On Tuesday April 21st, 2026, Linden Lab announced it is ending support for Project Zero, the viewer-in-a-browser application launched just 14 months ago, and which I was able to co-announce through this blog following a Zoom meeting between myself and Brad Oberwager and Philip Rosedale.
The project, which saw the viewer streamed to a person’s web browser from Amazon AWS servers remained in something of a beta state throughout its lifespan, initially overseen by Philip Rosedale and then (the now Lab-departed) Sntax Linden, with a dedicated User Group meeting being formed around it (although meetings ceased in the latter half of 2025). It also gained much interest among existing users, despite it being largely aimed at incoming new users, leaving access to it limited for established SL users.
The revised Avatar Picker for Project Zero saw the function moved out of the viewer window and displayed within the browser tab, leaving the viewer window unencumbered. This approach was ported to the SL Mobile App.
The project did see some interesting development – such as the updated Avatar Picker mechanism, which was also ported to the SL Mobile App, and at the time of its launch at the start of 2025 and through the initial six or so months of its development, there were plans to undertake a gradual rebuilding of the viewer UI as presented through a browser, using modern tools such as HTML5 and React. To further interest in streaming the viewer through a web browser, Linden Lab also worked with the Firestorm team to take a version of the latter’s viewer and present that as a streaming service as well – although this experiment was ultimately short-lived.
By September 2025, the Lab was indicating that between them, Project Zero (using the official viewer) and the SL Mobile App had lead to a “10x” increase in the numbers of people trying out Second Life when compared to the more traditional requirement to sign-up and then download the viewer (the latter having long been a break-point for sign-ups, with many would-be users turning away from the platform rather than downloading and installing the viewer on their computers). However, not long after this update, things began to go quiet on the Project Zero front.
As a part of the new user sign-up, those directed towards using Project Zero, rather than to having to download and install the viewer, were directed to a revised splash screen comprising a static backdrop and a “Polaroid snapshots” slide show whilst they were connected to a Project Zero streaming server
With the curtailment of the Project Zero User Group meetings and, later, the departure of Sntax Linden from Linden Lab, the Project as a whole seemed to go dark, with little in the way of direct news being given through any User Group meetings. As such, the announcement that the project is now being ended comes as both a surprise (given the enthusiasm for it evidenced by Linden Lab in 2025) and a non-surprise (lack of news / updates on the project through late 2025 and the start of 2026 suggesting it was perhaps withering on the vine).
The announcement blog post offers little in the way as to why Project Zero is being halted, other than the decision being based on both “feedback” and what the Lab has “learned” in running the project, and “insights gained from Project Zero will directly inform improvements” to both the Desktop viewer and the SL Mobile App. However, the beneficial nature of the project in circumventing the need to download and install the viewer is acknowledged.
As it stands, support for Project Zero will end on Friday, April 24th at 17:00 SLT.
Further:
If you have remaining paid time associated with Project Zero, you are encouraged to use it before the [project is shuttered – access allowing, given the potentially limited number of slots at any given time.
If you have any unused time on Project Zero after April 24th, please file a support ticket for a refund (which will be processed up to 30 days after the ticket is received).
Exactly “what’s next” isn’t actually indicated in the official blog post (despite the post’s title), other than
Note that the ending of Project Zero does not affect either the desktop viewer or the ongoing development on the SL Mobile App, which will “continue to operate as usual”.
Linden Lab has announced changes to the standalone Gaeta 1 continent, and the Zindra adult continent. Via the SL Wiki
On Monday, April 20th, 2026 Linden Lab hosted a Town Hall meeting to discuss the upcoming transition of the Gaeta 1 standalone Mainland continent and the 90-region expansion to the Zindra Adult continent. For detailed context on these changes, please refer to the following blog posts:
The Town Hall was held to offer more information on the upcoming changes – which will be implemented over the course of the rest of the year and see those on Gaeta 1 transitioned away from that continent to land holdings of equitable size elsewhere on Mainland (and not necessarily Zindra), prior to Gaeta 1 being taken off-line, with the steady built-up of the more coastal region of Zindra over the same time period – and to address questions and feedback from Second Life residents.
A number of Lab Land and Support staff attended the meeting, with Derrick Linden fielding the majority of questions, with support from Oatmeal Linden, Whitney Linden and Wendi Linden.
The following is not intended as a full transcript of the Town Hall, but a summary of key questions / suggestions and their responses.
