Mashable

SAVE $39: The price on our budget choice an all-in-one hair tool, Revlon One-Step, just got even better. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Revlon One-Step $30.87 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $39.12 Get Deal

This may be your last chance to take advantage of this post-Prime Day deal which lists the original Dyson AirWrap dupe at $30.87 – a 56% discount off retail price. Amazon seldom reveals the end date for sales and Prime Day technically ended July 17, so you may want to act fast. 

SEE ALSO: 6 of the best hair styling tools: Dyson Airwrap, Revlon One-Step, and more

How good is the Revlon-One Step? Mashable’s lead shopping reporter Bethany Allard rated it a 4.25/5 in her review. It has a few advantages over others of its kind like the $600 Dyson Airwrap, both in price and quality. 

Some notable qualities

• Beginner-friendly with a minimal learning curve

• Quick styling time 

• Works with curlier hair

• High heat setting (be sure to use heat protectant to avoid heat damage)

• Bulkier than its competitors but is a fraction of the price

As usual, you need to be an Amazon Prime member to reap these benefits. If you don’t already have a membership, sign up for a free trial before purchase. Students can get a six-month free trial and non-students get a one-month free trial. 

Donald Glover took on First We Feast's "Hot Ones" spicy wings challenge and he went on a journey.

Premiering November on HBO and Max, "Dune: Propehcy" unveils the origins of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood.

U.S. senators are starkly questioning AT&T's data storage practices after a serious data breach.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) — the chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law — wrote letters questioning the telecom giant and its practice of storing call and text records with a third-party platform called Snowflake.

The lawmakers demanded more info regarding the hack in which the company said "nearly all" text and phone records were stolen in mid-to-late 2022. The letters demanded answers from the CEOs of both AT&T and Snowflake.

AT&T's security practices face scrutiny

"Why had AT&T retained months of detailed records of customer communication for an extended amount of time and why had AT&T uploaded that sensitive information onto a third party analytics platform?" the senators asked. "What is AT&T policy, including timelines, concerning retaining and using such information?"

SEE ALSO: New AT&T data breach impacts 'nearly all' customers

Blumenthal and Hawley also pressed the fact other Snowflake clients — such as Ticketmaster, Advance Auto Parts, and Santander Bank — have announced breaches of information hosted by the company. The lawmakers suggested the AT&T breach was a result of basic cybersecurity failures, centering on malware infections and passwords that had gone unchanged for years.

"Disturbingly, the AT&T breach appears to have been easily preventable," the senators wrote.

Not long after the news of the breach broke, it was reported that AT&T had actually paid a hacker roughly $370,000 to delete the stolen information — though that does not actually guarantee the data is actually fully gone.

We rounded up the best Fitbit deals still hanging around after the official end of Prime Day 2024:

The best live Fitbit deals after Prime Day 2024: BEST FITBIT FOR KIDS DEAL Fitbit Google Ace LTE Kids $179.94 at Amazon (save $50) Get Deal BEST FITBIT DEAL Fitbit Versa 4 $159.95 at Amazon (save $40) Get Deal BEST GOOGLE PIXEL DEAL Google Pixel Watch 2 $289.99 at Amazon (save $60) Get Deal

Amazon Prime Day 2024 is dead and gone — but not really. Deals are lingering a day after the official event wrapped, including on several Fitbit models.

Fitbit held off on releasing deals on its products until the actual start of Prime Day. Honestly, though, the deals leave a lot to be desired. We definitely saw better deals overall during Black Friday season 2023 and Prime Day 2023, with many models dropping to record-low prices. Regardless, there are still a handful of Fitbits on sale, and these may very well be the best prices we'll see on Fitbits until the holidays. If you're in the market for a fitness tracker, now's a great time to grab one and save some money.

We've rounded up the best Fitbit deals still live following Prime Day 2024. Since Google acquired Fitbit back in 2019 and Google Pixel watches utilize Fitbit's health and wellness tracking, we included Google Pixel watches on this list as well.

Note: All newly added deals are marked with a ✨, while deals with a 🔥 have dropped to an all-time low price.

Best Prime Day Fitbit deal still live Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Our pick: Fitbit Google Ace LTE Kids $179.95 at Amazon
$229.95 Save $50.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Released just last month, the new Fitbit Ace LTE gives kids a fun way to get active and feel independent. The smartwatch combines video games with exercise and encourages and rewards movement and play throughout the day. Parents can call, text, and voice message their kids on an Android or iOS phone, as well as see their real-time location and control who their child contacts. Gaming access can also be restricted during specific time frames. It's a great option for parents wanting their kids to ditch screens but stay in touch.

