Movers and shakers Annual power ranking of US launch companies finds a shake-up at the bottom No. 1 should come as no surprise, but we bet you won't guess no. 10. Eric Berger Jan 7, 2025 7:00 am | 0 A long-range tracking camera captured this stunning view of Starship hot staging, with the upper stage engines firing at the same time of booster separation. Credit: SpaceX A long-range tracking camera captured this stunning view of Starship hot staging, with the upper stage engines firing at the same time of booster separation. Credit: SpaceX Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreOnce again, we're back with our annual power ranking of US launch companies. 2024 was the third year Ars compiled a list of the most accomplished rocket companies in the United States with the goal of sparking debate, discussion, and appreciation for the challenge of operating a successful launch company.This is a difficult business, both technically and financially. We salute all the engineers, technicians, and business development people out there giving this industry a go.Please note that this is a subjective list, although hard metrics such as total launches, tonnage to orbit, success rate, and more were all important factors in our decisions. And our focus remains on what each company accomplished in 2024, not on what they might do in the future.1. SpaceX (no change from last year)There can be no doubt about the number one slot for 2024.SpaceX flew nearly as many Falcon rockets as times NASA flew the Space Shuttle over the course of three decades. In addition to flying 134 Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy missions in 2024, SpaceX also launched its massive experimental Starship rocket four times, even catching the first stage on one of those occasions.SpaceX has become much more than a launch company in the last five years, both in terms of human spaceflight with the Dragon spacecraft and broadband connectivity and its Starlink Internet constellation. This summer, Dragon was called upon to fly Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back from the International Space Station after NASA was uncertain of the Starliner spacecraft's safety. With Starlink, SpaceX operates a profitable network composed of more satellites than the rest of the world operates combined.2. United Launch Alliance (+1)ULA returns to the second spot for 2024 after finally delivering its new Vulcan rocket to orbit in January. In addition to two Vulcan launches, the company also flew its final Delta IV Heavy rocket in April and flew two Atlas V missions. The launches were successful, although the second Vulcan launch in October required an investigation after a solid rocket motor nozzle broke apart during flight.Let's be real: Five launches in a calendar year is not sustainable from a business standpoint, and it's not where ULA had hoped to be. In February 2023, ULA chief executive Tory Bruno said during a roundtable with reporters, "We have to ramp up. Before the end of 2025 we expect to be really at a tempo, which is flying a couple of times a month, every two weeks." So far, the company is still only flying every two months, but it does look set to increase that cadence starting this year. A dozen launches in 2025 would be a good step up. The first Vulcan rocket fires off its launch pad in Florida in January 2024. Credit: United Launch Alliance The first Vulcan rocket fires off its launch pad in Florida in January 2024. Credit: United Launch Alliance 3. Rocket Lab (-1)A strong case could be made to have kept Rocket Lab at the No. 2 spot from a year ago. The company broke its previous launch record by 60 percent with a total of 16 Electron missions. Rocket Lab also did not have any launch failures. The company's work on Electron shows there remains a solid amount of demand for a reliable small launch vehicle and that Rocket Lab is continuing to improve its operations practices.That experience will be important as the company continues the development of the medium-lift Neutron rocket. There is plenty of demand in the market for a non-SpaceX medium-lift rocket, and if the company can land and reuse the first stage, that will be a bonus. The question is when Neutron will be ready. Rocket Lab continues to target 2025 for the rocket's debut, but if history is any guide, delivering on that launch date will require beating the odds. It will be a storyline to follow.4. Blue Origin (+2)This is the first time Blue Origin has reached the top five of this list. One may believe it is unwarranted, as the company has yet to fly an orbital payload yet. But it was a solid year for the company's New Shepard spacecraft, which flew three human missions and a cargo-only mission. A highlight was flying Ed Dwight into space in May. So after a failure in September 2022 put New Shepard offline for more than a year, the company's suborbital rocket is back.More importantly, though, Blue Origin finally began to execute its New Glenn program with some urgency under new chief executive Dave Limp. Although the massive rocket did not ultimately launch in 2024, the company has nonetheless delivered the vehicle to the launch pad. Moreover, it has components of the second and third vehicles in an advanced state of readiness in its large Florida factory. This year may be the year of Blue Originfinally! Dave Limp, Blue Origin's new CEO, and founder Jeff Bezos observe the New Glenn rocket on its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Credit: Jeff Bezos via Instagram Dave Limp, Blue Origin's new CEO, and founder Jeff Bezos observe the New Glenn rocket on its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Credit: Jeff Bezos via Instagram 5. Firefly (-1)Firefly has a lot of things going for it: an in-space propulsion unit, a lunar lander, and a survivor's mentality. Moreover, after 2024, it's clear that the company's Alpha rocket has won the 1-ton wars, outlasting Relativity Space and ABL Space to successfully launch and commercialize a rocket that can loft about 1 metric ton to low-Earth orbit. But so far, the company has struggled to reach an operational cadence. In 2024, the Alpha rocket launched just one time, successfully, putting eight CubeSats into low-Earth orbit for NASA in July.However, one important advantage Firefly has is its propulsion business. The company manufactures the Reaver engines for its