NASA released video captured by of its own landing on the surface of the Red Planet last week. The roughly three minute video, released by NASA on Monday (February 22) shows the final minutes of Perseverance's entry, descent and landing on the surface of Mars. Perseverance is seen landing in a swirl of sand and small rocks kicked up from the planet's surface by the rover's powerful rocket engines. Five cameras located on three different components of the spacecraft collected the imagery, according to NASA.

Perseverance rover releases first ever video of landing on Mars surface

&nbsp;Some microbes found on Earth may temporarily survive on the surface of Mars, according to a study that could be vital for the success of future missions to the Red Planet.

It comes after&nbsp;the Perseverance rover of&nbsp;the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) touched down on Mars last week.

Scientists at the US space agency and German Aerospace Centre&nbsp;tested the endurance of microorganisms to Martian conditions by launching them into the stratosphere, the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere which closely represents key conditions on Mars.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/as-eyes-set-on-nasas-perseverance-world-races-to-find-mars-mysteries-364447" hreflang="en">As eyes set on NASA's Perseverance, world races to find Mars mysteries</a>

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, paves the way for understanding not only the threat of microbes to space missions but also the opportunities for resource independence from Earth.

"We successfully tested a new way of exposing bacteria and fungi to Mars-like conditions by using a scientific balloon to fly our experimental equipment up to Earth`s stratosphere," said Marta Filipa Cortesao, joint first author of this study from the German Aerospace Centre in Cologne, Germany. 
 
"Some microbes, in particular spores from the black mold fungus, were able to survive the trip, even when exposed to very high UV (ultraviolet) radiation." 
 
Understanding the endurance of microbes to space travel is vital for the success of future missions.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/video-indian-american-scientist-swati-mohan-played-key-role-in-nasa-mars-rover-landing-364941/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

When searching for extra-terrestrial life, we need to be sure that anything we discover has not just travelled with us from Earth. 
 
"With crewed long-term missions to Mars, we need to know how human-associated micro-organisms would survive on the Red Planet, as some may pose a health risk to astronauts," said joint first author Katharina Siems, also based at the German Aerospace Centre. 
 
"In addition, some microbes could be invaluable for space exploration. They could help us produce food and material supplies independently from Earth, which will be crucial when far away from home." 
 
Many key characteristics of the environment at the Martian surface cannot be found or easily replicated at the surface of our planet. However, above the ozone layer in Earth's middle stratosphere, the conditions are remarkably similar. 
 
"We launched the microbes into the stratosphere inside the MARSBOx (Microbes in Atmosphere for Radiation, Survival and Biological Outcomes experiment) payload, which was kept at Martian pressure and filled with artificial Martian atmosphere throughout the mission," explained Cortesao. 
 
"While not all the microbes survived the trip, one previously detected on the International Space Station, the black mold Aspergillus niger, could be revived after it returned home," explains Siems, who highlights the importance of this ongoing research.

Some microbes found on Earth may temporarily survive on the surface of Mars, according to a study that could be vital for the success of future missions to the Red Planet.

Some microbes found on Earth may temporarily survive on the surface of Mars, according to a study that could be vital for the success of future missions to the Red Planet. It comes after the Perseverance rover of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) touched down on Mars last week. Scientists at the US space agency and German Aerospace Centre tested the endurance of microorganisms to Martian conditions by launching them into the stratosphere, the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere which closely represents key conditions on Mars. Also read: As eyes set on NASA's Perseverance, world races to find Mars mysteries The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, paves the way for understanding not only the threat of microbes to space missions but also the opportunities for resource independence from Earth. "We successfully tested a new way of exposing bacteria and fungi to Mars-like conditions by using a scientific balloon to fly our experimental equipment up to Earth`s stratosphere," said Marta Filipa Cortesao, joint first author of this study from the German Aerospace Centre in Cologne, Germany. "Some microbes, in particular spores from the black mold fungus, were able to survive the trip, even when exposed to very high UV (ultraviolet) radiation." Understanding the endurance of microbes to space travel is vital for the success of future missions. When searching for extra-terrestrial life, we need to be sure that anything we discover has not just travelled with us from Earth. "With crewed long-term missions to Mars, we need to know how human-associated micro-organisms would survive on the Red Planet, as some may pose a health risk to astronauts," said joint first author Katharina Siems, also based at the German Aerospace Centre. "In addition, some microbes could be invaluable for space exploration. They could help us produce food and material supplies independently from Earth, which will be crucial when far away from home." Many key characteristics of the environment at the Martian surface cannot be found or easily replicated at the surface of our planet. However, above the ozone layer in Earth's middle stratosphere, the conditions are remarkably similar. "We launched the microbes into the stratosphere inside the MARSBOx (Microbes in Atmosphere for Radiation, Survival and Biological Outcomes experiment) payload, which was kept at Martian pressure and filled with artificial Martian atmosphere throughout the mission," explained Cortesao. "While not all the microbes survived the trip, one previously detected on the International Space Station, the black mold Aspergillus niger, could be revived after it returned home," explains Siems, who highlights the importance of this ongoing research.

Study reveals microbes from Earth could temporarily survive on Mars

Bone cancer survivor&nbsp;Hayley Arceneaux will join&nbsp;billionaire Jared Isaacman on SpaceX's&nbsp;first all-civilian mission into Earth's orbit.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital announced Monday that the 29-year-old physician assistant,&nbsp;a former patient hired last spring,&nbsp;will launch later this year alongside a billionaire who's using his purchased spaceflight as a charitable fundraiser.

Arceneaux will become the youngest American in space&nbsp;beating NASA record-holder Sally Ride by over two years&nbsp;when she blasts off this fall with entrepreneur Jared Isaacman and two yet-to-be-chosen contest winners. She'll also be the first to launch with a prosthesis.

The second seat will&nbsp;be drawn from those who enter the raffle and are encouraged to donate to the hospital.

A third will be picked by a panel of judges from entrepreneurs who use an e-commerce tool from&nbsp;Isaacman's company, Shift4 Payments.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/spacex-announces-first-commercial-astronaut-mission-to-orbit-earth-360776">SpaceX announces first commercial astronaut mission to orbit Earth</a>

Isaacman announced his space mission on February 1, pledging to raise $200 million for St. Jude, half of that his own contribution.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime adventure: a journey into outer space on the first all-civilian space flight," according to a website dedicated to the mission.

All three crewmembers "will receive commercial astronaut training by SpaceX on the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft," as well as orbital mechanics and stress testing, including operating in micro- or zero gravity, the statement said.

SpaceX says that during the multi-day mission, the astronauts will orbit Earth every 90 minutes.

After the mission, the spacecraft will reenter the atmosphere for a water landing off the Florida coast.

In mid-November 2020, four astronauts were successfully carried into orbit by a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and boarded the International Space Station.

The Dragon capsule had just a week prior become the first spacecraft to be certified by NASA since the Space Shuttle nearly 40 years ago. Its launch vehicle is the reusable SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.&nbsp;

At the end of its missions, the Crew Dragon deploys parachutes and then splashes down in the water, just as in the Apollo era.

NASA turned to SpaceX and Boeing after shuttering the checkered Space Shuttle program in 2011, which failed in its main objectives of making space travel affordable and safe.

The agency will have spent more than $8 billion on the Commercial Crew program by 2024, with the hope that the private sector can take care of NASA's needs in "low Earth orbit" so it is freed up to focus on return missions to the Moon and then on to Mars.

In addition to the first commercial mission, SpaceX is scheduled to launch two more crewed flights for NASA in 2021, including one in the spring, and four cargo refueling missions over the next 15 months.

Bone cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux will join billionaire Jared Isaacman on SpaceX's first all-civilian mission into Earth's orbit. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital announced Monday that the 29-year-old physician assistant, a former patient hired last spring, will launch later this year alongside a billionaire who's using his purchased spaceflight as a charitable fundraiser.

Bone cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux will join billionaire Jared Isaacman on SpaceX's first all-civilian mission into Earth's orbit. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital announced Monday that the 29-year-old physician assistant, a former patient hired last spring, will launch later this year alongside a billionaire who's using his purchased spaceflight as a charitable fundraiser. Arceneaux will become the youngest American in space beating NASA record-holder Sally Ride by over two years when she blasts off this fall with entrepreneur Jared Isaacman and two yet-to-be-chosen contest winners. She'll also be the first to launch with a prosthesis. The second seat will be drawn from those who enter the raffle and are encouraged to donate to the hospital. A third will be picked by a panel of judges from entrepreneurs who use an e-commerce tool from Isaacman's company, Shift4 Payments. Also read: SpaceX announces first commercial astronaut mission to orbit Earth Isaacman announced his space mission on February 1, pledging to raise $200 million for St. Jude, half of that his own contribution. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime adventure: a journey into outer space on the first all-civilian space flight," according to a website dedicated to the mission. All three crewmembers "will receive commercial astronaut training by SpaceX on the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft," as well as orbital mechanics and stress testing, including operating in micro- or zero gravity, the statement said. SpaceX says that during the multi-day mission, the astronauts will orbit Earth every 90 minutes. After the mission, the spacecraft will reenter the atmosphere for a water landing off the Florida coast. In mid-November 2020, four astronauts were successfully carried into orbit by a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and boarded the International Space Station. The Dragon capsule had just a week prior become the first spacecraft to be certified by NASA since the Space Shuttle nearly 40 years ago. Its launch vehicle is the reusable SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. At the end of its missions, the Crew Dragon deploys parachutes and then splashes down in the water, just as in the Apollo era. NASA turned to SpaceX and Boeing after shuttering the checkered Space Shuttle program in 2011, which failed in its main objectives of making space travel affordable and safe. The agency will have spent more than $8 billion on the Commercial Crew program by 2024, with the hope that the private sector can take care of NASA's needs in "low Earth orbit" so it is freed up to focus on return missions to the Moon and then on to Mars. In addition to the first commercial mission, SpaceX is scheduled to launch two more crewed flights for NASA in 2021, including one in the spring, and four cargo refueling missions over the next 15 months.

Bone cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux to join billionaire Jared Isaacman on SpaceX 'all-civilian' trip

A space station supply ship named after the Black NASA mathematician featured in the movie 'Hidden Figures'&nbsp;rocketed into orbit Sunday, the 59th anniversary of John Glenn's historic launch.

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus capsule&nbsp;dubbed the ''S.S. Katherine Johnson''&nbsp;should reach the International Space Station on Monday following its launch from Virginia's eastern shore.

Johnson died almost exactly a year ago at age 101.

''Mrs. Johnson was selected for her hand-written calculations that helped launch the first Americans into space, as well as her accomplishments in breaking glass ceiling after glass ceiling as a Black woman,''&nbsp;Frank DeMauro, a Northrop Grumman vice president, said on the eve of liftoff.

''A homework assignment for all of you is to go watch that movie after the Cygnus launch.''

Johnson's numbers contributed to the February&nbsp;20, 1962, flight in which Glenn became the first American to orbit the world. The film, released in late 2016, depicted the effort put forth by Johnson and other Black women at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, during the early days of space exploration. Langley is 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the launch site at Wallops Island.

Northrop Grumman launched the 4-ton shipment for NASA in the early afternoon from Wallops, where temperatures were just above freezing. The Antares rocket was visible from the Carolinas to Connecticut, at least where skies were clear.

This will be the space station's second delivery in less than a week. A Russian capsule pulled up Wednesday with apples and oranges, among other things.

