<p>Canadian Industry Minister&nbsp;Francois-Philippe Champagne has announced that the country&nbsp;will land a robotic rover on the Moon by 2026.</p>

<p>Announcing that Ottawa plans to "dream big" as it advances its competitive stake in the growing global space market,&nbsp;Champagne said&nbsp;"As the whole world looks to the stars we are ready to make Canada a world leader in research, technology and innovation so that we can be there as well."</p>

<p>"Let's seize the moment. I don't think there's ever been a better time to be Canadian, and dream big."</p>

<p>The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will partner with the United States' NASA on the mission, according to a statement.</p>

<p>Two Canadian companies will first be selected to develop concepts for the rover and&nbsp;science&nbsp;instruments for the mission.</p>

<p>The rover will be tasked with exploring a polar region of the Moon and carrying out scientific work, as well as taking images and collecting data on the surface.</p>

<p>In the meantime, a Canadian astronaut is set to take part in a lunar mission for the first time in 2023, as part of the NASA-led Artemis project, it was announced in December.</p>

<p>The mission, Artemis II, will see a crewed test flight sent into orbit but will not involve an actual landing on the Moon, according to the US space agency.</p>

<p>The following year, Artemis III aims to land astronauts, including the first woman, on the Moon. This will be the first landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.</p>

<p>Ottawa has invested Can$36.5 million (US$30 million) over the past year to advance lunar and space technologies including micro-rovers, and to build a third-generation robotic arm dubbed Canadarm3. Its predecessors were deployed on space shuttles and the International Space Station to stickhandle payloads.</p>

<p>A total of Can$2 billion has been earmarked for the Canadian space program over the next two decades.</p>

<p>The global space market, the government said, is expected to triple to Can$1.1 trillion. Canada currently has a 1.3 percent share of this market.</p>

<p>In a sign of the industry's global growth, an unmanned rover from the United Arab Emirates, a hitherto space minnow, will be transported to the Moon next year, lunar exploration firm iSpace announced in April.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Canadian Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has announced that the country will land a robotic rover on the Moon by 2026. Announcing that Ottawa plans to "dream big" as it advances its competitive stake in the growing global space market, Champagne said "As the whole world looks to the stars we are ready to make Canada a world leader in research, technology and innovation so that we can be there as well.

Canadian Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has announced that the country will land a robotic rover on the Moon by 2026. Announcing that Ottawa plans to "dream big" as it advances its competitive stake in the growing global space market, Champagne said "As the whole world looks to the stars we are ready to make Canada a world leader in research, technology and innovation so that we can be there as well." "Let's seize the moment. I don't think there's ever been a better time to be Canadian, and dream big." The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will partner with the United States' NASA on the mission, according to a statement. Two Canadian companies will first be selected to develop concepts for the rover and science instruments for the mission. The rover will be tasked with exploring a polar region of the Moon and carrying out scientific work, as well as taking images and collecting data on the surface. In the meantime, a Canadian astronaut is set to take part in a lunar mission for the first time in 2023, as part of the NASA-led Artemis project, it was announced in December. The mission, Artemis II, will see a crewed test flight sent into orbit but will not involve an actual landing on the Moon, according to the US space agency. The following year, Artemis III aims to land astronauts, including the first woman, on the Moon. This will be the first landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. Ottawa has invested Can$36.5 million (US$30 million) over the past year to advance lunar and space technologies including micro-rovers, and to build a third-generation robotic arm dubbed Canadarm3. Its predecessors were deployed on space shuttles and the International Space Station to stickhandle payloads. A total of Can$2 billion has been earmarked for the Canadian space program over the next two decades. The global space market, the government said, is expected to triple to Can$1.1 trillion. Canada currently has a 1.3 percent share of this market. In a sign of the industry's global growth, an unmanned rover from the United Arab Emirates, a hitherto space minnow, will be transported to the Moon next year, lunar exploration firm iSpace announced in April. (With inputs from agencies)

'Dream big': Canada teams up with NASA to send rover to Moon

<p>US&nbsp;firms General Motors (GM) and Lockheed Martin Corp will develop a vehicle to drive NASA astronauts around on the moon's surface, they said on Wednesday, competing for a space project that could also promote their brands on earth.</p>

<p>GM and Lockheed said they would collaborate to make a battery-powered, autonomous Lunar Terrain Vehicle for NASA's Artemis lunar landing program, which aims to return US&nbsp;astronauts to the moon as early as 2024.</p>

<p>NASA is expected to launch a competition to develop lunar vehicles in its Artemis moon landing program. The agency has outlined plans for a variety of lunar vehicles that can carry human explorers, haul commercial payloads or traverse remote regions of the moon on missions lasting as long as 100 days.</p>

<p>Elon Musk's rocket launch company, SpaceX, won a $2.9 billion contract last month to build the spacecraft to carry NASA astronauts to the moon. That award is being challenged by Jeff Bezos' BlueOrigin and defense contractor Dynetics Inc.</p>

<p>Lockheed and GM have a history in space. Lockheed has worked on NASA space projects for 50 years and GM helped develop the original NASA lunar rover, which ferried NASA astronauts on the surface of the moon in the early 1970s.</p>

<p>For GM, getting back into the space business offers a fresh way to compete with Musk's Tesla Inc and SpaceX for the attention of investors, customers and future employees.</p>

<p>Musk has used SpaceX to promote Tesla's electric vehicles, including launching a Tesla Roadster into deep space.</p>

<p>Lockheed and GM said their proposed lunar vehicle would use GM battery technology to travel "significantly farther distances" than the Apollo mission vehicles, which ventured just 4.7 miles from the landers.</p>

<p>One goal for the new vehicle is to allow for exploration of the Moon's dark, rugged south pole, and other areas humans have not gone before, GM and Lockheed said.</p>

<p>GM and Lockheed said their vehicle would be designed to provide "commercial payload services" and prepare for human landings.</p>


US firms General Motors (GM) and Lockheed Martin Corp will develop a vehicle to drive NASA astronauts around on the moon's surface, they said on Wednesday, competing for a space project that could also promote their brands on earth.

US firms General Motors (GM) and Lockheed Martin Corp will develop a vehicle to drive NASA astronauts around on the moon's surface, they said on Wednesday, competing for a space project that could also promote their brands on earth. GM and Lockheed said they would collaborate to make a battery-powered, autonomous Lunar Terrain Vehicle for NASA's Artemis lunar landing program, which aims to return US astronauts to the moon as early as 2024. NASA is expected to launch a competition to develop lunar vehicles in its Artemis moon landing program. The agency has outlined plans for a variety of lunar vehicles that can carry human explorers, haul commercial payloads or traverse remote regions of the moon on missions lasting as long as 100 days. Elon Musk's rocket launch company, SpaceX, won a $2.9 billion contract last month to build the spacecraft to carry NASA astronauts to the moon. That award is being challenged by Jeff Bezos' BlueOrigin and defense contractor Dynetics Inc. Lockheed and GM have a history in space. Lockheed has worked on NASA space projects for 50 years and GM helped develop the original NASA lunar rover, which ferried NASA astronauts on the surface of the moon in the early 1970s. For GM, getting back into the space business offers a fresh way to compete with Musk's Tesla Inc and SpaceX for the attention of investors, customers and future employees. Musk has used SpaceX to promote Tesla's electric vehicles, including launching a Tesla Roadster into deep space. Lockheed and GM said their proposed lunar vehicle would use GM battery technology to travel "significantly farther distances" than the Apollo mission vehicles, which ventured just 4.7 miles from the landers. One goal for the new vehicle is to allow for exploration of the Moon's dark, rugged south pole, and other areas humans have not gone before, GM and Lockheed said. GM and Lockheed said their vehicle would be designed to provide "commercial payload services" and prepare for human landings.

General Motors and Lockheed Martin Corp team up for NASA's lunar rover venture

<p>Mars is the future of humanity, or so the route of space explorations currently being undertaken by agencies around the world would have you believe. As private players like SpaceX join the big leagues of space exploration, competition could trigger quick developments in the industry.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A scientist from Cornell University recently wrote for BBC on how humans may have accidentally taken life to Mars. The scientist wondered how humans may have&nbsp;carried microbes into space, which may have survived the trip to make their new home on the Red Planet.</p>

<p>According to Christopher Mason, any life consequentially discovered on Mars may have originated in NASA labs. Even then, the author noted how NASA follows on-site cleaning procedures and assembles spacecraft in specialised rooms.</p>

<p>NASA’s spacecraft including the Perseverance Rover are built in sterilised rooms and each component is cleaned before assembly. Mason says that this should theoretically ensure that no bacteria or organisms are able to survive the assembly process.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/mars-sucks-people-troll-elon-musks-idea-of-space-colonisation-379864" hreflang="en">'Mars sucks!' People troll Elon Musk's idea of space colonisation</a></p>

<p>The filtration process, in addition provides an extra layer of protection so that only a “few hundred particles” may be able to contaminate each square foot. But, even that may not enough. Microbes, as Mason puts, have a tendency to survive in the least expected places. They are found inside our bodies and may sneak through the most sophisticated of cleaning processes in the world.</p>

<p>In the BBC piece, Mason referred to his theoretical research to show that microbes may become a problem during space missions, as they contain genes that may be able to resist radiation and cold environments. In fact, Mason offers an argument for natural selection, saying that the microbes that are able to survive the strictest cleaning processes may have a greater chance to survive the journey to Mars.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/eyeing-mars-elon-musk-wants-humans-to-be-multi-planet-species-379777" hreflang="en">Eyeing Mars, Elon Musk wants humans to be 'multi-planet species'</a></p>

<p>“Forward contamination” may be inadvertent, Mason notes. This happens when travellers intentionally or unintentionally take something from one planet to another. He adds that a scientific point of view, this is undesirable and new organisms may wreak havoc if introduced in alien ecosystems.</p>

<p>Even then, not all of lost! If current signs of life did in fact originate on Earth and not Mars, scientists will be able to ascertain the same.</p>


Mars is the future of humanity, or so the route of space explorations currently being undertaken by agencies around the world would have you believe. As private players like SpaceX join the big leagues of space exploration, competition could trigger quick developments in the industry.

Mars is the future of humanity, or so the route of space explorations currently being undertaken by agencies around the world would have you believe. As private players like SpaceX join the big leagues of space exploration, competition could trigger quick developments in the industry. A scientist from Cornell University recently wrote for BBC on how humans may have accidentally taken life to Mars. The scientist wondered how humans may have carried microbes into space, which may have survived the trip to make their new home on the Red Planet. According to Christopher Mason, any life consequentially discovered on Mars may have originated in NASA labs. Even then, the author noted how NASA follows on-site cleaning procedures and assembles spacecraft in specialised rooms. NASA’s spacecraft including the Perseverance Rover are built in sterilised rooms and each component is cleaned before assembly. Mason says that this should theoretically ensure that no bacteria or organisms are able to survive the assembly process. Also read: 'Mars sucks!' People troll Elon Musk's idea of space colonisation The filtration process, in addition provides an extra layer of protection so that only a “few hundred particles” may be able to contaminate each square foot. But, even that may not enough. Microbes, as Mason puts, have a tendency to survive in the least expected places. They are found inside our bodies and may sneak through the most sophisticated of cleaning processes in the world. In the BBC piece, Mason referred to his theoretical research to show that microbes may become a problem during space missions, as they contain genes that may be able to resist radiation and cold environments. In fact, Mason offers an argument for natural selection, saying that the microbes that are able to survive the strictest cleaning processes may have a greater chance to survive the journey to Mars. Also read: Eyeing Mars, Elon Musk wants humans to be 'multi-planet species' “Forward contamination” may be inadvertent, Mason notes. This happens when travellers intentionally or unintentionally take something from one planet to another. He adds that a scientific point of view, this is undesirable and new organisms may wreak havoc if introduced in alien ecosystems. Even then, not all of lost! If current signs of life did in fact originate on Earth and not Mars, scientists will be able to ascertain the same.

Did NASA accidentally create life on Mars? Here's how it may have happened

<p>Russia&nbsp;said Thursday it would send an actress and a director to space to make the first feature film in the cosmos.</p>

<p>Moscow is seeking to boost its embattled space programme, which has stagnated since the Soviet Union under corruption and been overtaken by US tech billionaire Elon Musk's company SpaceX.</p>

<p>The Russian space agency announced the film project Thursday after NASA confirmed last year it was teaming up with US actor Tom Cruise to make a movie on the ISS.</p>

<p>The Russian "space drama", whose working title is "Challenge," will feature popular Russian actress&nbsp;Yulia Peresild, 36, and Klim Shipenko, a 37-year-old director and actor, Roscosmos said.</p>

<p>They will have to undergo training, including tests on a centrifuge and flights in zero gravity, starting no later than June 1.</p>

<p>The film is being co-produced by the flamboyant head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, and state-run network Channel One.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/japanese-billionaire-entrepreneur-yusaku-maezawa-to-travel-to-international-space-station-384793" hreflang="en">Japanese billionaire entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa to travel to International Space Station</a></strong></p>

<p>The space agency also announced plans to take Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa to the ISS in December, resurecting its space tourism programme in the face of US competition.</p>

<p>Maezawa, 45, who made his fortune in online retail, said he planned to document the mission and share it with the world on his YouTube channel with over 700,000 subscribers.</p>

<p>Roscosmos said Maezawa would make the flight from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with production assistant Yozo Hirano aboard a Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft that is scheduled for December 8.</p>

<p>"I'm so curious 'What's life like in space?' So, I am planning to find out on my own and share with the world on my YouTube channel," Maezawa was quoted as saying by Roscosmos.</p>

<p>The eccentric billionaire has previously announced plans to take eight people with him on a 2023 mission around the moon aboard a Starship spacecraft built by Musk's SpaceX.</p>

<p>Maezawa and film producer Hirano will begin approximately three months of pre-flight training in June at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City outside of Moscow, Roscosmos added.</p>

<p>They have already passed the required medical examinations, it said.</p>

<p>Roscosmos said the flight will last 12 days and the crew will be led by Cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, who has already been on two missions to the ISS.</p>

<p>A total of eight private self-funded space travellers have visited the ISS and Maezawa will be the first from Japan.</p>

<p>His flight will also be the first time that two of the three spots on a Soyuz space rocket will be occupied by tourists.</p>

<p>"We are excited for Maezawa-san and we are honoured to have enabled this opportunity for him to fly to space," said Eric Anderson, CEO of Space Adventures, a private spaceflight company.</p>

<p>It has cooperated with Roscosmos since the first space tourist flight in 2001.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Maezawa will be the first space tourist to travel to the ISS since 2009 when Canadian Guy Laliberte, co-founder of Cirque du Soleil, travelled to the station.</p>

<p>According to Forbes magazine, space tourists could pay anywhere between $20 million and $35 million per person for 8-12 days in space.&nbsp;The cost of Maezawa's flight has not been disclosed.</p>

<p>The resumption of tourist flights comes after Roscosmos lost its monopoly on ferrying crews to the ISS when a reusable SpaceX rocket last year successfully delivered NASA astronauts to space.</p>

<p>Russia's space industry has suffered a number of setbacks in recent years, from corruption scandals to lost spacecraft to an aborted take-off during a manned mission in 2018.</p>

<p>Russia's ageing Soyuz rockets are reliable and allow Moscow to remain relevant in the modern space industry, but the country is struggling to innovate and keep up with other key players.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Russia&nbsp;launched the first artificial satellite on October 4, 1957. The Soviets maintained their lead in the initial years of the race.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They boasted the first manned flight to space by Gagarin on April 12, 1961, the first spacewalk four years later by Alexei Leonov and the first lunar probe in 1966. But the United States beat them to the moon with the first manned landing in 1969.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Russia said Thursday it would send an actress and a director to space to make the first feature film in the cosmos. Moscow is seeking to boost its embattled space programme, which has stagnated since the Soviet Union under corruption and been overtaken by US tech billionaire Elon Musk's company SpaceX.

