NASA has announced that its researchers are actively tracking the South Atlantic Anomaly.

Your Story: NASA explores Earth's 'Magnetic dent'

<p>An asteroid the size of an SUV passed 1,830 miles&nbsp;above Earth, the closest asteroid ever observed passing by our planet, NASA said Tuesday.</p>

<p>If it had been on a collision course with Earth, the asteroid, named 2020 QG, would likely not have caused any damage, instead disintegrating in the atmosphere, creating a fireball in the sky, or a meteor, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said in a statement.</p>

<p>The asteroid, which was about three to six meters&nbsp;long, passed above the southern Indian Ocean on Sunday at 0408 GMT.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/this-is-when-the-universe-will-end-321273" hreflang="en">This is when the universe will end!</a></strong></p>

<p>It was moving at nearly eight miles per second, well below the geostationary orbit of about 22,000 miles at which most telecommunication satellites fly.</p>

<p>The asteroid was first recorded six hours after its approach by the Zwicky Transient Facility, a telescope at the Palomar Observatory at the California Institute of Technology, as a long trail of light in the sky.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/deep-sea-expedition-uncovers-30-new-species-in-galapagos-depths-321360" hreflang="en">Deep-sea expedition uncovers 30 new species in Galapagos depths</a></strong></p>

<p>The US space agency said that similarly sized asteroids pass by Earth at a similar distance a few times per year.</p>

<p>But they're difficult to record, unless they're heading directly towards the planet, in which case the explosion in the atmosphere is usually noticed as in Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013, when the explosion of an object about 66 feet long shattered windows for miles, injuring a thousand people.</p>

<p>One of NASA's missions is to monitor larger asteroids (460 feet) that could actually pose a threat to Earth, but their equipment also tracks smaller ones.</p>

<p>"It's really cool to see a small asteroid come by this close, because we can see the Earth's gravity dramatically bends its trajectory," said Paul Chodas, the director of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at NASA.</p>

<p>According to the JPL's calculations, the asteroid turned by about 45 degrees due to Earth's gravitational pull.</p>


An asteroid the size of an SUV passed 1,830 miles above Earth, the closest asteroid ever observed passing by our planet, NASA said Tuesday. If it had been on a collision course with Earth, the asteroid, named 2020 QG, would likely not have caused any damage, instead disintegrating in the atmosphere, creating a fireball in the sky, or a meteor, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said in a statement.

An asteroid the size of an SUV passed 1,830 miles above Earth, the closest asteroid ever observed passing by our planet, NASA said Tuesday. If it had been on a collision course with Earth, the asteroid, named 2020 QG, would likely not have caused any damage, instead disintegrating in the atmosphere, creating a fireball in the sky, or a meteor, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said in a statement. The asteroid, which was about three to six meters long, passed above the southern Indian Ocean on Sunday at 0408 GMT. Also read: This is when the universe will end! It was moving at nearly eight miles per second, well below the geostationary orbit of about 22,000 miles at which most telecommunication satellites fly. The asteroid was first recorded six hours after its approach by the Zwicky Transient Facility, a telescope at the Palomar Observatory at the California Institute of Technology, as a long trail of light in the sky. Also read: Deep-sea expedition uncovers 30 new species in Galapagos depths The US space agency said that similarly sized asteroids pass by Earth at a similar distance a few times per year. But they're difficult to record, unless they're heading directly towards the planet, in which case the explosion in the atmosphere is usually noticed as in Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013, when the explosion of an object about 66 feet long shattered windows for miles, injuring a thousand people. One of NASA's missions is to monitor larger asteroids (460 feet) that could actually pose a threat to Earth, but their equipment also tracks smaller ones. "It's really cool to see a small asteroid come by this close, because we can see the Earth's gravity dramatically bends its trajectory," said Paul Chodas, the director of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at NASA. According to the JPL's calculations, the asteroid turned by about 45 degrees due to Earth's gravitational pull.

Car-sized asteroid becomes closest ever seen passing Earth: NASA

<p>The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal probe into whether NASA`s former head of human spaceflight gave Boeing Co improper guidance during a lucrative lunar-lander contract competition, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday.</p>

<p>The Justice Department has sent subpoenas to NASA, Boeing and Doug Loverro, who led the agency`s marquee space travel program until he resigned abruptly in May, as part of a grand-jury investigation into the possible violation of federal procurement laws, the sources said.</p>

<p>In the probe, opened in June, prosecutors are focusing on communication between Loverro and Boeing space executive Jim Chilton in late January, during a blackout period for the Human Landing System competition, one of the sources said.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-recharges-its-batteries-in-flight-320348"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter recharges its batteries in flight</strong></a></p>

<p>Representatives for Boeing and Loverro declined to comment. NASA declined to comment on personnel matters and the status of any investigation, but said the agency was confident in its procurement processes.</p>

<p>The probe was earlier reported by the Wall Street Journal.</p>

<p>The investigation, and an earlier probe by a NASA watchdog, has cast a shadow over one of NASA`s most ambitious endeavors: sending humans back to the moon from U.S. soil for the first time in nearly half a century.</p>

<p>In April, NASA bypassed Boeing — an industry juggernaut with deep ties to space travel — and awarded contracts worth a combined $1 billion to Elon Musk`s SpaceX, Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos` Blue Origin, and Leidos Inc affiliate Dynetics to build lunar landing vehicles that can carry astronauts to the moon by 2024.</p>

<p>Boeing was removed from the competition, NASA said in April, without explaining why.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-drops-racially-charged-nicknames-of-celestial-bodies-319130"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;NASA drops racially charged nicknames of celestial bodies</strong></a></p>

<p>Two people briefed on a NASA watchdog investigation told Reuters Boeing`s removal was over its contact with Loverro.</p>

<p>The sources said NASA`s Office of Inspector General found that Loverro told Boeing during a blackout period the company`s proposal was incomplete and discussed aspects of the bid that were missing.</p>

<p>After discussions with Loverro, Boeing officials submitted another version during the blackout period, raising legal concerns among agency procurement staff, one of the people said.</p>

<p>Loverro abruptly resigned in May after less than a year on the job, telling employees in an email seen by Reuters that he took certain "risks" to meet NASA`s 2024 moon deadline.</p>

<p>"It is clear that I made a mistake in that choice for which I alone must bear the consequences," Loverro said, without explaining the mistake he was referring to.</p>


The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal probe into whether NASA`s former head of human spaceflight gave Boeing Co improper guidance during a lucrative lunar-lander contract competition, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal probe into whether NASA`s former head of human spaceflight gave Boeing Co improper guidance during a lucrative lunar-lander contract competition, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday. The Justice Department has sent subpoenas to NASA, Boeing and Doug Loverro, who led the agency`s marquee space travel program until he resigned abruptly in May, as part of a grand-jury investigation into the possible violation of federal procurement laws, the sources said. In the probe, opened in June, prosecutors are focusing on communication between Loverro and Boeing space executive Jim Chilton in late January, during a blackout period for the Human Landing System competition, one of the sources said. Also read: NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter recharges its batteries in flight Representatives for Boeing and Loverro declined to comment. NASA declined to comment on personnel matters and the status of any investigation, but said the agency was confident in its procurement processes. The probe was earlier reported by the Wall Street Journal. The investigation, and an earlier probe by a NASA watchdog, has cast a shadow over one of NASA`s most ambitious endeavors: sending humans back to the moon from U.S. soil for the first time in nearly half a century. In April, NASA bypassed Boeing — an industry juggernaut with deep ties to space travel — and awarded contracts worth a combined $1 billion to Elon Musk`s SpaceX, Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos` Blue Origin, and Leidos Inc affiliate Dynetics to build lunar landing vehicles that can carry astronauts to the moon by 2024. Boeing was removed from the competition, NASA said in April, without explaining why. Also read: NASA drops racially charged nicknames of celestial bodies Two people briefed on a NASA watchdog investigation told Reuters Boeing`s removal was over its contact with Loverro. The sources said NASA`s Office of Inspector General found that Loverro told Boeing during a blackout period the company`s proposal was incomplete and discussed aspects of the bid that were missing. After discussions with Loverro, Boeing officials submitted another version during the blackout period, raising legal concerns among agency procurement staff, one of the people said. Loverro abruptly resigned in May after less than a year on the job, telling employees in an email seen by Reuters that he took certain "risks" to meet NASA`s 2024 moon deadline. "It is clear that I made a mistake in that choice for which I alone must bear the consequences," Loverro said, without explaining the mistake he was referring to.

