Technologies

NASA’s Ignition Program: Skipping the Lunar Orbiter and Going Straight for a Moon Base

The new initiative includes a base on the moon, a nuclear-powered flight to Mars and a replacement for the ISS.

For the second time in as many months, NASA is flipping the script and changing its planned missions for the moon. At the end of last month, the agency pushed back its moon landing to the Artemis IV mission while vowing to complete lunar missions more quickly. This time, the agency said it’s scrapping the Lunar Gateway, a lunar orbiter scheduled to launch in 2027, in favor of building a base on the moon.

NASA formally introduced the new initiative, dubbed Ignition, during a 3-hour press conference on Tuesday. Ignition houses many plans for NASA’s immediate and long-term future, including replacing the International Space Station before it becomes unusable in 2030, and building «SR-1 Freedom,» a nuclear-powered spacecraft scheduled for launch to Mars in 2028.

«NASA is committed to achieving the near‑impossible once again: to return to the moon before the end of President Trump’s term, build a Moon base, establish an enduring presence and do the other things needed to ensure American leadership in space,» NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement.

The new moon plan is set to happen in three phases over the next few years. Phase one would be to replace one-off missions with a «templated approach» to gain learning through experimentation. Phase two would see the construction of a «semi-habitable infrastructure» on the moon. Phase three would add permanent infrastructure to that moon base.

NASA hasn’t set a concrete timeline for any of these objectives, but Isaacman said the «clock is running in this great-power competition,» presumably alluding to China’s goal of putting humans on the moon by 2030. During a speech with various aerospace companies, international space agencies and Congress during an event at NASA headquarters, Isaacman said the entire initiative would take seven years and cost $20 billion.

This new plan also involves halting the construction of the Lunar Gateway station. The orbiter has been under construction for years and has been criticized for being a wasteful distraction from the real goal of putting humans back on the moon. Isaacman hinted that the orbiter will be repurposed for use on the lunar surface, which will no doubt come with its own set of challenges.

What else is NASA working on?

Ignition came with other announcements, including that the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope is ahead of schedule and under budget, the success of DART’s mission to change an asteroid’s trajectory by ramming into it, the Parker Solar probe’s continued success in studying the sun and a host of additional projects that are launching between 2026 and 2030.

Much like when it overhauled the Artemis missions last month, NASA is continuing its mission to get things done as quickly as possible. And while the moon base and the Artemis missions are the forefront of NASA’s current plans, according to Isaacman, thousands of ideas are being worked on behind the scenes.

«The whole point of today was not to come and give you a bunch of great PowerPoint [presentations] and sit and wait for it all to come to fruition,» Isaacman said. «This is about action right now … We want to get moving.»

Technologies

A Historic Heat Dome Is Creeping Across the US. Here’s How to Prepare

After breaking heat records in 14 states, the heat wave pummeling the Southwest is moving eastward.

A massive heat wave has broken heat records in 14 states, including Arizona and California, reaching up to 112 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas. Now it’s creeping eastward, according to the National Weather Service.

The heat wave is continuing its journey through the Midwestern United States and is projected to affect anywhere from one-quarter to one-third of the 48 mainland states, National Weather Service meteorologist Gregg Gallina told The Associated Press. The highest temperatures recorded today are in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas — what the National Weather Service refers to as the Southern Rockies region. But the hot air is on the move.

The reason these high temperatures persist is the «heat dome» phenomenon, in which high pressure prevents hot air from rising, trapping it in a bubble above a region. As the dome of pressure moves, so too does the hot air — and right now, it’s barreling east.

The states that will be smothered by the heat dome in the coming days include those in the Southern and Central Plains regions. This means residents of Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska can expect to sweat as the heat blankets them on its eastbound journey.

What the heat dome means for climate change and our health

According to Climate Central, the US has experienced rising blackout rates over the past 20 years, largely due to weather-related issues and an aging electrical grid.

As of August 2025, the US Environmental Protection Agency states that heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the US. The World Health Organization reports that between 2000 and 2019, about 489,000 heat-related deaths occurred each year.

Fortunately, humidity levels are not as high during a summer heat wave. As humidity can contribute to dehydration, body strain and breathing difficulties, lower humidity makes this heat dome somewhat less dangerous for workers in affected areas.

The World Weather Attribution, an initiative formed by international climate change researchers and climate scientists, determined that the heat dome would be «virtually impossible without human-induced climate change.»

In a world where weather events like these cease to be impossibilities, you’ll want to prepare for future heat waves properly. Here’s how to stay safe during the heat dome.

How to prepare for the heat dome before it hits your state

There’s nothing you can do to beat the heat outside, aside from following heat safety best practices. You’ll just need to stay hydrated, wear breathable, light-colored clothing and wait out the potentially dangerous heat dome, which is expected to dissipate by the end of next week when April begins. But you can do things to batten down the hatches before the sweltering heat reaches your home.

Even if you don’t have much prep time, a couple of small items can make your home safer (and far more comfortable). Cooling towels, portable fans and countertop ice makers are must-haves during a heat wave, especially if you aren’t looking to crank the thermostat down and spend a pretty penny.

Heat waves are also extremely costly due to the sheer amount of energy used — it’s expensive to stay cool. Depending on your living situation, though, you might want to invest in heat pump installation. These HVAC system additions are extremely energy efficient, which means you can keep more money in your pocket while beating the heat.

During the middle of the heat wave, when everyone has their AC running, there’s also the potential for an early brownout (a temporary drop in electrical voltage, causing lighting to dim) or even a blackout (a complete loss of power). It’s common to feel helpless during power outages, but you can get ahead of the curve by preparing a summer blackout kit with portable chargers and alternative light sources before the heat wave hits.

Even if the historic heat wave doesn’t hit your home, these tips will help you prepare as the summer season bears down on the US in a couple of months.

Technologies

Apple May Give Siri a Big AI Overhaul in iOS 27

Apple is testing a standalone Siri app, a new interface and deeper AI features for this year’s software update, Bloomberg reports.

Apple may be planning one of the biggest changes to Siri since the voice assistant launched more than a decade ago. According to a report on Tuesday from Bloomberg, Apple is testing a standalone Siri app, a redesigned interface and a new «Ask Siri» button that would make the assistant more visible and useful across the Apple ecosystem, as part of a broader AI reboot.

According to the Bloomberg report, the new Siri experience is expected to be introduced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8 and would arrive as part of iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and MacOS 27 later this year. The report says Apple is testing out a new Siri that would make the assistant feel more like a standalone AI chatbot — think ChatGPT or Claude — rather than the current built-in tool.

The latest report builds on earlier Bloomberg reporting from January, which said Apple planned to revamp Siri into its first real AI chatbot to better compete with OpenAI and Google.

For Apple, the move would mark another attempt to reset expectations around its AI strategy after repeated delays to its more advanced Siri ambitions. Apple had previewed a more personalized Siri at WWDC 2024, but the broader rollout has slipped, and Bloomberg’s new report suggests the company is now aiming for a more sweeping relaunch in iOS 27 instead.

Apple has not publicly announced these iOS 27 features, so plans could still change before WWDC.

An Apple representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for March 25, #1740

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for March 25, No. 1,740.

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

Today’s Wordle puzzle begins with a letter I just never guess, but once you get that, it’s an easy one. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.