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The 10 Most Bizarre Presidential Elections in Human History

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The 10 Most Bizarre Presidential Elections in Human History

Presidential elections are often high-stakes events that reveal much about a country’s political climate. Sometimes, they unfold in surprising and bizarre ways, leaving an indelible mark on history. These unusual elections aren’t just footnotes; they are pivotal moments that can redefine nations. Each one tells a story of ambition, conflict, and the unpredictable nature of politics.

In this list, we’ll explore ten of the most bizarre presidential elections in history… so far. Each entry dives into the unique circumstances and key figures that made these elections stand out. From revolutions to recounts, these stories highlight the dramatic and often unpredictable nature of the electoral process. Join us as we uncover the fascinating tales behind these extraordinary elections.

Related: Top 10 Costly US Presidential Campaign Blunders

10 Mexico 1910: The Election That Sparked a Revolution

The Mexican Revolution Explained in 10 Minutes

The 1910 presidential election in Mexico was a catalyst for the Mexican Revolution, a decade-long conflict that transformed the country. Incumbent President Porfirio Díaz had ruled for over three decades with an iron fist, and his regime was marked by corruption and repression. When Francisco Madero, a reformist, challenged Díaz, the election quickly descended into fraud and manipulation.

Madero’s calls for democratic reforms struck a chord with the discontented populace. After the fraudulent election, Madero issued the Plan of San Luis Potosí, denouncing the results and calling for armed revolt. This appeal sparked a widespread rebellion, uniting various social classes against Díaz’s dictatorship. The uprising gained momentum, leading to significant battles and the eventual resignation of Díaz in May 1911.

The revolution didn’t end with Díaz’s departure; it continued to shape Mexico’s political landscape for years. Revolutionary leaders like Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa emerged, advocating for land reforms and social justice. The election of 1910 was not just an isolated event but a pivotal moment that fueled a broader struggle for democracy and equality in Mexico.[1]

9 United States 2000: The Hanging Chads Controversy

After Bush v. Gore: 2000 Election Documentary | Retro Report | The New York Times

The 2000 United States presidential election is remembered for its unprecedented turmoil and legal battles. The race between George W. Bush and Al Gore was intensely close, with Florida’s 25 electoral votes becoming the decisive factor. The election saw the infamous “hanging chads,” partially punched paper ballots, causing significant confusion and controversy during the vote count.

Initial results swung back and forth, with media outlets prematurely calling the state for both candidates at different times. Gore initially conceded, only to retract his concession when the margin of Bush’s lead narrowed to just hundreds of votes. This led to multiple recounts and a slew of legal challenges focusing on the validity of the ballots and the recount procedures.

The situation escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ultimately halted the recount, effectively awarding the presidency to Bush. This decision highlighted critical issues within the electoral system, particularly regarding voting technology and the legal processes surrounding elections. The 2000 election remains a landmark case in American political history for its demonstration of electoral vulnerabilities and the pivotal role of the judiciary.[2]

8 Philippines 1986: The People Power Revolution

1986 Philippines Elections

The 1986 presidential election in the Philippines was a watershed moment that led to the People Power Revolution, ousting Ferdinand Marcos from power. Marcos, who had ruled since 1965 and declared martial law in 1972, faced off against Corazon Aquino, the widow of assassinated opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. Marcos declared victory amidst widespread allegations of fraud, which ignited public outrage.

From February 22 to 25, millions of Filipinos took to the streets, spurred by calls from Cardinal Jaime Sin and defecting military officers. The peaceful demonstrations forced Marcos and his family to flee to Hawaii, and Corazon Aquino was sworn in as president. This revolution marked the end of decades-long authoritarian rule and was celebrated globally as a triumph of non-violent resistance and democracy.[3]

7 Iran 2009: The Green Movement Uprising

Iran’s Green Movement: The Voices of Dissent

The 2009 presidential election in Iran sparked the Green Movement, a significant opposition force challenging the regime. Incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory over Mir Hossein Mousavi was marred by allegations of widespread electoral fraud. The day after the results were announced, millions of Iranians, donning green in support of Mousavi, took to the streets chanting, “Where is my vote?”

The government responded with a severe crackdown, deploying security forces, including the Revolutionary Guards and Basij militia, to disperse protests violently. Many demonstrators were arrested and beaten, and some were even killed. The movement’s symbol became the image of Neda Agha Soltan, a young woman whose death was captured on video and spread worldwide, highlighting the regime’s brutality.

Despite the crackdown, the Green Movement persisted, demanding democratic reforms and transparency. Though the regime eventually suppressed public demonstrations, the Green Movement left a lasting impact on Iranian politics, symbolizing the people’s struggle for democracy and human rights.[4]

6 Kenya 2007: The Election That Led to Ethnic Violence

Inside Story – Kenya’s election – 26 Dec 07 – Pt 1

The 2007 presidential election in Kenya marked a dark chapter in the country’s history due to the violent aftermath. President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner over Raila Odinga amidst widespread allegations of electoral fraud. The announcement sparked immediate protests, leading to brutal ethnic violence, primarily between the Kikuyu, Kibaki’s ethnic group, and the Luo, who largely supported Odinga.

The violence resulted in over 1,100 deaths and displaced around 600,000 people. International mediation led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan helped broker a power-sharing agreement, with Kibaki remaining president and Odinga appointed as prime minister. This election underscored the deep ethnic divisions in Kenya and the critical need for transparent electoral processes to ensure national stability.[5]

5 Italy 1976: The Historic Compromise and Aldo Moro’s Tragic Fate

Aldo Moro – The man who almost ended the Cold War – The Italian Politician of the week

The 1976 general election in Italy was pivotal, marked by the “Historic Compromise” between the Christian Democracy (DC) party and the Italian Communist Party (PCI). Aldo Moro, a key figure in the DC, championed this alliance to stabilize Italy amidst political turmoil and economic crisis. This unprecedented move aimed to integrate the PCI into mainstream politics, reducing the influence of extremist factions.

