Private space crew returns to Earth after stay at ISS
The Axiom Mission 4 landed in the sea near the Californian coast and was picked up by a recovery ship.
The four travellers on board the Dragon capsule from Elon Musk's company SpaceX had spent two weeks in space.
An astronaut from India's ISRO space agency was on board for the first time. The flight was made possible by co-operation between NASA and ISRO, after an agreement between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In addition to the Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, the crew also included the Pole Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, the Hungarian Tibor Kapu and the former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson.
The mission brought astronauts from Poland and Hungary to the space station for an extended stay for the first time.
A video on X showed Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk watching the landing on television. "Welcome back," he said. "Thank God, everything went well."
On its return, the Dragon capsule brought around 260 kilograms of cargo to Earth, including NASA equipment and scientific data from over 60 experiments.
The mission is part of NASA's long-term strategy to open up low-Earth orbit more to commercial space travel.
In future, private providers are to increasingly take over transport and research services, while the US space agency concentrates on missions to the moon and later to Mars.
According to media reports, a flight with Axiom costs around €70 million ($81.4 million) per passenger.
In 2022, the company organized the first private mission to the ISS, followed by others in 2023 and 2024.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
19 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Crypto's Wild West Era Is Over
For more than a decade, cryptocurrency lived in a regulatory gray zone. Loved by libertarians, feared by bankers, and mocked by lawmakers, it was treated like a side project of the internet, too weird to regulate and too volatile to embrace. That era just ended. The U.S. House of Representatives has officially passed the GENIUS Act, a landmark bill that sets federal rules for stablecoins—the digital currencies pegged to the U.S. dollar. The bill is expected to be signed into law by President Donald Trump, making it the first major piece of crypto legislation in American history. It is the moment crypto has been waiting for: real rules, real recognition, and real legitimacy. Stablecoins like USDC and USDT are already used to move billions of dollars every day. They're the quiet workhorses of crypto—used to send money across borders, trade on crypto exchanges, and settle payments instantly without touching a traditional bank. But until now, there were no federal laws clearly defining how they should work, what they must be backed by, or who should regulate them. That uncertainty scared away banks, blocked innovation, and left consumers vulnerable. The GENIUS Act changes that. It requires stablecoin issuers to hold one-to-one reserves in cash or U.S. Treasury bills. It enforces monthly disclosures. It gives consumers priority if an issuer goes bankrupt. It creates a path for both federal and state-level oversight. In short, it gives crypto the kind of legal foundation that big institutions—and average Americans—can finally trust. This law isn't just about taming crypto. It's about launching the next era of American finance. Stablecoins are already powering instant global payments. In the future, they could be integrated into everyday apps—used to pay rent, send money to family, or settle business transactions in seconds. With the GENIUS Act, the U.S. is staking a claim to lead that future. At a time when countries like China are racing to launch their own state-backed digital currencies, this law sends a clear message: America won't be left behind. It also opens the door for crypto to leave the speculative Wild West and move into the financial mainstream. Companies like PayPal, Visa, and BlackRock are already building on blockchain rails. Now, they can do it with a legal framework behind them. For years, crypto has been dismissed as a sideshow. Critics called it a scam, a bubble, or a toy for rich tech bros. There was some truth to the chaos. But behind the scenes, a new financial infrastructure was being built: faster, programmable, and radically transparent. With this new law, that infrastructure gets its first real seal of approval from Washington. It's not just about price anymore. It's about permanence. The GENIUS Act is just the beginning. More legislation is coming, covering digital asset securities, smart contract standards, and decentralized platforms. But this bill proves Congress can act. That alone is a major shift in the political landscape. In the next few years, you may not even realize you're using crypto. It will just be how money moves: instantly, digitally, securely. And legally. Crypto is no longer knocking on the door. It's walking in.