Alpha rocket, and it's making substantial progress on the larger Miranda rocket engine to power a medium-lift rocket. This engine will power the Antares 300 rocket for Northrop Grumman and an unnamed medium-lift vehicle the two companies are developing together. If Firefly can continue to execute, the pieces are there for future success.6. Northrop Grumman (-1)In terms of pure launch statistics, 2024 was not a great year for Northrop. The company's sole launch was a suborbital Minotaur I rocket for the US Air Forcefrom Vandenberg Space Force Base in Juneas part of an ICBM readiness test. Northrop's Cygnus spacecraft did reach orbit twice, ferrying supplies to the International Space Station. Unfortunately, it did so both times on competitor SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, as Northrop is still working to find a replacement for the Antares 230+ rocket.Northrop was forced to forgo the Antares 230+ rocket after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as the rocket's engines were built in Russia, and the first stage was manufactured in Ukraine. Hence, the company's partnership with Firefly to provide Miranda engines and construct a first stage for a newer version of Antares. If all goes well, that rocket will make its debut flight with a Cygnus spacecraft this summer. But since when does everything go right in rocket development?7. Stoke Space (+2)In 2023, Stoke Space demonstrated the viability of its novel upper stage with hop tests in Washington. In 2024, the company made progress on the development of the first stage of the Nova rocket, which is intended to be fully reusable. By the end of the year, Stoke hot-fired a 'Block 2' version of the first stage engine. Seven of the methalox engines will power a rocket that is intended to lift about 5 metric tons into low-Earth orbit.Every other entity on this list has launched a rocket before, so Stoke Space remains here on promise rather than what it has actually delivered. But as we head into 2025, the company appears to be making a lot of the right moves, including pushing for full reusability right out of the gate, setting up a launch site at Cape Canaveral and hiring well within the industry. Although Stoke is unlikely to launch its Nova rocket this year, I wouldn't entirely rule it out. Stoke Space fires up the second version of its main engine in December. Credit: Stoke Space Stoke Space fires up the second version of its main engine in December. Credit: Stoke Space 8. Relativity Space (-1)Relativity launched its first rocket in March 2023, and the Terran 1 vehicle had a nominal first stage performance. However, after this mission, the company shelved the smaller vehicle to put all of its resources into the much larger and more ambitious Terran R rocket. It has not been an easy transition, and the pivot has taken some of the shine off of the company. Its recent fundraising efforts appear to have been lackluster compared to its earlier rounds.In September, Ars published a lengthy feature about where the company is headed. It's fairly sobering, as a company that once aspired to 3D-print nearly the entirety of its rockets now is sourcing some key components from suppliers in Europe. Worryingly, a planned event this fall by chief executive Tim Ellis to release more information about Terran R's development has not gone off. It's fair to ask whether Relativity Space will be on this list at all next year.9. Astra (unranked)Guess who's back, back again? Astra's back, tell a friend. In October, Astrawhich last launched in June 2022announced that it had won a Department of Defense contract valued up to $44 million for launch services. To be clear, Astra is not all the way back yet. The company remains in the phase of building and testing rocket stages and engines and does not have a launch vehicle ready to go. Its new booster, Rocket 4, will launch no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2025.However, it is nice to see a resurrection of sorts for a company that I and many others left for dead. Ultimate success will depend on how chief executive Chris Kemp's fundraising goes and how the technological work progresses. But the near-term goal for Astra is to develop a mobile launch capability by which the rocket can be delivered to a concrete launch pad in two cargo containers and the ground support equipment and consumables in five additional containers by barge, train, or truck. Responsive launch is what the Department of Defense is interested in.10. USC Rocket Propulsion LabThe University of Southern California Rocket Propulsion Lab is not a company. Rather, it is a student group. However, this year, the students at the prestigious aerospace school did something that only a handful of companies did in 2024: launch a rocket into space. In November, the lab's Aftershock II mission reached an altitude of 470,000 feet (143 km), shattering the previous non-governmental and non-commercial record of 380,000 feet set by Civilian Space Exploration Team back in 2004.The Rocket Propulsion Lab remains the first and only student group ever to cross the Krmn line, which it accomplished in 2019 for the first time. Think about it this way: In the United States last year, only SpaceX, ULA, Rocket Lab, and Firefly launched something to a higher altitude. The USC group may not be a company, but in a few years, these students will make some US launch companies very happy with their talents.Dropped outTwo companies that made our power rankings in 2023 have dropped out. One of these, Virgin Galactic, flew to space twice with its suborbital space plane. However, after those flights, the company halted its operations with VSS Unity as it awaits the more reusable delta-class spaceships. Whether those vehicles will fly in 2025, 2026, or ever is yet to be seen. The other company on the list, ABL Space, is moving away from launch.Frankly, it's becoming difficult to identify 10 credible US launch companies at this point. There remain some US companies in various states of launch vehicle development, including Phantom Space, Evolution Space, Exos Aerospace, Vaya Space, Deep Space Transport LLC (which sounds like it is on life support, if it exists at all), and other companies. But absent a rocket at the pad, it's difficult to have too much confidence in any of these players.Finally, I was also hoping for memorable antics from Pythom Space this year, but alas, the last update on its website is a post to wish everyone a Happy New Year from early January 2024.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 0 Comments

