Rob Verger, assistant tech editor at Popular Science, discusses SpaceX's successful launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket that propelled Elon Musk's red Tesla Roadster into orbit. The release of the car into space has prompted people to ask the question, "what now?"
Verger notes that it will take two and a half years for the rocket to orbit around the sun and end up back where it started from. It will be another five years before we could potentially see it with a telescope.
Verger says the Roadster will face significant deterioration due to radiation and a "sandblasting" of dust that will cause the car to lose its cherry red color. He talks about the vastness of space, noting it's unlikely the car would be destroyed by an asteroid.
Floodwaters receded in Vermont cities and towns pummeled by a storm that delivered two months of rain in two days, enabling people to focus Wednesday on recovering from a disaster that trapped residents in homes, closed roadways and choked streets and businesses with mud and debris.
Schools in New Delhi were forced to close Monday after heavy monsoon rains battered the Indian capital, with landslides and flash floods killing at least 15 people over the last three days. Farther north, the overflowing Beas River swept vehicles downstream as it flooded neighborhoods.
Even Southwestern desert residents accustomed to scorching summers are feeling the grip of an extreme heat wave smacking Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Southern California this week with 100-degree-plus temps and excessive heat warnings.