''Oh, we love fresh food!!!''&nbsp;tweeted Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi. He noted that the space station flew over Virginia just 10 minutes ahead of Sunday's launch.

Noguchi and his six US&nbsp;And Russian crewmates can expect more apples once the Cygnus arrives, along with tomatoes, nuts, smoked salmon, Parmesan and cheddar cheeses, caramels, and coconut strips.

The capsule also holds 120,000 tiny roundworms for a muscle experiment, as well as off-the-shelf computer equipment to increase data processing speed at the space station. Also flying: radiation detectors intended for NASA's astronaut moon-landing program, and a new system to convert more of the astronauts' urine into drinking water.

It is Northrop Grumman's 15th station supply run for NASA. SpaceX is NASA's other shipper.

A space station supply ship named after the Black NASA mathematician featured in the movie 'Hidden Figures' rocketed into orbit Sunday, the 59th anniversary of John Glenn's historic launch.

A space station supply ship named after the Black NASA mathematician featured in the movie 'Hidden Figures' rocketed into orbit Sunday, the 59th anniversary of John Glenn's historic launch. Northrop Grumman's Cygnus capsule dubbed the ''S.S. Katherine Johnson'' should reach the International Space Station on Monday following its launch from Virginia's eastern shore. Johnson died almost exactly a year ago at age 101. ''Mrs. Johnson was selected for her hand-written calculations that helped launch the first Americans into space, as well as her accomplishments in breaking glass ceiling after glass ceiling as a Black woman,'' Frank DeMauro, a Northrop Grumman vice president, said on the eve of liftoff. ''A homework assignment for all of you is to go watch that movie after the Cygnus launch.'' Johnson's numbers contributed to the February 20, 1962, flight in which Glenn became the first American to orbit the world. The film, released in late 2016, depicted the effort put forth by Johnson and other Black women at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, during the early days of space exploration. Langley is 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the launch site at Wallops Island. Northrop Grumman launched the 4-ton shipment for NASA in the early afternoon from Wallops, where temperatures were just above freezing. The Antares rocket was visible from the Carolinas to Connecticut, at least where skies were clear. This will be the space station's second delivery in less than a week. A Russian capsule pulled up Wednesday with apples and oranges, among other things. ''Oh, we love fresh food!!!'' tweeted Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi. He noted that the space station flew over Virginia just 10 minutes ahead of Sunday's launch. Noguchi and his six US And Russian crewmates can expect more apples once the Cygnus arrives, along with tomatoes, nuts, smoked salmon, Parmesan and cheddar cheeses, caramels, and coconut strips. The capsule also holds 120,000 tiny roundworms for a muscle experiment, as well as off-the-shelf computer equipment to increase data processing speed at the space station. Also flying: radiation detectors intended for NASA's astronaut moon-landing program, and a new system to convert more of the astronauts' urine into drinking water. It is Northrop Grumman's 15th station supply run for NASA. SpaceX is NASA's other shipper.

Space station launch honours Black NASA mathematician in 'Hidden Figures' film

NASA's Mars rover Perseverance, the most advanced astrobiology lab ever sent to another world, streaked through the Martian atmosphere on Thursday and landed safely inside a vast crater, the first stop on a search for traces of ancient microbial life on the Red Planet.

NASA's astrobiology rover Perseverance makes historic Mars landing

NASA on Friday released spectacular new images from its Mars mission, which saw the successful landing of the rover Perseverance. New images are coloured as opposed to black and white ones sent by the rover earlier. New images also include the one taken when the rover was being lowered on the surface of Mars. Such an image has been captured for the first time.

The high-resolution still was extracted from a video taken by the descent stage of the spacecraft that had transported the rover from Earth.

At that moment, the descent stage was using its six-engined jetpack to slow to a speed of about 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) per hour as part of the "skycrane maneuver," the final phase of landing.

"You can see the dust kicked up by the rover's engines," said Adam Steltzner, Perseverance's chief engineer, who estimated the shot was taken about two meters (six feet) or so above the ground.

The three straight lines are mechanical bridles holding the rover underneath the descent stage, while the curly cable was used to transmit the data from the cameras to Perseverance.

As the rover touched down on the surface, it cut the 21-foot-long cables tugs allowing the descent stage to fly away for its own landing.

<img alt="NASA Mars perseverance" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dceb0ac2-1a64-426f-867c-f7af3fa2f02e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_93D9UC.jpg" />

Another new image, taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, captures Perseverance as it was parachuting down through the atmosphere at hundreds of miles an hour.

Jezero crator where Perseverance has landed has a river and deep lake existed billions of years ago.

A second colour image shows one of the rover's six wheels, with several honeycombed rocks thought to be more than 3.6 billion years old lying next to it.

<img alt="NASA Mars perseverance" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6db402ac-e9e8-471f-8ece-e7c4a33d78da" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_93E28D.jpg" />

"One of the questions we'll ask first is whether these rocks represent a volcanic or sedimentary origin," said NASA deputy project scientist Katie Stack Morgan.

Volcanic rocks in particular can be dated with very high precision once the samples are brought back to Earth on a future return mission -- an exciting development from a planetary science perspective.

As the first images came in, "it was exhilarating, the team went wild," said mission operations system manager Pauline Hwang.

Check out | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/nasas-perseverance-rover-beams-first-pictures-from-martian-surface-364748">NASA's Perseverance rover beams first pictures from Martian surface</a>

"The science team immediately started looking at all those rocks and zooming in and going, 'What is that!' -- it couldn't have been better."

The first two images were released on Thursday shortly after the rover landed, but they were lower resolution and in black-and-white because of the limited data rate available.

NASA hopes to have more high resolution photos and videos in the coming days, but doesn't know yet if it has successfully recorded sound on Mars for the first time using microphones.

That might be known later this weekend or early next week, said Steltzner.

NASA on Friday released spectacular new images from its Mars mission, which saw the successful landing of the rover Perseverance. New images are coloured as opposed to black and white ones sent by the rover earlier.

NASA on Friday released spectacular new images from its Mars mission, which saw the successful landing of the rover Perseverance. New images are coloured as opposed to black and white ones sent by the rover earlier. New images also include the one taken when the rover was being lowered on the surface of Mars. Such an image has been captured for the first time. The high-resolution still was extracted from a video taken by the descent stage of the spacecraft that had transported the rover from Earth. At that moment, the descent stage was using its six-engined jetpack to slow to a speed of about 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) per hour as part of the "skycrane maneuver," the final phase of landing. "You can see the dust kicked up by the rover's engines," said Adam Steltzner, Perseverance's chief engineer, who estimated the shot was taken about two meters (six feet) or so above the ground. The three straight lines are mechanical bridles holding the rover underneath the descent stage, while the curly cable was used to transmit the data from the cameras to Perseverance. As the rover touched down on the surface, it cut the 21-foot-long cables tugs allowing the descent stage to fly away for its own landing. Another new image, taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, captures Perseverance as it was parachuting down through the atmosphere at hundreds of miles an hour. Jezero crator where Perseverance has landed has a river and deep lake existed billions of years ago. A second colour image shows one of the rover's six wheels, with several honeycombed rocks thought to be more than 3.6 billion years old lying next to it. "One of the questions we'll ask first is whether these rocks represent a volcanic or sedimentary origin," said NASA deputy project scientist Katie Stack Morgan. Volcanic rocks in particular can be dated with very high precision once the samples are brought back to Earth on a future return mission -- an exciting development from a planetary science perspective. As the first images came in, "it was exhilarating, the team went wild," said mission operations system manager Pauline Hwang. Check out | NASA's Perseverance rover beams first pictures from Martian surface "The science team immediately started looking at all those rocks and zooming in and going, 'What is that!' -- it couldn't have been better." The first two images were released on Thursday shortly after the rover landed, but they were lower resolution and in black-and-white because of the limited data rate available. NASA hopes to have more high resolution photos and videos in the coming days, but doesn't know yet if it has successfully recorded sound on Mars for the first time using microphones. That might be known later this weekend or early next week, said Steltzner.

Mars landing: NASA's Perseverance sends spectacular new colour images

NASA's Mars rover Perseverance, the most advanced astrobiology lab ever sent to another world, transmitted the first ever color images from the Red Planet on Thursday (February 18).

Perseverance rover sends first color images from Mars

NASA's Mars rover Perseverence succssfully touched down on the red planet in early hours of Friday (Indian time). It will now carry out observations for life on Mars that may have existed billions of years ago. Meanwhile, various Spanish cities have seen massive violence over jailing of a rapper. Read this and more in our Morning News Brief

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/touchdown-confirmed-nasas-perseverance-rover-lands-on-mars-364653">'Touchdown confirmed': NASA's Perseverance rover lands on Mars</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/touchdown-confirmed-nasas-perseverance-rover-lands-on-mars-364653"><img alt="NASA Mars touchdown" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c2a1e827-55b4-4710-b2ad-4dad12580722" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Mars_1.JPG" /></a> 
 
US President Biden congratulated NASA and said that the event has proved once again that with the power of science and American ingenuity, nothing is beyond the realm of possibility.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-administration-offers-talks-with-iran-over-nuclear-deal-364657">Biden administration offers talks with Iran over nuclear deal</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-administration-offers-talks-with-iran-over-nuclear-deal-364657"><img alt="Biden nuclear deal" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cfe032af-1d6f-4a19-a383-a2a6156f8008" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Iran%20nuclear%20deal.JPG" /></a> 
 
Iran's Rouhani government has demanded an end to the sanctions before joining the US at the negotiating table.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spain-hundreds-protest-for-third-night-after-rappers-jailing-364655">Spain: Hundreds protest for third night after rapper's jailing</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spain-hundreds-protest-for-third-night-after-rappers-jailing-364655"><img alt="Spain violence" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a5aa5a57-9d78-479d-8ffb-d9cd05e30d0e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Spain.JPG" /></a> 
 
Known for his hard-left views, the rapper was arrested after failing to turn himself in on Friday to start a nine-month sentence over tweets calling former king Juan Carlos I a mafia boss

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republican-senator-ted-cruz-faces-criticism-over-trip-as-texas-battles-winter-storm-364666">Republican Senator Ted Cruz faces criticism over trip as Texas battles winter storm</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republican-senator-ted-cruz-faces-criticism-over-trip-as-texas-battles-winter-storm-364666"><img alt="Ted Cruz" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9a19f698-4079-471c-96c9-4d8537477e04" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Ted%20Cruz.JPG" /></a> 
 
The lack of power has cut off water supplies for millions, further strained hospitals' ability to treat patients amid a pandemic in Texas

41 students still missing in Nigeria’s latest school kidnapping

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/41-students-still-missing-in-nigerias-latest-school-kidnapping-364658/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

NASA's Mars rover Perseverence succssfully touched down on the red planet in early hours of Friday (Indian time). It will now carry out observations for life on Mars that may have existed billions of years ago.

