Technologies

Mars Just Got Closer: How NASA’s SR-1 Freedom Could Rewrite Space Travel

The spacecraft will deliver NASA’s Skyfall payload, which is a group of helicopters designed to find subsurface water on Mars.

NASA is sending a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars. Alongside Tuesday’s announcement of its new Ignition program, which features a planned Moon base and a successor to the International Space Station, the agency revealed the SR-1 Freedom, set to launch in 2028 as the first nuclear-powered craft to leave low Earth orbit.

First, SR-1 Freedom will act as a tech demonstration to show that a nuclear-powered spacecraft is a viable option. If it works, it opens the possibility of deeper space exploration by addressing the range limitations imposed by solar power and liquid fuel.

SR-1 Freedom is also responsible for delivering the Skyfall payload to Mars. Skyfall is a team of helicopters that will scour Mars with sensors to find subsurface ice. It’s no secret that Mars harbors water far beneath the surface, but NASA aims to find a large enough pocket of ice near the surface to help sustain human life in future missions.

It’s not NASA’s first attempt to solve nuclear space travel. The agency has spent $20 billion over more than a dozen failed attempts with only one nuclear reactor to show for it, which is the SNAP-10A that launched into low Earth orbit in 1965. It operated for 43 days before a high-voltage failure shut it down. The SNAP-10a remains in polar orbit to this day.

What we know about the SR-1 Freedom

Steve Sinacore, NASA Fission Surface Power program director, told reporters in a news conference that NASA would select a launch vehicle from the available stock and that there would be regulatory and inspection proceedings with the Interagency Nuclear Safety Review Board before any selection.

NASA plans to begin developing hardware for the SR-1 Freedom once the design is finalized. This is expected to take roughly 18 months, with assembly beginning in January 2028. Reactor fueling, texting and assembly will continue until the SR-1 Freedom arrives at its launch site in October 2028.

SR-1 Freedom is targeting a December 2028 launch, as it’s the next available Mars launch window after the one opening in late 2026. The nuclear-electric engine is expected to produce over 20 Kilowatt-electric units and will be integrated with existing spacecraft technology to make the launch timing more realistic.

The reactor will be powered by high-assay, low-enriched uranium dioxide fuel and will transfer its heat via heat pipes, protected by a boron carbide radiation shield. The heat is converted to power using the Advanced Closed Brayton Cycle Power Conversion System, which then powers the electric propulsion system at the other end of the spacecraft.

Excess heat is handled with a massive heat sink made of composite materials and titanium. The spacecraft’s brain is located between the heat sink and the propulsion system, and will send data back to Earth.

Why nuclear power?

«Nuclear power in space doesn’t just enhance space exploration, it enables it,» said Sinacore during the press conference. «Through increased energy density, nuclear power will keep lunar bases operating through the 14-day, 354-hour night.»

One of the big problems with deep space exploration and long-term space exploration is power, and NASA hopes nuclear power can solve it. Solar power is a challenge on the moon due to its two-week-long night cycle. According to Sinacore, you would need «football fields of solar panels» to power a long-term base on Mars.

The next planet out is Jupiter, where solar panel efficiency drops to 4% when compared to Earth. Once you get beyond Jupiter, solar energy is negligible, making it a poor choice for deep space missions.

NASA currently uses liquid propellant for space flight. That doesn’t work for long-term missions and flights due to its mass fraction, which is fancy math that basically says it’s too heavy for long-term spaceflight. The spacecraft wouldn’t be able to move people and cargo efficiently. Sinacore says these are «physics constraints» rather than engineering problems, and that nuclear power solves them.

What comes after SR-1 Freedom

SR-1 Freedom marks the beginning of many more projects coming over the next couple of decades. Should the SR-1 Freedom prove successful, the next project would be the Lunar Reactor-1, a nuclear reactor that would serve as the power source for NASA’s upcoming moon base.

Having a nuclear-powered spacecraft and base on the books would open the door for more of both, including a potential human mission to Mars, bigger and more powerful nuclear reactors, and potential commercial participation from companies wanting to get in on the action.

Technologies

Can’t File Your Income Taxes by Today? You Need to File a Free Extension Now

The best tax software will let you file a federal income tax extension to give yourself six more months to finish your taxes.

Time’s up, US taxpayers. The deadline for filing your income taxes is today. You have until midnight tonight to submit your 2025 tax return electronically or have it postmarked.

If you’re not able to finish your 2025 tax return today, or if you’re still missing important tax documents, don’t fret. You can file a free tax extension with the IRS, which will give you another six months to complete and submit your tax return.

There’s no cost or penalty for filing a tax extension, and most tax software will help you complete the process in a few minutes. However, there are some critical details to be aware of before you make the decision to postpone your taxes for another six months.

Read on to find all of the details for filing a tax extension in 2026 and how it will affect your tax refund or the money that you owe.

What’s the deadline to file an income tax extension?