However, Moro’s strategy faced substantial opposition from both domestic conservatives and international actors, particularly the United States, who were wary of communist participation in government. Despite the controversy, the compromise symbolized a potential shift toward political inclusivity and moderation in Italy’s fragmented landscape.

Tragically, Aldo Moro’s efforts were violently interrupted when he was kidnapped and murdered by the Red Brigades, a militant left-wing group, in 1978. His assassination shocked Italy and derailed the Historic Compromise, significantly impacting the country’s political trajectory. The events surrounding the 1976 election underscore the volatile interplay of ideology, terrorism, and political reform during this era.[6]

4 France 2017: The Centrist Triumph over the Far-Right

French elections 2017: France votes for next president after divisive campaign

The 2017 presidential election in France marked a significant political shift as centrist Emmanuel Macron faced off against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. Macron, a former banker and Minister of the Economy, launched his independent campaign under the banner of En Marche! His platform focused on progressive economic reforms, pro-European Union policies, and modernization of France’s labor market.

Representing the National Front, Le Pen campaigned on a nationalist agenda, emphasizing anti-immigration policies and skepticism towards the EU. The stark contrast between Macron’s inclusive, pro-European stance and Le Pen’s populist, nationalist rhetoric highlighted deep divisions within French society. The election was characterized by high voter turnout and intense public debate on France’s future direction.

Macron’s decisive victory, securing 66% of the vote, was a clear rejection of far-right extremism. His win disrupted the traditional French political landscape, demonstrating a preference for centrist, forward-looking policies. The 2017 election underscored the resilience of pro-European sentiments in France and set the stage for Macron’s ambitious reform agenda.[7]

3 Zimbabwe 2008: The Violent Runoff Election

Inside Story – Zimbabwe’s political conundrum – 25 Jun 08 P1

The 2008 presidential election in Zimbabwe was marred by extreme violence and intimidation. In the initial round, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won more votes than incumbent President Robert Mugabe but did not achieve the majority needed to avoid a runoff. In the lead-up to the runoff, state-sponsored violence targeted MDC supporters, resulting in deaths, injuries, and widespread fear.

Due to the escalating violence, Tsvangirai withdrew from the runoff, leaving Mugabe to claim victory unchallenged. International observers condemned the election as neither free nor fair. The aftermath saw a power-sharing agreement in which Tsvangirai was appointed Prime Minister. Still, the election highlighted the brutal lengths Mugabe’s regime would go to maintain power and the severe obstacles to democracy in Zimbabwe.[8]

2 Honduras 2017: The Controversial Re-Election of Juan Orlando Hernández

Honduras president accused of election fraud

The 2017 presidential election in Honduras was fraught with controversy and accusations of fraud. Incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernández sought re-election despite the country’s constitutional term limits. Initially, opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla appeared to be leading. However, the tide shifted dramatically after a prolonged and irregular vote-counting process, prompting widespread allegations of electoral manipulation.

Mass protests erupted, leading to violent clashes and a number of fatalities. Despite these irregularities and calls from the Organization of American States for a new election, the United States recognized Hernández’s re-election. This endorsement, amid significant controversy, highlighted the deep political instability in Honduras and cast serious doubt on the integrity of its electoral process.[9]

1 Austria 2016: The Annulled Election and Re-run Saga

Austria elections: court annuls presidential election result

The 2016 presidential election in Austria was both dramatic and unprecedented. Initially, Alexander Van der Bellen narrowly defeated Norbert Hofer of the far-right Freedom Party. However, the Freedom Party contested the results, alleging irregularities in the handling of absentee ballots.

Austria’s Constitutional Court found enough evidence of procedural errors to annul the election results, an unprecedented decision that mandated a re-run of the runoff election. The second runoff, held in December 2016, saw Van der Bellen winning again, this time by a more decisive margin, reaffirming his victory and ending the electoral uncertainty.

This election saga highlighted both the strengths and challenges of Austria’s democratic institutions. While the court’s decision underscored a commitment to electoral integrity, the contentious process revealed significant political divides within the country.[10]



fact checked by
Darci Heikkinen

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10 Eggs-traordinarily Odd Eggs

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10 Eggs-traordinarily Odd Eggs

Species that give birth to live young are by far the oddest creatures on earth, at least if you go by the statistics. It is thought that 99% of all species reproduce by laying eggs that hatch outside the mother’s body. Laying eggs is a risky proposition, though, because it increases the chances of something terrible happening to your babies while they are stuck inside their shells.

A dazzling variety of adaptations have evolved over billions of years to give eggs the best chance of successfully hatching. Here are ten fantastical types of eggs you will not find in your local supermarket.

Related: Top 10 Places That Prove Our World Can Be Weird as Hell

10 Monotreme Eggs

Why Echidnas Are Evolutionary Misfits

When we think of what distinguishes mammals from other groups of animals, we tend to believe that they, and we, give birth to live offspring and feed them milk, but this is not entirely true. A group of mammals called the monotremes still lay eggs. Currently, only two types of mammals, the echidnas and the platypus, are known to do this, and egg-laying mammals are probably more like the ancestral species that all mammals descended from.