After several years of economic uncertainty and layoffs, salaries paid to US tech talent are once again some of the worlds most competitive. And in at least one significant US jobs category -- sales and marketing -- there is now pay equity between women and men.Those are among the findings of an analysis our company conducted of more than 150,000 anonymized employment contracts in more than 100 countries for software engineers, product designers, and sales and marketing professionals. That includes three countries -- the US, Canada and the UK -- which tend to be the most competitive with one another for top talent.This good news about the state of American tech talent, innovation and competitiveness comes at a time when that standing has been a source of public concern.Much of the higher compensation for tech workers is presumably driven by the widely acknowledged skills gap, particularly in AI. For US software engineers, for example, median compensation had dropped below $100,000 during the big waves of tech layoffs in 2022 and 2023.But by the end of the second quarter of 2024, the most recent period in our analysis, it had rebounded to $122,000 -- perhaps driven in part by the soaring demand for AI skills. The US compensation level was second only to Canada, whose much smaller population has fewer tech workers for employers to compete for.Related:Overall, our survey indicates that when it comes to one of the factors that really matter to global talent -- compensation -- US tech workers are in high demand. And whether its companies based in the US or global employers offering remote contracts to Americans, the global business world is willing to pay what it costs to attract and retain that talent.Heres a deeper dive into the data:Software Skills Are in High DemandFor the people with the skills for in-demand tasks like writing code or developing AI models and algorithms, the US jobs market has some idiosyncrasies. One is the much higher potential portion of compensation that comes from stock or equity grants. In positions where equity is part of the package, the median US compensation for a software-and-data engineer is $151,000 a year -- the highest anywhere in the world -- assuming the typically four-year vesting program pays out. That translates to an additional 35% a year in compensation, beyond salary. Of the countries we looked at, only Germany comes close, with a combined $135,000 in annual pay and equity.Unfortunately, another characteristic of the US labor market for software engineers and data scientists is a stark gender gap. Women represent only 10.3% of workers in this category, roughly in line with the UK and Germany. And that disparity translates into a compensation gap. The median US compensation for men in software and data is $155,000, compared to $120,000 for women. Similar pay gaps are found in all other countries we surveyed. Related:Tech Product Development and DesignThis line of work also has a gender gap, although a slightly narrower one. For jobs that might involve software development and design, or overseeing such activities, women hold 41% of the positions.And women in those roles have median compensation of $128,000. While a bit closer to the male median of $150,000, its still a sizable gap. The same pattern is evident in other countries, although typically at lower pay scales.Techs Silver Lining for Gender ParityTech sales and marketing is one area where, in the US at least, there is full pay parity between men and women -- median compensation of $100,000.Thats second to the top figure in the UK. But there, the gender disparity is still sizable: $105,000 for men, compared to $92,000 for women. Canada shows a comparable gender gap, at $84,000 for men but only $77,000 for women.Related:Why women, who hold 42% of jobs in tech sales and marketing in the US, have been able to achieve pay parity deserves further study. One factor might be that sales performance is easy to quantify -- the more a person sells, the better one is rewarded.But why this parity doesnt translate to other countries -- maybe theres a cultural component? -- would be worth researching. The Takeaway on Tech Take-Home PayOur findings lead to several steps that employers can take to remain competitive and retain the best talent:Recognize the need for competitive compensation.If inflation is a factor, ensure your pay scales include bi-annual adjustments or regular cost-of-living increases.Offer equity, which especially in tech, is widely sought by employees and can ensure longer-term loyalty.Given the all-too-common gender gap in compensation, position your organization to attract female talent by closing that gap. For the global business world, the survey indicates that the US has bounced back as a top competitive market for tech talent. And for companies everywhere, the value proposition is clear: The relatively high cost of skilled US tech workers is well worth the price.

Two bodies were discovered in the landing gear of a JetBlue plane on Monday, the airline said.The bodies were found during a routine inspection after the plane landed in Florida.The plane had flown from New York's JFK Airport to Fort Lauderdale.Two people were found dead on Monday night in a JetBlue plane during a routine inspection of the aircraft at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. In a statement provided to media outlets, JetBlue said the bodies were discovered in the aircraft's landing gear.The airline said the aircraft had recently operated as JetBlue Flight 1801, traveling from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Fort Lauderdale.Flight-tracking data from FlightAware shows that the Airbus A320 landed in Florida on Monday at 11:10 p.m."The circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation," JetBlue said in the statement.It continued: "This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred."It is not clear if authorities know who the individuals are.CBS News said that Broward County Sheriff's Deputies and a medical examiner attended the aircraft overnight.The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.This is a developing story, check back for updates.

