The&nbsp;National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has discovered three bacterial strains at the International Space Station that may&nbsp;help grow plants on Mars.

In order to withstand the rigours of space on deep-space missions, food grown outside of Earth needs a little extra help from bacteria.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/breakthrough-first-plant-transplant-takes-place-in-international-space-station-360217">'Breakthrough': First plant transplant takes place in International Space Station</a>

The recent discovery aboard the International Space Station (ISS) can help researchers create the 'fuel' to help plants withstand such stressful situations.

The findings published in the&nbsp;Frontiers in Microbiology described the discovery&nbsp;of bacteria belonging to the family Methylobacteriaceae from different locations aboard the ISS across two consecutive flights.

While 1 strain was identified as Methylorubrum rhodesianum, the other 3 were previously undiscovered and belong to a novel species novel. The rod-shaped, motile bacteria were given the designations IF7SW-B2T, IIF1SW-B5, and IIF4SW-B5 with genetic analysis showing them to be closely related to Methylobacterium indicum.

Methylobacterium species are involved in nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, abiotic stress tolerance, plant growth promotion and biocontrol activity against plant pathogens.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/perseverance-searches-for-life-on-mars-369682/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Potential for Mars missions

Now, in honor of the renowned Indian biodiversity scientists Dr Ajmal Khan, the team has proposed to call the novel species Methylobacterium ajmalii.

Commenting on the discovery, Dr Kasthuri Venkateswaran (Venkat) and Dr Nitin Kumar Singh of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, (JPL), says that the strains might possess " biotechnologically useful genetic determinants" for the growing of crops in space.

However, further experimental biology is needed to prove that it is, indeed, a potential game-changer for space farming.

"To grow plants in extreme places where resources are minimal, isolation of novel microbes that help to promote plant growth under stressful conditions is essential," they said.

Along with JPL, other researchers collaborating on this discovery are based at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Cornell University and the University of Hyderabad in India.

With NASA one day looking to take humans to the surface of Mars - and potentially beyond - the US National Research Council Decadal Survey recommends that the space agency use the ISS as a "test-bed for surveying microorganisms", according to Venkat and Singh.

"Since our group possess expertise in cultivating microorganisms from extreme niches, we have been tasked by the NASA Space Biology Program to survey the ISS for the presence and persistence of the microorganisms," they add.

"Needless to say, the ISS is a cleanly-maintained extreme environment. Crew safety is the number 1 priority and hence understanding human/plant pathogens are important, but beneficial microbes like this novel Methylobacterium ajmalii are also needed."

Expanding the ISS lab

As part of an ongoing surveillance mission, 8 locations on the ISS are being monitored for bacterial growths and have been for the last 6 years. These sample areas include where the crew assembles or where experiments are conducted, such as the plant growth chamber.

While hundreds of bacterial samples from the ISS have been analyzed to date, approximately 1,000 samples have been collected from various other locations on the space station but are awaiting a trip back to Earth where they can be examined.

According to Venkat and Singh, the eventual goal is to bypass this lengthy process and potentially find new novel strains using molecular biology equipment developed and demonstrated for the ISS.

"Instead of bringing samples back to Earth for analyses, we need an integrated microbial monitoring system that collect, process, and analyze samples in space using molecular technologies," Venkat and Singh said.

"This miniaturized 'omics in space' technology - a biosensor development - will help NASA and other space-faring nations achieve safe and sustainable space exploration for long periods of time." 
&nbsp;

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has discovered three bacterial strains at the International Space Station that may help grow plants on Mars.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has discovered three bacterial strains at the International Space Station that may help grow plants on Mars. In order to withstand the rigours of space on deep-space missions, food grown outside of Earth needs a little extra help from bacteria. Also read| 'Breakthrough': First plant transplant takes place in International Space Station The recent discovery aboard the International Space Station (ISS) can help researchers create the 'fuel' to help plants withstand such stressful situations. The findings published in the Frontiers in Microbiology described the discovery of bacteria belonging to the family Methylobacteriaceae from different locations aboard the ISS across two consecutive flights. While 1 strain was identified as Methylorubrum rhodesianum, the other 3 were previously undiscovered and belong to a novel species novel. The rod-shaped, motile bacteria were given the designations IF7SW-B2T, IIF1SW-B5, and IIF4SW-B5 with genetic analysis showing them to be closely related to Methylobacterium indicum. Methylobacterium species are involved in nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, abiotic stress tolerance, plant growth promotion and biocontrol activity against plant pathogens. Potential for Mars missions Now, in honor of the renowned Indian biodiversity scientists Dr Ajmal Khan, the team has proposed to call the novel species Methylobacterium ajmalii. Commenting on the discovery, Dr Kasthuri Venkateswaran (Venkat) and Dr Nitin Kumar Singh of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, (JPL), says that the strains might possess " biotechnologically useful genetic determinants" for the growing of crops in space. However, further experimental biology is needed to prove that it is, indeed, a potential game-changer for space farming. "To grow plants in extreme places where resources are minimal, isolation of novel microbes that help to promote plant growth under stressful conditions is essential," they said. Along with JPL, other researchers collaborating on this discovery are based at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Cornell University and the University of Hyderabad in India. With NASA one day looking to take humans to the surface of Mars - and potentially beyond - the US National Research Council Decadal Survey recommends that the space agency use the ISS as a "test-bed for surveying microorganisms", according to Venkat and Singh. "Since our group possess expertise in cultivating microorganisms from extreme niches, we have been tasked by the NASA Space Biology Program to survey the ISS for the presence and persistence of the microorganisms," they add. "Needless to say, the ISS is a cleanly-maintained extreme environment. Crew safety is the number 1 priority and hence understanding human/plant pathogens are important, but beneficial microbes like this novel Methylobacterium ajmalii are also needed." Expanding the ISS lab As part of an ongoing surveillance mission, 8 locations on the ISS are being monitored for bacterial growths and have been for the last 6 years. These sample areas include where the crew assembles or where experiments are conducted, such as the plant growth chamber. While hundreds of bacterial samples from the ISS have been analyzed to date, approximately 1,000 samples have been collected from various other locations on the space station but are awaiting a trip back to Earth where they can be examined. According to Venkat and Singh, the eventual goal is to bypass this lengthy process and potentially find new novel strains using molecular biology equipment developed and demonstrated for the ISS. "Instead of bringing samples back to Earth for analyses, we need an integrated microbial monitoring system that collect, process, and analyze samples in space using molecular technologies," Venkat and Singh said. "This miniaturized 'omics in space' technology - a biosensor development - will help NASA and other space-faring nations achieve safe and sustainable space exploration for long periods of time."

NASA discovers three microbes that may help grow plants on Mars

Stars resemble twinkling dots in our night skies, but scientists now believe that the celestial bodies were way&nbsp;bigger earlier!

Scientists at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) in Taiwan recently found that supermassive black holes situated at the centre of galaxies were actually really gigantic stars - too big for our comprehension.

The researchers ascertained that black holes were left behind in the aftermath of large supernovas from these supermassive stars.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/heres-why-scientists-want-to-send-millions-of-sperm-samples-to-the-moon-370339" hreflang="en">Here's why scientists want to send millions of sperm samples to the moon</a>

Supernovas are essentially large-scale explosions that take place once the star runs out of energy and collapses into itself. Supernovas are considered the largest explosions in space. Reported first by Phys[dot]org, the team published their findings in the journal titled “Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society”.

But how big were these stars? 
Scientists posit that these historic stars could have been millions to billions times bigger than our sun!&nbsp;Black holes are difficult to research. Even then, there’s not much scientists know about the gigantic holes.

To gather evidence for this study, the researchers conducted a “radiation hydrodynamics simulation”. Based on their estimates, the team predicted that the James Webb Space Telescope will be successfully able to observe a supernova event once it launches this year.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/hubble-space-telescope-beams-back-mesmerising-image-of-a-nebula-370330" hreflang="en">Hubble Space Telescope beams back mesmerising image of a nebula!</a>

If all goes well, then scientists may be able to understand not only the origins of these mega stars, but also of black holes as we know them today!

One of the researchers, Ke-Jung Chen’s earlier research posited that big stars are potentially “black hole seeds”, and are precursory to these fiery holes.

Stars resemble twinkling dots in our night skies, but scientists now believe that the celestial bodies were way bigger earlier! Scientists at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) in Taiwan recently found that supermassive black holes situated at the centre of galaxies were actually really gigantic stars - too big for our comprehension.

Stars resemble twinkling dots in our night skies, but scientists now believe that the celestial bodies were way bigger earlier! Scientists at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) in Taiwan recently found that supermassive black holes situated at the centre of galaxies were actually really gigantic stars - too big for our comprehension. The researchers ascertained that black holes were left behind in the aftermath of large supernovas from these supermassive stars. Also read: Here's why scientists want to send millions of sperm samples to the moon Supernovas are essentially large-scale explosions that take place once the star runs out of energy and collapses into itself. Supernovas are considered the largest explosions in space. Reported first by Phys[dot]org, the team published their findings in the journal titled “Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society”. But how big were these stars? Scientists posit that these historic stars could have been millions to billions times bigger than our sun! Black holes are difficult to research. Even then, there’s not much scientists know about the gigantic holes. To gather evidence for this study, the researchers conducted a “radiation hydrodynamics simulation”. Based on their estimates, the team predicted that the James Webb Space Telescope will be successfully able to observe a supernova event once it launches this year. Also read: Hubble Space Telescope beams back mesmerising image of a nebula! If all goes well, then scientists may be able to understand not only the origins of these mega stars, but also of black holes as we know them today! One of the researchers, Ke-Jung Chen’s earlier research posited that big stars are potentially “black hole seeds”, and are precursory to these fiery holes.

Do gigantic stars from the past hold secrets to black holes? Scientists say so!

For the most part, our knowledge of the word 'planet' revolves around the idea is that its a huge space rock, cooler than the stars, deriving energy from the one it revolves around. We can't be blamed because Earth is one such space rock. It is (much) cooler than the Sun and derives all the life forming energy from it.

But universe, as infinite it is, has ways to surprise our minds and set ideas we tend to have about it.&nbsp;

Can you imagine a space body almost hot as our Sun all the while being a 'planet'? Well, there are such planets.

Meet Kelt-9 b! It's a planet 670 lightyears away from Earth. It was found in 2016.

It has been found that this planet has a temperature of 5000 K (4726 degree Celsius). This makes this planet hotter than 80 per cent of all individual&nbsp;stars in the universe.

Kelt-9 b is a gaseous planet and it is 1.8 times bigger than Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system. It revolves around its star that is twice as hot as the Sun. In addition, Kelt-9 b has a very very short radius of revolution. It means that it revolves around its star in a very close orbit that is smaller even than that of Mercury in our Solar System.

Kelt-9 b is tidally locked with its star. That means that one side of the planet always faces the star when it makes its revolution.

Why studying Kelt-9 b is important

Planets like Kelt-9 b are called 'hot Jupiters' because of their gaseous nature, gigantic size and extremely hot temperature. This means that behaviour of such planets gives us a brilliant opportunity to study Physics in conditions that are nearly impossible to reproduce on Earth.

In other words, these planets can roughly be called giant labs in space!

The universe truly has amazing secrets!

For the most part, our knowledge of the word 'planet' revolves around the idea is that its a huge space rock, cooler than the stars, deriving energy from the one it revolves around.

For the most part, our knowledge of the word 'planet' revolves around the idea is that its a huge space rock, cooler than the stars, deriving energy from the one it revolves around. We can't be blamed because Earth is one such space rock. It is (much) cooler than the Sun and derives all the life forming energy from it. But universe, as infinite it is, has ways to surprise our minds and set ideas we tend to have about it. Can you imagine a space body almost hot as our Sun all the while being a 'planet'? Well, there are such planets. Meet Kelt-9 b! It's a planet 670 lightyears away from Earth. It was found in 2016. It has been found that this planet has a temperature of 5000 K (4726 degree Celsius). This makes this planet hotter than 80 per cent of all individual stars in the universe. Kelt-9 b is a gaseous planet and it is 1.8 times bigger than Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system. It revolves around its star that is twice as hot as the Sun. In addition, Kelt-9 b has a very very short radius of revolution. It means that it revolves around its star in a very close orbit that is smaller even than that of Mercury in our Solar System. Kelt-9 b is tidally locked with its star. That means that one side of the planet always faces the star when it makes its revolution. Why studying Kelt-9 b is important Planets like Kelt-9 b are called 'hot Jupiters' because of their gaseous nature, gigantic size and extremely hot temperature. This means that behaviour of such planets gives us a brilliant opportunity to study Physics in conditions that are nearly impossible to reproduce on Earth. In other words, these planets can roughly be called giant labs in space! The universe truly has amazing secrets!

