National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Ingenuity Mars helicopter has made news for yet another reason. The helicopter has taken a 3D image of a rock structure on the surface of the red planet.&nbsp;

After its successful and historic flight on Martian surface, the helicopter has been flitting about on the surface of Mars. Its mission has even been extended considering its success. And it continues to justify that.

Ingenuity has now sent home a 3D image of rock-covered mound on Mars. The image was taken during its 13th flight on September 4. Name of the particular geologic target in the picture is &nbsp;“Faillefeu”. The structure is present in South Seitah region of Mars' Jezero crater.

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😎 Got a pair of 3D glasses? New Ingenuity <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarsHelicopter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarsHelicopter</a> photos taken on its 13th flight capture views from above the surface. Images like these can help <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAPersevere</a>'s team plan the rover's science campaign: <a href="https://t.co/ZiLaIyQiom">https://t.co/ZiLaIyQiom</a> <a href="https://t.co/YgCS5NWQc7">pic.twitter.com/YgCS5NWQc7</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1438974293556219917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"About 33 feet (10 meters) wide, the mound is visible just north of the center of the image, with some large rocks casting shadows. Stretching across the top of the image is a portion of “Artuby,” a ridgeline more than half a mile (900 meters) wide. At the bottom of the image, and running vertically up into the middle, are a few of the many sand ripples that populate South Seítah," says NASA.

Since the image is in 3D, it can be best viewed with the use of 3D eyewear.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/at-iss-sun-rises-and-sets-every-45-minutes-nasa-tells-why-412923">At ISS, Sun rises and sets every 45 minutes, NASA tells why</a> 
 
Ingenuity helicopter hitched a ride to mars on Perseverance rover. On April 19 this year, it created history by taking flight in Mars' thin atmosphere. This was first ever motored flight performed on another planet.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Ingenuity Mars helicopter has made news for yet another reason. The helicopter has taken a 3D image of a rock structure on the surface of the red planet.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Ingenuity Mars helicopter has made news for yet another reason. The helicopter has taken a 3D image of a rock structure on the surface of the red planet. After its successful and historic flight on Martian surface, the helicopter has been flitting about on the surface of Mars. Its mission has even been extended considering its success. And it continues to justify that. Ingenuity has now sent home a 3D image of rock-covered mound on Mars. The image was taken during its 13th flight on September 4. Name of the particular geologic target in the picture is “Faillefeu”. The structure is present in South Seitah region of Mars' Jezero crater. 😎 Got a pair of 3D glasses? New Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter photos taken on its 13th flight capture views from above the surface. Images like these can help @NASAPersevere's team plan the rover's science campaign: https://t.co/ZiLaIyQiom pic.twitter.com/YgCS5NWQc7 — NASA (@NASA) September 17, 2021 × "About 33 feet (10 meters) wide, the mound is visible just north of the center of the image, with some large rocks casting shadows. Stretching across the top of the image is a portion of “Artuby,” a ridgeline more than half a mile (900 meters) wide. At the bottom of the image, and running vertically up into the middle, are a few of the many sand ripples that populate South Seítah," says NASA. Since the image is in 3D, it can be best viewed with the use of 3D eyewear. Also Read | At ISS, Sun rises and sets every 45 minutes, NASA tells why Ingenuity helicopter hitched a ride to mars on Perseverance rover. On April 19 this year, it created history by taking flight in Mars' thin atmosphere. This was first ever motored flight performed on another planet.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter takes 3D photo of rock structure on Mars

NASA's Mars science rover&nbsp;Perseverance&nbsp;has collected and stashed away the first of numerous mineral samples that the US&nbsp;space agency hopes to retrieve from the surface of the Red Planet for analysis on Earth, NASA said on Frida.

Tools attached to&nbsp;Perseverance&nbsp;and operated by mission specialists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) near Los Angeles drilled a rock core slightly thicker than a pencil from an ancient Martian lake bed called the Jezero Crater, then hermetically sealed it in a titanium specimen tube inside the rover.

The feat, accomplished on September&nbsp;6 and initially announced by NASA the same day, marked the first such mineral sample obtained from the surface of another planet, according to the space agency.

"We get to see a lot of things that rewrite the history books and what occurred September 6th at Jezero Crater is right up there with any of them," Lori Glaze, Director Of NASA's Planetary Science Division, said at the top of a news conference on Friday to make the announcement.

The space agency plans to collect as many as 43 mineral samples over the next few months from the floor of Jerezo, a wide basin where scientists think water flowed and microbial life may have flourished billions of years ago.

The six-wheeled, SUV-sized vehicle is also expected to explore walls of sediment deposited at the foot of a remnant river delta once etched into a corner of the crater and considered a prime spot for study.

Mineral collection is the heart of the $2.7 billion&nbsp;Perseverance&nbsp;project.

Among the early findings from preliminary analysis of the samples was the presence of salt, NASA said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-mars-rover-fails-to-collect-rock-in-search-of-alien-life-403600">Also read |&nbsp;NASA Mars rover fails to collect rock in search of alien life</a>

"The presence of salt indicates that this rock was subject to water," Yulia Goreva,&nbsp;Perseverance&nbsp;Return Sample Investigation Scientist, said at the news conference.

"We can look at the composition and look for tiny inclusions such as&nbsp;liquid bubbles or bubble fluids inside the salt. That would actually give us a glimpse of the Jezero crater at the time when it was wet and was able to sustain an ancient Martian life," she said.

Two future missions to Mars, to be jointly conducted by NASA and the European Space Agency, are planned to retrieve those specimens in the next decade and return them to Earth, where astrobiologists will examine them for signs of tiny fossilised organisms.

Such fossils would represent the first conclusive proof that life has ever existed beyond Earth.

Perseverance, the fifth and by far most sophisticated rover NASA has sent to Mars since its first, Sojourner, arrived in 1997, landed in Jerezo Crater in February after a 293 million-mile flight from Earth.

Success of the first sample collection, taken from a flat, briefcase-sized rock using the rotary-percussive drill at the end of&nbsp;Perseverance's robotic arm, was verified through imagery taken by the rover's cameras as the sample was measured, cataloged and stored, NASA said.

The rover's sampling and caching system, consisting of more than 3,000 parts, was described by JPL's interim director, Larry James, as "the most complex mechanism ever sent into space."

"This is the first time we have ever collected a sample of a rock from another planet with the intention to bring that sample back to Earth where we can analyse it," NASA's Glaze said at the news conference.

"This is perhaps the most challenging thing we've ever tried to do on another planet," she said.

NASA's Mars science rover Perseverance has collected and stashed away the first of numerous mineral samples that the US space agency hopes to retrieve from the surface of the Red Planet for analysis on Earth, NASA said on Frida.

NASA's Mars science rover Perseverance has collected and stashed away the first of numerous mineral samples that the US space agency hopes to retrieve from the surface of the Red Planet for analysis on Earth, NASA said on Frida. Tools attached to Perseverance and operated by mission specialists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) near Los Angeles drilled a rock core slightly thicker than a pencil from an ancient Martian lake bed called the Jezero Crater, then hermetically sealed it in a titanium specimen tube inside the rover. The feat, accomplished on September 6 and initially announced by NASA the same day, marked the first such mineral sample obtained from the surface of another planet, according to the space agency. "We get to see a lot of things that rewrite the history books and what occurred September 6th at Jezero Crater is right up there with any of them," Lori Glaze, Director Of NASA's Planetary Science Division, said at the top of a news conference on Friday to make the announcement. The space agency plans to collect as many as 43 mineral samples over the next few months from the floor of Jerezo, a wide basin where scientists think water flowed and microbial life may have flourished billions of years ago. The six-wheeled, SUV-sized vehicle is also expected to explore walls of sediment deposited at the foot of a remnant river delta once etched into a corner of the crater and considered a prime spot for study. Mineral collection is the heart of the $2.7 billion Perseverance project. Among the early findings from preliminary analysis of the samples was the presence of salt, NASA said. Also read | NASA Mars rover fails to collect rock in search of alien life "The presence of salt indicates that this rock was subject to water," Yulia Goreva, Perseverance Return Sample Investigation Scientist, said at the news conference. "We can look at the composition and look for tiny inclusions such as liquid bubbles or bubble fluids inside the salt. That would actually give us a glimpse of the Jezero crater at the time when it was wet and was able to sustain an ancient Martian life," she said. Two future missions to Mars, to be jointly conducted by NASA and the European Space Agency, are planned to retrieve those specimens in the next decade and return them to Earth, where astrobiologists will examine them for signs of tiny fossilised organisms. Such fossils would represent the first conclusive proof that life has ever existed beyond Earth. Perseverance, the fifth and by far most sophisticated rover NASA has sent to Mars since its first, Sojourner, arrived in 1997, landed in Jerezo Crater in February after a 293 million-mile flight from Earth. Success of the first sample collection, taken from a flat, briefcase-sized rock using the rotary-percussive drill at the end of Perseverance's robotic arm, was verified through imagery taken by the rover's cameras as the sample was measured, cataloged and stored, NASA said. The rover's sampling and caching system, consisting of more than 3,000 parts, was described by JPL's interim director, Larry James, as "the most complex mechanism ever sent into space." "This is the first time we have ever collected a sample of a rock from another planet with the intention to bring that sample back to Earth where we can analyse it," NASA's Glaze said at the news conference. "This is perhaps the most challenging thing we've ever tried to do on another planet," she said.

NASA's Mars Rover collects first planetary samples for return to Earth

NASA's Perseverance rover has collected its first Mars rock samples, NASA confirmed on Monday. The samples will be brought back to Earth during future missions.&nbsp;

"I've got it!" the space agency tweeted, alongside a photograph of a rock core slightly thicker than a pencil inside a sample tube.&nbsp;

The sample was collected on September 1 but NASA was initially unsure as to whether the rover had held on to the samples. Initial images taken in poor light were unclear.

The rover took fresh photo and then transeferred the tube to the rover's interior for further measurements and imaging. The container was then sealed.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-extends-ingenuity-copters-mission-on-mars-indefinitely-411301">NASA extends Ingenuity copter's mission on Mars indefinitely</a>

"This is a momentous achievement and I can't wait to see the incredible discoveries produced by Perseverance and our team," NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement.

Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science, likened the achievement to the first samples of rock taken from the Moon, which are still invaluable to researchers today.

Sampling and caching systme on board Preseverance rover is the most complex mechanism ever sent to space. There are over 3000 parts.

A briefcase-sized rock nicknamed "Rochette" was its first target.

Perseverance uses a drill and a hollow coring bit at the end of its 7-foot-long (2-meter-long) robotic arm to extract samples.

After coring the rock, the rover vibrated the drill bit and tube for one second, five separate times.&nbsp; 
This procedure is called "percuss to ingest" and is meant to clear the lip of the tube of residual material, and cause the sample to slide down the tube.

Perseverance landed on an ancient lake bed called the Jezero Crater in February, on a mission to search for signs of ancient microbial life using a suite of sophisticated instruments mounted on its turret.

It is also trying to better characterize the Red Planet's geology and past climate.

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA's Perseverance rover has collected its first Mars rock samples, NASA confirmed on Monday. The samples will be brought back to Earth during future missions. "I've got it!

NASA's Perseverance rover has collected its first Mars rock samples, NASA confirmed on Monday. The samples will be brought back to Earth during future missions. "I've got it!" the space agency tweeted, alongside a photograph of a rock core slightly thicker than a pencil inside a sample tube. The sample was collected on September 1 but NASA was initially unsure as to whether the rover had held on to the samples. Initial images taken in poor light were unclear. The rover took fresh photo and then transeferred the tube to the rover's interior for further measurements and imaging. The container was then sealed. Also Read | NASA extends Ingenuity copter's mission on Mars indefinitely "This is a momentous achievement and I can't wait to see the incredible discoveries produced by Perseverance and our team," NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science, likened the achievement to the first samples of rock taken from the Moon, which are still invaluable to researchers today. Sampling and caching systme on board Preseverance rover is the most complex mechanism ever sent to space. There are over 3000 parts. A briefcase-sized rock nicknamed "Rochette" was its first target. Perseverance uses a drill and a hollow coring bit at the end of its 7-foot-long (2-meter-long) robotic arm to extract samples. After coring the rock, the rover vibrated the drill bit and tube for one second, five separate times. This procedure is called "percuss to ingest" and is meant to clear the lip of the tube of residual material, and cause the sample to slide down the tube. Perseverance landed on an ancient lake bed called the Jezero Crater in February, on a mission to search for signs of ancient microbial life using a suite of sophisticated instruments mounted on its turret. It is also trying to better characterize the Red Planet's geology and past climate. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's Perseverance rover collects first rock samples on Mars

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Agency) has extended its Ingenuity helicopter's Mars mission indefinitely given its stunning and unexpected success. It was initially supposed to fly just five times. But till now, it has completed 12 flights. The helicopter is working in co-ordination with Perseverance rover on the surface of Mars. Perseverance's core mission is to seek signs of ancient life on Mars.

"Everything is working so well," said Josh Ravich, the head of Ingenuity's mechanical engineering team. "We're doing better on the surface than we had expected."&nbsp;

Ingenuity created history on April 19 when it flew on the surface of Mars, marking first motorised flight on the surface of a planet other than Earth.

It is very tough for a helicopter to fly in Martian atmosphere as its density is equivalent to just one per cent of that of Earth's atmosphere.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-perseverance-rover-collects-first-rock-samples-on-mars-411283">NASA's Perseverance rover collects first rock samples on Mars</a>

The tiny (four pound, or 1.8 kilogram) copter has had to survive the glacial cold of Martian nights, drawing warmth from the solar panels that charge its batteries during the day. And its flights are guided using an array of sensors, since the 15-minute lag in communications from Earth makes real-time guidance impossible.&nbsp;

However, things have been great so far

"We've actually been able to handle winds greater than we had expected," Ravich told AFP.