Regularly retailing for $229.95, the fitness tracker's on sale for $179.95 following Prime Day. That makes the fact that you have to purchase a Fitbit Ace Pass data plan in order to unlock all the features of the Ace LTE (either $119.99 annually or $9.99 per month) a bit more palatable.

More Prime Day Fitbit deals still live

• Fitbit Charge 6 — $119.95 $159.95 (save $40)

• Fitbit Versa 4 — $159.95 $199.95 (save $40)

• Google Pixel Watch — $169.99 $279.99 (save $110) 🔥

• Fitbit Sense 2 — $199.95 $249.95 (save $50)

• Google Pixel Watch 2 — $289.99 $349.99 (save $60) 🔥

SAVE $80: The Beats Solo 4 headphones have reached a record-low price of $119.95 in the aftermath of Prime Day. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Credit: Mashable Photo Composite Beats Solo 4 $119.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $80.00 Get Deal

Prime Day is technically over but there are still deals left for you to snag. 

The Beats Solo 4s are available at a 40% discount on the listed retail price, which is a $10 drop from the previous record in June. The price applies to all three colors: cloud pink, matte black, and slate blue. 

Features to consider

• No noise cancellation 

• Up to 50 hours of battery life

• Fast Fuel feature 

• Crisp sound 

How to snag this deal

While Beats go on sale often, this is the lowest price we’ve seen yet on the new Solo 4s — but it’s only available for a limited time and is exclusive to Amazon Prime members.  

If you’re not a Prime member, you can sign up for a trial membership for free. Students get a six-month free trial and non-students get a one-month free trial. But be sure to cancel before your subscription ends if you don’t want to incur that membership fee. 

"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is almost upon us, and Warner Bros. dropped a new trailer with Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega and Catherine O'Hara.

If you’re feeling lonely and opt for online dating to find love and companionship, you’re certainly not alone. By 2028, an estimated 452 million people will attempt to find "the one" through online platforms — and if you’re on Social Discovery Group’s dating sites, you might have better luck.

Whether you feel like you’re missing out on life, feeling isolated, can’t seem to find eligible folks in your age bracket, or are just looking to watch new sparks fly, Social Discovery Group has a dating option for every person: Dating.com, DateMyAge, and ZenDate.

Aging and dating made easy Opens in a new window Credit: DateMyAge DateMyAge Mature singles young at heart Learn More

For example, if you’re single and over 40, you may want to try your hand at DateMyAge. As the name would suggest, using the site will not only connect you with a ton of matches worldwide, but they’re all going to be folks in your preferred age range. After all, some of us would rather stay clear of the 20s crowd and find someone with our own life experiences or similar goals and interests. After all, dating should only get better with time.

Safe ways to meet other singles IRL Opens in a new window Credit: Dating.com Dating.com Meet anyone, anywhere Learn More

If age isn’t as big of a concern, try out Dating.com. With over 65 million single people worldwide from 120 countries, Dating.com provides singles with the opportunity to explore dating in a fun, safe, and special way.

Meeting someone for the first time can be awkward and lowkey stressful. The site provides video dating, live streaming, and virtual reality features to properly meet before you ever do IRL. This is a solid safety-first move to ease those first-date nerves.

Celebrating cultural connections Opens in a new window Credit: Zendate Zendate Connecting singles to their ideal partner Learn More

Suppose you prioritize sharing your Chinese heritage over global dating or age-specific matches. In that case, Zendate is a specialized platform designed for Chinese singles seeking love, romance, and like-minded connections. Whether you’re Chinese and living in China or elsewhere, you can find a potentially serious match that understands your cultural background while building a deep connection. Plus, using the site’s video and voice messaging system can get you deeper even quicker, so you can find what you’re truly looking for in a partner.

Social Discovery Group addresses the widespread issue of loneliness by creating a new digital reality where individuals can fulfill their need for communication and attention. Check out their dating platforms and join in shaping a more connected future.