This planet is hotter than 80 per cent of stars in the universe

It may be just another day for us here on Earth. We may get up and go about as if nothing is going to happen. But ask those Dinosaurs who were out on the day an asteroid struck Earth.

Well, you can't of course because all of them are dead (along with around 75 per cent of life at that time on the planet).

This is what happens when a huge space rock decides that it is tired of travelling through space and wants to 'settle down' on the cosy planet we call Earth.

Asteroids may be small compared to size of the Earth but they can cause massive destruction owing to their very high speeds.

And this is why NASA and other space agencies around the world keep close watch on any rogue rocks that may be coming our way, or at least make a close call.

And one such asteroid has been detected. The asteroid has been named 2020 XU6. And it will reach its closest point from Earth today (February 22).

2020 XU6 is the size of a 'stadium'. For perspective, Statue of Liberty will fall short if it tries to compete with the asteroid to check who was taller. Even Big Ben would not be able to win.

The asteroid in 700 feet across (213 m). It is coming closer to Earth indeed.

But we need not fret about extinction of humans just yet because it will miss the Earth by 4,087,734 km (2,540,000 m)&nbsp;

You can safely go about your day now.

It may be just another day for us here on Earth. We may get up and go about as if nothing is going to happen. But ask those Dinosaurs who were out on the day an asteroid struck Earth.

It may be just another day for us here on Earth. We may get up and go about as if nothing is going to happen. But ask those Dinosaurs who were out on the day an asteroid struck Earth. Well, you can't of course because all of them are dead (along with around 75 per cent of life at that time on the planet). This is what happens when a huge space rock decides that it is tired of travelling through space and wants to 'settle down' on the cosy planet we call Earth. Asteroids may be small compared to size of the Earth but they can cause massive destruction owing to their very high speeds. And this is why NASA and other space agencies around the world keep close watch on any rogue rocks that may be coming our way, or at least make a close call. And one such asteroid has been detected. The asteroid has been named 2020 XU6. And it will reach its closest point from Earth today (February 22). 2020 XU6 is the size of a 'stadium'. For perspective, Statue of Liberty will fall short if it tries to compete with the asteroid to check who was taller. Even Big Ben would not be able to win. The asteroid in 700 feet across (213 m). It is coming closer to Earth indeed. But we need not fret about extinction of humans just yet because it will miss the Earth by 4,087,734 km (2,540,000 m) You can safely go about your day now.

Asteroid alert: A 'stadium sized' space rock is hurtling towards Earth

The chief of Russian space agency Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin on Friday said that American astronauts from NASA will use the country's Soyuz rocket to travel to the International Space Station as US technology is ''unreliable.''

The next launch window for a NASA crew to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX rocket has been pushed&nbsp;to April 20.

The flight marks only the second full-fledged space station crew-rotation mission launched aboard a private company's spacecraft - a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket tipped with the Crew Dragon capsule it will carry into orbit.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-soyuz-spacecraft-takes-quickest-crew-trip-to-international-space-station-334731">Also see:&nbsp;Russia's Soyuz spacecraft takes quickest crew trip to International Space Station</a>

The four-member SpaceX Crew-2 consists of two NASA astronauts, mission commander Shane Kimbrough and pilot Megan McArthur, along with Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and fellow mission specialist Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency.

After docking with the space station, they will join the four SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts who arrived in November, and cosmonauts carried to the orbiting outpost aboard a&nbsp;Soyuz&nbsp;MS-18 spacecraft.

The newly arrived Crew-2 are to remain in orbit six months, while Crew-1 is due to return to earth by early May.

Dmitry Rogozin said in a <a href="https://www.roscosmos.ru/30252/">post</a>&nbsp;on Facebook that&nbsp;''flights to the International Space Station are unstable.''

However, he added, Roscosmos will ''confirm its commitment to joint agreements and the spirit of joint use of the International Space Station.''

''There was an urgent need for them (NASA) to find insurance and send their man on our ship, to make sure their segment on the space station isn't left unattended. The talk of swapping seats has nothing to do with this at all,''&nbsp;he clarified, noting that the agreement was made with Axiom Space, a NASA contractor and private space company which has plans to eventually sell human spaceflight experiences to tourists who want to visit the ISS.

Despite its former Soviet glory, Russia's space sector has suffered greatly in recent years from a lack of financing and corruption.

Moscow and Washington are collaborating in the space sector -- one of the few areas of cooperation left between the Cold War rivals.

However, Russia did not sign the US-led Artemis Accord last year for countries that want to participate in a lunar exploration scheme spearheaded by NASA.

Under the Artemis programme announced during the tenure of former US President Donald Trump, NASA plans to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024.

In another blow to Russia's space reputation,&nbsp;Roscosmos&nbsp;last year lost its monopoly for manned flights to the International Space Station (ISS) after the first successful mission of the US company Space X.

Elon Musk's SpaceX has become a key player in the modern space race and has announced plans to fly several members of the public to the Moon in 2023 on a trip bankrolled by a Japanese millionaire.&nbsp;

A SpaceX Starship prototype exploded after landing in Texas in March,after climbing to an altitude of six miles (10 kilometres). The test flight was part of the company's ambitious project to take people to Mars.

The chief of Russian space agency Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin on Friday said that American astronauts from NASA will use the country's Soyuz rocket to travel to the International Space Station as US technology is ''unreliable.

The chief of Russian space agency Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin on Friday said that American astronauts from NASA will use the country's Soyuz rocket to travel to the International Space Station as US technology is ''unreliable.'' The next launch window for a NASA crew to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX rocket has been pushed to April 20. The flight marks only the second full-fledged space station crew-rotation mission launched aboard a private company's spacecraft - a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket tipped with the Crew Dragon capsule it will carry into orbit. Also see: Russia's Soyuz spacecraft takes quickest crew trip to International Space Station The four-member SpaceX Crew-2 consists of two NASA astronauts, mission commander Shane Kimbrough and pilot Megan McArthur, along with Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and fellow mission specialist Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency. After docking with the space station, they will join the four SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts who arrived in November, and cosmonauts carried to the orbiting outpost aboard a Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft. The newly arrived Crew-2 are to remain in orbit six months, while Crew-1 is due to return to earth by early May. Dmitry Rogozin said in a post on Facebook that ''flights to the International Space Station are unstable.'' However, he added, Roscosmos will ''confirm its commitment to joint agreements and the spirit of joint use of the International Space Station.'' ''There was an urgent need for them (NASA) to find insurance and send their man on our ship, to make sure their segment on the space station isn't left unattended. The talk of swapping seats has nothing to do with this at all,'' he clarified, noting that the agreement was made with Axiom Space, a NASA contractor and private space company which has plans to eventually sell human spaceflight experiences to tourists who want to visit the ISS. Despite its former Soviet glory, Russia's space sector has suffered greatly in recent years from a lack of financing and corruption. Moscow and Washington are collaborating in the space sector -- one of the few areas of cooperation left between the Cold War rivals. However, Russia did not sign the US-led Artemis Accord last year for countries that want to participate in a lunar exploration scheme spearheaded by NASA. Under the Artemis programme announced during the tenure of former US President Donald Trump, NASA plans to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024. In another blow to Russia's space reputation, Roscosmos last year lost its monopoly for manned flights to the International Space Station (ISS) after the first successful mission of the US company Space X. Elon Musk's SpaceX has become a key player in the modern space race and has announced plans to fly several members of the public to the Moon in 2023 on a trip bankrolled by a Japanese millionaire. A SpaceX Starship prototype exploded after landing in Texas in March,after climbing to an altitude of six miles (10 kilometres). The test flight was part of the company's ambitious project to take people to Mars.

Russian space agency chief calls US technology 'unstable' to reach International Space Station

The largest asteroid to pass by Earth this year will approach within some 1.25 million miles (two million kilometers) of our planet on March 21, according to NASA.

The asteroid, 2001 FO32, is estimated to be about 3,000 feet in diameter and was discovered 20 years ago.

The director of the Center for Near Earth Object Studies, to this end, said , "We know the orbital path of 2001 FO32 around the Sun very accurately. There is no chance the asteroid will get any closer to Earth than 1.25 million miles." That is roughly 5.25 times the distance of the Earth from the Moon but still close enough for 2001 FO32 to be classified as a "potentially hazardous asteroid."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-technology/why-a-vagabond-comet-like-object-near-ancient-trojan-asteroids-has-caught-nasas-attention-367558">Also read |&nbsp;Why a 'vagabond' comet-like object near ancient Trojan asteroids has caught NASA's attention</a>

NASA said 2001 FO32 will pass by at about 77,000 miles per hour faster than the speed at which most asteroids encounter Earth.

NASA said astronomers hope to get a better understanding of the asteroid's size and a rough idea of its composition by studying light reflecting off its surface.

"By studying the spectrum of light reflecting off the surface, astronomers can measure the chemical 'fingerprints' of the minerals on the surface of the asteroid," NASA said.

The asteroid will be brightest while it moves through southern skies.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asteroid-alert-a-stadium-sized-space-rock-is-hurtling-towards-earth-365317">Also read |&nbsp;Asteroid alert: A 'stadium sized' space rock is hurtling towards Earth</a>

NASA said more than 95 per cent of near-Earth asteroids the size of 2001 FO32 or larger have been catalogued and none of them has any chance of impacting our planet over the next century.

The largest asteroid to pass by Earth this year will approach within some 1.25 million miles (two million kilometers) of our planet on March 21, according to NASA.

The largest asteroid to pass by Earth this year will approach within some 1.25 million miles (two million kilometers) of our planet on March 21, according to NASA. The asteroid, 2001 FO32, is estimated to be about 3,000 feet in diameter and was discovered 20 years ago. The director of the Center for Near Earth Object Studies, to this end, said , "We know the orbital path of 2001 FO32 around the Sun very accurately. There is no chance the asteroid will get any closer to Earth than 1.25 million miles." That is roughly 5.25 times the distance of the Earth from the Moon but still close enough for 2001 FO32 to be classified as a "potentially hazardous asteroid." Also read | Why a 'vagabond' comet-like object near ancient Trojan asteroids has caught NASA's attention NASA said 2001 FO32 will pass by at about 77,000 miles per hour faster than the speed at which most asteroids encounter Earth. NASA said astronomers hope to get a better understanding of the asteroid's size and a rough idea of its composition by studying light reflecting off its surface. "By studying the spectrum of light reflecting off the surface, astronomers can measure the chemical 'fingerprints' of the minerals on the surface of the asteroid," NASA said. The asteroid will be brightest while it moves through southern skies. Also read | Asteroid alert: A 'stadium sized' space rock is hurtling towards Earth NASA said more than 95 per cent of near-Earth asteroids the size of 2001 FO32 or larger have been catalogued and none of them has any chance of impacting our planet over the next century.

A large asteroid to pass by earth on March 21, NASA says

According to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-technology/us-varsities-to-develop-lunar-power-tech-for-nasa-369187">NASA</a>, its astronauts are set for the third spacewalk at the International Space Station(ISS) on Saturday as Michael Hopkins and Glover spent some time on "space gardening" tasks.

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👨🏿‍🚀 It’s spacewalk season on the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>! 👨🏻‍🚀 
 
Join us LIVE on March 13 to watch <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroVicGlover?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroVicGlover</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_illini?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_illini</a> complete upgrades outside the orbital lab while working ~254 miles above Earth. 
 
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Hopkins began harvesting Amara mustard and extra dwarf pak choi plants for the Veg-03 botany study, the space agency informed even as "Noguchi watered fast-growing plants used for traditional medicine and food flavouring for the Asian Herb investigation."

Watch:

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"NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins’ enthusiasm for learning to grow plants in space has proven fruitful for the agency’s Vegetable Production System (Veggie)," the agency said in its blog.

The Expedition 64 crew member had arrived at the ISS in November last year aboard <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-perseverance-to-study-turkeys-lake-salda-samples-similar-to-jezero-crater-369120">NASA’s </a>SpaceX Crew-1 for a six-month science mission. Hopkins initiated two experiments - VEG-03I which involved the first successful plant transplants in space and VEG-03J which featured the use of new seed film developed at NASA’s Florida centre.

Meanwhile, astronauts Victor Glover and Michael Hopkins are set to spacewalk together to work on the station’s cooling system and communications gear. The duo will spend at least six-and-a-half-hour during their spacewalk working on the venting and relocating ammonia lines.

"Hopkins and Glover were joined by Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Soichi Noguchi on Tuesday afternoon for a review of this weekend’s spacewalk procedures," the space agency informed.