Donald Trump Jr. is visiting Greenland, a territory his father said the US should take over.President-elect Trump recently resurfaced a first-term idea of his to buy the Arctic island.Greenland and Denmark have strongly rebuffed the idea.Donald Trump Jr. is heading to Greenland shortly after his father renewed remarks that the US should take over the Danish territory.President-Elect Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Monday that his eldest son and "various representatives" would be traveling to the Arctic island to "visit some of the most magnificent areas and sights."Trump added that "the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation."The post was accompanied by a video featuring someone, seemingly from Greenland, wearing a MAGA hat and saying that the country doesn't want to be "colonized" by Denmark anymore.Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a US ally and NATO member.A private visitIn a statement provided to Business Insider, Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged Trump Jr.'s trip but said it had no further comment as it was not an "official American visit."During his first term in office, Trump proposed that the US buy Greenland, which the country's then-Prime Minister, Kim Kielsen, firmly rejected, saying, "Greenland is not for sale and cannot be sold."In recent weeks, as he gears up for his second term, Trump has once again revisited the idea of buying the massive island, which is replete with natural resources.On December 23, he said in a Truth Social post that ownership and control of Greenland is an "absolute necessity" for the US.He made the comments in a post announcing his choice for US Ambassador to Denmark, soon after he threatened to take over the Panama Canal.Reuters, citing a source familiar with the upcoming trip, said Trump Jr. will not be meeting Greenlandic politicians and is instead traveling to the country to record video footage for a podcast.Representatives for Trump Jr. did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Greenland, the world's largest island, is an autonomous territory of Denmark. Jessie Brinkman Evans/Getty Images Elon Musk, who is expected to help guide Trump's second term, has also weighed in, posting on X that "the people of Greenland should decide their future and I think they want to be part of America!"While Greenland residents hold Danish citizenship, the government manages local affairs.In response to President-Elect Trump's post in December,In a recent speech, Egede expressed hopes that the territory would pursue independence from Denmark.Hours after Trump's December post, the Danish government announced a huge boost in defense spending for Greenland. On Monday, King Frederik of Denmark updated the royal coat of arms to more prominently feature Greenland and the Faroe Islands.Trump, who will take office on January 20, has also referred to Canada as the "51st state."

A friend of Charlie Munger's says Munger doubled his money on a contrarian bet soon before his death.The friend, Li Lu, gave an interview in which he discussed Munger's careful approach to investing.Li also described dramatically different approaches to risk tolerance between Munger and Elon Musk.Charlie Munger was still sniffing out bargains and scoring big gains at age 99, says a close friend of the late investing icon.Munger, Warren Buffett's business partner and Berkshire Hathaway's vice chairman for more than four decades, died in late November 2023, about a month shy of his 100th birthday.In a rare interview marking the first anniversary of Munger's death, Li Lu told the Chinese social network Zhenge Island that one of Munger's last moves was a contrarian bet."There was a stock that everyone disliked, and it might not be particularly politically correct," Li said. But that didn't stop Munger from studying the company and buying its shares, continued the Himalaya Capital Management founder, whom Munger once described as the "Chinese Warren Buffett.""The week before he died, this stock had doubled from the time he started investing to that time," Li said. It's unclear which stock he was referring to. Li didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.Li said the wager showed Munger retained his passion for investing until the end and "could still go against the market consensus and live to see this stock double." He said the stock remained "in the Munger family portfolio" and was "still performing very well." Li Lu was a close friend of Charlie Munger. JP Yim/Getty Images Li was the only person apart from Buffett who Munger trusted to invest his family's money. He introduced Munger to BYD, the Chinese EV maker that's been one of Berkshire's best investments over the past decade.Describing Munger's careful approach toward investing, in his interview with Zhenge Island he also seemed to allude to a story Munger had discussed at Daily Journal's annual meeting in 2017, saying Munger "read Barron's magazine every week for 50 years and only made one investment.""In 50 years I found one investment opportunity in Barron's, out of which I made about $80 million with almost no risk," Munger said in 2017. "I took the $80 million and gave it to Li Lu, who turned it into $400 to $500 million. So I have made $400 to 500 million out of reading Barron's for 50 years and following one idea."Munger added further details, indicating that the stock was an auto supply company named Tenneco that Apollo Global Management acquired in late 2022. He said that he made 15 times his money on the stock in about two years and that it took him only 90 minutes of research to pull the trigger after reading about it.Lunch with Elon MuskLi recalled a lunch with Munger and Elon Musk in which he said the Tesla and SpaceX CEO tried to win Munger's investment. He said the discussion showed their similar thinking on subjects such as batteries and science but also their stark differences in risk appetite. While Musk was willing to do things with only a 5% chance of success, he said, Munger "may need more than 80% chance of success before he will do it."Musk has previously discussed meeting Munger. Early in 2023 he posted on X that "Munger could've invested in Tesla at ~$200M valuation when I had lunch with him in late 2008." Musk's automaker went on to become one of the world's largest companies and is now worth about $1.3 trillion."I was at a lunch with Munger in 2009 where he told the whole table all the ways Tesla would fail," Musk wrote in another post. "Made me quite sad, but I told him I agreed with all those reasons & that we would probably die, but it was worth trying anyway."Correction: January 7, 2025 This story was updated to reflect that it wasn't clear from Li Lu's interview where Charlie Munger got the idea for the contrarian bet that Li said Munger made at age 99. The story also misstated when Elon Musk posted one of his comments about Munger. It was in early 2023, not early last year.