NASA's Mars rover Perseverence succssfully touched down on the red planet in early hours of Friday (Indian time). It will now carry out observations for life on Mars that may have existed billions of years ago. Meanwhile, various Spanish cities have seen massive violence over jailing of a rapper. Read this and more in our Morning News Brief 'Touchdown confirmed': NASA's Perseverance rover lands on Mars US President Biden congratulated NASA and said that the event has proved once again that with the power of science and American ingenuity, nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. Biden administration offers talks with Iran over nuclear deal Iran's Rouhani government has demanded an end to the sanctions before joining the US at the negotiating table. Spain: Hundreds protest for third night after rapper's jailing Known for his hard-left views, the rapper was arrested after failing to turn himself in on Friday to start a nine-month sentence over tweets calling former king Juan Carlos I a mafia boss Republican Senator Ted Cruz faces criticism over trip as Texas battles winter storm The lack of power has cut off water supplies for millions, further strained hospitals' ability to treat patients amid a pandemic in Texas 41 students still missing in Nigeria’s latest school kidnapping ×

Morning news brief: NASA rover reaches Mars, Spain violence, and more

After hurtling through space for 7 months, NASA's perseverance rover is all set for its daredevil descent. Can the cutting edge rover stick the landing, or will the notorious bot-killing planet claim another victim?

WION Special: The Race to Mars

The biggest crater of the moon, which covers nearly a quarter of its surface, has revealed new information regarding its formation and scientists believe it has ''tremendous implications''.

The study published in JGR planets shows an analysis of the&nbsp;South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA), that is 2500km in diametres and approximately 8.2 km deep, that has refined the timeline of the development of lunar mantle and crust.

According to&nbsp;Daniel Moriarty,&nbsp;planetary geologist of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and&nbsp;the lead researcher of the study, ''These results&nbsp;have important implications for understanding the formation and evolution of the Moon.''

Like the Earth, the Moon is layered into a crust and mantle. The Moon's layering was shaped by an early global melting event known as the “Lunar Magma Ocean.”

As the magma ocean solidified, dense minerals sank to form the mantle, while less dense minerals floated to form the crust.

Elements such as thorium are not easily incorporated into mineral structures and remain in the liquid. Because of this, a thorium-rich dreg layer was sandwiched between the crust and mantle. These dregs are very dense and are expected to sink into the underlying mantle during or soon after crystallization.

The Moon's largest and oldest impact basin excavated material from this dense, thorium-rich layer before it sank.

The exposed material was then diluted and obscured by four billion years of impact cratering and volcanic eruptions. However, we identify several pristine exposures created by recent craters.

The impact basin also melted rocks from greater depths than the rocks it ejected. These melted rocks exhibit a much different composition.

This indicates that the lunar upper mantle included two compositionally distinct layers that were exposed in different ways by this large impact event. These results have important implications for understanding the formation and evolution of the Moon.

The researchers&nbsp;wrote in their paper ''Formation of the South Pole-Aitken Basin is among the most ancient and important events in lunar history. Not only did it affect the thermal and chemical evolution of the lunar mantle, but it preserved heterogeneous mantle materials on the lunar surface in the form of ejecta and impact melt.''

''As we enter into a new age of international and commercial lunar exploration, these mantle materials at the lunar surface must be considered amongst the highest-priority targets for the advancement of planetary science," they added.

The biggest crater of the moon, which covers nearly a quarter of its surface, has revealed new information regarding its formation and scientists believe it has ''tremendous implications''.

The biggest crater of the moon, which covers nearly a quarter of its surface, has revealed new information regarding its formation and scientists believe it has ''tremendous implications''. The study published in JGR planets shows an analysis of the South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA), that is 2500km in diametres and approximately 8.2 km deep, that has refined the timeline of the development of lunar mantle and crust. According to Daniel Moriarty, planetary geologist of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the lead researcher of the study, ''These results have important implications for understanding the formation and evolution of the Moon.'' Like the Earth, the Moon is layered into a crust and mantle. The Moon's layering was shaped by an early global melting event known as the “Lunar Magma Ocean.” As the magma ocean solidified, dense minerals sank to form the mantle, while less dense minerals floated to form the crust. Elements such as thorium are not easily incorporated into mineral structures and remain in the liquid. Because of this, a thorium-rich dreg layer was sandwiched between the crust and mantle. These dregs are very dense and are expected to sink into the underlying mantle during or soon after crystallization. The Moon's largest and oldest impact basin excavated material from this dense, thorium-rich layer before it sank. The exposed material was then diluted and obscured by four billion years of impact cratering and volcanic eruptions. However, we identify several pristine exposures created by recent craters. The impact basin also melted rocks from greater depths than the rocks it ejected. These melted rocks exhibit a much different composition. This indicates that the lunar upper mantle included two compositionally distinct layers that were exposed in different ways by this large impact event. These results have important implications for understanding the formation and evolution of the Moon. The researchers wrote in their paper ''Formation of the South Pole-Aitken Basin is among the most ancient and important events in lunar history. Not only did it affect the thermal and chemical evolution of the lunar mantle, but it preserved heterogeneous mantle materials on the lunar surface in the form of ejecta and impact melt.'' ''As we enter into a new age of international and commercial lunar exploration, these mantle materials at the lunar surface must be considered amongst the highest-priority targets for the advancement of planetary science," they added.

'Tremendous implications': Moon's biggest crater reveals lunar formation secrets

The world is advancing using technology and science, and the space organisation NASA is hoping to turn the tide for good by flying a helicopter on the planet Mars.

NASA is hoping to be able to fly a helicopter to Mars for the first time. However, this chopper will have to face a lot of challenges, which would be more and different from the usual spacecraft.

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">NASA is offering $500,000 to cooks who can make other worldly meals for astronauts</a>

Being transported aboard the Mars 2020 spacecraft, which will be arriving at Mars on Thursday, the small Ingenuity helicopter will also have to face the challenge of battling the atmosphere of Mars, which is just one per cent the density of Earth's.

The 'helicopter', in reality, looks more like a mini-drone of Earth and weighs nearly four pounds (1.8 kilograms). This 'mini drone' has blades which are much larger than usual and can therefore spin nearly five times faster than the same speed required to generate the lift on Earth — 2,400 revolutions per minute.

With four feet, a box-like body, and four carbon-fibre blades arranged in two rotors spinning in opposite directions, Ingenuity comes also gains help from Mars' gravitational force, which is a third of the planet Earth.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/seven-minutes-of-terror-nasa-perseverance-rovers-landing-on-mars-explained-363582" hreflang="en">‘Seven minutes of terror’: Nasa Perseverance rover’s landing on Mars explained</a>

Ingenuity is also equipped with two cameras, computers and navigation sensors. The helicopter uses solar cells to recharge its batteries, of which majority of it is used to stay warm on cold Martian nights with the temperature falling to minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 90 degrees Celsius).

As of now, the helicopter is being transported to Mars through Perseverance Rover. It will drop Ingenuity to the Martian ground upon landing, and will then drive away on its own path.

Ingenuity will fly at altitudes of 10-15 feet (3-5 meters) and travel as far as 160 feet (50 meters) from its starting area and back. Each of these flights will last up to a minute and half, which is much more in comparison to Wright Brothers' 12-seconds flight in North Carolina, back in 1903.

The helicopter will not be controlled by joystick from Earth due to its distance from the Earth, and has therefore been designed to fly autonomously. Its onboard computers will work with its sensors and cameras to keep it on a path programmed by its engineers.

If the mission is successful, it "basically opens up a whole new dimension of exploring Mars," said Bob Balaram, Ingenuity's chief engineer.

The world is advancing using technology and science, and the space organisation NASA is hoping to turn the tide for good by flying a helicopter on the planet Mars.

The world is advancing using technology and science, and the space organisation NASA is hoping to turn the tide for good by flying a helicopter on the planet Mars. NASA is hoping to be able to fly a helicopter to Mars for the first time. However, this chopper will have to face a lot of challenges, which would be more and different from the usual spacecraft. Also read| NASA is offering $500,000 to cooks who can make other worldly meals for astronauts Being transported aboard the Mars 2020 spacecraft, which will be arriving at Mars on Thursday, the small Ingenuity helicopter will also have to face the challenge of battling the atmosphere of Mars, which is just one per cent the density of Earth's. The 'helicopter', in reality, looks more like a mini-drone of Earth and weighs nearly four pounds (1.8 kilograms). This 'mini drone' has blades which are much larger than usual and can therefore spin nearly five times faster than the same speed required to generate the lift on Earth — 2,400 revolutions per minute. With four feet, a box-like body, and four carbon-fibre blades arranged in two rotors spinning in opposite directions, Ingenuity comes also gains help from Mars' gravitational force, which is a third of the planet Earth. Also read| ‘Seven minutes of terror’: Nasa Perseverance rover’s landing on Mars explained Ingenuity is also equipped with two cameras, computers and navigation sensors. The helicopter uses solar cells to recharge its batteries, of which majority of it is used to stay warm on cold Martian nights with the temperature falling to minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 90 degrees Celsius). As of now, the helicopter is being transported to Mars through Perseverance Rover. It will drop Ingenuity to the Martian ground upon landing, and will then drive away on its own path. Ingenuity will fly at altitudes of 10-15 feet (3-5 meters) and travel as far as 160 feet (50 meters) from its starting area and back. Each of these flights will last up to a minute and half, which is much more in comparison to Wright Brothers' 12-seconds flight in North Carolina, back in 1903. The helicopter will not be controlled by joystick from Earth due to its distance from the Earth, and has therefore been designed to fly autonomously. Its onboard computers will work with its sensors and cameras to keep it on a path programmed by its engineers. If the mission is successful, it "basically opens up a whole new dimension of exploring Mars," said Bob Balaram, Ingenuity's chief engineer.

NASA hopes to fly 'Ingenuity' helicopter on Mars

NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover is arguably humanity's most ambitious project yet and it will reach Mars on the 18th of February.

NASA Mars Mission: Perseverance Rover will reach Mars on Feb 18

Consider yourself an out worldly cook? NASA may have the perfect job for you.&nbsp;The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is offering a whopping $500,000 to the winners of its "Deep Space Food Challenge". The victors will be required to cook meals for astronauts who will head to Mars.

The agency, in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency, is looking for people to come up with new technologies and apparatuses to feed astronauts embarking on space expeditions. 
 
Think it is an easy job? Think again. 
Astronauts require careful diets to keep them energised in the far reaches of the universe. Just recently, food researchers came up with a chocolate bar which carries high amounts of calories to ensure astronauts are high on energy. At the same time, the goal is to ensure the weight of food onboard space flights remains low.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/seven-minutes-of-terror-nasa-perseverance-rovers-landing-on-mars-explained-363582" hreflang="en">‘Seven minutes of terror’: Nasa Perseverance rover’s landing on Mars explained</a>

Over the last few years, NASA has been exploring ways to grow fruits and vegetables in space to provide healthier food options to astronauts.

What does the challenge aim to accomplish? 
Scientists are looking at new ways to feed astronauts, especially the ones expected to head to Mars. The interstellar journey to Mars is roughly three years long, and requires its astronauts remain fit and equipped to deal with challenges new terrain on Mars might pose.

Besides providing healthy food to the voyagers, the aim of the mission is to produce new ways to grow food not only in space but in difficult terrains on Earth.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLHaMU0hMWX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLHaMU0hMWX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLHaMU0hMWX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLHaMU0hMWX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Deep Space Food Challenge (@deepspacefoodchallenge)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Think you have what it takes to keep our space voyagers healthy? You have until May 28 to sign up for the challenge. By July 30, the participants are expected to present their projects to the space agencies. 
 
Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-releases-stunning-photo-of-gold-peruvian-amazon-rivers-363426" hreflang="en">NASA releases stunning photo of 'gold' Peruvian Amazon rivers</a>

The top 20 teams will be the winners and will share half a million USD. In essence, every winner will get $25,000 each. But there's a catch - only people based in the US can avail the prize. Canadians too can sign up. Winners from Canada will receive between Canadian $30,000-380,000.

