In this week’s edition of The Prototype, we look at SpaceX’s successful Starship flight, IBM and AMD’s plan to make quantum computing practical, why runners should strength train and more. To get The Prototype in your inbox, sign up here.
After three fiery failures and two launch delays, SpaceX’s Starship completed an orbital test flight on Tuesday. The next-generation rocket met all objectives, including successful release of dummy satellites into space and a simulated engine failure during landing. This Starship also incorporated several different heat shield designs to determine which worked best for reusability.
This success was pivotal: SpaceX’s future business, including $4 billion in NASA contracts, hinges on developing the much larger rocket to return astronauts to the Moon–and delays to date have already put the mission timeline at risk. It also plans to use Starship for an uncrewed mission to Mars next year, and its size is essential for delivering the next generation of Starlink satellites, which have 10x the bandwidth of the current version but are too big for the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. Morgan Stanley projects Starlink’s revenue will hit $11.2 billion this year, up 69% from 2024. As the most lucrative part of SpaceX’s business, the communications satellites account for about 70% of the company’s overall income.
Stay tuned.
IBM And AMD Team Up On Quantum Computing
IBM’s experimental quantum system
IBM
IBM and chipmaker AMD are developing next-generation computers that combine quantum and high-performance computing, the companies announced this week. The collaboration will pair IBM’s quantum processors (QPUs) with AMD’s CPUs and GPUs to get the best of both tech worlds.
For example, quantum algorithms are ideal for simulating chemical interactions, while conventional chips are better at crunching the resulting data. The idea is that one day, quantum algorithms would be integrated in a larger software package, Jay Gambetter, VP of IBM Quantum, told me.
One obstacle in making quantum computing practical is the fragility of its underlying physics, which creates computational errors. Gambetter told me that one early project aims to deploy AMD’s GPUs to correct those errors, speeding the processing up enough that using a QPU is faster than a regular chip–which is referred to in the industry as “quantum advantage.”
“We want to see quantum advantage within the next year or so,” Gambetter said. “And using GPUs to extend the computational reach of quantum is fundamental for that to happen.”
DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK: INFECTIONS MAY TRIGGER SOME HEART ATTACKS
At least some heart attacks may be the result of bacterial infection, according to a new study. The researchers analyzed samples of coronary plaques–fatty buildups on artery walls–from heart patients and found that about 40% of them had virulent bacteria in them. Bacteria go dormant when they’re inside the plaque, hidden from the immune system. But triggers like a viral infection or stress hormones can rupture the plaques, reawakening the bacteria. That sparks an immune response that forms blood clots, ultimately causing the heart attack.
WHAT ELSE I WROTE THIS WEEK
In my other newsletter, InnovationRx, we took a look at a new $500 million philanthropy from Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen to support research, whether Congress will extend Obamacare subsidies, the high rate of AI-powered device recalls and more.
On the Forbes Breaking News YouTube channel, I joined my colleague Brittany Lewis to discuss the turmoil at the CDC after multiple leaders were fired or resigned this week.
SCIENCE AND TECH TIDBITS
Commonwealth Fusion Systems has raised $863 million, bringing the fusion power startup’s total funding to nearly $3 billion. The capital will go towards completing the company’s demonstration fusion reactor and first power plant.
Researchers at MIT found that simple, physics-based AI models outperform more complicated deep learning models at predicting weather and climate.
By incorporating particles that scatter ultraviolet light, scientists made cement that stays cool in sunlight instead of getting hotter.
Social media site Bluesky has become the platform of choice for scientists, according to a new paper, supplanting Twitter/X in the years since Elon Musk’s purchase.
PRO SCIENCE TIP: TO RUN FARTHER, LIFT HEAVIER
Planning on running any long-distance races as we get into the cooler fall months? Add some strength training to your routine. That’s a key lesson from a recent study, which took a group of 28 runners with a similar 10K pace (way faster than mine) and divided them into two groups: one did their normal running routine and a second that added heavy back squats, leg presses and calf raises to their routines. At the end of ten weeks, the strength training group used less energy during runs and were able to hold a faster race pace 35% longer than they previously could.
WHAT’S ENTERTAINING ME THIS WEEK
This week I’ve been listening to John Fogerty’s new album, Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years, featuring the 80 year-old rock legend’s re-recordings of classic songs from the band. In an homage to Taylor Swift, they’re labeled as “(John’s Version).” The new recordings stack up well against the originals and Fogerty’s age brings extra power and nostalgia to tracks like “Someday Never Comes”, “Lodi” and “Long As I Can See The Light.”
MORE FROM FORBES
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2025/08/29/the-prototype-what-starships-success-means-for-spacexs-future/
