Our daily voyage around the world

🌕 European space agencies are talking about practice. This week, an official practice facility for Moon-bound astronauts was opened near Cologne, Germany. It contains ~900 tons of ground-up volcanic rock – similar to the Moon’s surface – spread over an area slightly larger than a basketball court. The Moon’s low-gravity environment is simulated via movable, ceiling-mounted trolleys that follow a suspended astronaut or rover’s movements. The facility is aimed at preparing European Space Agency astronauts for future lunar exploration, with the ESA holding rights to three spots on Moon missions under NASA’s Artemis program by 2030.

🇯🇵 The world’s longest-serving death row inmate was acquitted by a Japanese court. The 88-year-old former boxer was found not guilty yesterday following a retrial for a 1966 quadruple murder, reversing a decision that had placed him on death row for 45+ years. According to the acquitted man’s lawyer, the Japanese court found evidence was fabricated and planted by investigators at the time. The man is the fifth Japanese death row inmate since 1945 to later be found not guilty in a retrial.

🇨🇳 China’s newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank earlier this year, per a new report. The Wall Street Journal cited multiple US officials who said Chinese authorities scrambled to cover-up the incident near Wuhan, which occurred this spring and hasn’t previously been disclosed. The news comes as China is pushing to expand its navy and narrow America’s current advantage when it comes to undersea technology.