The photographer who captured the forgotten space race In an abandoned hangar in Kazakhstan is the Soviet Union’s first space shuttle. It was intended to be the future of the Soviet space programme, but its first flight was its last, and ever since, it’s been picked apart for scrap metal by scavengers.

But a lot of it still remains. French photographer Jonk, who’s obsessed with abandoned spaces, went on an epic journey to break in and photograph it. The pictures are stunning.

Imogen, engagement editor WIRED: ‘The quest to get photos of the USSR’s first space shuttle?’ (reading time: six minutes)
The visual telling of stories Hidden behind a labyrinthine structure and a deliberately minimal and dubious navigation lie the riches Chris Warren has been meticulously compiling for at least four hours a day, every day, since 1996.

With a big part of it dedicated to Fortune magazine, a mid-century US design resource, you are bound to find incredible illustrations and infographics among a myriad other things. Just sit back and get lost.

Afonso, editorial designer Full Table: The Visual Telling of Stories (viewing time: as long as you want)
Did the CIA write a rock song? The phrase "stranger than fiction" gets thrown around a lot, but the story for this podcast is a lot stranger than any Cold War spy novel. In Wind of Change, New Yorker writer Patrick Radden Keefe sets out to discover if there’s any truth to a conspiracy that’s been doing the rounds on the internet for years. Did the CIA write a power ballad for a German band to bring down the Soviet Union with soft power?

Over eight riveting episodes, the podcast tells a story that’s as relevant as ever in our age of disinformation.

Shaun, copy editor Crooked Media: ‘Wind of Change’ (listening time: 41 minutes)

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The pandemic has highlighted a crisis in US maternity care. Its causes are as old as history Modern hospitals have usurped the black midwives who offered holistic care in the home. The trend is more to do with racism, patriarchy and profit than better healthcare. Read Sarah Menkedick’s article here Photo of two humans holding in their hands two mirrors and reflecting the light with them This Bolivian organiser shows us: we can solve the world’s problems without politicians Does the arc of progress bend towards democracy? Activists are learning how to teach governments about people power, says Oscar Olivera. Read Patrick Chalmers’ article here Here’s a radical idea that will change policing, transform prisons and reduce crime: treat criminals like human beings In Norway, convicted murderers can work freely with chainsaws and other potentially lethal tools. The result? When life on the inside resembles life on the outside, former inmates become good neighbours. Read Rutger Bregman’s article here