There was a large degree of conversation, particularly during the latter parts of the meeting, which was technically outside the scope of the meeting. This broader conversation included subjects like Zindra land prices, GTFO hubs, extending Mainland road systems, ad farms, Tiny Empires bots, and Yava pods, and is not reflected in the notes below, given the topics a) were mostly outside of any discussion on the Gaeta-1 / Zindra focus and b) did not garner significant responses from the Lab personnel at the meeting.
The meeting utilised local chat rather than Voice, and these notes have been taken from a chat transcript of the meeting provided by Pantera Północy (I missed the meeting myself, due to various reasons), and a summary of major questions and answers supplied by Neon Lyter. Pantera’s video of the session is also embedded at the end of this article – my thanks to both Pantera and to Neon for providing the video and information.
Introductions – Main Speakers
Derrick Linden – Senior Manager of Product Operations, who has been with the Lab for almost 15 years.
Whitney Linden – Supervisor of the Land Operations Team, who has been at the Lab for 14 years.
Oatmeal Linden: Land Specialist with 4+ years at the Lab.
Wendi Linden: Land Specialist with 7 years at the Lab.
Recap: Why are These Changes Being Made?
Overall, these changes are designed to reflect how Mainland is currently being used.
Adult regions continue to see strong demand and high occupancy, while some General and Moderate areas, including Gaeta 1, have seen lower usage over time.
Rather than expanding total Mainland size, LL is reallocating capacity to better match that demand.
Impact on Gaeta 1 Residents
For Gaeta 1 landowners, this will be a gradual, supported process running through the end of 2026.
No regions will close without advance notice, and every impacted landowner will receive direct outreach with relocation options.
This includes size-for-size parcel replacements, with flexibility to move to Zindra or other Mainland areas depending on individual preferences.
The goal is to make this transition thoughtful and resident-focused, and LL want to give residents time, clear options, and direct support throughout.
Questions and Answers
General
Suggestion: Zindra has lots of troubles with open water traversal. The HOA-gated nature of Linden Homes could be a solution here. Build A-rated Linden Homes along the outskirts of the new expansion, among water like the stilt/houseboat concept, so that LL doesn’t have to run water regions with no paying customers in them while also restricting people from blocking access routes?
Response: Unfortunately we’re not here to talk about Bellisseria or Linden Homes products. This is certainly an option that we have available to us, and we will take it into consideration as we consider future plans here.
Q: Will small areas of protected land possibly be opened?
A: Currently we don’t have any plans to open any existing protected areas, and the new regions that are being created in Zindra will have protected roads and waterways.
Q: will there be any water regions along the protected waters opening for purchase? Most of the ones that are here have already been purchased up by land companies.
A: Yes, there will be some water regions that will be resident occupied. However, the first priority is the individuals that are impacted on Gaeta 1 and those are getting first dibs on the new land being made available on Zindra. We will not make any of the new land available for anyone else to purchase or claim until those individuals are sorted through.
Q: I live in a PG location so I have a concern: is this the beginning of a trend to reduce PG lands to zero?
A: No, no plans on that with PG land.
Q: [Is] Sharp (formerly the Teen Grid continent, and also unfinished, like Gaeta-1) next?
A: We have no plans or changes anticipated for Sharp or any other Mainland continents at this time.
Q: Four older (Nascera) Linden Homes continents were deleted last year. What has happened to those regions (and the financial savings they created) and why have those Nascera regions not been redistributed to complete both Zindra and Gaeta 1, while also connecting Gaeta 1 to the remainder of Mainland?
A: Those four continents of old Linden Home regions were brought down and the redistribution of those regions is a slower phased process, and are being released with new style Linden Homes over the longer period of time. Those regions were earmarked for Linden Homes, and not Mainland.
[Note: a follow-on question to this asking why resources are allocated / reserved for Linden Homes when the older themes have such a high vacancy rate, rather than revamping them. This went unanswered as outside the scope of the meeting.]
Q: Is this part of an overall resurgence in a focus on Mainland architecture? Or is this a one- time project?
A: This is definitely one step in the direction of looking at working with our Mainland product, and we have several initiatives that we’re currently working on. For instance, we’ve been doing some stuff that I don’t really want to spill the beans on here, however, those of you that have been paying attention to New Bloom Mountain might have some indication on things to come.
We have also been doing more maintenance on existing Mainland (for example, the snow lands chair lifts, etc.). Please let us know about other potential broken content that needs some fixing, too.
Q: Will we see more projects like this in the future of land being recycled to for better purposes to be more efficient and progress SL forward?
A: We are entirely focused and only have plans currently for Gaeta 1. Afterwards, I can make no guarantees for what the future holds, but I want to make it clear that we understand how impactful this is and do not take decisions like this lightly. So this will continue to be evaluated for the future of the Mainland and SL as a whole.