Along with the tax return submission deadline, there’s a deadline to file for a tax extension. You’ll need to submit it by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, in your time zone. That’s also the tax filing deadline.

How to file an income tax extension in 2026

If you’re planning to file a tax extension this year, you’ll need to submit Form 4868 (PDF) to the IRS either by paper or electronically using e-file before the April 15 deadline. As long as your electronic extension is transmitted by midnight on April 15, or your letter is postmarked by that date, your extension should be good.

However, if you think that you owe taxes, you’ll need to pay your estimated income tax due using Direct Pay, the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System or using a debit or credit card. If you don’t pay your estimated taxes with your extension and owe money, you’ll have to pay interest on that money and a potential penalty when you file.

Some taxpayers are automatically granted more time to file. This includes military personnel serving in combat zones or people in federally declared disaster areas. US citizens who live outside the country have until June 17 to file.

Does an extension give you more time to pay your tax bill?

No. Extending your filing deadline doesn’t delay when you have to pay taxes that you may owe. According to the IRS, you need to estimate and pay at least 90% of your tax liability by the deadline to avoid late fees. Otherwise, you will have accrued interest on what you owe, which you’ll eventually have to pay — plus possible penalties — on top of your income taxes.

The late-payment penalty is usually 0.5% per month of the outstanding tax not paid by the filing deadline, maxing out at 25%. The IRS can also issue a late-filing penalty of 5% of the amount due for every month or partial month your tax return is late. If your return is filed more than 60 days after the due date, the minimum late-filing penalty is either $450 or 100% of the unpaid tax (whichever is less).

For individual taxpayers, penalties and interest will stop accruing only when your balance is paid in full. For more on penalties or to work out a payment plan with the IRS, check out its web page.

How is child tax credit money related to tax returns?

The child tax credit provides benefits for parents of children, allowing them to lower the amount they owe in taxes each year based on how many dependents they claim. If you had a new baby or gained a dependent, you can both decrease the amount of taxes you owe and increase the amount you may get back in a tax refund.

The Child Tax Credit allows families to receive up to $2,200 per eligible child under the age of 17, as long as certain income requirements are met. By not filing your taxes by the deadline, you could be missing out on up to $2,200 per child.

Will you receive your tax refund later if you file an extension?

Yes. The timeline for getting your income tax refund depends on when you file. But even though you have until Oct. 15 to submit your return if you file an extension, it doesn’t mean you have to wait that long to file.

Some tax refunds, especially for more complicated returns or those that need corrections, could take months to arrive. The IRS encourages taxpayers to file electronically and carefully review their details before submitting to avoid any errors that could potentially delay refunds. The agency also asks that you sign up for direct deposit to get your money even faster.

All of the ways you can file your 2025 tax return

The IRS says that taxpayers can file and schedule their federal tax payments online, by phone or with the mobile IRS2Go app.

If you need to find a tax software service to use, and you made $89,000 or less in 2025, you can find an IRS-approved free filing service easily. You’ll need to gather the following information: income statements (W2s or 1099s), any adjustments to your income, your filing status (single, married, filing jointly), and dependent information. If you made more than $89,000 last year, you still can use the IRS’ Free File Fillable Forms.

If you haven’t already made a tax payment, the IRS prefers that payments be made electronically and offers a variety of ways to do so, including IRS Direct Pay, which is directly linked to a checking or savings account. Another option is by credit card using the mobile IRS2Go app, or through the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System.

How to review your IRS tax account online

An easy way to review all your tax-related details, including your address and payment plan details, is to access your IRS account online. Taxpayers can use information from their accounts if they need to access their adjusted gross income, find their stimulus payment and child tax credit amounts, or review their estimated tax payments or credits. Accessing your tax transcript will give you all the records necessary if you have a tax problem or a missing payment.

If you have additional questions, you can visit the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant to get help.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 16, #1040

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for April 16, No. 1,040.

Looking for the most recent 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, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is tricky. I did love the blue category, which references a favorite Batman character. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

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

Yellow group hint: Make fun of.

Green group hint: Brr, so cold in here!

Blue group hint: Batman’s rival.

Purple group hint: Connected with learning.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Tease.

Green group: Thermostat settings.

Blue group: Features of a Catwoman costume.

Purple group: Training ____.

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

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is tease. The four answers are needle, rib, ride and roast.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is thermostat settings. The four answers are auto, cool, fan and heat.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is features of a Catwoman costume. The four answers are bodysuit, claws, mask and whip.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is training ____. The four answers are bra, camp, day and wheels.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 16 #774

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for April 16, No. 774.

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

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle could be tough. I understood the theme right away, but some of the answers are really difficult to unscramble. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: This is not working.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Leisure time.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

STEM, STEMS, STEAM, STEAMS, MAPS, TEES, RIFF, FEAR, FEAT, RATIO, REST

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

HOBBY, PASTIME, INTEREST, SIDELINE, RECREATION

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is JUSTFORFUN. To find it, start with the J that is the farthest-left letter on the top row, and wind down and then back up.