"I think by flight three we had actually accomplished all of our engineering goals ... (and) got all the information we had hoped to get," said Ravich, who works for NASA's famed Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which developed the helicopter.

Since then, Ingenuity has flown as high as 39 feet (12 meters), and its last flight lasted two minutes and 49 seconds. In all, it has covered a distance of 1.6 miles.

In May, Ingenuity flew its first one-way mission, landing outside the relatively flat "airfield" that had been carefully selected as its initial home.&nbsp;

But not all has gone smoothly. Its sixth flight brought some excitement.

After being knocked dangerously off-balance by a malfunction affecting the photos taken in flight to help it stabilize, the tiny craft was able to recover. It landed, safe and sound, and the problem was resolved.

Ingenuity is now being sent out to scout the way for Perseverance, using its high-resolution color camera.

The purpose is twofold: to chart a path for the rover that is safe, but also which is of scientific interest, notably in geological terms.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Agency) has extended its Ingenuity helicopter's Mars mission indefinitely given its stunning and unexpected success. It was initially supposed to fly just five times.

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Agency) has extended its Ingenuity helicopter's Mars mission indefinitely given its stunning and unexpected success. It was initially supposed to fly just five times. But till now, it has completed 12 flights. The helicopter is working in co-ordination with Perseverance rover on the surface of Mars. Perseverance's core mission is to seek signs of ancient life on Mars. "Everything is working so well," said Josh Ravich, the head of Ingenuity's mechanical engineering team. "We're doing better on the surface than we had expected." Ingenuity created history on April 19 when it flew on the surface of Mars, marking first motorised flight on the surface of a planet other than Earth. It is very tough for a helicopter to fly in Martian atmosphere as its density is equivalent to just one per cent of that of Earth's atmosphere. Also Read | NASA's Perseverance rover collects first rock samples on Mars The tiny (four pound, or 1.8 kilogram) copter has had to survive the glacial cold of Martian nights, drawing warmth from the solar panels that charge its batteries during the day. And its flights are guided using an array of sensors, since the 15-minute lag in communications from Earth makes real-time guidance impossible. However, things have been great so far "We've actually been able to handle winds greater than we had expected," Ravich told AFP. "I think by flight three we had actually accomplished all of our engineering goals ... (and) got all the information we had hoped to get," said Ravich, who works for NASA's famed Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which developed the helicopter. Since then, Ingenuity has flown as high as 39 feet (12 meters), and its last flight lasted two minutes and 49 seconds. In all, it has covered a distance of 1.6 miles. In May, Ingenuity flew its first one-way mission, landing outside the relatively flat "airfield" that had been carefully selected as its initial home. But not all has gone smoothly. Its sixth flight brought some excitement. After being knocked dangerously off-balance by a malfunction affecting the photos taken in flight to help it stabilize, the tiny craft was able to recover. It landed, safe and sound, and the problem was resolved. Ingenuity is now being sent out to scout the way for Perseverance, using its high-resolution color camera. The purpose is twofold: to chart a path for the rover that is safe, but also which is of scientific interest, notably in geological terms. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA extends Ingenuity copter's mission on Mars indefinitely

NASA's Perseverance rover has succeeded in drilling rocks from Mars after a perplexing failure last month.

The rover's chief engineer Adam Steltzner described it as “one beautifully perfect cored sample.”

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SamplingMars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SamplingMars</a> update: first images show a sample in the tube after coring. But pics I took after an arm move are inconclusive due to poor lighting. I’m taking more photos in better light to confirm that we still have an intact core in the tube. 
 
Read more: <a href="https://t.co/MqeD68KqYw">https://t.co/MqeD68KqYw</a> <a href="https://t.co/VYXErWrrEb">pic.twitter.com/VYXErWrrEb</a>
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1433565831649107971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Now, the US space agency can use these rocks for future analysis by scientists on Earth by&nbsp;using state-of-the-art instruments in their laboratories.

According to Jennifer Trosper, project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, "The team determined a location, and selected and cored a viable and scientifically valuable rock.''

"We will work through this small hiccup with the lighting conditions in the images and remain encouraged that there is sample in this tube."

Nicknamed "Rochette," the target was a briefcase-sized rock from a ridgeline that is half a mile (900 meters) long.

NASA had failed during its first attempt to scoop up a piece of Martian life because the rock was too crumbly.

It had landed on the Red Planet's Jezero crater in February with the aim of searching for signs of ancient microbial life.&nbsp;

NASA plans a mission to bring around 30 samples back to Earth in the 2030s, where scientists will be able to conduct more detailed analysis that might confirm there was microbial life.

NASA's Perseverance rover has succeeded in drilling rocks from Mars after a perplexing failure last month. The rover's chief engineer Adam Steltzner described it as “one beautifully perfect cored sample.

NASA's Perseverance rover has succeeded in drilling rocks from Mars after a perplexing failure last month. The rover's chief engineer Adam Steltzner described it as “one beautifully perfect cored sample.” #SamplingMars update: first images show a sample in the tube after coring. But pics I took after an arm move are inconclusive due to poor lighting. I’m taking more photos in better light to confirm that we still have an intact core in the tube. Read more: https://t.co/MqeD68KqYw pic.twitter.com/VYXErWrrEb — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) September 2, 2021 × Now, the US space agency can use these rocks for future analysis by scientists on Earth by using state-of-the-art instruments in their laboratories. According to Jennifer Trosper, project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, "The team determined a location, and selected and cored a viable and scientifically valuable rock.'' "We will work through this small hiccup with the lighting conditions in the images and remain encouraged that there is sample in this tube." Nicknamed "Rochette," the target was a briefcase-sized rock from a ridgeline that is half a mile (900 meters) long. NASA had failed during its first attempt to scoop up a piece of Martian life because the rock was too crumbly. It had landed on the Red Planet's Jezero crater in February with the aim of searching for signs of ancient microbial life. NASA plans a mission to bring around 30 samples back to Earth in the 2030s, where scientists will be able to conduct more detailed analysis that might confirm there was microbial life.

NASA's Perseverance rover succeeds in drilling rocks from Mars

China's National Space Science Center has announced that the country has developed a prototype miniature helicopter for surveillance work on future Mars missions.

The prototype resembles NASA's robotic helicopter Ingenuity in appearance. The US space agency had used it for its Perseverance mission this year.&nbsp;

Like Ingenuity, the Chinese prototype sports two rotor blades, a sensor-and-camera base and four thin legs. But there is no solar panel at the top like Ingenuity.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/milestones-chinas-space-dreams-from-ground-zero-upwards-392152">'Milestones': China's space dreams from ground zero upwards</a>

China is planning its first crewed mission to Mars in 2033 and the helicopter could be used as a tool for a follow-up exploration of the Red planet.

China's heavily promoted space programme has already seen the nation land a rover on Mars and send probes to the moon. It is one of the most prestigious of all prizes in the competition for dominion of space.

The United States and Russia are the only other countries to have reached Mars, and only the former has operated a rover on the surface.

Several US, Russian and European attempts to land rovers on Mars have failed in the past, most recently in 2016 with the crash-landing of the Schiaparelli joint Russian-European spacecraft. 
&nbsp;

China's National Space Science Center has announced that the country has developed a prototype miniature helicopter for surveillance work on future Mars missions.

China's National Space Science Center has announced that the country has developed a prototype miniature helicopter for surveillance work on future Mars missions. The prototype resembles NASA's robotic helicopter Ingenuity in appearance. The US space agency had used it for its Perseverance mission this year. Like Ingenuity, the Chinese prototype sports two rotor blades, a sensor-and-camera base and four thin legs. But there is no solar panel at the top like Ingenuity. Also see | 'Milestones': China's space dreams from ground zero upwards China is planning its first crewed mission to Mars in 2033 and the helicopter could be used as a tool for a follow-up exploration of the Red planet. China's heavily promoted space programme has already seen the nation land a rover on Mars and send probes to the moon. It is one of the most prestigious of all prizes in the competition for dominion of space. The United States and Russia are the only other countries to have reached Mars, and only the former has operated a rover on the surface. Several US, Russian and European attempts to land rovers on Mars have failed in the past, most recently in 2016 with the crash-landing of the Schiaparelli joint Russian-European spacecraft.

China builds miniature prototype helicopter for surveillance on Mars

SpaceX’s latest cargo delivery showed up at the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday after a day in transit. NASA released pictures of the automated docking, overseen by NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, who was celebrating her 50th birthday on board the space station.

SpaceX capsule delivers supplies to space station

New footage has been released showing glare from Venus. The image was captured by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft on its second flyby of the planet.

Solar Orbiter spacecraft captures Venus glare

Russia's&nbsp;space agency Roscosmos has&nbsp;postponed its first mission to the moon's surface in decades as a result of "problems" encountered during tests of the Luna-25 spacecraft.

Russia had announced last week that the mission, originally scheduled for October 1, from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far East had been moved to May 2022.

The Luna-25 mission to the Moon's south pole aims to probe ice deposits there. It is set to be&nbsp;Russia's first mission to the moon's surface in 45 years and the first in its post-Soviet history.

The chief engineer of&nbsp;Russia's state NPO Lavochkin design bureau explained the delay Tuesday saying that "more time" was needed to complete successful trials.

"We have encountered certain problems during testing," Alexander Shirshakov told the Interfax news agency.

"A safe landing system is of crucial importance and we are working on Luna-25's soft landing system," Shirshakov said.

The race back to the moon is in full swing after China in December 2020 became the first country to return samples from the moon since the Soviet Luna-24 mission in 1976.&nbsp;

US space agency NASA also has pledged to land the next man and the first woman on the moon in 2024 as part of its Artemis programme.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;Russia and China signed a memorandum of understanding&nbsp;to set up an international lunar research station.

Russia's space programme inherited from the Soviet Union has in recent years suffered from problems like corruption scandals and budget cuts.

Its space industry took a blow in 2020 when it lost its monopoly over manned flights to the ISS after the successful mission of Space X, the company belonging to US billionaire Elon Musk.

Roscosmos has however announced a number of ventures including a mission to Venus and the creation of a rocket capable of making round trips to space.

Russia&nbsp;has also indicated that it plans to start building its own space station with the aim of launching it into orbit by 2030 if President Vladimir Putin gives the go-ahead.

The project would mark a new chapter for Russian space exploration and an end to more than two decades of close cooperation with the United States aboard the ageing International Space Station (ISS).

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia's space agency Roscosmos has postponed its first mission to the moon's surface in decades as a result of "problems" encountered during tests of the Luna-25 spacecraft.

Russia's space agency Roscosmos has postponed its first mission to the moon's surface in decades as a result of "problems" encountered during tests of the Luna-25 spacecraft. Russia had announced last week that the mission, originally scheduled for October 1, from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far East had been moved to May 2022. The Luna-25 mission to the Moon's south pole aims to probe ice deposits there. It is set to be Russia's first mission to the moon's surface in 45 years and the first in its post-Soviet history. The chief engineer of Russia's state NPO Lavochkin design bureau explained the delay Tuesday saying that "more time" was needed to complete successful trials. "We have encountered certain problems during testing," Alexander Shirshakov told the Interfax news agency. "A safe landing system is of crucial importance and we are working on Luna-25's soft landing system," Shirshakov said. The race back to the moon is in full swing after China in December 2020 became the first country to return samples from the moon since the Soviet Luna-24 mission in 1976. US space agency NASA also has pledged to land the next man and the first woman on the moon in 2024 as part of its Artemis programme. Meanwhile, Russia and China signed a memorandum of understanding to set up an international lunar research station. Russia's space programme inherited from the Soviet Union has in recent years suffered from problems like corruption scandals and budget cuts. Its space industry took a blow in 2020 when it lost its monopoly over manned flights to the ISS after the successful mission of Space X, the company belonging to US billionaire Elon Musk. Roscosmos has however announced a number of ventures including a mission to Venus and the creation of a rocket capable of making round trips to space. Russia has also indicated that it plans to start building its own space station with the aim of launching it into orbit by 2030 if President Vladimir Putin gives the go-ahead. The project would mark a new chapter for Russian space exploration and an end to more than two decades of close cooperation with the United States aboard the ageing International Space Station (ISS). (With inputs from agencies)

Russian space agency Roscosmos postpones lunar mission over 'problems during testing'

Medical issue with one of its astronauts has forced NASA to delay the spacewalk at the International Space Station. &nbsp;

The postponement was announced by the officials on Monday, just less than 24 hours before Mark Vande Hei was supposed to float outside. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/asteroid-termed-potentially-hazardous-by-nasa-is-coming-near-earth-407273">Asteroid termed 'potentially hazardous' by NASA is coming near Earth</a>

The officials said, Vande Hei was dealing with “a minor medical issue”. They noted, it was not an emergency, but did not provide any further details. &nbsp;

54-year-old Vande Hei, who is a retired army colonel, has been at the space station since April. He is expected to remain there until next spring for a one-year mission. This is Vande Hei’s second stay at the station. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/ex-nasa-scientists-earth-saving-idea-involves-stealing-energy-from-jupiter-407863">Ex-NASA scientist's Earth-saving idea involves stealing energy from Jupiter</a>

On Tuesday, Vande Hei and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide were supposed to venture out to install a bracket for new solar wings. NASA said the work can wait. &nbsp;

The spacewalk will now be rescheduled after this weekend’s planned supply run by SpaceX and a September series of spacewalks on the Russian side of the orbiting lab, according to NASA.&nbsp;

Medical issue with one of its astronauts has forced NASA to delay the spacewalk at the International Space Station. The postponement was announced by the officials on Monday, just less than 24 hours before Mark Vande Hei was supposed to float outside.