Check out the best bladeless fan deals that are still live after Prime Day:

A look at the best bladeless fan deals at Amazon: Best air purifier and fan combo deal Dyson Purifier Cool™ TP07 Smart Air Purifier and Fan $499 at Amazon (save $150.99) Get Deal Best Dyson splurge deal Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde™ TP09 Air Purifier and Fan $647 at Amazon (save $102.99) Get Deal Best bladeless desk fan deal CONBOLA Desk Fan $37.79 at Amazon (save $4.20) Get Deal

Prime Day may have ended yesterday, July 17, but there are plenty of deals left over from the sale that are still live at Amazon, including deals on some of the best bladeless fans from Dyson and more.

All across the country, this has been the summer of heatwaves. If getting a top-notch fan has been on your to-do list, take advantage of these low prices while they're still here.

Best air purifier and fan combo deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Our pick: Dyson Purifier Cool TP07 Smart Air Purifier and Fan $499.00 at Amazon
$649.00 Save $150.00 Get Deal Why we like it

If you're going to shell out a couple-hundred dollars for a bladeless fan, it might as well be one that can tackle two jobs at once. The Dyson Purifier Cool TP07 Smart Air Purifier and Fan cools your space and cleans the air, making your home a more comfortable, healthier environment. Not only is the filter fully sealed away for your protection, but the whole machine is sealed, so what the Dyson clears from the air stays out for good. When you do need to change the filter, the process is simple; you even get a notification when its time is up. This year's Prime Day price is only $30 above the fan's lowest price ever, so it's a smart time to buy.

Best Dyson splurge deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Our pick: Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 Air Purifier and Fan $647.00 at Amazon
$749.99 Save $102.99 Get Deal Why we like it

If you're willing to spend a little extra, the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 Air Purifier and Fan takes air purifying and cooling to the next level. It destroys the formaldehyde in the air that can get released from household items, leaving your air safer and cleaner than it was before. We also love that the fan has 350-degree oscillation, and a Night Mode that reduces noise even further so you can sleep comfortably.

More bladeless fan deals:

• LivePure Bladeless Fan — $69.99 $179.99 (save $110)

• Dreo Bladeless Tower Fan — $10.99 $129.99 (save $20)

• Dreo Bladeless Tower Fan Cruiser Pro — $76.49 $89.99 (save $13.50)

• Dreo Quiet Tower Fan — $67.99 $79.99 (save $12)

• Pelonis Bladeless Tower Fan — $103.47 $114.99 (save $11.52)

• Konsiden Bladeless Desk Fan — $35.99 $42.99 (save $7)

• Vornado Whole Room Tower Fan — $84.99 $99.99 (save $15)

• Uthfy Bladeless Tower Fan — $35.95 $49.99 (save $4.04)

• PenKou Bladeless Neck Fan — $31.99 $39.99 (save $8)

Actors KiKi Layne and Thomas Doherty discuss their inspirations behind the music in Dandelion.

Microsoft's AI-powered Designer app has been unleashed from preview mode, with the Canva rival now available for free to everyone with a Microsoft account. And though it's an impressive productivity tool for those without major creative skills, it's not likely to be super welcome news for designers, artists, creatives, and those concerned about AI-generated artwork.

Announced in a post on Microsoft's blog and available on its website, the tech giant's design platform has officially launched on iOS and Android, for mobile and desktop. Designer is a template-based editing app that lets users create and edit images, make greeting cards, invitations, posters, and other basic design work, and spruce up Word documents with AI, using Microsoft Copilot.

SEE ALSO: ChatGPT and Copilot both shared debate misinformation, report says The Designer homepage. Credit: Screenshot: Designer

The app channels a similar offering to Australian unicorn Canva, which launched Magic Studio, a suite of AI-powered tools, last year.

Designer notably has a feature called Restyle Image, which can turn your photos into an AI-powered avatar using different styles like pop art, cubism, and stylised 3D — exactly whose art the AI has been trained on is unclear. It's similar to the offerings from other tech giants like Samsung. TikTok has introduced AI-generated digital avatars, WhatsApp is working on a personalized AI image generator, and there was that whole thing with Lensa.

Pretty cute. Credit: Microsoft

It takes under a minute to generate. Here's a couple I generated using a photo of myself, and while they really look nothing like me, they're pretty cute and make me feel deeply guilty:

The AI really loved my glasses I guess. Credit: Shannon Connellan / Microsoft Designer

If you have one of the expensive $20 per month Copilot Pro subscriptions, you can integrate Designer with Microsoft 365 software like Word and PowerPoint to enliven your documents and presentations with prompt templates and sticker generators. The app also connects with the Microsoft Photos app, so you can edit photos to erase and replace backgrounds, apply filters, and frame, or markup images. Copilot detects the subject in the photo and automatically highlights it like this for editing:

Credit: Microsoft

There's also something called Boosts available in Designer, which apparently "create or edit AI-powered images and designs faster" according to Microsoft. Users get 15 free Boosts a day; Copilot Pro subscribers get 100.