Concerns were also raised throughout the meeting about:
The potential lack of available land facing open water on other Mainland continents which could be offered like-for-like to those on Gaeta-1 who have shorefront / open water land at present.
The risk of those on Zindra losing their open water views as new regions are added.
Neither of these concerns were directly addressed by the Lab.
Gaeta 1 Specific
Q: Did the Lindens already mention how many people this is estimated to actually affect who actually log on?
A: There were 349 unique land owners or groups as of April 15th that owned land on Gaeta 1.
Q: How will the actual moving process take place? Is the land owner responsible for actually moving their own items?
A: Yes, however we’re planning to work with each individual person and give them time to move the content they need or want to move over, and pick up anything they don’t plan on carrying over.
Q: Why not finish Gaeta 1?
A: This was certainly an option that we had considered, however, there are large swaths of land available here, especially those that are not along any waterways or nearby roads which is unoccupied and unutilised. As mentioned in the blog, we want to shift this land into more desirable adult Mainland, and use it as an opportunity to finish out the Zindra continent.
Q: Will residents be able to hold Gaeta1 land and the replacement land without additional costs during the move to allow for builds to be more easily moved? Or will they have to drop one and start over on another?
A: This is something we anticipate some users needing, and we will absolutely be working with them to the best ability we can to make this transition as smooth as possible. And that does include possibly assisting them in this exact manner.
Q: What about people who have SL families with child avatars who are living on Gaeta I? They can’t move to an adult continent.
A: We are assisting everyone with their particular land needs. If they are unable to or do not prefer Adult Mainland, we are helping them find alternatives.
[Also it has been made clear in the official blog post that no-one currently on Gaeta 1 must move to Zindra, the creation of new Zindra regions is somewhat tangential to the Gaeta 1 transition, the two only linked by timing and the aforementioned wish to re-balance land allocation towards the higher demand of Adult regions.]
Q: [abridged and partially paraphrased for length]: Gaeta 1 was originally created in 2008. Why was the continent left unfinished? Zindra meanwhile, was announced in June 2009 with work on the land starting shortly after, but then left incomplete for 15 years. Why the change of heart after over a decade of residents pleading with Linden Lab to provide additional adult Mainland? Why is Gaeta 1 being sacrificed? Gaeta 1 has 10.2% of land abandoned, but Jeogeot has 29.6% and Satori 27%. Why should the residents of these continents not be concerned that their creations, their effort and time, might just be done away with?
Bellisseria also has large tracts of unoccupied homes (e.g. Alpine Homes (69%); Fantasy Homes (48% occupied), with Bellisseria as a whole only 39% occupied. Why is more effort being put into expanding Bellisseria when there’s this much product currently unused? Why not halt the expansion of Bellisseria or repurpose land from there instead?
A: I can’t speak to Gaeta 1’s creation or its unfinished state, this happened prior to my tenure here, and pretty much all of the individuals that were in decision-making positions at the time are no longer here. I totally understand this sentiment, but I unfortunately don’t have much I can answer on this front.
However, I did see the figures on the forums that are being quoted here based on externally-collected data, and these numbers are not accurate to the information that we have. Gaeta 1’s occupancy on non-protected parcels was actually only 44%. And it being disconnected was a contributing factor, but not the primary reason.
Q: If we have a xx amount of land in Gaeta 1 we will be given choice for equal amount of land or we can also choose to buy more than what we currently own for example if it’s a 1/2 sim can we get a full region in the expansion option too? And what will be the pricing on that?
A: No, it will be same sized parcels for parcel placement.
Q: When managing relocations or land disputes on Gaeta, do you take into account how long someone has owned their land? Specifically, do long-term residents receive priority over those who purchased land just this week?
A: Overall, our priority is the largest impacted communities first. Afterwards, we’ll be working with individuals and smaller groups. However, we are giving priority to residents and groups who owned their land prior to April 15th when this blog was released.
Q: What if you first tried to redesign Gaeta I and move it to Gaeta V, for example between the North-western part of Gaeta V and the North-eastern part of Corsica, reducing Gaeta I’s size so that you get rid of the abandoned land but keep the Sandy Beach Trail, the coastline and the existing communities, moving the other regions as needed to reshape it? It cannot be more work than these planned relocation efforts, and if that doesn’t bring you the desired results, you can still shut it down, but trying couldn’t hurt more than keeping all the abandoned land online already has for so many years.
A: There were considerations put into this, but the primary concern that we’re attempting to work toward a resolution here is that there is an imbalance between A vs. G/M regions. This opportunity allows us to help the land market on Zindra while also solving for lower occupancy numbers on Gaeta 1.
