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Private Japanese moon lander arrives in Florida ahead of January SpaceX launch (photos)

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Private Japanese moon lander arrives in Florida ahead of January SpaceX launch (photos)


Japanese space exploration firm ispace is preparing for a second attempt at landing on the moon.

The “Resilience” Mission 2 lander has arrived in Florida ahead of launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, ispace announced on Wednesday (Nov. 27). The mission will launch no earlier than January 2025, according to the company, which has not yet announced a precise launch target.

Mission 2 follows the company’s first attempt to land on the moon in April 2023. That mission ended in failure after an altitude sensor was confused by the unaccounted-for detection of a crater rim, leading ispace’s spacecraft to act as if it was closer to the lunar surface than it was.

The new lander — based on the previous Hakuto-R platform but with upgraded software — was transported via commercial cargo plane from a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) facility in Tsukuba, Japan, following testing.

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Private Japanese moon lander reaches lunar orbit

The Mission 2 RESILIENCE lunar lander is loaded onto a vehicle for shipping from Tsukuba to Narita Airport, Japan before being shipped by cargo plane to Florida. (Image credit: ispace)

The Resilience lander will also carry a small rover, named Tenacious, developed by ispace’s Luxembourg-based subsidiary.

“The Mission 2 Resilience lander is the culmination of the Hakuto-R program, incorporating the data and know-how gained from Mission 1,” said Takeshi Hakamada, ispace founder and CEO, in a statement. “We will continue to make final preparations until the day of the launch, when the lander, which carries so many hopes, will be launched.”

Two balding men in highlighter vests attend a large metal box secured to the flatbed trailer of a semi.

The Mission 2 RESILIENCE lunar lander arrives and is offloaded from a vehicle in Florida. (Image credit: ispace)

Resilience will carry commercial and scientific payloads to the moon. The mission is also expected to contribute to the NASA-led Artemis program, according to ispace.

While there is a strong focus on the upcoming mission, ispace is working on a new, larger lander named APEX 1.0. It is planned to launch for the first time in 2026.



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Evacuations underway as crews battle multiple wildfires in Georgia and Florida

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Evacuations underway as crews battle multiple wildfires in Georgia and Florida


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NBC News NOW

Crews in Florida and Georgia are battling multiple fast-moving wildfires, stoked by dry and windy conditions. Local officials in Georgia said people in the path of the flames should be ready to evacuate. 

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Florida investigating AI role in mass shooting at university

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Florida investigating AI role in mass shooting at university


Florida on Tuesday announced a criminal probe into whether artificial intelligence played a role in a deadly mass shooting at a university in the US state.

The decision to launch an investigation came after prosecutors reviewed exchanges between OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT and the suspected gunman, who opened fire at Florida State University last year, according to state Attorney General James Uthmeier.

“If ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder,” Uthmeier said.

Florida law allows anyone who assists or counsels someone in the commission of a crime to be treated as an “aider and abettor” bearing the same responsibility as the perpetrator, according to Uthmeier.

In exchanges with ChatGPT, the accused shooter sought advice on what type of gun and ammunition to use, as well as where and when on campus a lot of people would likely be found, the state attorney general said during a press briefing.

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“Last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime,” an OpenAI spokesperson said.



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Florida wildfire strands Amtrak passengers for over 24 hours

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Florida wildfire strands Amtrak passengers for over 24 hours


A massive wildfire in Putnam County in northern Florida left Amtrak passengers stranded on a train for more than 24 hours.

One train heading to New York City was forced to turn around, arriving back in Miami Monday night, including one passenger who said he had been on that train for about 38 hours.

He says he and other passengers were left uncertain about what was going on.

“Angry, confused, uncertain, in the dark,” said John Reardon.

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Reardon, who lives in New York City, says he boarded the train around 7 a.m. Sunday to go back home. He said around 3 p.m. Sunday, the train stopped near Jacksonville.

“Finally, after about 5 hours, they said we’re not going to New York, we’re going back to Miami,” Reardon said. “One stop at a time.”

Amtrak said for the safety of its passengers, the train couldn’t continue going north because of the fire.

“Amtrak sends a notification to the phone saying, ‘Hey, there’s an issue with the wildfire, it’s too close to the railway,’” said passenger Katrinia Wheeler.

Multiple crews are battling multiple fires in two Florida counties, leaving at least 3,000 acres burned. 

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“I saw that there was a lot of smoke coming from the woods, and then I saw the fire trucks and emergency services,” Wheeler said.

The train that left Miami at 7 a.m. on Sunday returned around 9 p.m. on Monday, leaving passengers frustrated.

Amtrak corporate says they made the decision out of safety for their customers and said customers would receive full refunds and vouchers.



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