London residents formed queues outside corner shops and makeshift stalls on Wednesday as demand for solar eclipse glasses increased ahead of a near‑total solar eclipse visible across western Europe, the first such event in more than 25 years.

The eclipse, occurring on Wednesday, will be observed by tens of millions of people. Viewing the partially obscured sun without special glasses can cause retinal damage because the eye's protective reflexes are reduced.

WhatsApp groups coordinated information about drop locations, and shoppers waited in early morning lines outside shops. Glasses that sold for about £5 in the weeks before the event were reported to be sold for up to £10 or £20 by vendors near transport hubs such as Whitechapel tube station and Camden Town. Ali Raza, owner of AM2PM convenience store in Whitechapel, said he had turned away customers throughout the day and reported selling 6,000 pairs after a delivery from Spain arrived at 2:30 am and sold out by 9:30 am. The Royal Greenwich Observatory said it had sold more than 15,000 pairs in the previous month and was now out of stock. Exmoor national park also reported depletion, with a spokesperson stating that the next supply would not be available until 2081. Sunglass Hut locations posted signs indicating they no longer sold eclipse glasses.

Clinical lecturer Panayiotis Maghsoudlou of the University of Bristol explained that during an eclipse the sky darkens, pupils dilate and the glare diminishes, allowing people to stare at the sun’s sliver for extended periods without discomfort. The retina lacks pain receptors, and injury may not be felt until later, manifesting as blurred vision or blind spots. After the 1999 eclipse, 70 cases of visual loss were recorded, half within two days. Moorfields Eye Hospital received 1,600 calls to its eclipse helpline and treated 220 people in its emergency department, while Birmingham Eye Hospital recorded about 300 calls and treated 64 patients at specialized clinics. Kyla Black, Boots Opticians’ director of optical practice, said that using certified eclipse glasses that meet the international ISO 12312‑2 safety standard is the safest way to view the event.

The shortage is expected to continue until the next eclipse in 2081, and health officials continue to advise the public to obtain certified glasses to prevent eye injury.

NASA’s Vertical Motion Simulator at Ames Research Center has been upgraded to incorporate digital technology and a new 4K dome, enhancing realism for testing aircraft and spacecraft. The simulator, operational since 1979, can move 60 feet vertically and 40 feet horizontally, supporting a range of vehicles. The upgrade replaces analog systems with digital components, adds a dome with 4K projectors, and enables faster configuration changes using removable inserts rather than full cab swaps. The new system allows visuals with near‑20/20 clarity and a wider field of view. According to Diana Acosta, branch chief for aerospace simulation research and development at NASA Ames, the improved dome and systems support more aggressive mission tasks and provide a more realistic environment for crews, improving coordination during challenging scenarios. The automatic alignment and color‑matching of background images, which previously required hours or days, now occurs automatically. Configuring a simulation now takes about half the time because teams use lightweight inserts instead of heavy cabs. The upgrades support testing of next‑generation aircraft and spacecraft, aiming to improve safety and efficiency for future lunar and Mars missions. The enhanced simulator will enable pre‑flight testing of emerging vehicles, contributing to safer air travel and more successful deep‑space landings.

Rocket Lab announced the creation of Rocket Lab Germany GmbH, a subsidiary based in Munich, to support satellite manufacturing and launch services in Europe. The subsidiary was created from a pre‑existing German company and formally announced on 10 August. The company outlined three strategic pillars for the new hub: satellite manufacturing, assured access to space, and strategic autonomy and space sovereignty. CEO Peter Beck said the hub would enable Rocket Lab to serve commercial, civil and defence space programs as a domestic European provider and highlighted satellite manufacturing as central to its European expansion. Beck noted Europe’s need for sovereign space capabilities amid recent geopolitical tensions, citing Germany’s €35 billion investment in space‑related defence projects that include satellite communications, reconnaissance, missile early warning and improved access to space. He added that Europe’s limited launch capacity could create an opening for Rocket Lab, though initial launch availability will be limited. Beck said Rocket Lab is planning an initial “1‑3‑5 cadence” for its Neutron rocket, with hopes to exceed those numbers, and that several Neutron flights have already been sold to commercial customers and the U.S. government, with the next flights possibly not occurring until 2030. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher warned that Europe was approaching a launch capacity shortfall around 2030 as demand from current and planned satellite constellations peaks, and said European providers are working to increase Ariane 6 and Vega C flight rates.