Medical issue with one of its astronauts has forced NASA to delay the spacewalk at the International Space Station. The postponement was announced by the officials on Monday, just less than 24 hours before Mark Vande Hei was supposed to float outside. Also Read: Asteroid termed 'potentially hazardous' by NASA is coming near Earth The officials said, Vande Hei was dealing with “a minor medical issue”. They noted, it was not an emergency, but did not provide any further details. 54-year-old Vande Hei, who is a retired army colonel, has been at the space station since April. He is expected to remain there until next spring for a one-year mission. This is Vande Hei’s second stay at the station. Also Read: Ex-NASA scientist's Earth-saving idea involves stealing energy from Jupiter On Tuesday, Vande Hei and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide were supposed to venture out to install a bracket for new solar wings. NASA said the work can wait. The spacewalk will now be rescheduled after this weekend’s planned supply run by SpaceX and a September series of spacewalks on the Russian side of the orbiting lab, according to NASA.

Astronaut’s medical issue makes NASA delay spacewalk at ISS  

Asteroids are serious business (ask Dinosaurs. They aren't here but). One nudge and things on Earth will literally shake to the worst extent possible. Imagine what a full-blown collision might do.

To avoid this not-so-neat fate, NASA keeps an eye on asteroids that are zooming past or hurtling towards the Earth.

And a 'potentially hazardous' asteroid is going to come in our neighbourhood in space.&nbsp;

Name's 2016 AJ193, cruising speed is 94,208 km per hour. The asteroid is just 1.4 kilometre wide but due to its huge speed, it packs a serious punch.

But we need not prepare for end of mankind just yet. The asteroid is going to drive by at a distance nine times that between Earth and the Moon. This will happen on August 21

But the huge distance doesn't make it too far to observe. Astronomers will be able to look at the asteroid through telescopes.

Much better than looking at an asteroid slated to hit Earth right?

Asteroids are serious business (ask Dinosaurs. They aren't here but). One nudge and things on Earth will literally shake to the worst extent possible. Imagine what a full-blown collision might do.

Asteroids are serious business (ask Dinosaurs. They aren't here but). One nudge and things on Earth will literally shake to the worst extent possible. Imagine what a full-blown collision might do. To avoid this not-so-neat fate, NASA keeps an eye on asteroids that are zooming past or hurtling towards the Earth. And a 'potentially hazardous' asteroid is going to come in our neighbourhood in space. Name's 2016 AJ193, cruising speed is 94,208 km per hour. The asteroid is just 1.4 kilometre wide but due to its huge speed, it packs a serious punch. But we need not prepare for end of mankind just yet. The asteroid is going to drive by at a distance nine times that between Earth and the Moon. This will happen on August 21 But the huge distance doesn't make it too far to observe. Astronomers will be able to look at the asteroid through telescopes. Much better than looking at an asteroid slated to hit Earth right?

Asteroid termed 'potentially hazardous' by NASA is coming near Earth

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has halted its&nbsp;work on a $2.9 billion lunar lander contract awarded to Elon Musk's SpaceX after rival billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin sued the US government.

Blue Origin had filed a lawsuit&nbsp;claiming that it was&nbsp;"an attempt to remedy the flaws in the acquisition process found in&nbsp;NASA's Human Landing System."

A&nbsp;judge has set the hearing on the case on&nbsp;October 14 as per&nbsp;the US&nbsp;Court of Federal Claims.

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NASA&nbsp;said in a statement it paused work with SpaceX on the human landing system through November&nbsp;1.

"In exchange for this temporary stay of work, all parties agreed to an expedited litigation schedule that concludes on Nov. 1," the US&nbsp;space agency said.

"NASA&nbsp;officials are continuing to work with the Department of Justice to review the details of the case and look forward to a timely resolution of this matter."

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The US&nbsp;Government Accountability Office (GAO) last month sided with&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;over its decision to pick a single lunar lander provider, rejecting Blue Origin's protest.

SpaceX, headed by Tesla Inc's CEO Musk, this week intervened in the lawsuit to ensure that the court "has a complete and accurate picture of the facts and circumstances surrounding this protest, including the substantial harm that SpaceX will suffer if the court grants the relief sought" by Blue Origin.

Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Amazon.com Inc's founder Bezos, has said it remains convinced there were "fundamental issues" with&nbsp;NASA's decision and that the GAO was not able to address them "due to their limited jurisdiction."

NASA had sought proposals for a spacecraft that would carry astronauts to the lunar surface under its Artemis program to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972.

The space agency said on Thursday it "is committed to Artemis and to maintaining the nation's global leadership in space exploration. With our partners, we will go to the moon and stay to enable science investigations, develop new technology, and create high-paying jobs for the greater good and in preparation to send astronauts to Mars."

In April,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;awarded SpaceX a contract to build such a spacecraft as early as 2024.

(With inputs from agencies)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has halted its work on a $2.9 billion lunar lander contract awarded to Elon Musk's SpaceX after rival billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin sued the US government.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has halted its work on a $2.9 billion lunar lander contract awarded to Elon Musk's SpaceX after rival billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin sued the US government. Blue Origin had filed a lawsuit claiming that it was "an attempt to remedy the flaws in the acquisition process found in NASA's Human Landing System." A judge has set the hearing on the case on October 14 as per the US Court of Federal Claims. Also read | Elon Musk announces humanoid robot Tesla Bot that uses artificial intelligence NASA said in a statement it paused work with SpaceX on the human landing system through November 1. "In exchange for this temporary stay of work, all parties agreed to an expedited litigation schedule that concludes on Nov. 1," the US space agency said. "NASA officials are continuing to work with the Department of Justice to review the details of the case and look forward to a timely resolution of this matter." Also see | Who is winning space tourism race between Bezos, Branson and Musk? The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) last month sided with NASA over its decision to pick a single lunar lander provider, rejecting Blue Origin's protest. SpaceX, headed by Tesla Inc's CEO Musk, this week intervened in the lawsuit to ensure that the court "has a complete and accurate picture of the facts and circumstances surrounding this protest, including the substantial harm that SpaceX will suffer if the court grants the relief sought" by Blue Origin. Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Amazon.com Inc's founder Bezos, has said it remains convinced there were "fundamental issues" with NASA's decision and that the GAO was not able to address them "due to their limited jurisdiction." NASA had sought proposals for a spacecraft that would carry astronauts to the lunar surface under its Artemis program to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972. The space agency said on Thursday it "is committed to Artemis and to maintaining the nation's global leadership in space exploration. With our partners, we will go to the moon and stay to enable science investigations, develop new technology, and create high-paying jobs for the greater good and in preparation to send astronauts to Mars." In April, NASA awarded SpaceX a contract to build such a spacecraft as early as 2024. (With inputs from agencies)

Bezos vs Musk: NASA halts SpaceX work on lunar lander after Blue Origin lawsuit

While Skylab is perhaps best remembered for its spectacular crash into the Australian desert in the summer of 1979, the missions themselves provided the scientific community with invaluable information about our planet, the sun, space and the universe itself. A largely forgotten story, "Searching For Skylab, America's Forgotten Triumph" features never-before-seen footage revealing incredible feats of science and technology achieved by the space station and NASA astronauts.

Film on 1st US Space Station casts new light on scientific discoveries

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has spotted a&nbsp;contingent of young stars and star-forming clouds&nbsp;jutting out from the Milky Way's Sagittarius Arm.

Stretching some 3,000 light-years, this is the first major structure identified with an orientation so dramatically different than the arm.

Until now, the understanding of the galaxy’s shape had been based upon indirect measurements of celestial landmarks within the Milky Way and inferences from structures observed in other galaxies populating the universe.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago.&nbsp;

Astronomers have a rough idea of the size and shape of the Milky Way’s arms, but much remains unknown: They cannot&nbsp;see the full structure of our home galaxy because Earth is inside it.

NASA used its Spitzer Space telescope to detect infrared light that can penetrate those clouds, while visible light (the kind human eyes can see) is blocked.

Young stars and nebulae are thought to align closely with the shape of the arms they reside in. To get a three-dimensional&nbsp;view of the arm segment, the scientists used the latest data release from the ESA (European Space Agency) Gaia mission to measure the precise distances to the stars.

The combined data revealed that the long, thin structure associated with the Sagittarius Arm is made of young stars moving at nearly the same velocity and in the same direction through space.

Michael Kuhn, an astrophysicist at Caltech and lead author of the new paper, said ''A key property of spiral arms is how tightly they wind around a galaxy.''

This characteristic is measured by the arm’s pitch angle. A circle has a pitch angle of 0 degrees, and as the spiral becomes more open, the pitch angle increases.

''Most models of the Milky Way suggest that the Sagittarius Arm forms a spiral that has a pitch angle of about 12 degrees, but the structure we examined really stands out at an angle of nearly 60 degrees.''

Similar structures,&nbsp;sometimes called spurs or feathers,&nbsp;are commonly found jutting off the arms of other spiral galaxies. For decades scientists have wondered whether our Milky Way’s spiral arms are also dotted with these structures or if they are relatively smooth.

The Milky Way, spiral-shaped with a central bar-like structure composed of stars, includes 100 to 400 billion stars, including the sun.

(With inputs from agencies)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has spotted a contingent of young stars and star-forming clouds jutting out from the Milky Way's Sagittarius Arm.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has spotted a contingent of young stars and star-forming clouds jutting out from the Milky Way's Sagittarius Arm. Stretching some 3,000 light-years, this is the first major structure identified with an orientation so dramatically different than the arm. Until now, the understanding of the galaxy’s shape had been based upon indirect measurements of celestial landmarks within the Milky Way and inferences from structures observed in other galaxies populating the universe. The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago. Astronomers have a rough idea of the size and shape of the Milky Way’s arms, but much remains unknown: They cannot see the full structure of our home galaxy because Earth is inside it. NASA used its Spitzer Space telescope to detect infrared light that can penetrate those clouds, while visible light (the kind human eyes can see) is blocked. Young stars and nebulae are thought to align closely with the shape of the arms they reside in. To get a three-dimensional view of the arm segment, the scientists used the latest data release from the ESA (European Space Agency) Gaia mission to measure the precise distances to the stars. The combined data revealed that the long, thin structure associated with the Sagittarius Arm is made of young stars moving at nearly the same velocity and in the same direction through space. Michael Kuhn, an astrophysicist at Caltech and lead author of the new paper, said ''A key property of spiral arms is how tightly they wind around a galaxy.'' This characteristic is measured by the arm’s pitch angle. A circle has a pitch angle of 0 degrees, and as the spiral becomes more open, the pitch angle increases. ''Most models of the Milky Way suggest that the Sagittarius Arm forms a spiral that has a pitch angle of about 12 degrees, but the structure we examined really stands out at an angle of nearly 60 degrees.'' Similar structures, sometimes called spurs or feathers, are commonly found jutting off the arms of other spiral galaxies. For decades scientists have wondered whether our Milky Way’s spiral arms are also dotted with these structures or if they are relatively smooth. The Milky Way, spiral-shaped with a central bar-like structure composed of stars, includes 100 to 400 billion stars, including the sun. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA spots a ‘break’ in one of the Milky Way’s spiral arms

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has said that&nbsp;unusually soft and&nbsp;powdery&nbsp;rock is responsible for last week’s sampling fiasco on Mars.

The space agency's Mars rover Perseverance, the most advanced astrobiology lab ever sent to another world,&nbsp;drilled to the proper depth of nearly 3 inches (8 centimetres), and pictures of the borehole looked good.

However, it came up empty after attempting to collect its first core sample on the red planet for eventual return to Earth.

NASA's&nbsp;engineers have concluded that the rock was not strong enough to produce a core sample, and the small, powdery fragments remained in the hole or ended up in the cuttings pile,&nbsp;or both.

Therefore, the rover is moving on to the next sampling site in its quest for signs of ancient Martian life; it should arrive there by early next month.

Scientists hope to find biosignatures embedded in samples of ancient sediments that Perseverance is designed to extract from Martian rock for future analysis back on Earth,&nbsp;the first such specimens ever collected by humankind from another planet.

Two subsequent Mars missions are planned to retrieve the samples and return them to NASA in the next decade, in collaboration with the European Space Agency.

Search for ancient life

NASA scientists have described Perseverance as the most ambitious of nearly 20 US&nbsp;missions to Mars dating back to the Mariner spacecraft’s 1965 fly-by.

Larger and packed with more instruments than the four Mars rovers preceding it, Perseverance is set to build on previous findings that liquid water once flowed on the Martian surface and that carbon and other minerals altered by water and considered precursors to the evolution of life were present.

Perseverance’s payload also includes demonstration projects that could help pave the way for eventual human exploration of Mars, including a device to convert the carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere into pure oxygen.

The box-shaped tool, the first built to extract a natural resource of direct use to humans from an extraterrestrial environment, could prove invaluable for future human life support on Mars and for producing rocket propellant to fly astronauts home.