Russia said Thursday it would send an actress and a director to space to make the first feature film in the cosmos. Moscow is seeking to boost its embattled space programme, which has stagnated since the Soviet Union under corruption and been overtaken by US tech billionaire Elon Musk's company SpaceX. The Russian space agency announced the film project Thursday after NASA confirmed last year it was teaming up with US actor Tom Cruise to make a movie on the ISS. The Russian "space drama", whose working title is "Challenge," will feature popular Russian actress Yulia Peresild, 36, and Klim Shipenko, a 37-year-old director and actor, Roscosmos said. They will have to undergo training, including tests on a centrifuge and flights in zero gravity, starting no later than June 1. The film is being co-produced by the flamboyant head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, and state-run network Channel One. Also read| Japanese billionaire entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa to travel to International Space Station The space agency also announced plans to take Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa to the ISS in December, resurecting its space tourism programme in the face of US competition. Maezawa, 45, who made his fortune in online retail, said he planned to document the mission and share it with the world on his YouTube channel with over 700,000 subscribers. Roscosmos said Maezawa would make the flight from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with production assistant Yozo Hirano aboard a Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft that is scheduled for December 8. "I'm so curious 'What's life like in space?' So, I am planning to find out on my own and share with the world on my YouTube channel," Maezawa was quoted as saying by Roscosmos. The eccentric billionaire has previously announced plans to take eight people with him on a 2023 mission around the moon aboard a Starship spacecraft built by Musk's SpaceX. Maezawa and film producer Hirano will begin approximately three months of pre-flight training in June at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City outside of Moscow, Roscosmos added. They have already passed the required medical examinations, it said. Roscosmos said the flight will last 12 days and the crew will be led by Cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, who has already been on two missions to the ISS. A total of eight private self-funded space travellers have visited the ISS and Maezawa will be the first from Japan. His flight will also be the first time that two of the three spots on a Soyuz space rocket will be occupied by tourists. "We are excited for Maezawa-san and we are honoured to have enabled this opportunity for him to fly to space," said Eric Anderson, CEO of Space Adventures, a private spaceflight company. It has cooperated with Roscosmos since the first space tourist flight in 2001. Maezawa will be the first space tourist to travel to the ISS since 2009 when Canadian Guy Laliberte, co-founder of Cirque du Soleil, travelled to the station. According to Forbes magazine, space tourists could pay anywhere between $20 million and $35 million per person for 8-12 days in space. The cost of Maezawa's flight has not been disclosed. The resumption of tourist flights comes after Roscosmos lost its monopoly on ferrying crews to the ISS when a reusable SpaceX rocket last year successfully delivered NASA astronauts to space. Russia's space industry has suffered a number of setbacks in recent years, from corruption scandals to lost spacecraft to an aborted take-off during a manned mission in 2018. Russia's ageing Soyuz rockets are reliable and allow Moscow to remain relevant in the modern space industry, but the country is struggling to innovate and keep up with other key players. Russia launched the first artificial satellite on October 4, 1957. The Soviets maintained their lead in the initial years of the race. They boasted the first manned flight to space by Gagarin on April 12, 1961, the first spacewalk four years later by Alexei Leonov and the first lunar probe in 1966. But the United States beat them to the moon with the first manned landing in 1969. (With inputs from agencies)

Roscosmos to send film crew to space for first feature film

<p>The world's largest and most powerful&nbsp;space&nbsp;telescope&nbsp;unfolded its&nbsp;giant&nbsp;golden mirror for the last time on Earth on Tuesday, a&nbsp;key&nbsp;milestone before the $10 billion observatory is launched later this year.</p>

<p>The James&nbsp;Webb&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Telescope's 21 feet 4 inches (6.5 meters) mirror was commanded to fully expand and lock itself into place,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;said, a final&nbsp;test&nbsp;to ensure it will survive its million-mile (1.6 million kilometers) journey and is ready to discover the origins of the Universe.</p>

<p>"It's like building a Swiss watch at 40-feet-tall... and getting it ready for this journey that we take into the vacuum at minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit (-240 Celsius), four times further than the Moon," said Scott Willoughby of lead contractor Northrop Grumman.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-shares-image-of-nearly-5-billion-year-old-asteroid-crossing-the-earth-384509">NASA shares image of nearly 5-billion-year-old asteroid crossing the Earth</a></strong></p>

<p>He was speaking at the company's spaceport in Redondo Beach, California, from where the&nbsp;telescope&nbsp;will be shipped to French Guiana to be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket, with&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;targeting October 31 for liftoff.</p>

<p>Webb's primary mirror is made of 18 hexagonal segments coated with an ultra-thin layer of gold to improve its reflection of infrared light.</p>

<p>It will fly to&nbsp;space&nbsp;folded like a piece of origami artwork, which allows it to fit inside a 16-foot (5-meter) rocket fairing, and will then use 132 individual actuators and motors to bend each mirror into a specific position.</p>

<p>Together, the mirrors will function as one massive reflector, to enable the&nbsp;telescope&nbsp;to peer deeper into the cosmos than ever before.</p>

<p><strong>Time machine</strong></p>

<p>Scientists want to use the&nbsp;telescope&nbsp;to look back in time over 13.5 billion years ago and see for the first time the first stars and galaxies that formed, a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.</p>

<p>To do this, they need to detect infrared. The current premier&nbsp;space&nbsp;telescope, Hubble, only has limited infrared capacity.</p>

<p>This is&nbsp;key&nbsp;because, by the time the light from the first objects reaches our telescopes, it has been shifted towards the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum as a result of the Universe extending the&nbsp;space&nbsp;between objects as it expands.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/perseverance-rover-captures-sound-of-ingenuity-flying-on-mars-383610">Perseverance rover captures sound of Ingenuity flying on Mars</a></strong></p>

<p>Another&nbsp;key&nbsp;area will be the discovery of alien worlds. The first planets to orbit other stars were detected in the 1990s and there are now more than 4,000 exoplanets that have been confirmed.</p>

<p>Webb&nbsp;"has instrumentation that will propel this new and exciting field into its next epic of discovery," said Eric Smith, James&nbsp;Webb&nbsp;telescope&nbsp;program scientist.</p>

<p>Scientists from 44 countries will be able to make use of the&nbsp;telescope, with proposals including using the infrared capabilities to penetrate the supermassive black holes at the centre of galaxies, including our own.</p>

<p>"The discovery capability of&nbsp;Webb&nbsp;is limited only by our own imaginations, and scientists around the world will soon be using this general purpose observatory to take us places we haven't dreamed of going before," said Smith.</p>


The world's largest and most powerful space telescope unfolded its giant golden mirror for the last time on Earth on Tuesday, a key milestone before the $10 billion observatory is launched later this year.

The world's largest and most powerful space telescope unfolded its giant golden mirror for the last time on Earth on Tuesday, a key milestone before the $10 billion observatory is launched later this year. The James Webb Space Telescope's 21 feet 4 inches (6.5 meters) mirror was commanded to fully expand and lock itself into place, NASA said, a final test to ensure it will survive its million-mile (1.6 million kilometers) journey and is ready to discover the origins of the Universe. "It's like building a Swiss watch at 40-feet-tall... and getting it ready for this journey that we take into the vacuum at minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit (-240 Celsius), four times further than the Moon," said Scott Willoughby of lead contractor Northrop Grumman. Also read | NASA shares image of nearly 5-billion-year-old asteroid crossing the Earth He was speaking at the company's spaceport in Redondo Beach, California, from where the telescope will be shipped to French Guiana to be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket, with NASA targeting October 31 for liftoff. Webb's primary mirror is made of 18 hexagonal segments coated with an ultra-thin layer of gold to improve its reflection of infrared light. It will fly to space folded like a piece of origami artwork, which allows it to fit inside a 16-foot (5-meter) rocket fairing, and will then use 132 individual actuators and motors to bend each mirror into a specific position. Together, the mirrors will function as one massive reflector, to enable the telescope to peer deeper into the cosmos than ever before. Time machine Scientists want to use the telescope to look back in time over 13.5 billion years ago and see for the first time the first stars and galaxies that formed, a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. To do this, they need to detect infrared. The current premier space telescope, Hubble, only has limited infrared capacity. This is key because, by the time the light from the first objects reaches our telescopes, it has been shifted towards the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum as a result of the Universe extending the space between objects as it expands. Also read | Perseverance rover captures sound of Ingenuity flying on Mars Another key area will be the discovery of alien worlds. The first planets to orbit other stars were detected in the 1990s and there are now more than 4,000 exoplanets that have been confirmed. Webb "has instrumentation that will propel this new and exciting field into its next epic of discovery," said Eric Smith, James Webb telescope program scientist. Scientists from 44 countries will be able to make use of the telescope, with proposals including using the infrared capabilities to penetrate the supermassive black holes at the centre of galaxies, including our own. "The discovery capability of Webb is limited only by our own imaginations, and scientists around the world will soon be using this general purpose observatory to take us places we haven't dreamed of going before," said Smith.

NASA's giant Webb telescope succeeds in key pre-launch test

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared a stunning image of a&nbsp;4.5-billion-year-old asteroid crossing the Earth.</p>

<p>The image of&nbsp;asteroid Bennu has been taken by the Osiris Rex spacecraft which is&nbsp;on its way back to Earth with a sample of rocks and dust from the ancient cosmic object.</p>

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<p data-testid="paragraph-3">The spacecraft found traces of hydrogen and oxygen molecules - part of the recipe for water and thus the potential for life - embedded in the asteroid's rocky surface, said Dante Lauretta, the OSIRIS-REx mission's principal investigator, in 2018.</p>

<p data-testid="paragraph-4">The trip back to Earth will take about two years. The spacecraft will then eject a capsule containing the asteroid samples, which NASA says will land in a remote area of Utah.</p>

<p data-testid="paragraph-5">NASA says samples will be distributed to research laboratories worldwide, but 75 per cent&nbsp;of the samples will be preserved at the Johnson Space Center in Houston for future generations to study with technologies not yet created.</p>

<p data-testid="paragraph-6">The roughly $800 million, minivan-sized OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin, launched in 2016 to grab and return the first US&nbsp;sample of pristine asteroid materials. Japan is the only other country to have accomplished such a feat.</p>

<p data-testid="paragraph-7">Asteroids are among the leftover debris from the solar system's formation some 4.5 billion years ago. A sample could hold clues to the origins of life on Earth, scientists say.</p>

<p data-testid="paragraph-7"><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared a stunning image of a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid crossing the Earth. The image of asteroid Bennu has been taken by the Osiris Rex spacecraft which is on its way back to Earth with a sample of rocks and dust from the ancient cosmic object.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared a stunning image of a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid crossing the Earth. The image of asteroid Bennu has been taken by the Osiris Rex spacecraft which is on its way back to Earth with a sample of rocks and dust from the ancient cosmic object. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) The spacecraft found traces of hydrogen and oxygen molecules - part of the recipe for water and thus the potential for life - embedded in the asteroid's rocky surface, said Dante Lauretta, the OSIRIS-REx mission's principal investigator, in 2018. The trip back to Earth will take about two years. The spacecraft will then eject a capsule containing the asteroid samples, which NASA says will land in a remote area of Utah. NASA says samples will be distributed to research laboratories worldwide, but 75 per cent of the samples will be preserved at the Johnson Space Center in Houston for future generations to study with technologies not yet created. The roughly $800 million, minivan-sized OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin, launched in 2016 to grab and return the first US sample of pristine asteroid materials. Japan is the only other country to have accomplished such a feat. Asteroids are among the leftover debris from the solar system's formation some 4.5 billion years ago. A sample could hold clues to the origins of life on Earth, scientists say. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA shares image of nearly 5-billion-year-old asteroid crossing the Earth

<p>The US space probe&nbsp;Osiris-Rex&nbsp;on Monday left the orbit of the asteroid Bennu, from which it collected dust samples last year, to begin its long journey back to Earth.</p>

<p>The probe still has a vast distance to cover before it lands in the Utah desert on September 24, 2023.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Osiris-Rex&nbsp;is 'now moving away over 600 miles an hour from Bennu, on its way home,'&nbsp;Dante Lauretta, head of the mission, said on NASA's video broadcast of the event.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="US tracking out-of-control wreckage of Chinese rocket falling back to Earth">US tracking out-of-control wreckage of Chinese rocket falling back to Earth</a></strong></p>

<p>The spacecraft's thrusters were engaged without incident for seven minutes to put the probe on the correct trajectory home, a journey of 1.4 billion miles (2.3 billion kilometers).</p>

<p>It is carrying more than 60 grams of dust and fragments from the asteroid, the largest sample collected by NASA since the Moon rocks brought back by the Apollo missions.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="'I felt really heavy': Astronauts describe returning to Earth on SpaceX capsule">'I felt really heavy': Astronauts describe returning to Earth on SpaceX capsule</a></strong></p>

<p>To achieve this goal, the US space agency launched a high-risk operation in October 2020: the probe came into contact with the asteroid for a few seconds, and a blast of compressed nitrogen was emitted to raise the dust sample which was then captured.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The surprise for NASA was the probe's arm sank several centimeters into the surface of the asteroid, showing the scientists that 'the surfaces of these rubble pile asteroids are very loosely consolidated,'&nbsp;said Lauretta.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The whole mission almost came to nought when NASA realised a few days later that the valve of the collection compartment was failing to close, letting fragments escape into space.</p>

<p>But the precious cargo was finally secured after being transferred to a capsule fixed in the spacecraft's center.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In two and a half years, that capsule will be released a few hours before entry into the Earth's atmosphere, and will be slowed down by a parachute system for its landing.</p>

<p>The samples will then be transported to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, but 75 percent will be kept intact to be studied by future generations, who will have advanced technologies that have not yet been created, the agency said.</p>

<p>The analysis should help scientists better understand the formation of the solar system and the development of Earth as a habitable planet.</p>


The US space probe Osiris-Rex on Monday left the orbit of the asteroid Bennu, from which it collected dust samples last year, to begin its long journey back to Earth.