The platform might ring a few alarms for graphic designers, artists, creatives, and others concerned over the rise in AI-generated creative work. AI graphics tools like Microsoft's own Bing Image Creator using DALL-E 3 is just the tip of the AI-generated iceberg — Midjourney, Google's SGE, MediaTek, Adobe's terrifying tools, the list goes on. There is a tool call Nightshade that can protect artists' work against being trained with AI image generators.

In its blog post, Microsoft highlighted "stewarding responsible AI use" and included the following:

"At Microsoft, we are focused on building tools that harness the incredible potential of generative AI while providing a safe experience for our users. We are committed to ensuring that our systems are used in a responsible and ethical manner."

With Amazon's 2024 Prime Day sale in our rearview mirror, you may be wondering: When is the next Prime Day sale? Whether you didn't think this week's deals were good enough to drop some cash or you simply like to shop sales, it's always smart to plan ahead.

SEE ALSO: 380+ expertly-curated Prime Day deals that are still available as of July 18

As it turns out, another Prime-centric sale may not be that far off. Amazon technically only hosts one official "Prime Day" per year (and always in mid-summer). But according to Mashable's team of shopping experts, it's gotten in the habit of hosting a second similar event for Prime members later on.

When is the next Prime Day?

"Prime Day 2" will likely happen in October — though it probably won't go by that name.

Amazon has hosted a fall Prime event that month for the past two years. It was called the Prime Early Access Sale in 2022 and Prime Big Deal Days in 2023. The sales were two-day affairs that ran from Monday, Oct. 10 to Tuesday Oct. 11 and Tuesday, Oct. 10 to Wednesday, Oct. 11, respectively.

SEE ALSO: What Mashable readers bought on Prime Day

If we assume Amazon will stick with that early-month, early-week time slot, we'll go out on a limb and predict that the October Prime event will happen sometime between Oct. 7 to 9 this year. Either that, or right after Indigenous People's Day on Monday the 14th.

Amazon will likely use this October Prime event to kick off the Black Friday shopping season extra early, so it'll be a good time to start looking for holiday gifts and year-round lows on certain items. Plan your shopping list accordingly.

TL;DR: A wide range of online courses from Stanford University are available to take for free on edX.

Stanford University is one of the biggest names in the education game, so it's probably really difficult to become a student of this famous institution, right? No, actually. Anyone can become a student of Stanford University with a little help from edX.

This online course provider offers a wide range of online courses from Stanford University, covering topics like Python, mathematics, computer science, and much more. And you don't even need to spend anything to access these online courses.

These are the best Stanford University courses you can take for free this month.

• Algorithms: Design and Analysis

• Communicating with Presence

• Compilers

• Computer Science 101

• Databases: Advanced Topics in SQL

• Databases: Modeling and Theory

• Databases: OLAP and Recursion

• Databases: Relational Databases and SQL

• How to Learn Math: For Students

• How You Say It Matters: A Toolkit for Improving Communications About Academic Standing

• Introduction to Food and Health

• Introduction to the Natural Capital Project Approach

• Language, Proof, and Logic

• Living at the Nuclear Brink

• Nano at Stanford

• Quantum Mechanics for Scientists and Engineers 1

• Quantum Mechanics for Scientists and Engineers 2

• R Programming Fundamentals

• Semantics of First-Order Logic

• Statistical Learning with R

• The Threat of Nuclear Terrorism

These free courses do not include certificates of completion, but that's the only catch. You can still learn at your own pace with unlimited access to all the resources on offer, so there's nothing holding you back.

Find the best free online courses from Stanford University at edX.

Opens in a new window Credit: Stanford University Stanford University Courses Free at edX Get Deal

TL;DR: A wide range of online courses from Harvard University are available to take for free on edX, including lessons on AI, Python, JavaScript, and more.

edX is a goldmine for people who love to learn but don't want to spend money doing it. The online provider hosts literally thousands of courses from some of the biggest names in education, including Harvard University.

Yep, you could become a student of Harvard University without spending anything (and without leaving home). You can find Harvard courses on everything from artificial intelligence to cybersecurity with edX, so what are you waiting for? There isn't a catch here, besides the fact that you won't get a certificate of completion with these free courses. But don't let that hold you back.

