The search for the missing MH370 flight is ready to start after “credible” evidence of its location has been uncovered.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared in March 2014 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
The aircraft, carrying 12 crew members and 227 passengers, veered off course and is believed to have crashed into the Indian Ocean.
Despite extensive search efforts, the plane and those onboard have never been found, fuelling countless conspiracy theories and making MH370 one of the greatest aviation mysteries of the modern era.
Well, we might be about to get some answers.
Underwater robotics company Ocean Infinity has presented a “credible” search proposal to the Malaysian government, igniting hope for closure nearly a decade after the plane’s disappearance, per the Sun.
According to company sources, Ocean Infinity has three robotic vessels standing by, ready to commence the search upon government approval.
The operation, which could launch as early as this month, is anticipated to take three months, targeting a 15,000-square-kilometer search zone off the coast of Western Australia -the last known location of the ill-fated aircraft.
Malaysia’s Transport Minister, Anthony Loke, confirmed “advanced talks” with the U.S.-based marine exploration firm, stating that the proposal, submitted in June, is considered promising.
Loke added: “Based on the latest information and analysis from experts and researchers, Ocean Infinity’s search proposal is credible and can be considered by the Malaysian government as the flight’s official registrar.”
The proposed operation involves a “no find, no fee” arrangement. If successful, Malaysia would incur a $70 million bill.
Loke further explained that the draft agreement is currently under review and would require cabinet approval. “Should it be finalized,” he noted, “I will make a public announcement.”
Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Plunkett shared his commitment to the search, stating: “We now feel in a position to be able to return to the search for missing aircraft MH370 and have submitted a proposal to the Malaysian government.
“Finding MH370 and bringing some resolution for all connected with the loss of the aircraft has been a constant in our minds since we left the southern Indian Ocean in 2018.”
Among the tools that may play a role in the search is Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR) technology.
Professor Simon Maskell from Liverpool University, an adviser on the project, and his team have been exploring WSPR’s potential for tracking aircraft.
Additionally, Ocean Infinity is reportedly considering hydrophone data – sounds detected by underwater microphones – adding another layer to their strategy.
Ocean Infinity is ready to deploy its high-tech fleet, currently positioned in Southeast Asia. Three specialized vessels – the Armada 7804 and 7806 in Singapore, and the 7808 in the South China Sea – are poised to begin work in the area.
The vessels can dive to depths of 6,500 feet, with the 7806 reportedly conducting preliminary trials.
The company now awaits the go-ahead from the Malaysian government.
Featured image credit: NurPhoto/Getty
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New photos of astronauts stuck in space unable to return home spark health concerns
By stefan armitage
Health concerns have been voiced after a photo of two astronauts stranded in space emerged.
Over 150 days into what was supposed to be a brief eight-day mission, astronauts Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams, 59, and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore, 61, find themselves unexpectedly marooned aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5, their mission veered off course due to severe technical issues including thruster failures and helium leaks.
Faced with a daunting choice — return in a compromised spacecraft or wait for a rescue mission — they understandably opted for the latter, holding out for SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
Newly released photos of the astronauts have stirred public concern, especially regarding Williams’ health, whose visibly changed appearance raised alarms about the effects of prolonged space habitation.
The image quickly circulated on X, with concerned social media users voicing their worries.
“Suni Williams’ condition doesn’t look good,” one person tweeted.
A second added: “It looks like those two American astronauts stuck in the ISS are not in good health, especially Suni Williams.”
Dr. Vinay Gupta commented on the photos during an interview with the Daily Mail, saying: “What you’re seeing there in that picture is somebody that I think is experiencing the natural stresses of living at a very high altitude, even in a pressurized cabin, for extended periods.
“Her cheeks appear a bit sunken – and usually it happens when you’ve had sort of total body weight loss.”
He added: “I think what I can discern by her face and her cheeks being sunken in is that [she] has probably been at a significant [calorie] deficit for a while.”
Despite the visible toll, the prognosis isn’t dire, as Dr. Gupta reassures, “I don’t think she’s quite at a… place where I say her life’s in danger. But I don’t think you can look at that photo and say she has sort of healthy body weight.”
Their return journey is scheduled for February 2025 as part of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, a decision confirmed earlier this year by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
“NASA has decided that Butch and Suni will return with [SpaceX’s] Crew-9 next February, and that Starliner will return uncrewed,” Nelson stated, emphasizing Boeing’s commitment to resolving the spacecraft’s issues.
Reflecting on their ordeal, Wilmore expressed gratitude for their safety and the available options.
Speaking via video link during a press conference last week, he noted, per The Independent: “Obviously, when you have issues like we’ve had, there’s some changes that need to be made. Boeing’s on board with that. We’re all on board with that.”
He acknowledged the risks of pioneering new spacecraft technologies, saying: “Starliner’s crewed test flight was meant to push the edge of the envelope… In this case, we found some things that we just could not get comfortable with putting us back in the Starliner.”
He concluded: “There’s many cases in the past where there have not been other options. We were very fortunate that we have the Space Station and that we had the option to stay and we had the option to come back a different way.”
The astronauts are expected to be back in the new year.