Q: What is LL going to do to help residents with very strong memories attached to their land? For example, residents who still have things rezzed out from family and friends who have passed away in real life. Is there some way for Linden Lab to move these objects to the new land?
A: Unfortunately, we don’t have any options available to us to selectively relocate specific objects like this.
Q: Can we have a meeting with just Gaeta 1 people, just to sort out things more in detail?
A: We’re currently planning to do a smaller town hall specifically as an invite-only to individuals and groups that have land on Gaeta 1. These will be sent as personal invitations, so keep an eye out for incoming communication over the coming couple of weeks. These will be sent via notecard from a Linden.
Q: How is contact being handled in the case of group owned land?
A: We’re balancing and weighing depending on if the founder still active, in lieu of that we prioritize the individuals that are contributing the tier to the groups.
Q: Does anyone know if any of the Gaeta I regions have already begun to disappear?
A: Not yet – we’re beginning the process over the next 2-3 weeks.
We are not deactivating any regions until the land owners there have been able to find new locations.
Zindra Specific
Q: What steps are you going to take to ensure that the new land in Zindra is not immediately bought up by land barons?
A: We are not making any parcels of land available there until everyone that is being moved from Gaeta 1 has been taken care of and have claimed parcels there, or elsewhere, as they desire and we work with them. That leaves us several months ahead that these regions will begin to be added to Zindra, but not made available to claim the land.
The timeline for this whole process is through the end of this year, so realistically no land will be made publicly available until that time. After that, we’re currently discussing strategies for how to make the remainder of the new land available, and it will likely be some sort of mixture of auctions and/or a possible lottery system that we are discussing internally. However, if you have other thoughts, we’d love to hear about them.
Q: So, will Gaetans also get first dibs on scooping up some additional Adult land before the land hoarders that aren’t Gaetans? If so how much we looking at pricing wise?
A: Answered this already, but just to reconfirm – yes, Gaeta 1 landowners will get first dibs [on the new Zindra lands, if they want]. Pricing will remain the same on your current tier structure as long as you’re just doing a like-for-like parcel switch.
Q: In terms of void edge land on Gaeta, what is considered comparable on Zindra? Is it ocean access?
A: This land [void on Gaeta 1] is being considered as interior land and not water. However, the new land being spun up on Zindra has plenty of available water, and that doesn’t necessarily immediately disqualify you from owning water-adjacent parcels.
Q: Will the new Zindra regions have PBR terrain?
A: We are updating the land textures to a higher resolution [2k], but not PBR.
Q: Can you set expectations as to how much land will be available to non-Gaeta residents? 97 regions are moving to 90. What percent of those 97 were abandoned before the announcement?
A: We don’t have any clear indications yet just because we don’t know how many will opt for new land on Zindra vs. existing G/M land. We anticipate having left over land on Zindra, we just can’t estimate exactly how much.
Q: Will there be a possible chance in the future that Zindra might be connected to the rest of Mainland?
A: No, this is not possible. We do not place Adult and G/M rated regions adjacent to one another.
Those wishing to offer feedback on the Gaeta-1 and Zindra changes, these can be posted via the forum discussion thread.
Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation
Updates from the week through to Sunday, April 19th, 2026
This summary is generally published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:
It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware), and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy.
This page includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog.
By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.
Outside of the Official viewer, and as a rule, alpha / beta / nightly or release candidate viewer builds are not included; although on occasions, exceptions might be made.
Official LL Viewers
Default viewer – One-Click Installer = 26.1.1.23806384790 – April 10 – No change.
Second Life Release Candidate (RC) viewer: Flat UI – 26.2.0.24254827122, April 15 -“flat” UI and font update – NEW.
Captured via a drone, NG-3’s Never Tell Me the Odds edges towards Blue Origin’s Landing Platform Vessel Jacklyn, April 19th, 2026. Credit: Blue Origin
Even as this article was being prepped, my eyes were glued to the screen watching the launch of Blue Origin’s NG-3 mission, the third flight of the company’s mighty New Glenn Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLLV) and the first re-use of a New Glenn first stage – that of Never Tell Me the Odds, which was previously flown as a part of the NG-2 mission in November 2025.
NG-3 had originally been slated for the launch of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lunar lander Pathfinder mission, which the company had originally targeted for a January / February 2026 launch. However, that mission will not now occur until mid-to-late 2026, so NG-3 was reassigned to a commercial launch, that of AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 cellular broadband satellite. Between NG-3 and the launch of Blue Moon Pathfinder, New Glenn will also serve as the launch vehicle to deliver 48 Amazon LEO (formerly Project Kuiper) to low Earth orbit as a part of Amazon’s LEO internet constellation.
