First European-built rover ‘Tenacious' to land on the moon today
©Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd
The first European moon rover is due to land on the lunar surface today. Named Tenacious, the rover is less than 50cm long and can carry a payload of less than half a kilogram.
Built by the European arm of Japanese lunar exploration company Ispace, it will be controlled by ground staff in Luxembourg, who will be able to drive it at up to four inches per second in near real time, using a video camera mounted on its front panel.
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Dublin Live
4 hours ago
- Dublin Live
Food drones buzzing like 'lawnmowers' over Dubliners' heads could be 'harmful', says Councillor
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Food delivery drones buzzing like "lawnmowers or mopeds" over Dubliners' heads is "not acceptable", according to a Dublin City Councillor. Cabra-Glasnevin Cllr Gayle Ralph has called for an immediate review of how drone delivery trials "align with existing planning and aviation regulations" after Deliveroo announced a new drone delivery trial yesterday with Manna, an established global drone delivery operator. The takeaway app released footage of its first-ever drone delivery — a portion of fresh sushi and sashimi from popular Japanese restaurant Musashi. The service is currently based in Blanchardstown, and Deliveroo say they will use the initial weeks to assess how drones can help serve suburban and harder-to-reach locations. Over the coming days, people in a 3km radius of Blanchardstown will be able to order from selected restaurants including Musashi, WOWBurger, Boojum, and Elephant & Castle. Orders can be flown to customers in as little as three minutes, the food app has claimed. Manna is also looking to trial drone deliveries from a new base in Dublin Industrial Estate in Glasnevin, according to the Dublin Inquirer, with questions persisting over noise, privacy, safety concerns, and what planning permission is needed. Cllr Ralph said there have already been significant complaints from residents in Dublin 15 about drone noise, which has been likened to 'lawnmowers or mopeds,' with reported levels up to 65 decibels. The noise, the Fine Gael rep says, would be particularly disruptive in densely populated areas like Glasnevin. She added that nearby Drumcondra is Ireland's Autism Friendly Town for 2025, and introducing drones would be "simply incompatible with the needs of our neurodiverse community". She said: "The announcement of Deliveroo's partnership with Manna to begin drone deliveries raises a number of concerns for me as a public representative, particularly around safety, noise pollution, and privacy. "While I appreciate the potential innovation drones can bring to logistics and delivery services, we must not allow technological novelty to outpace the regulatory frameworks that protect our communities. Residents in Dublin 15 have already reported significant noise issues, likening the drone sounds to lawnmowers or mopeds. "That's not acceptable in a densely populated city. The presence of cameras on these drones, regardless of their stated purpose, continues to worry many constituents. "We need full transparency and independent verification regarding data protection, especially when such devices operate over residential areas. Drumcondra has proudly been named Ireland's Autism Friendly Town for 2025. "Introducing drones that generate noise levels of up to 65 decibels is simply incompatible with the needs of our neurodiverse community. For autistic residents, many of whom are sensitive to sound, this disruption is not just inconvenient, it is harmful." Cllr Ralph is calling for: A full environmental and community impact assessment before any further expansion of drone delivery trials Mandatory public consultation for all drone delivery operations in Dublin A clear, enforceable framework for drone flight paths, operational hours, noise thresholds, and privacy protections An immediate review of how these trials align with existing planning and aviation regulations. She added: "Innovation must go hand in hand with responsibility. The public is being left somewhat in the dark, with no clear process for feedback or safeguards against noise, safety, and disruption. "Until these concerns are properly addressed, I cannot support the widespread rollout of commercial drones over Dublin's skies." In their announcement of the partnership yesterday, Deliveroo said: "Drone deliveries can significantly cut wait times and reduce emissions, offering a faster and more sustainable alternative to traditional delivery methods, particularly suited to suburban locations where Deliveroo is looking to increase its presence." Chief Business Officer at Deliveroo Carlo Mocci added: 'Our mission is to bring local neighbourhood favourites to as many people's doors as possible, and constantly raise the bar on the experience and service we provide - so I'm thrilled to launch drone deliveries in Dublin today. We're excited to explore how drones can help us reach new customers, complementing our existing rider model and if successful, the prospect of expanding drone deliveries across Ireland and into other markets.' Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Post
5 hours ago
- Irish Post
Canadian wildfire smoke seen in Ireland and across Northern Europe
