The Download: dethroning SpaceX, and air-conditioning’s energy demands

SpaceX is a space launch juggernaut. In just two decades, the company has managed to edge out former aerospace heavyweights Boeing, Lockheed, and Northrop Grumman to gain near-monopoly status over rocket launches in the US. It is now also the go-to launch provider for commercial customers, having lofted numerous satellites and five private crewed spaceflights, with more to come.

Other space companies have been scrambling to compete for years, but developing a reliable rocket takes slow, steady work and big budgets. Now at least some of them are catching up. Read the full story.

—Ramin Skibba

We should talk more about air-conditioning

—Casey Crownhart

Things are starting to warm up here in the New York City area, and it’s got me thinking once again about something that people aren’t talking about enough: energy demand for air conditioners. 

I get it: Data centers are the shiny new thing to worry about. And I’m not saying we shouldn’t be thinking about the strain that gigawatt-scale computing installations put on the grid. But a little bit of perspective is important here.

I just finished up a new story about a novel way to make heat exchangers, a crucial component in air conditioners and a whole host of other technologies that cool our buildings, food, and electronics. Let’s dig into why I’m writing about the guts of cooling technologies, and why this sector really needs innovation. Read the full story.