The Juno probe has begun its scientific orbit around Jupiter: We speak to the man who helped build it about the challenges of reaching the red giant September 5, 2016 As the Juno space probe approached Jupiter, the massive gravitational pull of our solar system’s largest planet accelerated the craft to a speed of 265,000km/h. That made it the fastest man-made object in history. At its top speed, Juno could travel from Brighton to Aberdeen in under ten seconds. Juno gathered speed by slingshotting around the [...]
This satellite firm wants millions from SpaceX after rocket explosion September 5, 2016 It's not great when your experimental rocket ship explodes. It's even less great when said rocket is carrying some rather expensive equipment. The owner of the satellite on board the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket which was last week destroyed by an unexpected and fiery explosion has now demanded $50m (£38m) from Elon Musk's company – or a free ride [...]
Inmarsat places $650m bond but isn’t planning to splash the cash September 1, 2016 Satellite company Inmarsat reached for the sky and succeeded as it successfully placed $650m of convertible debt. The placing was $50m more than the original deal size and Inmarsat said it reflected the “considerable demand” for the bonds which have a maturity that stretches out to 2023. “It was a popular placing that was oversubscribed [...]
The SpaceX rocket explosion destroyed Facebook’s first satellite September 1, 2016 A SpaceX rocket has exploded during pre-launch testing, destroying Facebook's first satellite which was due to be launched into orbit. A huge plume of black smoke could be seen over the Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral in Florida. SpaceX leases the launch pad from Nasa. The Falcon-9 rocket created by Elon Musk's SpaceX has notched 26 successful launches [...]
Great expectations: Are ambitious goals a recipe for success or demotivation? August 17, 2016 Tesla chief executive Elon Musk outlined last month an update to the “master plan” he published a decade ago. He was vague on detail, but the car manufacturer is to develop electric cars, trucks, buses, and an app through which customers will be able to lease their vehicle. Next to his other venture, Space X, [...]
Meet the most influential British innovator in the world August 2, 2016 Demis Hassabis, the man who founded the multi-million pound artificial intelligence company acquired by Google, has been named the most influential British innovator in the world. DeepMind hit headlines in 2014 when it was bought by Google for £400m and this year did it again when its machine learning technology beat the world-leading player of the [...]
As Tesla unveils plans for a “solar-roof-with-battery product”, will Elon Musk’s company make money any time soon? July 22, 2016 James Hind, chief executive of Carwow, says Yes. Tesla has built a highly desirable brand, as shown by the huge number of pre-orders for the Model 3. Demand for its cars will therefore be strong – even if other manufacturers manage to rival its electric technology. The company is spending a lot on setting up supply, [...]
Brace yourself: Musk’s pulling all-nighter on top secret Tesla masterplan July 20, 2016 Fans of Elon Musk and Tesla, prepare yourself – the top entrepreneur and visionary thinker will delight you with a new plan for the electric car company. Musk teased the "top secret masterplan, part two" on Twitter last week, but has kept everyone guessing about what it might contain. Working on Top Secret Tesla Masterplan, Part 2. Hoping to [...]
Uber’s Apple-backed rival Didi Chuxing just raised billions June 16, 2016 The taxi wars are hotting up. A day after reports of Uber raising a further $2bn (£1.4bn) to add to its already rather large cash pile, its rival in China has announced another $7bn in new funding that puts it squarely on the tail of the US startup when it comes to being the most well-funded private startup [...]
Uber’s hungry for even more cash with plans for $2bn leveraged loan June 15, 2016 Thought the most highly valued private tech company in the world had enough money to throw around? Apparently, it doesn't. Uber is rounding up another $2bn (£1.4bn) to its already pretty huge cash mountain in its bid for world domination, but this time it's tapping the cash via a leveraged loan. Read more: Apple's favourite Chinese Uber rival [...]