11.18.2024

In partnership with

India Goes Hypersonic

India successfully tested its first long-range hypersonic missile over the weekend, the government said yesterday, maneuvering midflight and impacting with precision. Watch the launch here.

Hypersonic missiles can fly at more than five times the speed of sound—more than 3,000 miles per hour—and have a range of over 930 miles. Hypersonic missiles are able to fly lower than ballistic missiles, making them harder to detect and intercept. They are also highly precise, do not need to follow a predetermined trajectory, and can change course midflight. 

Saturday's test took place on Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of India's eastern state of Odisha. India now joins three countries—the US, Russia, and China—in demonstrating hypersonic capabilities. North Korea and Yemen's Houthis claim to possess hypersonic weapons; other countries—including Germany, France, Japan, and South Korea—are reportedly pursuing them.

Salmon Swim Free

Salmon have returned to the upper basin of Oregon’s Klamath River in recent weeks, successfully laying eggs in the area for the first time in decades, according to expert surveys. The development comes roughly two months after the removal of the last of four hydroelectric dams was completed, wrapping the largest dam removal project in US history.

The Klamath River was once home to one of the country’s largest salmon and steelhead migrations, with hundreds of thousands of fish traversing the waterway annually to lay eggs. A series of four dams built between 1918 and 1962 generated hydroelectric power but significantly disrupted (w/map) the ability of fish to reach the river’s upper basin. One estimate found spring-run salmon populations in the area to be down 98% from predam levels—though officials are optimistic levels will return to historic averages in the coming years. 

Learn more about the salmon lifecycle here.

World War II Veteran Recovered

The remains of a missing World War II veteran have been recovered and identified at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The expedition—213 feet below the surface—is the US government's deepest underwater recovery operation to date.

On March 11, 1944, a B-24 bomber known as "Heaven Can Wait" was shot down over Papua New Guinea. The aircraft—carrying 11 US service members—was en route to bomb Japanese anti-aircraft weapons on the island's northeast coast. Early last year, Navy divers recovered the dog tags and remains of 2nd Lt. Thomas V. Kelly Jr.—a 21-year-old aviator from California. The remains of two other veterans—radio operator Eugene J. Darrigan, 26, and navigator 2nd Lt. Donald W. Sheppick, 26—were identified earlier this year.

The mission came about after Kelly's family members conducted an extensive research project from 2013 to 2017, gathering historical documents and eyewitness accounts to narrow the wreckage search. 

See archival footage on the US' role in New Guinea here.

In partnership with LMNT

Stay Salty

In partnership with LMNT

The Trusted Way To Hydrate

What will you find in your LMNT single-serve packets? It's simple: 1,000mg sodium, 200mg potassium, 60mg magnesium (for the optimal hydration ratio), zero sugar, zero coloring, and zero other junk.

And LMNT is the perfect electrolyte mix for just about everyone. From everyday athletes to the US Olympic Weightlifting team, pro US sports teams, and people on keto or low-carb diets. And, of course, anyone who's trying to avoid or mitigate a hangover. Today, you can enjoy a FREE sample pack of all eight LMNT flavors with any order, plus a no-questions-asked, risk-free refund policy.

Please support our sponsors!