SMOKE from wildfires burning in central Canada has drifted thousands of miles across the Atlantic, arriving in Ireland and other parts of northwestern Europe, according to European climate researchers. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), an environmental agency under the European Union's Earth observation programme, has been tracking the movement of wildfire smoke since the start of May. Using satellite data, CAMS confirmed that a large plume originating from the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario reached Ireland on Sunday, June 1. Additional plumes are expected to spread further into Europe later this week. 'Wildfires are a frequent occurrence in boreal forests from spring through summer,' said Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at CAMS. 'But the intensity of fires we've seen in Canada this year, particularly in central regions, is extraordinary.' CAMS analysis shows that while the smoke has visibly affected the sky, producing hazy skies and vibrant sunsets, the smoke is travelling at high altitudes, meaning they won't have a major effect on air quality in Europe. However, elsewhere the fires have already caused a lot of damage. More than 25,000 people in Canada have been forced to evacuate, prompting officials in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba to declare month-long states of emergency. U.S. states near the Canadian border have also experienced low air quality as the smoke drifts south. The fires are part of what experts warn could become an intense wildfire season in Canada, exacerbated by ongoing drought, that's also affecting northern Europe. Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service has facilities across all of Europe (Photo by CAMS) Similar wildfires are happening across Russia's Far Eastern Federal District, in the regions of Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai near the borders with China and Mongolia. According to CAMS, carbon emissions from fires in that area have reached their highest levels for this time of year since 2018. Smoke from those Russian blazes has been detected as far away as northeastern China, northern Japan and even the Arctic. While current forecasts suggest only minor health risks from the smoke in Europe, Parrington claimed that the increasing reach of these wildfires add to growing concerns about the long-term effects of climate change and global air quality. Going into further detail Parrington said, "The fact that we can notice the impacts of the smoke in European skies is a reflection of the devastation of wildfires which have been burning in Canada, indicating the increased number of fires, intensity, and duration. A lot of smoke has to be generated in order for it to travel so far and be noticeable and shows how people on either side of the Atlantic are connected via the atmosphere." As we come up to the drier summer months, monitoring agencies like CAMS will continue to track these plumes across Ireland and northern Europe. See More: CAMS, Canada, Mark Parrington, Wilfire
Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Japanese lunar lander crashes while attempting touchdown on the Moon
A private lunar lander from Japan crashed while attempting a touchdown on Friday, the latest casualty in the commercial rush to the Moon. Tokyo-based company ispace declared the mission a failure several hours after communication was lost with the lander. Flight controllers scrambled to gain contact, but were met with only silence and said they were concluding the mission. Communications ceased less than two minutes before the spacecraft's scheduled landing on the Moon with a mini rover. Until then, the descent from lunar orbit seemed to be going well. People await the update on the private lunar lander's attempt to touch down on the Moon (Kyodo News via AP/PA) Takeshi Hakamada, ispace chief executive officer and founder, apologised to everyone who contributed to the mission, the second lunar strikeout for the company. Two years ago, the company's first moonshot ended in a crash landing, giving rise to the name Resilience for its successor lander. Resilience carried a rover with a shovel to gather lunar dirt as well as a Swedish artist's toy-size red house for placement on the Moon's dusty surface. Company officials said it was too soon to know whether the same problem doomed both missions. 'This is the second time that we were not able to land. So we really have to take it very seriously,' Mr Hakamada told reporters. He stressed the company would press ahead with more lunar missions. A preliminary analysis indicates the laser system for measuring the altitude did not work as planned and the lander descended too fast, officials said. 'Based on these circumstances, it is currently assumed that the lander likely performed a hard landing on the lunar surface,' the company said in a written statement. Long the province of governments, the Moon became a target of private outfits in 2019, with more flops than successes along the way. Takeshi Hakamada apologised for the mission's failure (Kyodo News via AP/PA) Launched in January from Florida on a long, roundabout journey, Resilience entered lunar orbit last month. It shared a SpaceX ride with Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost, which reached the Moon faster and became the first private entity to successfully land there in March. Another US company, Intuitive Machines, arrived at the Moon a few days after Firefly. But the tall, spindly lander face-planted in a crater near the south pole and was declared dead within hours. Resilience was targeting the top of the Moon, a less treacherous place than the shadowy bottom. The ispace team chose a flat area with few boulders in Mare Frigoris or Sea of Cold, a long and narrow region full of craters and ancient lava flows that stretches across the near side's northern tier. Plans had called for the 7.5ft Resilience to beam back pictures within hours and for the lander to lower the piggybacking rover onto the lunar surface this weekend. Made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic with four wheels, ispace's European-built rover — named Tenacious — sported a high-definition camera to scout out the area and a shovel to scoop up some lunar dirt for Nasa. The rover was going to stick close to the lander, going in circles at a speed of less than one inch per second.