The US space probe Osiris-Rex on Monday left the orbit of the asteroid Bennu, from which it collected dust samples last year, to begin its long journey back to Earth. The probe still has a vast distance to cover before it lands in the Utah desert on September 24, 2023. Osiris-Rex is 'now moving away over 600 miles an hour from Bennu, on its way home,' Dante Lauretta, head of the mission, said on NASA's video broadcast of the event. Also read | US tracking out-of-control wreckage of Chinese rocket falling back to Earth The spacecraft's thrusters were engaged without incident for seven minutes to put the probe on the correct trajectory home, a journey of 1.4 billion miles (2.3 billion kilometers). It is carrying more than 60 grams of dust and fragments from the asteroid, the largest sample collected by NASA since the Moon rocks brought back by the Apollo missions. Also read | 'I felt really heavy': Astronauts describe returning to Earth on SpaceX capsule To achieve this goal, the US space agency launched a high-risk operation in October 2020: the probe came into contact with the asteroid for a few seconds, and a blast of compressed nitrogen was emitted to raise the dust sample which was then captured. The surprise for NASA was the probe's arm sank several centimeters into the surface of the asteroid, showing the scientists that 'the surfaces of these rubble pile asteroids are very loosely consolidated,' said Lauretta. The whole mission almost came to nought when NASA realised a few days later that the valve of the collection compartment was failing to close, letting fragments escape into space. But the precious cargo was finally secured after being transferred to a capsule fixed in the spacecraft's center. In two and a half years, that capsule will be released a few hours before entry into the Earth's atmosphere, and will be slowed down by a parachute system for its landing. The samples will then be transported to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, but 75 percent will be kept intact to be studied by future generations, who will have advanced technologies that have not yet been created, the agency said. The analysis should help scientists better understand the formation of the solar system and the development of Earth as a habitable planet.

US space probe Osiris-Rex heads home with dust from asteroid Bennu

<p>NASA chief has criticised China for "failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris" after parts of its biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Spacefaring nations must minimise the risks to people and property on Earth of re-entries of space objects and maximise transparency regarding those operations," Bill Nelson, NASA administrator, was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chinese-rocket-segment-disintegrates-over-indian-ocean-383776">Chinese rocket segment disintegrates over Indian Ocean</a></strong></p>

<p>"It is clear that China is failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris."</p>

<p>He also urged China and other spacefacing nations, organisations to act "responsibly" and "transparently" for safe, stable and sustainable space activities.</p>

<p>Debris from the Long March 5B has raised global concerns since it took off from China's Hainan island on April 29.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Chinese space agency on Sunday confirmed that the wreckage of the rocket re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and dropped into the Indian Ocean.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Experts have predicted that there are more chances of the debris landing on water as 70 per cent of our planet is covered by it, but the uncontrolled descent also raised concerns that it could lead to loss of lives and property.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also slammed China for being negligent in allowing rocking to fall out of orbit.&nbsp;</p>


NASA chief has criticised China for "failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris" after parts of its biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean on Sunday.

NASA chief has criticised China for "failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris" after parts of its biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean on Sunday. "Spacefaring nations must minimise the risks to people and property on Earth of re-entries of space objects and maximise transparency regarding those operations," Bill Nelson, NASA administrator, was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. Also read | Chinese rocket segment disintegrates over Indian Ocean "It is clear that China is failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris." He also urged China and other spacefacing nations, organisations to act "responsibly" and "transparently" for safe, stable and sustainable space activities. Debris from the Long March 5B has raised global concerns since it took off from China's Hainan island on April 29. The Chinese space agency on Sunday confirmed that the wreckage of the rocket re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and dropped into the Indian Ocean. Experts have predicted that there are more chances of the debris landing on water as 70 per cent of our planet is covered by it, but the uncontrolled descent also raised concerns that it could lead to loss of lives and property. Earlier, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also slammed China for being negligent in allowing rocking to fall out of orbit.

NASA chief slams China for 'failing to meet responsible standards' over rocket debris fall

<p>A large segment of a Chinese rocket re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated over the Indian Ocean on Sunday, the Chinese space agency said, following fevered speculation over where the 18-tonne object would come down.</p>

<p>Officials in Beijing had said there was little risk from the freefalling segment of the Long March-5B rocket, which had launched the first module of China's new space station into Earth orbit on April 29.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="Chinese rocket to tumble back to Earth in uncontrolled re-entry">Chinese rocket to tumble back to Earth in uncontrolled re-entry</a></strong></p>

<p>"After monitoring and analysis, at 10:24 (0224 GMT) on May 9, 2021, the last-stage wreckage of the Long March 5B Yao-2 launch vehicle has reentered the atmosphere," the China Manned Space Engineering Office said in a statement, providing coordinates for a point in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">UPDATE Our latest prediction for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LongMarch5B?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LongMarch5B</a> CZ-5B rocket body reentry is 🚀 09 MAY 2021 03:02 UTC ± 2 hours along the ground track shown here. 1/ <a href="https://t.co/JeIKVUd1fk">pic.twitter.com/JeIKVUd1fk</a></p>
— The Aerospace Corporation (@AerospaceCorp) <a href="https://twitter.com/AerospaceCorp/status/1391160460150382598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>It added that most of the segment disintegrated and was destroyed during re-entry.</p>

<p>Monitoring service Space-Track, which uses US military data, also confirmed the re-entry.&nbsp;"Everyone else following the #LongMarch5B re-entry can relax. The rocket is down," it tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Everyone else following the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LongMarch5B?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LongMarch5B</a> re-entry can relax. The rocket is down. You can see all relevant information and updates here on Twitter/Facebook, so there is no need to keep visiting the space-track dot org website.</p>
— Space-Track (@SpaceTrackOrg) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceTrackOrg/status/1391230551181316100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>The segment's descent matched predictions by some experts that any debris would have splashed down into the ocean, given that 70 percent of the planet is covered by water.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="US tracking out-of-control wreckage of Chinese rocket falling back to Earth">US tracking out-of-control wreckage of Chinese rocket falling back to Earth</a></strong></p>

<p>But the uncontrolled re-entry of such a large object had sparked concerns about possible damage and casualties, despite there being a low statistical chance.</p>

<p>American and European space authorities were among those tracking its orbits and trying to determine when and where it may come down.</p>

<p>Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had said the US military had no plans to shoot it down, but suggested that China had been negligent in letting it fall out of orbit.</p>

<p>Last year, debris from another Long March rocket fell on villages in the Ivory Coast, causing structural damage but no injuries or deaths.</p>

<p>"An ocean reentry was always statistically the most likely," Harvard-based astronomer Jonathan McDowell tweeted.</p>

<p>"It appears China won its gamble (unless we get news of debris in the Maldives). But it was still reckless."</p>

<p>McDowell had said earlier that China should redesign the Long March-5B to avoid such scenarios.</p>


A large segment of a Chinese rocket re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated over the Indian Ocean on Sunday, the Chinese space agency said, following fevered speculation over where the 18-tonne object would come down.

A large segment of a Chinese rocket re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated over the Indian Ocean on Sunday, the Chinese space agency said, following fevered speculation over where the 18-tonne object would come down. Officials in Beijing had said there was little risk from the freefalling segment of the Long March-5B rocket, which had launched the first module of China's new space station into Earth orbit on April 29. Also read | Chinese rocket to tumble back to Earth in uncontrolled re-entry "After monitoring and analysis, at 10:24 (0224 GMT) on May 9, 2021, the last-stage wreckage of the Long March 5B Yao-2 launch vehicle has reentered the atmosphere," the China Manned Space Engineering Office said in a statement, providing coordinates for a point in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives. UPDATE Our latest prediction for #LongMarch5B CZ-5B rocket body reentry is 🚀 09 MAY 2021 03:02 UTC ± 2 hours along the ground track shown here. 1/ pic.twitter.com/JeIKVUd1fk — The Aerospace Corporation (@AerospaceCorp) May 8, 2021 × It added that most of the segment disintegrated and was destroyed during re-entry. Monitoring service Space-Track, which uses US military data, also confirmed the re-entry. "Everyone else following the #LongMarch5B re-entry can relax. The rocket is down," it tweeted. Everyone else following the #LongMarch5B re-entry can relax. The rocket is down. You can see all relevant information and updates here on Twitter/Facebook, so there is no need to keep visiting the space-track dot org website. — Space-Track (@SpaceTrackOrg) May 9, 2021 × The segment's descent matched predictions by some experts that any debris would have splashed down into the ocean, given that 70 percent of the planet is covered by water. Also read | US tracking out-of-control wreckage of Chinese rocket falling back to Earth But the uncontrolled re-entry of such a large object had sparked concerns about possible damage and casualties, despite there being a low statistical chance. American and European space authorities were among those tracking its orbits and trying to determine when and where it may come down. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had said the US military had no plans to shoot it down, but suggested that China had been negligent in letting it fall out of orbit. Last year, debris from another Long March rocket fell on villages in the Ivory Coast, causing structural damage but no injuries or deaths. "An ocean reentry was always statistically the most likely," Harvard-based astronomer Jonathan McDowell tweeted. "It appears China won its gamble (unless we get news of debris in the Maldives). But it was still reckless." McDowell had said earlier that China should redesign the Long March-5B to avoid such scenarios.

Chinese rocket segment disintegrates over Indian Ocean

<p>NASA's new administrator is big on tackling climate and diversifying the agency's workforce, but hedging on whether the US can put astronauts on the moon by 2024.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In his first interview since becoming NASA's top official this week, former Sen Bill Nelson said on Friday that tracking climate change is a top issue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also wants to diversify the space agency's workforce so it reflects America. &nbsp;</p>

<p>As for landing astronauts on the moon, Nelson said the goal remains 2024, a deadline set by the Trump administration. But he cautions space is hard and he needs more time to review the matter, especially with a contract protest over the lunar lander for astronauts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We all know that space is hard," he said, noting there are often delays developing new technologies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"But the goal is 2024.?&nbsp;</p>

<p>His underlying vision for NASA 'to explore the heavens with humans and machines'.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nelson said he did not seek the NASA administrator job and had recommended three women to lead the space agency.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said he told the Biden administration he would accept the nomination only if one of the women could serve as his deputy selected for the job: former space shuttle commander Pam Melroy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nelson, 78, is NASA's 14th administrator, the third to fly in space and the first to grow up in the shadow of rockets.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was sworn in on Monday by Vice President Kamala Harris, who will head the National Space Council.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a show of bipartisan space support, the two previous administrators took part in the ceremony, representing the Obama and Trump administrations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nelson steps into NASA's top job after 44 years of public service, 42 of them in an elected public office.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nelson grew up near Cape Canaveral, graduating from high school a year before Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space 60 years ago this week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He went on to law school and served in the US Army Reserve during the Vietnam War.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After a few terms in the Florida legislature, Nelson, a Democrat, won election to Congress, first in the House and then the Senate, before a 2018 defeat ended his political career.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was while Nelson was a congressman that he rocketed into orbit aboard space shuttle Columbia in January 1986, just two weeks before Challenger's astronauts perished during liftoff. &nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


NASA's new administrator is big on tackling climate and diversifying the agency's workforce, but hedging on whether the US can put astronauts on the moon by 2024.