Not from North America? Fret not, for you can still apply and win, even if you will not receive the prize money.

Consider yourself an out worldly cook? NASA may have the perfect job for you. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is offering a whopping $500,000 to the winners of its "Deep Space Food Challenge".

Consider yourself an out worldly cook? NASA may have the perfect job for you. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is offering a whopping $500,000 to the winners of its "Deep Space Food Challenge". The victors will be required to cook meals for astronauts who will head to Mars. The agency, in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency, is looking for people to come up with new technologies and apparatuses to feed astronauts embarking on space expeditions. Think it is an easy job? Think again. Astronauts require careful diets to keep them energised in the far reaches of the universe. Just recently, food researchers came up with a chocolate bar which carries high amounts of calories to ensure astronauts are high on energy. At the same time, the goal is to ensure the weight of food onboard space flights remains low. Also read: ‘Seven minutes of terror’: Nasa Perseverance rover’s landing on Mars explained Over the last few years, NASA has been exploring ways to grow fruits and vegetables in space to provide healthier food options to astronauts. What does the challenge aim to accomplish? Scientists are looking at new ways to feed astronauts, especially the ones expected to head to Mars. The interstellar journey to Mars is roughly three years long, and requires its astronauts remain fit and equipped to deal with challenges new terrain on Mars might pose. Besides providing healthy food to the voyagers, the aim of the mission is to produce new ways to grow food not only in space but in difficult terrains on Earth. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Deep Space Food Challenge (@deepspacefoodchallenge) × Think you have what it takes to keep our space voyagers healthy? You have until May 28 to sign up for the challenge. By July 30, the participants are expected to present their projects to the space agencies. Also read: NASA releases stunning photo of 'gold' Peruvian Amazon rivers The top 20 teams will be the winners and will share half a million USD. In essence, every winner will get $25,000 each. But there's a catch - only people based in the US can avail the prize. Canadians too can sign up. Winners from Canada will receive between Canadian $30,000-380,000. Not from North America? Fret not, for you can still apply and win, even if you will not receive the prize money.

NASA is offering $500,000 to cooks who can make other worldly meals for astronauts

At least 60 people have been injured after oil and gas tankers got destroyed by multiple blasts causing a massive fire at Afghanistan's biggest trade crossing with Iran, officials said on Sunday.

Fire Truck Explodes: Over 300 fuel vehicled gutted in fire

14 years old Alex Mather submitted the winning name 'Perseverance' as part of a naming contest of NASA's next Mars Rover.

14-year old boy names NASA's Mars Rover

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released stunning images of&nbsp;numerous gold prospecting pits in eastern Peru.

The pictures&nbsp;captured by a crew member of Expedition 64 at&nbsp;the International Space Station (ISS) shows&nbsp;Amazon rivers and&nbsp;pits, usually hidden from an astronaut’s view by cloud cover or outside the Sun’s&nbsp;glint point, stand out brilliantly in this image due to the reflected sunlight.&nbsp;

The river and the pits cut through the otherwise unbroken Amazon rainforest in Peru’s Madre de Dios state.

In this very wet climate, the prospecting pits appear as hundreds of tightly packed water-filled basins. Likely dug by independent miners, each pit is surrounded by de-vegetated areas of muddy soil.

These deforested tracts follow the courses of ancient rivers that deposited sediments, including gold.&nbsp;

Peru is the sixth-largest producer of gold in the world, and Madre de Dios is home to one of the largest independent gold mining industries in the world. Mining is the&nbsp;main cause of deforestation&nbsp;in the region, and it also can cause mercury pollution from the gold-extraction process.

Yet tens of thousands of people earn their living from this unregistered mining.

The small town of Nueva Arequipa is just visible along the&nbsp;Southern Interoceanic Highway. Inaugurated in 2011, the highway, is the only road connection between Brazil and Peru. It was intended to stimulate trade and tourism, but due to the great expansion of surface prospecting,&nbsp;deforestation may be the larger result&nbsp;of the highway. Some areas in the state are protected from mining, such as the Tambopata National Reserve.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released stunning images of numerous gold prospecting pits in eastern Peru. The pictures captured by a crew member of Expedition 64 at the International Space Station (ISS) shows Amazon rivers and pits, usually hidden from an astronaut’s view by cloud cover or outside the Sun’s glint point, stand out brilliantly in this image due to the reflected sunlight.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released stunning images of numerous gold prospecting pits in eastern Peru. The pictures captured by a crew member of Expedition 64 at the International Space Station (ISS) shows Amazon rivers and pits, usually hidden from an astronaut’s view by cloud cover or outside the Sun’s glint point, stand out brilliantly in this image due to the reflected sunlight. The river and the pits cut through the otherwise unbroken Amazon rainforest in Peru’s Madre de Dios state. In this very wet climate, the prospecting pits appear as hundreds of tightly packed water-filled basins. Likely dug by independent miners, each pit is surrounded by de-vegetated areas of muddy soil. These deforested tracts follow the courses of ancient rivers that deposited sediments, including gold. Peru is the sixth-largest producer of gold in the world, and Madre de Dios is home to one of the largest independent gold mining industries in the world. Mining is the main cause of deforestation in the region, and it also can cause mercury pollution from the gold-extraction process. Yet tens of thousands of people earn their living from this unregistered mining. The small town of Nueva Arequipa is just visible along the Southern Interoceanic Highway. Inaugurated in 2011, the highway, is the only road connection between Brazil and Peru. It was intended to stimulate trade and tourism, but due to the great expansion of surface prospecting, deforestation may be the larger result of the highway. Some areas in the state are protected from mining, such as the Tambopata National Reserve.

NASA releases stunning photo of 'gold' Peruvian Amazon rivers

Reaching Mars is the pinnacle of scientific prowess and perhaps, a crowning moment for any nation. But the race to the red planet also stands to crowd its orbit.

Three separate missions to Mars launched by the United States, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all reached their destination in July, 2020 after taking flight within just 11 days of each other.

UAE's Hope mission lifted off on July 19, China's Tianwen-I on July 23 and US' mission on July 30.

Why July? Because the month offered a unique launch window with minimum fuel requirements.

The UAE's hope was the first to arrive. Al Amal will spend 687 days — a period equivalent to one year on Mars — gathering information on the Martian atmosphere and surveying the planet’s weather patterns throughout its four seasons.

Omran Sharaf, Project Director, Emirates Mars Mission, to this end, said, "For us as a nation, we look at this mission as 90 per cent of it has been achieved. Because this mission was never about just reaching Mars. The government was very clear since day one when this mission was announced that reaching Mars is just a means for a much bigger objective and goals."

The foray into space is part of the UAE's diversification drive. Once the oil taps run dry, they will have to fall back on science and technology.

And space missions will be crucial here.

Following Hope, the Chinese probe reached Mars. Inside the spacecraft, there was a rover of the size of a golf cart.

In a few months time, it will detach from the orbiter, and descend to the martian surface.

Later this month, another visitor will descend on Mars -- probe missions from NASA.

Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the China National Space Administration, said, "We had success this time. But it's just the first step of our long march. We will carefully prepare for and carry out orbiting, landing and detection in the future. We look forward to a big success of the mission."

By February 18, NASA's Mars 2020 should also be in orbit.

Like China, the American mission too is hoping to land a rover.

Collectively, these missions will enhance our knowledge about Mars and its habitability.

The success of the UAE's Hope mission is also an open challenge. It shatters the perception that only world powers can reach for the stars.

Robert Zubrin, president of the Mars society, says, "You know, if the UAE can launch a Mars mission, then Switzerland can launch a Mars mission, and New Zealand can launch one, and South Korea or Taiwan can launch. They all have resources on that scale. So, in a certain sense, it throws down a challenge. Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, name it, okay. Why haven't you done a Mars mission?"

Reaching Mars is the pinnacle of scientific prowess and perhaps, a crowning moment for any nation. But the race to the red planet also stands to crowd its orbit.

Reaching Mars is the pinnacle of scientific prowess and perhaps, a crowning moment for any nation. But the race to the red planet also stands to crowd its orbit. Three separate missions to Mars launched by the United States, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all reached their destination in July, 2020 after taking flight within just 11 days of each other. UAE's Hope mission lifted off on July 19, China's Tianwen-I on July 23 and US' mission on July 30. Why July? Because the month offered a unique launch window with minimum fuel requirements. The UAE's hope was the first to arrive. Al Amal will spend 687 days — a period equivalent to one year on Mars — gathering information on the Martian atmosphere and surveying the planet’s weather patterns throughout its four seasons. Omran Sharaf, Project Director, Emirates Mars Mission, to this end, said, "For us as a nation, we look at this mission as 90 per cent of it has been achieved. Because this mission was never about just reaching Mars. The government was very clear since day one when this mission was announced that reaching Mars is just a means for a much bigger objective and goals." The foray into space is part of the UAE's diversification drive. Once the oil taps run dry, they will have to fall back on science and technology. And space missions will be crucial here. Following Hope, the Chinese probe reached Mars. Inside the spacecraft, there was a rover of the size of a golf cart. In a few months time, it will detach from the orbiter, and descend to the martian surface. Later this month, another visitor will descend on Mars -- probe missions from NASA. Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the China National Space Administration, said, "We had success this time. But it's just the first step of our long march. We will carefully prepare for and carry out orbiting, landing and detection in the future. We look forward to a big success of the mission." By February 18, NASA's Mars 2020 should also be in orbit. Like China, the American mission too is hoping to land a rover. Collectively, these missions will enhance our knowledge about Mars and its habitability. The success of the UAE's Hope mission is also an open challenge. It shatters the perception that only world powers can reach for the stars. Robert Zubrin, president of the Mars society, says, "You know, if the UAE can launch a Mars mission, then Switzerland can launch a Mars mission, and New Zealand can launch one, and South Korea or Taiwan can launch. They all have resources on that scale. So, in a certain sense, it throws down a challenge. Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, name it, okay. Why haven't you done a Mars mission?"

The Red Planet is about to get a little crowded

NASA has warned that a monstrous 220-meter asteroid is headed Earth’s way early in the new year.

Year 2020’s final asteroid, 2020 YB4, measuring just 36 metres in diameter or roughly half the wingspan of a 747, passed by the Earth shortly after 6 am UTC at a distance of 6.1 million kilometres.

Keeping up with the trend, in the first days of January, three additional, small Near Earth Objects (NEOs) will grace the Earth with their presence.&nbsp;

The 15-metre asteroid 2019 YB4 will fly by at a safe distance of 6.4 million kilometres. It will be followed up by two more chunks of cosmic debris in the form of the 15-meter 2020 YA1 and the 21-meter 2020 YP4, which will pass by at 
1.5 and 2.1 million kilometers respectively, the next day.

A bigger asteroid will shoot past Earth on January 3, as the relatively mountainous 2003 AF23, measuring an impressive 220m in diameter or about as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge is tall, at 6.9 million kilometers.

NASA has warned that a monstrous 220-meter asteroid is headed Earth’s way early in the new year. Year 2020’s final asteroid, 2020 YB4, measuring just 36 metres in diameter or roughly half the wingspan of a 747, passed by the Earth shortly after 6 am UTC at a distance of 6.