Virgin Galactic announced that commercial flights of its new suborbital spaceplane will begin in early 2027, a delay from the previous expectation of the fourth quarter of 2024. Chief Executive Michael Colglazier said the schedule shift resulted from numerous small assembly adjustments rather than a single issue. He noted that components sometimes did not fit within design tolerances, requiring additional review and correction. Integrated vehicle ground tests are planned to start later this month, and the vehicle will be moved to Spaceport America in October to commence flight testing. The company added staff to work two shifts a week, which increased capital expenditures in the third quarter, though it does not expect major changes to its financial outlook. Virgin Galactic ended the quarter with $286 million in cash and equivalents after raising $134 million through a stock sale, a sum it says is sufficient for commercial operations. It also closed a tranche of tickets priced at $750,000 each, generating more than $50 million in bookings. The company plans to open another ticket sale round later this year at a higher undisclosed price. It aims to achieve a flight rate of at least 10 per month by the second quarter of 2027 and return to positive quarterly cash flow that year.

U.S. Space Command identified its highest‑priority capability needs for fiscal years 2029 through 2033, naming integrated space fires and counter‑proliferated low Earth orbit (counter‑LEO) capabilities first. The announcement was made by Gen. Stephen Whiting at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, on August 12 and repeated during a news conference at Redstone Arsenal. The Integrated Priorities List reflects an assessment of capability gaps based on emerging threats, planned Pentagon investments and ongoing technology development, and is intended to guide the military services, government laboratories, research organizations and industry. Whiting said the list is a demand signal for the warfighting capabilities needed to achieve space superiority and credible deterrence. He described deterrence as requiring clear intent to protect, resilient systems that deny an adversary the benefits of an attack, and the ability to impose costs in response. The command seeks acknowledged capabilities, though it did not specify particular kinetic weapons and noted that the existing policy prohibiting debris‑producing direct‑ascent anti‑satellite tests remains in force. Proliferated low Earth orbit constellations consist of hundreds or thousands of satellites operating as a distributed network, offering greater resilience than traditional architectures with fewer spacecraft. Whiting said that targeting individual satellites in such a network would be inefficient and that the command will focus on affecting critical nodes to degrade the constellation as a whole. He did not identify the specific nodes or technologies that would be used, but said industry, research and development firms and government laboratories should address this gap. The concern is heightened when constellations can detect and track ground forces, potentially putting U.S. personnel at risk. Whiting emphasized that countering space‑enabled targeting will not be limited to the Space Force; Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps units may also need capabilities to protect forces from satellite‑based surveillance and targeting. Joint integrated space command and control aims to provide commanders with real‑time awareness of orbital events and enable rapid decision making during conflict. Dedicated space domain awareness will employ high‑precision tracking to maintain a “target‑quality track” for all space activities, a practice already familiar to missile defense operations. Sustained space maneuver will require satellites to adjust orbit frequently without exhausting propellant, potentially supported by on‑orbit refueling, servicing and logistics capabilities. Whiting likened this need to aerial tankers for the Air Force, at‑sea replenishment for the Navy and fuel distribution networks for ground forces, stating that space assets must be able to shoot, move and communicate like the broader joint force. Space Command does not procure the systems on its wish list; it identifies operational requirements that the Space Force and service branches must translate into programs, technologies and funding. The outlined priorities establish a roadmap for future space operations while leaving open how quickly the services will develop and field the needed capabilities.

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke announced his departure from the agency on Wednesday after 30 years of service. He ranks fourth among NASA astronauts in total time in space, with 549 days, nine spacewalks and 48 hours and 37 minutes of EVA time.

