Small satellite sensor set to transform weather forecasting – UKRI

The shoebox-sized sensor was developed by Spire Global Ltd in collaboration with STFC RAL Space. The Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder (HyMS) in-orbit demonstrator lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 11 January 2026 aboard SpaceX’s Twilight mission. Building on technology from STFC RAL Space’s Millimetre-Wave Technology Group, Spire Global Ltd led the development […]

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UK scientists open window to our vast and ever-changing Universe – UKRI

Starting on 25 February 2026, UK astronomers are providing public real-time updates on changes in our Universe, from exploding stars and belching black holes to asteroids cruising through our solar system. The work is part of a multi-million-pound investment by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), part of UK Research and Innovation. It is […]

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From storms to sensors: how cross-border research with UK partners shapes safer and greener technologies

On a test track in southern Germany, engineers watch as an automated vehicle drives through simulated heavy rain. As the vehicle pushes through sheets of water and poor visibility, researchers are recreating one of the toughest sensing challenges for automated driving. “Bad weather is one of the situations the car will face, and the car […]

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UK–South Africa partnership uses AI to make telescopes smarter – UKRI

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Hartree Centre is working with the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), a leading centre for optical and infrared astronomy, to deliver the ‘Intelligent Observatory’ programme. The programme is using AI and advanced digital technologies to automate and make telescopes smarter. So they can monitor themselves, process data instantly, […]

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From fragmented to connected: a shared hub for Europe’s AI

Across Europe, researchers are using AI to tackle everything from underwater noise pollution to media fact-checking and smarter farming. Until recently, there was no widely used common gateway where they could easily share tools, data and computing power, but that is all changing. Europe’s AI research and innovation is now being brought together on a […]

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How Artemis II’s Earthset photo compares with the iconic Earthrise image from 1968

Earthset, as captured aboard the Orion spacecraf during the Artemis II mission. Nasa As Nasa’s Artemis II mission completed its lunar flyby, the astronauts sent back a stunning image of the colourful Earth setting behind the Moon. This breathtaking photo, called Earthset, draws inevitable comparisons with the original Earthrise photo from the Apollo 8 flight […]

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UK scientists at heart of new heavy proton discovery at CERN – UKRI

UK scientists, supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), have played a leading role in the discovery of a new subatomic particle, a heavy proton, at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The particle, known as the Ξcc⁺ (Xi cc plus), is a heavier relative of the proton which is one of […]

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Connected countryside: smart tech is recharging rural Europe

Getting children ready and on time for school can be stressful. In Finnish Lapland, where winters are long and snowy and some students travel long distances by bus, the challenge is even greater. In two Lapland communities, a school transport app developed through an EU-funded initiative called AURORAL has streamlined school bus pick-ups, reducing morning […]

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How to eat an elephant: fossil find in Tanzania shows oldest signs of butchering these giant mammals

Carcass of adult African elephant. By Geraldshields11 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, , CC BY-SA Imagine a creature nearly twice the size of a modern African elephant (which can weigh up to 6,000kg. This was Elephas (Paleoxodon) recki, a prehistoric titan that roamed the landscape of what is now Tanzania nearly two million years […]

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UK leads the world into the quantum age – UKRI

Researchers and businesses will gain access to the world’s most advanced quantum computers, as the government commits to ushering in a new era of computing over the next decade. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will support the development and roll-out of large-scale quantum computers in the UK. This is part of a wider £2 billion […]

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