Perseverance’s immediate predecessor, the rover Curiosity, landed in 2012 and remains in operation, as does the stationary lander InSight, which arrived in 2018 to study the deep interior of Mars.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has said that unusually soft and powdery rock is responsible for last week’s sampling fiasco on Mars. The space agency's Mars rover Perseverance, the most advanced astrobiology lab ever sent to another world, drilled to the proper depth of nearly 3 inches (8 centimetres), and pictures of the borehole looked good.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has said that unusually soft and powdery rock is responsible for last week’s sampling fiasco on Mars. The space agency's Mars rover Perseverance, the most advanced astrobiology lab ever sent to another world, drilled to the proper depth of nearly 3 inches (8 centimetres), and pictures of the borehole looked good. However, it came up empty after attempting to collect its first core sample on the red planet for eventual return to Earth. NASA's engineers have concluded that the rock was not strong enough to produce a core sample, and the small, powdery fragments remained in the hole or ended up in the cuttings pile, or both. Therefore, the rover is moving on to the next sampling site in its quest for signs of ancient Martian life; it should arrive there by early next month. Scientists hope to find biosignatures embedded in samples of ancient sediments that Perseverance is designed to extract from Martian rock for future analysis back on Earth, the first such specimens ever collected by humankind from another planet. Two subsequent Mars missions are planned to retrieve the samples and return them to NASA in the next decade, in collaboration with the European Space Agency. Search for ancient life NASA scientists have described Perseverance as the most ambitious of nearly 20 US missions to Mars dating back to the Mariner spacecraft’s 1965 fly-by. Larger and packed with more instruments than the four Mars rovers preceding it, Perseverance is set to build on previous findings that liquid water once flowed on the Martian surface and that carbon and other minerals altered by water and considered precursors to the evolution of life were present. Perseverance’s payload also includes demonstration projects that could help pave the way for eventual human exploration of Mars, including a device to convert the carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere into pure oxygen. The box-shaped tool, the first built to extract a natural resource of direct use to humans from an extraterrestrial environment, could prove invaluable for future human life support on Mars and for producing rocket propellant to fly astronauts home. Perseverance’s immediate predecessor, the rover Curiosity, landed in 2012 and remains in operation, as does the stationary lander InSight, which arrived in 2018 to study the deep interior of Mars.

Unusually soft, powdery rock responsible for sampling fiasco on Mars, says NASA

NASA researchers have said that asteroid Bennu, which is&nbsp;classified as a potentially hazardous object, has a chance of hitting the Earth.

Asteroids are among the leftover debris from the solar system's formation some 4.5 billion years ago.

Bennu, located over 100 million miles from Earth and whose acorn-shaped body formed in the early days of our solar system, could hold clues to the origins of life on Earth, scientists say.

OSIRIS-REx, a NASA spacecraft, spent two years near Bennu, an asteroid that is about 1,650 feet (500 meters) wide, observing its size, shape, mass and composition and monitoring its orbital trajectory around the sun.

Using its robotic arm, the spacecraft also collected a sample from the surface of the asteroid that will help researchers determine the future trajectory of Bennu.

The rocks and dust collected by OSIRIS-REx are scheduled to return to Earth on September 24, 2023.

Bennu was discovered in 1999 and is classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid. It will make a close approach with Earth in September 2135. However, the chance of an impact is only&nbsp;1-in-2,700.

Scientists want to figure out how Earth's gravity and a phenomenon known as the Yarkovsky effect will affect its future trajectory and the potential for an impact on a subsequent orbit.

"The OSIRIS-REx data give us so much more precise information, we can test the limits of our models and calculate the future trajectory of Bennu to a very high degree of certainty through 2135," said Davide Farnocchia, a scientist with the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

"We've never modeled an asteroid's trajectory to this precision before," said Farnocchia, lead author of a study published in the journal Icarus.

"The impact probability overall is very small," he stressed. "We shouldn't be worried about it too much."

Farnocchia said the risk from Bennu "is smaller than from the undiscovered population of objects of similar size."

Although the chances of it hitting Earth are very low, Bennu remains one of the two most hazardous known asteroids in our solar system, along with another asteroid called 1950 DA.

Researchers determined Bennu's total impact probability between now and the year 2300 at about one in 1,750, or 0.057 percent.

"We are still looking for what we don't know out there, the objects that haven't been found yet," said Lindley Johnson of NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office.

Johnson said researchers were studying ways to redirect the orbit of an asteroid should it ever become necessary to do so.

He said an asteroid impacting Earth would cause a crater about 10 to 20 times the size of the object and spawn an area of devastation about 100 times the size of the crater. &nbsp;

But, Johnson added, "We really don't think we need to do anything about Bennu."

Scientists believe asteroids and comets crashing into early Earth may have delivered organic compounds and water that seeded the planet for life.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA researchers have said that asteroid Bennu, which is classified as a potentially hazardous object, has a chance of hitting the Earth. Asteroids are among the leftover debris from the solar system's formation some 4.

NASA researchers have said that asteroid Bennu, which is classified as a potentially hazardous object, has a chance of hitting the Earth. Asteroids are among the leftover debris from the solar system's formation some 4.5 billion years ago. Bennu, located over 100 million miles from Earth and whose acorn-shaped body formed in the early days of our solar system, could hold clues to the origins of life on Earth, scientists say. OSIRIS-REx, a NASA spacecraft, spent two years near Bennu, an asteroid that is about 1,650 feet (500 meters) wide, observing its size, shape, mass and composition and monitoring its orbital trajectory around the sun. Using its robotic arm, the spacecraft also collected a sample from the surface of the asteroid that will help researchers determine the future trajectory of Bennu. The rocks and dust collected by OSIRIS-REx are scheduled to return to Earth on September 24, 2023. Bennu was discovered in 1999 and is classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid. It will make a close approach with Earth in September 2135. However, the chance of an impact is only 1-in-2,700. Scientists want to figure out how Earth's gravity and a phenomenon known as the Yarkovsky effect will affect its future trajectory and the potential for an impact on a subsequent orbit. "The OSIRIS-REx data give us so much more precise information, we can test the limits of our models and calculate the future trajectory of Bennu to a very high degree of certainty through 2135," said Davide Farnocchia, a scientist with the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. "We've never modeled an asteroid's trajectory to this precision before," said Farnocchia, lead author of a study published in the journal Icarus. "The impact probability overall is very small," he stressed. "We shouldn't be worried about it too much." Farnocchia said the risk from Bennu "is smaller than from the undiscovered population of objects of similar size." Although the chances of it hitting Earth are very low, Bennu remains one of the two most hazardous known asteroids in our solar system, along with another asteroid called 1950 DA. Researchers determined Bennu's total impact probability between now and the year 2300 at about one in 1,750, or 0.057 percent. "We are still looking for what we don't know out there, the objects that haven't been found yet," said Lindley Johnson of NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office. Johnson said researchers were studying ways to redirect the orbit of an asteroid should it ever become necessary to do so. He said an asteroid impacting Earth would cause a crater about 10 to 20 times the size of the object and spawn an area of devastation about 100 times the size of the crater. But, Johnson added, "We really don't think we need to do anything about Bennu." Scientists believe asteroids and comets crashing into early Earth may have delivered organic compounds and water that seeded the planet for life. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA says asteroid Bennu classified as 'potentially hazardous' can hit Earth

Northrop Grumman is launching Cygnus&nbsp;resupply spacecraft&nbsp;to the&nbsp;International Space Station along with a&nbsp;special delivery that includes pizza for the seven residents on board.

This is Northrop Grumman’s 16th cargo flight to the space station and is the fifth under its Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract with NASA.

It&nbsp;will also&nbsp;deliver nearly 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies, and vehicle hardware to the International Space Station and its crew.

The Cygnus spacecraft will remain at the space station until November before it disposes of several thousand pounds of trash through its destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

NASA astronaut&nbsp;Megan McArthur&nbsp;will use the space station’s robotic Canadarm2 to capture Cygnus upon its arrival, while ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut&nbsp;Thomas Pesquet&nbsp;monitors telemetry during rendezvous, capture, and installation on the Earth-facing port of the Unity module.

The resupply flight will support dozens of new and existing investigations.

The CRS-16 Cygnus spacecraft is named in honor of American astronaut Ellison Onizuka, who was the first Asian American to fly in space.

Previously, defence contractor Northrop Grumman Corp had&nbsp;won a NASA contract worth $935 million to develop living quarters for the US&nbsp;space agency's planned outpost in lunar orbit.

Astronauts will live and conduct research in the Habitation And Logistics Outpost (HALO) made by Northrop for the lunar Gateway, a vital component of NASA's Artemis moon program.

China is also planning to set up a base in the south pole of the moon, and is deploying robotic expeditions to asteroids and Jupiter around 2030.

NASA and its commercial and international partners are building Gateway to support science investigations and enable surface landings at the moon, the agency said in a statement.

Northrop Grumman will be responsible for attaching and testing the integrated quarters with a solar propulsion module being developed.

Eight countries have signed an international pact for moon exploration as a part of NASA's Artemis programme as the US&nbsp;space agency tries to shape standards for building long-term settlements on the lunar surface.

NASA is targeting a November 2024 launch for the integrated spacecraft on a SpaceX rocket.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

Northrop Grumman is launching Cygnus resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station along with a special delivery that includes pizza for the seven residents on board.

Northrop Grumman is launching Cygnus resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station along with a special delivery that includes pizza for the seven residents on board. This is Northrop Grumman’s 16th cargo flight to the space station and is the fifth under its Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract with NASA. It will also deliver nearly 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies, and vehicle hardware to the International Space Station and its crew. The Cygnus spacecraft will remain at the space station until November before it disposes of several thousand pounds of trash through its destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. NASA astronaut Megan McArthur will use the space station’s robotic Canadarm2 to capture Cygnus upon its arrival, while ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet monitors telemetry during rendezvous, capture, and installation on the Earth-facing port of the Unity module. The resupply flight will support dozens of new and existing investigations. The CRS-16 Cygnus spacecraft is named in honor of American astronaut Ellison Onizuka, who was the first Asian American to fly in space. Previously, defence contractor Northrop Grumman Corp had won a NASA contract worth $935 million to develop living quarters for the US space agency's planned outpost in lunar orbit. Astronauts will live and conduct research in the Habitation And Logistics Outpost (HALO) made by Northrop for the lunar Gateway, a vital component of NASA's Artemis moon program. China is also planning to set up a base in the south pole of the moon, and is deploying robotic expeditions to asteroids and Jupiter around 2030. NASA and its commercial and international partners are building Gateway to support science investigations and enable surface landings at the moon, the agency said in a statement. Northrop Grumman will be responsible for attaching and testing the integrated quarters with a solar propulsion module being developed. Eight countries have signed an international pact for moon exploration as a part of NASA's Artemis programme as the US space agency tries to shape standards for building long-term settlements on the lunar surface. NASA is targeting a November 2024 launch for the integrated spacecraft on a SpaceX rocket. (With inputs from agencies)

You got pizza: Northrop Grumman makes delivery to International Space Station via resupply spacecraft

Several Indian coastal cities will be submerged by up to 2.7 feet by the end of the century, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US has predicted.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report was utilised by NASA to analyse changes in sea levels throughout the world. 
 
Since 1988, the IPCC has published global climate assessments every five to seven years, concentrating on changes in temperature and ice cover, greenhouse gas emissions, and sea levels throughout the world. 
 
Data from satellites and ground equipment, as well as analysis and computer simulations, are used to make their sea-level forecasts.&nbsp;

<img alt="Sea Level Projections" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fcabcd19-f5c9-4634-99b5-f38a52a4c2de" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/water-level.JPG" />

IPCC 6th Assessment Report Sea Level Projections (Picture courtesy: NASA) 
 
Kandla, Okha, Bhavnagar, Mumbai, Mormugao, Mangalore, Cochin, Paradip, Khidirpur, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, and Tuticorin are among the cities and towns.&nbsp;

NASA’s Sea Level Change Team has created a sea-level projection tool that makes extensive data on future sea-level rise from the IPCC easily accessible to the public – and to everyone with a stake in planning for the changes to come.

According to a landmark UN report on the state of climate science, modern society's continued reliance on fossil fuels is warming the world at a rate unprecedented in the past 2,000 years — and its effects are already visible as record droughts, wildfires, and floods devastate communities around the world.&nbsp;

The average global surface temperature has risen by about 1.1 degrees Celsius between 1850–1900, a level not seen since 125,000 years ago, before the most recent ice age.

This is only one of the stark truths contained in a summary issued alongside the IPCC report and aimed at policymakers.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Several Indian coastal cities will be submerged by up to 2.7 feet by the end of the century, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US has predicted.

Several Indian coastal cities will be submerged by up to 2.7 feet by the end of the century, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US has predicted. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report was utilised by NASA to analyse changes in sea levels throughout the world. Since 1988, the IPCC has published global climate assessments every five to seven years, concentrating on changes in temperature and ice cover, greenhouse gas emissions, and sea levels throughout the world. Data from satellites and ground equipment, as well as analysis and computer simulations, are used to make their sea-level forecasts. IPCC 6th Assessment Report Sea Level Projections (Picture courtesy: NASA) Kandla, Okha, Bhavnagar, Mumbai, Mormugao, Mangalore, Cochin, Paradip, Khidirpur, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, and Tuticorin are among the cities and towns. NASA’s Sea Level Change Team has created a sea-level projection tool that makes extensive data on future sea-level rise from the IPCC easily accessible to the public – and to everyone with a stake in planning for the changes to come. According to a landmark UN report on the state of climate science, modern society's continued reliance on fossil fuels is warming the world at a rate unprecedented in the past 2,000 years — and its effects are already visible as record droughts, wildfires, and floods devastate communities around the world. The average global surface temperature has risen by about 1.1 degrees Celsius between 1850–1900, a level not seen since 125,000 years ago, before the most recent ice age. This is only one of the stark truths contained in a summary issued alongside the IPCC report and aimed at policymakers. (With inputs from agencies)

Many Indian cities including Mumbai will likely be underwater by 2100: NASA

NASA's Perseverance drilled into the surface of&nbsp;Mars&nbsp;but failed in its initial attempt to&nbsp;collect&nbsp;rock&nbsp;samples that would be picked up by future missions for analysis by scientists on Earth.

The US&nbsp;space&nbsp;agency published images Friday of a small mound with a hole in its center next to the&nbsp;rover&nbsp;-- the first ever dug into the Red Planet by a robot.

