Could president-elect Donald Trump really cancel Nasa’s powerful Moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS)? Rumours and speculation certainly suggest the huge launcher could be at risk under the incoming administration in Washington. The SLS is a vital component of Nasa’s effort to return to the Moon, known as the Artemis program.

Trump has appointed Elon Musk as a chief cost-cutter, aiming to make reductions of US$2 trillion (£1.57 trillion) from the federal budget. Against this background, there have been suggestions that Trump could gut Nasa, forcing it to contract out many programmes to private companies.

But could the space agency launch its Orion spacecraft to the Moon on a rocket other than the SLS? Musk’s SpaceX dominates the launch market in the United States and possible alternatives include SpaceX’s Starship and Falcon Heavy rockets. However, our expert says that scrapping the rocket now could introduce further delays to the Artemis programme. This could lead to America losing the 21st century space race with China, which has pledged to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030.

A recent viral video of vapour escaping from a woman’s head has highlighted the scientific debate over what a hot flush actually does to your body. Our expert examined the evidence.

In China, prominent sanitary pad brands have become embroiled in a scandal about the quality of their products. This has prompted a strong feminist reaction from a country where there is still stigma surrounding menstruation.

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