Bitter cold has lashed its icy fingers across the United States, bringing a frigid start to the New Year. Dubbed Winter Storm Blair, the tempest has triggered winter weather alerts for more than 60 million people this week in a swath from Illinois to New Jersey. The ongoing storm has already dropped up to a foot of snow in some cities and killed at least six people. As of Monday morning, nearly 300,000 utility customers had lost power across states including Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois. The storm is forecasted to deliver more snow through Tuesday and frosty weather well into next week. Freezing temperatures are poised to reach as far south as Texas and Florida and could deliver the first snow to Disney World in almost 50 years. Winter Storm Blair comes as a bookend to one of the hottest years on record, and while its freezing North America, its origins actually lie in the Arctic.Theres evidence that because of climate change cold Arctic air may be more likely to break containment in the northernmost reaches of the planet and escape southward, bringing frigid temperatures to lower latitudes like the continental United States. It may seem counterintuitive, but the fact that global average temperatures are rising does not preclude bouts of cold, and for some Arctic-driven storms, it could exacerbate them. Scientists are examining the mechanisms connecting humanitys insatiable appetite for fossil fuels, the far north, and storms like Blair. Theyre revealing a complicated picture that shows some of the most profound consequences of climate change occur in the chilliest parts of the planet and during the coolest times of year. As average temperatures rise rapidly, their effects are manifesting in surprising ways, but with more observations and better forecasting tools, storms like Blair dont have to be so deadly and destructive.How warming at the North Pole can bring a winter storm to your commuteThere are a couple key mechanisms behind chills like Winter Storm Blair. One is the polar vortex, a spinning band of strong, cold wind that is normally confined to 10 to 30 miles above the North Pole. The polar vortex picks up strength during the winter and tends to stay circular, but because of waves in the atmosphere, it can occasionally split into multiple swirls or deform into an oblong shape that reaches outside the Arctic. The other factor is a jet stream known as the polar jet. This is a band of air blowing west to east at speeds of up to 275 miles per hour at altitudes between 4 and 8 miles above the Earths surface. When the polar jet is strong, it forms a well-defined ring around the Arctic and holds the icy air in place. When it weakens, it wobbles and forms a flower or clover shape when viewed from directly above the North Pole. Within those lobes, cold Arctic air spills over landmasses like Asia and North America. The polar jet stream and polar vortex are two rings of fast-moving air around the Arctic that play a large role in world weather patterns. Many climate scientists believe that global warming is changing these rings. MIT Climate PortalDisruptions in the polar vortex can combine with deviations in the polar jet, leading to more cold air reaching even further south. Such Arctic spillovers, though, have occurred naturally in the past. How does global warming play in? Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, co-authored a review article published last month looking at the body of research trying to answer this question.The key fact is that while Earth is warming on average, the Arctic is warming up to four times faster than the planet as a whole, a phenomenon called Arctic amplification. That has important knock-on effects. One is that a warmer Arctic means there is a weaker temperature gradient between the Arctic and its surrounding regions. Francis explained that the steep difference between Arctic and sub-Arctic temperatures is what powers the polar jet in the first place, so as the north begins to feel more like the rest of the planet, the jet gets weaker, making its frigid air more likely to meander across the Northern Hemisphere and causing more extreme winter storms like Blair. At the same time, the planets oceans have warmed to extraordinary levels in recent years, and some of the planets waters, such as the North Pacific Ocean, remain unusually balmy. Thats pushing tropical air further north, bending the jet stream northward over the Pacific and southward over North America. The loss of sea ice in regions of the Arctic due to warming also has the potential to reshape the polar vortex in ways that lead to more chilly air reaching further south. Francis and her co-authors acknowledge that theres a lot of uncertainty in quantifying exactly how much human-caused warming is influencing periods of severe cold. Its also unclear precisely how this will proceed as the planet keeps heating up. The effects of warming dont scale linearly, especially in the Arctic, and there are a lot of complicated feedback mechanisms that researchers are still trying to map out. Melting reflective sea ice, for example, yields to a dark, heat-absorbing ocean that can further melt more ice. There are also researchers who arent convinced that climate change has had a discernible role in recent cold snaps, or that theyll become more common as global average temperatures rise. One study published last year using climate models and historical records reported that the main way we can see human influence on sudden periods of severe cold is that they arent as cold as they used to be. The paper found that cold extremes are warming up faster than average wintertime temperatures in North America. Scientists generally agree that winters are heating up on average and are warming up faster than summers. Despite this, dangerous winter weather will still, on occasion, spill over from the Arctic. Even though the Arctic is warming, it will still be frigid during winter for a very long time because it has no sunshine for 6 months straight, Francis said in an email. There will still be plenty of cold air there to feed into cold spells when the jet stream takes a big dip southward.Researchers also highlight that the dangers from severe cold waves come not just from the temperature but from how well people are prepared to cope with them. A cold snap can prove deadly if it grips an area that rarely sees such severe chills, as when Winter Storm Uri froze Texas in 2021 and killed 246 people. The threat is amplified when theres little advance warning. On this front, theres a bit of warm comfort in this icy weather. Forecasters are getting a better handle on the warning signs of cold spells. Scientists detected the polar vortex gathering strength last month, and meteorologists were warning since last week that intense cold and snow is in store across much of the United States. With further advances in data gathering and new AI forecasting tools, well likely be able to see the bitter cold more sharply in the future and from farther away.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More: Climate