US prosecutors probe ex-NASA official, Boeing over space contract: sources

<p>Headed to the Red Planet with the Perseverance rover, the pioneering helicopter is powered up for the first time in interplanetary space as part of a systems check.</p>

<p>NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter received a checkout and recharge of its power system on Friday (August 7), one week into its near seven-month journey to Mars with the Perseverance rover.</p>

<p>This marks the first time the helicopter has been powered up and its batteries have been charged in the space environment.</p>

<p>During the eight-hour operation, the performance of the rotorcraft's six lithium-ion batteries was analyzed as the team brought their charge level up to 35 per cent. The project has determined a low charge state is optimal for battery health during the cruise to Mars.</p>

<p>"This was a big milestone, as it was our first opportunity to turn on Ingenuity and give its electronics a 'test drive' since we launched on July 30," said Tim Canham, the operations lead for Mars Helicopter at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.</p>

<p>"Since everything went by the book, we'll perform the same activity about every two weeks to maintain an acceptable state of charge," Canham added. The 4-pound (2-kilogram) helicopter -- a combination of specially designed components and off-the-shelf parts — is currently stowed on Perseverance's belly and receives its charge from the rover's power supply.<br />
<br />
Once Ingenuity is deployed on Mars' surface after Perseverance touches down, its batteries will be charged solely by the helicopter's own solar panel. If Ingenuitysurvives the cold Martian nights during its preflight checkout, the team will proceed with testing.</p>

<p>"This charge activity shows we have survived launch and that so far we can handle the harsh environment of interplanetary space. We have a lot more firsts to go before we can attempt the first experimental flight test on another planet, but right now we are all feeling very good about the future," said MiMi Aung, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter project manager at JPL.<br />
<br />
The small craft will have a 30-Martian-day (31-Earth-day) experimental flight-test window. If it succeeds, Ingenuity will prove that powered, controlled flight by an aircraft can be achieved at Mars, enabling future Mars missions to potentially add an aerial dimension to their explorations with second-generation rotorcraft.</p>


Headed to the Red Planet with the Perseverance rover, the pioneering helicopter is powered up for the first time in interplanetary space as part of a systems check.

Headed to the Red Planet with the Perseverance rover, the pioneering helicopter is powered up for the first time in interplanetary space as part of a systems check. NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter received a checkout and recharge of its power system on Friday (August 7), one week into its near seven-month journey to Mars with the Perseverance rover. This marks the first time the helicopter has been powered up and its batteries have been charged in the space environment. During the eight-hour operation, the performance of the rotorcraft's six lithium-ion batteries was analyzed as the team brought their charge level up to 35 per cent. The project has determined a low charge state is optimal for battery health during the cruise to Mars. "This was a big milestone, as it was our first opportunity to turn on Ingenuity and give its electronics a 'test drive' since we launched on July 30," said Tim Canham, the operations lead for Mars Helicopter at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "Since everything went by the book, we'll perform the same activity about every two weeks to maintain an acceptable state of charge," Canham added. The 4-pound (2-kilogram) helicopter -- a combination of specially designed components and off-the-shelf parts — is currently stowed on Perseverance's belly and receives its charge from the rover's power supply. Once Ingenuity is deployed on Mars' surface after Perseverance touches down, its batteries will be charged solely by the helicopter's own solar panel. If Ingenuitysurvives the cold Martian nights during its preflight checkout, the team will proceed with testing. "This charge activity shows we have survived launch and that so far we can handle the harsh environment of interplanetary space. We have a lot more firsts to go before we can attempt the first experimental flight test on another planet, but right now we are all feeling very good about the future," said MiMi Aung, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter project manager at JPL. The small craft will have a 30-Martian-day (31-Earth-day) experimental flight-test window. If it succeeds, Ingenuity will prove that powered, controlled flight by an aircraft can be achieved at Mars, enabling future Mars missions to potentially add an aerial dimension to their explorations with second-generation rotorcraft.

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter recharges its batteries in flight

<p>The deadly Beirut explosion, that took nearly 165 lives, has caused severe damage in the city. To map the extent of this damage, NASA used satellite-derived data.</p>

<p>NASA's&nbsp;Advnaced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) analysed the&nbsp;satellite-derived synthetic aperture radar data to map the likely extent of damage with the help of&nbsp;the Earth Observatory of Singapore.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lebanese-leaders-were-informed-of-risk-posed-by-explosives-at-port-in-july-reports-319592"><strong>Also read|&nbsp;Lebanese leaders were informed of risk posed by explosives at port in July: Reports</strong></a></p>

<p>"Synthetic aperture radar data from space shows ground surface changes from before and after a major event like an earthquake. In this case, it is being used to show the devastating result of an explosion," NASA report reads.</p>

<p>In the map, the dark red pixels represent the areas that have been severely damaged by the explosion, areas marked in orange have been moderately hit and the yellow-marked portions reveal the areas which have sustained somewhat less damage.&nbsp;Each colored pixel represents an area of 30 meters (33 yards).</p>

<p>NASA released the map on its official website. With the help of the map, the authorities can detect the areas where people might be severely affected and would require emergency assistance.</p>

<p>The explosion&nbsp;in Beirut happened on August 4 and affected more than 6,000 people with more than 20 people still missing.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The deadly Beirut explosion, that took nearly 165 lives, has caused severe damage in the city. To map the extent of this damage, NASA used satellite-derived data.