The eggs the monotremes lay contain relatively well-developed offspring within them and generally hatch within ten days of being deposited. To escape the leathery eggs they are trapped inside, platypus babies, known as puggles, grow a sharp “egg tooth” made of keratin on their bills to tear the shell casing. Echidna young also develop an egg tooth, which is a feature often seen in reptiles and reflects the evolutionary history of all mammals.[1]

9 Lacewing Eggs

lacewing eggs#aphid predators#common green lacewing#chrysoperla carnea

If you ever see a group of lacewing eggs in your garden, you might think they are suffering from some weird fungal infection. Unlike most insect eggs, lacewing eggs are laid one at a time and at the end of a thin stalk, which holds them away from the plant they are laid on.

Why would a creature lay an egg attached to such a delicate-looking structure? When they emerge from these eggs, lacewing larvae are hungry and carnivorous, so the eggs are deposited near the aphids on which they feed. Oddly, the lacewing is not protecting its eggs from the aphids but from the ants that protect them.

Aphids are often guarded by ants because the aphids produce a sweet liquid from their rear end that is consumed by the ants. By placing their eggs on stalks, the lacewing parents keep them safe from ants until the larvae are sufficiently grown to feast on the aphids.[2]

8 Mermaid Purses

Contents of a Mermaid’s Purse

If you are wandering along a beach, you might stumble upon a small black or brown object that has washed up on the shore. If you pick it up, it is hard to understand exactly what it might be. Folklore has given them the name “mermaid purse” because having mythological marine people using them to store coins almost seems more likely than the reality.

Mermaid purses are the eggshells of sharks, skates, and rays. They are usually made of a tough and leathery material with a rectangular shape with a prong poking out at each corner. These prongs sometimes have thin tendrils spiraling from them, which reveals how the eggs are deposited. The tendrils become entangled with seaweed, which anchors them in place until the embryos within have grown enough to escape and survive on their own.[3]

7 Spiral Horn Shark Eggs

The Strange World of Shark Eggs

You might think that the classification of fossils is relatively easy, but that is far from the truth. Some preserved remains confuse even the greatest minds in the field. When examples of a strangely twisted fossil were first discovered, experts thought it must be some type of plant. It was only later that Palaeoxyris was correctly identified as a type of egg—though things might have been cleared up sooner if any of the researchers had seen the egg of a horn shark.

The eggs of a horn shark have a similar spiral shape. They may have evolved to give the baby sharks the best chance of surviving until they are ready to hatch—because the mother shark does not stay around to protect them. It is unclear how the spiral shape is made, but it may be that the gland that produces them in the mother is similarly twisted.

Once the eggs exit the mother, they fall to the seabed where they would be easily consumed by hungry predators if it was not for the strange shape of the egg case. Because of the spiral form, the eggs are more likely to become wedged in out of the way places and between rocks, making it harder for anything looking for an easy meal to get at them.[4]

6 Drongo Eggs

Indian Black Drongo Bird Nest And Eggs

Cuckoos are cunning parasites. They find a nest where birds of another species have already laid their eggs and then sneak in to deposit their own egg inside. Once the cuckoo egg hatches, the baby bird pushes either the other eggs or the other hatchlings out of the nest. The parent birds then put all their energy into feeding the cuckoo—even as it grows to many times larger than the parent birds themselves. Cuckoos use trickery to make sure their eggs blend in with the eggs already in the nest, as they are able to lay eggs that look almost identical to the other eggs.

How do birds protect themselves from having changelings being snuck into their nests? In the case of the drongo bird, they develop their own personal egg patterns. Cuckoos can still mimic the eggs of the drongo, but they don’t do it quite well enough. Mother drongo birds can recognize their own patterns, almost like a fingerprint, and will destroy the cuckoo eggs before they get a chance to hatch.[5]

5 Stink Bug Eggs

Spined Soldier Bug Nymphs – Macro Time Lapse

It should perhaps be no surprise that the eggs of the spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris, are also spiny. The small round eggs have openings that are surrounded by short spikes. It is not this odd appearance, though, that makes these stink bug eggs so unusual.

The spined soldier bug is the only species that is known to be able to change the color of its eggs at will. When the insects lay their eggs on the light underside of a leaf, the eggs are almost white. When the same insect lays eggs on the top of a leaf, then they are darker, sometimes black. It is thought that the darker eggs on the more exposed upper surface of the leaf have more protection from ultraviolet light.

No one knows how the insect is able to alter the appearance of its eggs. Researchers are not even certain what chemicals inside the eggs produce the darker colors.[6]

4 Praying Mantis Eggs

Praying Mantis Hatching Timelapse

Praying mantises are well known for both their extraordinary prowess as hunters and somewhat unusual mating practices—which sometimes end with the female killing and consuming the male after, or sometimes during, sex. But here, we will focus on the strange structures they produce once they are ready to lay their eggs.

After the mantis mating season, you may spot large, papery objects appearing on branches. Known as oothecae, these structures are produced at the same time as the mother lays her eggs. The mother produces a special foamy substance that covers the eggs and hardens them into the ootheca, which protects the eggs. The ootheca can take a number of shapes, and many of them look like something straight out of a horror film. When the eggs—up to 400—inside hatch, the scene can be equally scary, as a mass of miniature mantises spew out.[7]

3 Glass Frog Eggs

Glass frogs are a fascinating group of creatures to study and somewhat easy to study internally because they are partially see-through from underneath. This means you can see their bones and internal organs if you flip the frogs over. But here, their eggs and how they develop interest us.

A male glass frog will find a leaf that hangs over running water and begin to make its mating call. When a female comes to the leaf, the pair mate. Then, the female lays its eggs on the leaf, and the eggs stay in place thanks to a jelly-like substance. The female and sometimes the male stay to guard the eggs.