An external camera on New Glenn looks down the length of the booster’s first stage towards Launch Complex SL-36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, 30 seconds after launch. Credit: Blue Origin
Both the NG-3 and NG-4 launches are cause of mixed emotions. In its own right, New Glenn is a remarkable vehicle, capable of delivering up to 45 tonnes to low Earth orbit with the first stage recovered – just five tonnes less than SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy with its three core elements recovered. As such, and given its recovery is – broadly speaking – less complex than Falcon Heavy, it stands to make itself felt as a highly flexible launch platform capable of meeting both commercial and government launch requirements (as has already been demonstrated in the vehicle’s first 2 flights, including being certified for launching classified payloads).
On the negative side, NG-3 and NG-4 are both increasing the levels of satellites orbiting close to Earth together with the overall light pollution they cause for astronomers, whilst simultaneously increasing the risk of on-orbit collisions between satellites. And that’s to say nothing of the added atmospheric pollution such satellites cause when they reach the end of their (relatively short) life spans and are dumped back into the atmosphere to burn-up.
In this, AST SpaceMobile have been particularly cavalier. Whilst the likes of SpaceX (Starlink) and Amazon (Amazon LEO) have at least paid lip service to requests to reduce the amount of light pollution their satellites produce and seriously disrupts a wide range of astronomical work, AST SpaceMobile has essentially lifted a middle finger to such requests, working on generations of ever-larger and more polluting satellites. The 6-tonne BlueBird 7 for example, is not only far bigger than Amazon LEO / Starlink satellites (although its family of satellites will be far smaller than the Amazon / Starlink constellations), it and its siblings have massive solar arrays covering 223 sq metres (2,400 sq ft), which can make them brighter than any star seen in the sky.
New Glenn NG-3 captured from an airborne camera as it climbs towards first stage Main Engine Cut-Off. Credit: Blue Origin
NG-3 lifted-off from Launch Complex-36 (LC-36) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida a little later than its target launch time of 10:45 UTC, rising into the sky at 11:25 UTC. Lift-off mark the first time the New Glenn system has lifted a fully private payload into the sky. As appears common with New Glenn Launches, the vehicle initially held on the pad for a second or so after the countdown reached zero as the seven BE-4 engine powering it all came up to full thrust, then the vehicle seemed to rise ponderously into the air, taking some 17 seconds to clear the height of the lightning towers around the pad.
Thirty seconds into the flight the 98-metre tall rocket completed its roll-over (or “pitch over”) onto to its climb trajectory to orbit. At 1 minute 29 seconds, and climbing through 10.3 kilometres altitude, New Glenn passed through “Max Q”, the period of maximum dynamic pressure, and accelerated through Mach 2 shortly after, entering the cloud base and it did so and becoming obscured from view.
A camera within the engine bay of New GlennNG-3’s upper stage captures stage separation, with the upper stage powering away from the first stage. Credit: Blue Origin
Three minutes into the flight and the rocket reached MECO – main engine cut-off – for the first stage motors at an altitude of 77.5 km. Stage separation followed quickly thereafter, together with the ignition of the two BE-3U motors on the rocket’s payload carrying upper stage, allowing it to both continue its ascent towards obit and power itself away from the first stage, jettisoning the payload fairings as it did so to expose BlueBird 7 to space.
Controlled via the fins along its side, Never Tell Me the Odds continue upwards unpowered, until it reached apogee, then became a controlled descent through the upper atmosphere, falling on a trajectory that would intersect the position of the Landing Platform Vessel Jacklyn some 600 km off the coast of Florida, so it could attempt a landing.
Never Tell Me the Odds gliding down through the lower atmosphere ahead of firing three of its motors to slow it for landing. Credit: Blue OriginSeven minutes after launch, three of the first stage BE-4 engine ignited so 20 seconds to both bring Never Tell Me the Odds to a more upright orientation and to cushion its entry into denser atmosphere. The descent continued with the booster again “tipped” over and falling engines-first, passing through “Max Q” some 8 minutes and 20 seconds post-launch, and at T +8:53 three BE-4s again re-lit, powering the booster down over the waters close to Jacklyn, before the motors cut to just one, allowing the booster to crab sideways over the landing deck and execute a perfect touchdown.
During this time, the second stage complete its initial burn to reach orbit before shutting down for a period, prior to a final engine burn to deliver the payload to its intended orbit. This second firing of the BE-3U motors apparently failed, leaving BlueBird 7 in an off-nominal orbit following separation from the upper stage, as both Blue Origin and AST SpaceMobile looked at the issue.