The deadly Beirut explosion, that took nearly 165 lives, has caused severe damage in the city. To map the extent of this damage, NASA used satellite-derived data. NASA's Advnaced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) analysed the satellite-derived synthetic aperture radar data to map the likely extent of damage with the help of the Earth Observatory of Singapore. Also read| Lebanese leaders were informed of risk posed by explosives at port in July: Reports "Synthetic aperture radar data from space shows ground surface changes from before and after a major event like an earthquake. In this case, it is being used to show the devastating result of an explosion," NASA report reads. In the map, the dark red pixels represent the areas that have been severely damaged by the explosion, areas marked in orange have been moderately hit and the yellow-marked portions reveal the areas which have sustained somewhat less damage. Each colored pixel represents an area of 30 meters (33 yards). NASA released the map on its official website. With the help of the map, the authorities can detect the areas where people might be severely affected and would require emergency assistance. The explosion in Beirut happened on August 4 and affected more than 6,000 people with more than 20 people still missing. ×

NASA maps Beirut blast damage through satellite images

<p>NASA, in the wake of the global anti-racism movement, has decided to do away with racially charged nicknames of celestial bodies.</p>

<p>NASA is examining its use of phrases for planets, galaxies and other cosmic objects "as part of its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion."</p>

<p>First ones that appear in the should-be dropped list are -- "Eskimo Nebula" and "Siamese Twins Galaxy".</p>

<p>"Nicknames are often more approachable and public-friendly than official names for cosmic objects, such as Barnard 33, whose nickname 'the Horsehead Nebula' invokes its appearance. But often seemingly innocuous nicknames can be harmful and detract from the science," NASA said in a release this week.</p>

<p>The renaming trend followed worldwide protests against racism and police brutality after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police.</p>

<p>The space agency says it "will use only the official, International Astronomical Union designations in cases where nicknames are inappropriate."</p>

<p>"Eskimo" is commonly used in Alaska to refer to Inuit and Yupik people, according to the Alaska Native Language Center at the University of Alaska.</p>

<p>"Siamese twins" is an antiquated expression for conjoined twins, based on brothers from Siam (now Thailand) who were used as sideshow freaks in the 19th century.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


NASA, in the wake of the global anti-racism movement, has decided to do away with racially charged nicknames of celestial bodies. NASA is examining its use of phrases for planets, galaxies and other cosmic objects "as part of its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

NASA, in the wake of the global anti-racism movement, has decided to do away with racially charged nicknames of celestial bodies. NASA is examining its use of phrases for planets, galaxies and other cosmic objects "as part of its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion." First ones that appear in the should-be dropped list are -- "Eskimo Nebula" and "Siamese Twins Galaxy". "Nicknames are often more approachable and public-friendly than official names for cosmic objects, such as Barnard 33, whose nickname 'the Horsehead Nebula' invokes its appearance. But often seemingly innocuous nicknames can be harmful and detract from the science," NASA said in a release this week. The renaming trend followed worldwide protests against racism and police brutality after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police. The space agency says it "will use only the official, International Astronomical Union designations in cases where nicknames are inappropriate." "Eskimo" is commonly used in Alaska to refer to Inuit and Yupik people, according to the Alaska Native Language Center at the University of Alaska. "Siamese twins" is an antiquated expression for conjoined twins, based on brothers from Siam (now Thailand) who were used as sideshow freaks in the 19th century.

NASA drops racially charged nicknames of celestial bodies

Nearly a quarter of Bangladesh has been inundated with floodwaters, according to the latest satellite images of the country captured by NASA recently. Watch report.

Bangladesh floods: NASA images reveal stark flood situation

Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley traveled to the space station in May aboard a Crew Dragon capsule built and run by SpaceX

NASA Astronauts return to Earth | Dragon capsule splashes down in Gulf of Mexico

<p>NASA astronauts&nbsp;Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley had a successful splash down in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday 2:48pm.</p>

<p>Behnken and Hurley had a 21-hour overnight journey aboard Crew Dragon "Endeavor", and had a successful landing in the calm waters of&nbsp;Gulf of Mexico, despite warnings of hurricane.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Good splashdown of Dragon confirmed! Welcome back to Earth, <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroBehnken</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Doug?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Doug</a>! <a href="https://t.co/0vAS3CcK9P">pic.twitter.com/0vAS3CcK9P</a></p>
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1289996815824117760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>With this, the two astronauts completed their two-months long journey that started on May 31. The mission was important as it was the first time a private company was able to launch a human-controlled spacecraft and bring them back. For NASA, it was the first time since&nbsp;its shuttle program retired in 2011, as since then NASA has relied on Russia's space program to launch its astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroBehnken</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Doug?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Doug</a> have been lifted out of the water and are aboard the Go Navigator. Welcome home. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LaunchAmerica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LaunchAmerica</a> <a href="https://t.co/gjqUcLMy8X">pic.twitter.com/gjqUcLMy8X</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1290004579862667264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>NASA astronauts are conducting tests and checking the status of the seven-seater spacecraft after a successful spin around the orbit. The craft has been observed to be in a "very healthy" condition&nbsp; in the initial reports.</p>

<p>For the process of splashdown, the on-board thrusters and two sets of parachutes worked autonomously to slow down the capsule. This helped bring the speed of&nbsp;17,500 miles per hour in orbit down to 350 mph upon atmospheric reentry, and eventually 15 mph at splashdown.</p>

<p>During reentry to Earth's atmosphere, the capsule's outer shell withstood temperatures as high as 3,500 Fahrenheit while Behnken and Hurley, wearing SpaceX`s white flight suits strapped inside the cabin, experienced 85 Fahrenheit.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"To anybody who has touched Endeavour, you should take a moment to just cherish this day."<br />
<br />
Touching words from <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Doug?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Doug</a> as <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroBehnken</a> is safely brought out of the spacecraft. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LaunchAmerica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LaunchAmerica</a> <a href="https://t.co/0yKUWbD9Ed">pic.twitter.com/0yKUWbD9Ed</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1290017583635234821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>After spending a night in the space on Saturday en route Earth, the astronauts were woken up to messages from their sons.&nbsp;"Good morning Dragon Endeavor," Hurley's son said in a recorded message sent to the capsule. "I'm happy you went into space but I'm even happier that you're coming back home."</p>

<p>As astronaut Behnken was being brought out of the spacecraft, Doug said, "To anybody who has touched Endeavour, you should take a moment to just cherish this day."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The astronauts met their families and addressed the nation soon after which was live broadcasted by NASA on its Twitter account.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">👀 Views of <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroBehnken</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Doug?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Doug</a> being greeted by family members as they step off the plane at Ellington Field. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LaunchAmerica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LaunchAmerica</a> <a href="https://t.co/aHNLuD01Xt">pic.twitter.com/aHNLuD01Xt</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1290071192850911239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>"We're both super, super proud having been just a small part of the team that accomplished bringing those spaceflights back to the Florida coast and bringing that capability back to America," astronaut Behnken said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The US President Donald Trump, who was also present at the launch site, congratulated and thanked the NASA and SpaceX team through a tweet. "Great to have NASA Astronauts return to Earth after very successful two month mission. Thank you to all!," he tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Great to have NASA Astronauts return to Earth after very successful two month mission. Thank you to all!</p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1289997897723863040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Retweeting the splashdown video from NASA, he further added, "Astronauts complete first splashdown in 45 years. Very exciting!"</p>


NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley had a successful splash down in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday 2:48pm. Behnken and Hurley had a 21-hour overnight journey aboard Crew Dragon "Endeavor", and had a successful landing in the calm waters of Gulf of Mexico, despite warnings of hurricane.

