pad

HELEN Flanagan has been forced to slash the price of her £1.5million mansion AGAIN after struggling to sell her family pad amid money woes.

The former Coronation Street star, 35, had already slashed more than £300,000 off the price of the house she shared with ex Scott Sinclair.

7

7

7

Now Helen has been forced to reduce the price again for a second time after just fourth months of being on the market.

Helen first put the £1.5million six-bedroom family home up for sale in May, before reducing it to £1.195million just four weeks later. 

Now, the detached, 5,000sq ft home can be snapped up for a cheeky £995,000.

The former couple, who have three children together, bought the property at Belmont, near Bolton, in June 2021 for £840,000.

It has five reception rooms, six bathrooms and six bedrooms including two en-suites.

The house is situated on the edge of moors and is said to have “breathtaking views”.

Helen, who has spoken openly about “losing all her money” in the past, recently opened up being forced to downsize.

She said: “It actually makes me sad that I’m going to be leaving soon because I actually put so much effort into it.

“When we moved I put like a lot lot of my savings into doing the house up and making it look really beautiful. 

“But it’s a big house. It’s an eight bedroom house, which is obviously really hard to keep on top of.”

Meanwhile, Helen has shown off her evil stepmother credentials as she debuted her panto outfit for the first time.

The actress will play the evil stepmother in Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs at Liverpool‘s M&S Bank Arena in December.

The stunning star donned a sequinned red and black dress, with black feathered sleeves, and wore a gold and red diamante tiara on her head.

She also held aloft a red apple, symbolic of the poisonous apple so relevant to the Snow White storyline.

A source previously told The Sun: “Helen is excited for panto season and can’t wait to get into character, she’s a brilliant actress and knows how to put on a show.

“She’ll also be pocketing a pretty penny, celebrities and soap stars make good money doing panto and always look forward to it as some extra income.”

But despite being about to make her first foray into the world of pantomime, Helen is not looking forward to being alone this Christmas.

Helen, shares daughters Matilda, nine, Delilah, six, as well as four-year-old son Charlie, with her ex Scott Sinclair.

However, the ex-Coronation Street star also recently told The Sun that she was spending Christmas without her children this year, as she and former Chelsea footballer Scott, who most recently played for Bristol Rovers, live so far apart.

But Helen explained: “”I’ll do something in November – a really nice long weekend then I feel like I’ve had my Christmas period with them.”

7

7

7

7

In a week that saw the S&P 500 lose value, one stock in particular, space rocket operator Rocket Lab (RKLB 1.42%), glowed a bright shade of green as it rocketed to close the week 9.5% higher on Friday.

And I know why.

Because I was there to see it.

Image source: Rocket Lab.

Welcome to Virginia, LC-3

On Thursday morning, Aug. 28, Rocket Lab officially opened its third “launch complex” in the world, LC-3, at the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, just off the Virginian eastern seaboard.

LC-3 will be home to Rocket Lab’s newest and biggest rocket, the 141-foot-tall, methane-and-liquid oxygen-fueled Neutron. Capable of lifting 13 metric tons to low Earth orbit, Neutron will be 43 times more powerful than its little brother (and Rocket Lab’s current only rocket), the Electron. Neutron is scheduled to make its inaugural test flight from LC-3 later this year.

Of course, all of this we already knew about Neutron. We’ve know this since Rocket Lab CEO Sir Peter Beck promised the rocket was coming, four years ago. But here are three things you probably didn’t know about Rocket Lab stock and Neutron., things I only learned myself by attending the LC-3 ribbon-cutting last week.

From MARS to Mars

As Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin pointed out in his opening speech before assisting with the ribbon-cutting, Neutron will be launching from a site at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport — “MARS,” the spaceport. And as CEO Beck observed, bigger rockets can send bigger payloads farther distances — including to Mars, the planet.

