer 40K: Space Marine developer Saber Interactive had taken over development duties, but still nothing has been seen of the project since its initial unveiling. More reports of its apparent demise surfaced in 2023 - although those were quickly rebuffed - and the project's future was called into question again last year when Saber Interactive split with parent company Embracer Group.Here's how the KOTOR remake was announced back in 2021.Watch on YouTubeSaber's most recent comments on KOTOR came last April, when company boss Matthew Karch insisted the remake was "alive and well" - but with almost a year of radio silence now past since then, doubts have begun spreading through the fan community again. All of which brings us to the present, and Saber's latest tacit assurances the KOTOR remake remains in development.Following this week's news that Saber is now starting up development on Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 3, studio chief creative officer Tim Willits took to social media to reassure fans that it's other announced games remain unaffected. "Saber Interactive is one of the largest independent developers in the world," Willits wrote. "We are working on numerous games across many different genres. Everything that we have talked about is still in development. We will share information on upcoming games when we have something cool to share."That, then, bodes well for the ever-elusive KOTOR remake, but it's far from the only game previously confirmed to be in development at Saber. The studio is also working on John Carpenter's Toxic Commando and Jurassic Park Survival, both scheduled to launch this year, with new Turok and Avatar: The Last Airbender games also on the way.And as for the newly announced Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 3, that sounds like it's still some considerable way out. The studio has said it still plans to support Space Marine 2 "in the coming years" while it continues work on its "even more immersive" sequel.

Once youve made all of your choices, pour concrete for the foundation, then frame the walls and roof. Dont be afraid to call up a builder if you need help with this step of the sauna build.3. Choose your heat sourceAs youre planning your personal sauna project, one of the most important decisions youll have to make is the heat source. Are you a wood-burning person or an electric person? This is the great debate in the sauna world.Electric heatersare cheaper and require less maintenance, butmany have argued its like comparing a steak grilled over a charcoal barbecue to one cooked using gasits a taste thing. Know that if you do lean towardwood-burning, you have to actually acquire wood to burn, be able to tend the fire as it goes, and possibly forfeit the idea of an indoor sauna lest your homeowners insurance skyrockets. However, wood is the more historic option, so if youre pining for the traditional sauna experience, this might be the way to go.Choose your interior wood carefully.Photo: Roc Canals/Getty Images4. Choose your interior finishesOnce youve planned all of the foundational aspects of your sauna, the next big decision is what kind of wood to use for the interior. Like the wood used on the frame, youve got various options for the indoor paneling, all with unique benefits and drawbacks.Cedar gives off the best smell and is easy to find in the U.S. (stick with western red cedar for the mildest scent and the best quality consistency), while Nordic whitewoods are the traditional types used in Finland. They are both on the more expensive end, so if youre trying to cut costs, use the good stuff on the sauna benches and interior walls, and something a little cheaper like hemlock or eucalyptus on the rest.5. Consider aesthetic finishesSaunas are meant to be used and enjoyed, but that doesnt mean they cant also look good. Windows might be a nice touch, especially if youve chosen a backyard sauna, and you have a nice view. Just make sure you use double-paned glass so youre not compromising the insulation and warmth of the structure. Youve also got some leeway with the dooryou could choose a wood option, a glass door, or even one that slides.

According to Schutte, the home was based on two articles Wright published in the Ladies Home Journal. The interior is adapted from A Home in a Prairie Town, and the exterior is based on A Small House with Lots of Room in It.Inside, the living room flows into a terrace and two bayed alcoves, originally designed as the dining room and a library. Large hallways between the spaces create a sense of openness in the 3,277-square-foot home, which is further enhanced by thin bands of leaded glass that span the bays, the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust explains. The windows perceptually extend the interior of the house into the surrounding natural landscape, blurring the boundaries between Wrights architecture and the world of nature outside.The bathroom is decorated in floral tiles.Photo: RealvisionAccording to Crains, the buyer was Kevin Sullivan, an information technology professional. Its a dream come true for me, he told the publication. Younger me fantasized a lot about what it would be like to live in a Frank Lloyd Wright house.Though the residence hasnt changed much under the stewardship of the previous owners, some renovations were done before their purchase. For example, an art glass door that once opened to a terrace and offered views to the Bradley House was taken down at some point and replaced with an enclosed porch. All of the original built-ins and much of the hardware and lighting fixtures remain intact, Schutte says. Most other changes are minimal, though the sellers conceded that for this reason, new owners might want to update appliances or make other restorative changes.The flared roofs are evocative of Japanese design.Photo: Realvision