CNBC
20 minutes ago
- CNBC
Travelers to the US must pay a new $250 'visa integrity fee' — What to know
Visitors to the United States will soon need to pay a "visa integrity fee," according to a provision of President Donald Trump administration's recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The fee applies to all visitors who need non-immigrant visas to enter, and cannot be waived. However travelers may also be able to get the fees reimbursed, according to the provision. Details about the new requirement are scant, which has resulted in "significant challenges and unanswered questions regarding implementation," a spokesperson from the U.S. Travel Association told CNBC Travel. However, here is what is known thus far. How much is the fee? The fee will be at least $250 during the U.S. fiscal year 2025, which runs from Oct. 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2025. However, the Secretary of Homeland Security is free to set the fee higher, according to the provision. Thereafter, the visa integrity fee will be adjusted for inflation. Who must pay the new fee? The "visa integrity fee" applies to all visitors who need non-immigrant visas, which includes tourists, business travelers and international students. When is the fee paid? The fee is paid when the visa is issued, according to the provision. Thus, visitors whose visa requests are denied will not be charged. Does the fee replace other visa fees? No, the provision states that the new fee is "in addition to" other fees, including regular visa fees. "For example, an H-1B worker already paying a $205 application fee may now expect to pay a total of $455 once this fee is in place," Steven A. Brown, a partner at the Houston-based immigration law firm Reddy Neumann Brown PC, wrote in a post on his firm's website. Additionally, the fee must be paid on top of a "Form I-94 fee," which the One Big Beautiful Bill Act increased from $6 to $24. That fee must be paid by anyone who is required to submit a Form 1-94 arrival and departure record, which applies to most travelers. How can travelers getreimbursed? To get their money back, visa holders must comply with the conditions of the visa, which includes "not accept[ing] unauthorized employment," and not overstay the visa validity date by more than five days, according to the provision. Reimbursements will be made after the travel visa expires, it says. The fee has not yet been implemented, according to Brown. It is not clear when it will begin. "I believe it would need a regulation, or at least a notice in the Federal Register, regarding implementation on collection," said Brown. It is also unclear how travelers will pay the fee, the U.S. Travel Association told CNBC. "The bill directs the DHS Secretary to charge the fee, but DHS does not own the visa application, issuance or renewal process — so where and when would DHS collect the fee?" the spokesperson said. In response to CNBC's enquires, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said: "The visa integrity fee requires cross-agency coordination before implementation." More questions surround how and when the reimbursement process kicks in. Since many visas are valid for several years, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office said it expects "a small number of people would seek reimbursement." Moreover, "CBO expects that the Department of State would need several years to implement a process for providing reimbursements. On that basis, CBO estimates that enacting the provision would increase revenues and decrease the deficit by $28.9 billion over the 2025‑2034 period." Brown said he is advising clients to treat the fee as non-refundable. "If you get it back, great. But it is usually difficult to get money back from the government," he said. "I would rather them view it as a 'bonus' if they get the refund." "President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill provides the necessary policies and resources to restore integrity in our nation's immigration system," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNBC. Data shows most visa holders comply with their visa terms. For the fiscal years between 2016 and 2022, between 1%-2% of non-immigrant visitors overstayed their visas in the United States, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service. However, an estimated 42% of the approximately 11 million unauthorized population living in the United States entered the country legally, but overstayed their period of admission, the data shows. Brown said the visa integrity fee will likely impact B visa holders — or leisure and business travelers — and international students more than other types of travelers. "For B visa holders, they may not want to add an additional $250 per person to their trip costs," he said. The new fee, plus the I-94 fee, come as the United States prepares to host several major events in 2026, including the "America 250" celebration, in honor of the country's 250th anniversary, and parts of the FIFA World Cup. These hurdles are compounded by problems at Brand USA, the destination marketing organization that promotes inbound travel into the United States, which saw the One Big Beautiful Bill Act slash its funding from $100 million to $20 million. The cuts came after the U.S. Commerce Department fired nearly half of Brand USA's board members in April. Brand USA did not respond to CNBC's request for comment. Ahead of the passage of the new legislation, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman praised the bill's contributions to U.S. infrastructure, air traffic control and border security. But, he added: "The smart investments in the travel process make foolish new fees on foreign visitors and reductions to Brand USA, America's promotion arm, that much harder to swallow."
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Senate passes landmark crypto legislation with bipartisan support
WASHINGTON – A landmark bill to regulate cryptocurrency passed the Senate on June 17, creating a path for digital assets to go mainstream and representing a big win for an industry that spent heavily to get President Donald Trump elected. The 68-30 vote reflects a major victory for the crypto industry, which has been aggressively lobbying Congress on the legislation. The bill next must be approved by the Republican-led House before Trump can sign it into law. Its passage also marks a turnaround from May, when Democrats who had supported the bill blocked it over concerns about Trump's connections to the industry. World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture linked to Trump that has already brought in more than $53 million, has launched USD1, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin. Trump also held a dinner late last month for the top purchasers of the $TRUMP meme coin, owned by an affiliate of The Trump Organization. More: Trump brought in $57 million from crypto venture, millions from sneakers and bibles The bill, dubbed the GENIUS Act, would create a framework to regulate stablecoins. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency that are tied to the value of another asset, like the U.S. dollar. Comparatively, most cryptocurrency fluctuates based on market valuation, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. "Digital assets are a force for good," said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, who has been a vocal advocate for the bill. "This legislation is also about economic security and opportunity. ... It ensures American consumers and businesses can participate in the digital economy with confidence and security." The bill would create new guardrails for the industry, including requiring companies to hold a reserve of assets so stablecoin holders could always cash out, just like banks. It would also bar members of Congress or senior executive branch officials from "issuing a payment stablecoin product during their time in public service." A vocal contingent of Democrats have opposed the legislation, arguing it does not do enough to regulate the industry and would directly benefit Trump, whose family business is already profiting from cryptocurrency. "There is nothing in the GENIUS Act to stop this corruption. In fact, the Senate bill would accelerate the corruption," Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, said on the Senate floor on June 11. "It would make Trump the regulator of his own financial company and, importantly, the regulator of his competitors." Contributing: Medora Lee This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Landmark crypto bill passes Senate with bipartisan support