But data sent to Earth by the&nbsp;rover&nbsp;after its first attempt to&nbsp;collect&nbsp;a sample and seal it in a tube indicated no&nbsp;rock&nbsp;had been gathered.

"While this is not the 'hole-in-one' we hoped for, there is always risk with breaking new ground," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for&nbsp;NASA's science mission directorate, in a statement.

"I'm confident we have the right team working this, and we will persevere toward a solution to ensure future success."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-model-this-is-how-the-sun-looked-like-in-its-youth-402732">Also read |&nbsp;NASA model: This is how the Sun looked like in its youth</a>

The drill hole is the first step of a&nbsp;sampling process&nbsp;that is expected to take about 11 days, with the aim of looking for signs of ancient microbial&nbsp;life&nbsp;that may have been preserved in ancient lakebed deposits.

Scientists also hope to better understand Martian geology.&nbsp;

The mission took off from Florida a little over a year ago and Perseverance, which is the size of a large family car, landed on February 18 in the Jezero Crater.

Scientists believe the crater contained a deep lake 3.5 billion years ago, where the conditions may have been able to support extraterrestrial&nbsp;life.&nbsp;

NASA&nbsp;plans a mission to bring around 30 samples back to Earth in the 2030s, to be analysed by instruments that are much more sophisticated than those that can be brought to&nbsp;Mars&nbsp;at present.&nbsp;

NASA's Perseverance drilled into the surface of Mars but failed in its initial attempt to collect rock samples that would be picked up by future missions for analysis by scientists on Earth.

NASA's Perseverance drilled into the surface of Mars but failed in its initial attempt to collect rock samples that would be picked up by future missions for analysis by scientists on Earth. The US space agency published images Friday of a small mound with a hole in its center next to the rover -- the first ever dug into the Red Planet by a robot. But data sent to Earth by the rover after its first attempt to collect a sample and seal it in a tube indicated no rock had been gathered. "While this is not the 'hole-in-one' we hoped for, there is always risk with breaking new ground," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's science mission directorate, in a statement. "I'm confident we have the right team working this, and we will persevere toward a solution to ensure future success." Also read | NASA model: This is how the Sun looked like in its youth The drill hole is the first step of a sampling process that is expected to take about 11 days, with the aim of looking for signs of ancient microbial life that may have been preserved in ancient lakebed deposits. Scientists also hope to better understand Martian geology. The mission took off from Florida a little over a year ago and Perseverance, which is the size of a large family car, landed on February 18 in the Jezero Crater. Scientists believe the crater contained a deep lake 3.5 billion years ago, where the conditions may have been able to support extraterrestrial life. NASA plans a mission to bring around 30 samples back to Earth in the 2030s, to be analysed by instruments that are much more sophisticated than those that can be brought to Mars at present.

NASA Mars rover fails to collect rock in search of alien life

NASA said on Friday that it is seeking a few good men and women to assist in the advancement of its goal of transporting people to Mars by 2037.

The US space agency is looking for ‘highly driven individuals' to take part in a year-long Mars surface simulation in which they would live in a 1,700-square-foot Mars Dune Alpha module 3D-printed by ICON.&nbsp;

Three one-year Mars surface simulations located at NASA's Johnson Space Center are part of the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog series of missions.

The analogues will fund research on strategies and technology for preventing and resolving potential issues on future human spaceflight trips to the Moon and Mars.&nbsp;

"The analog is critical for testing solutions to meet the complex needs of living on the Martian surface," said Grace Douglas, lead scientist for NASA’s Advanced Food Technology research effort at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.&nbsp;

"Simulations on Earth will help us understand and counter the physical and mental challenges astronauts will face before they go."

The program consists of three simulations, with the first starting in 2022, and each will see four crew members spend 365 days completely isolated in the mock habitats of the Red Planet.

Applications are available now and will close on September 12, 2021.

Participants must be between the ages of 30 and 55, hold a master's degree in a STEM discipline, and have at least two years of comparable work experience to be considered.&nbsp;

Basic eligibility for this mission:

Be a US citizen or permanent resident

Be within the ages of 30-55

Possess a master's degree* in a STEM field, including engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics, from an accredited institution.

Have at least two years of related professional experience in a STEM field or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time on jet aircraft.

Be able to pass the NASA long-duration flight astronaut physical.

*The master's degree requirement can also be met by:

Two years (36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) of work toward a doctoral program in a related science, technology, engineering, or math field.

A completed Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree.

Completion (or current enrollment that will result in completion by June 2021) of a nationally recognized test pilot school program.

*Participants with a Bachelor’s degree and other specific qualifications (e.g., relevant additional education, military, or at least 4 years of professional experience in a STEM field) may also be considered.

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA said on Friday that it is seeking a few good men and women to assist in the advancement of its goal of transporting people to Mars by 2037. The US space agency is looking for ‘highly driven individuals' to take part in a year-long Mars surface simulation in which they would live in a 1,700-square-foot Mars Dune Alpha module 3D-printed by ICON.

NASA said on Friday that it is seeking a few good men and women to assist in the advancement of its goal of transporting people to Mars by 2037. The US space agency is looking for ‘highly driven individuals' to take part in a year-long Mars surface simulation in which they would live in a 1,700-square-foot Mars Dune Alpha module 3D-printed by ICON. Three one-year Mars surface simulations located at NASA's Johnson Space Center are part of the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog series of missions. The analogues will fund research on strategies and technology for preventing and resolving potential issues on future human spaceflight trips to the Moon and Mars. "The analog is critical for testing solutions to meet the complex needs of living on the Martian surface," said Grace Douglas, lead scientist for NASA’s Advanced Food Technology research effort at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. "Simulations on Earth will help us understand and counter the physical and mental challenges astronauts will face before they go." The program consists of three simulations, with the first starting in 2022, and each will see four crew members spend 365 days completely isolated in the mock habitats of the Red Planet. Applications are available now and will close on September 12, 2021. Participants must be between the ages of 30 and 55, hold a master's degree in a STEM discipline, and have at least two years of comparable work experience to be considered. Basic eligibility for this mission: Be a US citizen or permanent resident Be within the ages of 30-55 Possess a master's degree* in a STEM field, including engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics, from an accredited institution. Have at least two years of related professional experience in a STEM field or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time on jet aircraft. Be able to pass the NASA long-duration flight astronaut physical. *The master's degree requirement can also be met by: Two years (36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) of work toward a doctoral program in a related science, technology, engineering, or math field. A completed Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. Completion (or current enrollment that will result in completion by June 2021) of a nationally recognized test pilot school program. *Participants with a Bachelor’s degree and other specific qualifications (e.g., relevant additional education, military, or at least 4 years of professional experience in a STEM field) may also be considered. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA is recruiting to send humans to Mars as soon as 2037

Researchers for the first time have successfully observed a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-solve-mystery-behind-elusive-supernova-which-birthed-crab-nebula-394698"> supernova</a> in its initial phase while trawling through data from Nasa’s Kepler space telescope.

The telescope had recorded the event in 2017 as astrophysicists noted the light burst from a supernova as the star exploded.

The study was published in monthly notices of the royal astronomical society. The Kepler space telescope which recorded the celestial event is no longer in use. It reportedly took photos of the same part of the sky for 40 days at a stretch while almost accidentally recording the remarkable phenomena.

The light from the supernova takes several weeks even months to fade. The phenomena has&nbsp;been recorded through ancient times.&nbsp;

The NASA telescope took pictures every half an hour allowing it to accurately take unique photos&nbsp;as the historic event unfolded without anyone noticing.&nbsp;The early explosion can be recorded only for a few days.

The supernova was recorded in real-time helping scientists to record the evolution of stars. Astromers say they now have a somewhat clearer picture of how stars collapse then earlier.

The supernova recorded by the Kepler telescope was a billion light-years away from the Earth.

The star was reportedly hundred times the size of the Sun.&nbsp;

The shock cooling light curve allows scientists to measure the light emitted by supernova over a period of time and it also gives information on its composition.

Reports say NASA's&nbsp;Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is likely to record more supernovae explosions as they occur.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Researchers for the first time have successfully observed a supernova in its initial phase while trawling through data from Nasa’s Kepler space telescope. The telescope had recorded the event in 2017 as astrophysicists noted the light burst from a supernova as the star exploded.

Researchers for the first time have successfully observed a supernova in its initial phase while trawling through data from Nasa’s Kepler space telescope. The telescope had recorded the event in 2017 as astrophysicists noted the light burst from a supernova as the star exploded. The study was published in monthly notices of the royal astronomical society. The Kepler space telescope which recorded the celestial event is no longer in use. It reportedly took photos of the same part of the sky for 40 days at a stretch while almost accidentally recording the remarkable phenomena. The light from the supernova takes several weeks even months to fade. The phenomena has been recorded through ancient times. The NASA telescope took pictures every half an hour allowing it to accurately take unique photos as the historic event unfolded without anyone noticing. The early explosion can be recorded only for a few days. The supernova was recorded in real-time helping scientists to record the evolution of stars. Astromers say they now have a somewhat clearer picture of how stars collapse then earlier. The supernova recorded by the Kepler telescope was a billion light-years away from the Earth. The star was reportedly hundred times the size of the Sun. The shock cooling light curve allows scientists to measure the light emitted by supernova over a period of time and it also gives information on its composition. Reports say NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is likely to record more supernovae explosions as they occur. (With inputs from Agencies)

For first time, Kepler space telescope records initial phase of supernova explosion

The International Space Station (ISS) did a 540-degree flip after jet thrusters of a newly arrived Russian research module inadvertently fired a few hours as per a new report.

Zebulon Scoville, the flight director who was in charge at NASA's mission control centre in Houston has revealed in a report by 'The&nbsp;New York Times' that the mishap more serious than earlier reported.

“We had two messages, just two lines of code, saying that something was wrong,” Scoville said adding that engineers first considered it to be a false message.

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Following this morning's docking of the Nauka module to the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>, the module's thrusters started firing at 12:45pm ET inadvertently and unexpectedly, moving the station 45 degrees out of attitude. Recovery operations have regained attitude and the crew is in no danger: <a href="https://t.co/jFlDZD7ZHp">pic.twitter.com/jFlDZD7ZHp</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1420801401358364678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"And then I looked up at the video monitors and saw all the ice and thruster firings. This is no kidding. A real event. So let’s get to it. You get about half a breath of ‘Oh, geez, what now?’ and then you kind of push that down and just work the problem,” he told New York Times.

It&nbsp;began about three hours after the multipurpose Nauka module had latched onto the space station, as mission controllers in Moscow were performing some post-docking "reconfiguration" procedures, according to&nbsp;NASA.

The seven crew members aboard,&nbsp;two Russian cosmonauts, three&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;astronauts, a Japanese astronaut, and a European space agency astronaut from France, were never in any immediate danger, according to&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;and Russian state-owned news agency RIA.

The module's jets inexplicably restarted, causing the entire station to pitch out of its normal flight position some 250 miles above the Earth, leading the mission's flight director to declare a "spacecraft emergency," US&nbsp;space agency officials said.

An unexpected drift in the station's orientation was first detected by automated ground sensors, followed 15 minutes later by a "loss of attitude control" that lasted a little over 45 minutes, according to Joel Montalbano, manager of&nbsp;NASA's space station program.

'Tug-of-war'

Flight teams on the ground managed to restore the space station's orientation by activating thrusters on another module of the orbiting platform,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;officials said.

In its broadcast coverage of the incident, RIA cited&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;specialists at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, as describing the struggle to regain control of the space station as a "tug of war" between the two modules.

At the height of the incident, the station was pitching out of alignment at the rate of about a half a degree per second, Montalbano said during a&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;conference call with reporters.

The Nauka engines were ultimately switched off, the space station was stabilized and its orientation was restored to where it had begun,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;said.

Communication with the crew was lost for several minutes twice during the disruption, but "there was no immediate danger at any time to the crew," Montalbano said. He said "the crew really didn't feel any movement."

Had the situation become so dangerous as to require evacuation of personnel, the crew could have escaped in a SpaceX crew capsule still parked at the outpost and designed to serve as a "lifeboat" if necessary, said Steve Stich, manager of&nbsp;NASA's commercial crew program.

What caused the malfunction of the thrusters on the Nauka module, delivered by the Russian space agency Roscosmos, has yet to be determined,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;officials said.

Montalbano said there was no immediate sign of any damage to the space station. The flight correction maneuvers used up more propellant reserves than desired, "but nothing I would worry about," he said.

After its launch last week from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, the module experienced a series of glitches that raised concern about whether the docking procedure would go smoothly.

Roscosmos attributed Thursday's post-docking issue to Nauka's engines having to work with residual fuel in the craft, TASS news agency reported.

"The process of transferring the Nauka module from flight mode to 'docked with ISS' mode is underway. Work is being carried out on the remaining fuel in the module," Roscosmos was cited by TASS as saying.

The Nauka module is designed to serve as a research lab, storage unit, and airlock that will upgrade Russia's capabilities aboard the ISS.

A live broadcast showed the module, named after the Russian word for "science," docking with the space station a few minutes later than scheduled.

"According to telemetry data and reports from the ISS crew, the onboard systems of the station and the Nauka module are operating normally," Roscosmos said in a statement.

"There is contact!!!" Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos, wrote on Twitter moments after the docking.

(With inputs from agencies)

The International Space Station (ISS) did a 540-degree flip after jet thrusters of a newly arrived Russian research module inadvertently fired a few hours as per a new report.