Rocket Lab actually already has two satellites built and ready to go to Mars, as part of the ESCAPADE science mission for the University of California Berkeley’s Space Science Laboratory and NASA. What it hasn’t had is a rocket big enough to get them there, and delays caused by trying to hitch rides on other companies’ rockets — SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and Blue Origin’s New Glenn — have delayed the mission.

Neutron, when it’s ready, could solve that problem by giving Rocket Lab a way to get to Mars under its own power.

Targeting SpaceX

With 43 times the payload capacity of Electron, which can itself often carry multiple small satellites at a time to orbit, Rocket Lab’s Neutron rocket is often described as ideal for the deployment of Earth orbit satellite constellations. Rocket Lab’s most recent descriptions of the medium-lift rocket, however, suggest the company is preparing to compete with rivals such as SpaceX and Northrop Grumman (NOC 0.36%) in the “cargo resupply” market as well.

Resupply whom, you may ask? Well, the International Space Station is the party most obviously in need of regular resupply runs, and currently, SpaceX and Northrop Grumman are fulfilling that function. NASA has indicated openness to allowing other companies to bid on Commercial Resupply Services contracts, however, awarding one to Sierra Nevada Corporation in 2016, for example. Nearly a decade later, Sierra Nevada has yet to actually perform a resupply mission.

Seems to me that opens up a gap that Rocket Lab may soon be able to fill.

Uncle Sam is looking for a few good astronauts

Arguably the biggest reveal of last week’s LC-3 opening, though, was a heavy hint Rocket Lab dropped as to a previously unexpected aspiration: putting astronauts in orbit.

Describing the missions it hopes Neutron to perform once it starts launching, Rocket Lab named all the things we’ve already discussed — launching constellations, visiting other planets, “and eventually human spaceflight,” too.

This revives an early hope that Neutron might give NASA and other space-users a third way to send astronauts to space, in addition to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Boeing‘s (BA -0.54%) ill-starred Starliner.

Admittedly, Rocket Lab stopped short of giving any real detail on its plans to develop a human-rated spacecraft for Neutron to carry. Just the hint it did drop at the LC-3 opening, though, already has investors talking about what Rocket Lab’s plans might be along these lines, which could run the gamut from helping to keep space stations crewed, to sending astronauts to the moon or Mars, or even conducting space tourism around Earth.

Stay tuned. As soon as I know more, so will you.

The first time Gene Kozicki drove to Lompoc to see a rocket blast off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, it was night, and the whole scene reminded him of the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” The road was blocked off. There were police. Flashing lights. A guy standing near Kozicki had a radio scanner, and they listened as a spartan voice counted down: Ten, nine, eight, seven … Over the hill, where the rocket was on the pad, all was dark.

And then it wasn’t.

“The sky lights up, and it’s like daytime,” Kozicki said. “This rocket comes up and then a few seconds later, the sound hits you. It’s just this roar and rumble, and then it’s a crackle. And then you look at it and you realize, this thing is not a movie. This thing is actually going into space.”

People (and dogs) gather in Lompoc to watch SpaceX successfully launch a Falcon 9 rocket. (George Rose / Getty Images)

Kozicki told me about that experience as we both stood atop a sand dune at Surf Beach, just outside Lompoc, waiting for a different rocket to launch. Through my binoculars I could see a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 on the pad at Vandenberg, with a Starlink satellite on top. SpaceX and other companies have been sending up more and more rockets in recent years, and Lompoc has become a day trip destination for aerospace aficionados.

With Blue Origin sending up an all-female crew, including Katy Perry, Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez, from West Texas in April and my social feeds full of pics of launches from California’s Central Coast — not to mention SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s preternatural ability to stay in the news — it seemed like everyone was talking about rockets, so I wanted to get as close to a liftoff as possible.

I had driven to Surf Beach on the advice of Bradley Wilkinson, who runs the Facebook group Vandenberg Rocket Launches. When asked for the best spot to experience a launch, Wilkinson had responded, in the manner typical of connoisseurs, with questions of his own.

