The Download: uncertainty over NASA’s moon rocket, and what’s next for nuclear

This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology.

What’s next for NASA’s giant moon rocket?

NASA’s huge lunar rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), might be in trouble. As rival launchers like SpaceX’s Starship gather pace, some are questioning the need for the US national space agency to have its own mega rocket at all—something that could become a focus of the incoming Trump administration, in which SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is set to play a key role.

SLS has been in development for more than a decade. The rocket is huge, and about 15% more powerful than the Saturn V rocket that took the Apollo astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 70s. It is also expensive, costing an estimated $4.1 billion per launch.

It was designed with a clear purpose—returning astronauts to the moon’s surface. And while it seems likely the rocket will at least launch Artemis II next September, beyond that its future is less certain. Read the full story.

—Jonathan O'Callaghan

This piece is part of MIT Technology Review’s What’s Next series, looking across industries, trends, and technologies to give you a first look at the future. You can read the rest of them here.

This startup is getting closer to bringing next-generation nuclear to the grid

This is a busy time of year for all of us, and that’s certainly true in the advanced nuclear industry.

MIT Technology Review released our list of 15 Climate Tech Companies to Watch less than two months ago. Since then, awardee Kairos Power has had three big announcements about its progress toward building next-generation nuclear reactors. 

Each of these bits of news represents an interesting aspect of the process. So let’s dig into the announcements and what they mean for where nuclear technology is going. Read the full story.

—Casey Crownhart

This story is from The Spark, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things climate and energy. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 A Chinese ship may have sabotaged critical data cables
By dragging its huge anchor along the Baltic seabed for over 100 miles. (WSJ $)+ Swedish authorities are investigating the bulk carrier. (FT $)

2 The FTC is probing Microsoft
It’s a wide-ranging antitrust investigation into its cloud computing, AI and security arms. (NYT $)+ The FTC has been preparing for this for a full year. (WP $)
+ It’s notable it’s been signed off in the Biden administration’s dying days. (The Information $)
+ Meanwhile, Google is hoping to have its recent antitrust ruling thrown out. (Bloomberg $)

3 RFK’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement is in trouble
Just days into the project, cracks are already beginning to show. (FT $)
+ The MAGA policy agenda is extremely skeptical of actual scientific evidence. (NYT $)+ America’s opioid crisis probably played a role in Trump’s reelection. (New Yorker $)

4 TikTok is blocking beauty filters for teenagers
But the restrictions aren’t exactly difficult to circumvent. (The Guardian)
+ Filters will be required to specify the nature of the tweaks they make, too. (The Verge)
+ The fight for “Instagram face.” (MIT Technology Review)

5 Who is applying to join Elon Musk’s DOGE?
Everyone from students to tech CEOs, apparently. (Forbes $)
+ The division is highly likely to clash with the US government’s budget office. (WSJ $)

6 Interpol has arrested 1,000 potential cyber criminals across Africa
They’re suspected of extorting victims using ransomware, phishing schemes and scams. (WP $)

7 Here’s all the tariffs China’s tech industry is facing
It’s not just the US that’s increasing its restrictions. (Rest of World)+ Buckle up: China is likely to face even greater chip restrictions from next week. (Wired $)
+ How Trump’s tariffs could drive up the cost of batteries, EVs, and more. (MIT Technology Review)

8 Mark Zuckerberg has been hobnobbing with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago
Which is interesting considering that Trump has threatened him with life imprisonment. (The Information $)
+ Zuckerberg has been on a charm offensive to repair their relationship for almost two years. (NYT $)
+ But the President-elect has a history of holding grudges. (NY Mag $)

9 Distributed computing is the next big thing
We can achieve more when we work together, after all. (Quanta Magazine)

10 How those massive Macy’s Thanksgiving parade balloons stay afloat 🎈
The greater the mass, the greater the weight. (Wired $)

Quote of the day

“The main advice I have to give is stay true to yourself and hit post.”

—TikToker Leah Halton dispenses some sage advice after winning an award for video of the year at Australia’s TikTok awards, the Guardian reports.

The big story

A day in the life of a Chinese robotaxi driver

July 2022

When Liu Yang started his current job, he found it hard to go back to driving his own car: “I instinctively went for the passenger seat. Or when I was driving, I would expect the car to brake by itself,” says the 33-year-old Beijing native, who joined the Chinese tech giant Baidu in January 2021 as a robotaxi driver.

Liu is one of the hundreds of safety operators employed by Baidu, “driving” five days a week in Shougang Park. But despite having only worked for the company for 19 months, he already has to think about his next career move, as his job will likely be eliminated within a few years. Read the full story.

—Zeyi Yang

We can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.)

+ If you’ve ever admired the incredible Co Rentmeester picture of Michael Jordan leaping through the air, here’s the story behind the iconic image.
+ If you look to the skies in Alaska, you might just see a Thanksgiving turkey being thrown out of a plane.
+ Talking of Thanksgiving, if you want to cook the ultimate turkey, look no further.
+ Move over, the hot artists are coming.