Briefly, heres whats up with Tesla over the past few weeks: its stock is down more than 50 percent since December; Tesla sales in California are plummeting; Cybertruck deliveries are reportedly paused because the vehicles are falling apart; protesters are demonstrating outside Tesla showrooms across the country; and Tesla owners are selling their cars to avoid getting called Nazis.But thats not all. According to data from YouGov, a market research firm, the publics impression of the company has never been worse, reaching its lowest point since YouGov began tracking Tesla in 2016. YouGov asks members of the public daily questions about Tesla to gauge overall sentiment. (Sherwood first reported the data.)Image: YouGovAs of March 12th, the net impression for respondents across the political spectrum is -12.8. Impression measures whether consumers have a positive or negative impression of a given brand. The company fares even worse with liberals, with a -35.5 net impression. Moderates sit at a -9.2 net impression. Conservatives are the only group with a positive net impression of Tesla, measured at 7.5.YouGov also asks whether respondents would consider purchasing a Tesla. According to YouGov data, around 8 percent of liberals indicated they would consider purchasing a Tesla, down from 12 percent at the beginning of 2022. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the percentage of conservatives who say they would consider buying a Tesla has increased from 6.7 percent to 8.4 percent. Even those numbers are lagging: when looking at the average response rate for all carmakers, 10 percent of the general population say they would consider buying a vehicle.There are also more indications that Tesla sales are slowing down. New registrations in the US fell 11 percent in January compared to a year prior, Automotive News reported. That follows reports of nosediving sales in several European countries, including France, Norway, Spain, and Germany.As his company is in free fall, billionaire owner Elon Musk is attempting to cash in on his close relationship with the White House. On Tuesday, in what can only be described as an advertising event, President Donald Trump turned the White House driveway into a pop-up Tesla showroom, reading from a Tesla sales pitch and vowing to purchase a vehicle. Musks proximity to the Trump administration follows the hundreds of millions of dollars he poured into getting Trump elected. On the same day as the Tesla stunt, The New York Times reported that Musk has indicated he wants to throw in another $100 million into other Trump groups.See More:

On Thursday, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) sent letters to 16 American technology firms, including Google and OpenAI, asking for past communications with theBiden Administration that might suggest the former President coerced or colluded with companies to censor lawful speech in AI products.The Trump Administrations top technology advisers previously signaled it would pick a fight with Big Tech over AI censorship, which is seemingly the next phase in the culture war between conservatives and Silicon Valley. Jordan previously led an investigation into whether the Biden Administration and Big Tech colluded to silence conservative voices on social media platforms. Now, hes turning his attention to AI companies and their intermediaries.In letters to technology executives including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Apple CEO Tim Cook, Jordan pointed to a report his committee published in December that he claims uncovered the Biden-Harris Administrations efforts to control AI to suppress speech.In this latest inquiry, Jordan asked Adobe, Alphabet, Amazon, Anthropic, Apple, Cohere, IBM, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI,Palantir, Salesforce, Scale AI, andStability AI for information. They have until March 27 to provide it.TechCrunch reached out to the companies for comment. Most didnt immediately respond. Nvidia, Microsoft, and Stability AI declined to comment.Theres one notable omission in Jordans list: billionaire Elon Musks frontier AI lab, xAI. That may be because Musk, a close Trump ally, is a tech leader whos been at the forefront of conversations about AI censorship. The writing was on the wall that conservative lawmakers would ramp up scrutiny over alleged AI censorship. Perhaps in anticipation of an investigation such as Jordans, several tech companies have changed the ways their AI chatbots handle politically sensitive queries.Earlier this year, OpenAI announced it was changing the way it trains AI models to represent more perspectives and ensure ChatGPT wasnt censoring certain viewpoints. OpenAI denies this was an attempt to appease the Trump administration, but rather, an effort to double down on the companys core values.Anthropic, for its part, has said that its newest AI model, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, will refuse to answer fewer questions and give more nuanced responses on controversial subjects.Other companies have been slower to change how their AI models treat political subject matter. Leading up to the 2024 U.S. election, Google said that its Gemini chatbot wouldnt respond to political queries. Even well after the election, TechCrunch found that the chatbot wouldnt consistently answer even simple questions related to politics, like Who is the current President?Some tech execs, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, have added fuel to conservative accusations of Silicon Valley censorship by claiming the Biden Administration pressured them to suppress certain content like COVID-19 misinformation.