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley had a successful splash down in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday 2:48pm. Behnken and Hurley had a 21-hour overnight journey aboard Crew Dragon "Endeavor", and had a successful landing in the calm waters of Gulf of Mexico, despite warnings of hurricane. Good splashdown of Dragon confirmed! Welcome back to Earth, @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug! pic.twitter.com/0vAS3CcK9P — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 2, 2020 × With this, the two astronauts completed their two-months long journey that started on May 31. The mission was important as it was the first time a private company was able to launch a human-controlled spacecraft and bring them back. For NASA, it was the first time since its shuttle program retired in 2011, as since then NASA has relied on Russia's space program to launch its astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). .@AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug have been lifted out of the water and are aboard the Go Navigator. Welcome home. #LaunchAmerica pic.twitter.com/gjqUcLMy8X — NASA (@NASA) August 2, 2020 × NASA astronauts are conducting tests and checking the status of the seven-seater spacecraft after a successful spin around the orbit. The craft has been observed to be in a "very healthy" condition in the initial reports. For the process of splashdown, the on-board thrusters and two sets of parachutes worked autonomously to slow down the capsule. This helped bring the speed of 17,500 miles per hour in orbit down to 350 mph upon atmospheric reentry, and eventually 15 mph at splashdown. During reentry to Earth's atmosphere, the capsule's outer shell withstood temperatures as high as 3,500 Fahrenheit while Behnken and Hurley, wearing SpaceX`s white flight suits strapped inside the cabin, experienced 85 Fahrenheit. "To anybody who has touched Endeavour, you should take a moment to just cherish this day." Touching words from @Astro_Doug as @AstroBehnken is safely brought out of the spacecraft. #LaunchAmerica pic.twitter.com/0yKUWbD9Ed — NASA (@NASA) August 2, 2020 × After spending a night in the space on Saturday en route Earth, the astronauts were woken up to messages from their sons. "Good morning Dragon Endeavor," Hurley's son said in a recorded message sent to the capsule. "I'm happy you went into space but I'm even happier that you're coming back home." As astronaut Behnken was being brought out of the spacecraft, Doug said, "To anybody who has touched Endeavour, you should take a moment to just cherish this day." The astronauts met their families and addressed the nation soon after which was live broadcasted by NASA on its Twitter account. 👀 Views of @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug being greeted by family members as they step off the plane at Ellington Field. #LaunchAmerica pic.twitter.com/aHNLuD01Xt — NASA (@NASA) August 2, 2020 × "We're both super, super proud having been just a small part of the team that accomplished bringing those spaceflights back to the Florida coast and bringing that capability back to America," astronaut Behnken said. The US President Donald Trump, who was also present at the launch site, congratulated and thanked the NASA and SpaceX team through a tweet. "Great to have NASA Astronauts return to Earth after very successful two month mission. Thank you to all!," he tweeted. Great to have NASA Astronauts return to Earth after very successful two month mission. Thank you to all! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2020 × Retweeting the splashdown video from NASA, he further added, "Astronauts complete first splashdown in 45 years. Very exciting!"

NASA astronauts successfully reach Earth aboard SpaceX capsule

'Thanks for flying SpaceX': NASA astronauts complete a historic space mission

<p>Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the&nbsp;first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station (ISS) in nearly a decade, have successfully undocked from the ISS on Saturday late night.</p>

<p>The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is now en route its way back to the Earth.</p>

<p>SpaceX confirmed on Twitter by tweeting, "Separation confirmed. Dragon performing 4 departure burns to move away from the @Space_Station" along with a video.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Separation confirmed. Dragon performing 4 departure burns to move away from the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a> <a href="https://t.co/ea14fozdO8">pic.twitter.com/ea14fozdO8</a></p>
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1289706785469677568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>The two American astronauts' capsule is set to undock around 2334 GMT (7:30pm). However, the NASA is still observing the&nbsp;Hurricane Isaias — a category one storm that battered the Bahamas on Friday and was churning toward Florida.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-might-delay-spacex-nasa-return-trip-from-iss-317469"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Hurricane might delay SpaceX-NASA return trip from ISS</strong></a></p>

<p>"Conditions are 'Go' at the primary targeted site, off the coast (of) Pensacola, and alternate site off the coast of Panama City in the Gulf of Mexico for splashdown and recovery on Sunday, Aug 2," NASA said in a blog post.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go… <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LandAmerica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LandAmerica</a> <a href="https://t.co/FvyzeA58sb">pic.twitter.com/FvyzeA58sb</a></p>
— Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken/status/1289576302333145089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Bob Behnken, in an ISS ceremony aboard said that earlier "the hardest part was getting us launched. But the most important part is bringing us home."</p>

<p>SpaceX is also running a live webcast of Crew Dragon's return to Earth.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Webcast of Crew Dragon’s return to Earth from the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@space_station</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroBehnken</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Doug?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Doug</a> → <a href="https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK">https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK</a> <a href="https://t.co/xZmI41Zw5S">https://t.co/xZmI41Zw5S</a></p>
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1289671305835327488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station (ISS) in nearly a decade, have successfully undocked from the ISS on Saturday late night.

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station (ISS) in nearly a decade, have successfully undocked from the ISS on Saturday late night. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is now en route its way back to the Earth. SpaceX confirmed on Twitter by tweeting, "Separation confirmed. Dragon performing 4 departure burns to move away from the @Space_Station" along with a video. Separation confirmed. Dragon performing 4 departure burns to move away from the @Space_Station pic.twitter.com/ea14fozdO8 — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 1, 2020 × The two American astronauts' capsule is set to undock around 2334 GMT (7:30pm). However, the NASA is still observing the Hurricane Isaias — a category one storm that battered the Bahamas on Friday and was churning toward Florida. Also read: Hurricane might delay SpaceX-NASA return trip from ISS "Conditions are 'Go' at the primary targeted site, off the coast (of) Pensacola, and alternate site off the coast of Panama City in the Gulf of Mexico for splashdown and recovery on Sunday, Aug 2," NASA said in a blog post. All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go… #LandAmerica pic.twitter.com/FvyzeA58sb — Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) August 1, 2020 × Bob Behnken, in an ISS ceremony aboard said that earlier "the hardest part was getting us launched. But the most important part is bringing us home." SpaceX is also running a live webcast of Crew Dragon's return to Earth. Webcast of Crew Dragon’s return to Earth from the @space_station with @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug → https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK https://t.co/xZmI41Zw5S — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 1, 2020 ×

'I am ready to come home': SpaceX Crew Dragon undocks from ISS to return to Earth

<p>Shanmuga Subramanian, a Chennai-based techie and space enthusiast who was credited by NASA, late last year for spotting the debris of India's Chandrayaan 2 moon probe, Vikram lander, which crash landed near the south pole of the moon, has come up with his latest find.</p>

<p>This time he claims to have possibly spotted the skeleton of the Vikram lander and also the pragyaan rover that might have rolled out onto the lunar surface. The claim is based on a similar method he had employed for the earlier find, by studying and comparing open source moon images shared by NASA. After having written to both ISRO and NASA, he is enthusiastically hoping for the best.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shanmuga Subramanian told WION that his earlier find was of the debris (perhaps a part of the payload that the vikram lander was carrying on-board) from the crash landing, as also acknowledged by NASA.</p>