Never Tell Me the Odds sits on the deck of the Landing Platform Vessel Jacklyn, auto-welded in place, post-landing. Blue Origin
SpaceX to Launch Rosalind Franklin to Mars
It has been announced that SpaceX will now launch Europe’s much-delayed Rosalind Franklin (aka the ExoMars rover) to Mars in 2028 – almost 28 years after the mission was conceived.
Originally, ExoMars (as it has been known for most of its life) was due to be a partnership mission with NASA’s MAX-C rover, only for the latter to be cancelled. As a compensatory measure, NASA offered to launch both the ExoMars rover and Europe’s Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), which had been folded into the “ExoMars” banner, to Mars aboard two Atlas V boosters, with TGO launching in 2016 and ExoMars in 2018. However, this offer was again rescinded due to NASA budget cuts, leaving the European Space Agency looking for a new partner – and finding one in the form of Roscosmos.
A test vehicle for Rosalind Franklin seen from the rover’s front in a low angle, emphasising the drilling mechanism. Credit: ESA
This at least allowed TGO to launch in its planned year of 2016, but saw a delay in the launch of the rover, as Russia had to develop a special landing platform for it, and wanted that platform to be science-capable. Coupled with issues with the rover’s parachute system, these delays eventually hit the COVID-19 wall, and the launch was further delayed. Then Russia invaded Ukraine, and all bets were off; ESA now needed another partner to get (the now renamed) Rosalind Franklin to Mars. NASA once again stepped up – but this time, instead of offering to launch the mission, they indicated they would find a suitable launch vehicle supplier in return for ESA flying some of their own equipment on the mission.
On April 16th, 2026, this arrangement resulted in NASA and ESA announcing that SpaceX had been selected as the mission’s launch vehicle provider, and that a Falcon Heavy would be used to send the rover on its way to Mars.
An artist’s impression of Rosalind Franklin deploying from its European landing platform. Credit: Aerotime.aero
Rosalind Franklin sits between the NASA solar-powered Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) and the current nuclear-powered Curiosity-class rovers in size, whilst retaining the former’s solar power system. Despite its boxy, almost amateurish looks, Rosalind Franklin is one of the most science-capable vehicles to be sent to Mars, carrying eight scientific instruments, all designed to aide its primary mission of seeking subsurface bio signs. It will also carry a sample-gathering drill system capable of penetrating up to 2 metres below the planet’s surface.
The landing site for the mission is Oxia Planum, a 200 km-wide clay-bearing plain in the planet’s northern hemisphere, some 18º above the equator. It is one of the largest exposed clay-bearing deposits on Mars and is believed to be some 3.6-4 billion years old. There is ample evidence for free-flowing water having once existed within the region, with the exposed rocks exhibiting different compositions, indicating a variety of deposition and wetting environments.
If the current arrangement holds, Rosalind Franklin will be launched around mid-to-late 2028, and arrive on Mars in 2029.
Cause of Medical ISS Evacuation Revealed
Back in January I covered the emergency evacuation of NASA’s International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 73/74 (aka. NASA / SpaceX Crew 11) after one of the crew experienced a medical issue. At the time, the details of the individual experiencing problems, and what those problems might be were not made public – standard NASA practice. However, all four of the crew were returned to Earth aboard their SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle out of an “abundance of caution” – and because leaving two of them behind would have left them without a ride home in the event of a further emergency.
Astronaut Mike Fincke – NASA official portrait. Credit: NASA
The Expedition 73/74 crew comprised JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Mission Specialist Kimiya Yui, Roscosmos cosmonaut and Mission Specialist Oleg Platonov, veteran NASA astronaut Michael “Mike” Fincke – who had assumed the role of ISS mission commander not long after the crew originally arrived at the space station, and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, who served as mission commander for the Crew 11 flight to the ISS. At the time the medical situation initially occurred, Fincke and Cardman were going through various checks of themselves and equipment in readiness for an upcoming EVA – extravehicular activity “spacewalk” to work on preparing the stations’ power system for the installation of further iROSA solar arrays to further boosts the ISS’s electrical power production.
Given this EVA prep work was underway, and NASA then called off the EVA as a whole, initial speculation was that either Fincke or Cardman had suffered some form of medical emergency. However, attention shifted to JAXA astronaut Yui after it was revealed he sought a private consultation with NASA medics on Earth at the same time the EVA preparation work was in progress.
As it turned out, the speculation about Fincke and Cardman was correct when, on February 25th, Fincke decided to go public and reveal he was the one with the issue – although at the time, he declined to indicate exactly what the issue was, and did not do so for a further month.