NASA's new administrator is big on tackling climate and diversifying the agency's workforce, but hedging on whether the US can put astronauts on the moon by 2024. In his first interview since becoming NASA's top official this week, former Sen Bill Nelson said on Friday that tracking climate change is a top issue. He also wants to diversify the space agency's workforce so it reflects America. As for landing astronauts on the moon, Nelson said the goal remains 2024, a deadline set by the Trump administration. But he cautions space is hard and he needs more time to review the matter, especially with a contract protest over the lunar lander for astronauts. "We all know that space is hard," he said, noting there are often delays developing new technologies. "But the goal is 2024.? His underlying vision for NASA 'to explore the heavens with humans and machines'. Nelson said he did not seek the NASA administrator job and had recommended three women to lead the space agency. He said he told the Biden administration he would accept the nomination only if one of the women could serve as his deputy selected for the job: former space shuttle commander Pam Melroy. Nelson, 78, is NASA's 14th administrator, the third to fly in space and the first to grow up in the shadow of rockets. He was sworn in on Monday by Vice President Kamala Harris, who will head the National Space Council. In a show of bipartisan space support, the two previous administrators took part in the ceremony, representing the Obama and Trump administrations. Nelson steps into NASA's top job after 44 years of public service, 42 of them in an elected public office. Nelson grew up near Cape Canaveral, graduating from high school a year before Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space 60 years ago this week. He went on to law school and served in the US Army Reserve during the Vietnam War. After a few terms in the Florida legislature, Nelson, a Democrat, won election to Congress, first in the House and then the Senate, before a 2018 defeat ended his political career. It was while Nelson was a congressman that he rocketed into orbit aboard space shuttle Columbia in January 1986, just two weeks before Challenger's astronauts perished during liftoff. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's new chief big on climate, hedges on 2024 moon landing 

<p>The debris of China's Long March 5B rocket, which last week launched the core module of the country's space station, is set to re-enter the earth's atmosphere this weekend, raising concerns where it could fall and the potential damage it could cause.</p>

<p>The Pentagon said on Tuesday that it was tracking a large Chinese rocket that is out of control and set to re-enter earth's atmosphere this weekend.</p>

<p>The Chinese Long March 5B rocket is expected to enter earth's atmosphere "around May 8," the report quoted a statement from Defence Department spokesperson Mike Howard, who said the US Space Command is tracking the rocket's trajectory.</p>

<p>The rocket's "exact entry point into the earth's atmosphere" can't be pinpointed until within hours of re-entry, Howard said, but the 18th Space Control Squadron will provide daily updates on the rocket's location through the Space Track website.</p>

<p>The rocket was used by China to launch part of its space station on Thursday. While most space debris objects may burn up in the atmosphere, the rocket's size, 22 tonnes, has prompted concern that large parts could re-enter and cause damage if they hit inhabited areas.</p>

<p>Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Astrophysics Centre at Harvard University said, "I don't think people should take precautions. The risk that there will be some damage or that it would hit someone is pretty small -- not negligible, it could happen -- but the risk that it will hit you is incredibly tiny. And so I would not lose one second of sleep over this on a personal threat basis," he said.</p>

<p>Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted him as saying that ''we don't know where&nbsp;the re-entry would take place. (It would be) at worst like a small plane crash but stretched out in a line over hundreds of kilometres.''</p>

<p>The debris is ''under close watch''&nbsp;and is likely to fall back to earth in international waters, the Post quoted a source with knowledge of China's space programme.</p>

<p>It was uncertain how many fragments would remain after re-entry, he said, ''but enough to cause damage.''</p>

<p>Industry news site SpaceNews said the ''more likely possibility''&nbsp;was that the core stage would fall in an uninhabited area or in an ocean.<br />
Song Zhongping, a former instructor of the Chinese military's rocket corps, said the debris would fall in a safe place such as international waters or an uninhabited part of the country.</p>

<p>Last year, the re-entry debris from the first Long March 5B flight fell on the Ivory Coast damaging several homes in villages. It was the largest craft to crash to earth since the US space laboratory Skylab scattered debris over the southern Australian town of Esperance in 1979, the Post report said.</p>

<p>China is expected to carry out more launches in its space station programme in the coming weeks as it aims to complete the space station project next year.</p>

<p>Once finished, the structure will have a mass of about 100 tonnes, about a quarter of the size of the International Space Station, (ISS), which is 15 years old and expected to be decommissioned in the coming years.</p>

<p>After that, the Tiangong is expected to be the only space station operating in near-earth orbit by the end of the decade.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The debris of China's Long March 5B rocket, which last week launched the core module of the country's space station, is set to re-enter the earth's atmosphere this weekend, raising concerns where it could fall and the potential damage it could cause.

The debris of China's Long March 5B rocket, which last week launched the core module of the country's space station, is set to re-enter the earth's atmosphere this weekend, raising concerns where it could fall and the potential damage it could cause. The Pentagon said on Tuesday that it was tracking a large Chinese rocket that is out of control and set to re-enter earth's atmosphere this weekend. The Chinese Long March 5B rocket is expected to enter earth's atmosphere "around May 8," the report quoted a statement from Defence Department spokesperson Mike Howard, who said the US Space Command is tracking the rocket's trajectory. The rocket's "exact entry point into the earth's atmosphere" can't be pinpointed until within hours of re-entry, Howard said, but the 18th Space Control Squadron will provide daily updates on the rocket's location through the Space Track website. The rocket was used by China to launch part of its space station on Thursday. While most space debris objects may burn up in the atmosphere, the rocket's size, 22 tonnes, has prompted concern that large parts could re-enter and cause damage if they hit inhabited areas. Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Astrophysics Centre at Harvard University said, "I don't think people should take precautions. The risk that there will be some damage or that it would hit someone is pretty small -- not negligible, it could happen -- but the risk that it will hit you is incredibly tiny. And so I would not lose one second of sleep over this on a personal threat basis," he said. Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted him as saying that ''we don't know where the re-entry would take place. (It would be) at worst like a small plane crash but stretched out in a line over hundreds of kilometres.'' The debris is ''under close watch'' and is likely to fall back to earth in international waters, the Post quoted a source with knowledge of China's space programme. It was uncertain how many fragments would remain after re-entry, he said, ''but enough to cause damage.'' Industry news site SpaceNews said the ''more likely possibility'' was that the core stage would fall in an uninhabited area or in an ocean. Song Zhongping, a former instructor of the Chinese military's rocket corps, said the debris would fall in a safe place such as international waters or an uninhabited part of the country. Last year, the re-entry debris from the first Long March 5B flight fell on the Ivory Coast damaging several homes in villages. It was the largest craft to crash to earth since the US space laboratory Skylab scattered debris over the southern Australian town of Esperance in 1979, the Post report said. China is expected to carry out more launches in its space station programme in the coming weeks as it aims to complete the space station project next year. Once finished, the structure will have a mass of about 100 tonnes, about a quarter of the size of the International Space Station, (ISS), which is 15 years old and expected to be decommissioned in the coming years. After that, the Tiangong is expected to be the only space station operating in near-earth orbit by the end of the decade. (With inputs from agencies)

US tracking out-of-control wreckage of Chinese rocket falling back to Earth

It's a clash of the tech titans. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos were competing for the same contract. NASA gave it to SpaceX. Now Bezos is challenging NASA's decision. WION's Palki tells you how two billionaires are battling to dictate humanity's future in space.

Gravitas: Two billionaires battle to dictate the future of Space

<p>Boasting azure waters and white sands, a Turkish lake that NASA thinks hides secrets about Mars threatens to become too popular for its own good.</p>

<p>Lake Salda gained international renown when US scientists began poking around in preparation for the Perseverance rover mission, which has been beaming back videos from the Red Planet since February.</p>

<p>The Jet Propulsion Laboratory even posted a picture of the pristine lake on its site before touchdown, saying it might resemble what an "aqueous" Mars looked like billions of years ago.</p>

<p>Now, the 4,370-hectare (16.9-square mile) lake in Turkey's southwest has been picked by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as part of a project to create more green spaces for public use.</p>

<p>The news spells disaster for local activists and lawyers, who fear that the twin blows of NASA and Erdogan's interest could open the floodgates to tourists.</p>

<p>Splashing around in its waters, the sea of humanity could destroy the very ecosystem that made the lake special in the first place, campaigners warn.</p>

<p>"The future of the lake is at risk if millions of people come," said Lake Salda Preservation Association head Gazi Osman Sakar.</p>

<p>The lake is most famous for the White Islands area with the brilliant sands, as well as endemic flora and fauna such as the Salda seaweed fish.</p>

<p>There are also minerals of different origin. NASA thinks one of them, hydromagnesite, is similar to the carbonate minerals detected at Jezero Crater -- a former lake on Mars that the rover is now exploring.</p>

<p>The hydromagnesite sediments along Lake Salda's shoreline "are thought to have eroded from large mounds called 'microbialites',&nbsp;rocks formed with the help of microbes," NASA said.</p>

<p>This all folds into the mystery about possible life on Mars, in some microbial form a very long time ago.</p>

<p>There are many tectonic lakes like Salda across the world.</p>

<p>But what makes Salda unique, geology engineer Servet Cevni said, is the lake's transformation into a closed ecosystem with its own living mechanism.</p>

<p>"Because it's alive, it's so sensitive to outside interventions," Cevni said.</p>

<p>Yet that intervention is already on its way in the form of nine small buildings that have appeared near a planned People's Garden by the lake.</p>

<p>Sakar said some of the white sand has already been moved from the White Islands area to another called People's Beach for road construction.</p>

<p>"The project should be cancelled," Sakar said. "The lake cannot be protected while it's used."</p>

<p>Swimming is forbidden at the White Islands but people are still able to take a dip in other parts.</p>

<p>Sakar's association wants the lake off limits entirely for swimming to preserve its ecosystem. Instead, he proposes creating observation posts for visitors to see the lake.</p>

<p>"If single-cell organisms die, Salda is finished," the engineer Cevni agreed. "Those White Islands won't be renewed, that white structure won't come together."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The damage thus far can be recovered in 150 to 200 years if people do not destroy it further, Cevni said, adding: "If we do, it won't ever recover."</p>

<p>The Lake Salda Preservation Association has seen its legal bid to cancel the green spaces project rejected in court.</p>

<p>Sakar is appealing the ruling and also campaigning for UNESCO to put Salda on the world heritage list.</p>

<p>"Salda is dying," Sakar said.</p>

<p>But campaigners are not the only ones expressing concern.</p>

<p>Aysel Cig, a goat-herder who lives in a village close to the lake, said things were more pleasant before Salda gained its fame.</p>

<p>"Our lake, our village was much cleaner three, five years ago," she said.</p>

<p>But besides dirt and foreign organisms, tourists also bring cash, which the locals around Lake Salda welcome.</p>

<p>Suleyman Kilickan, 60, worked in a cafe with plenty of outdoor seating by the lake that employed 30 people before the coronavirus pandemic hit.</p>

<p>Interest in the lake rose considerably with the NASA mission, Kilickan said, noting that most of his visitors were foreigners who appeared to be respectful of the lake.</p>

<p>"If there's tourism, there's life," Kilickan said.</p>

<p>"I would encourage tourism," he said, emphasising the importance of ensuring visitors act responsibly.</p>

<p>The environment ministry said last month it would limit the number of visitors to the White Islands area to 570,000 a year.</p>

<p>Nearly 1.5 million people visited the lake in 2019, and 800,000 came last year during lulls in coronavirus restrictions.</p>

<p>But Nazli Oral Erkan, of the Burdur Bar Association's Environment Committee, said the proposed cap was not enough to protect the lake.</p>

<p>"Salda is like a natural museum," she said.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Boasting azure waters and white sands, a Turkish lake that NASA thinks hides secrets about Mars threatens to become too popular for its own good. Lake Salda gained international renown when US scientists began poking around in preparation for the Perseverance rover mission, which has been beaming back videos from the Red Planet since February.

Boasting azure waters and white sands, a Turkish lake that NASA thinks hides secrets about Mars threatens to become too popular for its own good. Lake Salda gained international renown when US scientists began poking around in preparation for the Perseverance rover mission, which has been beaming back videos from the Red Planet since February. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory even posted a picture of the pristine lake on its site before touchdown, saying it might resemble what an "aqueous" Mars looked like billions of years ago. Now, the 4,370-hectare (16.9-square mile) lake in Turkey's southwest has been picked by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as part of a project to create more green spaces for public use. The news spells disaster for local activists and lawyers, who fear that the twin blows of NASA and Erdogan's interest could open the floodgates to tourists. Splashing around in its waters, the sea of humanity could destroy the very ecosystem that made the lake special in the first place, campaigners warn. "The future of the lake is at risk if millions of people come," said Lake Salda Preservation Association head Gazi Osman Sakar. The lake is most famous for the White Islands area with the brilliant sands, as well as endemic flora and fauna such as the Salda seaweed fish. There are also minerals of different origin. NASA thinks one of them, hydromagnesite, is similar to the carbonate minerals detected at Jezero Crater -- a former lake on Mars that the rover is now exploring. The hydromagnesite sediments along Lake Salda's shoreline "are thought to have eroded from large mounds called 'microbialites', rocks formed with the help of microbes," NASA said. This all folds into the mystery about possible life on Mars, in some microbial form a very long time ago. There are many tectonic lakes like Salda across the world. But what makes Salda unique, geology engineer Servet Cevni said, is the lake's transformation into a closed ecosystem with its own living mechanism. "Because it's alive, it's so sensitive to outside interventions," Cevni said. Yet that intervention is already on its way in the form of nine small buildings that have appeared near a planned People's Garden by the lake. Sakar said some of the white sand has already been moved from the White Islands area to another called People's Beach for road construction. "The project should be cancelled," Sakar said. "The lake cannot be protected while it's used." Swimming is forbidden at the White Islands but people are still able to take a dip in other parts. Sakar's association wants the lake off limits entirely for swimming to preserve its ecosystem. Instead, he proposes creating observation posts for visitors to see the lake. "If single-cell organisms die, Salda is finished," the engineer Cevni agreed. "Those White Islands won't be renewed, that white structure won't come together." The damage thus far can be recovered in 150 to 200 years if people do not destroy it further, Cevni said, adding: "If we do, it won't ever recover." The Lake Salda Preservation Association has seen its legal bid to cancel the green spaces project rejected in court. Sakar is appealing the ruling and also campaigning for UNESCO to put Salda on the world heritage list. "Salda is dying," Sakar said. But campaigners are not the only ones expressing concern. Aysel Cig, a goat-herder who lives in a village close to the lake, said things were more pleasant before Salda gained its fame. "Our lake, our village was much cleaner three, five years ago," she said. But besides dirt and foreign organisms, tourists also bring cash, which the locals around Lake Salda welcome. Suleyman Kilickan, 60, worked in a cafe with plenty of outdoor seating by the lake that employed 30 people before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Interest in the lake rose considerably with the NASA mission, Kilickan said, noting that most of his visitors were foreigners who appeared to be respectful of the lake. "If there's tourism, there's life," Kilickan said. "I would encourage tourism," he said, emphasising the importance of ensuring visitors act responsibly. The environment ministry said last month it would limit the number of visitors to the White Islands area to 570,000 a year. Nearly 1.5 million people visited the lake in 2019, and 800,000 came last year during lulls in coronavirus restrictions. But Nazli Oral Erkan, of the Burdur Bar Association's Environment Committee, said the proposed cap was not enough to protect the lake. "Salda is like a natural museum," she said. (With inputs from agencies)

Turkish lake with likely clues to Mars gains unwanted fame

NASA announced this month that Musk's SpaceX was the sole winner in the competition, beating Blue Origin and a third company, Dynetics of Huntsville, Alabama, a defense contractor.

