Technologies

NASA’s mega moon rocket fitted with Orion capsule for the first time

The SLS rocket is now wearing Orion like a crown in preparation for testing ahead of the Artemis I moon mission in 2022.

What a glorious beast. The most powerful rocket NASA has ever built is now standing tall with an Orion spacecraft on top, and the views NASA shared this week are spectacular.

The Space Launch System, aka SLS, rocket and Orion are going to be best buds for the launch of the Artemis I mission, an uncrewed trip around the moon and back. The rocket and spacecraft system have come together like a giant Lego tower inside the spacious Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

It can be challenging to comprehend the sheer scale of SLS and Orion. NASA says the configuration stands at 322 feet (98 meters) tall, making it taller than the Statue of Liberty.

Kennedy Space Center shared an update on Thursday with an epic video sweeping up from the bottom of the rocket all the way to the spacecraft on top. «Work is currently underway to fully secure the spacecraft to the rocket,» NASA tweeted.

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A longer version of the video shows the careful choreography it took to lift Orion and slowly lower it to meet SLS.

We had previously seen SLS standing up with its boosters added in June, and then got fresh images in September, but it was still lacking the Orion component at that time. The process of adding Orion started in the early morning hours on Wednesday with lifting the spacecraft into place with an overhead crane.

Fans of big rockets can pore over NASA’s Artemis I lift-and-mate photo album, which shows the process of moving Orion into place.

The space agency had been targeting a November launch for Artemis I, but that could easily slip into 2022. The mission is designed to test SLS and the performance of the Orion spacecraft before humans take a ride for the Artemis II mission.

A successful Artemis I mission would be a major milestone toward returning humans to the moon. NASA had been talking up a 2024 date for a moon landing (with Artemis III), but that’s likely to get pushed back. Before astronaut feet hit the lunar surface, NASA will need to prove all of its equipment is working well. That’s the big promise that Artemis I holds.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, Nov. 9

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Nov. 9.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? There are a couple of tricky ones today. (8-Across, for one.) Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Croat or Bulgarian
Answer: SLAV

5A clue: No-___ Texas Hold’em (poker variety)
Answer: LIMIT

7A clue: Proof you weren’t part of the crime, say
Answer: ALIBI

8A clue: Roll around in the morning?
Answer: BAGEL

9A clue: Purchase price
Answer: COST

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Thick piece of concrete
Answer: SLAB

2D clue: Light purple
Answer: LILAC

3D clue: Ol’ buddy ol’ pal
Answer: AMIGO

4D clue: Has good chemistry (with)
Answer: VIBES

6D clue: Lean to one side
Answer: TILT

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 9, #412

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 9, No. 412.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a fun one, especially if you’re from the City of Angels. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Up into the air!

Green group hint: Tinseltown teams.

Blue group hint: The Metrodome is another one.

Purple group hint: Artsy Olympics.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Leap.

Green group: Los Angeles teams.

Blue group: Former NFL stadiums.

Purple group: Rhythmic gymnastics apparatus.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is leap. The four answers are bound, hop, jump and spring.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is Los Angeles teams. The four answers are Chargers, Dodgers, Sparks and Trojans.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is former NFL stadiums. The four answers are Candlestick, Giants, Silverdome and Veterans.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is rhythmic gymnastics apparatus. The four answers are clubs, hoop, ribbon and rope.

Technologies

Verum Messenger Update: The voice of the universe now sounds clearer

Verum Messenger Update: The voice of the universe now sounds clearer

The new version of Verum Messenger brings advanced microphone modes — Automatic, Standard, Voice Isolation, and Wide Spectrum. Choose how your voice will sound — focused, natural, or cosmically wide.

Anonymity. Energy. Freedom.

Your words move through protected channels, dissolving in a space with no surveillance, no borders — only Verum, the flow of truth and silence.