New Frontiers: Private Crews, Ancient Mysteries, and Billion-Dollar Launches

SpaceX, ULA, and Blue Origin secured $13.5 billion in launch contracts from the Pentagon for satellite missions. The Sahara, once a green savannah, housed an ancient, isolated human lineage. In another milestone for private space exploration, SpaceX's Fram2 crew returned safely from a polar-orbiting mission.

SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Blue Origin have won substantial Pentagon launch contracts valued at $13.5 billion. The U.S. Space Force's National Security Space Launch program will oversee the mission assignments, totaling 54 by 2029. These launches are a key part of the Pentagon's strategy for deploying sensitive and complex satellites.

Meanwhile, new findings have revealed the Sahara Desert as a once fertile land. From 14,500 to 5,000 years ago, it was a lush green savannah, teeming with life. Discoveries from remains in Libya suggest the presence of a now-extinct mysterious human lineage, unique and isolated from the rest of the world.

In a significant moment for private aerospace ventures, SpaceX successfully returned its Fram2 crew to Earth following a polar-orbiting mission. The mission marked the sixth fully private space mission for the Elon Musk-led company, featuring four astronauts in a unique trajectory orbit that had not been undertaken before.

(With inputs from agencies.)