<p>But this time around, he's likely to have located the outer shell of the Vikram lander and also the pragyan rover which has rolled out onto the lunar surface. He has also tweeted out images of his possible find and mailed them to ISRO and NASA, who would be the best authorities to judge and confirm the possible find. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chandrayaan2's Pragyan "ROVER" intact on Moon's surface &amp; has rolled out few metres from the skeleton Vikram lander whose payloads got disintegrated due to rough landing | More details in below tweets <a href="https://twitter.com/isro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chandrayaan2?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chandrayaan2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VikramLander?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VikramLander</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PragyanRover?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PragyanRover</a> (1/4) <a href="https://t.co/iKSHntsK1f">pic.twitter.com/iKSHntsK1f</a></p>
— Shan (Shanmuga Subramanian) (@Ramanean) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ramanean/status/1289405848821800965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>When asked about what led him to embark on this tedious search again, he says he was spending the recent weeks trying to locate other debris on the moon such as the first-ever probe sent by the erstwhile Soviet union.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Using an open-source NASA software I've been looking at various regions in-depth. The area was around where the earlier debris was spotted was also of particular interest" he told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He says that the most interesting aspect was a few images clicked by NASA in January, that were made publicly available in May.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This image was more illuminated due to the then prevailing lighting conditions in that region and enabled me to spot much more. Generally that region is poorly lit. My latest find ( possibly vikram lander and pragyan rover) is around 500-700 meters towards the right of &nbsp;the debris that I located last year" he says.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The image he has tweeted out has markings that point to the objects that are suspected to be the vikram lander, the pragyan rover and also the possible tracks of the rover.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Leaving it upto ISRO to confirm, Subramanian suspects that the wheeled rover might have eventually rolled out from the lander after the crash landing.</p>

<p>"May be it was pre-programmed to roll out or maybe the lander received ISRO's command to roll our the rover. The lander and rover may have been communicating &nbsp;back and forth. But, perhaps this could have been a case of one-way communication. While the lander and rover could communicate, &nbsp;it was perhaps not able to relay the signals back to Earth after the harsh landing" he says.&nbsp;</p>

<p>WION also got the receipt of Subramanian's e-mail confirmed from ISRO chairman Dr.K.Sivan. "He has sent us the image and we have shared it with our experts for analysis" Dr. Sivan told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India's second moon-probe Chandrayaan 2 was launched on July 22nd last year and had attempted a moon-landing on September 7th. However, the much anticipated landing happened to end-up in a crash landing, after ISRO lost contact with the vikram lander, barely at an altitude of 2.1km from the lunar surface.</p>

<p>India is also working on chandrayaan 3, the country's thrid moon probe, and it is expected to be launched sometime in 2021.&nbsp;</p>


Shanmuga Subramanian, a Chennai-based techie and space enthusiast who was credited by NASA, late last year for spotting the debris of India's Chandrayaan 2 moon probe, Vikram lander, which crash landed near the south pole of the moon, has come up with his latest find.

Shanmuga Subramanian, a Chennai-based techie and space enthusiast who was credited by NASA, late last year for spotting the debris of India's Chandrayaan 2 moon probe, Vikram lander, which crash landed near the south pole of the moon, has come up with his latest find. This time he claims to have possibly spotted the skeleton of the Vikram lander and also the pragyaan rover that might have rolled out onto the lunar surface. The claim is based on a similar method he had employed for the earlier find, by studying and comparing open source moon images shared by NASA. After having written to both ISRO and NASA, he is enthusiastically hoping for the best. Shanmuga Subramanian told WION that his earlier find was of the debris (perhaps a part of the payload that the vikram lander was carrying on-board) from the crash landing, as also acknowledged by NASA. But this time around, he's likely to have located the outer shell of the Vikram lander and also the pragyan rover which has rolled out onto the lunar surface. He has also tweeted out images of his possible find and mailed them to ISRO and NASA, who would be the best authorities to judge and confirm the possible find. Chandrayaan2's Pragyan "ROVER" intact on Moon's surface & has rolled out few metres from the skeleton Vikram lander whose payloads got disintegrated due to rough landing | More details in below tweets @isro #Chandrayaan2 #VikramLander #PragyanRover (1/4) pic.twitter.com/iKSHntsK1f — Shan (Shanmuga Subramanian) (@Ramanean) August 1, 2020 × When asked about what led him to embark on this tedious search again, he says he was spending the recent weeks trying to locate other debris on the moon such as the first-ever probe sent by the erstwhile Soviet union. "Using an open-source NASA software I've been looking at various regions in-depth. The area was around where the earlier debris was spotted was also of particular interest" he told WION. He says that the most interesting aspect was a few images clicked by NASA in January, that were made publicly available in May. "This image was more illuminated due to the then prevailing lighting conditions in that region and enabled me to spot much more. Generally that region is poorly lit. My latest find ( possibly vikram lander and pragyan rover) is around 500-700 meters towards the right of the debris that I located last year" he says. The image he has tweeted out has markings that point to the objects that are suspected to be the vikram lander, the pragyan rover and also the possible tracks of the rover. Leaving it upto ISRO to confirm, Subramanian suspects that the wheeled rover might have eventually rolled out from the lander after the crash landing. "May be it was pre-programmed to roll out or maybe the lander received ISRO's command to roll our the rover. The lander and rover may have been communicating back and forth. But, perhaps this could have been a case of one-way communication. While the lander and rover could communicate, it was perhaps not able to relay the signals back to Earth after the harsh landing" he says. WION also got the receipt of Subramanian's e-mail confirmed from ISRO chairman Dr.K.Sivan. "He has sent us the image and we have shared it with our experts for analysis" Dr. Sivan told WION. India's second moon-probe Chandrayaan 2 was launched on July 22nd last year and had attempted a moon-landing on September 7th. However, the much anticipated landing happened to end-up in a crash landing, after ISRO lost contact with the vikram lander, barely at an altitude of 2.1km from the lunar surface. India is also working on chandrayaan 3, the country's thrid moon probe, and it is expected to be launched sometime in 2021.

Vikram lander and Pragyan rover spotted? Techie awaits ISRO, NASA nod

<p>The first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station in nearly a decade might not come home this weekend as scheduled because of Hurricane Isaias.</p>

<p>Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley blasted off from Cape Canaveral on May 30 on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon, and are supposed to splash down off the coast of Florida on Sunday afternoon.</p>

<p>For now, undocking remains scheduled for approximately 7:34 pm (2334 GMT) Saturday, and splashdown at 2:42 pm (1842 GMT) on Sunday.</p>

<p>But NASA said it was keeping a watchful eye on Hurricane Isaias -- a category one storm that battered the Bahamas on Friday and was churning toward Florida.</p>

<p>NASA would make a final call about six hours prior to undocking.</p>

<p>The potential splashdown sites are in the Gulf of Mexico and along Florida's Atlantic coast.</p>

<p>The mission marked the first time a crewed spaceship launched into orbit from American soil since 2011 when the Space Shuttle program ended. It was also the first time a private company has flown to the ISS carrying astronauts.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station in nearly a decade might not come home this weekend as scheduled because of Hurricane Isaias. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley blasted off from Cape Canaveral on May 30 on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon, and are supposed to splash down off the coast of Florida on Sunday afternoon.

The first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station in nearly a decade might not come home this weekend as scheduled because of Hurricane Isaias. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley blasted off from Cape Canaveral on May 30 on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon, and are supposed to splash down off the coast of Florida on Sunday afternoon. For now, undocking remains scheduled for approximately 7:34 pm (2334 GMT) Saturday, and splashdown at 2:42 pm (1842 GMT) on Sunday. But NASA said it was keeping a watchful eye on Hurricane Isaias -- a category one storm that battered the Bahamas on Friday and was churning toward Florida. NASA would make a final call about six hours prior to undocking. The potential splashdown sites are in the Gulf of Mexico and along Florida's Atlantic coast. The mission marked the first time a crewed spaceship launched into orbit from American soil since 2011 when the Space Shuttle program ended. It was also the first time a private company has flown to the ISS carrying astronauts.

Hurricane might delay SpaceX-NASA return trip from ISS

NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover lifted off successfully on July 30 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The rover will take about seven months to travel to Mars and will search for signs of life, explore the planet's geology, and much more.