He joined NASA’s 16th astronaut class in 1996 and made his first flight in 2004 aboard Soyuz TMA‑4 as a mission specialist for Expedition 9. He returned to space in 2008 on Soyuz TMA‑13, commanding Expedition 18 and completing two spacewalks. In 2011 he flew on STS‑134, the final shuttle mission, serving as a mission specialist and robotic arm operator and completing three spacewalks. His most recent mission was SpaceX Crew‑11, launched in August 2025 and returned in January, during which he served as a flight engineer on Expedition 73 and commander of Expedition 74.

Fincke helped test and integrate early International Space Station modules, contributed to the Commercial Crew Program, and served as chief of the Astronaut Office’s Commercial Crew Branch. He spent five years supporting Boeing’s Crew Flight Test program, working on software, systems integration and testing. From the ground he served as a crew test support member in Russia, a capsule communicator, and a crew procedures team lead.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics and in Earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he also studied at the Moscow Aviation Institute. He earned master’s degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University and in planetary geology from the University of Houston, Clear Lake. He is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and a graduate of the Air Force Test Pilot School, with more than 2,000 flight hours in over 30 aircraft types.

Fincke said he remains committed to exploration and thanked his crewmates, ground teams, international partners and families. He noted that his career spans development, integration, mission support and long‑duration flight of space station operations. He said he hopes to help prepare the next generation of engineers, explorers and leaders and to support NASA’s plans to return humans to the Moon, travel to Mars and venture beyond Earth while caring for the planet.

His experience across multiple spacecraft generations and his role in commercial crew development provide a foundation for future mission planning.

The Pentagon announced a new digital portal called the Golden Dome for America Ecosystem Hub at the Space & Missile Defense Symposium.

The hub is intended to give contractors, startups, investors and universities a direct channel to submit concepts and access unclassified information about the program’s technology needs.

Gen. Michael Guetlein, who leads the Golden Dome program, said the portal keeps the government’s doors open and has already engaged more than 500 companies in discussions about potential contributions.

Golden Dome plans a layered defense system of sensors, command‑and‑control elements and interceptors to protect the United States from ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles.

The portal provides an unclassified starting point while classification barriers remain; companies can submit ideas before formal solicitations are issued.

A screening process and a dedicated security team will help participants protect intellectual property and understand threat modeling.

The program has created a shared data environment that allows cleared industry and academia to work with government data in a sandbox for analytics and an artificial‑intelligence sandbox for AI developers.

Data integration is a central technical challenge; the architecture depends on combining information from military, commercial and government sensors into a common operational picture.

The acquisition model requires commercial space firms to invest their own capital in early development before receiving larger government awards tied to technical milestones.

Twelve teams are currently developing prototypes, and partnerships such as Northrop Grumman with Apex and Raytheon with Rocket Lab are forming to support large‑scale production.

Two companies have contracts to conduct supply‑chain risk analyses, one examining deep supplier networks and the other seeking alternative sources to improve resilience.

The hub aims to broaden participation and competition, but many details of the Golden Dome architecture remain classified.

Volunteers are restoring Newchapel Observatory in Stoke-on-Trent, a facility built in the 1960s by four amateur astronomers that has been closed since 2010 after the death of founder Michael Pace. The observatory originally included a planetarium, custom domes, solar telescopes and a science education centre and fell into disrepair after Pace's death. The Friends of Newchapel Observatory plan to construct a new dome and telescope, repair the floor and install new equipment to reopen the site for community use. Miles Palmer, director of the group, said the original builders used scrap material and ingenuity. James Albinson, an astronomer from Keele Observatory, is volunteering to assist with the dome and telescope construction. Matthew Wright, a community champion, described the restoration as extensive, involving many volunteers who cleared overgrown vegetation and are preparing the floor. Chelsea Johnson said she hopes the reopened observatory will encourage younger people to pursue astronomy, noting the scarcity of similar sites. The project aims to sustain the observatory for decades; the timeline for completion remains unspecified.