These are the best free online courses from Harvard University this month:

• American Government: Constitutional Foundations

• Ancient Masterpieces of World Literature

• Applications of TinyML

• Building Personal Resilience: Managing Anxiety and Mental Health

• CitiesX: The Past, Present and Future of Urban Life

• CS50's Computer Science for Business Professionals

• CS50's Computer Science for Lawyers

• CS50's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python

• CS50's Introduction to Computer Science

• CS50's Introduction to Cybersecurity

• CS50's Introduction to Game Development

• CS50's Introduction to Programming with Python

• CS50's Introduction to Programming with R

• CS50's Introduction to Programming with Scratch

• CS50's Understanding Technology

• CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript

• Data Science: Capstone

• Data Science: Inference and Modelling

• Data Science: Machine Learning

• Data Science: Productivity Tools

• Data Science: R Basics

• Data Science: Visualization

• Deploying TinyML

• Energy and Thermodynamics

• Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies

• Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles

• Fat Chance: Probability from the Ground Up

• Fundamentals of Neuroscience Part 1

• Fundamentals of TinyML

• High-Dimensional Data Analysis

• Humanitarian Response to Conflict and Disaster

• Improving Your Business Through a Culture of Health

• Introduction to Data Science with Python

• Introduction to Digital Humanities

• Introduction to Probability

• Islam Through Its Scriptures

• Justice

• Leadership: Creating Public Value

• Leaders of Learning

• Machine Learning and AI with Python

• Managing Happiness

• Masterpieces of World Literature

• MLOps for Scaling TinyML

• Modern Masterpieces of World Literature

• Remote Work Revolution for Everyone

• Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking

• Shakespeare's Life and Work

• Statistics and R

• Super-Earths and Life

Students can enroll at any time and start learning at their own pace. Everyone leads busy lives, so it's nice to know that you can pursue your passion at a time that suits you and your lifestyle.

Find the best free online courses from Harvard University with edX.

Opens in a new window Credit: Harvard University Harvard University Courses Free at edX Get Deal

It's been three days of the 2024 Republican National Convention, and 'The Daily Show's Ronny Chieng unpacks the strangest moments.

From Babydog to "and there goes the teleprompter..." Seth Meyers takes an unhinged 'Closer Look' at the RNC's last three days.

'The Late Show' host Stephen Colbert brought the bubble machine for this Day 3 recap of the 2024 Republican National Convention.

Sometimes, a gadget comes along that I love, or want to love, but I'm also unsure that it makes any sense whatsoever. Reader, the tinyPod is one of those gadgets.

The tinyPod (via MacRumors) is a small device — a case, essentially — that wraps around your Apple Watch and turns it into a small iPod. Instead of wearing the watch around your wrist, you carry it in your pocket, and use the iPod-like scroll wheel to control it.

SEE ALSO: Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch SE: How do they compare?

The idea, according to the project's website, is to "transform the most powerful mini computer in the world into something new." And it does make sense; the Apple Watch can do a lot of things, but I mostly use it to glance the time, track workouts, and check on the occasional food delivery time. By putting it (sans the wristband, of course) into an iPod-like form factor, you might be more inclined to unlock more of its functionality, and if you have a cellular version, you can even use it as a super-small phone.

Who needs a wristband? Credit: tinyPod

While that's all fine and dandy, Apple Watch is a device that's made to be on your wrist. For example, once you unlock it, it stays unlocked as long as its back side is touching your skin, which obviously isn't practical with the tinyPod case. This means that you'll have to turn that feature off, and unlock the watch manually every time you use it, or leave it unprotected (also not a great idea).

Also, the only way the tinyPod makes sense, in my mind, is if you have an old Apple Watch lying around unused and want to do something with it. Purchasing an Apple Watch just to use it as a small phone or iPod-like music player doesn't seem like a good use of your money.

Charging, fortunately, is quite simple. As the tinyPod leaves the back of the Watch exposed, you charge it with the same charger and in the same way you'd normally charge your Watch (unless you have a particularly oddly shaped charging stand).

It comes in Apple Watch Ultra size, too. Credit: tinyPod

If you're willing to deal with these compromises, you can get the tinyPod for $79.99, and there's also a tinyPod lite version, which doesn't have the scroll wheel, for $29.99. The tinyPod comes in three sizes to accommodate various Apple Watch sizes. Yes, you can even have it for the 49-millimetre Apple Watch Ultra, but that increases the pricing to $89.99/$39.99.

