Controversial satellites launching in 2026 will reflect light to Earth 30. December 2025 (19:00) Reflect Orbital plans to launch thousands of reflective mirrors to produce "sunlight on demand", but researchers are sceptical about whether the reflected light will be enough to generate electricity(New Scientist)
Russia-US nuclear pact set to end in 2026 and we won't see another 30. December 2025 (19:00) After the New START treaty expires in February, there will be no cap on the number of US and Russian nuclear weapons - but some are sceptical about whether the deal actually made the world safer(New Scientist)
Russia-US nuclear pact is about to end and we won't see another 30. December 2025 (19:00) After the New START treaty expires in February, there will be no cap on the number of US and Russian nuclear weapons - but some are sceptical about whether the deal actually made the world safer(New Scientist)
BepiColombo mission will start to unpick Mercury's secrets in 2026 30. December 2025 (19:00) The BepiColombo mission has been on its way to Mercury since 2018 and will finally start orbiting the planet and taking X-ray images in the second half of 2026(New Scientist)
World's first subsea desalination facility will start running in 2026 30. December 2025 (19:00) Flocean, a Norwegian company, is set to open the world’s first commercial-scale subsea desalination plant, an approach that could cut the cost and energy used to make seawater drinkable(New Scientist)
The cost of weight-loss drugs should fall in 2026 30. December 2025 (19:00) The price of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy put them out of reach for most people with obesity, but new arrivals and expiring patents should change that this year(New Scientist)
US to fire up small reactors in 2026 as part of 'nuclear renaissance' 30. December 2025 (19:00) Eleven companies are working towards an ambitious goal as part of the US Department of Energy's plan to fast-track the development of advanced nuclear reactor technologies(New Scientist)
2026 Mars mission will set out to solve the mystery of its moons 30. December 2025 (19:00) The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will be launching the Martian Moons eXploration mission next year, which should finally tell us how Mars acquired the moons Phobos and Deimos(New Scientist)