WION Dispatch: NASA's Helicopter to fly to Mars, NASA Mars Rover 2020

<p>NASA on Thursday launched the rover Perseverance to Mars from Cape Canaveral, Florida&nbsp;on board a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.</p>

<p>Perseverance is set to reach Mars on February 18&nbsp;next year becoming the fifth rover to complete the voyage since 1997.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The rocket has separated from the first stage and is being boosted to orbit by the Centaur second stage. <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAPersevere</a> is now preparing for a second burn that will put it on a trajectory towards Mars. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CountdownToMars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CountdownToMars</a> <a href="https://t.co/MBRqcxMTdw">pic.twitter.com/MBRqcxMTdw</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1288806326815133696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-will-help-perseverance-rover-in-mars-317017#mars-helicopter-317006">See Pics:&nbsp;How NASA's Ingenuity helicopter will help Perseverance rover in Mars&nbsp;</a></p>

<p>The mission will search for life on Mars. The rover will also have a state of the art mini helicopter named Ingenuity which will attempt to fly in Mars.</p>

<p>The mission of the helicopter is to find signs of ancient life forms in the red planet.</p>

<p>"We have a history of doing amazing things in the most challenging times, and this is this is no different," NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said.</p>


NASA on Thursday launched the rover Perseverance to Mars from Cape Canaveral, Florida on board a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Perseverance is set to reach Mars on February 18 next year becoming the fifth rover to complete the voyage since 1997.

NASA on Thursday launched the rover Perseverance to Mars from Cape Canaveral, Florida on board a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Perseverance is set to reach Mars on February 18 next year becoming the fifth rover to complete the voyage since 1997. The rocket has separated from the first stage and is being boosted to orbit by the Centaur second stage. @NASAPersevere is now preparing for a second burn that will put it on a trajectory towards Mars. #CountdownToMars pic.twitter.com/MBRqcxMTdw — NASA (@NASA) July 30, 2020 × See Pics: How NASA's Ingenuity helicopter will help Perseverance rover in Mars The mission will search for life on Mars. The rover will also have a state of the art mini helicopter named Ingenuity which will attempt to fly in Mars. The mission of the helicopter is to find signs of ancient life forms in the red planet. "We have a history of doing amazing things in the most challenging times, and this is this is no different," NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said.

NASA's Perseverance rover with Ingenuity helicopter blasts off from Florida on way to Mars

NASA sends a helicopter along with the rover to Mars

How NASA's Ingenuity helicopter will help Perseverance rover in Mars

Two teenage schoolgirls Vaidehi Vekariya and Radhika Lakhani in India discovered an asteroid near Mars, a space education institute in India reported recently.

Young minds take lead in space missions | Indian teenagers discover asteroid near Mars

<p>Astronaut Bob Behnken is back with another mesmerizing glimpse from the space. This time, the astronaut posted a picture of Hurricane Hanna.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The hurricane made its second landfall in Texas on Saturday afternoon, inflicting damage by heavy rain and strong wind.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Behnken captured the Category I storm from the space leaving the netizens in awe.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bob Behnken took to Twitter and showed a view of Hurricane Hanna taken from the International Space Station (ISS) as it was passing over the Gulf of Mexico on Friday. Behnken clicked the photo that showed ‘observable structure’ of the hurricane.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Snapped this photo of the storm in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday as it was starting to have observable structure from <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HurricaneHanna?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HurricaneHanna</a> <a href="https://t.co/KiamE0lmKk">pic.twitter.com/KiamE0lmKk</a></p>
— Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken/status/1287443639774466048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>“Snapped this photo of the storm in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday as it was starting to have observable structure from @Space_Station. #HurricaneHanna,” reads the caption.</p>

<p>Posted on July 26, the picture has received over 17,000 likes and a variety of comments.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Great Picture. Looks like a crazy hurricane. Must be crazy to be able to view Earth like how you view the land from the plane all the time. Would it be out of order to request pics looking the other way?</p>
— Kamal Aluri (@KamalAluri) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalAluri/status/1287468564387991552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Can I come live with you guys up there. The Majority down here keep repeating the same information every day. I feel like in trapped in a damn rerun that's been playing for 1000s of years. <a href="https://t.co/C0P2cJQkAk">pic.twitter.com/C0P2cJQkAk</a></p>
— Mitchendo64 (@mitchendo64) <a href="https://twitter.com/mitchendo64/status/1287593537681285122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hey man, how do you get a signal up there 🤔</p>
— Dhiraajsinh Parmar (@Capt_Dhiraaj) <a href="https://twitter.com/Capt_Dhiraaj/status/1287479710717341696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Beautiful absolutely beautiful</p>
— Jacob Connor Bailey (@onelifebachelor) <a href="https://twitter.com/onelifebachelor/status/1287477231665774592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier, Bob shared a picture of lightening from space, leaving the netizens awe-struck.&nbsp;</p>


Astronaut Bob Behnken is back with another mesmerizing glimpse from the space. This time, the astronaut posted a picture of Hurricane Hanna. The hurricane made its second landfall in Texas on Saturday afternoon, inflicting damage by heavy rain and strong wind.

Astronaut Bob Behnken is back with another mesmerizing glimpse from the space. This time, the astronaut posted a picture of Hurricane Hanna. The hurricane made its second landfall in Texas on Saturday afternoon, inflicting damage by heavy rain and strong wind. Behnken captured the Category I storm from the space leaving the netizens in awe. Bob Behnken took to Twitter and showed a view of Hurricane Hanna taken from the International Space Station (ISS) as it was passing over the Gulf of Mexico on Friday. Behnken clicked the photo that showed ‘observable structure’ of the hurricane. Snapped this photo of the storm in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday as it was starting to have observable structure from @Space_Station. #HurricaneHanna pic.twitter.com/KiamE0lmKk — Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) July 26, 2020 × “Snapped this photo of the storm in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday as it was starting to have observable structure from @Space_Station. #HurricaneHanna,” reads the caption. Posted on July 26, the picture has received over 17,000 likes and a variety of comments. Great Picture. Looks like a crazy hurricane. Must be crazy to be able to view Earth like how you view the land from the plane all the time. Would it be out of order to request pics looking the other way? — Kamal Aluri (@KamalAluri) July 26, 2020 × Can I come live with you guys up there. The Majority down here keep repeating the same information every day. I feel like in trapped in a damn rerun that's been playing for 1000s of years. pic.twitter.com/C0P2cJQkAk — Mitchendo64 (@mitchendo64) July 27, 2020 × Hey man, how do you get a signal up there 🤔 — Dhiraajsinh Parmar (@Capt_Dhiraaj) July 26, 2020 × Beautiful absolutely beautiful — Jacob Connor Bailey (@onelifebachelor) July 26, 2020 × Earlier, Bob shared a picture of lightening from space, leaving the netizens awe-struck.