When the eggs hatch, the tadpoles seem trapped, but thanks to gravity, they soon tumble off the leaf and into the water.[8]

2 Octopus Eggs

Mother octopus makes the ultimate sacrifice for her babies

While many creatures who lay eggs abandon them as soon as they are out, some species spend a great deal of time caring for their unhatched babies. No group of organisms gives more energy toward guarding their eggs than octopus mothers.

Octopuses sometimes lay hundreds of thousands of small and translucent eggs in a single batch, so there are many reasons to make sure they remain safe until they are ready to hatch. In most species of octopus, the mother will create a den, often dragging rocks around it to ensure it is safe, before laying her eggs.

Once the eggs are deposited the mother octopus will cling to the top of the den and gently fan the eggs to make sure they get the right amount of oxygen. Then she waits. Without feeding, the mother octopus stays in the den to guard the eggs for months. One deep-sea octopus was observed guarding its eggs for four years.

Such a long time without food is catastrophic for the mother. She slowly begins to die as she watches over her eggs. The usual strong colors of the octopus fade to a sickly white; she will not live long enough to care for her young. When the tiny baby octopuses hatch, they immediately swim away to begin their struggle to survive into adulthood.[9]

1 Elephant Bird Eggs

Best Of Attenborough And The Giant Egg | BBC Earth

Had you visited the island of Madagascar a little over a thousand years ago, you might have encountered a bird so large that it is called the elephant bird. The largest example of the elephant bird stood around 10 feet (3 meters) tall, easily dwarfing the largest humans. You would expect the large bird to lay large eggs, and you would not be wrong.

Elephant bird eggs are the biggest of any vertebrate species that we know of. Each egg could reach up to 16 inches (40 cm) in length and hold as much as 120 chicken eggs. To produce even one of these eggs would have been extremely expensive for the elephant bird mother, so if they were stolen or destroyed, it was a costly loss.

No more elephant birds exist, but no one is entirely sure why. Some researchers blame climate change for the loss of habitat for the birds, but others think the human inhabitants of Madagascar are the ones who drove elephant birds to extinction. If mother elephant birds had guarded their nests, it would have to be a brave hunter who tried to raid them.[10]



fact checked by
Darci Heikkinen

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New drug could make bacterial resistance ‘nearly impossible’

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New drug could make bacterial resistance ‘nearly impossible’

Bacterial infections have a fix. Get the right antibiotic and the correct course of treatment, and you’ll kill the bacteria and stop the illness. That’s how it should work in theory. In practice, bacteria are trying to survive and have started developing antibiotic resistance. That can endanger lives, with the World Health Organization (WHO) calling bacterial resistance “one of the top global public health and development threats.”

The WHO said in a report last November that antimicrobial resistance, including antibiotic resistance, was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths. The World Bank estimates that drug resistance could increase healthcare costs by $1 trillion by 2050.

One way to fix the problem is to develop drugs that microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites) can’t build resistance to. One example might be the new dual-action antibiotic idea from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) that might make bacterial resistance almost impossible.

Researchers have developed a macrolone synthetic antibiotic that uses two distinct mechanisms to destroy bacteria. According to the UIC team, this drug makes it 100 million times more difficult for bacteria to develop resistance.

The UIC researchers published the study in Nature’s Chemical Biology journal.

They describe how the new class of drugs can disrupt bacterial cell function in infectious diseases. Called macrolones, the new dual-action synthetic drugs have two distinct actions against bacteria. They can kill protein production, just like macrolides, a type of antibiotics that are currently in use.

The macrolones can also interfere with the DNA structure of bacteria (DNA gyrase) in a similar way current fluoroquinolones act. That’s another type of widely used antibiotic.

The UIC researchers discovered that the macrolones can bind with the ribosome more tightly than macrolides. The ribosome is the cell structure that produces proteins.

Moreover, the macrolones were able to block ribosomes inside bacterial strains that are already resistant to macrolids. These bacteria failed to activate antibiotic resistance genes when dealing with the new compound.

The researchers ran different experiments, finding that certain doses blocked the ribosome. Others interfered with the cell’s DNA, like fluoroquinolones. They figured out the lowest effective dose at which macrolones would block both ribosomes and DNA gyrase enzymes.

“The beauty of this antibiotic is that it kills through two different targets in bacteria,” Alexander Mankin, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at UIC, said in a statement. “If the antibiotic hits both targets at the same concentration, then the bacteria lose their ability to become resistant via acquisition of random mutations in any of the two targets.”

What comes next? More research is needed to determine how such macrolone antibiotics to be used effectively.

“The main outcome from all of this work is the understanding of how we need to go forward,” Mankin said. “And the understanding that we’re giving to chemists is that you need to optimize these macrolones to hit both targets.”

It’s unclear when therapies based on these new dual-action antibiotics will be available to patients. But the full study that might get the ball rolling is available at this link.

Don’t Miss: Flies with genetically engineered abilities might save us from organic waste

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Deadpool & Wolverine will make NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye blow up all over again

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Deadpool & Wolverine will make NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye blow up all over again

Being obsessed with NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye song and its award-winning choreography wasn’t on my bingo card for things I’d do this month, but here we are. Not only I can’t get the song out of my head, but I’m also tempted to learn part of that dance routine. It should surely help me with my ongoing marathon training by adding some novelty to my workout sessions.

Yes, dancing can be a great way to work out and something I’ve long wanted to incorporate into my training. But the NSYNC Bye Bye Bye choreography obsession isn’t about that at all. As some of you have guessed by now, it’s all about Deadpool 3, aka Deadpool & Wolverine, which has started playing around the world.