“Do you want to see it?” Wilkinson asked me. “Do you want to feel it? Do you want to hear it?”

If I had just wanted to see it, he said, I could do that easily from Los Angeles. If I picked a launch around twilight, I could even see the jellyfish effect that happens when sunlight reflects off the rocket plume. (People all across Southern California had that experience earlier this week.) But I wanted more. I wanted to hear and feel the launch, so I took off toward Vandenburg on a clear Friday afternoon, staying just ahead of traffic.

Rocket launches have become more frequent at Vandenberg Space Force Base, located in Santa Barbara County.

(Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Not everyone is a fan of the increased frequency of SpaceX launches. Beyond the many controversies surrounding the company’s founder, there are concerns about the effects of sonic booms on the environment, and the California Coastal Commission has been battling SpaceX in court over the need for permits. Some Lompoc residents have complained about the effects of all that rumbling on their houses, but others, like Wilkinson, enjoy living so close to the action; he said he doesn’t even bother straightening the pictures on the walls of his house anymore.

As I drove up the coast, I kept checking the Facebook group for updates. Launches can be scrubbed for any number of reasons, and Wilkinson and other members of the group, including Kozicki, have become adept at reading signs: They track the weather; they watch the rocket’s movement toward the pad; they monitor SpaceX’s website and social media.

I pulled into the Surf Beach parking lot about an hour before launch, and that’s where I met Kozicki, chatting with a SpaceX engineer and her mother. The engineer was off the clock, but that didn’t stop her mom from telling everyone, proudly, that her daughter worked at SpaceX. It became a refrain for the next hour:

“You should ask my daughter. She works at SpaceX.”

“Stop telling everyone I work at SpaceX!”

From the top of the dunes, the four of us watched the launchpad for telltale signs of exhaust. I thought of how, thousands of miles away, crowds in St. Peter’s Square had watched for white smoke with a similar feeling of anticipation. Other spectators soon crunched across the ice plants and joined us on our perch. Some of them had parked in a bigger lot to the north and followed the train tracks that ran parallel to the beach.

The SpaceX engineer answered questions about rocket stages and landing burns. She was not authorized to speak to the media, but she shared her knowledge with everyone her mom sent her way.

We all watched and waited. More people walked up the dunes, including Dan Tauber, who said he’d been motorcycling around the area with friends before deciding to break off from the group to experience the launch.

“You want to feel your bones rattle,” he said. “So why not get as close as you can?”

Kozicki announced to the group that we’d know the launch was about to happen — really about to happen — when we saw a deluge of water on the pad. Then it would be a matter of seconds before liftoff.

Tauber and I sat together in the sand. We watched and waited. He had been a firefighter in San Francisco. He now lived in San Diego. We watched. We waited. A southbound Pacific Surfliner train pulled up alongside the parking lot. The railroad bell kept ringing, adding to the tension.

“Deluge!” shouted Kozicki.

“Deluge!” shouted the SpaceX engineer’s mother.

Three seconds later, ignition. Fire. Smoke. Liftoff.

Cameras clicked.

Someone shouted, “Whoa!”

I might’ve done the same.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off. Vandenberg Space Force Base has hosted 836 rocket launches to date.

(Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images)

The sound of the rocket came next, just as Kozicki had described. Roar. Rumble. Crackle.

Tauber leaned back and said, “I’m just going to enjoy it. Take pictures for me.”

The rocket rose in the blue sky. I managed to get a few pics, but the flames were so bright that my camera’s settings went haywire. I put the camera down and watched the rocket go up, up, up. Then it was gone. Awestruck, I stood around, wanting more. I wasn’t sure where to go afterwards.

I knew I would be back.

Tips for experiencing a Vandenberg rocket launch

Find an upcoming launch

Start with a site like SpaceLaunchSchedule.com. There are many reasons why a launch could get scrubbed, however, so Wilkinson suggests checking the Vandenberg Rocket Launches group about 12 hours before a liftoff is scheduled to see whether it’s actually going to happen. The final authority for SpaceX launches would be SpaceX.com.