NASA has warned that a monstrous 220-meter asteroid is headed Earth’s way early in the new year. Year 2020’s final asteroid, 2020 YB4, measuring just 36 metres in diameter or roughly half the wingspan of a 747, passed by the Earth shortly after 6 am UTC at a distance of 6.1 million kilometres. Keeping up with the trend, in the first days of January, three additional, small Near Earth Objects (NEOs) will grace the Earth with their presence. The 15-metre asteroid 2019 YB4 will fly by at a safe distance of 6.4 million kilometres. It will be followed up by two more chunks of cosmic debris in the form of the 15-meter 2020 YA1 and the 21-meter 2020 YP4, which will pass by at 1.5 and 2.1 million kilometers respectively, the next day. A bigger asteroid will shoot past Earth on January 3, as the relatively mountainous 2003 AF23, measuring an impressive 220m in diameter or about as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge is tall, at 6.9 million kilometers.

A huge asteroid and three small NEOs will shoot past Earth in early Jan, NASA warns

An&nbsp;asteroid as big as the Eiffel Tower is en route the Earth and is predicted to strike&nbsp;sometime early in 2021,&nbsp;according to a&nbsp;prediction made by&nbsp;French astrologer Nostradamus.

The&nbsp;monstrous asteroid called 2021 CO247, which is 0.83 times the height of the Eiffel Tower will fly past the Earth at 7.4 million kilometers.

Earlier,&nbsp;a gigantic 220-meter asteroid or about as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge is tall, at 6.9 million kilometers flew past the Earth on January 3.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-huge-asteroid-and-three-small-neos-will-shoot-past-earth-in-early-jan-nasa-warns-353824">A huge asteroid and three small NEOs will shoot past Earth in early Jan, NASA warns</a>

NASA scientists say an asteroid called 2021 AC, which is twice the size of&nbsp;the Great Pyramid of Giza, is set to hit the&nbsp;Earth's orbit on Wednesday. It will zoom by a distance of 3.5 kilometers.

Keeping up with the trend, in the first days of January, three additional, small Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) will grace the Earth with their presence.&nbsp;

The 15-metre asteroid 2019 YB4 will fly by at a safe distance of 6.4 million kilometres. It will be followed up by two more chunks of cosmic debris in the form of the 15-meter 2020 YA1 and the 21-meter 2020 YP4, which will pass by at 1.5 and 2.1 million kilometers respectively, the next day.

NASA had said that similarly sized asteroids pass by Earth at a similar distance a few times per year, however, they are&nbsp;difficult to record, unless they&nbsp;head&nbsp;directly towards the planet, in which case the explosion in the atmosphere is usually noticed.

World-famous astrologer Nostradamus has made 6,338 predictions out of which 3797 prophecies have apparently proved correct. 
 
Michel de Nostredame, usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, physician and reputed seer, who is best known for his book Les Prophéties, a collection of 942 poetic quatrains allegedly predicting future events.

An asteroid as big as the Eiffel Tower is en route the Earth and is predicted to strike sometime early in 2021, according to a prediction made by French astrologer Nostradamus.

An asteroid as big as the Eiffel Tower is en route the Earth and is predicted to strike sometime early in 2021, according to a prediction made by French astrologer Nostradamus. The monstrous asteroid called 2021 CO247, which is 0.83 times the height of the Eiffel Tower will fly past the Earth at 7.4 million kilometers. Earlier, a gigantic 220-meter asteroid or about as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge is tall, at 6.9 million kilometers flew past the Earth on January 3. Also read: A huge asteroid and three small NEOs will shoot past Earth in early Jan, NASA warns NASA scientists say an asteroid called 2021 AC, which is twice the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza, is set to hit the Earth's orbit on Wednesday. It will zoom by a distance of 3.5 kilometers. Keeping up with the trend, in the first days of January, three additional, small Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) will grace the Earth with their presence. The 15-metre asteroid 2019 YB4 will fly by at a safe distance of 6.4 million kilometres. It will be followed up by two more chunks of cosmic debris in the form of the 15-meter 2020 YA1 and the 21-meter 2020 YP4, which will pass by at 1.5 and 2.1 million kilometers respectively, the next day. NASA had said that similarly sized asteroids pass by Earth at a similar distance a few times per year, however, they are difficult to record, unless they head directly towards the planet, in which case the explosion in the atmosphere is usually noticed. World-famous astrologer Nostradamus has made 6,338 predictions out of which 3797 prophecies have apparently proved correct. Michel de Nostredame, usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, physician and reputed seer, who is best known for his book Les Prophéties, a collection of 942 poetic quatrains allegedly predicting future events.

Asteroid as big as Eiffel Tower is approaching Earth

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Sunday said that the crew of Dragon spacecraft of&nbsp;Elon Musk's SpaceX is all set to break the record for most days in space.

Four flight engineers,&nbsp;Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi, docked the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the US module last November."They will surpass the record of 84 days set by the Skylab 4 crew on February 8, 1974," NASA said.

Also see| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-spacex-starship-explodes-into-a-fireball-after-its-high-altitude-test-flight-360989">Watch: SpaceX Starship explodes into a fireball after its high altitude test flight</a>

The Skylab 4 crew, with NASA astronauts Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson and William Pogue, docked their Apollo spacecraft to the Skylab space station 47 years to the day when the SpaceX crew docked to the orbiting lab, the US space authority estimated.&nbsp;

Meanwhile,&nbsp;NASA has selected tech billionaire Elon Musk`s private aerospace company SpaceX to provide launch services for an astrophysics mission to survey the sky in the near-infrared light. 
 
The planned two-year mission is called SPHEREx, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer. 
 
The near-infrared light, which, though not visible to the human eye, serves as a powerful tool for answering cosmic questions involving the birth of the universe, and the subsequent development of galaxies, according to NASA. 
 
SPHEREx will also will search for water and organic molecules -- essentials for life as we know it -- in regions where stars are born from gas and dust, known as stellar nurseries, as well as disks around stars where new planets could be forming, the US space agency said this week. 
 
The mission currently is targeted to launch as early as June 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. 
 
Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more than 300 million galaxies, as well as more than 100 million stars in our own Milky Way galaxy. 
 
The total cost for NASA to launch SPHEREx is approximately $98.8 million, which includes the launch service and other mission related costs.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Sunday said that the crew of Dragon spacecraft of Elon Musk's SpaceX is all set to break the record for most days in space.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Sunday said that the crew of Dragon spacecraft of Elon Musk's SpaceX is all set to break the record for most days in space. Four flight engineers, Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi, docked the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the US module last November."They will surpass the record of 84 days set by the Skylab 4 crew on February 8, 1974," NASA said. Also see| Watch: SpaceX Starship explodes into a fireball after its high altitude test flight The Skylab 4 crew, with NASA astronauts Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson and William Pogue, docked their Apollo spacecraft to the Skylab space station 47 years to the day when the SpaceX crew docked to the orbiting lab, the US space authority estimated. Meanwhile, NASA has selected tech billionaire Elon Musk`s private aerospace company SpaceX to provide launch services for an astrophysics mission to survey the sky in the near-infrared light. The planned two-year mission is called SPHEREx, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer. The near-infrared light, which, though not visible to the human eye, serves as a powerful tool for answering cosmic questions involving the birth of the universe, and the subsequent development of galaxies, according to NASA. SPHEREx will also will search for water and organic molecules -- essentials for life as we know it -- in regions where stars are born from gas and dust, known as stellar nurseries, as well as disks around stars where new planets could be forming, the US space agency said this week. The mission currently is targeted to launch as early as June 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more than 300 million galaxies, as well as more than 100 million stars in our own Milky Way galaxy. The total cost for NASA to launch SPHEREx is approximately $98.8 million, which includes the launch service and other mission related costs.

SpaceX's Dragon Crew to break record for most days in space

Astronomers have discovered&nbsp;cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth throughout the universe, in the latest study.

The study published in 'The Astrophysical Journal' on Friday highlights&nbsp;how&nbsp;NASA's Hubble Space Telescope&nbsp;has photographed a concentration of elements that are responsible for the formation of stars in our galaxy and throughout the universe.

These opaque, dark knots of gas and dust are called "Bok globules," and they are absorbing light in the centre of the nearby emission nebula and star-forming region, NGC 281.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/we-all-come-from-star-dust-is-no-longer-just-a-saying-and-scientists-agree-311418">'We all come from star dust' is no longer just a saying, and scientists agree!</a>

The globules, named after astronomer Bart Bok, who proposed their existence,&nbsp;can become perturbed and form small pockets where the dust and gas are highly concentrated.

&nbsp;These small pockets become gravitationally bound and accumulate dust and gas from the surrounding area. If they can capture enough mass, they have the potential of creating stars in their cores; however, not all Bok globules will form stars.&nbsp;

Near the globules are bright blue stars, members of the young open cluster IC 1590. The cluster is made up of a few hundred stars. The cluster's core, off the image towards the top, is a tight grouping of extremely hot, massive stars with an immense stellar wind. The stars emit visible and ultraviolet light that energizes the surrounding hydrogen gas in NGC 281. This gas then becomes superheated in a process called ionization, and it glows pink in the image.

The Bok globules in NGC 281 are located very close to the centre of the IC 1590 cluster. The exquisite resolution of these Hubble observations shows the jagged structure of the dust clouds as if they are being stripped apart from the outside. The heavy fracturing of the globules may appear beautifully serene but is in fact evidence of the harsh, violent environment created by the nearby massive stars.

The Bok globules in NGC 281 are visually striking nonetheless. They are silhouetted against the luminous pink hydrogen gas of the emission nebula, creating a stark visual contrast. The dust knots are opaque in visual light. Conversely, the nebulous gas surrounding the globules is transparent and allows light from background stars and even background galaxies to shine through.

These images were taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys in October 2005. The hydrogen-emission image that clearly shows the outline of the dark globules was combined with images taken in red, blue, and green light in order to help establish the true colour of the stars in the field. NGC 281 is located nearly 9,500 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Cassiopeia.

Astronomers have discovered cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth throughout the universe, in the latest study. The study published in 'The Astrophysical Journal' on Friday highlights how NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has photographed a concentration of elements that are responsible for the formation of stars in our galaxy and throughout the universe.

Astronomers have discovered cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth throughout the universe, in the latest study. The study published in 'The Astrophysical Journal' on Friday highlights how NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has photographed a concentration of elements that are responsible for the formation of stars in our galaxy and throughout the universe. These opaque, dark knots of gas and dust are called "Bok globules," and they are absorbing light in the centre of the nearby emission nebula and star-forming region, NGC 281. Also read: 'We all come from star dust' is no longer just a saying, and scientists agree! The globules, named after astronomer Bart Bok, who proposed their existence, can become perturbed and form small pockets where the dust and gas are highly concentrated. These small pockets become gravitationally bound and accumulate dust and gas from the surrounding area. If they can capture enough mass, they have the potential of creating stars in their cores; however, not all Bok globules will form stars. Near the globules are bright blue stars, members of the young open cluster IC 1590. The cluster is made up of a few hundred stars. The cluster's core, off the image towards the top, is a tight grouping of extremely hot, massive stars with an immense stellar wind. The stars emit visible and ultraviolet light that energizes the surrounding hydrogen gas in NGC 281. This gas then becomes superheated in a process called ionization, and it glows pink in the image. The Bok globules in NGC 281 are located very close to the centre of the IC 1590 cluster. The exquisite resolution of these Hubble observations shows the jagged structure of the dust clouds as if they are being stripped apart from the outside. The heavy fracturing of the globules may appear beautifully serene but is in fact evidence of the harsh, violent environment created by the nearby massive stars. The Bok globules in NGC 281 are visually striking nonetheless. They are silhouetted against the luminous pink hydrogen gas of the emission nebula, creating a stark visual contrast. The dust knots are opaque in visual light. Conversely, the nebulous gas surrounding the globules is transparent and allows light from background stars and even background galaxies to shine through. These images were taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys in October 2005. The hydrogen-emission image that clearly shows the outline of the dark globules was combined with images taken in red, blue, and green light in order to help establish the true colour of the stars in the field. NGC 281 is located nearly 9,500 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Cassiopeia.