Going into the movie, I already knew that Bye Bye Bye would be one of the songs I’d hear during the action. Marvel released the official Deadpool & Wolverine soundtrack a few weeks ago, and NSYNC’s inclusion was certainly a surprise. I couldn’t wait to see what it was all about.

Now that I saw the movie, I’m not going to tell you how Reynolds & Co. used Bye Bye Bye. The only Deadpool 3 spoiler I’ll give you is that you’ll be obsessed with the song as soon as you’ve seen the film this weekend. That’s it, that’s all I’m going to say about Deadpool & Wolverine, even though I now know everything about the film.

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All I’m going to talk about now is the NSYNC Bye Bye Bye choreography.

Released all the way back in 2000, Bye Bye Bye is a song I haven’t heard in quite a while. Interestingly, Deadpool & Wolverine isn’t the first Marvel movie to use it. Fans of NSYNC and X-Men movies might remember that Bye Bye Bye is also part of the X2 movie launched in 2003.

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Fortnite is coming to third-party app stores on iOS in the EU

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Fortnite is coming to third-party app stores on iOS in the EU

In its latest shot across the bow at Apple, Epic Games announced on Thursday that Fortnite is not only coming to the Epic Games Store on iOS and Android in the EU soon, but it will also be available on third-party app stores. In fact, Epic says many of its mobile games will be available on the alternative app marketplaces now rolling out in the EU.

In a blog post, Epic revealed that its mobile games will launch on AltStore PAL on iOS in the EU. The publisher also plans to support at least two other third-party app stores, but didn’t name any other marketplaces in its announcement on Thursday.

“Here’s why we’re doing this,” said Epic. “We’ve long been advocating for the rights of stores to exist and compete fairly on iOS and Android, and progress is spreading across the globe, in the form of Europe’s DMA, similar laws in the UK and Japan, regulatory investigations around the world, and victory in the Epic v Google litigation in the US.”

“We’ll take advantage of this opportunity to bring all developers a great deal on our store. And as game developers ourselves, we want to do everything we can to support other stores that strive to bring all developers their own great deals.”

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Epic Games also announced that Fortnite and its other games are leaving the Samsung Galaxy Store. Epic sees this as an effective way to protest Samsung’s decision to block sideloading by default on its Android devices with the Auto Blocker feature.

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SpaceX finds cause of Falcon 9 failure, eyes return to flight as soon as July 27

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SpaceX finds cause of Falcon 9 failure, eyes return to flight as soon as July 27
white frost-like material builds up around a cone-shaped rocket nozzle as it glows orange



Screenshot from the webcast of a SpaceX Starlink launch on July 11, 2024, showing a buildup of liquid-oxygen ice on the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket. The ice resulted from a leak, which prevented the upper stage from performing a planned engine burn and led to the loss of 20 Starlink broadband satellites.
(Image credit: SpaceX)

SpaceX says it has identified and fixed the problem that caused its Falcon 9 rocket to fail during a launch earlier this month.

That failure occurred on July 11, as a Falcon 9 carried 20 of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband satellites toward low Earth orbit. The rocket’s first stage performed normally that day, but its upper stage sprang a leak of liquid oxygen, which prevented it from conducting an orbit-raising burn as planned; the Starlink satellites were deployed too low as a result and came back down to Earth in relatively short order, burning up in our planet’s thick atmosphere.

The cause of the leak is a mystery no longer. It resulted from “a crack in a sense line for a pressure sensor attached to the vehicle’s oxygen system,” SpaceX announced in an update on Thursday afternoon (July 25). “This line cracked due to fatigue caused by high loading from engine vibration and looseness in the clamp that normally constrains the line.”

The upper stage’s single Merlin engine performed its first burn as planned on July 11, entering a coast phase in an elliptical orbit right on schedule. But the leak prevented the engine from conducting a second burn, which was designed to circularize its orbit ahead of Starlink satellite deployment, according to SpaceX’s anomaly investigation, which was overseen by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The leak “led to the excessive cooling of engine components, most importantly those associated with delivery of ignition fluid to the engine,” the company wrote in Thursday’s update. “As a result, the engine experienced a hard start rather than a controlled burn, which damaged the engine hardware and caused the upper stage to subsequently lose attitude control.” 

The upper stage was able to deploy all 20 satellites, but, as noted above, they didn’t stay in orbit long.

SpaceX says it has taken action to prevent the recurrence of the anomaly.

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

“For near-term Falcon launches, the failed sense line and sensor on the second-stage engine will be removed,” company representatives wrote in the update. 

“The sensor is not used by the flight safety system and can be covered by alternate sensors already present on the engine,” they added. “The design change has been tested at SpaceX’s rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas, with enhanced qualification analysis and oversight by the FAA and involvement from the SpaceX investigation team. An additional qualification review, inspection, and scrub of all sense lines and clamps on the active booster fleet led to a proactive replacement in select locations.”

SpaceX has submitted its mishap report to the FAA. In a post on X on Thursday afternoon, the company said that it’s “poised to rapidly return to flight as soon as Saturday, July 27.”

The July 11 anomaly was SpaceX’s first in-flight failure since June 2015, when a Falcon 9 broke apart while launching a robotic Dragon cargo capsule toward the International Space Station. The mishap led to the loss of the Dragon.