As the International Space Station nears its retirement in 2030, NASA and its contractors are working full tilt on a new lab that will be whizzing through space much farther from Earth.

Right now, at a facility in Turin, Italy, engineers are stress-testing the core module for Gateway, a lunar space station designed to provide astronauts with a place to live, conduct scientific research, and prepare for moonwalks.

Though it may not look like much at the moment, the gunmetal-gray hollow cylinder, pictured above, is a critical facet of NASA's Artemis moon missions. It will house life-support systems for astronauts, exercise equipment, and banks for scientific instruments. NASA has dubbed the main module HALO, short for Habitation and Logistics Outpost.

If this all sounds like sci-fi mumbo jumbo that is decades into the future, think again: NASA and its partners plan to send HALO and its propulsion element into lunar orbit on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket as early as next year, welcoming its first guests around 2028. If successful, Gateway will be the first moon-orbiting space station.

"NASA and its international partners will explore the scientific mysteries of deep space with Gateway," the agency says, "to return humans to the Moon and chart a path for the first human missions to Mars."

SEE ALSO: How a NASA moon mission survived a death spiral in space NASA has dubbed the main module HALO, short for Habitation and Logistics Outpost. Credit: Thales Alenia Space

Maintaining a space station around a planetary body other than Earth won't be an easy feat. While the ISS orbits just 250 miles above Earth and is only a short spaceflight away in an emergency, the moon is over 230,000 miles in the distance, with the quickest journey back home taking two to four days. 

Despite the challenges, NASA is getting lots of international help to bring Gateway to fruition. Europe, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and Japan are contributing key components to build the station, which will have a unique path around the moon.

Scientists considered many potential orbits before determining the best fit for Gateway. The station will fly in a so-called "near rectilinear halo orbit." Since 2022, a small microwave-oven-sized spacecraft, CAPSTONE, has scouted out this path, which would look a little like a string of pearls hanging from a neck, if you drew it on paper. 

The unusual orbit is intended to be fuel-efficient and offer relatively close access to the lunar south pole, where astronauts will explore, look for water ice around the shadowy craters, and practice living in an extraterrestrial environment.

Why not a low circular orbit around the moon, one might ask? It certainly would put the station closer to the ground, but it would also require a lot more fuel to counteract the tug of the moon's gravity, according to NASA. A distant retrograde orbit, on the other hand, while more stable and less fuel-consuming, would be too inconvenient for trips back and forth to the surface. 

But the near rectilinear halo orbit, a weeklong loop around the moon's poles, is thought to offer the best of both worlds. The station would also continuously face Earth, allowing uninterrupted communication with flight controllers. 

Tweet may have been deleted

The HALO section is just one of four modules where international astronauts will live and work. NASA has said the assembly of Gateway in space will happen in stages, beginning with the Artemis IV mission, slated for no earlier than September 2028, and finishing with Artemis VI. The expansion pieces will launch with the Orion spaceship atop NASA's Space Launch System, casually referred to as the "mega moon rocket." 

If you're having trouble visualizing how this will all come together, take a look back at the new photo of HALO. Inside the module on the right side of the tube is where a cargo spacecraft and the European Space Agency's Lunar View, a module with large windows, will dock. That crucial ESA part will have refueling capabilities for the propulsion module. 

NASA has given the propulsion module perhaps the least creative name in the agency's history: the Power and Propulsion Element. It will harness solar power for Gateway's subsystems and ionize xenon gas for the thrust needed to maintain the station's orbit. 

NASA astronauts see images like this when they're touring the Gateway space station with virtual reality. Credit: NASA Johnson Space Center

To the left on the outside of HALO is a docking port where SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon landers will dock during the Artemis IV and V missions, respectively. NASA administrator Bill Nelson has said using private vendors will help the agency buy down the technical risks and costs for the Artemis program, which seeks to use the moon as a springboard for eventual missions to Mars.

"I've said it before: We want more competition. We want two landers, and that's better, and it means that you have reliability. You have backups," Nelson told reporters last year. "These are public-private partnerships. It's the new way that we go to the moon."

After engineers finish stress-testing HALO at Thales Alenia Space in Italy, the module will go to Gilbert, Arizona, where Northrop Grumman, its builder, will finish its outfitting and prep it for launch. 

The climate crisis is making days longer, and it’s bad news for navigation tech.