If you just want to see the rocket, go outside when there’s a liftoff scheduled for twilight or later. Depending on the weather, you should be able to see the rocket streaking across the Los Angeles sky.

For a closer look, head toward Lompoc

Surf Beach is a good spot, although the parking lot can fill up quickly. There is another parking lot to the north, at Ocean Park, about a 30-minute walk from Surf Beach. Wilkinson also recommended just parking along Ocean Avenue to feel the launch in your feet.

“There’s more of a rumble out there,” he said. “You can feel the vibration in the ground.” Other viewing spots, recommended by Explore Lompoc, include Santa Lucia Canyon Road & Victory Road; Harris Grade Road; and Marshallia Ranch Road. No matter where you park, be considerate of locals. That means no littering, and no middle-of-the-night tailgating. The roads can be crowded with cars and people, so take care whether driving or walking.

While in Lompoc

If you’re looking for food after the launch, I had a satisfying surf and turf burrito from Mariscos El Palmar (722 E. Ocean Ave) in Lompoc, right next to a bar called Pour Decisions.

There’s a renowned burger at Jalama Beach Store, where you can also view a launch. Jalama Beach County Park has many charms, but the cellular signal is spotty out there, so you’ll likely have no way of knowing whether a launch has been scrubbed at the last minute. But you’ll have a pretty drive either way.

Looking to spend the night? The Village Inn (3955 Apollo Way) just opened and markets itself as being inspired by “the golden age of space exploration.” If you’re having a space day, might as well go all the way.

New NBA league in Europe moves a step closer as talks with International Basketball Federation continue.

The NBA’s talks with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and other entities about the process of adding a new league in Europe are continuing, the game’s commissioner in the United States said.

Adam Silver noted it may take at least a couple more years to turn the ideas into reality, pinpointing the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 as a potential “launching pad” for another NBA competition.

He was speaking on Friday – an off day for the NBA Finals – at a league event to unveil a refurbished Boys & Girls Club in Oklahoma City and said it’s difficult to put a specific timeline on the Europe plans.

“I will say it’s measured in years, not months,” Silver said. “So, we’re at least a couple years away from launching.

“It would be an enormous undertaking. And while we want to move forward at a deliberate pace, we also want to make sure that we’re consulting with all the appropriate stakeholders, meaning the existing league, its teams, European players, media companies, marketing partners. There’s a lot of work to be done.”

Silver and FIBA Secretary-General Andreas Zagklis announced in March that the league and the game’s governing body are finally taking long-awaited steps to form a new league, with an initial target of 16 teams.

The idea had been talked about for years, even decades on some levels. Silver revealed that since the NBA and FIBA went public with their idea to move forward, talks have gotten more constructive.

Silver said the NBA has been talking directly with the EuroLeague and with some member clubs about a partnership. It’s his preference that the NBA work with the existing league on some level, though it’s still too early to say exactly what that means.

“Either way, we continue to feel there are an enormous number of underserved basketball fans in Europe and that there’s a strong opportunity to have another league styled after the NBA,” Silver said.

About one in every six current NBA players hails from Europe, including Denver’s Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) – who have combined for five of the last seven MVP awards – along with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic (Slovenia) and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama (France).

The NBA’s board of governors will talk more about next steps with the European plans in July, at their scheduled meeting in Las Vegas, Silver said. It’s possible that the European venture could be unveiled in some way – or possibly start – around the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, given how much attention will be on international basketball at that time.

“That might be a good launching pad for an announcement around a new competition,” Silver said.

Some of the cities that are expected to have interest in being part of the new venture include London, Manchester, Rome and Munich. There will be others, of course.

“We haven’t had direct conversations yet,” Silver said. “But there have been several organisations that have come forward and said they would be interested and potential owners in operating in those major markets in Europe.”