One player who claims to have seen an early build of GTA 6 has revealed some ambitious updates about the game but it's tough to know if any of it is true at this pointTech12:31, 07 Jan 2025Updated 12:35, 07 Jan 2025GTA 6 is certainly ambitious if this rumour is anything to go by(Image: Still)After more than a year, we've not heard anything from Rockstar Games about GTA 6 (although it's still expected to pull in billions of dollars in sales figures) but that hasn't stopped the news from rolling in.From a potential leak via a janitor, to a longtime voice actor seemingly confirming they're in the upcoming title, the internet is going wild with theories and speculation.Now, a new post has suggested GTA 6 will be more ambitious than anything Rockstar has attempted before but we're not quite ready to buy into the hype yet.Content cannot be displayed without consentIn a now-deleted Reddit post, which you can see above on X (formerly Twitter), one user claims to have seen a "few hours of random GTA VI gameplay from an 2024 build".Claiming not to work for Rockstar but that they were there for "some other work" (could this be our mystery janitor?), the post said the world of GTA 6 is expected to feel "alive".For example, everything (90%) has a physical place in the game, that means debris, litter of all kinds (there was a hint in the first trailer about cups on the road, one flattened by a car, the other half bent from the car's bumper. I'll post it here) that react to the world and player," it said."There will be crews of maintanance (sic), cleaning etc., that will be interacting with the in-game world and what the player (you) does," they add, giving the example that a big crash would lead to a truck coming to collect a vehicle, people cleaning the road, and more.Come and join The Daily Star on Bluesky, the social media site set up by ex-Twitter boss Jack Dorsey. It's now the new go-to place for content after a mass exodus of the Elon Musk-owned Twitter/X.Fear not, we're not leaving Twitter/X, but we are jumping on the bandwagon. So come find our new account on https://bsky.app/profile/dailystar.co.uk, and see us social better than the rest.You can also learn more about The Daily Star team in what Bluesky calls a Starter Pack.So what are you waiting for?! Let's M.S.M.F.A (Make Social Media Fun Again)The post goes on to say that water will linger after a storm (presumably forming puddles), and the in-game police will set up a crime scene if someone is killed or injured.It's a lot to take in, and while it follows somewhat with Red Dead Redemption 2's attempt at a living world, it's tough to get excited when even the usually fervent community has seen the post taken down.Article continues belowTake this one with a fistful of salt, we say.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

PlayStation fans will be able to see Helldivers and Horizon hit the big screen in coming years, but that's not all as Ghost of Tsushima is getting an anime adaptationTech11:20, 07 Jan 2025Horizon Zero Dawn just got a stunning remaster on PS5(Image: Guerrilla Games)The Gran Turismo movie may not have been a cinematic masterpiece, but it was just fun enough to justify its existence and Sonys got the taste for it now.Announced at CES 2025, Sony confirmed its developing movies based on two new titles, with Helldivers and Horizon: Zero Dawn in line for adaptations as the company flexes it's synergistic muscles between PlayStation Studios and Sony Pictures.Both projects are likely some time away from release, but theyre certainly not the only things to get excited about if youre a movie-loving PlayStation fan as the company has confirmed Ghost of Tsushima will get an adaptation, too but not as a movie.Ghost of Tsushima Legends was a DLC update for the first game(Image: Crunchyroll)Im excited to announce we are working with Sony Pictures on developing a film adaptation of our amazingly popular PlayStation game Helldivers 2, Asad Qizilbash of PlayStation Productions revealed on stage.Horizon is one of our most exciting IPs, filled with so much potential to expand into new categories and genres, he added later.The most recent example is Lego Horizon Adventures, which launched this past November a playful story inspired by the world of Lego and made fully out of Lego elements."There is one more Horizon project Im excited to be able to reveal for the first time here today. Columbia Pictures and PlayStation Productions are at the early stages of developing a film adaptation of the award-winning Horizon: Zero Dawn.Just imagine, Aloys beloved origin story set in a vibrant, far-future world filled with the giant machines, brought to you for the first time on the big screen.Perhaps just as exciting, however, is confirmation that Ghost of Tsushima: Legends is getting an anime adaptation. The project, a collaboration between Aniplex and Crunchyroll, is slated for 2027.As the Legends part of the name suggests, itll deal more with the fantastical side of the Ghost mythology, leaning into content introduced in the multiplayer update for the first game.Article continues belowThe move for all three projects make sense in terms of game releases, too. Aside from Lego Horizon Adventures, we saw a Zero Dawn Remaster released at the tail-end of 2024, while Helldivers 2 was one of the years most popular games.Ghost of Yotei, a standalone sequel to Ghost of Tsushima which features a new protagonist and region, is planned to launch in 2025 we named it one of our most-anticipated titles of 2025.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