A Falcon 9 did, however, explode on the pad during preflight testing in September 2016. That anomaly also caused the loss of the rocket’s payload, the AMOS-6 communications satellite.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, “Out There,” was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover finds possible signs of ancient Red Planet life

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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover finds possible signs of ancient Red Planet life
A brownish rock close up. There's a strip of lighter material toward the left and darker material toward the right. There are also darker speckles in the reddish brown center material.



NASA’s Perseverance rover has discovered a rock on Mars that may have once hosted microbial life. The rock, nicknamed Cheyava Falls, has chemical compositions and structures that could have been formed by ancient life, although non-biological processes cannot yet be ruled out.
(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

NASA‘s Perseverance rover may have found signs of ancient life in a rock on Mars; the mission team’s scientists are ecstatic, but remain cautious as further analysis is needed to confirm the discovery. 

The rover has come across an intriguing, arrowhead-shaped rock that hosts chemical signatures and structures that could have been formed by microbial life billions of years ago, when Mars was significantly wetter than it is today. Inside the rock, which scientists have nicknamed “Cheyava Falls,” Perseverance‘s instruments detected organic compounds, which are precursors to the chemistry of life as we know it. Wisping through the length of the rock are veins of calcium sulfate, which are mineral deposits that suggest water — also essential for life — once ran through the rock.

The rover also found dozens of millimeter-sized splotches, each surrounded by a black ring and mimicking the appearance of leopard spots. These rings contain iron and phosphate, which are also seen on Earth as a result of microbe-led chemical reactions.

“These spots are a big surprise,” David Flannery, an astrobiologist and member of the Perseverance science team from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia, said in a statement. “On Earth, these types of features in rocks are often associated with the fossilized record of microbes living in the subsurface.”

Related: ‘An oasis in the desert’: NASA’s Curiosity rover finds pure sulfur in Martian rocks

A full version of the image in the header, showing a close up of the rock.

A better look at the exciting rock detected by Perseverance. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

“We’ve never seen these three things together on Mars before,” Morgan Cable, a scientist on the Perseverance team, said in a video NASA posted to YouTube today (July 25).

Cheyava Falls sits at the edge of an ancient, 400-meter-wide (437-yard-wide) river valley named Neretva Vallis. Scientists suspect this ancient channel was carved out long ago due to water gushing into Jezero Crater; Neretva Vallis runs along the inner wall of this region. In one possible scenario, mud that already possessed organic compounds got dumped into the valley and later cemented into the Cheyava Falls rock, which Perseverance sampled on July 21. A second episode of water oozing into the formed rock would have created the object’s calcium sulfate veins and black-ringed spots the team sees today.

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To be clear, the rock’s visible features aren’t irrefutable evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars — not yet, at least. It is possible, for instance, that the observed calcium sulfate entered the rock at uninhabitably high temperatures, perhaps during a nearby volcanic event. However, whether such non-biological chemical reactions could have resulted in the observed black-ringed spots is an open question, the scientists say.

“This trip through the Neretva Vallis riverbed paid off as we found something we’ve never seen before, which will give our scientists so much to study,” Nicola Fox, the associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said in the statement.

“We have zapped that rock with lasers and X-rays and imaged it literally day and night from just about every angle imaginable,” Ken Farley, Perseverance project scientist of Caltech in California, said in the statement. “Scientifically, Perseverance has nothing more to give.”

To fully grasp what really unfolded in the ancient river valley billions of years ago, scientists are keen to get the Cheyava Falls sample to Earth, where it can be scrutinized with powerful instruments that Perseverance’s limited suite doesn’t have. 

The complex Mars Sample Return effort, however, has run into many snags in recent months after its costs spiked to $11 billion. In its current form, the program requires multiple launches to Mars to place a vehicle on the Red Planet, after which either Perseverance will travel to the vehicle and drop off its collected samples, or pop those samples over to a retrieval helicopter that can complete the handoff. Then, an ascender would launch the samples into orbit, where a spacecraft would collect them and return them to Earth.

NASA assessed various simpler alternatives from industry and academic groups and awarded $1.5 million contracts to seven companies looking into the endeavor; three of the agency’s own research centers are carrying out studies as well.

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Sharmila Kuthunur is a Seattle-based science journalist covering astronomy, astrophysics and space exploration. Follow her on X @skuthunur.

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Powerful wildfires devastating Canada captured in satellite imagery

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Powerful wildfires devastating Canada captured in satellite imagery

A high resolution view shows wildfires raging across the Pacific Northwest



Numerous large wildfires rage across Canada filling North American skies with smoke, captured by NOAA’s GOES-18 satellite on July 23, 2024.
(Image credit: CSU/CIRA & NOAA)

Quick-moving wildfires continue to burn across Western Canada, keeping the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s GOES-R series satellites busy as they monitor hotspots and smoke plumes around the clock.

On Wednesday evening (July 24) in Jasper National Park, the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, thousands of residents and tourists had to be evacuated as powerful fires scorched through the southern part of the community. According to the Associated Press, there were “significant losses” across the area as structures were burned to the ground and other nearby towns were also forced to flee. These fires began on Monday (July 22) following a significant fire that also occurred in Western Canada on May 10; that fire, in British Columbia, expanded and burned more than 13,000 acres of land in just three days. 

Firefighters, weather forecasters and community leaders rely on satellites to provide a wider scope of fire and smoke movement; they use images taken by the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument aboard each of the GOES-R satellites to aid with such monitoring needs. Using different spectral bands, the wavelengths from each of these instruments’ channels can pick up smoke signals and identify hotspots during a wildfire, pinpoint the locations of those signals, and produce powerful images to paint a picture in near real-time of the growth and/or demise of each event.  