Scientists discover cosmic dust that holds the ingredients for star birth

China's maiden space exploration mission to Mars has captured its first image of the red planet, the space agency said on Friday, some six months after the probe left Earth.

The uncrewed&nbsp;Tianwen-1&nbsp;launched in July around the same time as a rival US mission is expected to enter Mars orbit around February 10.

The black-and-white photo released late Friday by the China National Space Administration showed geological features including the Schiaparelli crater and the Valles Marineris, a vast stretch of canyons on the Martian surface.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mysterious-mars-landslides-may-be-caused-by-melting-ice-and-salt-under-surface-similar-to-earth-361638" hreflang="en">Mysterious Mars landslides may be caused by melting ice and salt under surface, similar to Earth</a>

The photo was taken about 2.2 million kilometres (1.4 million miles) from Mars, according to CNSA, which said the spacecraft was now 1.1 million kilometres from the planet.

The robotic craft ignited one of its engines to "make an orbital correction" Friday and was expected to slow down before being "captured by Martian gravity" around February 10, the agency said.

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b721b8e8-c7df-4451-a0a1-f81597123075" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1VW9N3.jpg" />

In picture:&nbsp;This handout photograph taken on July 27, 2020 and released by the China National Space Administration via CNS, shows a view of the Earth and Moon taken by China's Tianwen-1 Mars probe from a distance of 1.2 million kilometers/AFP

The five-tonne Tianwen-1 includes a Mars orbiter, a lander and a rover that will study the planet's soil.

The probe is now only half that distance away from Mars and around 184 million km from Earth after 197 days of the mission, the CNSA said in a statement, adding that its systems were in good condition.

The&nbsp;Tianwen-1 was launched in July from China's southern Hainan island and expected to reach the orbit of Mars this month. In May, it will try to land in Utopia Planitia, a plain in the northern hemisphere, and deploy a rover to explore for 90 days.

If successful, the&nbsp;Tianwen-1 will make China the first country to orbit, land and deploy a rover in its inaugural mission to Mars, further boosting China's space credentials after it last year became the first nation to bring back samples from the moon since the 1970s.

China previously made a Mars bid in 2011 with Russia, but the Russian spacecraft carrying the probe failed to exit Earth's orbit and disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean.

China hopes to ultimately land the rover in May in Utopia, a massive impact basin on Mars.

After watching the United States and the Soviet Union lead the way during the Cold War, China has poured billions of dollars into its military-led space programme.

The Asian powerhouse has laid the groundwork to assemble a space station by 2022 and gain a permanent foothold in Earth orbit.

But Mars has proved a challenging target so far, with most missions sent by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and India to the planet since 1960 ending in failure.

China's maiden space exploration mission to Mars has captured its first image of the red planet, the space agency said on Friday, some six months after the probe left Earth.

China's maiden space exploration mission to Mars has captured its first image of the red planet, the space agency said on Friday, some six months after the probe left Earth. The uncrewed Tianwen-1 launched in July around the same time as a rival US mission is expected to enter Mars orbit around February 10. The black-and-white photo released late Friday by the China National Space Administration showed geological features including the Schiaparelli crater and the Valles Marineris, a vast stretch of canyons on the Martian surface. Also read: Mysterious Mars landslides may be caused by melting ice and salt under surface, similar to Earth The photo was taken about 2.2 million kilometres (1.4 million miles) from Mars, according to CNSA, which said the spacecraft was now 1.1 million kilometres from the planet. The robotic craft ignited one of its engines to "make an orbital correction" Friday and was expected to slow down before being "captured by Martian gravity" around February 10, the agency said. In picture: This handout photograph taken on July 27, 2020 and released by the China National Space Administration via CNS, shows a view of the Earth and Moon taken by China's Tianwen-1 Mars probe from a distance of 1.2 million kilometers/AFP The five-tonne Tianwen-1 includes a Mars orbiter, a lander and a rover that will study the planet's soil. The probe is now only half that distance away from Mars and around 184 million km from Earth after 197 days of the mission, the CNSA said in a statement, adding that its systems were in good condition. The Tianwen-1 was launched in July from China's southern Hainan island and expected to reach the orbit of Mars this month. In May, it will try to land in Utopia Planitia, a plain in the northern hemisphere, and deploy a rover to explore for 90 days. If successful, the Tianwen-1 will make China the first country to orbit, land and deploy a rover in its inaugural mission to Mars, further boosting China's space credentials after it last year became the first nation to bring back samples from the moon since the 1970s. China previously made a Mars bid in 2011 with Russia, but the Russian spacecraft carrying the probe failed to exit Earth's orbit and disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean. China hopes to ultimately land the rover in May in Utopia, a massive impact basin on Mars. After watching the United States and the Soviet Union lead the way during the Cold War, China has poured billions of dollars into its military-led space programme. The Asian powerhouse has laid the groundwork to assemble a space station by 2022 and gain a permanent foothold in Earth orbit. But Mars has proved a challenging target so far, with most missions sent by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and India to the planet since 1960 ending in failure.

Mars ahead! China's Tianwen-1 probe snaps first photo of red planet

Scientists have discovered a unique star flipping its polarity and&nbsp;blasting its radio wave beam in odd directions around 15,000 light-years away.

With a magnetic field up to 1,000 times stronger than a typical neutron star&nbsp;and about 100 million times stronger than the most powerful magnets made by humans,&nbsp;Swift J1818.0−1607 belongs to a special class of objects called magnetars, which are the most magnetic objects in the universe.

"This object is showing us an earlier time in a magnetar's life than we've ever seen before, very shortly after its formation," said Nanda Rea, a researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona and principal investigator on the observation campaigns.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-dead-star-in-our-galaxy-is-emitting-radiation-never-witnessed-before-316671">A dead star in our galaxy is emitting radiation never witnessed before!</a>

The magnetar Swift&nbsp;J1818.0–1607&nbsp;is only about 240 years old,&nbsp;a veritable newborn by cosmic standards as per a study published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Magnetars are a type of&nbsp;neutron star, an incredibly dense object mainly made up of tightly packed&nbsp;neutrons, which forms from the collapsed core of a massive star during a&nbsp;supernova.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9OkvqyuBaQ4" width="560"></iframe>

Magnetars differ from other neutron stars is that they also have the most powerful known&nbsp;magnetic fields&nbsp;in the Universe.&nbsp;

"This object is showing us an earlier time in a magnetar's life than we've ever seen before, very shortly after its formation," said Nanda Rea, a researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona and principal investigator on the observation campaigns by XMM Newton and NuSTAR (short for Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array).

While there are over 3,000 known neutron stars, scientists have identified just 31 confirmed magnetars — including this newest entry. Because their physical properties can't be re-created on Earth, neutron stars (including magnetars) are natural laboratories for testing our understanding of the physical world.

"Maybe if we understand the formation story of these objects, we'll understand why there is such a huge difference between the number of magnetars we've found and the total number of known neutron stars," Rea said.

Swift J1818.0−1607 is located in the constellation Sagittarius and is relatively close to Earth — only about 16,000 light-years away. (Because light takes time to travel these cosmic distances, we are seeing the light that the neutron star emitted about 16,000 years ago when it was about 240 years old.)

Many scientific models suggest that the physical properties and behaviours of magnetars change as they age and that magnetars may be most active when they are younger. So finding a younger sample close by like this will help refine those models.

Other astronomers have also observed J1818.0-1607 with&nbsp;radio&nbsp;telescopes, such as the NSF's Karl Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), and determined that it gives off radio waves. This implies that it also has properties similar to that of a typical "rotation-powered pulsar," a type of neutron star that gives off beams of radiation that are detected as repeating pulses of emission as it rotates and slows down.

Only five magnetars including this one have been recorded to also act like pulsars, constituting less than 0.2 per cent&nbsp;of the known neutron star population.

Scientists have discovered a unique star flipping its polarity and blasting its radio wave beam in odd directions around 15,000 light-years away. With a magnetic field up to 1,000 times stronger than a typical neutron star and about 100 million times stronger than the most powerful magnets made by humans, Swift J1818.

Scientists have discovered a unique star flipping its polarity and blasting its radio wave beam in odd directions around 15,000 light-years away. With a magnetic field up to 1,000 times stronger than a typical neutron star and about 100 million times stronger than the most powerful magnets made by humans, Swift J1818.0−1607 belongs to a special class of objects called magnetars, which are the most magnetic objects in the universe. "This object is showing us an earlier time in a magnetar's life than we've ever seen before, very shortly after its formation," said Nanda Rea, a researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona and principal investigator on the observation campaigns. Also read: A dead star in our galaxy is emitting radiation never witnessed before! The magnetar Swift J1818.0–1607 is only about 240 years old, a veritable newborn by cosmic standards as per a study published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters. Magnetars are a type of neutron star, an incredibly dense object mainly made up of tightly packed neutrons, which forms from the collapsed core of a massive star during a supernova. Magnetars differ from other neutron stars is that they also have the most powerful known magnetic fields in the Universe. "This object is showing us an earlier time in a magnetar's life than we've ever seen before, very shortly after its formation," said Nanda Rea, a researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona and principal investigator on the observation campaigns by XMM Newton and NuSTAR (short for Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array). While there are over 3,000 known neutron stars, scientists have identified just 31 confirmed magnetars — including this newest entry. Because their physical properties can't be re-created on Earth, neutron stars (including magnetars) are natural laboratories for testing our understanding of the physical world. "Maybe if we understand the formation story of these objects, we'll understand why there is such a huge difference between the number of magnetars we've found and the total number of known neutron stars," Rea said. Swift J1818.0−1607 is located in the constellation Sagittarius and is relatively close to Earth — only about 16,000 light-years away. (Because light takes time to travel these cosmic distances, we are seeing the light that the neutron star emitted about 16,000 years ago when it was about 240 years old.) Many scientific models suggest that the physical properties and behaviours of magnetars change as they age and that magnetars may be most active when they are younger. So finding a younger sample close by like this will help refine those models. Other astronomers have also observed J1818.0-1607 with radio telescopes, such as the NSF's Karl Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), and determined that it gives off radio waves. This implies that it also has properties similar to that of a typical "rotation-powered pulsar," a type of neutron star that gives off beams of radiation that are detected as repeating pulses of emission as it rotates and slows down. Only five magnetars including this one have been recorded to also act like pulsars, constituting less than 0.2 per cent of the known neutron star population.

Astronomers discover unique star blasting its radio wave beam in odd directions

US space agency NASA has named Indian-American Bhavya Lal as the acting chief of staff.

"NASA has named appointees for senior positions. Bhavya Lal joins as acting chief of staff, Philip Thomson will serve as White House liaison," the US agency said in a statement.