After Employer.com acquired bankrupt accounting startup Bench in a fire-sale late last year, CEO Jesse Tinsley pledged on LinkedIn and elsewhere to honor past customer payments.Were honoring all prepaid Bench services even though we will not have the revenue from that directly ourselves, Tinsley said in an interview with founder and investor Julian Weisser.But some Bench customers say theyre being charged to get books or tax returns they previously paid for.A lawsuit filed on Tuesday by Bench customer Qorum claims that Bench required it to pay to get its 2023 tax return, despite having already paid for the service under Benchs previous owners.Defendant Jesse Tinsley made negligent misrepresentations when he falsely stated that Employer.com would honor prepaid Bench services, the lawsuit alleges.Another customer, who requested anonymity, was shocked to learn they needed to renew their subscription to get accounting books completed when they paid for that service two years ago, according to correspondence seen by TechCrunch.When they questioned this, a Bench representative told them that Bench 2.0 has no affiliation with prior obligations and that Employer.com couldnt take on unpaid work.Employer.coms CMO Matt Charney strongly disputes that Bench is charging for previously paid work. We have been, and are honoring pre-paid services for our customers, he said.Charney also said it delivered that tax 2023 return to Qorum without requiring additional payment. But Qorums founder Andrew Pietra told TechCrunch he was required to continue his subscription to get the return in the first place.Under its previous ownership, Bench burned through $135 million and struggled to get AI to replace human bookkeepers. That led to long delays and big piles of books that still needed to be completed, according to former employees.Multiple Bench customers previously told TechCrunch that Employer.com had also sent them notices intended to get them to click on a consent button that had them foregoing refunds on prepaid services.Many books and returns remained incomplete when Bench abruptly shut down on December 26 last year. Employer.com, a U.S. company, announced plans to buy the Canadian fintech less than 72 hours later.The fintechs abrupt collapse was caused by a lack of liquidity after its main creditor, the National Bank of Canada, declined to lend it an additional $7.7 million in December 2024. The NBC had already provided $51 million USD in credit to the troubled startup, according to previous filings.Ironically, its the news of Benchs sudden shutdown that led to its rescue. The company had previously shopped itself around but failed to find a serious buyer, the filings note.

Vicon has announced its Markerless Motion Capture solution will launch next week at the Game Developer Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, running March 19-21. Vicon Markerless for VFX will be available March 19. You can find them at Booth #S335.The launch follows an immersive exhibition of the Vicon Markerless prototype at SIGGRAPH 2023. The tech was beta-tested via Vicon's VFX Pioneer Program, through which the VFX and virtual production communities had the opportunity to discover, understand, and define how markerless motion capture could be applied in their industries. Beta participants included ILM, Gearbox Entertainment, Dimension | DNEG360, Dreamscape Immersive, and Framestore.Vicon Markerless allows users to instantly visualize ideas with the Vanguard markerless motion-tracking camera and new software incorporating advanced computer vision, machine learning, and algorithms to capture human performance without markers.Vicons Markerless Motion Capture is like magic providing Gearbox incredible flexibility and speed in the development and storytelling of our games, said Randy Pitchford, founder and president of Gearbox Entertainment. Anyone of us at Gearbox, including me, can jump into our Vicon Markerless Motion Capture volume even in our street clothes to quickly get the data we need as we work to bring exciting potential future projects to life, including Borderlands.Vicon Markerless, developed over several years with meticulous attention to detail, sets a new standard for motion capture across games, film, episodic TV and immersive experiences, said Vicon CEO Imogen O'Connor. It enables VFX teams to rapidly refine early creative ideas and iterations marker-free, and offers a seamless transition to optical motion capture as needed. Markerless motion capture opens up a world of possibilities for the VFX industry and delivers greater efficiency in creating innovative entertainment.Vicon Markerless reduces time to visualization, enabling rapid iteration from prototyping and previsualization to real-time animation even with props. Creative teams can quickly explore ideas marker-free and transition efficiently to full optical motion capture when required.The new markerless system from Vicon has significantly accelerated our creative process, enabling us to reach results faster, said Ben Kolakovic, Virtual Production Operations Manager at ILM, a beta participant. We now receive mocap data much more quickly than before, which allows our artists to experiment with new ideas in a fraction of the time. This streamlined workflow not only fosters creativity but also enhances our ability to iterate efficiently and fine-tune performances.Source: Vicon Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologistL'Wrenbrings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.