According to NASA, its astronauts are set for the third spacewalk at the International Space Station(ISS) on Saturday as Michael Hopkins and Glover spent some time on "space gardening" tasks.

According to NASA, its astronauts are set for the third spacewalk at the International Space Station(ISS) on Saturday as Michael Hopkins and Glover spent some time on "space gardening" tasks. 👨🏿‍🚀 It’s spacewalk season on the @Space_Station! 👨🏻‍🚀 Join us LIVE on March 13 to watch @AstroVicGlover and @Astro_illini complete upgrades outside the orbital lab while working ~254 miles above Earth. Coverage starts at 6am ET. Get the details: https://t.co/qMygv8YgcO pic.twitter.com/xsqRRRwfbW — NASA (@NASA) March 10, 2021 × Hopkins began harvesting Amara mustard and extra dwarf pak choi plants for the Veg-03 botany study, the space agency informed even as "Noguchi watered fast-growing plants used for traditional medicine and food flavouring for the Asian Herb investigation." Watch: "NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins’ enthusiasm for learning to grow plants in space has proven fruitful for the agency’s Vegetable Production System (Veggie)," the agency said in its blog. The Expedition 64 crew member had arrived at the ISS in November last year aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 for a six-month science mission. Hopkins initiated two experiments - VEG-03I which involved the first successful plant transplants in space and VEG-03J which featured the use of new seed film developed at NASA’s Florida centre. Meanwhile, astronauts Victor Glover and Michael Hopkins are set to spacewalk together to work on the station’s cooling system and communications gear. The duo will spend at least six-and-a-half-hour during their spacewalk working on the venting and relocating ammonia lines. "Hopkins and Glover were joined by Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Soichi Noguchi on Tuesday afternoon for a review of this weekend’s spacewalk procedures," the space agency informed.

NASA astronauts harvest Amara mustard & extra dwarf pak choi in space

Mars has enthralled us since time immemorial. The red dot in the night sky has represented God of War in some cultures and it has also given rise to tales of alien life. Mars is a planet that comes closest to resembling Earth in our solar system. The planet has an atmosphere, is almost the same as that of Earth, and it is just next door in the Solar System. It's no wonder that it appears to be the most likely candidate to start our hunt for alien life.

Perseverance, NASA's rover, is currently on the Martian surface. It is now hunting for signs of life on Mars' surface.

SuperCam, a bundle of instruments aboard Perseverance has already collected samples of Martian rocks and soil. It is hunting for signs of past life on the planet that is now just barren wastelands (as per our current understanding at least).

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It is already known that Mars had liquid water on its surface millions and millions of years ago. And the crater in which Perseverance made its landing in had a lake millions of years ago!

Where there is water, there is life. At least that's what our logic here on Earth says. Is it perfectly true even in case of celestial bodies? That's what is being ascertained.

The return to Earth years from now of the rocks and soil it retrieves "will give scientists the Holy Grail of planetary exploration," Jean-Yves le Gall, president of France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), which mostly built the mobile observatory, commented via a YouTube broadcast. &nbsp;

These "pieces of Mars", he said, may "finally answer this fascinating and fundamental question: was there ever life elsewhere than Earth?"

Our movies and books have been full of Martian invasions against Earth. Based on what we are hearing from Perseverance now, no invasion against Earth is being planned from the surface of Mars right now.

Jokes apart, even signs of ancient life on Mars would be a big discovery.&nbsp;

This will prove that we were not alone in this universe, and that life always finds a way even in harsh conditions.

(With AFP inputs)

Mars has enthralled us since time immemorial. The red dot in the night sky has represented God of War in some cultures and it has also given rise to tales of alien life.

Mars has enthralled us since time immemorial. The red dot in the night sky has represented God of War in some cultures and it has also given rise to tales of alien life. Mars is a planet that comes closest to resembling Earth in our solar system. The planet has an atmosphere, is almost the same as that of Earth, and it is just next door in the Solar System. It's no wonder that it appears to be the most likely candidate to start our hunt for alien life. Perseverance, NASA's rover, is currently on the Martian surface. It is now hunting for signs of life on Mars' surface. SuperCam, a bundle of instruments aboard Perseverance has already collected samples of Martian rocks and soil. It is hunting for signs of past life on the planet that is now just barren wastelands (as per our current understanding at least). × It is already known that Mars had liquid water on its surface millions and millions of years ago. And the crater in which Perseverance made its landing in had a lake millions of years ago! Where there is water, there is life. At least that's what our logic here on Earth says. Is it perfectly true even in case of celestial bodies? That's what is being ascertained. The return to Earth years from now of the rocks and soil it retrieves "will give scientists the Holy Grail of planetary exploration," Jean-Yves le Gall, president of France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), which mostly built the mobile observatory, commented via a YouTube broadcast. These "pieces of Mars", he said, may "finally answer this fascinating and fundamental question: was there ever life elsewhere than Earth?" Our movies and books have been full of Martian invasions against Earth. Based on what we are hearing from Perseverance now, no invasion against Earth is being planned from the surface of Mars right now. Jokes apart, even signs of ancient life on Mars would be a big discovery. This will prove that we were not alone in this universe, and that life always finds a way even in harsh conditions. (With AFP inputs)

NASA's Perseverance rover hunts for life on Mars

The Juno spacecraft of the&nbsp;National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shattered the false notions about the origin of zodiacal light or 'false dawns'.

The zodiacal light is sunlight reflected by dust particles between the Sun and Earth and is best seen close to sunrise or sunset. As its name implies, this celestial glow appears in the ring of constellations known as the zodiac. These are found along the ecliptic, which is the eastward apparent “path” that the Sun traces across Earth’s sky.

Astronomers have believed that zodiacal light&nbsp;is&nbsp;brought into the inner solar system by a few of the asteroid and comet families that venture in from afar.

An instrument aboard the Juno spacecraft serendipitously detected dust particles slamming into the spacecraft during its journey from Earth to Jupiter.

The impacts provided important clues to the origin and orbital evolution of the dust, resolving some mysterious variations of the zodiacal light. The discovery has big implications.

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John Leif Jørgensen, a professor at the Technical University of Denmark, said&nbsp;&nbsp;“I never thought we’d be looking for interplanetary dust.”

He designed&nbsp;the four star trackers that are part of Juno’s magnetometer investigation. These onboard cameras snap photos of the sky every quarter of a second to determine Juno’s orientation in space by recognizing star patterns in its images — an engineering task essential to the magnetometer’s accuracy.&nbsp;

It wasn’t until the researchers calculated the apparent size and velocity of the objects in the images that they finally realized something: Dust grains had smashed into Juno at about 10,000 miles (or 16,000 kilometers) per hour, chipping off submillimeter pieces. “Even though we’re talking about objects with only a tiny bit of mass, they pack a mean punch,” said Jack Connerney, Juno’s magnetometer investigation lead, and the mission’s deputy principal investigator, who’s based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

As it turned out, the spray of debris was coming from Juno’s expansive solar panels — the biggest and most sensitive unintended dust detector ever built.

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“Each piece of debris we tracked records the impact of an interplanetary dust particle, allowing us to compile a distribution of dust along Juno’s path,” Connerney said. Juno launched in 2011. After a deep-space manoeuvre in the asteroid belt in 2012, it returned to the inner solar system for an Earth gravity assist in 2013, which catapulted the spacecraft towards Jupiter.

Connerney and Jørgensen noticed that the majority of dust impacts were recorded between Earth and the asteroid belt, with gaps in the distribution related to the influence of Jupiter’s gravity.

According to scientists, this was a radical revelation. Before now, scientists have been unable to measure the distribution of these dust particles in space. Dedicated dust detectors have had limited collection areas and thus limited sensitivity to a sparse population of dust.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-detect-best-place-and-time-to-live-in-milky-way-368901">Astronomers detect best place and time to live in Milky Way</a>

They mostly count the more abundant and much smaller dust particles from interstellar space. In comparison, Juno’s expansive solar panels have 1,000 times more collection area than most dust detectors.

Juno scientists determined that the dust cloud ends at Earth because Earth’s gravity sucks up all the dust that gets near it. “That’s the dust we see as zodiacal light,” Jørgensen said.

As for the outer edge, around 2 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun (1 AU is the distance between Earth and the Sun), it ends just beyond Mars. At that point, the scientists report, the influence of Jupiter’s gravity acts as a barrier, preventing dust particles from crossing from the inner solar system into deep space. This same phenomenon, known as orbital resonance, also works the other way, where it blocks dust originating in deep space from passing into the inner solar system.

The profound influence of the gravity barrier indicates that the dust particles are in a nearly circular orbit around the Sun, Jørgensen said. “And the only object we know of in almost circular orbit around 2 AU is Mars, so the natural thought is that Mars is a source of this dust,” he said.

“The distribution of dust that we measure better be consistent with the variation of zodiacal light that has been observed,” Connerney said. The researchers developed a computer model to predict the light reflected by the dust cloud, dispersed by gravitational interaction with Jupiter that scatters the dust into a thicker disk. The scattering depends only on two quantities: the dust inclination to the ecliptic and its orbital eccentricity. When the researchers plugged in the orbital elements of Mars, the distribution accurately predicted the tell-tale signature of the variation of zodiacal light near the ecliptic. “That is, in my view, a confirmation that we know exactly how these particles are orbiting in our solar system,” Connerney said, “and where they originate.”

While there is good evidence now that Mars, the dustiest planet we know of, is the source of the zodiacal light, Jørgensen and his colleagues cannot yet explain how the dust could have escaped the grip of Martian gravity. They hope other scientists will help them.

In the meantime, the researchers note that finding the true distribution and density of dust particles in the solar system will help engineers design spacecraft materials that can better withstand dust impacts. Knowing the precise distribution of dust may also guide the design of flight paths for future spacecraft in order to avoid the highest concentration of particles. Tiny particles traveling at such high velocities can gouge up to 1,000 times their mass from a spacecraft.

Juno’s solar arrays escaped harm because the solar cells are well protected against impact on the back&nbsp;or dark&nbsp;side of the array by the support structure.

The Juno spacecraft of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shattered the false notions about the origin of zodiacal light or 'false dawns'.

The Juno spacecraft of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shattered the false notions about the origin of zodiacal light or 'false dawns'. The zodiacal light is sunlight reflected by dust particles between the Sun and Earth and is best seen close to sunrise or sunset. As its name implies, this celestial glow appears in the ring of constellations known as the zodiac. These are found along the ecliptic, which is the eastward apparent “path” that the Sun traces across Earth’s sky. Astronomers have believed that zodiacal light is brought into the inner solar system by a few of the asteroid and comet families that venture in from afar. An instrument aboard the Juno spacecraft serendipitously detected dust particles slamming into the spacecraft during its journey from Earth to Jupiter. The impacts provided important clues to the origin and orbital evolution of the dust, resolving some mysterious variations of the zodiacal light. The discovery has big implications. John Leif Jørgensen, a professor at the Technical University of Denmark, said “I never thought we’d be looking for interplanetary dust.” He designed the four star trackers that are part of Juno’s magnetometer investigation. These onboard cameras snap photos of the sky every quarter of a second to determine Juno’s orientation in space by recognizing star patterns in its images — an engineering task essential to the magnetometer’s accuracy. It wasn’t until the researchers calculated the apparent size and velocity of the objects in the images that they finally realized something: Dust grains had smashed into Juno at about 10,000 miles (or 16,000 kilometers) per hour, chipping off submillimeter pieces. “Even though we’re talking about objects with only a tiny bit of mass, they pack a mean punch,” said Jack Connerney, Juno’s magnetometer investigation lead, and the mission’s deputy principal investigator, who’s based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. As it turned out, the spray of debris was coming from Juno’s expansive solar panels — the biggest and most sensitive unintended dust detector ever built. “Each piece of debris we tracked records the impact of an interplanetary dust particle, allowing us to compile a distribution of dust along Juno’s path,” Connerney said. Juno launched in 2011. After a deep-space manoeuvre in the asteroid belt in 2012, it returned to the inner solar system for an Earth gravity assist in 2013, which catapulted the spacecraft towards Jupiter. Connerney and Jørgensen noticed that the majority of dust impacts were recorded between Earth and the asteroid belt, with gaps in the distribution related to the influence of Jupiter’s gravity. According to scientists, this was a radical revelation. Before now, scientists have been unable to measure the distribution of these dust particles in space. Dedicated dust detectors have had limited collection areas and thus limited sensitivity to a sparse population of dust. Also read: Astronomers detect best place and time to live in Milky Way They mostly count the more abundant and much smaller dust particles from interstellar space. In comparison, Juno’s expansive solar panels have 1,000 times more collection area than most dust detectors. Juno scientists determined that the dust cloud ends at Earth because Earth’s gravity sucks up all the dust that gets near it. “That’s the dust we see as zodiacal light,” Jørgensen said. As for the outer edge, around 2 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun (1 AU is the distance between Earth and the Sun), it ends just beyond Mars. At that point, the scientists report, the influence of Jupiter’s gravity acts as a barrier, preventing dust particles from crossing from the inner solar system into deep space. This same phenomenon, known as orbital resonance, also works the other way, where it blocks dust originating in deep space from passing into the inner solar system. The profound influence of the gravity barrier indicates that the dust particles are in a nearly circular orbit around the Sun, Jørgensen said. “And the only object we know of in almost circular orbit around 2 AU is Mars, so the natural thought is that Mars is a source of this dust,” he said. “The distribution of dust that we measure better be consistent with the variation of zodiacal light that has been observed,” Connerney said. The researchers developed a computer model to predict the light reflected by the dust cloud, dispersed by gravitational interaction with Jupiter that scatters the dust into a thicker disk. The scattering depends only on two quantities: the dust inclination to the ecliptic and its orbital eccentricity. When the researchers plugged in the orbital elements of Mars, the distribution accurately predicted the tell-tale signature of the variation of zodiacal light near the ecliptic. “That is, in my view, a confirmation that we know exactly how these particles are orbiting in our solar system,” Connerney said, “and where they originate.” While there is good evidence now that Mars, the dustiest planet we know of, is the source of the zodiacal light, Jørgensen and his colleagues cannot yet explain how the dust could have escaped the grip of Martian gravity. They hope other scientists will help them. In the meantime, the researchers note that finding the true distribution and density of dust particles in the solar system will help engineers design spacecraft materials that can better withstand dust impacts. Knowing the precise distribution of dust may also guide the design of flight paths for future spacecraft in order to avoid the highest concentration of particles. Tiny particles traveling at such high velocities can gouge up to 1,000 times their mass from a spacecraft. Juno’s solar arrays escaped harm because the solar cells are well protected against impact on the back or dark side of the array by the support structure.