Bhavya Lal had served as a member of the NASA's transition review team for the incoming Biden administration. &nbsp;

She had earlier served as research staff at the Defence Analysis Science and Technology Policy Institute(STPI).

She has also chaired the National Academy of Sciences committee. The Indian-American had also served in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Advisory Committee on commercial remote sensing.

(Inputs ANI) 
&nbsp;

US space agency NASA has named Indian-American Bhavya Lal as the acting chief of staff. "NASA has named appointees for senior positions. Bhavya Lal joins as acting chief of staff, Philip Thomson will serve as White House liaison," the US agency said in a statement.

US space agency NASA has named Indian-American Bhavya Lal as the acting chief of staff. "NASA has named appointees for senior positions. Bhavya Lal joins as acting chief of staff, Philip Thomson will serve as White House liaison," the US agency said in a statement. Bhavya Lal had served as a member of the NASA's transition review team for the incoming Biden administration. She had earlier served as research staff at the Defence Analysis Science and Technology Policy Institute(STPI). She has also chaired the National Academy of Sciences committee. The Indian-American had also served in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Advisory Committee on commercial remote sensing. (Inputs ANI)

NASA names Indian-American Bhavya Lal as acting chief of staff

In a&nbsp;breakthrough for space plant research, first plant transplant has taken&nbsp;place in the International Space Station's&nbsp;Vegetable Production System (Veggie)&nbsp;facility.

NASA researches crop production in space because plants can provide nutrients to astronaut crews on long-duration missions, such as a mission to&nbsp;Mars.

NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, an&nbsp;Expedition 64 crew member,&nbsp;who arrived to the station for a six-month science mission aboard the SpaceX&nbsp;Crew-1&nbsp;mission, tended&nbsp;different varieties of mustards and lettuces in&nbsp;VEG-03I.

He noticed the mustards were growing fine in their special “pillows” containing clay-based growth media and fertilizer.&nbsp;

Two plant pillows containing ‘Outredgeous’ Red Romaine and ‘Dragoon’ lettuce seeds were germinating slowly, growing well behind the other plants. However,&nbsp;with input from Veggie program scientists at Kennedy, the astronaut transplanted extra sprouts from the thriving plant pillows into two of the struggling pillows.

The transplants – ‘Red Russian’ kale and ‘Extra Dwarf’ pak choi – are surviving and growing along with the donor kale and pak choi. The remaining red romaine lettuce and “Wasabi” mustard in the experiment are also ready for harvest.

“This experiment is just really amazing; it shows the skill of the astronauts, the care that they take to do things, and also the differences that you see in microgravity,” Veggie Program Plant Scientist Gioia Massa said. “Fluids behave very differently in space than on the ground. The behaviour of fluids – in this circumstance – seems to have helped the plants.”

“We’re used to microgravity working against us in the fluids/physics department, making growing plants in space very difficult,” Matt Romeyn, VEG-03I science lead said. “So to have an exception like this, where microgravity appears to be helpful and the plants are growing better than on Earth … that’s astonishing.”

In a breakthrough for space plant research, first plant transplant has taken place in the International Space Station's Vegetable Production System (Veggie) facility.

In a breakthrough for space plant research, first plant transplant has taken place in the International Space Station's Vegetable Production System (Veggie) facility. NASA researches crop production in space because plants can provide nutrients to astronaut crews on long-duration missions, such as a mission to Mars. NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, an Expedition 64 crew member, who arrived to the station for a six-month science mission aboard the SpaceX Crew-1 mission, tended different varieties of mustards and lettuces in VEG-03I. He noticed the mustards were growing fine in their special “pillows” containing clay-based growth media and fertilizer. Two plant pillows containing ‘Outredgeous’ Red Romaine and ‘Dragoon’ lettuce seeds were germinating slowly, growing well behind the other plants. However, with input from Veggie program scientists at Kennedy, the astronaut transplanted extra sprouts from the thriving plant pillows into two of the struggling pillows. The transplants – ‘Red Russian’ kale and ‘Extra Dwarf’ pak choi – are surviving and growing along with the donor kale and pak choi. The remaining red romaine lettuce and “Wasabi” mustard in the experiment are also ready for harvest. “This experiment is just really amazing; it shows the skill of the astronauts, the care that they take to do things, and also the differences that you see in microgravity,” Veggie Program Plant Scientist Gioia Massa said. “Fluids behave very differently in space than on the ground. The behaviour of fluids – in this circumstance – seems to have helped the plants.” “We’re used to microgravity working against us in the fluids/physics department, making growing plants in space very difficult,” Matt Romeyn, VEG-03I science lead said. “So to have an exception like this, where microgravity appears to be helpful and the plants are growing better than on Earth … that’s astonishing.”

'Breakthrough': First plant transplant takes place in International Space Station

In a first, astronomers of the&nbsp;NASA's&nbsp;Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS&nbsp;have found&nbsp;a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries.

The primary stars in all three binaries are all slightly bigger and more massive than the Sun and about as hot.&nbsp;The system,&nbsp;also called TIC 168789840, is located about 1,900 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus.

TESS, roughly the size of a refrigerator with solar-panel wings, is equipped with four special cameras to survey 200,000 stars that are relatively near the sun and thus among the brightest in the sky, seeking out those with planets of their own.

Like Kepler, TESS&nbsp;uses a detection method called transit photometry, which looks for periodic, repetitive dips in the visible light from stars caused by planets passing, or transiting, in front of them.

Researchers&nbsp;analysed the data using autonomous software trained to recognise the tell-tale brightness dips of eclipsing binaries. Among the 450,000 candidates, they&nbsp;identified at least 100 with potentially three or more stars, including the new sextuple system.

The researchers incorporated archival measurements and also obtained follow-up observations with ground-based facilities.&nbsp;

The system consists of three gravitationally-bound eclipsing binaries in a hierarchical structure of an inner quadruple system with an outer binary subsystem.

As a consequence of its rare composition, structure, and orientation, this object can provide important new insight into the formation, dynamics, and evolution of multiple star systems.&nbsp;

Martin Still, the TESS program scientist for NASA, said more than 50 rocky, Earth- or super-Earth-sized planets have previously been identified, and NASA expects to increase that number through the new mission.

The most favourable discoveries will undergo closer scrutiny by a new generation of larger, more powerful telescopes now under development that will search for telltale signs of water and “the kinds of gases in their atmospheres that on Earth are an indication of life,” Hertz said.

In a first, astronomers of the NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS have found a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries. The primary stars in all three binaries are all slightly bigger and more massive than the Sun and about as hot.

In a first, astronomers of the NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS have found a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries. The primary stars in all three binaries are all slightly bigger and more massive than the Sun and about as hot. The system, also called TIC 168789840, is located about 1,900 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. TESS, roughly the size of a refrigerator with solar-panel wings, is equipped with four special cameras to survey 200,000 stars that are relatively near the sun and thus among the brightest in the sky, seeking out those with planets of their own. Like Kepler, TESS uses a detection method called transit photometry, which looks for periodic, repetitive dips in the visible light from stars caused by planets passing, or transiting, in front of them. Researchers analysed the data using autonomous software trained to recognise the tell-tale brightness dips of eclipsing binaries. Among the 450,000 candidates, they identified at least 100 with potentially three or more stars, including the new sextuple system. The researchers incorporated archival measurements and also obtained follow-up observations with ground-based facilities. The system consists of three gravitationally-bound eclipsing binaries in a hierarchical structure of an inner quadruple system with an outer binary subsystem. As a consequence of its rare composition, structure, and orientation, this object can provide important new insight into the formation, dynamics, and evolution of multiple star systems. Martin Still, the TESS program scientist for NASA, said more than 50 rocky, Earth- or super-Earth-sized planets have previously been identified, and NASA expects to increase that number through the new mission. The most favourable discoveries will undergo closer scrutiny by a new generation of larger, more powerful telescopes now under development that will search for telltale signs of water and “the kinds of gases in their atmospheres that on Earth are an indication of life,” Hertz said.

Astronomers find a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries

The United States has become the first country to pass a law that aims to protect human artefacts in space.

The law -- 'One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act' -- was passed by the Congress on December 31. According to it, early remnants of human exploration in the space -- historic objects and traces from the first missions to the moon -- including Neil Armstrong’s boot print, are now protected by law.

The law was introduced to mark the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, and it officially establishes a perimeter around Tranquility Base – the site of the Apollo 11 landing – as well as the five other lunar landing sites visited by various Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972.

According to UNILAD, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, who was responsible for introducing the Bill in the House said that the law aims to 'protect and preserve the historic and scientific value of US government lunar artifacts' at a time when the lunar surface is increasingly growing crowded with multiple space missions competing over each other.&nbsp;

When the bill was first introduced in the Senate in 2019 it only extended protection to Tranquility Base, the Apollo 11 landing site.

The objects covered by the new law include artefacts in six ‘keep out zones’, such as vehicles and equipment, remnants of experiments, and traces of human and robotic presence.

Robotic presence includes tracks and boot prints.

At least six different countries have plans to launch lunar missions, including the United States, which is aiming to return humans to the moon through NASA’s Artemis program by 2024.

The act also includes a non-binding suggestion that the executive branch should draft an international agreement that would hold other nations to the same promise.

The US is planning to send the first woman to Moon by 20254 through it's ambitious NASA's project the Artemis Project.

The United States has become the first country to pass a law that aims to protect human artefacts in space. The law -- 'One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act' -- was passed by the Congress on December 31.

The United States has become the first country to pass a law that aims to protect human artefacts in space. The law -- 'One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act' -- was passed by the Congress on December 31. According to it, early remnants of human exploration in the space -- historic objects and traces from the first missions to the moon -- including Neil Armstrong’s boot print, are now protected by law. The law was introduced to mark the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, and it officially establishes a perimeter around Tranquility Base – the site of the Apollo 11 landing – as well as the five other lunar landing sites visited by various Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972. According to UNILAD, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, who was responsible for introducing the Bill in the House said that the law aims to 'protect and preserve the historic and scientific value of US government lunar artifacts' at a time when the lunar surface is increasingly growing crowded with multiple space missions competing over each other. When the bill was first introduced in the Senate in 2019 it only extended protection to Tranquility Base, the Apollo 11 landing site. The objects covered by the new law include artefacts in six ‘keep out zones’, such as vehicles and equipment, remnants of experiments, and traces of human and robotic presence. Robotic presence includes tracks and boot prints. At least six different countries have plans to launch lunar missions, including the United States, which is aiming to return humans to the moon through NASA’s Artemis program by 2024. The act also includes a non-binding suggestion that the executive branch should draft an international agreement that would hold other nations to the same promise. The US is planning to send the first woman to Moon by 20254 through it's ambitious NASA's project the Artemis Project.

Apollo sites on the Moon are now protected from future missions by US law

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully completed a mission to deploy 143 spacecraft and satellites into orbit, after which the rocket returned safely to a sea-based landing pad.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully completes spacecraft deployment mission

Members of the NASA-funded 'Backyard Worlds: Planet 9' have created the ''most complete'' three-dimensional map of 525 brown dwarfs&nbsp;around the Sun.

The 3D map encompasses a radius of 65 light-years, or about 400 trillion miles, with “close neighbours” inhabiting space within about 35 light-years, or 200 trillion miles.

To achieve this feat, scientists tapped into the worldwide network of 150,000 volunteers.&nbsp;The study has been&nbsp;published in the journals Nature and the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

“Without the citizen scientists, we couldn't have created such a complete sample in so short a time,” said J. Davy Kirkpatrick, a scientist at Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena and lead author of the study. “Having the power of thousands of inquiring eyes on the data enabled us to find brown dwarf candidates much faster.”

