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The Orion crew vehicle is exceeding expectations on its way to the Moon. NASA provided an update on Artemis 1 following the mission’s successful launch early Wednesday morning. “Orion has been performing great so far,” Vehicle Integration Manager Jim Geffre said during a press briefing NASA held on Friday. “All of the systems are exceeding expectations from a performance standpoint.”

Artemis 1 seeks to confirm the crew vehicle can safely carry human astronauts to Earth’s natural satellite. The journey marks Orion’s first trip beyond our planet’s orbit. In 2014, the spacecraft completed a two-orbit test flight around Earth. A successful flight would pave the way for a manned mission to the Moon and eventually NASA’s first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The agency expects Artemis 1 to reach the Moon on November 21st. At that point, the spacecraft will perform the first of four main engine burns NASA has planned for the mission. At times, Orion will fly little more than 81 miles (130 kilometers) above the lunar surface. “We will be passing over some of the Apollo landing sites,” Flight Director Jeff Radigan said. Four days later, NASA plans to conduct a second burn to put Orion in a distant orbit around the Moon before finally setting the spacecraft on a return trajectory toward the Earth. If all goes according to plan, Orion will land in the Pacific Ocean on December 11th.

Orion’s early successes are a welcome development after the troubles NASA encountered with its Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket. The space agency was forced to delay the launch of Artemis 1 multiple times due to engine problems, hydrogen fuel leaks and hurricane-force winds. Early Wednesday morning, it appeared that the agency would be forced to delay the mission again after the SLS ground team discovered a leak in one of the fuel lines on the rocket’s launch tower. However, after NASA personnel tightened some bolts, the SLS lifted off, creating a dazzling nighttime display.

A historic workforce reduction followed by mass resignation has put Twitter’s new CEO Elon Musk on the backfoot, to the point of desperation, it seems.

The first real information rollout for Indiana Jones 5 has begun ahead of the untitled film’s June 2023 release. What’s intended to be the for real sendoff for Harrison Ford’s treasure hunter has some new faces showing up, including Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen. It didn’t take long for folks to suspect that …

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When it comes to smart locks, August’s 4th-gen WiFi model is one of our favorites. The device typically costs $230, but you can snag it for a solid discount ahead of Black Friday. Use the code ENGLOCK when you check out at Wellbots, and you’ll get $55 off. That means you’ll get the August WiFi smart lock for $174. While that’s not the best deal we’ve seen for the product, it’s still a good price.

Buy August WiFi smart lock (4th-gen) at Wellbots – $174

We gave the smart lock, which is available in black or silver, a score of 80 in our review. We liked the fact that it’s easy to install (it should fit over most existing deadbolts) and that it won’t take up too much real estate on your door. It’s slimmer than previous versions. Another big plus is that it’s WiFi-connected and doesn’t require a bridge to operate it. On the downside, the smart lock only works with 2.4GHz WiFi networks, so you’ll need to make sure your router is set up for that.

You’ll be able to lock and unlock the door remotely, which could come in handy if a friend is stopping by to check on your home and water the plants while you’re on vacation. There’s the option to provide folks with timed-entry keys, meaning that they’ll be able to enter a home on their own without having to wait for the resident to unlock the door manually. Because the August smart lock fits over an existing deadbolt, you’ll still be able to use your same physical keys to open your door — so don’t worry too much about the power going out when you’re away from home.

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