At the end of March 2026, 58-year-old Fincke, who had previously flown on ISS missions Soyuz TMA-4 (ISS Expedition 9), Soyuz TMA-13 (ISS Expedition 18), and STS-134, and who had been initially picked to fly a 3-person Crew Flight Test of Boeing’s Starliner before that mission was reduced to just two crew – “Butch” Wilmore and “Suni” Williams), revealed that just after the EVA prep work had ended ahead of schedule and the entire ISS crew were settling down for dinner, he suddenly lost his voice.
It was just amazingly quick. Out of the blue. My crewmates definitely saw that I was in distress. It was all hands on deck within just a matter of seconds.
– Michael Fincke, describing the episode which led to his crew being evacuated from the ISS
As several of the ISS crew sought to assist Fincke, Yui got onto a private channel with Mission Control to relay the situation to the ground-based medical team. The episode lasted some 20 minutes before Fincke recovered his voice, and throughout that time he was not in pain or suffering any other symptoms. However, the medical team on Earth could not rule out the potential that he has suffered some form of stroke or heart attack – or that contaminants in the food could have caused his issue and might do so again to himself or another crew member.
It was because of these latter aspects that the decision was made to curtail the crew’s mission to the ISS a month early and return them to Earth, where all of them were subjected to a range of tests, not of which has apparently uncovered any underlying cause for Fincke’s episode or given rise to any concerns over the health of the other three. Fincke himself, as recently as mid-April has stated he has never suffered anything like the loss of voice either before or since the episode on the ISS, and he is hoping to make a full return to flight status for future missions.
Marina di Luna, April 2026 – click any image for full size
Occupying a Homestead region, Marina di Luna is the work of Miri (SilentChloe). It is a beautiful minimalist region design which mixes a sense of history with a twist of the modern. Highly photogenic, the setting offers much to see without overloading itself or the visitor’s senses, and offers opportunities for the romantics at heart.
Marina di Luna is a breath-taking island where modern architecture meets ancient charm. Surrounded by olive trees and a carpet of flowers, the air is fragrant with herbs and the salty sea. It’s a perfect place to relax and enjoy a romantic day out.
– Marina di Luna’s Destination Guide description
Marina di Luna, April 2026
The region is split into a main island to the east and with a north-south major orientation, and two smaller isles, each home to its own structure, of which more anon.
When seen on the map, the main island carries something of a left-pointing sock look to it, the lower part of the sock – from “toe” to “heel”, forms an open meadow, curving gently upwards from the rocky coastline on three sides, and running north towards the island’s main structures.
Marina di Luna, April 2026
This gently humpbacked meadow is home to the region’s Landing Point, the lush flowering grass coating it home to toppled columns and guarded by patient red-crowns cranes.
The “toe” of this sock-like island points towards the smaller of the two other isles, while the rocks on the coast at this point offer a place to sit and a flat “table” on which an artist has set up their easel to paint the larger of the two islands as it sits further to the north.
Marina di Luna, April 2026
The smaller isle is home to a partially-ruined stone gazebo topped by a copper (or possible iron) domed roof which shares the damage as the stone of the gazebo. With its steps dipping their toes into the water, the gazebo has been turned into a little romantic niche, complete with cosy sofa, champagne and flowers.
The larger of these own isles is home to a large circular bath house. This shares some commonality with the gazebo, hinting at their joint age and Greco-Roman heritage.
Marina di Luna, April 2026
Like the gazebo, the bath house has a copper / iron roof, this one intact but suffering signs of rusting on its iron panels. Inside, the bath house is pristine and its waters clear, the walls split between four points of access and four small alcoves. Outside, the bath house is surrounded by a small garden space on the flat-topped island, where shaded loungers await, whiles a small beach of warm sand offers its own attraction.
Both of the islands can be reached via little motorboats which can be rezzed from lifebuoys to be found on the main island, with the boat house island having its own boat rezzer to aid in a return to the main island (I didn’t see a rezzer on the gazebo island).
Marina di Luna, April 2026
Back on the main island, the northern end is given over to a modern building built in a reflection of ancient Greek designs, and with what appears to be a garden terrace of much greater age, mirroring that of the bath house and gazebo.
Places to sit can be found around this terrace, dominated as it is by a large fountain and smaller fish pond. Broad steps connect terrace and the open waters below, where one of the boat rezzers can be found, whilst to one side, a raised deck offers a place for private dining.