Jeff Bezos' Blue origin challenges NASA over SpaceX

<p>Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, the space rocket company, is now formally challenging the $2.9 billion moon lander contract which was recently awarded to its rival&nbsp;SpaceX by NASA.</p>

<p>On Monday, Blue Origin said it had filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office, accusing the space agency of making tweaks for contract bidders at the last minute.</p>

<p>"NASA has executed a flawed acquisition for the Human Landing System programme and moved the goalposts at the last minute",&nbsp;Reuters cited Blue&nbsp;Origin&nbsp;as saying in a statement.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-spacex-space-station-mission-new-era-in-space-exploration-302493/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"Their decision eliminates opportunities for competition, significantly narrows the supply base, and not only delays, but also endangers America's return to the moon. Because of that, we've filed a protest with the GAO”, it added.</p>

<p>While Elon Musk’s SpaceX made the bid alone, Bezos’ Blue Origin made the bid in partnership with Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Draper.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/astronauts-arrive-at-space-station-aboard-spacex-endeavour-379931" hreflang="en">Astronauts arrive at space station aboard SpaceX Endeavour</a></p>

<p>The world’s first and third richest people respectively, Bezos and Musk have been competing to be at the helm of man’s return to moon for the first time since 1972.</p>

<p>The contract will see NASA’s first commercial human lander, constituent of its Artemis programme. NASA says that the lander will carry in it two American astronauts to the moon’s surface.</p>

<p>"We should accomplish the next landing as soon as possible… If they hit their milestones, we have a shot at 2024," Steve Jurczyk, NASA's acting administrator said during the announcement made virtually on April 17.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/mars-sucks-people-troll-elon-musks-idea-of-space-colonisation-379864" hreflang="en">'Mars sucks!' People troll Elon Musk's idea of space colonisation</a></p>

<p>Apollo landings from 1969-1972 mark the only human visits to the moon’s surface. Now, NASA is relying on private companies to send astronauts to the moon to complete its space ambition projects.</p>

<p>But before humans make the journey, SpaceX will be required to conduct a test flight of the lander to the moon.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, the space rocket company, is now formally challenging the $2.9 billion moon lander contract which was recently awarded to its rival SpaceX by NASA.

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, the space rocket company, is now formally challenging the $2.9 billion moon lander contract which was recently awarded to its rival SpaceX by NASA. On Monday, Blue Origin said it had filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office, accusing the space agency of making tweaks for contract bidders at the last minute. "NASA has executed a flawed acquisition for the Human Landing System programme and moved the goalposts at the last minute", Reuters cited Blue Origin as saying in a statement. "Their decision eliminates opportunities for competition, significantly narrows the supply base, and not only delays, but also endangers America's return to the moon. Because of that, we've filed a protest with the GAO”, it added. While Elon Musk’s SpaceX made the bid alone, Bezos’ Blue Origin made the bid in partnership with Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Draper. Also read: Astronauts arrive at space station aboard SpaceX Endeavour The world’s first and third richest people respectively, Bezos and Musk have been competing to be at the helm of man’s return to moon for the first time since 1972. The contract will see NASA’s first commercial human lander, constituent of its Artemis programme. NASA says that the lander will carry in it two American astronauts to the moon’s surface. "We should accomplish the next landing as soon as possible… If they hit their milestones, we have a shot at 2024," Steve Jurczyk, NASA's acting administrator said during the announcement made virtually on April 17. Also read: 'Mars sucks!' People troll Elon Musk's idea of space colonisation Apollo landings from 1969-1972 mark the only human visits to the moon’s surface. Now, NASA is relying on private companies to send astronauts to the moon to complete its space ambition projects. But before humans make the journey, SpaceX will be required to conduct a test flight of the lander to the moon. (With inputs from agencies)

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin protests NASA's moon lander contract with Elon Musk's SpaceX

<p>NASA's mini helicopter Ingenuity on Sunday successfully completed its third flight on Mars, moving farther and faster than ever before, with a peak speed of 6.6 feet (two meteres) per second.</p>

<p>After two initial flights during which the craft hovered above the Red Planet's surface, the helicopter on this third flight covered 64 feet (50 metres) of distance, reaching the speed of 6.6 feet per second (two metres per second), or four miles per hour in this latest flight.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/what-is-the-significance-of-nasa-ingenuity-helicopters-successful-flight-over-mars-378800/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"Today's flight was what we planned for, and yet it was nothing short of amazing," said Dave Lavery, the Ingenuity project's program executive.</p>

<p>The Perseverance rover, which carried the four-pound (1.8 kg) rotorcraft to Mars, filmed the 80-second third flight. NASA said Sunday that video clips would be sent to Earth in the coming days.</p>

<p>The lateral flight was a test for the helicopter's autonomous navigation system, which completes the route according to information received beforehand.</p>

<p>"If Ingenuity flies too fast, the flight algorithm can't track surface features," NASA explained in a statement about the flight.</p>

<p>Ingenuity's flights are challenging because of conditions vastly different from Earth's, foremost among them a rarefied atmosphere that has less than one percent the density of our own.</p>

<p>This means that Ingenuity's rotors, which span four feet, have to spin at 2,400 revolutions per minute to achieve lift, about five times more than a helicopter on Earth.</p>

<p>NASA announced it is now preparing for a fourth flight. Each flight is planned to be of increasing difficulty in order to push Ingenuity to its limits.</p>

<p>The Ingenuity experiment will end in one month in order to let Perseverance return to its main task: searching for signs of past microbial life on Mars.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


NASA's mini helicopter Ingenuity on Sunday successfully completed its third flight on Mars, moving farther and faster than ever before, with a peak speed of 6.6 feet (two meteres) per second.

NASA's mini helicopter Ingenuity on Sunday successfully completed its third flight on Mars, moving farther and faster than ever before, with a peak speed of 6.6 feet (two meteres) per second. After two initial flights during which the craft hovered above the Red Planet's surface, the helicopter on this third flight covered 64 feet (50 metres) of distance, reaching the speed of 6.6 feet per second (two metres per second), or four miles per hour in this latest flight. "Today's flight was what we planned for, and yet it was nothing short of amazing," said Dave Lavery, the Ingenuity project's program executive. The Perseverance rover, which carried the four-pound (1.8 kg) rotorcraft to Mars, filmed the 80-second third flight. NASA said Sunday that video clips would be sent to Earth in the coming days. The lateral flight was a test for the helicopter's autonomous navigation system, which completes the route according to information received beforehand. "If Ingenuity flies too fast, the flight algorithm can't track surface features," NASA explained in a statement about the flight. Ingenuity's flights are challenging because of conditions vastly different from Earth's, foremost among them a rarefied atmosphere that has less than one percent the density of our own. This means that Ingenuity's rotors, which span four feet, have to spin at 2,400 revolutions per minute to achieve lift, about five times more than a helicopter on Earth. NASA announced it is now preparing for a fourth flight. Each flight is planned to be of increasing difficulty in order to push Ingenuity to its limits. The Ingenuity experiment will end in one month in order to let Perseverance return to its main task: searching for signs of past microbial life on Mars. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter flies faster, farther on third flight

On Sunday, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter flew for the third time, making records in terms of speed and the distance it covered.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter flew on Mars for the third time

<p>A four-astronaut team arrived at the International Space Station on Saturday aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour, NASA said, after becoming the first crew ever to be propelled into orbit by a rocket booster recycled from a previous spaceflight.</p>

<p>The Endeavour capsule, also making its second flight, was launched into space on Friday atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX is the Elon Musk's commercial rocket company.</p>

<p>The Endeavour docked to the space station complex at 5:08 a.m. EDT (0908 GMT) while the spacecraft were flying 264 miles (425 km) above the Indian Ocean, NASA said in an update.</p>

<p><strong>Have a look |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/nasa-and-spacex-launch-a-new-four-astronaut-team-to-international-space-station-379500">NASA and SpaceX launch a new four-astronaut team to International Space Station</a></strong></p>

<p>On board were two NASA astronauts - mission commander Shane Kimbrough, 53, and pilot Megan McArthur, 49 - along with Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, 52, and fellow mission specialist Thomas Pesquet, 43, a French engineer from the European Space Agency.</p>

<p>The mission marks the second "operational" space station team launched by NASA aboard a Crew Dragon capsule since human spaceflights resumed from American soil last year, following a nine-year hiatus at the end of the U.S. space shuttle program in 2011.</p>

<p>It is also the third crewed flight launched into orbit in 11 months under NASA's fledgling public-private partnership with SpaceX, the rocket company founded in 2002 by Musk, who is also CEO of electric car maker Tesla Inc.</p>

<p>The mission's Falcon 9 rocket blasted off with the same first-stage booster that lofted a crew into orbit five months ago, marking the first time a previously flown booster has ever been re-used in a crewed launch.</p>

<p>Reusable booster vehicles, designed to fly themselves back to Earth and land safely rather than fall into the sea after launch, are at the heart of a re-usable rocket strategy that SpaceX helped pioneer to make spaceflight more economical.</p>


A four-astronaut team arrived at the International Space Station on Saturday aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour, NASA said, after becoming the first crew ever to be propelled into orbit by a rocket booster recycled from a previous spaceflight.

A four-astronaut team arrived at the International Space Station on Saturday aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour, NASA said, after becoming the first crew ever to be propelled into orbit by a rocket booster recycled from a previous spaceflight. The Endeavour capsule, also making its second flight, was launched into space on Friday atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX is the Elon Musk's commercial rocket company. The Endeavour docked to the space station complex at 5:08 a.m. EDT (0908 GMT) while the spacecraft were flying 264 miles (425 km) above the Indian Ocean, NASA said in an update. Have a look | NASA and SpaceX launch a new four-astronaut team to International Space Station On board were two NASA astronauts - mission commander Shane Kimbrough, 53, and pilot Megan McArthur, 49 - along with Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, 52, and fellow mission specialist Thomas Pesquet, 43, a French engineer from the European Space Agency. The mission marks the second "operational" space station team launched by NASA aboard a Crew Dragon capsule since human spaceflights resumed from American soil last year, following a nine-year hiatus at the end of the U.S. space shuttle program in 2011. It is also the third crewed flight launched into orbit in 11 months under NASA's fledgling public-private partnership with SpaceX, the rocket company founded in 2002 by Musk, who is also CEO of electric car maker Tesla Inc. The mission's Falcon 9 rocket blasted off with the same first-stage booster that lofted a crew into orbit five months ago, marking the first time a previously flown booster has ever been re-used in a crewed launch. Reusable booster vehicles, designed to fly themselves back to Earth and land safely rather than fall into the sea after launch, are at the heart of a re-usable rocket strategy that SpaceX helped pioneer to make spaceflight more economical.

Astronauts arrive at space station aboard SpaceX Endeavour

<p>The&nbsp;SpaceX&nbsp;Crew&nbsp;Dragon&nbsp;Endeavour&nbsp;docked with the&nbsp;International&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Station&nbsp;(ISS) early Saturday, a live stream showed.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">LIVE FROM ORBIT: NASA's <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpaceX</a> Crew-2 astronauts arrive at the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>. <a href="https://t.co/2PsxR9gLoS">https://t.co/2PsxR9gLoS</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1385876182730686466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>Soft capture — the first phase of docking — occurred at 5:08 am Eastern time (0908 GMT), 264 miles (424 kilometers) over the south Indian Ocean.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dragon remains on track to autonomously dock with the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@space_station</a> at ~5:10 a.m. EDT <a href="https://t.co/eyftZphCET">pic.twitter.com/eyftZphCET</a></p>
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1385875577245114370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>Hard capture, the second stage, occurred about 10 minutes later, when 12 hooks were securely attached between&nbsp;Endeavour&nbsp;and the&nbsp;ISS's forward port.</p>

<p>"Hard capture complete, welcome&nbsp;Crew-2," said US astronaut Shannon Walker, current commander of the&nbsp;ISS.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The four <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpaceX</a> Crew-2 astronauts docked the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CrewDragon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CrewDragon</a> Endeavour to the station today at 5:08am ET one day after launch. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LaunchAmerica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LaunchAmerica</a> | <a href="https://t.co/gmlUpBr8TX">https://t.co/gmlUpBr8TX</a> <a href="https://t.co/sHaDPJJZw1">pic.twitter.com/sHaDPJJZw1</a></p>
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station/status/1385886598571520000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>"Thanks Shannon, we're glad to be here, we'll see you all in a few minutes," replied&nbsp;Endeavour's commander, US astronaut Shane Kimbrough.</p>

<p>The vestibule between the capsule is now being pressurized so that the hatches of both&nbsp;Endeavour&nbsp;and the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station can be opened.</p>

<p>The hatches should be opened around 7:15 am (1115 GMT), with a welcoming ceremony to follow at 7:45 am.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;Crew-2 mission, which includes the first European, Thomas Pesquet of France, blasted off from pad 39A at the Kennedy&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Center in Florida before dawn on Friday.</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="SpaceX to take 4 astronauts to International Space Station on Thursday">SpaceX to take 4 astronauts to International Space Station on Thursday</a></p>

<p>Endeavour&nbsp;is carrying the third&nbsp;crew&nbsp;sent to the&nbsp;ISS&nbsp;by&nbsp;SpaceX, as part of the company's multibillion dollar contract with&nbsp;NASA. It's also&nbsp;Endeavour's second trip to the&nbsp;ISS.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It first flew there on the Demo-2 mission in May 2020, which ended almost a decade of US reliance on Russia for rides to the&nbsp;ISS&nbsp;following the end of the&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Shuttle program.</p>


The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour docked with the International Space Station (ISS) early Saturday, a live stream showed. LIVE FROM ORBIT: NASA's @SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts arrive at the @Space_Station.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour docked with the International Space Station (ISS) early Saturday, a live stream showed. LIVE FROM ORBIT: NASA's @SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts arrive at the @Space_Station. https://t.co/2PsxR9gLoS — NASA (@NASA) April 24, 2021 Soft capture — the first phase of docking — occurred at 5:08 am Eastern time (0908 GMT), 264 miles (424 kilometers) over the south Indian Ocean. Dragon remains on track to autonomously dock with the @space_station at ~5:10 a.m. EDT pic.twitter.com/eyftZphCET — SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 24, 2021 Hard capture, the second stage, occurred about 10 minutes later, when 12 hooks were securely attached between Endeavour and the ISS's forward port. "Hard capture complete, welcome Crew-2," said US astronaut Shannon Walker, current commander of the ISS. The four @SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts docked the #CrewDragon Endeavour to the station today at 5:08am ET one day after launch. #LaunchAmerica | https://t.co/gmlUpBr8TX pic.twitter.com/sHaDPJJZw1 — International Space Station (@Space_Station) April 24, 2021 "Thanks Shannon, we're glad to be here, we'll see you all in a few minutes," replied Endeavour's commander, US astronaut Shane Kimbrough. The vestibule between the capsule is now being pressurized so that the hatches of both Endeavour and the space station can be opened. The hatches should be opened around 7:15 am (1115 GMT), with a welcoming ceremony to follow at 7:45 am. The Crew-2 mission, which includes the first European, Thomas Pesquet of France, blasted off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida before dawn on Friday. Also read: SpaceX to take 4 astronauts to International Space Station on Thursday Endeavour is carrying the third crew sent to the ISS by SpaceX, as part of the company's multibillion dollar contract with NASA. It's also Endeavour's second trip to the ISS. It first flew there on the Demo-2 mission in May 2020, which ended almost a decade of US reliance on Russia for rides to the ISS following the end of the Space Shuttle program.

SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour docks with ISS: NASA TV

<p>NASA and commercial rocket company SpaceX were due to launch a new four-astronaut team to the International Space Station early on Friday in what would be the first crew propelled into orbit by a rocket booster recycled from a previous spaceflight.</p>

<p>The company's Crew Dragon capsule, the Endeavour, was set for liftoff atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 5:49 a.m. Eastern time (0949 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.</p>

<p>The nearly 24-hour ride to the space station, which orbits some 250 miles (400 km) above Earth, had been set to begin on Thursday but was delayed for a day by unfavorable weather forecasts along the rocket's flight path.</p>

<p>For the rescheduled launch window on Friday, meteorologists predicted a 90% chance of favorable weather at the launch site, with improving conditions along the flight path.</p>

<p>The mission marks the second "operational" space station team to be launched by NASA aboard a Dragon Crew capsule since the United States resumed flying astronauts into space from U.S. soil last year, following a nine-year hiatus at the end of the U.S. space shuttle program in 2011.</p>

<p>It is also the third crewed flight launched to into orbit under NASA's fledgling public-private partnership with SpaceX, the rocket company founded and owned by billionaire high-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. The first was an out-and-back test mission carrying just two astronauts into orbit last May.</p>

<p>Friday's four-member Crew 2 team consists of two NASA astronauts - mission commander Shane Kimbrough, 53, and pilot Megan McArthur, 49, - along with Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, 52, and fellow mission specialist Thomas Pesquet, 43, a French engineer of the European Space Agency.</p>

<p>"There's nothing like it when you look out the window and see a spaceship getting prepared and realize that you're going to be riding on it in a few days," McArthur said at a news briefing just after arriving at Kennedy Space Center last week.</p>

<p>LONG-DURATION MISSION</p>

<p>They are expected to spend about six months aboard the orbiting research platform conducting science experiments and maintenance before returning to Earth in the fall.</p>

<p>The four members of Crew 1, sent to the space station in November, are slated to fly home on April 28.</p>

<p>The Crew 2 mission also is special in that its Falcon 9 launch vehicle will fly using the same first-stage booster that lofted Crew 1 into orbit, marking the first time a flight-proven booster will be re-used in a crewed launch.</p>

<p>Reusable booster vehicles, designed to fly themselves back to Earth and land safely once they separate from the rest of the rocket minutes after launch, are at the heart of a re-usable rocket strategy that SpaceX helped pioneer to make spaceflight more economical.</p>

<p>SpaceX has to date logged more than 45 successful Falcon 9 booster return landings, and the company has refurbished and re-used most of them, some for multiple flights, according to National Geographic. But all of those flights, until Friday's mission, carried cargo only, rather than humans into space.</p>

<p>Crew 2's pilot, McArthur, will make a bit of history herself as the first female pilot of the Crew Dragon and the second person from her family to ride aboard a capsule. She is married to NASA astronaut Bob Behnken, who flew the SpaceX demonstration flight with fellow astronaut Doug Hurley last year. The same Crew Dragon was used for that flight as well.</p>

<p>Arriving at the space station if all goes according to plan on Saturday, McArthur and her three crewmates will be welcomed by the four Crew 1 astronauts - three from NASA and one from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA. Two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut who shared a Soyuz flight to the space station also are aboard.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


NASA and commercial rocket company SpaceX were due to launch a new four-astronaut team to the International Space Station early on Friday in what would be the first crew propelled into orbit by a rocket booster recycled from a previous spaceflight.

NASA and commercial rocket company SpaceX were due to launch a new four-astronaut team to the International Space Station early on Friday in what would be the first crew propelled into orbit by a rocket booster recycled from a previous spaceflight. The company's Crew Dragon capsule, the Endeavour, was set for liftoff atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 5:49 a.m. Eastern time (0949 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The nearly 24-hour ride to the space station, which orbits some 250 miles (400 km) above Earth, had been set to begin on Thursday but was delayed for a day by unfavorable weather forecasts along the rocket's flight path. For the rescheduled launch window on Friday, meteorologists predicted a 90% chance of favorable weather at the launch site, with improving conditions along the flight path. The mission marks the second "operational" space station team to be launched by NASA aboard a Dragon Crew capsule since the United States resumed flying astronauts into space from U.S. soil last year, following a nine-year hiatus at the end of the U.S. space shuttle program in 2011. It is also the third crewed flight launched to into orbit under NASA's fledgling public-private partnership with SpaceX, the rocket company founded and owned by billionaire high-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. The first was an out-and-back test mission carrying just two astronauts into orbit last May. Friday's four-member Crew 2 team consists of two NASA astronauts - mission commander Shane Kimbrough, 53, and pilot Megan McArthur, 49, - along with Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, 52, and fellow mission specialist Thomas Pesquet, 43, a French engineer of the European Space Agency. "There's nothing like it when you look out the window and see a spaceship getting prepared and realize that you're going to be riding on it in a few days," McArthur said at a news briefing just after arriving at Kennedy Space Center last week. LONG-DURATION MISSION They are expected to spend about six months aboard the orbiting research platform conducting science experiments and maintenance before returning to Earth in the fall. The four members of Crew 1, sent to the space station in November, are slated to fly home on April 28. The Crew 2 mission also is special in that its Falcon 9 launch vehicle will fly using the same first-stage booster that lofted Crew 1 into orbit, marking the first time a flight-proven booster will be re-used in a crewed launch. Reusable booster vehicles, designed to fly themselves back to Earth and land safely once they separate from the rest of the rocket minutes after launch, are at the heart of a re-usable rocket strategy that SpaceX helped pioneer to make spaceflight more economical. SpaceX has to date logged more than 45 successful Falcon 9 booster return landings, and the company has refurbished and re-used most of them, some for multiple flights, according to National Geographic. But all of those flights, until Friday's mission, carried cargo only, rather than humans into space. Crew 2's pilot, McArthur, will make a bit of history herself as the first female pilot of the Crew Dragon and the second person from her family to ride aboard a capsule. She is married to NASA astronaut Bob Behnken, who flew the SpaceX demonstration flight with fellow astronaut Doug Hurley last year. The same Crew Dragon was used for that flight as well. Arriving at the space station if all goes according to plan on Saturday, McArthur and her three crewmates will be welcomed by the four Crew 1 astronauts - three from NASA and one from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA. Two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut who shared a Soyuz flight to the space station also are aboard.

NASA-SpaceX set to launch next 4-member crew to International Space Station

<p>NASA successfully carried out a second flight on Mars on Thursday of its mini helicopter Ingenuity, a 52-second sortie that saw it climb to a height of 16 feet (five metres).</p>

<p>"So far, the engineering telemetry we have received and analyzed tell us that the flight met expectations," said Bob Balaram, Ingenuity's chief engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in southern California.</p>

<p>"We have two flights of Mars under our belts, which means that there is still a lot to learn during this month of Ingenuity," Balaram said in a statement.</p>

<p>The US space agency conducted the first flight of the four-pound (1.8 kilogramme) rotorcraft on Monday, the first powered flight ever on another planet.</p>

<p>That time Ingenuity rose to a height of 10 feet and then touched down after 39.1 seconds.</p>

<p>For the second flight, which lasted 51.9 seconds, Ingenuity climbed to 16 feet, hovered briefly, tilted and then accelerated sideways for seven feet.</p>

<p>"The helicopter came to a stop, hovered in place, and made turns to point its camera in different directions," said Havard Grip, Ingenuity's chief pilot. "Then it headed back to the center of the airfield to land.</p>

<p>"It sounds simple, but there are many unknowns regarding how to fly a helicopter on Mars."</p>

<p>Data and images from the flights are transmitted 173 million miles (278 million kilometres) back to Earth where they are received by NASA's array of ground antennas and processed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ingenuity traveled to Mars tucked under the belly of the Perseverance rover, which landed on the Red Planet on February 18 on a mission to search for signs of past microbial life.</p>

<p>Ingenuity's goal, by contrast, is to prove its technology works.</p>

<p>Ingenuity's flights are challenging because of conditions vastly different from Earth's -- foremost among them a rarefied atmosphere that has less than one percent the density of our own.</p>

<p>This means that Ingenuity's rotors, which span four feet, have to spin at 2,400 revolutions per minute to achieve lift -- about five times more than a helicopter on Earth.</p>

<p>Because of the distance from Earth, it can't be piloted by a human. While its main maneuvers are pre-programmed, Ingenuity needs to make some real time decisions using data from its sensors and camera.</p>

<p>It also needs to run a heater to survive nighttime temperatures that plunge to minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 90 degrees Celsius).</p>

<p>NASA is already preparing to send Dragonfly, a much larger rotorcraft-lander, to Saturn's icy moon Titan where it will fly multiple sorties in search of extraterrestrial life when it reaches there in 2034.</p>


NASA successfully carried out a second flight on Mars on Thursday of its mini helicopter Ingenuity, a 52-second sortie that saw it climb to a height of 16 feet (five metres).

NASA successfully carried out a second flight on Mars on Thursday of its mini helicopter Ingenuity, a 52-second sortie that saw it climb to a height of 16 feet (five metres). "So far, the engineering telemetry we have received and analyzed tell us that the flight met expectations," said Bob Balaram, Ingenuity's chief engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in southern California. "We have two flights of Mars under our belts, which means that there is still a lot to learn during this month of Ingenuity," Balaram said in a statement. The US space agency conducted the first flight of the four-pound (1.8 kilogramme) rotorcraft on Monday, the first powered flight ever on another planet. That time Ingenuity rose to a height of 10 feet and then touched down after 39.1 seconds. For the second flight, which lasted 51.9 seconds, Ingenuity climbed to 16 feet, hovered briefly, tilted and then accelerated sideways for seven feet. "The helicopter came to a stop, hovered in place, and made turns to point its camera in different directions," said Havard Grip, Ingenuity's chief pilot. "Then it headed back to the center of the airfield to land. "It sounds simple, but there are many unknowns regarding how to fly a helicopter on Mars." Data and images from the flights are transmitted 173 million miles (278 million kilometres) back to Earth where they are received by NASA's array of ground antennas and processed. Ingenuity traveled to Mars tucked under the belly of the Perseverance rover, which landed on the Red Planet on February 18 on a mission to search for signs of past microbial life. Ingenuity's goal, by contrast, is to prove its technology works. Ingenuity's flights are challenging because of conditions vastly different from Earth's -- foremost among them a rarefied atmosphere that has less than one percent the density of our own. This means that Ingenuity's rotors, which span four feet, have to spin at 2,400 revolutions per minute to achieve lift -- about five times more than a helicopter on Earth. Because of the distance from Earth, it can't be piloted by a human. While its main maneuvers are pre-programmed, Ingenuity needs to make some real time decisions using data from its sensors and camera. It also needs to run a heater to survive nighttime temperatures that plunge to minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 90 degrees Celsius). NASA is already preparing to send Dragonfly, a much larger rotorcraft-lander, to Saturn's icy moon Titan where it will fly multiple sorties in search of extraterrestrial life when it reaches there in 2034.

NASA's Mars helicopter makes second flight

NASA and SpaceX launch a new four-astronaut team to International Space Station

<p>NASA&nbsp;has logged another extraterrestrial first on its latest mission to Mars: converting carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into pure, breathable oxygen, the US&nbsp;space agency said on Wednesday.</p>

<p>"This is a critical first step at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen on Mars," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA's space technology mission directorate.</p>

<p>The technology demonstration took place on April 20, and it's hoped future versions of the experimental instrument that was used could pave the way for future human exploration.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/what-is-the-significance-of-nasa-ingenuity-helicopters-successful-flight-over-mars-378800/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Not only can the process produce oxygen for future astronauts to breathe, but it could make hauling vast amounts of oxygen over from Earth to use as rocket propellant for the return journey unnecessary.</p>

<p>The unprecedented extraction of oxygen, literally out of thin air on Mars, was achieved Tuesday by an experimental device aboard Perseverance, a six-wheeled science rover that landed on the Red Planet February&nbsp;18 after a seven-month journey from Earth.</p>

<p>In its first activation, the toaster-sized instrument dubbed MOXIE, short for Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilisation Experiment, produced about 5 grams of oxygen, equivalent to roughly 10 minutes' worth of breathing for an astronaut,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;said.</p>

<p>Although the initial output was modest, the feat marked the first experimental extraction of a natural resources from the environment of another planet for direct use by humans.</p>

<p>"MOXIE isn't just the first instrument to produce oxygen on another world," Trudy Kortes, director of technology demonstrations within&nbsp;NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, said in a statement. She called it the first technology of its kind to help future missions "live off the land" of another planet.</p>

<p>The instrument works through electrolysis, which uses extreme heat to separate oxygen atoms from molecules of carbon dioxide, which accounts for about 95 per cent&nbsp;of the atmosphere on Mars.</p>

<p>The remaining 5 per cent&nbsp;of Mars' atmosphere, which is only about 1 per cent&nbsp;as dense Earth's, consists primarily of molecular nitrogen and argon. Oxygen exists on Mars in negligible trace amounts.</p>

<p>But an abundant supply is considered critical to eventual human exploration of the Red Planet, both as a sustainable source of breathable air for astronauts and as a necessary ingredient for rocket fuel to fly them home.</p>

<p>The volumes required for launching rockets into space from Mars are particularly daunting.</p>

<p>According to&nbsp;NASA, getting four astronauts off the Martian surface would take about 15,000 pounds (7 metric tons) of rocket fuel, combined with 55,000 pounds (25 metric tons) of oxygen.</p>

<p>Transporting a one-ton oxygen-conversion machine to Mars is more practical than trying to haul 25 tons of oxygen in tanks from Earth, MOXIE principal investigator Michael Hecht, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in&nbsp;NASA's news release.</p>

<p>Astronauts living and working on Mars would require perhaps one metric ton of oxygen between them to last an entire year, Hecht said.</p>

<p>MOXIE is designed to generate up to 10 grams per hour as a proof of concept, and scientists plan to run the machine at least another nine times over the next two years under different conditions and speeds,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;said.</p>

<p>The first oxygen conversion run came a day after&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;achieved the historic first controlled powered flight of an aircraft on another planet with a successful takeoff and landing of a miniature robot helicopter on Mars.</p>

<p>Like MOXIE, the twin-rotor chopper dubbed Ingenuity hitched a ride to Mars with Perseverance, whose primary mission is to search for fossilised traces of ancient microbes that may have flourished on Mars billions of years ago.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


NASA has logged another extraterrestrial first on its latest mission to Mars: converting carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into pure, breathable oxygen, the US space agency said on Wednesday.