The International Space Station (ISS) did a 540-degree flip after jet thrusters of a newly arrived Russian research module inadvertently fired a few hours as per a new report. Zebulon Scoville, the flight director who was in charge at NASA's mission control centre in Houston has revealed in a report by 'The New York Times' that the mishap more serious than earlier reported. “We had two messages, just two lines of code, saying that something was wrong,” Scoville said adding that engineers first considered it to be a false message. Following this morning's docking of the Nauka module to the @Space_Station, the module's thrusters started firing at 12:45pm ET inadvertently and unexpectedly, moving the station 45 degrees out of attitude. Recovery operations have regained attitude and the crew is in no danger: pic.twitter.com/jFlDZD7ZHp — NASA (@NASA) July 29, 2021 × "And then I looked up at the video monitors and saw all the ice and thruster firings. This is no kidding. A real event. So let’s get to it. You get about half a breath of ‘Oh, geez, what now?’ and then you kind of push that down and just work the problem,” he told New York Times. It began about three hours after the multipurpose Nauka module had latched onto the space station, as mission controllers in Moscow were performing some post-docking "reconfiguration" procedures, according to NASA. The seven crew members aboard, two Russian cosmonauts, three NASA astronauts, a Japanese astronaut, and a European space agency astronaut from France, were never in any immediate danger, according to NASA and Russian state-owned news agency RIA. The module's jets inexplicably restarted, causing the entire station to pitch out of its normal flight position some 250 miles above the Earth, leading the mission's flight director to declare a "spacecraft emergency," US space agency officials said. An unexpected drift in the station's orientation was first detected by automated ground sensors, followed 15 minutes later by a "loss of attitude control" that lasted a little over 45 minutes, according to Joel Montalbano, manager of NASA's space station program. 'Tug-of-war' Flight teams on the ground managed to restore the space station's orientation by activating thrusters on another module of the orbiting platform, NASA officials said. In its broadcast coverage of the incident, RIA cited NASA specialists at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, as describing the struggle to regain control of the space station as a "tug of war" between the two modules. At the height of the incident, the station was pitching out of alignment at the rate of about a half a degree per second, Montalbano said during a NASA conference call with reporters. The Nauka engines were ultimately switched off, the space station was stabilized and its orientation was restored to where it had begun, NASA said. Communication with the crew was lost for several minutes twice during the disruption, but "there was no immediate danger at any time to the crew," Montalbano said. He said "the crew really didn't feel any movement." Had the situation become so dangerous as to require evacuation of personnel, the crew could have escaped in a SpaceX crew capsule still parked at the outpost and designed to serve as a "lifeboat" if necessary, said Steve Stich, manager of NASA's commercial crew program. What caused the malfunction of the thrusters on the Nauka module, delivered by the Russian space agency Roscosmos, has yet to be determined, NASA officials said. Montalbano said there was no immediate sign of any damage to the space station. The flight correction maneuvers used up more propellant reserves than desired, "but nothing I would worry about," he said. After its launch last week from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, the module experienced a series of glitches that raised concern about whether the docking procedure would go smoothly. Roscosmos attributed Thursday's post-docking issue to Nauka's engines having to work with residual fuel in the craft, TASS news agency reported. "The process of transferring the Nauka module from flight mode to 'docked with ISS' mode is underway. Work is being carried out on the remaining fuel in the module," Roscosmos was cited by TASS as saying. The Nauka module is designed to serve as a research lab, storage unit, and airlock that will upgrade Russia's capabilities aboard the ISS. A live broadcast showed the module, named after the Russian word for "science," docking with the space station a few minutes later than scheduled. "According to telemetry data and reports from the ISS crew, the onboard systems of the station and the Nauka module are operating normally," Roscosmos said in a statement. "There is contact!!!" Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos, wrote on Twitter moments after the docking. (With inputs from agencies)

International Space Station did 540-degree flip, turned upside down: Mishap more serious than earlier reported

NASA researchers have revealed a nearby star which closely resembles the young Sun.&nbsp;

The new study aims to find out the details about the Sun and about the development of life on Earth.

"At 4.65 billion years old, our Sun is a middle-aged star," NASA said as curious scientists seek to find out how the Sun in its younger days supported life on Earth.

The author of the study, Vladimir Airapetian, senior astrophysicist in the Heliophysics Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland said he was trying to "reconstruct baby photos" of the Sun with the new star which has similar characteristics to the Sun.

NASA said the new stars emit&nbsp;stellar winds made of superhot gas known as plasma. The US space agency said the most energetic plasma can shoot off away from the outermost and hottest part of a star’s atmosphere in an eruption with steam rising towards nearby planets as stellar wind.

The space agency said younger stars generate hotter stellar winds leading to more "powerful plasma eruptions" than older stars which can affect the atmosphere of nearby planets impacting it&nbsp;at any stage.

NASA scientists said that the Sun in its youth rotated three times faster and had a stronger magnetic field&nbsp;also released more energy including radiation and particles. The particles are now sometimes visible near the planet’s poles as aurora, or the Northern and Southern Lights.&nbsp;

The scientists are seeking to uncover the mystery behind the Sun's youth although they agree it is a complicated process which will involve several years as new tools and ways of thinking need&nbsp;to be put in place to seek answers.

Scientists say the complicating factors in the study of the young Sun includes distance since it is still&nbsp;not possible to directly observe the stellar wind of other stars in the galaxy since it is too far away.

The study, therefore, relies on "scientific modelling" based on predictions on existing scientific data.&nbsp;

Previous studies have drawn on data gathered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to identify Kappa 1 Ceti as a young solar proxy, it said.

(With inputs from Agencies)

NASA researchers have revealed a nearby star which closely resembles the young Sun. The new study aims to find out the details about the Sun and about the development of life on Earth.

NASA researchers have revealed a nearby star which closely resembles the young Sun. The new study aims to find out the details about the Sun and about the development of life on Earth. "At 4.65 billion years old, our Sun is a middle-aged star," NASA said as curious scientists seek to find out how the Sun in its younger days supported life on Earth. The author of the study, Vladimir Airapetian, senior astrophysicist in the Heliophysics Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland said he was trying to "reconstruct baby photos" of the Sun with the new star which has similar characteristics to the Sun. NASA said the new stars emit stellar winds made of superhot gas known as plasma. The US space agency said the most energetic plasma can shoot off away from the outermost and hottest part of a star’s atmosphere in an eruption with steam rising towards nearby planets as stellar wind. The space agency said younger stars generate hotter stellar winds leading to more "powerful plasma eruptions" than older stars which can affect the atmosphere of nearby planets impacting it at any stage. NASA scientists said that the Sun in its youth rotated three times faster and had a stronger magnetic field also released more energy including radiation and particles. The particles are now sometimes visible near the planet’s poles as aurora, or the Northern and Southern Lights. The scientists are seeking to uncover the mystery behind the Sun's youth although they agree it is a complicated process which will involve several years as new tools and ways of thinking need to be put in place to seek answers. Scientists say the complicating factors in the study of the young Sun includes distance since it is still not possible to directly observe the stellar wind of other stars in the galaxy since it is too far away. The study, therefore, relies on "scientific modelling" based on predictions on existing scientific data. Previous studies have drawn on data gathered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to identify Kappa 1 Ceti as a young solar proxy, it said. (With inputs from Agencies)

NASA model: This is how the Sun looked like in its youth

Boeing delayed an uncrewed flight of its Starliner capsule to the International Space Station (ISS)&nbsp;over a propulsion issue, pushing back by at least a day a key test it last attempted in 2019.

Boeing&nbsp;engineers ruled out "a number of potential causes, including software," but were still working to understand the source of "unexpected valve position indications" in the propulsion system,&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;said in a statement.

"Additional time is needed to complete the assessment,"&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;said, adding that it would also not proceed with the next potential launch window on Wednesday.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/all-is-well-says-moscow-after-space-station-thrown-off-course-by-nauka-module-401759" hreflang="en">'All is well', says Moscow after space station thrown off course by Nauka module</a>

The test flight was supposed to take place Friday but had to be rescheduled after a new Russian&nbsp;science&nbsp;module inadvertently fired its thrusters following docking with the ISS, pushing the orbital outpost off kilter.&nbsp;

After NASA ended the Space Shuttle programme in 2011, it gave both Boeing and SpaceX multi-billion dollar contracts to provide its astronauts with taxi services to the space station and end US reliance on Russian rockets for the journey.

SpaceX's program has moved forward faster, having now undertaken three crewed missions.&nbsp;

Boeing's program is lagging behind, and needs to complete a successful uncrewed mission before it can carry astronauts.

During an initial uncrewed test flight in December 2019, the Starliner capsule experienced software glitches that caused problems with the way it fired its thrusters.

As a result, Starliner did not have enough fuel to reach the ISS and had to return to Earth prematurely, and a subsequent investigation showed it almost experienced a dire flight anomaly while reentering the atmosphere.

NASA later called the mission a "high visibility close call," a rare designation reserved for near-catastrophes.

Steve Stich, manager of NASA's commercial crew program, told reporters last week he had confidence this time around.&nbsp;

"We want it to go well, we expect it to go well, and we've done all the preparations we can possibly do," he said.

"Starliner is a great vehicle, but we know how hard it is, and it's a test flight as well and I fully expect we'll learn something on this test flight."

When it flies, the spacecraft will carry more than 400 pounds (180 kilogrammes) of cargo and crew supplies to the ISS and will return more than 550 pounds of cargo, including air tanks, when it lands in the western US desert at the end of its mission.

(With inputs from agencies)

Boeing delayed an uncrewed flight of its Starliner capsule to the International Space Station (ISS) over a propulsion issue, pushing back by at least a day a key test it last attempted in 2019.

Boeing delayed an uncrewed flight of its Starliner capsule to the International Space Station (ISS) over a propulsion issue, pushing back by at least a day a key test it last attempted in 2019. Boeing engineers ruled out "a number of potential causes, including software," but were still working to understand the source of "unexpected valve position indications" in the propulsion system, Boeing said in a statement. "Additional time is needed to complete the assessment," Boeing said, adding that it would also not proceed with the next potential launch window on Wednesday. Also read| 'All is well', says Moscow after space station thrown off course by Nauka module The test flight was supposed to take place Friday but had to be rescheduled after a new Russian science module inadvertently fired its thrusters following docking with the ISS, pushing the orbital outpost off kilter. After NASA ended the Space Shuttle programme in 2011, it gave both Boeing and SpaceX multi-billion dollar contracts to provide its astronauts with taxi services to the space station and end US reliance on Russian rockets for the journey. SpaceX's program has moved forward faster, having now undertaken three crewed missions. Boeing's program is lagging behind, and needs to complete a successful uncrewed mission before it can carry astronauts. During an initial uncrewed test flight in December 2019, the Starliner capsule experienced software glitches that caused problems with the way it fired its thrusters. As a result, Starliner did not have enough fuel to reach the ISS and had to return to Earth prematurely, and a subsequent investigation showed it almost experienced a dire flight anomaly while reentering the atmosphere. NASA later called the mission a "high visibility close call," a rare designation reserved for near-catastrophes. Steve Stich, manager of NASA's commercial crew program, told reporters last week he had confidence this time around. "We want it to go well, we expect it to go well, and we've done all the preparations we can possibly do," he said. "Starliner is a great vehicle, but we know how hard it is, and it's a test flight as well and I fully expect we'll learn something on this test flight." When it flies, the spacecraft will carry more than 400 pounds (180 kilogrammes) of cargo and crew supplies to the ISS and will return more than 550 pounds of cargo, including air tanks, when it lands in the western US desert at the end of its mission. (With inputs from agencies)

Boeing postpones Starliner launch to International Space Station after new glitch

You've got mail!

Yes. United State's space organisation NASA has a mail from us. Travelling light years, galloping over miles of the outer world, the space agency has delivered for us the perfect dose of beauty and intrigue.

The mail is from Mars, a planet that has long been a source of fascination for humankind, steeped in mystery and intrigue. From the ancient Egyptians to modern-day children, Mars has remained an enticing and enigmatically magical planet that we know little about.

However, today this is changing. One of the&nbsp;nearest neighbours of our sun, today the red planet has been the subject of extensive exploration, and our rovers roam the surface of the planet every night.

Every day we are learning something new about the planet, but today we are not going to learn anything. It's Sunday, so instead of putting anything heavy on our minds, we're gonna sit back and admire the beauty of the desolate planet that is Mars.&nbsp;

Here's the post by NASA.&nbsp;

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The post is captioned "You’ve got mail 💌 from Mars. Our&nbsp;@NASAJPL&nbsp;Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recently released new images showing off the many different features of the Red Planet!".

Showcasing three stunning pictures, this post from NASA shows us geological formations on the planet that ancient Egyptians liked to call&nbsp;&nbsp;"Horus of the Horizon".

You've got mail! Yes. United State's space organisation NASA has a mail from us. Travelling light years, galloping over miles of the outer world, the space agency has delivered for us the perfect dose of beauty and intrigue.

You've got mail! Yes. United State's space organisation NASA has a mail from us. Travelling light years, galloping over miles of the outer world, the space agency has delivered for us the perfect dose of beauty and intrigue. The mail is from Mars, a planet that has long been a source of fascination for humankind, steeped in mystery and intrigue. From the ancient Egyptians to modern-day children, Mars has remained an enticing and enigmatically magical planet that we know little about. However, today this is changing. One of the nearest neighbours of our sun, today the red planet has been the subject of extensive exploration, and our rovers roam the surface of the planet every night. Every day we are learning something new about the planet, but today we are not going to learn anything. It's Sunday, so instead of putting anything heavy on our minds, we're gonna sit back and admire the beauty of the desolate planet that is Mars. Here's the post by NASA. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) × The post is captioned "You’ve got mail 💌 from Mars. Our @NASAJPL Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recently released new images showing off the many different features of the Red Planet!". Showcasing three stunning pictures, this post from NASA shows us geological formations on the planet that ancient Egyptians liked to call "Horus of the Horizon".

