Melinda E. Rakowski

SpaceX’s first crewed mission is headed back to Earth. Here’s every step that must go perfectly for 2 NASA astronauts to come home safely.

By Melinda E. Rakowski 6 hours ago
NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley practicing a full simulation of launch and docking of the Crew Dragon spacecraft on March 19.
NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley practicing a full simulation of launch and docking of the Crew Dragon spacecraft on March 19.

SpaceX

Two NASA astronauts are currently orbiting Earth in a SpaceX spaceship and about to embark on a fiery fall through the atmosphere, into the ocean.

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley became the first people to fly SpaceX’s brand-new spaceship, the Crew Dragon, on May 30. It was the first crewed launch from American soil since July 2011 and the first-ever launch of a commercial spacecraft with humans inside. The ship docked to the International Space Station the next day, and Behnken and Hurley have since been conducting science experiments and spacewalks there.

But now comes the hard part: bringing them back to Earth.

Behnken and Hurley must hurtle back through the atmosphere — a voyage that will require the spacecraft to weather temperatures up to 3,500

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St. Frank Debuts a Furniture Collection, Major Design Auctions Take Place, and More News This Week

By Melinda E. Rakowski 2 days ago

From significant business changes to noteworthy product launches, there’s always something new happening in the world of design. In this weekly roundup, AD PRO has everything you need to know. 

Product Launches

St. Frank and Others Make Notable Debuts

For several years, St. Frank has been carefully placing bespoke pieces of furniture throughout their retail spaces. Now, they’re expanding that effort with a full-on collaborative collection. “We’re thrilled to to be introducing our first offering of upholstered furniture in partnership with Forsyth,” St. Frank founder Christina Bryant says to AD PRO. “This collaboration allows us to bring our signature printed textiles to one-of-a-kind furniture pieces as well as bespoke ottomans and poufs.” Beyond such items, fans of midcentury modernism should look out for vintage efforts as well, such as a pair of indigo Eero Saarinen chairs. 

The interior designer behind Kelly Martin Interiors has launched a furniture collection by the

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FDA opens door to rapid, at-home screening for COVID-19

By Melinda E. Rakowski 4 days ago

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday opened the door to COVID-19 testing that could be fast, cheap, and handled entirely at home — if companies don’t find the rules too burdensome.

Routine screening of people who don’t know they have COVID-19 could transform the fight against the disease.

“These types of tests will be a game-changer in our fight against COVID-19 and will be crucial as the nation looks toward reopening,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said in a statement announcing how the agency will approve at-home tests.

So far, the FDA hasn’t allowed anyone to sell tests for at-home use.

Lab tests to detect the coronavirus are accurate, but they’re often restricted to people who have COVID-19 symptoms. It often takes days to get results — by which point the person may have already infected others.

Other tests are fast, but so expensive they’re unlikely to be used

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New Home Sales Hit 13-Year High in June: 5 Must-Buy Stocks

By Melinda E. Rakowski 1 week ago

Sales of new single family homes in the United States hit a 13-year high in June as the housing market outperformed the broader economy amid low mortgage rate and migration from densely populated urban centers to less-populated areas  on fears of coronavirus. This is the second straight jump in newly built homes after two months of sales decline due of the coronavirus.

The new data comes just days after the United States witnessed an uptick in homebuilder sentiment in July. This means that both homebuilders and buyers have started showing confidence in the economy once again, signaling that the worst of the economic downturn is probably over.

New Home Sales Hit Record High

Sales of new homes rose a sharp 13.8% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 776,000 units, the highest level since July 2007, the Commerce Department reported on Jul 24. The increase follows a 19.4%

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