From a return of humans to lunar orbit, to Japan’s first crack at Mars, advanced space travel and exploration is set to continue in 2026. Source: 4 Exciting Space Missions Launch This Year Including NASA’s Return to Moon, Japan’s Jump to Mars Exciting times!

His truck was the vehicle equivalent of Frankenstein, a green mish-mash of dents and dings and disjointed panels. The 2000 Chevy Silverado became something of a famous eyesore in South Bend, Indiana, earning sideways glances and second looks wherever Mo Riles went. “I thought it was A.I. and didn’t know if it was real,” one […] The post Elderly Man’s Busted Up Truck Was Joke Meme Until Stranger’s Heartwarming Idea to Crowdfund a New One appeared first on Good News Network.

There's not a young boy on the planet who didn't go through at least a brief phase of being fascinated by large trucks, especially garbage trucks. There are many wonderful reasons why little kids are fascinated, and at the same time, perhaps a little scared of garbage trucks. They have bright colors, flashing lights, and have massive moving parts that shriek and moan as they lift the garbage bins and throw them in the back of the truck. They are also impressed by the operator who pulls the levers and makes the massive machine lift and dump.They also instinctively recognized that the sanitation worker is doing an important and admirable job. They haven't yet been conditioned to look down on dirty, thankless work and can appreciate it for how vital it truly is. Little kids have this fascination until they are around five or six, until one day when the garbage man comes by they no longer feel the need to run out and watch.However, a touching story out of Florida shows that nine-year-old Noah Carrigan never lost his love for the garbage man, and that’s because they forged a sweet relationship.But unfortunately, after the city changed its waste management contracts, the garbage collector was informed he would no longer stop by Noah’s house. Kids are able to recognize garbage workers as the heroes they are. Photo by Shihab Chowdhury on Unsplash “It started out as something so simple—he was just fascinated by the garbage truck,” Noah’s mom, Catherine Carrigan, told SWNS.“For years, every Tuesday, he would run outside to wave, and the garbage man always waved back, honked the horn, and acknowledged him.”She filmed the garbage man’s last pickup at his house, and it marked the end of an era.On the garbage man’s final visit, Noah handed him a bottle of water, a handwritten note, and some gifts to express his gratitude and appreciation for the kindness and years of friendship. "He wanted to write him a thank you note with garbage truck toys he used to play with," the mother wrote on a social media post. “This farewell hit hard,” she admitted.Noah isn't the only kid who has bonded with his community sanitation worker. A 4-year-old named Johnny Tsacoumangos went viral a few years ago for his wholesome friendship with the garbage man. The special bond between kids and their sanitation heroes is worldwide: - YouTube www.youtube.com Here's the beautiful moment captured by Noah's mom, along with clips of the two interacting over the course of years. It's nearly impossible not to tear up while watching it, not only because of the loving friendship, but because of the quick passage of time.The entire friendship goes by in just the blink of an eye, along with a chunk of Noah's childhood. @holisticspark For years my son has been waving to the same garbage man every week. ?? Today, he says goodbye as his favorite garbage man retires. ? Thank you for your years of kindness! ??♥️ #garbagemanhero #garbageman #wholesomemoments #kindnessmatters #communitylove #heartwarming #goodbyefriend Parents need to take a moment to realize that they are in the midst of something beautiful that is fleeting, as Noah's mother did. So, when there are those nights when you're tired and don’t feel like reading them a book before bed, or getting off the couch to play catch, knowing you only have so many of these moments is a great way to enjoy them. Because one day, when they’re gone, you’ll wish you could have read one more book or spent that nice spring day on the lawn throwing a ball around.That’s why the story about young Noah and the garbage man is wonderful. On one level, it's a touching story about the friendship between a man and a young boy, highlighting the importance of the people who work in our communities. On the other hand, it’s a reminder that some of these simple joys in life we share with children will one day end—and you can’t turn back the clock.This article originally appeared last April. It has been updated