Brown dwarfs&nbsp;are bigger than Jupiter-sized planets but too small for nuclear fusion, the signature process that gives a star its shine.&nbsp;Also known as “failed stars,” brown dwarfs are born hot and emit faint but telltale infrared light as they slowly cool.

These objects&nbsp;are balls of gas that are not heavy enough to be stars since they can’t&nbsp;power themselves through nuclear fusion the way stars do. And while “brown” is in the name, they would appear magenta or orange-red if a person could see them close up. By making a complete map of these objects, scientists could find out whether different kinds of brown dwarfs are evenly distributed in our solar system’s neighbourhood.&nbsp;

Telescopes can detect brown dwarfs because they emit heat, in the form of infrared light, leftover from their formation. Infrared light is invisible to human eyes, but it can reveal tantalising details about brown dwarfs and other objects throughout the universe.&nbsp;

“If you were to put the Sun at a random place within our 3D map and you were to ask, ‘Typically, what do its neighbours look like?’ We find that they would look very different from what our actual neighbours are,” said Aaron Meisner, assistant scientist at the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab and co-author of the study.&nbsp;

The Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project is ongoing and open to anyone worldwide who wants to join the quest to find more mysterious objects in spacecraft data. In addition to a total of about 3,000 brown dwarfs, volunteers have helped find&nbsp;the oldest, coldest white dwarf surrounded by a disk&nbsp;of debris.

“I enjoy this project because the objects that we send to the researchers might get observed with a big telescope,” said Melina Thévenot, a citizen scientist in Germany who is listed as a co-author of the new study. “I think we volunteers can really see the fruits of our efforts with this project and the publications by the science team.”

Members of the NASA-funded 'Backyard Worlds: Planet 9' have created the ''most complete'' three-dimensional map of 525 brown dwarfs around the Sun. The 3D map encompasses a radius of 65 light-years, or about 400 trillion miles, with “close neighbours” inhabiting space within about 35 light-years, or 200 trillion miles.

Members of the NASA-funded 'Backyard Worlds: Planet 9' have created the ''most complete'' three-dimensional map of 525 brown dwarfs around the Sun. The 3D map encompasses a radius of 65 light-years, or about 400 trillion miles, with “close neighbours” inhabiting space within about 35 light-years, or 200 trillion miles. To achieve this feat, scientists tapped into the worldwide network of 150,000 volunteers. The study has been published in the journals Nature and the Astrophysical Journal Letters. “Without the citizen scientists, we couldn't have created such a complete sample in so short a time,” said J. Davy Kirkpatrick, a scientist at Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena and lead author of the study. “Having the power of thousands of inquiring eyes on the data enabled us to find brown dwarf candidates much faster.” Brown dwarfs are bigger than Jupiter-sized planets but too small for nuclear fusion, the signature process that gives a star its shine. Also known as “failed stars,” brown dwarfs are born hot and emit faint but telltale infrared light as they slowly cool. These objects are balls of gas that are not heavy enough to be stars since they can’t power themselves through nuclear fusion the way stars do. And while “brown” is in the name, they would appear magenta or orange-red if a person could see them close up. By making a complete map of these objects, scientists could find out whether different kinds of brown dwarfs are evenly distributed in our solar system’s neighbourhood. Telescopes can detect brown dwarfs because they emit heat, in the form of infrared light, leftover from their formation. Infrared light is invisible to human eyes, but it can reveal tantalising details about brown dwarfs and other objects throughout the universe. “If you were to put the Sun at a random place within our 3D map and you were to ask, ‘Typically, what do its neighbours look like?’ We find that they would look very different from what our actual neighbours are,” said Aaron Meisner, assistant scientist at the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab and co-author of the study. The Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project is ongoing and open to anyone worldwide who wants to join the quest to find more mysterious objects in spacecraft data. In addition to a total of about 3,000 brown dwarfs, volunteers have helped find the oldest, coldest white dwarf surrounded by a disk of debris. “I enjoy this project because the objects that we send to the researchers might get observed with a big telescope,” said Melina Thévenot, a citizen scientist in Germany who is listed as a co-author of the new study. “I think we volunteers can really see the fruits of our efforts with this project and the publications by the science team.”

Scientists create 'most complete' three-dimensional map of brown dwarfs around the Sun

Billionaire Richard Branson’s&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Orbit&nbsp;reached space on Sunday, eight months after the first demonstration flight of its air-launched rocket system failed, the company said.

The Long Beach, California-based company’s LauncherOne rocket successfully deployed 10&nbsp;tiny satellites in orbit for NASA.

The launch occurred after the Boeing 747-400 took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in the desert north of Los Angeles and flew out over the Pacific Ocean to a drop point beyond the Channel Islands.

"According to telemetry, LauncherOne has reached orbit!" the company announced on Twitter during the test mission, dubbed Launch Demo 2. "In both a literal and figurative sense, this is miles beyond how far we reached in our first Launch Demo."

The rocket, a 70-foot launcher tailored for carrying small satellites to space, aimed to place 10 tiny satellites in orbit for NASA roughly two hours into the mission, though&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Orbit had not confirmed whether they were deployed as planned.

The successful test and clean payload deployment was a needed double-win for&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Orbit, which last year failed its attempt to reach space when LauncherOne’s main engine shut down prematurely moments after releasing from its carrier aircraft. The shortened mission generated key test data for the company, it said.

Sunday’s test also thrusts&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Orbit into an increasingly competitive commercial space race, offering a unique “air-launch” method of sending satellites to orbit alongside rivals such as Rocket Lab and Firefly Aerospace, which have designed small-launch systems to inject smaller satellites into orbit and meet growing demand.

Virgin&nbsp;executives say high-altitude launches allow satellites to be placed in their intended orbit more efficiently and also minimize weather-related cancellations compared to more traditional rockets launched vertically from a ground pad.

Virgin&nbsp;Orbit’s government services subsidiary VOX Space LLC is selling launches using the system to the US&nbsp;military, with a first mission slated for October under a $35 million US&nbsp;Space Force contract for three missions.

&nbsp;

Billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit reached space on Sunday, eight months after the first demonstration flight of its air-launched rocket system failed, the company said.

Billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit reached space on Sunday, eight months after the first demonstration flight of its air-launched rocket system failed, the company said. The Long Beach, California-based company’s LauncherOne rocket successfully deployed 10 tiny satellites in orbit for NASA. The launch occurred after the Boeing 747-400 took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in the desert north of Los Angeles and flew out over the Pacific Ocean to a drop point beyond the Channel Islands. "According to telemetry, LauncherOne has reached orbit!" the company announced on Twitter during the test mission, dubbed Launch Demo 2. "In both a literal and figurative sense, this is miles beyond how far we reached in our first Launch Demo." The rocket, a 70-foot launcher tailored for carrying small satellites to space, aimed to place 10 tiny satellites in orbit for NASA roughly two hours into the mission, though Virgin Orbit had not confirmed whether they were deployed as planned. The successful test and clean payload deployment was a needed double-win for Virgin Orbit, which last year failed its attempt to reach space when LauncherOne’s main engine shut down prematurely moments after releasing from its carrier aircraft. The shortened mission generated key test data for the company, it said. Sunday’s test also thrusts Virgin Orbit into an increasingly competitive commercial space race, offering a unique “air-launch” method of sending satellites to orbit alongside rivals such as Rocket Lab and Firefly Aerospace, which have designed small-launch systems to inject smaller satellites into orbit and meet growing demand. Virgin executives say high-altitude launches allow satellites to be placed in their intended orbit more efficiently and also minimize weather-related cancellations compared to more traditional rockets launched vertically from a ground pad. Virgin Orbit’s government services subsidiary VOX Space LLC is selling launches using the system to the US military, with a first mission slated for October under a $35 million US Space Force contract for three missions.

Virgin Galactic launches 10 satellites to orbit in landmark test flight

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the image of NGC 613, a barred spiral galaxy, NASA said in a post.

The galaxy that was first found by German-English astronomer William Herschel in 1798 lies in the southern constellation of Sculptor and is 67 million light-years away.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-want-to-turn-mars-green-how-will-they-do-it-357498">Scientists want to turn Mars green. How will they do it?</a>

NASA's post said the galaxy is "easily distinguishable" as it has "well-defined central bar and long arms".

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/netizens-express-delight-as-nasa-shares-image-of-neutron-star-357494">Netizens express delight as NASA shares image of neutron star</a>

"It is easily distinguishable as such because of its well-defined central bar and long arms, which spiral loosely around its nucleus," NASA said.&nbsp;

"As revealed by surveys, about two-thirds of spiral galaxies, including our own Milky Way galaxy, contain a bar."

The post said that recent researches have shown that bars are more common in galaxies than they earlier were, thereby giving important insights about "galaxy formation and evolution".

"The bright colors in this Hubble image aren't just beautiful to look at, as they actually tell us about the population of stars within NGC 4535," Hubble astronomers was quoted as saying by Sci-News.&nbsp;

"The bright blue-ish colors, seen nestled amongst its long, spiral arms, indicate the presence of a greater number of younger and hotter stars."

When this galaxy was observed from a smaller telescope, it had a hazy, ghostly appearance, which led the famous amateur astronomer Leland S. Copeland to call it "The Lost Galaxy" in the 1950s.

The Hubble astronomers said the galaxy was studied as part of the PHANGS survey, which intends to clarify the connections between "cold gas clouds, star formation, and the overall shape and other properties of galaxies."&nbsp;

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the image of NGC 613, a barred spiral galaxy, NASA said in a post. The galaxy that was first found by German-English astronomer William Herschel in 1798 lies in the southern constellation of Sculptor and is 67 million light-years away.

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the image of NGC 613, a barred spiral galaxy, NASA said in a post. The galaxy that was first found by German-English astronomer William Herschel in 1798 lies in the southern constellation of Sculptor and is 67 million light-years away. Also read | Scientists want to turn Mars green. How will they do it? NASA's post said the galaxy is "easily distinguishable" as it has "well-defined central bar and long arms". Also read | Netizens express delight as NASA shares image of neutron star "It is easily distinguishable as such because of its well-defined central bar and long arms, which spiral loosely around its nucleus," NASA said. "As revealed by surveys, about two-thirds of spiral galaxies, including our own Milky Way galaxy, contain a bar." The post said that recent researches have shown that bars are more common in galaxies than they earlier were, thereby giving important insights about "galaxy formation and evolution". "The bright colors in this Hubble image aren't just beautiful to look at, as they actually tell us about the population of stars within NGC 4535," Hubble astronomers was quoted as saying by Sci-News. "The bright blue-ish colors, seen nestled amongst its long, spiral arms, indicate the presence of a greater number of younger and hotter stars." When this galaxy was observed from a smaller telescope, it had a hazy, ghostly appearance, which led the famous amateur astronomer Leland S. Copeland to call it "The Lost Galaxy" in the 1950s. The Hubble astronomers said the galaxy was studied as part of the PHANGS survey, which intends to clarify the connections between "cold gas clouds, star formation, and the overall shape and other properties of galaxies."

Hubble telescope shares image of barred spiral galaxy NGC 4535

nasa

Nasa, News on Nasa, stories on Nasa, articles on Nasa, Nasa stories at Wion, Nasa news, Nasa latest news