Astronaut shares picture of Hurricane Hanna from space leaving netizens in awe

<p>A piece of Martian meteorite will go back to Mars with NASA's robot rover Perseverance. The ancient rock has been donated by the Natural History Museum in London and the rover carrying it will be propelled towards the red planet on a seven-month journey after its launch on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/fungus-found-in-chernobyl-could-protect-humans-from-deadly-radiations-on-mars-316186" hreflang="en">Fungus found in Chernobyl could protect humans from deadly radiations on Mars</a></p>

<p>According to space engineers, the rock will be used to calibrate detectors onboard the robot rover Perseverance after it lands and begins its search for signs of past life on the planet.</p>

<p>Professor Caroline Smith, the Natural History Museum’s principal curator of meteorites, said: “When you turn on instruments and begin to tune them up before using them for research, you calibrate them on materials that are going to be like the unknown substances you are about to study. So what better for studying rocks on Mars than a lump that originated there?”</p>

<p>Smith, who is also a part of the Mars 2020 science team, said that the scientists were confident that the rock they were returning was originated on the planet (Mars). “Tiny bubbles of gas trapped inside that meteorite have exactly the same composition as the atmosphere of Mars, so we know our rock came from there.”</p>

<p>According to the Natural History Museum in London, the Martian meteorite was created when an asteroid or comet hit the red planet about 600,000 to 700,000 years ago. The impact sprayed the debris into space. One of the pieces in the debris moved around the solar system, eventually crashing on to Earth.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The meteorite, now called the Sayh al Uhaymir 008 or SAU 008 was discovered in Oman in 1999 and have been in London's Natural History Museum since then.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Perseverance rover has been fitted with a high-precision laser called Sherloc. This instrument will be used to decipher the chemical composition of rocks and determine if they might contain organic materials that indicate life once existed or still exists on Mars. This mission has included SAU 008 to ensure this is done with maximum accuracy.</p>

<p>“The piece of rock we are sending was specifically chosen because it is the right material in terms of chemistry, but also it is a very tough rock,” added Smith. “Some of the Martian meteorites we have are very fragile. This meteorite is as tough as old boots.”</p>


A piece of Martian meteorite will go back to Mars with NASA's robot rover Perseverance. The ancient rock has been donated by the Natural History Museum in London and the rover carrying it will be propelled towards the red planet on a seven-month journey after its launch on Thursday.

A piece of Martian meteorite will go back to Mars with NASA's robot rover Perseverance. The ancient rock has been donated by the Natural History Museum in London and the rover carrying it will be propelled towards the red planet on a seven-month journey after its launch on Thursday. Also read: Fungus found in Chernobyl could protect humans from deadly radiations on Mars According to space engineers, the rock will be used to calibrate detectors onboard the robot rover Perseverance after it lands and begins its search for signs of past life on the planet. Professor Caroline Smith, the Natural History Museum’s principal curator of meteorites, said: “When you turn on instruments and begin to tune them up before using them for research, you calibrate them on materials that are going to be like the unknown substances you are about to study. So what better for studying rocks on Mars than a lump that originated there?” Smith, who is also a part of the Mars 2020 science team, said that the scientists were confident that the rock they were returning was originated on the planet (Mars). “Tiny bubbles of gas trapped inside that meteorite have exactly the same composition as the atmosphere of Mars, so we know our rock came from there.” According to the Natural History Museum in London, the Martian meteorite was created when an asteroid or comet hit the red planet about 600,000 to 700,000 years ago. The impact sprayed the debris into space. One of the pieces in the debris moved around the solar system, eventually crashing on to Earth. The meteorite, now called the Sayh al Uhaymir 008 or SAU 008 was discovered in Oman in 1999 and have been in London's Natural History Museum since then. The Perseverance rover has been fitted with a high-precision laser called Sherloc. This instrument will be used to decipher the chemical composition of rocks and determine if they might contain organic materials that indicate life once existed or still exists on Mars. This mission has included SAU 008 to ensure this is done with maximum accuracy. “The piece of rock we are sending was specifically chosen because it is the right material in terms of chemistry, but also it is a very tough rock,” added Smith. “Some of the Martian meteorites we have are very fragile. This meteorite is as tough as old boots.”

Martian rock to be sent back to Mars in NASA's rover mission after 700,000 years

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is gearing up to carry a cutting-edge 8.4-foot telescope high into the stratosphere aboard a balloon of the size of a football stadium.</p>

<p>Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution Observations at Submillimeter-wavelengths (ASTHROS) is tentatively planned to launch in December 2023 from Antarctica. It is a part of the space agency's Scientific Balloon Program.</p>

<p>ASTHROS will be stationed at an altitude of about 130,000 feet,&nbsp;roughly four times higher than commercial airliners fly'' to observe&nbsp;far-infrared light, or light with wavelengths much longer than what is visible to the human eye.</p>

<p>The balloon will spend about three weeks above the icy southern continent and&nbsp;will study four main targets, including two star-forming regions in the Milky Way galaxy.</p>

<p>According to an article published in NASA's <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7712https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7712">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL), the telescope will be placed in the outer atmosphere, that is&nbsp;stratosphere&nbsp;to observe light wavelengths that are "blocked" by Earth's atmosphere.</p>

<p>JPL engineer and ASTHROS manager Jose Siles said&nbsp;"Balloon missions like ASTHROS are higher-risk than space missions but yield high-rewards at modest cost".</p>

<p>"The mission will pave the way for future space missions by testing new technologies and providing training for the next generation of engineers and scientists," he&nbsp;added.</p>

<p>The finishing touches on the design for the observatory's payload, which includes its telescope,&nbsp;its science instrument, and such subsystems as the cooling and electronic systems, were put together by the mission team recently.</p>

<p>The mission will make the first detailed 3 dimensional&nbsp;maps of the speed, density, and motion of gas in these regions to see how the newborn giants influence their placental material.</p>


The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is gearing up to carry a cutting-edge 8.4-foot telescope high into the stratosphere aboard a balloon of the size of a football stadium.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is gearing up to carry a cutting-edge 8.4-foot telescope high into the stratosphere aboard a balloon of the size of a football stadium. Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution Observations at Submillimeter-wavelengths (ASTHROS) is tentatively planned to launch in December 2023 from Antarctica. It is a part of the space agency's Scientific Balloon Program. ASTHROS will be stationed at an altitude of about 130,000 feet, roughly four times higher than commercial airliners fly'' to observe far-infrared light, or light with wavelengths much longer than what is visible to the human eye. The balloon will spend about three weeks above the icy southern continent and will study four main targets, including two star-forming regions in the Milky Way galaxy. According to an article published in NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the telescope will be placed in the outer atmosphere, that is stratosphere to observe light wavelengths that are "blocked" by Earth's atmosphere. JPL engineer and ASTHROS manager Jose Siles said "Balloon missions like ASTHROS are higher-risk than space missions but yield high-rewards at modest cost". "The mission will pave the way for future space missions by testing new technologies and providing training for the next generation of engineers and scientists," he added. The finishing touches on the design for the observatory's payload, which includes its telescope, its science instrument, and such subsystems as the cooling and electronic systems, were put together by the mission team recently. The mission will make the first detailed 3 dimensional maps of the speed, density, and motion of gas in these regions to see how the newborn giants influence their placental material.