NASA's Juno probe solves mystery of 'false dawns'

We've had stories and movies about Martian life for decades. But won't it be great if we found concrete proof of life on Mars? NASA's Perseverance rover is doing just that. Check out the video to know more.

Perseverance searches for life on Mars

Moon race heats up as Russia, China sign memorandum on lunar research station

As NASA aims to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, the agency is looking to the US universities for lunar-focused research to bring about advancements in onsite resource utilisation and sustainable power solutions.&nbsp;

The US space agency on Monday said that it has selected six project proposals under its first-ever Lunar Surface Technology Research (LuSTR) solicitation.&nbsp;

"Our inaugural LuSTR opportunity targeted two technology areas within NASA's Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative that are essential to the agency's Artemis programme, which will land the first woman and next man on the Moon," Walt Engelund, Deputy Associate Administrator for programmes in NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) said in a statement.&nbsp;

"The systems developed by the US universities could make future exploration more accessible, robust, and exciting."&nbsp;

Through LuSTR, NASA selected three university-led proposals to research innovative ways to identify resources, like water, on the Moon, and inventive designs for extraction and utilisation equipment.&nbsp;

The University of Texas in El Paso will research an advanced thermal mining approach that could release, trap, and transport water vapour found on the Moon, NASA said.&nbsp;

Washington University in St Louis will build a rover-mounted drill to quantify the 3D distribution of water at the Moon's South Pole.&nbsp;

Michigan Technological University in Houghton will adapt a heated percussive cone penetrometer, an engineering instrument regularly used on Earth, to characterise the strength of lunar soil, or regolith.&nbsp;

Understanding a lunar region's regolith strength could inform methods of excavating water and building structures using local materials.&nbsp;

Complementing this research, three other university teams will mature next-generation energy storage and power distribution technologies.&nbsp;

The projects could help power in-situ resource utilisation operations and other robust infrastructure on the Moon.&nbsp;

The University of California in Santa Barbara will research wireless power transfer feasibility from a base station to multiple distant assets on the Moon.&nbsp;

Vanderbilt University in Nashville will look into using silicon carbide power components for lunar surface applications.&nbsp;

The Ohio State University in Columbus will explore flexible energy distribution between multiple, different power grids, that may use solar, radioisotope, and battery sources, that could be deployed on the lunar surface to support the Artemis programme, NASA said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

As NASA aims to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, the agency is looking to the US universities for lunar-focused research to bring about advancements in onsite resource utilisation and sustainable power solutions.

As NASA aims to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, the agency is looking to the US universities for lunar-focused research to bring about advancements in onsite resource utilisation and sustainable power solutions. The US space agency on Monday said that it has selected six project proposals under its first-ever Lunar Surface Technology Research (LuSTR) solicitation. "Our inaugural LuSTR opportunity targeted two technology areas within NASA's Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative that are essential to the agency's Artemis programme, which will land the first woman and next man on the Moon," Walt Engelund, Deputy Associate Administrator for programmes in NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) said in a statement. "The systems developed by the US universities could make future exploration more accessible, robust, and exciting." Through LuSTR, NASA selected three university-led proposals to research innovative ways to identify resources, like water, on the Moon, and inventive designs for extraction and utilisation equipment. The University of Texas in El Paso will research an advanced thermal mining approach that could release, trap, and transport water vapour found on the Moon, NASA said. Washington University in St Louis will build a rover-mounted drill to quantify the 3D distribution of water at the Moon's South Pole. Michigan Technological University in Houghton will adapt a heated percussive cone penetrometer, an engineering instrument regularly used on Earth, to characterise the strength of lunar soil, or regolith. Understanding a lunar region's regolith strength could inform methods of excavating water and building structures using local materials. Complementing this research, three other university teams will mature next-generation energy storage and power distribution technologies. The projects could help power in-situ resource utilisation operations and other robust infrastructure on the Moon. The University of California in Santa Barbara will research wireless power transfer feasibility from a base station to multiple distant assets on the Moon. Vanderbilt University in Nashville will look into using silicon carbide power components for lunar surface applications. The Ohio State University in Columbus will explore flexible energy distribution between multiple, different power grids, that may use solar, radioisotope, and battery sources, that could be deployed on the lunar surface to support the Artemis programme, NASA said. (With inputs from agencies)

US varsities to develop lunar power tech for NASA 

The Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) has shipped its satellite components to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a joint satellite mission known as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR).

This joint mission, which is under development aims to provide earth observation data, that would&nbsp;help in the better management of natural resources and hazards. It is also meant to help scientists study the extent and pace of climate change.&nbsp;

According to ISRO, NISAR is a collaboration for a dual-frequency S-Band and L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar for earth observation. On March 4th, ISRO Chairman Dr. K. Sivan virtually flagged off the Indian-made S-Band payload from the Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad.

At the NASA facility, this S-Band radar will be integrated with the American L-Band radar, following which it would be sent to India, for further assembly, integration and launch.&nbsp;

“Once ready, NASA would send the payload to India and it will be entirely assembled as a satellite at the UR Rao Space Center in Bengaluru. We have not finalized the launch date, but it is likely to be around the end of 2022 or early 2023, onboard a GSLV Mark-II rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Center” Dr.K Sivan told WION.&nbsp;

NASA says that the NISAR mission will use advanced radar imaging that will provide an unprecedented, detailed view of Earth. “The satellite is designed to observe and take measurements of some of the planet's most complex processes.

These include ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse, and natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides” reads NASA’s NISAR page. It also adds that the project data would reveal information about the evolution and state of Earth’s crust.&nbsp;

It was on On Sept. 30, 2014, that NASA and ISRO signed a partnership to collaborate on and launch NISAR. NASA is providing the mission’s L-band synthetic aperture radar, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder and payload data subsystem. ISRO is providing the spacecraft bus, the S-band radar, the launch vehicle and associated launch services.

NASA adds that NISAR will be the first satellite mission to use two different radar frequencies (L-band and S-band) to measure changes in our planet's surface less than a centimetre across.&nbsp;

The Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) has shipped its satellite components to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a joint satellite mission known as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR).

The Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) has shipped its satellite components to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a joint satellite mission known as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR). This joint mission, which is under development aims to provide earth observation data, that would help in the better management of natural resources and hazards. It is also meant to help scientists study the extent and pace of climate change. According to ISRO, NISAR is a collaboration for a dual-frequency S-Band and L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar for earth observation. On March 4th, ISRO Chairman Dr. K. Sivan virtually flagged off the Indian-made S-Band payload from the Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad. At the NASA facility, this S-Band radar will be integrated with the American L-Band radar, following which it would be sent to India, for further assembly, integration and launch. “Once ready, NASA would send the payload to India and it will be entirely assembled as a satellite at the UR Rao Space Center in Bengaluru. We have not finalized the launch date, but it is likely to be around the end of 2022 or early 2023, onboard a GSLV Mark-II rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Center” Dr.K Sivan told WION. NASA says that the NISAR mission will use advanced radar imaging that will provide an unprecedented, detailed view of Earth. “The satellite is designed to observe and take measurements of some of the planet's most complex processes. These include ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse, and natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides” reads NASA’s NISAR page. It also adds that the project data would reveal information about the evolution and state of Earth’s crust. It was on On Sept. 30, 2014, that NASA and ISRO signed a partnership to collaborate on and launch NISAR. NASA is providing the mission’s L-band synthetic aperture radar, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder and payload data subsystem. ISRO is providing the spacecraft bus, the S-band radar, the launch vehicle and associated launch services. NASA adds that NISAR will be the first satellite mission to use two different radar frequencies (L-band and S-band) to measure changes in our planet's surface less than a centimetre across.

NASA-ISRO Earth observation satellite launch on GSLV Mk II by Jan 2023

Social media mongers can safely bet on NASA to release brilliant pictures of celestial bodies every now and then. The space agency has a robust presence in online world and they continue to post interesting bits of info and images that thrill.

NASA hasn't disappointed this time as well. It has tweeted a beautiful picture of a galaxy far far away. The name of the galaxy is NGC 2336 in scientist speak. The galaxy was discovered in 19th century. The image shows that the galaxy is a spiral, similar to our own Milky Way Galaxy.

"Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away. Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by @NASAHubble &nbsp;shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy," NASA tweeted.

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Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away.✨ 
 
Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAHubble?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAHubble</a> shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy. 
 
Find out how it gets its blue glow: <a href="https://t.co/2hLC3DajkO">https://t.co/2hLC3DajkO</a> <a href="https://t.co/XRh9MMNyy7">pic.twitter.com/XRh9MMNyy7</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1368687911600787457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The galaxy is 100 million light-years away! It means that even if we make a spaceship that travels at the speed of light, (~ 300 thousand kilometres per second) it will take us 100 million years to reach this galaxy.

This means an&nbsp;interesting thing.

The light from this galaxy that we see now, was emitted 100 million years ago! None of us or even our ancestors were alive when the light that reaches Earth today was emitted by the galaxy.

This leads to another interesting bit.

The galaxy NGC 2336 may have changed shape, collided with another galaxy, or may even have got obliterated. But we may only know that 100 million years after the event takes place. Because light from such an event will take that much time to reach us.

Space is super super huge. Feeling small yet?

Social media mongers can safely bet on NASA to release brilliant pictures of celestial bodies every now and then. The space agency has a robust presence in online world and they continue to post interesting bits of info and images that thrill.

Social media mongers can safely bet on NASA to release brilliant pictures of celestial bodies every now and then. The space agency has a robust presence in online world and they continue to post interesting bits of info and images that thrill. NASA hasn't disappointed this time as well. It has tweeted a beautiful picture of a galaxy far far away. The name of the galaxy is NGC 2336 in scientist speak. The galaxy was discovered in 19th century. The image shows that the galaxy is a spiral, similar to our own Milky Way Galaxy. "Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away. Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by @NASAHubble shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy," NASA tweeted. Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away.✨ Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by @NASAHubble shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy. Find out how it gets its blue glow: https://t.co/2hLC3DajkO pic.twitter.com/XRh9MMNyy7 — NASA (@NASA) March 7, 2021 × The galaxy is 100 million light-years away! It means that even if we make a spaceship that travels at the speed of light, (~ 300 thousand kilometres per second) it will take us 100 million years to reach this galaxy. This means an interesting thing. The light from this galaxy that we see now, was emitted 100 million years ago! None of us or even our ancestors were alive when the light that reaches Earth today was emitted by the galaxy. This leads to another interesting bit. The galaxy NGC 2336 may have changed shape, collided with another galaxy, or may even have got obliterated. But we may only know that 100 million years after the event takes place. Because light from such an event will take that much time to reach us. Space is super super huge. Feeling small yet?

NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away

As NASA’s Perseverance rover fell through the Martian atmosphere last month, a video camera on the spacecraft captured the breakneck deployment of its parachute, which was decorated with splotches of reddish-orange and white.

Those splotches were a secret message.

During a news conference last week, Allen Chen, the engineer in charge of the landing system, narrated what could be seen and learned in the slowed-down video.

He added, cryptically and nonchalantly, that his team hoped to inspire others. “Sometimes we leave messages in our work for others to find for that purpose,” he said. “So we invite you all to give it a shot and show your work.”

Across the Atlantic Ocean, Maxence Abela, a 23-year-old computer science student in Paris, realized what Chen was saying: The seemingly random pattern on Perseverance’s parachute contained a code.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-releases-beautiful-photo-of-a-galaxy-far-far-away-368896">NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away</a>

He called his father, Jerome, a software engineer at Google in London, and the two set to solving it.

“We like those kinds of little challenges,” Maxence Abela said. “We didn’t think we would be able to solve it, but we would at least try.”

Collaborating via teleconference, they downloaded the video, isolated images showing the fully inflated parachute and started piecing together the bits. So did others around the world, trading insights on Twitter and forums on Reddit.

“It’s just exciting that NASA is putting these little puzzles in their missions,” said Adithya Balaji, a graduate student in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who independently tackled the problem.

Balaji compared the parachute puzzle to a couple of science fiction movies: “Contact,” where a scientist played by Jodie Foster unravels an alien message, and “The Martian,” where Matt Damon’s character Mark Watney communicates with people back on Earth using a similar code.

“I think that it’s exciting that real life can be sometimes even more exciting than the movies,” Balaji said.

The person who came up with the idea for embedding a message was Ian Clark, who led development of the parachute. NASA’s previous rover, Curiosity, used the same system when it successfully landed on Mars in 2012. But a failure of a prototype parachute intended for future missions spurred engineers to improve the design.

While watching video of a high-altitude test of the new parachute for Perseverance, Clark noticed that the checkerboard pattern on the canopy made it difficult to track how individual portions of the parachute unfurled and inflated.

Because Perseverance would be outfitted with video cameras, Clark wanted a pattern that would be visually distinct. That, in turn, provided an opportunity “to have a little fun with it,” he said.

He asked Matt Wallace, a deputy project manager for the mission, for permission.

“I told them 'OK,'” Wallace recalled. “Just make sure it was appropriate and couldn’t be misinterpreted.”

The 70-foot-wide parachute consisted of 80 strips of fabric radiating outward from the center to form a hemisphere-shape canopy, and each strip consisted of four pieces. Clark thus had 320 pieces to work with.

Some of his ideas would have required additional colors, but that could have threatened the parachute’s integrity if untested dyes weakened the fabric fibers.

“We were unwilling to go to a cloth that was dyed in a color that we had never used before,” Wallace said.

Even a pattern of just orange and white, the two colors of previous parachutes, raised potential issues. “There’s all kinds of second-guessing questions,” Clark said. “Like could having more white than orange, or vice versa, mean that the parachute was going to warm up differently and maybe that would change its behavior?”

After all, mission managers would have been embarrassed if they had to explain how they lost a $2.7 billion mission because a parachute engineer had sneaked in a secret message.

But Clark’s analysis showed no ill effects, and the plan went forward. Until recently, only about half a dozen people knew about it.

When computer scientists see something in black and white — or, in this case, orange and white — they think of binary code, the 1s and 0s that are the language of computers. That was the first clue that the puzzle solvers pursued last week.

For each orange section on the Perseverance parachute, Maxence Abela and his father wrote down a 1, and for each white section, they assigned a 0. That translated into a long string of 1s and 0s.

They thought that perhaps the digits could be rearranged into a picture, like the message that scientists broadcast in 1974 from the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico to tell distant alien civilizations of humans on Earth.

“We couldn’t find anything that looked like anything,” Maxence Abela said.

They tried breaking up the digits into groups of 8 — a common practice used in computer programming — but that too yielded gibberish.

Then the elder Abela noticed that the digits seemed to fit in groups of 10. “Every 10 bits, there would be three zeros in a row,” Maxence Abela said. That, they decided, was not a coincidence.

Still, the resulting numbers did not make sense until they realized they had read the 1s and 0s in the wrong direction, anti-clockwise instead of clockwise. When they wrote down the digits in the opposite order, the 10-digit chunks of binary code translated into small numbers, which could then be assigned to letters. The number 1 corresponded to the letter A, the number 2 was B, 3 was C, 4 was D and so on.

The message on the inner three rings: “Dare Mighty Things.”

Maxence Abela posted on Twitter his answer at 4:36 p.m. Eastern time, about two hours after Chen had dropped his cryptic hint during the news conference.

This is a credo often cited at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, which built and operates Perseverance. It comes from “The Strenuous Life,” a speech by Theodore &nbsp;Roosevelt in 1899: “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

There were still some numbers and letters in the fourth ring that neither Abela could make sense of. Those turned out to be the longitude and latitude of the NASA center: 34°11’58” N 118°10’31” W.

“If you look in Google Earth, if you type in those coordinates, I think you’re about 10 feet from the door of the JPL visitor center,” Clark said.

In the evening, Adam Steltzner, the chief engineer for Perseverance, posted an annotated diagram explaining the solution.

The parachute was not the only fun that the builders of the Perseverance rover had.

Eagle-eyed observers spotted a series of drawings that represented the five rovers NASA has sent to Mars, from the small Sojourner in 1997 to Perseverance now.

A plaque that will be used to calibrate one of the rover’s main cameras includes patches of colors, but there are also whimsical drawings that include DNA, a rocket and a dinosaur.

On the edge of the calibration plaque is an inscription: “Are we alone? We came here to look for signs of life, and to collect samples of Mars for study on Earth. To those who follow, we wish a safe journey and the joy of discovery.”

As NASA’s Perseverance rover fell through the Martian atmosphere last month, a video camera on the spacecraft captured the breakneck deployment of its parachute, which was decorated with splotches of reddish-orange and white.

As NASA’s Perseverance rover fell through the Martian atmosphere last month, a video camera on the spacecraft captured the breakneck deployment of its parachute, which was decorated with splotches of reddish-orange and white. Those splotches were a secret message. During a news conference last week, Allen Chen, the engineer in charge of the landing system, narrated what could be seen and learned in the slowed-down video. He added, cryptically and nonchalantly, that his team hoped to inspire others. “Sometimes we leave messages in our work for others to find for that purpose,” he said. “So we invite you all to give it a shot and show your work.” Across the Atlantic Ocean, Maxence Abela, a 23-year-old computer science student in Paris, realized what Chen was saying: The seemingly random pattern on Perseverance’s parachute contained a code. Also Read | NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away He called his father, Jerome, a software engineer at Google in London, and the two set to solving it. “We like those kinds of little challenges,” Maxence Abela said. “We didn’t think we would be able to solve it, but we would at least try.” Collaborating via teleconference, they downloaded the video, isolated images showing the fully inflated parachute and started piecing together the bits. So did others around the world, trading insights on Twitter and forums on Reddit. “It’s just exciting that NASA is putting these little puzzles in their missions,” said Adithya Balaji, a graduate student in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who independently tackled the problem. Balaji compared the parachute puzzle to a couple of science fiction movies: “Contact,” where a scientist played by Jodie Foster unravels an alien message, and “The Martian,” where Matt Damon’s character Mark Watney communicates with people back on Earth using a similar code. “I think that it’s exciting that real life can be sometimes even more exciting than the movies,” Balaji said. The person who came up with the idea for embedding a message was Ian Clark, who led development of the parachute. NASA’s previous rover, Curiosity, used the same system when it successfully landed on Mars in 2012. But a failure of a prototype parachute intended for future missions spurred engineers to improve the design. While watching video of a high-altitude test of the new parachute for Perseverance, Clark noticed that the checkerboard pattern on the canopy made it difficult to track how individual portions of the parachute unfurled and inflated. Because Perseverance would be outfitted with video cameras, Clark wanted a pattern that would be visually distinct. That, in turn, provided an opportunity “to have a little fun with it,” he said. He asked Matt Wallace, a deputy project manager for the mission, for permission. “I told them 'OK,'” Wallace recalled. “Just make sure it was appropriate and couldn’t be misinterpreted.” The 70-foot-wide parachute consisted of 80 strips of fabric radiating outward from the center to form a hemisphere-shape canopy, and each strip consisted of four pieces. Clark thus had 320 pieces to work with. Some of his ideas would have required additional colors, but that could have threatened the parachute’s integrity if untested dyes weakened the fabric fibers. “We were unwilling to go to a cloth that was dyed in a color that we had never used before,” Wallace said. Even a pattern of just orange and white, the two colors of previous parachutes, raised potential issues. “There’s all kinds of second-guessing questions,” Clark said. “Like could having more white than orange, or vice versa, mean that the parachute was going to warm up differently and maybe that would change its behavior?” After all, mission managers would have been embarrassed if they had to explain how they lost a $2.7 billion mission because a parachute engineer had sneaked in a secret message. But Clark’s analysis showed no ill effects, and the plan went forward. Until recently, only about half a dozen people knew about it. When computer scientists see something in black and white — or, in this case, orange and white — they think of binary code, the 1s and 0s that are the language of computers. That was the first clue that the puzzle solvers pursued last week. For each orange section on the Perseverance parachute, Maxence Abela and his father wrote down a 1, and for each white section, they assigned a 0. That translated into a long string of 1s and 0s. They thought that perhaps the digits could be rearranged into a picture, like the message that scientists broadcast in 1974 from the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico to tell distant alien civilizations of humans on Earth. “We couldn’t find anything that looked like anything,” Maxence Abela said. They tried breaking up the digits into groups of 8 — a common practice used in computer programming — but that too yielded gibberish. Then the elder Abela noticed that the digits seemed to fit in groups of 10. “Every 10 bits, there would be three zeros in a row,” Maxence Abela said. That, they decided, was not a coincidence. Still, the resulting numbers did not make sense until they realized they had read the 1s and 0s in the wrong direction, anti-clockwise instead of clockwise. When they wrote down the digits in the opposite order, the 10-digit chunks of binary code translated into small numbers, which could then be assigned to letters. The number 1 corresponded to the letter A, the number 2 was B, 3 was C, 4 was D and so on. The message on the inner three rings: “Dare Mighty Things.” Maxence Abela posted on Twitter his answer at 4:36 p.m. Eastern time, about two hours after Chen had dropped his cryptic hint during the news conference. This is a credo often cited at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, which built and operates Perseverance. It comes from “The Strenuous Life,” a speech by Theodore Roosevelt in 1899: “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” There were still some numbers and letters in the fourth ring that neither Abela could make sense of. Those turned out to be the longitude and latitude of the NASA center: 34°11’58” N 118°10’31” W. “If you look in Google Earth, if you type in those coordinates, I think you’re about 10 feet from the door of the JPL visitor center,” Clark said. In the evening, Adam Steltzner, the chief engineer for Perseverance, posted an annotated diagram explaining the solution. The parachute was not the only fun that the builders of the Perseverance rover had. Eagle-eyed observers spotted a series of drawings that represented the five rovers NASA has sent to Mars, from the small Sojourner in 1997 to Perseverance now. A plaque that will be used to calibrate one of the rover’s main cameras includes patches of colors, but there are also whimsical drawings that include DNA, a rocket and a dinosaur. On the edge of the calibration plaque is an inscription: “Are we alone? We came here to look for signs of life, and to collect samples of Mars for study on Earth. To those who follow, we wish a safe journey and the joy of discovery.”

NASA sent a secret message to Mars. Meet the people who decoded it

NASA's Mars rover Perseverance has taken its first, short drive on the surface of the red planet, two weeks after the robot science lab's picture-perfect touchdown on the floor of a massive crater, mission managers said on Friday.

Mars rover Perseverance takes first spin on surface of red planet

As Perseverance completes pilot test drive on Mars, what's next for the rover?

Two astronauts floated outside the International Space Station on Friday&nbsp;to replace ageing batteries for the laboratory’s solar power system, an upgrade needed to keep the outpost running into the next decade, NASA said.

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi&nbsp;switched their spacesuits to battery power at 6:37 a.m. EST to begin the spacewalk, which is expected to last&nbsp;for about six and a half hours.

