NASA plans its next giant space telescope, and it’s so much cooler than Hubble

By Lulu Chang Published February 21, 2016

With each new innovation, NASA seems to dwarf its previous accomplishments, and this certainly appears to be the case for the agency’s latest and greatest space telescope. Promising to make Hubble look like child’s play, the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) will be every bit as precise and powerful as the Hubble Space Telescope, but will have 100 times the field of view. The goal? To better understand the dark matter and energy that seems to be the secret of the universe.

“This mission uniquely combines the ability to discover and characterize planets beyond our own solar system with the sensitivity and optics to look wide and deep into the universe in a quest to unravel the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter,” said John Grunsfeld, head of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C. in a statement earlier this week. With a single image, the WFIRST will be able to see millions of galaxies. The mind truly boggles.

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In a press release, NASA noted that WFIRST has two primary missions — first, to answer “fundamental questions about the structure and evolution of the universe,” and second, to “expand our knowledge of planets beyond our solar system.” To aid in these grandiose efforts, NASA also plans on launching the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which is slated to take to orbit in 2017 with the mission of finding and examining new planets.

A year later, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the real heir to the Hubble Telescope, is expected to lift off after a number of significant delays and budget adjustments (that project alone has cost $8 billion — significantly more than the originally allocated sub-$2 billion price tag). The purpose of JWST will be to explore some of the farthest reaches of the universe in hopes of discovering the secrets of their formation.

Then, by the mid-2020’s, NASA hopes it can get WFIRST off the ground and into space, bringing all this incredible research full circle. Currently, the anticipated cost of the project is $2 billion, but given what happens with JWST, it’s unclear just how accurate those numbers (both in terms of launch date and price) really are. But when you’re unlocking the meaning of the universe, what’s time and money got to do with it?

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Entertainment

Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts

Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Cars

Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?

jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii 4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Entertainment

Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode

Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.