By combining these snapshots with ground observations from officials and firefighters, even wildfire and smoke forecasts can be significantly improved. This benefits firefighting efforts because it helps teams better understand each particular fire and also can help communities have more lead time to evacuate if a fast-moving blaze takes a quick turn when the winds shift or if new fires ignite from another’s embers.

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires obscures the skies above North America, drifting further east across Canada and down into the northern United States, captured by NOAA’s GOES-16 satellite on July 11, 2024.

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires obscures the skies above North America, drifting further east across Canada and down into the northern United States, captured by NOAA’s GOES-16 satellite on July 11, 2024. (Image credit: CSU/CIRA & NOAA)

Wildfire smoke forecasts are also important for other parts of North America downwind of the plumes. By detecting the intensity and movement of the smoke, air quality alerts can be issued to help communities, especially in major cities, prepare for the incoming impacts that at times can last for days and cause health issues — particularly for those with respiratory issues.

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Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Meredith is a regional Murrow award-winning Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and science/space correspondent. She most recently was a Freelance Meteorologist for NY 1 in New York City & the 19 First Alert Weather Team in Cleveland. A self-described “Rocket Girl,” Meredith’s personal and professional work has drawn recognition over the last decade, including the inaugural Valparaiso University Alumni Association First Decade Achievement Award, two special reports in News 12’s Climate Special “Saving Our Shores” that won a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, multiple Fair Media Council Folio & Press Club of Long Island awards for meteorology & reporting, and a Long Island Business News & NYC TV Week “40 Under 40” Award.

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Transocean rigs fetch $656 million for eight drilling gigs

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Transocean rigs fetch $656 million for eight drilling gigs

Switzerland-based offshore drilling contractor Transocean has landed multimillion-dollar contracts and extensions in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Norway, Australia, and Brazil for seven floaters, encompassing four drillships and three semi-submersible rigs.

Transocean Spitsbergen rig; Source: Transocean

Based on Transocean’s latest fleet status report, the aggregate incremental backlog associated with two contracts and six extensions, which were obtained in Q2 2024, is approximately $656 million, putting the firm’s total backlog up to around $8.8 billion as of July 24, 2024. While the firm’s previous fleet status report was all about drillship deals, the most recent one shows more work for drillships and semi-submersible rigs.

Assignments for four drillships in Americas

Transocean’s Deepwater Atlas, the world’s first eighth-generation drillship with the 20,000 psi well control system upon delivery, has secured two new multi-well contracts in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico with Beacon Offshore Energy, which recently started production from a two-well oil project tied back to one of the spar platforms operated by Occidental (Oxy), former Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.

While the first deal is a four-well contract at a day rate of $505,000, with contingencies to perform three completions at the same day rate, the second one is a two-well contract for drilling operations at a day rate of $580,000 with contingencies to perform two 20K completions at a day rate of $650,000. This could keep the rig occupied up to January 2027.

With the capacity to accommodate a crew of 220, the 2022-built Deepwater Atlas drillship can work in 12,000 feet of water depth and drill to depths of 40,000 feet. Beacon booked the rig in August 2021 for drilling operations on the Shenandoah project, located 160 miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Walker Ridge area of the Gulf of Mexico, thanks to a $252 million firm contract.

  • Posted: 22 days ago

A 365-day contract extension for the Deepwater Asgard drillship will enable the rig to keep working for Hess Corporation in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico under a day rate of $515,000. This will keep the floater busy until June 2026.

The previous contract extension for the 2014-built drillship was disclosed in April 2024 for another 365 days with a day rate of $505,000. With a capacity to accommodate 200 people and a maximum drilling depth of 40,000 ft, the Deepwater Asgard ultra-deepwater dual-activity DSME 12000 drillship can undertake activities in water depths of up to 12,000 ft.

Petrobras has exercised a 279-day option in Brazil at a day rate of $366,000 for the Deepwater Mykonos drillship, which started its new contract with the Brazilian giant in October 2023. The rig’s previous assignment had also been with Petrobras in Brazil. With an Enhanced Samsung 10000 design, the 2011-built Deepwater Mykonos drillship can accommodate 205 people. While the rig’s maximum drilling depth is 35,000 ft, its maximum water depth is 10,000 ft.

The rig owner won a 40-day contract extension with an undisclosed operator for the Deepwater Invictus drillship in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The rig has another potential gig lined up in Mexico for 2026, as Transocean may designate by February 1, 2025, one of five drillships to this contract, including Deepwater Invictus, Deepwater Asgard, Deepwater Conqueror, Deepwater Proteus, or Deepwater Thalassa.

The commencement window is from February 1, 2026, to September 1, 2026. The 2014-built Deepwater Invictus DSME 12000 ultra-deepwater drillship can operate at 12,000 feet of water depth and drill to depths of 40,000 feet. This rig can accommodate 200 people.

More work for three semi-subs in Norway and Australia

Transocean Norge, the first semi-submersible rig that secured the Abate (Power+) notation, has obtained a three-well contract extension in Norway at a day rate of $517,000 with Wintershall Dea, which is slated to start in the first quarter of 2028 in direct continuation of the rig’s current program. The 2019-built Transocean Norge sixth-generation Moss Maritime CS60 semi-submersible rig was constructed at Jurong Shipyard in Singapore.

Last year, a one-well extension was also received from Wintershall Dea for the rig, which can accommodate 150 people and its maximum drilling depth is 40,000 ft. Thanks to a 17-well contract, secured in September 2022 with day rates between $350,000 and $430,000, the rig is undertaking operations for two oil and gas companies, Wintershall Dea and OMV.

