Linky smart meter ruling and Starship flight 15 explained
Can you refuse a smart meter like Linky? Europe's top court says no. Meanwhile Starship flight 15 will try to catch its upper stage, and Spectrum eyes a third launch.
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ediviewer· read EDI files like documents
giftdetect· the right gift in minutesCan you refuse a smart electricity meter like France's Linky? According to the EU's top court, you can't insist on keeping your old one. That ruling sits alongside two big rocket stories this week.
Can you refuse a Linky smart meter?
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) found that European law doesn't let consumers demand to keep a classic meter when it gets replaced. The case came from Austria, but the logic applies across the EU: a household can't block the installation of a communicating meter such as Linky.
There is a limit, though. The detailed readings these meters produce remain protected by the GDPR, Europe's data protection law. Sending them to the utility every half hour requires the consumer's consent.
Starship flight 15: what is planned?
SpaceX's giant rocket is heading for its 15th flight. The plan is to release 26 Starlink V3 satellites, stay in orbit for about 21 hours, then return to Starbase. The mission covers 14 trips around the Earth and lasts roughly 22 hours.
The headline moment comes at the end. For the first time, SpaceX will try to have the upper stage caught by the arms of its Mechazilla tower, a key step toward fully reusing Starship. The return would pass over inhabited areas, so it still needs final regulatory approval and safety criteria signed off by the FAA, the US aviation regulator.
Spectrum heads for a third flight
In Europe, a notice to airmen opens a launch window for Spectrum's third flight, from 26 November 2026 to 17 February 2027, at Andøya in Norway. On its second flight, Isar Aerospace's rocket placed satellites in orbit from European soil, a first for a private company on the continent.
The rocket's reliability is still unproven, though. It has succeeded on only one of its first two flights.
Apps worth a look
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