You've got mail from Mars. Open for magic and wonder

A US&nbsp;agency on Friday rejected a protest by Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics Inc over NASA`s decision to pick a single lunar lander provider. 
 
The companies challenged the $2.9 billion award to SpaceX for the lander, arguing NASA was required to make multiple awards.

The US&nbsp;Government Accountability Office (GAO) said it "denied the protest arguments that NASA acted improperly in making a single award to SpaceX." 
 
Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, did not immediately comment. It had contended NASA gave SpaceX an unfair advantage by letting it revise its pricing. Dynetics, a unit of Leidos Holdings, also did not immediately comment. 
 
On Monday, Bezos offered to cover up to $2 billion in NASA costs if the US&nbsp;space agency awarded Blue Origin a contract to make a spacecraft designed to land astronauts back on the moon. 
 
In April, NASA awarded rival billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk`s SpaceX a deal to build a spacecraft to bring astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2024. 
 
In a letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Bezos said Blue Origin would waive payments up to $2 billion, and pay for an orbital mission to vet its technology. In exchange, Blue Origin would accept a firm, fixed-priced contract, and cover any system development cost overruns. 
 
"Without competition, NASA`s short-term and long-term lunar ambitions will be delayed, will ultimately cost more, and won`t serve the national interest," Bezos added. 
 
Before choosing SpaceX, NASA sought proposals for a spacecraft that would carry astronauts to the lunar surface under its Artemis program to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972. 
 
Bezos` offer came six days after he flew alongside three crewmates to the edge of space aboard Blue Origin`s rocket-and-capsule New Shepard. 
 
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio) 
&nbsp;

A US agency on Friday rejected a protest by Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics Inc over NASA`s decision to pick a single lunar lander provider. The companies challenged the $2.

A US agency on Friday rejected a protest by Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics Inc over NASA`s decision to pick a single lunar lander provider. The companies challenged the $2.9 billion award to SpaceX for the lander, arguing NASA was required to make multiple awards. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) said it "denied the protest arguments that NASA acted improperly in making a single award to SpaceX." Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, did not immediately comment. It had contended NASA gave SpaceX an unfair advantage by letting it revise its pricing. Dynetics, a unit of Leidos Holdings, also did not immediately comment. On Monday, Bezos offered to cover up to $2 billion in NASA costs if the US space agency awarded Blue Origin a contract to make a spacecraft designed to land astronauts back on the moon. In April, NASA awarded rival billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk`s SpaceX a deal to build a spacecraft to bring astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2024. In a letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Bezos said Blue Origin would waive payments up to $2 billion, and pay for an orbital mission to vet its technology. In exchange, Blue Origin would accept a firm, fixed-priced contract, and cover any system development cost overruns. "Without competition, NASA`s short-term and long-term lunar ambitions will be delayed, will ultimately cost more, and won`t serve the national interest," Bezos added. Before choosing SpaceX, NASA sought proposals for a spacecraft that would carry astronauts to the lunar surface under its Artemis program to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972. Bezos` offer came six days after he flew alongside three crewmates to the edge of space aboard Blue Origin`s rocket-and-capsule New Shepard. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)

US agency denies Blue Origin protest over NASA lunar lander contract

Russia said on Friday that all was well with the International Space Station and its seven-member crew after its newly-docked Nauka research module briefly threw the ISS out of control a day earlier.

According to NASA, the mishap began about three hours after the Nauka module, named after the Russian word for 'science', had latched onto the space station, as mission controllers in&nbsp;Moscow&nbsp;were performing post-docking "reconfiguration" procedures.

Nauka's jet thrusters inadvertently fired, causing the station to pitch out of position 250 miles above the Earth, leading the mission's flight director to declare a "spacecraft emergency," US&nbsp;space agency officials said.

The crew - two Russian cosmonauts, three NASA astronauts, a Japanese astronaut and a European space agency astronaut from France - were never in any immediate danger, according to NASA and Russia.

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky told his followers on Twitter not to worry.

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Dear friends, I’m reading your numerous comments. Don’t worry! Our work at the International <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a> to integrate the newly arrived <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nauka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nauka</a> module continues! 
 
Tonight we are going to open the hatches. Will keep you posted! <a href="https://t.co/N7ub8U3YhQ">pic.twitter.com/N7ub8U3YhQ</a>
— Oleg Novitskiy (@novitskiy_iss) <a href="https://twitter.com/novitskiy_iss/status/1421010859376119809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
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On Friday, Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, said work to integrate Nauka with the ISS was underway and Russian cosmonauts would later open the module's hatch to try to access it.

It said checks on Nauka's engines were being completed remotely by Russian specialists to ensure everyone's safety, that the ISS was on its normal flight trajectory, and that the docking had been successful in so far as the seal between the new module and the rest of the ISS was hermetic.

It did not say what had prompted Nauka's engines to unexpectedly roar into life.

Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, retweeted Novitsky. He had hailed Nauka's docking with the ISS as "a very difficult and important victory for us" and warmly accepted congratulations on Twitter from space entrepreneur Elon Musk.

Rogozin also spoke of plans to launch another Russian module to the ISS in November.

Roscosmos has suffered a series of mishaps and corruption scandals, including during the construction of the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the country's far east where contractors were accused of embezzling state funds.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia said on Friday that all was well with the International Space Station and its seven-member crew after its newly-docked Nauka research module briefly threw the ISS out of control a day earlier.

Russia said on Friday that all was well with the International Space Station and its seven-member crew after its newly-docked Nauka research module briefly threw the ISS out of control a day earlier. According to NASA, the mishap began about three hours after the Nauka module, named after the Russian word for 'science', had latched onto the space station, as mission controllers in Moscow were performing post-docking "reconfiguration" procedures. Nauka's jet thrusters inadvertently fired, causing the station to pitch out of position 250 miles above the Earth, leading the mission's flight director to declare a "spacecraft emergency," US space agency officials said. The crew - two Russian cosmonauts, three NASA astronauts, a Japanese astronaut and a European space agency astronaut from France - were never in any immediate danger, according to NASA and Russia. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky told his followers on Twitter not to worry. Dear friends, I’m reading your numerous comments. Don’t worry! Our work at the International @Space_Station to integrate the newly arrived #Nauka module continues! Tonight we are going to open the hatches. Will keep you posted! pic.twitter.com/N7ub8U3YhQ — Oleg Novitskiy (@novitskiy_iss) July 30, 2021 × On Friday, Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, said work to integrate Nauka with the ISS was underway and Russian cosmonauts would later open the module's hatch to try to access it. It said checks on Nauka's engines were being completed remotely by Russian specialists to ensure everyone's safety, that the ISS was on its normal flight trajectory, and that the docking had been successful in so far as the seal between the new module and the rest of the ISS was hermetic. It did not say what had prompted Nauka's engines to unexpectedly roar into life. Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, retweeted Novitsky. He had hailed Nauka's docking with the ISS as "a very difficult and important victory for us" and warmly accepted congratulations on Twitter from space entrepreneur Elon Musk. Rogozin also spoke of plans to launch another Russian module to the ISS in November. Roscosmos has suffered a series of mishaps and corruption scandals, including during the construction of the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the country's far east where contractors were accused of embezzling state funds. (With inputs from agencies)

'All is well', says Moscow after space station thrown off course by Nauka module

The&nbsp;International&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Station&nbsp;(ISS) was&nbsp;thrown&nbsp;briefly&nbsp;out&nbsp;of&nbsp;control&nbsp;on Thursday when jet thrusters of a newly arrived&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;research&nbsp;module&nbsp;inadvertently fired a few hours after it was docked to the orbiting&nbsp;outpost,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;officials said.

The seven crew members aboard - two&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;cosmonauts, three&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;astronauts, a Japanese astronaut and a European&nbsp;space&nbsp;agency astronaut from France - were never in any immediate danger, according to&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;and&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;state-owned news agency RIA.

But the malfunction prompted&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;to postpone until at least Aug. 3 its planned launch of Boeing's new CST-100 Starliner capsule on a highly anticipated uncrewed test flight to the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station. The Starliner had been set to blast off atop an Atlas V rocket on Friday from the Kennedy&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Center in Florida.

Thursday's mishap began about&nbsp;three hours after the multipurpose Nauka&nbsp;module&nbsp;had latched onto the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station, as mission&nbsp;controllers in Moscow were performing some post-docking "reconfiguration" procedures, according to&nbsp;NASA.

The&nbsp;module's jets inexplicably restarted, causing the entire&nbsp;station&nbsp;to pitch&nbsp;out&nbsp;of its normal flight position some 250 miles above the Earth, leading the mission's flight director to declare a "spacecraft emergency," US&nbsp;space&nbsp;agency officials said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/boeings-starliner-crewed-mission-all-set-for-test-flight-to-international-space-station-401577">Also read |&nbsp;Boeing's Starliner crewed mission all set for test flight to International Space Station</a>

An unexpected drift in the&nbsp;station's orientation was first detected by automated ground sensors, followed 15 minutes later by a "loss of attitude&nbsp;control" that lasted a little over 45 minutes, according to Joel Montalbano, manager of&nbsp;NASA's&nbsp;space&nbsp;station&nbsp;program.

Tug of war

Flight teams on the ground managed to restore the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station's orientation by activating thrusters on another&nbsp;module&nbsp;of the orbiting platform,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;officials said.

In its broadcast coverage of the incident, RIA cited&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;specialists at the Johnson&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Center in Houston, Texas, as describing the struggle to regain&nbsp;control&nbsp;of the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station&nbsp;as a "tug of war" between the two&nbsp;modules.

At the height of the incident, the&nbsp;station&nbsp;was pitching&nbsp;out&nbsp;of alignment at the rate of about&nbsp;a half a degree per second, Montalbano said during a&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;conference call with reporters.

The Nauka engines were ultimately switched off, the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station&nbsp;was stabilized and its orientation was restored to where it had begun,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;said.

Communication with the crew was lost for several minutes twice during the disruption, but "there was no immediate danger at any time to the crew," Montalbano said. He said "the crew really didn't feel any movement."

Had the situation become so dangerous as to require evacuation of personnel, the crew could have escaped in a&nbsp;SpaceX crew capsule still parked at the&nbsp;outpost and designed to serve as a "lifeboat" if necessary, said Steve Stich, manager of&nbsp;NASA's commercial crew program.

What caused the malfunction of the thrusters on the Nauka&nbsp;module, delivered by the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;space&nbsp;agency Roscosmos, has yet to be determined,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;officials said.

Montalbano said there was no immediate sign of any damage to the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station. The flight correction maneuvers used up more propellant reserves than desired, "but nothing I would worry about," he said.

After its launch last week from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, the&nbsp;module&nbsp;experienced a series of glitches that raised concern about&nbsp;whether the docking procedure would go smoothly.

Roscosmos attributed Thursday's post-docking issue to Nauka's engines having to work with residual fuel in the craft, TASS news agency reported.

"The process of transferring the Nauka&nbsp;module&nbsp;from flight mode to 'docked with ISS' mode is underway. Work is being carried&nbsp;out&nbsp;on the remaining fuel in the&nbsp;module," Roscosmos was cited by TASS as saying.

The Nauka&nbsp;module&nbsp;is designed to serve as a research lab, storage unit and airlock that will upgrade Russia's capabilities aboard the ISS.

A live broadcast showed the&nbsp;module, named after the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;word for "science," docking with the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station&nbsp;a few minutes later than scheduled.

"According to telemetry data and reports from the ISS crew, the onboard systems of the&nbsp;station&nbsp;and the Nauka&nbsp;module&nbsp;are operating normally," Roscosmos said in a statement.

"There is contact!!!" Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos, wrote on Twitter moments after the docking.

The International Space Station (ISS) was thrown briefly out of control on Thursday when jet thrusters of a newly arrived Russian research module inadvertently fired a few hours after it was docked to the orbiting outpost, NASA officials said.

The International Space Station (ISS) was thrown briefly out of control on Thursday when jet thrusters of a newly arrived Russian research module inadvertently fired a few hours after it was docked to the orbiting outpost, NASA officials said. The seven crew members aboard - two Russian cosmonauts, three NASA astronauts, a Japanese astronaut and a European space agency astronaut from France - were never in any immediate danger, according to NASA and Russian state-owned news agency RIA. But the malfunction prompted NASA to postpone until at least Aug. 3 its planned launch of Boeing's new CST-100 Starliner capsule on a highly anticipated uncrewed test flight to the space station. The Starliner had been set to blast off atop an Atlas V rocket on Friday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Thursday's mishap began about three hours after the multipurpose Nauka module had latched onto the space station, as mission controllers in Moscow were performing some post-docking "reconfiguration" procedures, according to NASA. The module's jets inexplicably restarted, causing the entire station to pitch out of its normal flight position some 250 miles above the Earth, leading the mission's flight director to declare a "spacecraft emergency," US space agency officials said. Also read | Boeing's Starliner crewed mission all set for test flight to International Space Station An unexpected drift in the station's orientation was first detected by automated ground sensors, followed 15 minutes later by a "loss of attitude control" that lasted a little over 45 minutes, according to Joel Montalbano, manager of NASA's space station program. Tug of war Flight teams on the ground managed to restore the space station's orientation by activating thrusters on another module of the orbiting platform, NASA officials said. In its broadcast coverage of the incident, RIA cited NASA specialists at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, as describing the struggle to regain control of the space station as a "tug of war" between the two modules. At the height of the incident, the station was pitching out of alignment at the rate of about a half a degree per second, Montalbano said during a NASA conference call with reporters. The Nauka engines were ultimately switched off, the space station was stabilized and its orientation was restored to where it had begun, NASA said. Communication with the crew was lost for several minutes twice during the disruption, but "there was no immediate danger at any time to the crew," Montalbano said. He said "the crew really didn't feel any movement." Had the situation become so dangerous as to require evacuation of personnel, the crew could have escaped in a SpaceX crew capsule still parked at the outpost and designed to serve as a "lifeboat" if necessary, said Steve Stich, manager of NASA's commercial crew program. What caused the malfunction of the thrusters on the Nauka module, delivered by the Russian space agency Roscosmos, has yet to be determined, NASA officials said. Montalbano said there was no immediate sign of any damage to the space station. The flight correction maneuvers used up more propellant reserves than desired, "but nothing I would worry about," he said. After its launch last week from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, the module experienced a series of glitches that raised concern about whether the docking procedure would go smoothly. Roscosmos attributed Thursday's post-docking issue to Nauka's engines having to work with residual fuel in the craft, TASS news agency reported. "The process of transferring the Nauka module from flight mode to 'docked with ISS' mode is underway. Work is being carried out on the remaining fuel in the module," Roscosmos was cited by TASS as saying. The Nauka module is designed to serve as a research lab, storage unit and airlock that will upgrade Russia's capabilities aboard the ISS. A live broadcast showed the module, named after the Russian word for "science," docking with the space station a few minutes later than scheduled. "According to telemetry data and reports from the ISS crew, the onboard systems of the station and the Nauka module are operating normally," Roscosmos said in a statement. "There is contact!!!" Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos, wrote on Twitter moments after the docking.