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"What a view!" <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Soichi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Soichi</a> and Kate Rubins are now working outside the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>, nearly 250 miles (402 kilometers) above the blue orb that's teeming with life. 🌍 <a href="https://t.co/rkkRP3LC7R">pic.twitter.com/rkkRP3LC7R</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1367807387239907329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Rubins and Noguchi will traverse out the station’s backbone truss structure to the far left (port) side set of solar arrays, the first pair of solar arrays deployed in December 2000. The spacewalkers will work together to complete the installation and configuration of modification kits on solar arrays 4B and 2B, which will enable new solar arrays to be installed to augment the space station’s power supply.&nbsp;

Following solar array modification kit configuration, the Rubins will conduct cable routing for the Bartolomeo platform Parking Position Interface (PAPOS) on the Columbus module, Noguchi will replace a Wireless Video System External Transceivers Assembly (WETA), and the pair will perform other get-ahead work as time permits.

This is the 236th spacewalk in support of space station assembly.

The US&nbsp;National Aeronautics and Space Administration expects it will take about three years to complete the space station’s power system upgrade, which will keep it operational until at least 2024.

Before this month’s spacewalks, ground control teams used the station’s robotic arm to move the new batteries into position and remove the old ones. This robotics work cut the number of spacewalks needed for the project from six to two, NASA said.

The solar-powered station draws power from the batteries when it flies in darkness, circling about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.

The space station, which is about the size of a five-bedroom house, is a $100 billion research laboratory, owned and operated by 16 nations.

Two astronauts floated outside the International Space Station on Friday to replace ageing batteries for the laboratory’s solar power system, an upgrade needed to keep the outpost running into the next decade, NASA said.

Two astronauts floated outside the International Space Station on Friday to replace ageing batteries for the laboratory’s solar power system, an upgrade needed to keep the outpost running into the next decade, NASA said. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi switched their spacesuits to battery power at 6:37 a.m. EST to begin the spacewalk, which is expected to last for about six and a half hours. "What a view!" @Astro_Soichi and Kate Rubins are now working outside the @Space_Station, nearly 250 miles (402 kilometers) above the blue orb that's teeming with life. 🌍 pic.twitter.com/rkkRP3LC7R — NASA (@NASA) March 5, 2021 × Rubins and Noguchi will traverse out the station’s backbone truss structure to the far left (port) side set of solar arrays, the first pair of solar arrays deployed in December 2000. The spacewalkers will work together to complete the installation and configuration of modification kits on solar arrays 4B and 2B, which will enable new solar arrays to be installed to augment the space station’s power supply. Following solar array modification kit configuration, the Rubins will conduct cable routing for the Bartolomeo platform Parking Position Interface (PAPOS) on the Columbus module, Noguchi will replace a Wireless Video System External Transceivers Assembly (WETA), and the pair will perform other get-ahead work as time permits. This is the 236th spacewalk in support of space station assembly. The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration expects it will take about three years to complete the space station’s power system upgrade, which will keep it operational until at least 2024. Before this month’s spacewalks, ground control teams used the station’s robotic arm to move the new batteries into position and remove the old ones. This robotics work cut the number of spacewalks needed for the project from six to two, NASA said. The solar-powered station draws power from the batteries when it flies in darkness, circling about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth. The space station, which is about the size of a five-bedroom house, is a $100 billion research laboratory, owned and operated by 16 nations.

NASA astronauts begin spacewalk to upgrade station power system

US President Joe <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/first-ever-summit-of-quad-leaders-set-to-take-place-368123">Biden</a> while congratulating the team of NASA scientists over a virtual interaction said that Indian-Americans are taking over the United States.

Watch:

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The US president made the remark while speaking to Indian-American scientist Swati Mohan who had led the guidance, navigation and control operations of NASA's Mars 2020 mission.

During the interaction, Swati Mohan told&nbsp;Biden: "I'm doing very well, Mr&nbsp;President thank you for taking the time to speak with us," to which the US president responded: "Are you kidding me? what an honour this is. This is an incredible honour&nbsp;and it's amazing. Indian-Americans are taking over the country: you, my vice president, my speechwriter Vinay [White House director of speechwriting Vinay Reddy], I tell you what&nbsp;but thank you, you guys are incredible."

Biden also referred to a large number of people from the Indian-American community getting a place in his administration.&nbsp;

Biden has appointed at least 55 Indian-Americans to key leadership positions in his administration with nearly half of them women and a sizable number of them working in the White House.

US President Joe Biden while congratulating the team of NASA scientists over a virtual interaction said that Indian-Americans are taking over the United States. Watch: The US president made the remark while speaking to Indian-American scientist Swati Mohan who had led the guidance, navigation and control operations of NASA's Mars 2020 mission.

US President Joe Biden while congratulating the team of NASA scientists over a virtual interaction said that Indian-Americans are taking over the United States. Watch: The US president made the remark while speaking to Indian-American scientist Swati Mohan who had led the guidance, navigation and control operations of NASA's Mars 2020 mission. During the interaction, Swati Mohan told Biden: "I'm doing very well, Mr President thank you for taking the time to speak with us," to which the US president responded: "Are you kidding me? what an honour this is. This is an incredible honour and it's amazing. Indian-Americans are taking over the country: you, my vice president, my speechwriter Vinay [White House director of speechwriting Vinay Reddy], I tell you what but thank you, you guys are incredible." Biden also referred to a large number of people from the Indian-American community getting a place in his administration. Biden has appointed at least 55 Indian-Americans to key leadership positions in his administration with nearly half of them women and a sizable number of them working in the White House.

Indian-Americans taking over the country, Biden jokes with NASA's Swati Mohan

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, set to be the largest of its kind&nbsp;concluded its final functional tests at Redondo Beach in California on March 1. 
 
The James Webb Space Telescope is part of an international programme led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) along with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency. When it launches in 2021, the telescope would become the supreme space observatory.

It would open up access to an array of worlds that are situated in the universe. The telescope would be able to view distant words that exist around other stars, along with attempting to understand the circumstances that created our universe. Essentially, the telescope will be the largest and most powerful ever and will help scientists view far off cosmic entities.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/spacex-nasa-to-launch-second-commercial-crew-rotation-mission-to-international-space-station-367728" hreflang="en">SpaceX, NASA to launch second Commercial Crew Rotation Mission to International Space Station</a> 
 
Besides simply offering a clearer view of night skies, the telescope would also shed light on the processes that created and shaped not only our own but all galaxies. According to NASA, the testing teams for the telescope were able to successfully achieve two key milestones in terms of performance, with all electronics working as intended which will help the telescope in transmitting and receiving data.

The space agency claims to be prepping the telescope for launch in October. In addition, NASA said that the telescope would be able to withstand the launch environment. Now, the telescope is undergoing a final systems evaluation, with a "ground segment test" scheduled for later. The test in question would help in processing scientific data, which would later be archived.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/is-it-possible-to-travel-faster-than-light-scientists-believe-so-367711" hreflang="en">Is it possible to travel faster than light? Scientists believe so!</a>

Once up and running in space, telescope commands would be transmitted from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore to one of the Deep Space Network locations in California, Spain, or Australia.&nbsp; 
 
From there, the signals will be forwarded to the observatory which will be over a million kilometres away.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, set to be the largest of its kind concluded its final functional tests at Redondo Beach in California on March 1. The James Webb Space Telescope is part of an international programme led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) along with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, set to be the largest of its kind concluded its final functional tests at Redondo Beach in California on March 1. The James Webb Space Telescope is part of an international programme led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) along with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency. When it launches in 2021, the telescope would become the supreme space observatory. It would open up access to an array of worlds that are situated in the universe. The telescope would be able to view distant words that exist around other stars, along with attempting to understand the circumstances that created our universe. Essentially, the telescope will be the largest and most powerful ever and will help scientists view far off cosmic entities. Also read: SpaceX, NASA to launch second Commercial Crew Rotation Mission to International Space Station Besides simply offering a clearer view of night skies, the telescope would also shed light on the processes that created and shaped not only our own but all galaxies. According to NASA, the testing teams for the telescope were able to successfully achieve two key milestones in terms of performance, with all electronics working as intended which will help the telescope in transmitting and receiving data. The space agency claims to be prepping the telescope for launch in October. In addition, NASA said that the telescope would be able to withstand the launch environment. Now, the telescope is undergoing a final systems evaluation, with a "ground segment test" scheduled for later. The test in question would help in processing scientific data, which would later be archived. Also read: Is it possible to travel faster than light? Scientists believe so! Once up and running in space, telescope commands would be transmitted from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore to one of the Deep Space Network locations in California, Spain, or Australia. From there, the signals will be forwarded to the observatory which will be over a million kilometres away.

As NASA finishes final tests of James Webb Space Telescope, here's a look at its supreme capabilities

The&nbsp;National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Elon Musk's SpaceX are going to launch the&nbsp;second Commercial Crew Rotation Mission to International Space Station.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission will carry astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA, Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft launching atop a Falcon 9 rocket on its way to the space station.

The mission is scheduled to lift off no earlier than April 20 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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The crew is scheduled for a long-duration stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, spending several months conducting science and maintenance before the four astronauts return to Earth in fall 2021.

NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight completed in 2020 was the final demonstration flight of the Crew Dragon and was followed by NASA completing the certification of the Crew Dragon system ahead of the Crew-1 mission.

All four astronauts were assigned to the Crew-2 mission in July 2020 and began working and training on SpaceX’s next-generation human spacecraft and for their long-duration stay aboard the space station.

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Lifting off from Launch Pad 39A on a Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon will accelerate its four passengers to approximately 17,500 mph and put it on an intercept course with the International Space Station. The Falcon 9 that will be used to launch this mission uses the same booster as NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1, marking the first time a flight-proven booster will be used for a crewed launch.

Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control will monitor a series of automatic manoeuvres that will guide the Crew-2 astronauts to their new home in orbit. After a predetermined time in orbit driven by the launch date, Crew Dragon will be in a position to rendezvous and dock with the space station. The spacecraft is designed to dock autonomously with the ability for astronauts aboard the spacecraft to take control and pilot manually, if necessary.

After successfully docking, the astronauts of Crew-2 will be welcomed aboard the station by the Expedition 65 crew, including the Crew-1 astronauts still onboard. The space station’s crew size will again expand to seven people, increasing the amount of crew time available for research.

The Crew Dragon being used for this flight will remain docked to the station for the full length of a long-duration space station expedition, lasting approximately six months. It is the same Crew Dragon capsule, dubbed “Endeavour,” that astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken flew to the space station for their historic Demo-2 mission. The Crew-2 astronauts will spend their time aboard the International Space Station conducting new and exciting scientific research in areas, such as medical technology, human health, and materials to benefit life on Earth.

Crew members will test the Butterfly IQ Ultrasound, a portable ultrasound device used in conjunction with a mobile computing device in the space environment. They also will conduct a variety of tissue engineering investigations, ranging from studies of bone, cardiovascular, muscle and liver health. An experiment from retail store Target will study cotton growth in microgravity to help identify more robust cotton varieties that require less water and pesticide use.

During their stay on the orbiting laboratory, astronauts of Crew-2 will see cargo spacecraft including the Northrop Grumman Cygnus and the SpaceX cargo Dragon. They will conduct a series of spacewalks to install new solar arrays, increasing the station’s total available power from 160 kilowatts to up to 215 kilowatts.