NASA has logged another extraterrestrial first on its latest mission to Mars: converting carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into pure, breathable oxygen, the US space agency said on Wednesday. "This is a critical first step at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen on Mars," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA's space technology mission directorate. The technology demonstration took place on April 20, and it's hoped future versions of the experimental instrument that was used could pave the way for future human exploration. Not only can the process produce oxygen for future astronauts to breathe, but it could make hauling vast amounts of oxygen over from Earth to use as rocket propellant for the return journey unnecessary. The unprecedented extraction of oxygen, literally out of thin air on Mars, was achieved Tuesday by an experimental device aboard Perseverance, a six-wheeled science rover that landed on the Red Planet February 18 after a seven-month journey from Earth. In its first activation, the toaster-sized instrument dubbed MOXIE, short for Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilisation Experiment, produced about 5 grams of oxygen, equivalent to roughly 10 minutes' worth of breathing for an astronaut, NASA said. Although the initial output was modest, the feat marked the first experimental extraction of a natural resources from the environment of another planet for direct use by humans. "MOXIE isn't just the first instrument to produce oxygen on another world," Trudy Kortes, director of technology demonstrations within NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, said in a statement. She called it the first technology of its kind to help future missions "live off the land" of another planet. The instrument works through electrolysis, which uses extreme heat to separate oxygen atoms from molecules of carbon dioxide, which accounts for about 95 per cent of the atmosphere on Mars. The remaining 5 per cent of Mars' atmosphere, which is only about 1 per cent as dense Earth's, consists primarily of molecular nitrogen and argon. Oxygen exists on Mars in negligible trace amounts. But an abundant supply is considered critical to eventual human exploration of the Red Planet, both as a sustainable source of breathable air for astronauts and as a necessary ingredient for rocket fuel to fly them home. The volumes required for launching rockets into space from Mars are particularly daunting. According to NASA, getting four astronauts off the Martian surface would take about 15,000 pounds (7 metric tons) of rocket fuel, combined with 55,000 pounds (25 metric tons) of oxygen. Transporting a one-ton oxygen-conversion machine to Mars is more practical than trying to haul 25 tons of oxygen in tanks from Earth, MOXIE principal investigator Michael Hecht, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in NASA's news release. Astronauts living and working on Mars would require perhaps one metric ton of oxygen between them to last an entire year, Hecht said. MOXIE is designed to generate up to 10 grams per hour as a proof of concept, and scientists plan to run the machine at least another nine times over the next two years under different conditions and speeds, NASA said. The first oxygen conversion run came a day after NASA achieved the historic first controlled powered flight of an aircraft on another planet with a successful takeoff and landing of a miniature robot helicopter on Mars. Like MOXIE, the twin-rotor chopper dubbed Ingenuity hitched a ride to Mars with Perseverance, whose primary mission is to search for fossilised traces of ancient microbes that may have flourished on Mars billions of years ago. (With inputs from agencies)

In a first, Perseverance Mars rover makes oxygen on another planet

<p>NASA was successful in flying Ingenuity helicopter on the surface of Mars on Monday, as per images sent back to Earth. It is a historic moment as this is a first powered flight on the Martian surface.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Wow!"<br />
<br />
The <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAJPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAJPL</a> team is all cheers as they receive video data from the <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAPersevere</a> rover of the Ingenuity <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarsHelicopter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarsHelicopter</a> flight: <a href="https://t.co/8eH4H6jGKs">pic.twitter.com/8eH4H6jGKs</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1384099167832735748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>"Altimeter data confirms that Ingenuity has performed its first flight -- the first flight of a powered aircraft on another planet," announced an engineer in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as the control room cheered.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-nasa-flies-a-helicopter-on-mars-378698/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>A short clip sent back by Perseverance rover showed the helicopter grounded at first, howering three meters above the surface and then touching back down.</p>

<p>Ingenuity itself sent back a still black-and-white image from its downward pointing camera, showing its own shadow cast on the surface.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It happened. Today our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarsHelicopter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarsHelicopter</a> proved that powered, controlled flight from the surface of another planet is possible. It takes a little ingenuity, perseverance, and spirit to make that opportunity a reality: <a href="https://t.co/oT3rrBm6wj">https://t.co/oT3rrBm6wj</a> <a href="https://t.co/u63GKshp0G">pic.twitter.com/u63GKshp0G</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1384108519390027779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We can now say that human beings have flown a rotorcraft on another planet!" said lead engineer MiMi Aung to her team.</p>

<p>"We've been talking so long about our Wright brothers' moment on Mars, and here it is," she added.<br />
The first powered flight on Earth was achieved by Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A piece of fabric from that plane has been tucked inside Ingenuity in honor of that feat.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


NASA was successful in flying Ingenuity helicopter on the surface of Mars on Monday, as per images sent back to Earth. It is a historic moment as this is a first powered flight on the Martian surface.

NASA was successful in flying Ingenuity helicopter on the surface of Mars on Monday, as per images sent back to Earth. It is a historic moment as this is a first powered flight on the Martian surface. "Wow!" The @NASAJPL team is all cheers as they receive video data from the @NASAPersevere rover of the Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter flight: pic.twitter.com/8eH4H6jGKs — NASA (@NASA) April 19, 2021 × "Altimeter data confirms that Ingenuity has performed its first flight -- the first flight of a powered aircraft on another planet," announced an engineer in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as the control room cheered. A short clip sent back by Perseverance rover showed the helicopter grounded at first, howering three meters above the surface and then touching back down. Ingenuity itself sent back a still black-and-white image from its downward pointing camera, showing its own shadow cast on the surface. It happened. Today our #MarsHelicopter proved that powered, controlled flight from the surface of another planet is possible. It takes a little ingenuity, perseverance, and spirit to make that opportunity a reality: https://t.co/oT3rrBm6wj pic.twitter.com/u63GKshp0G — NASA (@NASA) April 19, 2021 × "We can now say that human beings have flown a rotorcraft on another planet!" said lead engineer MiMi Aung to her team. "We've been talking so long about our Wright brothers' moment on Mars, and here it is," she added. The first powered flight on Earth was achieved by Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. A piece of fabric from that plane has been tucked inside Ingenuity in honor of that feat. (With inputs from agencies)

Giant flight for mankind: NASA's Ingenuity helicopter flies successfully over Mars

Space exploration is all about the marvel of human capability. This was reflected in NASA's successful helicopter flight on Mars and India's Aryabhata satellite - launched 46 years ago on the same day. WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: NASA flies a helicopter on Mars

<p>Google&nbsp;Earth on Thursday added a timelapse feature to the popular platform, providing a glimpse into how climate change, urbanisation and deforestation have altered the planet over the last four decades.</p>

<p>Created with 24 million satellite images, along with 800 curated videos and interactive guides, the feature allows users to see a timelapse of any place on the planet, using inputs from the NASA, US&nbsp;Geological Survey's Landsat program, and the European Union's Copernicus program.</p>

<p>Climate change is causing more frequent and severe flooding, droughts, storms and heatwaves as average global temperatures rise to new records.</p>

<p>Google&nbsp;Earth's timelapse tool shows the change in coastlines, sprawling expansion of cityscapes and agricultural lands, as well as simultaneous recession of glaciers, forests and rivers.</p>

<p>One video shows rapid transition of forests near Bolivia into villages and farms, a major cause for deforestation in the Amazon rainforest; while another shows the recession of the Columbia Glacier in Alaska by 20 kilometers due to global warming.</p>

<p>Scientists have warned that a rise in global emissions of greenhouse gases may lead to extreme weather conditions and higher risks from natural disasters.</p>

<p><em>(With input from agencies)</em></p>


Google Earth on Thursday added a timelapse feature to the popular platform, providing a glimpse into how climate change, urbanisation and deforestation have altered the planet over the last four decades.

Google Earth on Thursday added a timelapse feature to the popular platform, providing a glimpse into how climate change, urbanisation and deforestation have altered the planet over the last four decades. Created with 24 million satellite images, along with 800 curated videos and interactive guides, the feature allows users to see a timelapse of any place on the planet, using inputs from the NASA, US Geological Survey's Landsat program, and the European Union's Copernicus program. Climate change is causing more frequent and severe flooding, droughts, storms and heatwaves as average global temperatures rise to new records. Google Earth's timelapse tool shows the change in coastlines, sprawling expansion of cityscapes and agricultural lands, as well as simultaneous recession of glaciers, forests and rivers. One video shows rapid transition of forests near Bolivia into villages and farms, a major cause for deforestation in the Amazon rainforest; while another shows the recession of the Columbia Glacier in Alaska by 20 kilometers due to global warming. Scientists have warned that a rise in global emissions of greenhouse gases may lead to extreme weather conditions and higher risks from natural disasters. (With input from agencies)

Google Earth adds time-lapse feature for satellite imagery to show impacts of climate change

<p>NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is providing the instrument that will enable a nonprofit organisation called Carbon Mapper to pinpoint and measure methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) point-sources from space.</p>

<p>The data collected by the instrument will help to find super-emitters, the small percentage of individual sources that are responsible for a significant fraction of global emissions of methane and carbon dioxide.</p>

<p>“JPL is excited to be pioneering this research effort, which will provide critical information about greenhouse gases and the future of Earth’s climate,” said James Graf, director for the Earth Science and Technology Directorate at JPL.</p>

<p>“This effort is the first time we have partnered on a space mission with a consortium of nonprofit organizations, universities, and the State of California.”</p>

<p>The first Carbon Mapper satellite is targeting a 2023 launch. JPL will provide a state-of-the-art imaging spectrometer, a type of instrument used widely in scientific research. Where a digital photograph breaks down visible light into just three colors,&nbsp;red, green, and blue, an imaging spectrometer breaks down light into hundreds of colors to reveal the unique spectral signatures of molecules such as methane and carbon dioxide in the air.</p>

<p>JPL has been developing imaging spectrometers since the 1980s for NASA, and its instruments have unmatched performance. In the last few years, the laboratory has used these imagers deployed on airplanes to measure atmospheric gases, including methane in California and the Four Corners region of the US&nbsp;JPL imaging spectrometers will also be aboard upcoming missions to the Moon and Jupiter’s moon Europa.</p>

<p>The Carbon Mapper’s Earth-orbiting imaging spectrometer will have a pixel size of about 30 meters (98 feet) square. Other imaging spectrometers currently in orbit have larger pixel sizes, making it hard to pinpoint the locations of sources that may not be visible on the ground, such as cracks in natural gas pipelines.</p>

<p>“With such high-resolution images, there is no question where greenhouse gas plumes originate. This technology enables researchers to identify, study, and quantify the strong gas emission sources,” said JPL scientist Charles Miller, who has spent decades studying methane around the world.</p>

<p>JPL’s research in methane quantification from spectroscopy, funded by NASA’s Earth science division, is also helping Carbon Mapper to address a second challenge: making its data on emissions accessible to all interested users in industry, government, and the private sector.</p>

<p>Carbon Mapper will have an open data portal making its findings available quickly and continuously, speeding disaster responses and the repair of faulty industrial equipment.</p>

<p>“This decade represents an all-hands-on-deck moment for humanity to make critical progress in addressing climate change,” said Riley Duren, Carbon Mapper’s chief executive officer and a research scientist at the University of Arizona in Tucson.</p>

<p>“Our mission is to help fill gaps in the emerging global ecosystem of methane and CO2 monitoring systems by delivering data that are timely, actionable, and accessible for science-based decision making.”</p>

<p>NASA’s Earth science division pioneers technological innovations that propel observations and scientific understanding of the changing Earth system.</p>

<p>Besides JPL, other Carbon Mapper partners are the State of California, Planet, the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, High Tide Foundation, and RMI.</p>


NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is providing the instrument that will enable a nonprofit organisation called Carbon Mapper to pinpoint and measure methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) point-sources from space.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is providing the instrument that will enable a nonprofit organisation called Carbon Mapper to pinpoint and measure methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) point-sources from space. The data collected by the instrument will help to find super-emitters, the small percentage of individual sources that are responsible for a significant fraction of global emissions of methane and carbon dioxide. “JPL is excited to be pioneering this research effort, which will provide critical information about greenhouse gases and the future of Earth’s climate,” said James Graf, director for the Earth Science and Technology Directorate at JPL. “This effort is the first time we have partnered on a space mission with a consortium of nonprofit organizations, universities, and the State of California.” The first Carbon Mapper satellite is targeting a 2023 launch. JPL will provide a state-of-the-art imaging spectrometer, a type of instrument used widely in scientific research. Where a digital photograph breaks down visible light into just three colors, red, green, and blue, an imaging spectrometer breaks down light into hundreds of colors to reveal the unique spectral signatures of molecules such as methane and carbon dioxide in the air. JPL has been developing imaging spectrometers since the 1980s for NASA, and its instruments have unmatched performance. In the last few years, the laboratory has used these imagers deployed on airplanes to measure atmospheric gases, including methane in California and the Four Corners region of the US JPL imaging spectrometers will also be aboard upcoming missions to the Moon and Jupiter’s moon Europa. The Carbon Mapper’s Earth-orbiting imaging spectrometer will have a pixel size of about 30 meters (98 feet) square. Other imaging spectrometers currently in orbit have larger pixel sizes, making it hard to pinpoint the locations of sources that may not be visible on the ground, such as cracks in natural gas pipelines. “With such high-resolution images, there is no question where greenhouse gas plumes originate. This technology enables researchers to identify, study, and quantify the strong gas emission sources,” said JPL scientist Charles Miller, who has spent decades studying methane around the world. JPL’s research in methane quantification from spectroscopy, funded by NASA’s Earth science division, is also helping Carbon Mapper to address a second challenge: making its data on emissions accessible to all interested users in industry, government, and the private sector. Carbon Mapper will have an open data portal making its findings available quickly and continuously, speeding disaster responses and the repair of faulty industrial equipment. “This decade represents an all-hands-on-deck moment for humanity to make critical progress in addressing climate change,” said Riley Duren, Carbon Mapper’s chief executive officer and a research scientist at the University of Arizona in Tucson. “Our mission is to help fill gaps in the emerging global ecosystem of methane and CO2 monitoring systems by delivering data that are timely, actionable, and accessible for science-based decision making.” NASA’s Earth science division pioneers technological innovations that propel observations and scientific understanding of the changing Earth system. Besides JPL, other Carbon Mapper partners are the State of California, Planet, the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, High Tide Foundation, and RMI.