School lunch in the United States has a complicated history. While many of us who grew up in the '80s or '90s are nostalgic for some of the menu items we remember fondly (rectangle pizza, anyone?), some of the serving choices were bizarre. We really grew up with someone handing us a tray of pizza, French fries, chocolate milk, and soggy green beans every morning at 10:30am.The offerings have improved somewhat over the years, but everything's still pretty...beige. The main choices are typically pizza, chicken nuggets, or some form of questionable ground beef like burgers or meatloaf. Some people are stunned when they find out that school lunches from around the world can look very different.Last year, a photo of lunch served at a school in South Korea went viral and had everyone's mouths watering. from pics A user on Reddit posted the photos to r/pics where they immediately racked up over 17,000 upvotes.The colors on the tray stick out immediately, most notably the noodles covered in creamy red sauce. But it's really the stuffed lobster tail that's the star of this particular tray; potentially lobster thermidor.You expect to see some cultural differences in the food offerings in different countries. Korean food is inherently different than American food in a number of ways, but love for lobster is real in both countries. Yet, can you imagine American schools serving lobster tail to kids under any circumstances? Can't quite imagine this on the average American school lunch tray.Canva PhotosThe response from mostly-American users was fascinating. Some were in awe while others rightly pointed out why a lunch like this would never fly in the USA.One of the main sentiments was that school lunches in other countries often put ours to utter shame:"I used to teach in Korea and the lunches were always amazing, the beef and quails egg stew was a constant highlight.""I studied in Korea for 6 months on uni exchange. The food at the uni cafeteria looked just like this, and was 10/10. My private room at the uni lodge was $500USD for the WHOLE semester, and included unlimited food.""I live in Spain and my kid's school invited the parents to taste lunch one day. It was fantastic. Also, at the end of each month they share a calendar of the meals that will be served during the next one, day by day. They're all balanced, and prepared with proximity food. They prepare specific meals for every kid with allergies/intolerances/any kind of dietary restriction, e.g. restrictions related to religion. They also share a list of dinner suggestions - again, for the whole month - so you have ideas for dinners that are healthy, easy, cheap, and tasty for kids. It's a public school.""I am from a third world country where many public schools lack a ton of funding and even we have better more healthy lunches than the slop that’s given to US students. I know because I went to school in the US and also in my home country.""America hates its f*cking kids. It will always mistreat them and deny them opportunities.""Lobster as a school lunch??? I need to go back to elementary school... I'll quit work for education and a lunch like that!" A typical American school lunch.Canva PhotosOthers, while impressed with the selection, had their doubts about if American schools could ever adopt something like this:"This lunch is orders of magnitude better then US school lunches. And most American kids would utterly hate it.""American kids have no palette! It’s all chicken nuggets and mac & cheese! ... I know some kids that would starve rather than try anything on that tray."Some pointed out that those metal chopsticks would likely be used as a weapon almost immediately, and discontinued ASAP.Americans, as a whole, have a dreadful diet devoid of enough nutrition and it causes catastrophic health problems in the long-term. For clues as to why, you can look at what we feed our kids—and why.No, most American kids probably wouldn't like lobster tail, but there is a lot that goes into how our palette develops that might help explain it. Kids eating lunch.Canva PhotosFor starters, fresh produce and lean proteins are extremely expensive in America, and prices are still rising. It's far more cost-effective to pump people full of cheap, empty calories and sugar. School lunch used to be cooked fresh every day in the schools before major government budget cuts forced districts to more heavily on lean on frozen or reheated options. Kids get used to chicken nuggets all day every day from a young age!The irony is that school lunches in America, while not overly exciting, at least meet some basic nutritional guidelines. But they're not free for everyone, and even kids who qualify for free or reduced lunch may not end up participating due to stigma, red-tape, or food preferences. When parents on a shoestring budget have to buy their own lunch supplies, things can get a lot worse than meatloaf and green beans. We all knew a few kids in school who had Pop Tarts for lunch every day. To be fair, we were all jealous at the time. - YouTube youtu.be And finally, Americans sure love to get fired up about our "right" to eat like crap. When Michelle Obama tried to clean up the school lunch program, she ran into massive pushback. RFK Jr. wants to do his own version of it, and we'll see how that goes.The viral photo from South Korea shows what might be possible with a few key cultural and political shifts. Treating feeding our kids more like "preventive medicine" versus a cost to manage would definitely be a start.This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.