At the conclusion of the mission, Crew Dragon will autonomously undock with the four astronauts on board, depart the space station and re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. After splashdown just off Florida’s coast, a SpaceX recovery vessel will pick up the crew and bring them back to shore to board a plane for return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Crew-2 mission continues the efforts of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to restore and maintain American leadership in human spaceflight. Regular, long-duration commercial crew rotation missions enable NASA to continue the important research and technology investigations taking place onboard the station. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future exploration of the Moon and Mars starting with the agency’s Artemis program, which will land the first woman and the next man on the lunar surface.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Elon Musk's SpaceX are going to launch the second Commercial Crew Rotation Mission to International Space Station.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Elon Musk's SpaceX are going to launch the second Commercial Crew Rotation Mission to International Space Station. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission will carry astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA, Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft launching atop a Falcon 9 rocket on its way to the space station. The mission is scheduled to lift off no earlier than April 20 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Also see| NASA vs Musk's SpaceX: Race to put American boots on Mars The crew is scheduled for a long-duration stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, spending several months conducting science and maintenance before the four astronauts return to Earth in fall 2021. NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight completed in 2020 was the final demonstration flight of the Crew Dragon and was followed by NASA completing the certification of the Crew Dragon system ahead of the Crew-1 mission. All four astronauts were assigned to the Crew-2 mission in July 2020 and began working and training on SpaceX’s next-generation human spacecraft and for their long-duration stay aboard the space station. Also read| SpaceX announces first commercial astronaut mission to orbit Earth Lifting off from Launch Pad 39A on a Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon will accelerate its four passengers to approximately 17,500 mph and put it on an intercept course with the International Space Station. The Falcon 9 that will be used to launch this mission uses the same booster as NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1, marking the first time a flight-proven booster will be used for a crewed launch. Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control will monitor a series of automatic manoeuvres that will guide the Crew-2 astronauts to their new home in orbit. After a predetermined time in orbit driven by the launch date, Crew Dragon will be in a position to rendezvous and dock with the space station. The spacecraft is designed to dock autonomously with the ability for astronauts aboard the spacecraft to take control and pilot manually, if necessary. After successfully docking, the astronauts of Crew-2 will be welcomed aboard the station by the Expedition 65 crew, including the Crew-1 astronauts still onboard. The space station’s crew size will again expand to seven people, increasing the amount of crew time available for research. The Crew Dragon being used for this flight will remain docked to the station for the full length of a long-duration space station expedition, lasting approximately six months. It is the same Crew Dragon capsule, dubbed “Endeavour,” that astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken flew to the space station for their historic Demo-2 mission. The Crew-2 astronauts will spend their time aboard the International Space Station conducting new and exciting scientific research in areas, such as medical technology, human health, and materials to benefit life on Earth. Crew members will test the Butterfly IQ Ultrasound, a portable ultrasound device used in conjunction with a mobile computing device in the space environment. They also will conduct a variety of tissue engineering investigations, ranging from studies of bone, cardiovascular, muscle and liver health. An experiment from retail store Target will study cotton growth in microgravity to help identify more robust cotton varieties that require less water and pesticide use. During their stay on the orbiting laboratory, astronauts of Crew-2 will see cargo spacecraft including the Northrop Grumman Cygnus and the SpaceX cargo Dragon. They will conduct a series of spacewalks to install new solar arrays, increasing the station’s total available power from 160 kilowatts to up to 215 kilowatts. At the conclusion of the mission, Crew Dragon will autonomously undock with the four astronauts on board, depart the space station and re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. After splashdown just off Florida’s coast, a SpaceX recovery vessel will pick up the crew and bring them back to shore to board a plane for return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The Crew-2 mission continues the efforts of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to restore and maintain American leadership in human spaceflight. Regular, long-duration commercial crew rotation missions enable NASA to continue the important research and technology investigations taking place onboard the station. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future exploration of the Moon and Mars starting with the agency’s Artemis program, which will land the first woman and the next man on the lunar surface.

SpaceX, NASA to launch second Commercial Crew Rotation Mission to International Space Station

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a wayward comet-like object has been spotted near the family of ancient asteroids.

Watch:

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"The object has settled near a family of captured ancient asteroids, called Trojans," NASA said on its website. The object has been orbiting the Sun alongside Jupiter.

The US space agency said the object belongs to "a class of icy bodies found in space between Jupiter and Neptune" called Centaurs. The object has been captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

NASA said the "vagabond object shows signs of comet activity, such as a tail, outgassing in the form of jets, and an enshrouding coma of dust and gas."

Hubble researcher Bryce Bolin of Caltech in Pasadena, California said: “The visitor had to have come into the orbit of Jupiter at just the right trajectory to have this kind of configuration that gives it the appearance of sharing its orbit with the planet. We’re investigating how it was captured by Jupiter and landed among the Trojans. But we think it could be related to the fact that it had a somewhat close encounter with Jupiter."

NASA said the "nomadic object" was first spotted two years ago after Japanese amateur astronomer Seiichi Yoshida tipped off the Hubble team to possible comet activity.

The space agency then scanned data to find the object in fact existed. NASA said the "unexpected guest" will not stay among the asteroid for very long after conducting computer simulations.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a wayward comet-like object has been spotted near the family of ancient asteroids. Watch: "The object has settled near a family of captured ancient asteroids, called Trojans," NASA said on its website.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a wayward comet-like object has been spotted near the family of ancient asteroids. Watch: "The object has settled near a family of captured ancient asteroids, called Trojans," NASA said on its website. The object has been orbiting the Sun alongside Jupiter. The US space agency said the object belongs to "a class of icy bodies found in space between Jupiter and Neptune" called Centaurs. The object has been captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. NASA said the "vagabond object shows signs of comet activity, such as a tail, outgassing in the form of jets, and an enshrouding coma of dust and gas." Hubble researcher Bryce Bolin of Caltech in Pasadena, California said: “The visitor had to have come into the orbit of Jupiter at just the right trajectory to have this kind of configuration that gives it the appearance of sharing its orbit with the planet. We’re investigating how it was captured by Jupiter and landed among the Trojans. But we think it could be related to the fact that it had a somewhat close encounter with Jupiter." NASA said the "nomadic object" was first spotted two years ago after Japanese amateur astronomer Seiichi Yoshida tipped off the Hubble team to possible comet activity. The space agency then scanned data to find the object in fact existed. NASA said the "unexpected guest" will not stay among the asteroid for very long after conducting computer simulations.

Why a 'vagabond' comet-like object near ancient Trojan asteroids has caught NASA's attention

What's behind these strange stripes in Russia? NASA answers!

The&nbsp;Parker Solar Probe of the&nbsp;National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured stunning views of Venus during its close flyby of the planet.

When flying past Venus in July 2020, Parker Solar Probe’s WISPR instrument, (Wide-field Imager for Parker Solar Probe)&nbsp;detected a bright rim around the edge of the planet that may be nightglow,&nbsp;light emitted by oxygen atoms high in the atmosphere that recombine into molecules in the nightside.

The prominent dark feature in the centre of the image is Aphrodite Terra, the largest highland region on the Venusian surface. Bright streaks in WISPR, such as the ones seen here, are typically caused by a combination of charged particles, called cosmic rays, sunlight reflected by grains of space dust, and particles of material expelled from the spacecraft’s structures after impact with those dust grains.

The number of streaks varies along the orbit or when the spacecraft is traveling at different speeds, and scientists are still in discussion about the specific origins of the streaks here. The dark spot appearing on the lower portion of Venus is an artifact from the WISPR instrument.

WISPR is designed to take images of the solar corona and inner heliosphere in visible light, as well as images of the solar wind and its structures as they approach and fly by spacecraft.&nbsp;At Venus, the camera detected a bright rim around the edge of the planet that may be nightglow — light emitted by oxygen atoms high in the atmosphere that recombine into molecules in the nightside. The prominent dark feature in the centre of the image is Aphrodite Terra, the largest highland region on the Venusian surface. The feature appears dark because of its lower temperature, about 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) cooler than its surroundings.

That aspect of the image took the team by surprise, said Angelos Vourlidas, the WISPR project scientist from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, who coordinated a WISPR imaging campaign with Japan’s Venus-orbiting Akatsuki mission. “WISPR is tailored and tested for visible-light observations. We expected to see clouds, but the camera peered right through to the surface.”

“WISPR effectively captured the thermal emission of the Venusian surface,” said Brian Wood, an astrophysicist and WISPR team member from the US&nbsp;Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. “It’s very similar to images acquired by the Akatsuki spacecraft at near-infrared wavelengths.”

This surprising observation sent the WISPR team back to the lab to measure the instrument’s sensitivity to infrared light. If WISPR can indeed pick up near-infrared wavelengths of light, the unforeseen capability would provide new opportunities to study dust around the Sun and in the inner solar system. If it can’t pick up extra infrared wavelengths, then these images — showing signatures of features on Venus’ surface — may have revealed a previously unknown “window” through the Venusian atmosphere.

“Either way,” Vourlidas said, “some exciting science opportunities await us.”

For more insight into the July 2020 images, the WISPR team planned a set of similar observations of the Venusian nightside during Parker Solar Probe’s latest Venus flyby on Feb. 20, 2021. Mission team scientists expect to receive and process that data for analysis by the end of April.

“We are really looking forward to these new images,” said Javier Peralta, a planetary scientist from the Akatsuki team, who first suggested a Parker Solar Probe campaign with Akatsuki, which has been in orbiting Venus since 2015. “If WISPR can sense the thermal emission from the surface of Venus and nightglow — most likely from oxygen — at the limb of the planet, it can make valuable contributions to studies of the Venusian surface.”

Parker Solar Probe is part of NASA’s Living with a Star program to explore aspects of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. The Living with a Star program is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Johns Hopkins APL designed, built and operates the spacecraft.

The Parker Solar Probe of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured stunning views of Venus during its close flyby of the planet. When flying past Venus in July 2020, Parker Solar Probe’s WISPR instrument, (Wide-field Imager for Parker Solar Probe) detected a bright rim around the edge of the planet that may be nightglow, light emitted by oxygen atoms high in the atmosphere that recombine into molecules in the nightside.

The Parker Solar Probe of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured stunning views of Venus during its close flyby of the planet. When flying past Venus in July 2020, Parker Solar Probe’s WISPR instrument, (Wide-field Imager for Parker Solar Probe) detected a bright rim around the edge of the planet that may be nightglow, light emitted by oxygen atoms high in the atmosphere that recombine into molecules in the nightside. The prominent dark feature in the centre of the image is Aphrodite Terra, the largest highland region on the Venusian surface. Bright streaks in WISPR, such as the ones seen here, are typically caused by a combination of charged particles, called cosmic rays, sunlight reflected by grains of space dust, and particles of material expelled from the spacecraft’s structures after impact with those dust grains. The number of streaks varies along the orbit or when the spacecraft is traveling at different speeds, and scientists are still in discussion about the specific origins of the streaks here. The dark spot appearing on the lower portion of Venus is an artifact from the WISPR instrument. WISPR is designed to take images of the solar corona and inner heliosphere in visible light, as well as images of the solar wind and its structures as they approach and fly by spacecraft. At Venus, the camera detected a bright rim around the edge of the planet that may be nightglow — light emitted by oxygen atoms high in the atmosphere that recombine into molecules in the nightside. The prominent dark feature in the centre of the image is Aphrodite Terra, the largest highland region on the Venusian surface. The feature appears dark because of its lower temperature, about 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) cooler than its surroundings. That aspect of the image took the team by surprise, said Angelos Vourlidas, the WISPR project scientist from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, who coordinated a WISPR imaging campaign with Japan’s Venus-orbiting Akatsuki mission. “WISPR is tailored and tested for visible-light observations. We expected to see clouds, but the camera peered right through to the surface.” “WISPR effectively captured the thermal emission of the Venusian surface,” said Brian Wood, an astrophysicist and WISPR team member from the US Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. “It’s very similar to images acquired by the Akatsuki spacecraft at near-infrared wavelengths.” This surprising observation sent the WISPR team back to the lab to measure the instrument’s sensitivity to infrared light. If WISPR can indeed pick up near-infrared wavelengths of light, the unforeseen capability would provide new opportunities to study dust around the Sun and in the inner solar system. If it can’t pick up extra infrared wavelengths, then these images — showing signatures of features on Venus’ surface — may have revealed a previously unknown “window” through the Venusian atmosphere. “Either way,” Vourlidas said, “some exciting science opportunities await us.” For more insight into the July 2020 images, the WISPR team planned a set of similar observations of the Venusian nightside during Parker Solar Probe’s latest Venus flyby on Feb. 20, 2021. Mission team scientists expect to receive and process that data for analysis by the end of April. “We are really looking forward to these new images,” said Javier Peralta, a planetary scientist from the Akatsuki team, who first suggested a Parker Solar Probe campaign with Akatsuki, which has been in orbiting Venus since 2015. “If WISPR can sense the thermal emission from the surface of Venus and nightglow — most likely from oxygen — at the limb of the planet, it can make valuable contributions to studies of the Venusian surface.” Parker Solar Probe is part of NASA’s Living with a Star program to explore aspects of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. The Living with a Star program is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Johns Hopkins APL designed, built and operates the spacecraft.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe sends stunning image of Venus and its terrain

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration recently unveiled a new experiment - the Super Soaker mission. Quite literally, the agency created artificial glowing clouds.

How did they do this? 
NASA fired a mini rocket into the Earth's upper atmosphere, which was then detonated to create the artificial clouds. These clouds are referred to as polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) and constitute ice crystals that are high up in the atmosphere. These clouds glow for they are able to capture sunlight.

Related video:&nbsp;NASA's astrobiology rover Perseverance makes historic Mars landing

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Why is this important? 
These clouds can help point to key components that are responsible for maintaining life on Earth, and could offer insight into the atmosphere's conditions. This experiment was peculiarly challenging for the PMCs were created in January, which is not the most ideal time for their formation.

The NASA team shot up a small suborbital rocket from Alaska to a height of 85 kilometres (53 miles), following which an explosion was triggered. After this, 219 kilograms (485 pounds) of water was released into the atmosphere.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/rare-backwards-spinning-star-spotted-in-a-distant-planetary-system-by-scientists-364030" hreflang="en">Rare backwards-spinning star spotted in a distant planetary system by scientists</a>

18 seconds after the explosion, a ground-based laser detected the glow of PMCs, which then shed light on how the process occurred, and how it was able to cool the atmosphere.

