China Lands Rocket Booster as Global Food Shortages Worsen
China's aerospace company LandSpace has made history by successfully landing the first stage of a rocket on land for the first time, marking a significant step towards reusable rockets. This breakthrough comes as China trails the US in launch capacity and number of payloads sent into orbit.
The recovered booster is set to be flown again within the next six months. Reusability can dramatically reduce the cost of putting satellites into orbit, making it a crucial aspect of the growing space race. Currently, only two private companies, SpaceX and Blue Origin, have successfully recovered and landed rocket boosters.
In other news, strikes on Ukraine's grain terminals are driving up wheat costs globally. At least five grain ships were struck near Russian ports in the Black Sea earlier this week. Together, Russia and Ukraine supply around 30% of the world's wheat, and their conflict is exacerbating global food shortages. Rising fertilizer prices due to the Iran war, heat waves in Europe decimating crop yields, and a developing El Niño weather pattern are also contributing to the crisis.
In Denmark, data centers are being deprioritized under new grid access laws due to surging demand. The country's state-owned grid operator halted new data center connections earlier this month, with 14 GW of projects waiting to come online. This boom in data center development is putting pressure on the grid, and Denmark's move could serve as a blueprint for other European countries grappling with similar issues.