  • Posted: 7 months ago

The rig owner has picked up another three-well contract extension in Norway at a day rate of $483,000 for the Transocean Spitsbergen rig with Equinor, which is expected to begin in October 2025, in direct continuation of the rig’s current program, and end in March 2026.

The 2010-built Transocean Spitsbergen, a sixth-generation dual-derrick winterized semi-submersible rig capable of drilling high-pressure/high-temperature formations, has been in Equinor’s employ for several years.

The Swiss offshore drilling player has got its hands on a one-well option in Australia at a daily rate of $390,000 with Woodside for the Transocean Endurance rig, which is scheduled to commence in October 2025 in direct continuation of the rig’s current program. The semi-sub landed a multi-well plug and abandonment assignment in Australia last year, adding about $91 million to the backlog.

The 2015-built Transocean Endurance semi-submersible CAT D rig of GVA 4000 NCS design can accommodate 130 people. The rig’s maximum drilling depth is 27,887 ft and it was constructed at Hanwha Ocean, former Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, in South Korea.

Transocean has been busy with assignments around the globe. Thanks to one such job, the firm’s newbuild ultra-deepwater drillship, Deepwater Aquila, set the ball rolling on its inaugural drilling assignment with Petrobras in Brazil.

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Helmerich & Payne’s $2 billion KCA Deutag acquisition secures rig fleet boost and top spot in largest oil & gas regions

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Helmerich & Payne’s $2 billion KCA Deutag acquisition secures rig fleet boost and top spot in largest oil & gas regions

Home Fossil Energy Helmerich & Payne’s $2 billion KCA Deutag acquisition secures rig fleet boost and top spot in largest oil & gas regions

July 25, 2024,
by

Melisa Čavčić

In pursuit of further growth and diversification, U.S.-headquartered rig technologies and drilling solutions player Helmerich & Payne (H&P) has embarked on a business combination with KCA Deutag, the UK-based drilling, engineering, and technology services company. The acquisition, worth nearly $2 billion, is anticipated to elevate the global onshore drilling position, bring a rise in rig count, and enhance the combined company’s standing in America and the Middle East, which are perceived to be the two most prominent oil and gas-producing regions in the world.

Helmerich & Payne

The U.S. and the UK duo’s definitive agreement will see H&P shell out $1.9725 billion in cash to bring KCA Deutag into its fold, resulting in a broadened geographic and operational mix across the American and international crude oil and natural gas markets and diversified geographical exposure. This market consolidation move will enlarge Helmerich & Payne’s Middle East rig portfolio from 12 to 88 rigs, 71 of which are in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait, turning the combined business into one of the larger rig providers in the region.

John Lindsay, President and CEO of H&P, commented: “This is a historic and transformative transaction for the company, and we are excited about what this means for H&P’s future, as it accelerates our international expansion particularly in the Middle East and enhances the company’s global leadership in onshore drilling solutions.

“KCA Deutag’s assets and operations will add resilient revenues, providing greater earnings visibility and cash flow generation. As a result, we expect to generate sizeable incremental cash flows and are confident this transaction will deliver near- and long-term growth and value creation for H&P shareholders.”

KCA Deutag’s asset-light offshore management contract business, alongside Kenera’s manufacturing and engineering operations, will enhance H&P’s capability in Europe and the Middle East. As a result, the acquisition will add an offshore management contract business, primarily made of 29 offshore platform rigs under management, and a manufacturing and engineering business with three facilities serving the energy industry.

  • Posted: 8 months ago

Therefore, the U.S. player anticipates a boost in its international land operations from 1% on a standalone basis to around 19% on a pro forma basis, based on the 2023 operating EBITDA. On the other hand, offshore operations are forecast to go up from about 3% on a standalone basis to approximately 7% on a pro forma basis.

Joseph Elkhoury, CEO of KCA Deutag, remarked: “We look forward to joining H&P, combining the strengths of our people together with our geographical footprint, to create an organization with an unrivalled global network, service capability and technology offering. The size, scale and financial strength of the combined organization will provide a stable foundation for long-term growth and diversification to safeguard a sustainable and prosperous future for our people.”

The combined company is positioned to have resilient revenues and cash flow and increased earnings visibility, thanks to the addition of around $5.5 billion contract backlog from KCA Deutag, supported by a blue-chip customer base. With double-digit free cash flow accretion anticipated as soon as 2025, the transaction returns are expected to exceed the cost of capital by 2026.

While anticipating around $25 million in run-rate synergies by 2026, driven primarily by cuts in overhead and procurement savings, despite little geographic overlap, H&P also expects to refinance KCA Deutag’s existing debt, which will enable the company to reinvest in the acquired business at a lower cost of debt.

  • Posted: 5 months ago

The acquisition is anticipated to close before calendar 2024 year-end, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. KCA Deutag intends to use the $1.9725 billion cash consideration to repay debt instruments and provide value realization for its existing investors.

Upon completion, H&P will remain headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Lindsay will continue to serve as President and CEO and as a member of the H&P board. While there will be no changes to the existing board of directors, the U.S. firm will have three primary operating segments: North America Solutions, International Solutions, and Offshore Solutions.

Lindsay highlighted: “H&P has a history of having a thoughtful and managed approach to running and investing in the business and is well versed in the challenges brought about by crude oil and natural gas volatility. Our experience in the industry combined with a Middle East market poised for continued growth should be indicative of the importance and the compelling reasons for executing on this acquisition at this time.

“Acquiring KCA Deutag gives H&P immediate scale in core Middle East markets in a way that would be challenging to replicate organically. Furthermore, as there is very little geographic overlap, we view this transaction more than just acquiring assets, but rather acquiring operations with quality people.”

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