International Space Station thrown out of control by misfire of Russian module - NASA

Boeing's unmanned Starliner crew capsule is all set for its&nbsp;test flight&nbsp;on Friday, July 30, before attempting to launch astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).

The space agency's new administrator, Bill Nelson, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and Associate Administrator Bob Cabana held a briefing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center ahead of the launch.

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Happening now: Ahead of the July 30 launch of <a href="https://twitter.com/BoeingSpace?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BoeingSpace</a>'s Orbital Flight Test-2, <a href="https://twitter.com/Commercial_Crew?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Commercial_Crew</a> astronauts and mission experts discuss the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Starliner?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Starliner</a> flight with virtual social guests: <a href="https://t.co/qTsZ3f8a3C">https://t.co/qTsZ3f8a3C</a>
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All three NASA administrators are former astronauts. They spoke about the significance of the upcoming launch and the future of the space program.

NASA and Boeing are targeting launch at 2:53 p.m. EDT with a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

NASA says the five-to-10-day flight test will help prove the Starliner system is ready to carry astronauts to the space station later this year.

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/who-is-winning-space-tourism-race-between-bezos-branson-and-musk-396420" hreflang="en">Who is winning space tourism race between Bezos, Branson and Musk?</a>

Boeing is eager for another shot at proving its crew capsule after technical failures put the aerospace juggernaut behind Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX, which successfully returned its rival crew capsule from the ISS earlier this month.

During Boeing’s first uncrewed test, in December 2019, a series of software glitches and an issue with the spacecraft’s automated timer resulted in Starliner failing to dock at the space station and returning to Earth a week early.

In February, a NASA safety review panel found Boeing had narrowly missed a “catastrophic failure” in the botched test, and recommended examining the company’s software verification process before letting it fly humans to space.

Earlier this month, Boeing watched from the sidelines as SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico after a two-month voyage to the International Space Station,&nbsp;NASA’s first crewed mission from home soil in nine years.

(With inputs from agencies)

Boeing's unmanned Starliner crew capsule is all set for its test flight on Friday, July 30, before attempting to launch astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).

Boeing's unmanned Starliner crew capsule is all set for its test flight on Friday, July 30, before attempting to launch astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The space agency's new administrator, Bill Nelson, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and Associate Administrator Bob Cabana held a briefing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center ahead of the launch. Happening now: Ahead of the July 30 launch of @BoeingSpace's Orbital Flight Test-2, @Commercial_Crew astronauts and mission experts discuss the #Starliner flight with virtual social guests: https://t.co/qTsZ3f8a3C — NASA (@NASA) July 29, 2021 × All three NASA administrators are former astronauts. They spoke about the significance of the upcoming launch and the future of the space program. NASA and Boeing are targeting launch at 2:53 p.m. EDT with a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. NASA says the five-to-10-day flight test will help prove the Starliner system is ready to carry astronauts to the space station later this year. Also see| Who is winning space tourism race between Bezos, Branson and Musk? Boeing is eager for another shot at proving its crew capsule after technical failures put the aerospace juggernaut behind Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX, which successfully returned its rival crew capsule from the ISS earlier this month. During Boeing’s first uncrewed test, in December 2019, a series of software glitches and an issue with the spacecraft’s automated timer resulted in Starliner failing to dock at the space station and returning to Earth a week early. In February, a NASA safety review panel found Boeing had narrowly missed a “catastrophic failure” in the botched test, and recommended examining the company’s software verification process before letting it fly humans to space. Earlier this month, Boeing watched from the sidelines as SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico after a two-month voyage to the International Space Station, NASA’s first crewed mission from home soil in nine years. (With inputs from agencies)

Boeing's Starliner crewed mission all set for test flight to International Space Station

Interplanetary missions have always been about ensuring the highest degree of safety for the traveling spacecraft, but NASA’s Perseverance Rover Mission or Mars 2020 was vastly different, recalls NASA’s Dr Swati Mohan.

In her experience, working amid the deadly and devastating COVID-19 pandemic meant ensuring the utmost safety of every team member, over and above that of the Mars Probe. This is significant given that the launch of the rocket and the Mars landing which happened in July 2020 and February 2021 respectively happened during peak pandemic spread in the USA.&nbsp;

Speaking at an event organised by the US Consulate General in India, Dr.&nbsp;Swati Mohan, Guidance, Navigation, and Control Systems Engineering Group Supervisor, NASA’s Jet&nbsp;Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) touched upon her Indian roots, family, and her foray into Aerospace Engineering.

She made headlines around the world for her pivotal role in landing the US&nbsp;space agency’s historic Perseverance rover on the Martian surface on February 18, this year.

Born in Karnataka, India, Swati moved to the US at a very young age and aspired to be a doctor. Growing up, she was fascinated by Star Trek, reading books on space, Big Bang, and the pictures from the Hubble Space telescope. However, all of it remained a hobby and not a serious career choice.&nbsp;

Her time at High school proved crucial in helping her realize that she was good at physics and that biology as a subject, didn’t come naturally to her. “I couldn’t stand the smell of dissections or have stable hands to perform it” she recalls.

Eventually, her passion and aptitude for Physics led her to Internships at multiple American Space facilities and also a degree at Cornell University.

Making a mention of her family, she spoke about her Indian roots and her parents’ who also worked in Science and Engineering related jobs and remained a huge support. On the crucial Mars 2020 Mission, she recollects that her husband, a doctor, equally shared the responsibility back at home.

“Both of us have demanding careers and shift work. Amid the pandemic, he headed for the COVID ward and I headed for the NASA Mission Control” she said, adding that here in-laws too were very supportive.&nbsp;

Regarding the challenges faced during the mission, she touched upon how there was an earthquake at their Control Center at NASA JPL, just 15 minutes prior to the spacecraft launch.

“We are flying a critical mission, but still the safety of our spacecraft was not solely the number one priority. We had to balance the risk level and protect the people who are working with us(during a pandemic). It meant having less people in Mission control” she replied to a query.

Regarding her encounters with racism in the US, she said that some comments by people who didn’t try to understand Indian culture caused her difficulty. She added that, though her organization(JPL) was very diverse, she faced challenges as a woman in a male-dominated STEM(Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) field.

According to Dr. Swati, an unexpected development at the time of Mars landing was that the spacecraft had not selected the safest of the four prospective landing spots. Instead, it had selected the one that was a grade above in terms of risk. Despite what she described as the “7 minutes of terror”(the Mars landing), their craft made a successful landing, after slowing down from nearly&nbsp;5.4Km/sec to 80m/s.

All of this and the successful landing and further Mars exploration was made possible, thanks to the reduction of landing speed caused by the heat-shield, supersonic parachute and on-board engines, she explains.&nbsp;

Dr. Swati who was recently congratulated by US President Joseph Biden, encouraged students and budding aerospace engineers to “Actively do your best, Create the opportunity, perform additional research, take up internships, network with people and use each opportunity to figure out the next”.&nbsp;

Interplanetary missions have always been about ensuring the highest degree of safety for the traveling spacecraft, but NASA’s Perseverance Rover Mission or Mars 2020 was vastly different, recalls NASA’s Dr Swati Mohan.

Interplanetary missions have always been about ensuring the highest degree of safety for the traveling spacecraft, but NASA’s Perseverance Rover Mission or Mars 2020 was vastly different, recalls NASA’s Dr Swati Mohan. In her experience, working amid the deadly and devastating COVID-19 pandemic meant ensuring the utmost safety of every team member, over and above that of the Mars Probe. This is significant given that the launch of the rocket and the Mars landing which happened in July 2020 and February 2021 respectively happened during peak pandemic spread in the USA. Speaking at an event organised by the US Consulate General in India, Dr. Swati Mohan, Guidance, Navigation, and Control Systems Engineering Group Supervisor, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) touched upon her Indian roots, family, and her foray into Aerospace Engineering. She made headlines around the world for her pivotal role in landing the US space agency’s historic Perseverance rover on the Martian surface on February 18, this year. Born in Karnataka, India, Swati moved to the US at a very young age and aspired to be a doctor. Growing up, she was fascinated by Star Trek, reading books on space, Big Bang, and the pictures from the Hubble Space telescope. However, all of it remained a hobby and not a serious career choice. Her time at High school proved crucial in helping her realize that she was good at physics and that biology as a subject, didn’t come naturally to her. “I couldn’t stand the smell of dissections or have stable hands to perform it” she recalls. Eventually, her passion and aptitude for Physics led her to Internships at multiple American Space facilities and also a degree at Cornell University. Making a mention of her family, she spoke about her Indian roots and her parents’ who also worked in Science and Engineering related jobs and remained a huge support. On the crucial Mars 2020 Mission, she recollects that her husband, a doctor, equally shared the responsibility back at home. “Both of us have demanding careers and shift work. Amid the pandemic, he headed for the COVID ward and I headed for the NASA Mission Control” she said, adding that here in-laws too were very supportive. Regarding the challenges faced during the mission, she touched upon how there was an earthquake at their Control Center at NASA JPL, just 15 minutes prior to the spacecraft launch. “We are flying a critical mission, but still the safety of our spacecraft was not solely the number one priority. We had to balance the risk level and protect the people who are working with us(during a pandemic). It meant having less people in Mission control” she replied to a query. Regarding her encounters with racism in the US, she said that some comments by people who didn’t try to understand Indian culture caused her difficulty. She added that, though her organization(JPL) was very diverse, she faced challenges as a woman in a male-dominated STEM(Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) field. According to Dr. Swati, an unexpected development at the time of Mars landing was that the spacecraft had not selected the safest of the four prospective landing spots. Instead, it had selected the one that was a grade above in terms of risk. Despite what she described as the “7 minutes of terror”(the Mars landing), their craft made a successful landing, after slowing down from nearly 5.4Km/sec to 80m/s. All of this and the successful landing and further Mars exploration was made possible, thanks to the reduction of landing speed caused by the heat-shield, supersonic parachute and on-board engines, she explains. Dr. Swati who was recently congratulated by US President Joseph Biden, encouraged students and budding aerospace engineers to “Actively do your best, Create the opportunity, perform additional research, take up internships, network with people and use each opportunity to figure out the next”.

Focussed on spacecraft and human safety amid COVID-19, recalls NASA’s Dr. Swati Mohan of Mars Mission

Nicole Oliviera, a seven-year-old Brazilian girl who found seven asteroids, has been named the world's youngest astronomer.&nbsp;

Nicole's fascination with space and astronomy began when she was just two years old.

She took part in the ‘Asteroid Hunt' citizen science programme, which is run by the International Astronomical Search Collaboration and includes NASA.&nbsp;

Oliviera's passion for astronomy developed by leaps and bounds, according to R7, a Brazilian news agency.

She asked her mother for a star when she was two years old.

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She made do with a toy star at the time, but it wasn't until later that she discovered what her kid really needed.&nbsp;

Oliveira was recently asked to speak at the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation's 1st International Seminar on Astronomy and Aeronautics.

Oliveira is used to presenting lectures in schools in her hometown of Maceió, despite her age.&nbsp;

They invited her after learning that Oliveria is the youngest member of the Alagoas Astronomical Studies Center, Centro de Estudos Astronômico de Alagoas (CEAAL).&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Nicole Oliviera, a seven-year-old Brazilian girl who found seven asteroids, has been named the world's youngest astronomer. Nicole's fascination with space and astronomy began when she was just two years old.

Nicole Oliviera, a seven-year-old Brazilian girl who found seven asteroids, has been named the world's youngest astronomer. Nicole's fascination with space and astronomy began when she was just two years old. She took part in the ‘Asteroid Hunt' citizen science programme, which is run by the International Astronomical Search Collaboration and includes NASA. Oliviera's passion for astronomy developed by leaps and bounds, according to R7, a Brazilian news agency. She asked her mother for a star when she was two years old. × She made do with a toy star at the time, but it wasn't until later that she discovered what her kid really needed. Oliveira was recently asked to speak at the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation's 1st International Seminar on Astronomy and Aeronautics. Oliveira is used to presenting lectures in schools in her hometown of Maceió, despite her age. They invited her after learning that Oliveria is the youngest member of the Alagoas Astronomical Studies Center, Centro de Estudos Astronômico de Alagoas (CEAAL). (With inputs from agencies)

World's youngest astronomer: This seven-year old girl discovered seven asteroids for NASA

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