Xbox could look to release a new console next year, dubbed the Xbox Prime, and it could have a new Call of Duty title as a launch game to help shift units according to a new rumourTech11:13, 07 Jan 2025Could we see a new Xbox next year?(Image: AFP via Getty Images)Itd be fair to say Xbox has had a rough time of this generation. Aside from reports of being outsold by PlayStation 5 regularly, Microsofts gaming brand has struggled to get its ducks in a row with its now unrivaled first-party studios.Now including Bethesda and Activision-Blizzard, Microsoft has the keys to a whole host of huge gaming franchises, but its most recent messaging has been about how you dont need a console to play them.That could change, however, with reports suggesting the company is looking to roll out a fresh console in 2026 and its not the Xboy handheld, either.Content cannot be displayed without consentPosting on X (formerly Twitter), longtime Call of Duty leaker TheGhostOfHope shared a prior post from back in May, 2024.The post had suggested that Call of Dutys 2026 title is being considered as a launch game for the next Xbox, but the follow up suggests that is the case and the console could be called Xbox Prime.The account acknowledges the information should be taken with a huge grain of salt, but with Call of Duty 2026 reportedly bringing back wall-running and remastered maps (also reported via TheGhostOfHope last month), it could be an exciting time to be a CoD player on Xbox.Microsoft discussed releasing its first-party games on other platforms last year in a podcast-style show. During that broadcast, Sarah Bond, president of Xbox, said "Theres some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that were going to share this holiday, and were also invested in the next-generation roadmap.Come and join The Daily Star on Bluesky, the social media site set up by ex-Twitter boss Jack Dorsey. It's now the new go-to place for content after a mass exodus of the Elon Musk-owned Twitter/X.Fear not, we're not leaving Twitter/X, but we are jumping on the bandwagon. So come find our new account on https://bsky.app/profile/dailystar.co.uk, and see us social better than the rest.You can also learn more about The Daily Star team in what Bluesky calls a Starter Pack.So what are you waiting for?! Let's M.S.M.F.A (Make Social Media Fun Again)And what were really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation, which makes it better for players and better for creators and the visions that theyre building.That hardware update for the Holiday season was revamped Xbox Series S and X consoles, but Microsoft is seemingly keen to continue making consoles. As yet, the company hasnt committed to a mid-generation console upgrade like the PS5 Pro.Article continues belowAs for Call of Duty, Black Ops 6 marked the first game in the series to launch on Xbox Game Pass on Day One, but classic entries are expected to land in the coming months and World at War could be first.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

This is but a quarter of Super Smash Bros. Ultimates roster of playable characters (Nintendo)With over 80 fighters, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate seems like something no sequel can ever top, so what will a Nintendo Switch 2 sequel look like?Just as Mario Kart 8 Deluxes overwhelming success has made it difficult for Nintendo to put together a new sequel for the Nintendo Switch 2, the publisher faces the exact same problem with its Super Smash Bros. series.Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is absolutely worthy of its name, boasting one of the biggest rosters of any fighting game ever made. Between its launch roster and subsequent DLC, it features not just Nintendos own all-stars but famous faces from across the games industry.No other franchise could have brought together icons from the likes of Sega, Microsoft, and even Disney. And that isnt getting into all the cameos via the assist trophies, spirits, and Mii costumes either. Counting those, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a huge accomplishment; one thats seemingly impossible to top.Despite some initial reservations about whether the series could continue after Ultimate, series director Masahiro Sakurai has admitted a new Super Smash Bros. game will most likely happen with his involvement.However, in the wake of the addition of Ultimates final DLC character, Kingdom Hearts Sora, in 2021, Sakurai didnt shy away from how difficult putting together the next Smash Bros. will be: If were going to continue with the series, Nintendo and I need to discuss and seriously consider how to make it a success.We do know Sakurais been working on a new project since 2021, but whether its the next Smash Bros. or not is hard to discern, given his vague comments about it.Regardless, the Switch 2 is bound to get its own Super Smash Bros. game. Aside from being a well-recognised and beloved series, you just have to look at Super Smash Bros. Ultimates sales numbers to see why more is guranteed.According to Nintendos own metrics, it is the third best-selling game on the Switch at 35.14 million units sold and has sold more than the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U instalments combined.Will Nintendo port Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to the Switch 2?So, what can Nintendo do for the Switch 2 entry? The way we see it, there are two options. The first is to simply port over Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but with all its DLC bundled with it. Essentially, Nintendo can give it the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe treatment. A Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Deluxe, if you will.Nintendo would still have to renegotiate the licences needed to retain all the third party characters, but this otherwise seems like a no-brainer. The port could feature all the same content, meaning fans wont have to worry about a diminished roster, but would likely include extra content on top of that.Since the Switch 2s backwards compatibility will allow people to keep playing the original Ultimate on the newer hardware, a re-release would need to offer something new, such as additional characters, to convince established fans into double dipping especially as Nintendo doesnt tend to offer upgrade paths for those that own the original versions of games.Much like Mario Kart 8 Deluxes Booster Course Pass, this hypothetical Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Deluxe