Marina di Luna, April 2026
The front of the main building – a museum and gallery – is guarded by an infinity pool overlooking the open waters below. The museum houses a number of exhibits and a collection of photographs by – I admittedly assume – Miri herself. The museum is also home to a little café and a wine cellar below, complete with its own secret. The For both the exhibits and the “hidden” spaces, the museum is well worth taking the time to explore and appreciate.
All of the above – I hope – draws an outline of Marina di Luna; however, to fully appreciate the naturalness of its beauty, the attractive nature present in its simplicity of design, and to fill in all of the colours it presents, it is a place deserving of a visit; just be sure to take your camera with you. Should you need props when taking photos, rezzing in the region is open – just do please be sure to pick your things up afterwards.
The OSD meeting is a combining of the former Third Party Viewer Developer meeting and the Open Source Development meeting. It is open discussion of Second Life development, including but not limited to open source contributions, third-party viewer development and policy, and current open source programs.
This meeting is generally held twice a month on a Friday, at 13:00 SLT at the Hippotropolis Theatre and is generally text chat only.
More updates to be made to this prior to promotion.
LL is working through some font kerning problems that were seemingly made much more obvious with the new font choice.
It was also noticed that the official viewer has been rendering fonts ever so slightly different from FS – which kicked off the above investigation.
26.3.0 – Graphics Care Package
The is the viewer previously known as the SL Visual Polish (SLVP) viewer.
The performance tweak has been ported over, and the team is now looking at additional performance work.
Async inventory is being parted out into easier to review chunks.
LL is also looking at some CPU and GPU wins overall – Geenz Linden is working on getting texture batching working for the PBR and Blinn-Phong paths. There is potentially more work on these lines, and these will likely be incorporated prior to passing the viewer to QA.
Lua Viewer
The Lua Alpha update that it had been hoped would surface around the start of April is now being aimed for some time in week #17.
The current lean at the Lab is to move this viewer through to RC status and then release before the 26.3.0 GCP viewer, but no firm decision has been made.
Again, this viewer will also be the first new Linux release from LL.
As a reminder: LL have officially dropped “SLua” (“SL Lua”) and just going with “Lua”.
WebRTC Deployment
The WebRTC deployment is still underway. No firm end-date as yet, although it should now be across all simulator RC channels.
Anyone experiencing Voice issues with WebRTC is asked to file a bug report.
General Discussion
The vcpkg updates for the viewer build process will not be surfacing until “after Lua at the very least”.
Geenz estimates it will likely not emerge until late summer, due to dependencies on work being completed vis. KDU and the removal of the Havok sub-libraries from the viewer.
In terms of the latter: VHACD will replace the convex decomposition for mesh upload, and server-generated path-finding mesh will replace the Havok path-finding mesh loaded by the viewer for visualisation.
A major reason for removing the Havok sub-licences is the impact they have on TPVs, who have to go through the process of obtaining and signing sub-licence agreements via LL, which complicates the open-source environment.
In this respect, if LL had a truly open-source replacement for KDU on the graphics side, they would look to make similar moves there as well.
Physics shapes and why and what the viewer can do with them became a topic for conversation at around the half-way point in the meeting, and this continued for around 10 minutes.
During the above there was a general discussion on the mesh uploader and clarifying LOD numbers for those coming into mesh creation.
A request was made for TPVs to receive stats reports once more (use, crash rates, etc). Geenz noted in reply:
Some of that is a bit of a black box to us as far as your specific crash rates, as for viewer usage we’re bottlenecked by a single person is responsible for that so it doesn’t always get done. I’ve been hoping to get a more automatic solution for this for a while, but our metrics folks have been booked up with other things for a good bit now.
The question was asked about the possibility of viewer-side Lua for building custom UIs to replace some of the HUD systems people use, and whether work on this is still moving forward. Geenz repliedwith:
That’s been on the shelf for a while. Dunno if or when we’re gonna bring that one back – I think what we’d need to really look at bringing that back with a significant amount of interest is gonna be how people would want to use [it]. There’s a lot of criteria that goes into making product level decisions like that, and with the viewer side Lua stuff it was increasingly being looked at something for internal use than something like a content feature.
The question was asked if the puppetry project was once and for all “dead”, to which Genenz again replied:
Lots of things were learned from that project, but I wouldn’t say it’s dead necessarily. Just not a priority. There’s a lot of things that would need to happen for puppetry, and I think it’s really increasingly more of a “when we need <x> we’ll work on that part of it” sort of thing. Because like joint streaming is just generally kind of useful, but we don’t have an immediate need for it. But who knows – maybe some day. Hell, if there’s any interest in having a proper poser viewer-side that ticks all of the privacy and consent boxes that might be a potential path. But we’re nowhere near there yet.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 