The first-ever metal 3D printed part produced in space has returned to Earth for testing as part of the European Space Agencys (ESA) Metal3D project focused on manufacturing in microgravity.Created aboard the International Space Station (ISS) using ESAs Metal 3D Printer, the sample has landed at the agencys European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands, where it will undergo testing.Developed by Airbus and its partners, this 3D printer was installed in the ISSs Columbus module by ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen last year. A few months later, in June, it successfully produced its first test print, a curving line shaped like an S.Over the summer, it printed a complete sample, followed by a second in December. Now, the first of these samples is set for analysis at ESTECs Materials and Electrical Components Laboratory, where researchers will compare it with Earth-printed counterparts to better understand how microgravity influences the printing process. The second sample will be studied at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).The worlds first metal 3D printer for space is on its way to the ISS. Photo via Airbus.Advancing metal 3D printing for space missionsThe project itself has been years in the making. Airbus Defence & Space and AddUp began developing the Metal 3D Printer under an ESA contract in 2016, with the goal of evaluating 3D printing capabilities in sustained microgravity. The system was launched to the ISS aboard NASAs NG-20 mission on January 30, 2024, and operational printing started in mid-2024.While astronauts have been using polymer 3D printers on the ISS since 2014 to produce plastic parts, introducing metal 3D printing could significantly expand manufacturing capabilities for future missions. The ability to produce components on demand could reduce reliance on Earth-based resupply missions, which is particularly important for long-duration space travel to the Moon or Mars.That said, metal 3D printing in space isnt without its challenges. Unlike traditional systems that can take up significant floor space in industrial settings, the ISS 3D printer had to be scaled down to fit within a unit roughly the size of a washing machine.Safety was another major consideration, since metal alloys require extreme temperatures to melt, far higher than plastics, the printer was enclosed in a sealed metal box to prevent any hazards. While plastic 3D printing typically requires temperatures around 200C, metal alloys used in this process melt at over 1,200C, necessitating strict thermal control.The 3D printing process itself also differs from standard Earth-based methods. Rather than using powder-based 3D printing, which could pose containment issues in microgravity, the ISS 3D printer relies on a wire-based approach to minimize risks.With the first space-printed metal samples now back on Earth, researchers at ESA and DTU will examine them closely, running mechanical strength and bending tests alongside microstructural analysis.The goal is to compare these results with identical samples printed under normal gravity conditions to determine the effects of microgravity on the manufacturing process. According to the team, these findings could provide crucial insights for future space missions, where in-orbit manufacturing might one day become a practical necessity.Metal 3D printed part from space. Photo via ESA.3D printing in microgravityAs ESA and its partners study the effects of microgravity on metal 3D printing, other developments in space-based manufacturing are also gaining attention.Recently, researchers at the University of Glasgows James Watt School of Engineering developed a 3D printing system designed for use in microgravity, aiming to overcome challenges in manufacturing structures in space. Led by Dr. Gilles Bailet, the project has received funding from multiple sources and has been tested during ESAs parabolic flight campaign, where it demonstrated reliable material flow using a granular feedstock instead of traditional filaments.The technology could support applications such as space-based solar power, communications infrastructure, and pharmaceutical production. Researchers are also exploring ways to integrate electronics into printed components. Future plans include securing additional funding and conducting an in-space demonstration, with a focus on reducing dependence on Earth-based resupply and addressing concerns about space debris.Space system manufacturer Redwire successfully bioprinted a human knee meniscus in space using its upgraded BioFabrication Facility (BFF) on the IS). The bioprinted meniscus was cultured on the ISS for 14 days in Redwires Advanced Space Experiment Processor (ADSEP) before returning to Earth aboard SpaceXs Crew-6 Mission for further analysis.Conducted as part of the BFF-Meniscus-2 Investigation with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Center for Biotechnology (4D Bio3), this research aims to advance treatments for meniscal injuries, which are common among U.S. service members. Redwires upgraded BFF offers precise temperature control for bioink printing and features a cell-culturing system to strengthen tissues over time.What3D printing trendsshould you watch out for in 2025?How is thefuture of 3D printingshaping up?To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, dont forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on Twitter, or like our page on Facebook.While youre here, why not subscribe to our Youtube channel? Featuring discussion, debriefs, video shorts, and webinar replays.Featured image shows a metal 3D printed part from space. Photo via ESA.

The Edgerly-Hawthorne House on Mall Street, near the Salem Common, is one of the most significant residences in Salem, Massachusetts. The Federal style residence was built in 1824 for Peter Edgerly, who ran a teamster/trucker or distribution company in Downtown Salem. After a decade, Peter became insolvent and the property was sold to Joseph Leavitt, a wealthy property owner in Salem. This house is best-known as the place where Salem-born Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family, lived from 1847 to 1850, and where he wroteThe Scarlet Letter. It was in the room closest to the street, on the third floor, that Hawthorne sat at his desk and wrote the American masterpiece of fiction. After publishing The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne moved to the Berkshires and then back to Concord, Massachusetts, never to live in Salem again. In c.1906, the Edgerly-Hawthorne House was photographed by the Detroit Publishing Company highlighting some landmarks in town. The house looks nearly identical from when it was built over 200 years ago!