The scientists found that the vapour in the upper atmosphere in the aftermath of the explosion was able to significantly lower the temperature in the region.&nbsp; It was owing to this temperature that these artificial glowing clouds came into being.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-is-offering-500000-to-cooks-who-can-make-other-worldly-meals-for-astronauts-363813" hreflang="en">NASA is offering $500,000 to cooks who can make other worldly meals for astronauts</a>

In the aftermath of the satellite and rocket launches, water vapour is generally released. Scientists believe that as the space surrounding Earth becomes more crowded with satellites, such glowing clouds may become more common to the observer.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration recently unveiled a new experiment - the Super Soaker mission. Quite literally, the agency created artificial glowing clouds.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration recently unveiled a new experiment - the Super Soaker mission. Quite literally, the agency created artificial glowing clouds. How did they do this? NASA fired a mini rocket into the Earth's upper atmosphere, which was then detonated to create the artificial clouds. These clouds are referred to as polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) and constitute ice crystals that are high up in the atmosphere. These clouds glow for they are able to capture sunlight. Related video: NASA's astrobiology rover Perseverance makes historic Mars landing Why is this important? These clouds can help point to key components that are responsible for maintaining life on Earth, and could offer insight into the atmosphere's conditions. This experiment was peculiarly challenging for the PMCs were created in January, which is not the most ideal time for their formation. The NASA team shot up a small suborbital rocket from Alaska to a height of 85 kilometres (53 miles), following which an explosion was triggered. After this, 219 kilograms (485 pounds) of water was released into the atmosphere. Also read: Rare backwards-spinning star spotted in a distant planetary system by scientists 18 seconds after the explosion, a ground-based laser detected the glow of PMCs, which then shed light on how the process occurred, and how it was able to cool the atmosphere. The scientists found that the vapour in the upper atmosphere in the aftermath of the explosion was able to significantly lower the temperature in the region. It was owing to this temperature that these artificial glowing clouds came into being. Also read: NASA is offering $500,000 to cooks who can make other worldly meals for astronauts In the aftermath of the satellite and rocket launches, water vapour is generally released. Scientists believe that as the space surrounding Earth becomes more crowded with satellites, such glowing clouds may become more common to the observer.

NASA recently created artificial glowing clouds in the Earth's atmosphere!

School students in India have discovered 18 asteroids&nbsp;as part of a global science programme, according to the&nbsp;International Astronomical Union (IAU), an organisation that assigns official names and designations to celestial bodies.

The International Asteroid Discovery Project was conducted by STEM and Space, an organisation working towards the learning of astronomy and space science in India, along with the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) as part of a NASA citizen science project.

Over the last two years, 150 students from all around India participated in this two-month-long campaign to find asteroids, making this the largest asteroid discovery project in India, Mila Mitra, Co-founder and Academic Head of STEM and Space said.

In the project, the students from India, and across the globe analysed the high-quality astronomical data provided by IASC, an online scientific program for kids to discover Asteroids and Near-Earth Objects (NEO).

NEOs are rocky objects in an orbit between Mars and Jupiter, which pose a challenge to Earth as they may get perturbed out of their orbit and pose a threat of impact. 
According to Mitra and her team, NASA has initiated programs like IASC to track such asteroids regularly, also open to citizen scientists and students to enable the discovery and tracking of more asteroids.

She explained that in the project the students use advanced software analysis, "spending nearly two-three hours each day" to look for asteroids and report their findings. 
Of the 372 preliminary asteroids flagged by the students, 18 were finally declared to be "provisional" or confirmed discoveries of asteroids, Mitra noted.

"IAU confirmed these findings last month," the STEM and Space co-founder added.

Mitra believes brings such programs can bring the experiential learning of science, technology, engineering and medicine, or STEM, via the domain of space with a gamut of hands-on learning workshops.

However, she said more efforts need to be taken to extend the reach of such programs to government-run schools and those in rural parts of the country to make the citizen science projects more equitable.

Mitra noted that all the discoverers received Provisional Discovery Certificates from IASC and NASA for their scientific contribution in discovering asteroids.

School students in India have discovered 18 asteroids as part of a global science programme, according to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), an organisation that assigns official names and designations to celestial bodies.

School students in India have discovered 18 asteroids as part of a global science programme, according to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), an organisation that assigns official names and designations to celestial bodies. The International Asteroid Discovery Project was conducted by STEM and Space, an organisation working towards the learning of astronomy and space science in India, along with the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) as part of a NASA citizen science project. Over the last two years, 150 students from all around India participated in this two-month-long campaign to find asteroids, making this the largest asteroid discovery project in India, Mila Mitra, Co-founder and Academic Head of STEM and Space said. In the project, the students from India, and across the globe analysed the high-quality astronomical data provided by IASC, an online scientific program for kids to discover Asteroids and Near-Earth Objects (NEO). NEOs are rocky objects in an orbit between Mars and Jupiter, which pose a challenge to Earth as they may get perturbed out of their orbit and pose a threat of impact. According to Mitra and her team, NASA has initiated programs like IASC to track such asteroids regularly, also open to citizen scientists and students to enable the discovery and tracking of more asteroids. She explained that in the project the students use advanced software analysis, "spending nearly two-three hours each day" to look for asteroids and report their findings. Of the 372 preliminary asteroids flagged by the students, 18 were finally declared to be "provisional" or confirmed discoveries of asteroids, Mitra noted. "IAU confirmed these findings last month," the STEM and Space co-founder added. Mitra believes brings such programs can bring the experiential learning of science, technology, engineering and medicine, or STEM, via the domain of space with a gamut of hands-on learning workshops. However, she said more efforts need to be taken to extend the reach of such programs to government-run schools and those in rural parts of the country to make the citizen science projects more equitable. Mitra noted that all the discoverers received Provisional Discovery Certificates from IASC and NASA for their scientific contribution in discovering asteroids.

Indian school students discover 18 new asteroids

US space agency NASA released a brilliant panoramic view on Wednesday of the landing site of the Perseverance rover on Mars. The panorama shows the rim of the Jezero Crater. Perseverance landed at the crator last week. Cliff face of an ancient river delta is visible in the panorama as well.

The panorama was taken by the mast of the rover that is equipped with dual, zoomable cameras that can take high-def video and images.

"We're nestled right in a sweet spot, where you can see different features similar in many ways to features found by Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity at their landing sites," said Jim Bell of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration.

Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity were previous missions to Mars.

NASA said the rover's cameras will help scientists assess the geologic history and atmospheric conditions of Jezero Crater and identify rocks and sediment worthy of a closer examination and collection for eventual return to Earth.

On Monday, the US space agency released the first audio from Mars, a faint crackling recording of a gust of wind captured by the rover's microphone.

NASA also released video of the landing of the rover, which is on a mission to search for signs of past life on the Red Planet.

(With AFP inputs)

US space agency NASA released a brilliant panoramic view on Wednesday of the landing site of the Perseverance rover on Mars. The panorama shows the rim of the Jezero Crater.

US space agency NASA released a brilliant panoramic view on Wednesday of the landing site of the Perseverance rover on Mars. The panorama shows the rim of the Jezero Crater. Perseverance landed at the crator last week. Cliff face of an ancient river delta is visible in the panorama as well. The panorama was taken by the mast of the rover that is equipped with dual, zoomable cameras that can take high-def video and images. "We're nestled right in a sweet spot, where you can see different features similar in many ways to features found by Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity at their landing sites," said Jim Bell of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration. Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity were previous missions to Mars. NASA said the rover's cameras will help scientists assess the geologic history and atmospheric conditions of Jezero Crater and identify rocks and sediment worthy of a closer examination and collection for eventual return to Earth. On Monday, the US space agency released the first audio from Mars, a faint crackling recording of a gust of wind captured by the rover's microphone. NASA also released video of the landing of the rover, which is on a mission to search for signs of past life on the Red Planet. (With AFP inputs)

NASA releases 360-degree panorama of Mars

Respecting the contributions of NASA's first African-American female engineer, Mary Jackson, the space organisation has decided to rename its Washington DC's headquarters.

On Friday, in a ceremony held at the Washington building, the headquarters' name was formally changed in Jackson's honour.

Jackson started her career with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in April 1951.

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/space-station-launch-honours-black-nasa-mathematician-in-hidden-figures-film-365210">&nbsp;Space station launch honours Black NASA mathematician in 'Hidden Figures' film</a>

She worked with NASA for 34 years where she started as a mathematician conducting research but went on to become the first African-American female engineer.

Jackson, later, moved into administration and worked as NASA's equal opportunity officer, with the aim to promote equality and provide similar opportunities to people from different backgrounds.

"She helped us propel the dawn of the Space Age through her work as a ‘human computer’. Now, our headquarters building will be named in her honor," NASA said in a tweet.

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She helped us propel the dawn of the Space Age through her work as a ‘human computer’. Now, our headquarters building will be named in her honor. Get to know Mary W. Jackson, our first African American female engineer: <a href="https://t.co/QvrTKd3L2Z">https://t.co/QvrTKd3L2Z</a> <a href="https://t.co/pJd6h8AttM">pic.twitter.com/pJd6h8AttM</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1365331902777982981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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She was also honoured with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor of the country, in 2019.&nbsp;

The mathematician especially rose to fame after she was featured as one of the subjects of the book "Hidden Figures", which was later turned into a movie.

"NASA facilities across the country are named after people who dedicated their lives to push the frontiers of the aerospace industry. The nation is beginning to awaken to the greater need to honor the full diversity of people who helped pioneer our great nation," former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the first woman, African-American and Asian origin VP of the country, also tweeted in the praise of Jackson.

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Mary W. Jackson, one of the ‘Hidden Figures,’ was critical to getting American astronauts into space. She broke barriers at home, persevered, and inspired the next generation of engineers, scientists, and explorers. I’m pleased to see <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a>’s DC headquarters named in her honor. <a href="https://t.co/R0eD72COHB">https://t.co/R0eD72COHB</a>
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1365382749671088129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"Mary W. Jackson, one of the ‘Hidden Figures,’ was critical to getting American astronauts into space. She broke barriers at home, persevered, and inspired the next generation of engineers, scientists, and explorers. I’m pleased to see @NASA’s DC headquarters named in her honor," she said.

Respecting the contributions of NASA's first African-American female engineer, Mary Jackson, the space organisation has decided to rename its Washington DC's headquarters.

Respecting the contributions of NASA's first African-American female engineer, Mary Jackson, the space organisation has decided to rename its Washington DC's headquarters. On Friday, in a ceremony held at the Washington building, the headquarters' name was formally changed in Jackson's honour. Jackson started her career with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in April 1951. Also read| Space station launch honours Black NASA mathematician in 'Hidden Figures' film She worked with NASA for 34 years where she started as a mathematician conducting research but went on to become the first African-American female engineer. Jackson, later, moved into administration and worked as NASA's equal opportunity officer, with the aim to promote equality and provide similar opportunities to people from different backgrounds. "She helped us propel the dawn of the Space Age through her work as a ‘human computer’. Now, our headquarters building will be named in her honor," NASA said in a tweet. She helped us propel the dawn of the Space Age through her work as a ‘human computer’. Now, our headquarters building will be named in her honor. Get to know Mary W. Jackson, our first African American female engineer: https://t.co/QvrTKd3L2Z pic.twitter.com/pJd6h8AttM — NASA (@NASA) February 26, 2021 × She was also honoured with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor of the country, in 2019. The mathematician especially rose to fame after she was featured as one of the subjects of the book "Hidden Figures", which was later turned into a movie. "NASA facilities across the country are named after people who dedicated their lives to push the frontiers of the aerospace industry. The nation is beginning to awaken to the greater need to honor the full diversity of people who helped pioneer our great nation," former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the first woman, African-American and Asian origin VP of the country, also tweeted in the praise of Jackson. Mary W. Jackson, one of the ‘Hidden Figures,’ was critical to getting American astronauts into space. She broke barriers at home, persevered, and inspired the next generation of engineers, scientists, and explorers. I’m pleased to see @NASA’s DC headquarters named in her honor. https://t.co/R0eD72COHB — Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) February 26, 2021 × "Mary W. Jackson, one of the ‘Hidden Figures,’ was critical to getting American astronauts into space. She broke barriers at home, persevered, and inspired the next generation of engineers, scientists, and explorers. I’m pleased to see @NASA’s DC headquarters named in her honor," she said.

NASA renames headquarters to honour  'hidden figures' scientist Mary Jackson

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