US missile tracking satellites detect hypersonic target, sex cells could be reason why women live longer than men, the problem-solving skills of plants

The United States cutting-edge hypersonic missile tracking satellite array has tracked its first hypersonic test launch, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has announced. The exact date of the test has not been disclosed, but the target likely launched from Wallops Island in Virginia.

This comes only over a week after the MDA announced it would conduct the first test “soon.” The satellites featuring the so-called Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) were deployed into orbit in February of this year.For more on this development, check out today’s Must-Read.

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MUST READ

🐋 In a first, US missile tracking satellites detect hypersonic target

HBTSS is designed to provide the MDA with an early warning of potential hypersonic missiles. Currently, ground-based systems, while sophisticated, are limited by the curvature of the Earth and the trajectory of hypersonic missile flights.

To achieve this, sensors in orbit will have an unobstructed view, enabling more accurate and timely interception. The MDA serves as the Defense Department’s executive agent for hypersonic defense.

Initial reports show the sensors successfully collected data after launch,” the agency said in a June 14 statement. “MDA will continue to assess flight data over the next several weeks,” they added.

🧫 Sex cells could be reason why women live longer than men, finds study

Scientists in Japan have uncovered a potential biological explanation for why women tend to outlive men.

The research suggests a link between sex cells (sperm and egg) and lifespan, offering new insights into the longstanding puzzle of sex-related longevity differences.

The study, conducted on turquoise killifish, revealed that removing germ cells—the precursors to eggs and sperm̦—affected the lifespan of male and female fish differently.

🌱 Not only humans, plants also have problem-solving skills: Study

It’s widely believed that humans or various types of animals found on the planet are intelligent. However, researchers have claimed that plants also showcase their intelligence, which is defined by more than 70 definitions.

Flexible, real-time, and adaptive responses found in plants are indicative of intelligence, according to researchers.

“There are more than 70 definitions that are published for intelligence and there is no agreement on what it is, even within a given field,” said lead author Andre Kessler, professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.

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