could be supported by waves of DLC that bring even more characters to the game.What new characters could come to Super Smash Bros. on Nintendo Switch 2?While Super Smash Bros. Ultimate saw many fan favourite characters join the roster (like Ridley, King K. Rool, and Banjo and Kazooie), Nintendo isnt short on options for future additions.When it comes to who the most popular ones are amongst fans, common picks online include the likes of Waluigi from the Super Mario games, Dixie Kong from Donkey Kong Country, and Geno from Super Mario RPG (coincidentally, those three are referenced through Mii costumes in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate).There is also a surplus of third party guest stars Nintendo can draw from its partners, particularly from companies whove already leant their characters to Smash Bros. Some examples are Street Fighters Chun-Li and Ace Attorneys Phoenix Wright from Capcom, as well as Crash Bandicoot and Halos Master Chief from Microsoft.Theres some debate about whether PlayStation characters could or should be included but Lego Horizon Adventures getting a Switch seems to increase that possibility, at least for series protagonist Aloy.However, Sony doesnt have as close a working relationship with Nintendo as Microsoft does and the company has shown little interest in bringing any of its other IPs or characters to Nintendo platforms.As for whats actually viable, Nintendo is obviously going to prioritise picks from its own franchises. Combined with its release schedule post-Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the fact that the Smash Bros. games double as promotions for other Nintendo properties, there are a handful of characters that seem rather obvious or at least have very strong chances. Those being:A new Pokmon character (the series always gets a new representative to promote the newest Pokmon games)A new Fire Emblem character (the series has had a new representative every Smash Bros. game since Melee in 2001)A new Metroid character (maybe Sylux to cross-promote Metroid Prime 4)A new Xenoblade character (either someone from Xenoblade Chronicles 3 or Elma to promote the Xenoblade Chronicles X remaster)A slightly obscure retro pick (think the Ice Climbers and Mr. Game & Watch)At least one major third-party pickThe most obvious guess though is new characters from new IP released alongside the Switch 2. Theres bound to be at least one or two such games at launch, and perhaps several within the first year or so, which will be perfect for some cross-promotion with Smash Bros.Not to mention, if Nintendo wanted a Smash Bros. title ready for the Switch 2s launch later this year, a port of Ultimate should be the easier option over something completely new. Plus, itd help push Switch 2 sales to all the diehard Smash fans who may not be interested in Nintendos other titles.While this is undoubtedly the safest option, that in itself is rather antithetical to Nintendos usual approach to sequels. The company is rarely content to just pump out the same game again with a couple of new bells and whistles attached, with Splatoon being one of the few exceptions to that general rule.Look at The Legend Of Zelda, for example. 2017s Breath Of The Wild is a completely different beast compared to its predecessor, Skyward Sword. And while 2023s Tears Of The Kingdom stuck to Breath Of The Wilds formula, it expanded the map and added several new mechanics that opened up gameplay opportunities not possible in the previous game.The core of Super Smash Bros. hasnt changed all that much since the original 1999 game, but each entry has always brought new things to the table beyond the expanded roster. Be they Super Smash Bros. Brawls story mode that turned the game into a side-scrolling beat em-up or customisable movesets for every character in the 3DS and Wii U entries.Granted, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe example makes a re-release seem more likely but the circumstances surrounding it were different, as the original Mario Kart 8 launched for the flop Wii U console and only sold 8.46 million copies (according to Nintendos figures), far less than the previous entries on the Wii and 3DS.The Switch revamp was done to give Mario Kart 8 another shot at life and get it out early into the consoles lifecycle, since making a brand new game would have taken much longer. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, by comparison, doesnt need its sales figures propped up.What would a new Super Smash Bros. look like?A new Smash Bros. will not have a roster as large as Ultimates. Sakurai said as much in 2019 (per VGC): If Smash Bros. continues in the future, then theres no way this many fighters and series can be represented again.But perhaps a semi-reboot of the series, with less characters, is just what the formula needs. A smaller roster could permit the development team to focus on other areas, be they new online multiplayer modes, more involved single-player content, or more refined movesets for returning characters particularly those like Samus and Donkey Kong who have gone mostly unchanged since 1999.The problem is that a smaller roster will inherently be a turn-off for a lot of people. If a sequel doesnt let you make Mario and Pikachu fight Final Fantasy 7s Cloud and Minecraft Steve, why pick it up when the game that does allow that is readily available?More TrendingWhen it comes to sequels, people naturally expect each subsequent entry to be bigger than the last one. Smash Bros. roster has ballooned in size since 1999, so anything less than Ultimates starting selection of 76 characters will feel like a downgrade.With this in mind, the smartest solution is to not only port Ultimate to Switch 2, but also keep re-releasing it every time Nintendo makes a new console, adding more characters every time.While we could foresee Nintendo going with an Ultimate re-release for Switch 2, be it at launch or later in its lifecycle, it feels like the company will hit the reset button on Super Smash Bros. eventually.Nintendos priorities have always been gameplay, experimentation, and innovation rather than recycling its greatest hits. Knowing this, Smash Bros. fans may need to accept that Ultimate wont be a forever game, but a glorious one-time or perhaps just two-time event. Is a smaller Smash Bros. inevitable? 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