NASA-built instrument will help to spot greenhouse gas super-emitters

<p>We just have one planet. We may advance our know-how and dream of moving en-masse to other planets but no planet in the universe will nurture us like Mother Earth. And it is because of this, images of Earth taken from space have a special place. Sure, we'll have plenty of stars, planets and galaxies to click. But images of our blue planet will always be cherished. NASA has posted new images of Earth.</p>

<p>These new images have been captured from International Space Station (ISS). NASA has posted these images from their Instagram account.</p>

<p>The new images are in celebration of Earth Day, which is fast approaching (April 22).</p>

<p>"...Leading up to Earth Day, we invite you to celebrate our blue marble!..." says NASA in its Instagram post. The 'blue marble' is of course our Earth.</p>

<p>"In these stunning images, the natural systems – land, water, air, ice – connect to each other to bring life. No matter whether we are on land or in space, we are unified by this tiny blue planet – and that’s something to celebrate..." NASA said</p>

<p>It has posted four photos in total. Check them out below. Click on the arrows to see the next image in the frame below.</p>

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<p>In this universe, our gaze may be deep and wide. We may have the capacity to uncover deepest mysteries of the universe. But sometimes, once in a while, it doesn't hurt to look back and appreciate the planet that has let our roots grow strong.</p>


We just have one planet. We may advance our know-how and dream of moving en-masse to other planets but no planet in the universe will nurture us like Mother Earth.

We just have one planet. We may advance our know-how and dream of moving en-masse to other planets but no planet in the universe will nurture us like Mother Earth. And it is because of this, images of Earth taken from space have a special place. Sure, we'll have plenty of stars, planets and galaxies to click. But images of our blue planet will always be cherished. NASA has posted new images of Earth. These new images have been captured from International Space Station (ISS). NASA has posted these images from their Instagram account. The new images are in celebration of Earth Day, which is fast approaching (April 22). "...Leading up to Earth Day, we invite you to celebrate our blue marble!..." says NASA in its Instagram post. The 'blue marble' is of course our Earth. "In these stunning images, the natural systems – land, water, air, ice – connect to each other to bring life. No matter whether we are on land or in space, we are unified by this tiny blue planet – and that’s something to celebrate..." NASA said It has posted four photos in total. Check them out below. Click on the arrows to see the next image in the frame below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) × In this universe, our gaze may be deep and wide. We may have the capacity to uncover deepest mysteries of the universe. But sometimes, once in a while, it doesn't hurt to look back and appreciate the planet that has let our roots grow strong.

NASA posts stunning new photos of Earth captured from International Space Station

<p>NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter could make its first flight over the Red Planet as soon as Monday, the US space agency reported, following a delay of more than a week due to a possible technical issue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The mini-helicopter's trip will mark the first-ever powered, controlled flight on another planet, and will help NASA reap invaluable data about the conditions on Mars. &nbsp;</p>

<p>"NASA is targeting no earlier than Monday, April 19, for the first flight of its Ingenuity Mars Helicopter," the space agency reported on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Data will return to Earth "a few hours following the autonomous flight," which would take off at approximately 3:30 am (0730 GMT), NASA said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ingenuity's first trip was initially set for last Sunday, but was delayed after a potential issue emerged during a high-speed test of the four-pound (1.8 kilogram) helicopter's rotors.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA calls the unprecedented helicopter operation highly risky: The flight is a challenge because the air on Mars is so thin -- less than one per cent of the pressure of Earth's atmosphere. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The helicopter arrived on Mars attached to the underside of the Perseverance rover, which touched down on February 18.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the helicopter's flight, Ingenuity will send Perseverance technical data on what it has done, and that information will be transmitted back to Earth. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The helicopter mission is be the equivalent on Mars of the first powered flight on Earth by the Wright brothers in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. A piece of fabric from that plane has been tucked inside Ingenuity in honor of that feat.&nbsp;</p>


NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter could make its first flight over the Red Planet as soon as Monday, the US space agency reported, following a delay of more than a week due to a possible technical issue.

NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter could make its first flight over the Red Planet as soon as Monday, the US space agency reported, following a delay of more than a week due to a possible technical issue. The mini-helicopter's trip will mark the first-ever powered, controlled flight on another planet, and will help NASA reap invaluable data about the conditions on Mars. "NASA is targeting no earlier than Monday, April 19, for the first flight of its Ingenuity Mars Helicopter," the space agency reported on Saturday. Data will return to Earth "a few hours following the autonomous flight," which would take off at approximately 3:30 am (0730 GMT), NASA said. Ingenuity's first trip was initially set for last Sunday, but was delayed after a potential issue emerged during a high-speed test of the four-pound (1.8 kilogram) helicopter's rotors. NASA calls the unprecedented helicopter operation highly risky: The flight is a challenge because the air on Mars is so thin -- less than one per cent of the pressure of Earth's atmosphere. The helicopter arrived on Mars attached to the underside of the Perseverance rover, which touched down on February 18. After the helicopter's flight, Ingenuity will send Perseverance technical data on what it has done, and that information will be transmitted back to Earth. The helicopter mission is be the equivalent on Mars of the first powered flight on Earth by the Wright brothers in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. A piece of fabric from that plane has been tucked inside Ingenuity in honor of that feat.

NASA's Mars copter flight could happen as soon as Monday 

<p>NASA on Friday awarded a $2.9 billion contract to build a spacecraft to SpaceX. The goal is to put humans on the moon again, as early as 2024. Elon Musk’s SpaceX was picked by NASA over Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Dynetics Inc, a defence contractor.</p>

<p>The world’s first and third richest people respectively, Bezos and Musk have been competing to be at the helm of man’s return to moon for the first time since 1972.</p>

<p>While Musk’s SpaceX made its bid alone, Bezos’ Blue Origin had partnered with Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Draper. Soon after the announcement, Elon Musk took to Twitter, announcing “NASA Rules!!”.</p>

<p>The contract will see NASA’s first commercial human lander, constituent of its Artemis programme. The agency added that the lander will carry in it two American astronauts to the moon’s surface.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/nasa-spacex-crew-2-set-for-launch-on-april-22-377917" hreflang="en">NASA SpaceX Crew-2 set for launch on April 22</a></p>

<p>"We should accomplish the next landing as soon as possible… If they hit their milestones, we have a shot at 2024," Steve Jurczyk, NASA's acting administrator said during the announcement made virtually.</p>

<p>According to NASA, SpaceX’s Starship system included a cabin and two airlocks to facilitate moonwalks. In addition, the architecture of the system allows it to to eventually used for reusable launch and landing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We are humbled to help @NASAArtemis usher in a new era of human space exploration”, SpaceX wrote on Twitter.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/spacex-names-two-citizen-astronauts-for-first-all-civilian-spaceflight-374511" hreflang="en">SpaceX names two citizen astronauts for first all-civilian spaceflight</a></p>

<p>Apollo landings from 1969-1972 mark the only human visits to the moon’s surface. Now, NASA is relying on private companies to send astronauts to the moon to complete its space ambition projects.</p>

<p>But before humans make the journey, SpaceX will be required to conduct a test flight of the lander to the moon. On Thursday, NASA had announced plans to send its crew to the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket on April 22.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


NASA on Friday awarded a $2.9 billion contract to build a spacecraft to SpaceX. The goal is to put humans on the moon again, as early as 2024. Elon Musk’s SpaceX was picked by NASA over Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Dynetics Inc, a defence contractor.

NASA on Friday awarded a $2.9 billion contract to build a spacecraft to SpaceX. The goal is to put humans on the moon again, as early as 2024. Elon Musk’s SpaceX was picked by NASA over Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Dynetics Inc, a defence contractor. The world’s first and third richest people respectively, Bezos and Musk have been competing to be at the helm of man’s return to moon for the first time since 1972. While Musk’s SpaceX made its bid alone, Bezos’ Blue Origin had partnered with Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Draper. Soon after the announcement, Elon Musk took to Twitter, announcing “NASA Rules!!”. The contract will see NASA’s first commercial human lander, constituent of its Artemis programme. The agency added that the lander will carry in it two American astronauts to the moon’s surface. Also read: NASA SpaceX Crew-2 set for launch on April 22 "We should accomplish the next landing as soon as possible… If they hit their milestones, we have a shot at 2024," Steve Jurczyk, NASA's acting administrator said during the announcement made virtually. According to NASA, SpaceX’s Starship system included a cabin and two airlocks to facilitate moonwalks. In addition, the architecture of the system allows it to to eventually used for reusable launch and landing. "We are humbled to help @NASAArtemis usher in a new era of human space exploration”, SpaceX wrote on Twitter. Also read: SpaceX names two citizen astronauts for first all-civilian spaceflight Apollo landings from 1969-1972 mark the only human visits to the moon’s surface. Now, NASA is relying on private companies to send astronauts to the moon to complete its space ambition projects. But before humans make the journey, SpaceX will be required to conduct a test flight of the lander to the moon. On Thursday, NASA had announced plans to send its crew to the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket on April 22. (With inputs from agencies)

Elon Musk's SpaceX wins NASA's $2.9 billion moon lander contract over Bezos' Blue Origin

<p>US space agency NASA is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon second flight to the International Space Station on April 22.<br />
<br />
The Crew-2 with four astronauts on board will lift off at 6:11 a.m. EDT on April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.<br />
<br />
The Crew-2 flight will carry NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, who will serve as the mission's spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihikoa Hoshidea and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomasa-Pesquet, who will serve as mission specialists to the space station, the space agency said in a statement.<br />
<br />
The mission is the second of the six certified, crew missions NASA, and SpaceX will fly as a part of the agency's Commercial Crew Programme. Crew-1 successfully docked into the ISS in November, last year.<br />
<br />
The Crew-2 astronauts will remain aboard the space station for approximately six months as expedition crew members, along with three crewmates who will launch via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.<br />
<br />
The increase of the full space station crew complement to seven members, over the previous six,&nbsp;&nbsp;will allow NASA to effectively double the amount of science that can be conducted in space, NASA said.</p>

<p>Kathy Lueders, head of NASA’s human exploration office, said it was “moving” to be on the verge of flying three SpaceX crew flights in 11 months.</p>

<p>“Looking back, it’s really, really amazing what both the SpaceX and NASA teams have accomplished,” she said.</p>

<p>SpaceX said it must resolve one issue before conducting a test firing at the launch pad this weekend. It appears the company has been loading more liquid oxygen into its first-stage boosters than anticipated, and engineers want to make “extra certain” that poses no safety risks, said Bill Gerstenmaier, a new SpaceX vice president who used to work for NASA.</p>

<p>For nearly a decade, the only route to the space station for astronauts was on Russian rockets. NASA turned to private companies for taxi service after the space shuttles retired in 2011. SpaceX has been shipping cargo to the space station since 2012, using the same kind of rocket and similar capsules, and recycling those parts as well.</p>

<p><em>(With input from agencies)</em></p>


US space agency NASA is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon second flight to the International Space Station on April 22. The Crew-2 with four astronauts on board will lift off at 6:11 a.

US space agency NASA is set to launch SpaceX Crew Dragon second flight to the International Space Station on April 22. The Crew-2 with four astronauts on board will lift off at 6:11 a.m. EDT on April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew-2 flight will carry NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, who will serve as the mission's spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihikoa Hoshidea and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomasa-Pesquet, who will serve as mission specialists to the space station, the space agency said in a statement. The mission is the second of the six certified, crew missions NASA, and SpaceX will fly as a part of the agency's Commercial Crew Programme. Crew-1 successfully docked into the ISS in November, last year. The Crew-2 astronauts will remain aboard the space station for approximately six months as expedition crew members, along with three crewmates who will launch via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. The increase of the full space station crew complement to seven members, over the previous six, will allow NASA to effectively double the amount of science that can be conducted in space, NASA said. Kathy Lueders, head of NASA’s human exploration office, said it was “moving” to be on the verge of flying three SpaceX crew flights in 11 months. “Looking back, it’s really, really amazing what both the SpaceX and NASA teams have accomplished,” she said. SpaceX said it must resolve one issue before conducting a test firing at the launch pad this weekend. It appears the company has been loading more liquid oxygen into its first-stage boosters than anticipated, and engineers want to make “extra certain” that poses no safety risks, said Bill Gerstenmaier, a new SpaceX vice president who used to work for NASA. For nearly a decade, the only route to the space station for astronauts was on Russian rockets. NASA turned to private companies for taxi service after the space shuttles retired in 2011. SpaceX has been shipping cargo to the space station since 2012, using the same kind of rocket and similar capsules, and recycling those parts as well. (With input from agencies)

NASA SpaceX Crew-2 set for launch on April 22

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