NASA to send stadium-size balloon to study formation of stars

<p>Two teenage girls from India have discovered an Earth-bound asteroid by poring through images from a University of Hawaii telescope, an Indian space education institute said on Monday.</p>

<p>The asteroid is presently near Mars and its orbit is expected to cross that of Earth in about one million years` time, said SPACE India, a private institute where the two 14-year-old girls received training.</p>

<p>"I look forward to... when we will get a chance to name the asteroid," said Vaidehi Vekariya, who added that she wants to become an astronaut when she is older.</p>

<p>The asteroid, currently called HLV2514, may be officially christened only after NASA confirms its orbit, a SPACE India spokeswoman said.</p>

<p>Radhika Lakhani, the other student, said she was working hard on her education. "I don`t even have a TV at home, so that I can concentrate on my studies."</p>

<p>Asteroids and comets pose a potential threat to Earth, and scientists discover thousands of them each year. In 2013, an asteroid heavier than the Eiffel Tower exploded over central Russia, leaving more than 1,000 people injured from its shockwave.</p>

<p>The two girls, who hail from Surat, discovered the object as part of an asteroid search campaign conducted by SPACE India along with the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), a NASA-affiliated citizen scientist group.</p>

<p>IASC Director J. Patrick Miller confirmed the discovery, according to an email from him to the girls seen by Reuters.<br />
The girls used specialised software to analyse the images snapped by the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii, and made the discovery in June, SPACE India said.</p>

<p>The institute is among the few private space education initiatives in India, a country known for championing low-cost space technology that has spurred missions to the moon and Mars.</p>


Two teenage girls from India have discovered an Earth-bound asteroid by poring through images from a University of Hawaii telescope, an Indian space education institute said on Monday.

Two teenage girls from India have discovered an Earth-bound asteroid by poring through images from a University of Hawaii telescope, an Indian space education institute said on Monday. The asteroid is presently near Mars and its orbit is expected to cross that of Earth in about one million years` time, said SPACE India, a private institute where the two 14-year-old girls received training. "I look forward to... when we will get a chance to name the asteroid," said Vaidehi Vekariya, who added that she wants to become an astronaut when she is older. The asteroid, currently called HLV2514, may be officially christened only after NASA confirms its orbit, a SPACE India spokeswoman said. Radhika Lakhani, the other student, said she was working hard on her education. "I don`t even have a TV at home, so that I can concentrate on my studies." Asteroids and comets pose a potential threat to Earth, and scientists discover thousands of them each year. In 2013, an asteroid heavier than the Eiffel Tower exploded over central Russia, leaving more than 1,000 people injured from its shockwave. The two girls, who hail from Surat, discovered the object as part of an asteroid search campaign conducted by SPACE India along with the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), a NASA-affiliated citizen scientist group. IASC Director J. Patrick Miller confirmed the discovery, according to an email from him to the girls seen by Reuters. The girls used specialised software to analyse the images snapped by the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii, and made the discovery in June, SPACE India said. The institute is among the few private space education initiatives in India, a country known for championing low-cost space technology that has spurred missions to the moon and Mars.

School girls in India discover Earth-bound asteroid

July 23 in history: China's Communist Party, NASA's discovery and more

<p>Lightning during thunderstorms leave might leave many of us in awe but imagine if it looks so attractive sitting on the earth, how beautiful will it look from space. NASA astronaut Bob Behnken who is currently stationed at the International Space Station has given us a fair idea of it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The astronaut took to Twitter to share a clip showing portion of earth's atmosphere from outer space and shows flashes among the dark clouds.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lightning from above. The violet fringes are mesmerizing. <a href="https://t.co/eLCGMTbfTY">pic.twitter.com/eLCGMTbfTY</a></p>
— Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken/status/1285717390198792195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>He captioned the video: “Lightning from above. The violet fringes are mesmerizing.” &nbsp;</p>

<p>This video got him nearly 120,000 views and a variety of reactions from the netizens. While many were left appreciating the view, some asked questions to the astronaut. Here are some of the best reactions:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I've loved thunderstorms since I was a small child. I would watch from the window, and cry when they stopped!<br />
I've been lucky enough to see some amazing storms, including experiencing a ground strike less than a mile away (bit too close TBH!), but the view from space beats all!</p>
— Just Steve (@tankslappa) <a href="https://twitter.com/tankslappa/status/1285725770921508867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">🤔 Why is it purple, though?</p>
— Judy Schmidt (@SpaceGeck) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceGeck/status/1285720737681223681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What area is this over?</p>
— Gregg Palermo (@GreggPalermo) <a href="https://twitter.com/GreggPalermo/status/1285718676617007106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">So pretty and peaceful 🥺 I would love to go to space but I would back out because I would start freaking out from heights 🤣</p>
— Katelyn Marshall (@Kate_Marshall00) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kate_Marshall00/status/1285718944519782402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Lightning during thunderstorms leave might leave many of us in awe but imagine if it looks so attractive sitting on the earth, how beautiful will it look from space.

Lightning during thunderstorms leave might leave many of us in awe but imagine if it looks so attractive sitting on the earth, how beautiful will it look from space. NASA astronaut Bob Behnken who is currently stationed at the International Space Station has given us a fair idea of it. The astronaut took to Twitter to share a clip showing portion of earth's atmosphere from outer space and shows flashes among the dark clouds. Lightning from above. The violet fringes are mesmerizing. pic.twitter.com/eLCGMTbfTY — Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) July 21, 2020 × He captioned the video: “Lightning from above. The violet fringes are mesmerizing.” This video got him nearly 120,000 views and a variety of reactions from the netizens. While many were left appreciating the view, some asked questions to the astronaut. Here are some of the best reactions: I've loved thunderstorms since I was a small child. I would watch from the window, and cry when they stopped! I've been lucky enough to see some amazing storms, including experiencing a ground strike less than a mile away (bit too close TBH!), but the view from space beats all! — Just Steve (@tankslappa) July 21, 2020 × 🤔 Why is it purple, though? — Judy Schmidt (@SpaceGeck) July 21, 2020 × What area is this over? — Gregg Palermo (@GreggPalermo) July 21, 2020 × So pretty and peaceful 🥺 I would love to go to space but I would back out because I would start freaking out from heights 🤣 — Katelyn Marshall (@Kate_Marshall00) July 21, 2020 ×

'Violet fringes': Astronaut shares a clip of lightning seen from space

In quest to beat US in space, China launches independent unmanned mission to Mars

<p>The two US astronauts who reached the International Space Station (ISS) on board the first crewed US spacecraft in nearly a decade will leave for Earth on August 1, NASA's chief said Friday.</p>

<p>"Splashdown is targeted for Aug. 2. Weather will drive the actual date. Stay tuned," tweeted the US space agency's administrator Jim Bridenstine.</p>

<p>Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley took off from Florida aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule on May 30, becoming the first astronauts to hitch a ride to the ISS on board a commercial spaceship, which is under contract with NASA.</p>

<p>It was the first time a crewed spaceship was launched from the United States since 2011 when the space shuttle program was ended.</p>

<p>Between then and this mission, American astronauts traveled exclusively on Russian rockets.</p>

<p>Eventually, Dragon will regularly bring four astronauts to the ISS at a time, from NASA and partner space agencies in Canada, Japan, Europe and potentially Russia.</p>

<p>This will be the first time the SpaceX capsule will make the journey to Earth with astronauts, having successfully completed an uncrewed test run last year.</p>

<p>It will splash down in the Atlantic, like the Apollo capsules did in the 1960s and 1970s.</p>


The two US astronauts who reached the International Space Station (ISS) on board the first crewed US spacecraft in nearly a decade will leave for Earth on August 1, NASA's chief said Friday.

The two US astronauts who reached the International Space Station (ISS) on board the first crewed US spacecraft in nearly a decade will leave for Earth on August 1, NASA's chief said Friday. "Splashdown is targeted for Aug. 2. Weather will drive the actual date. Stay tuned," tweeted the US space agency's administrator Jim Bridenstine. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley took off from Florida aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule on May 30, becoming the first astronauts to hitch a ride to the ISS on board a commercial spaceship, which is under contract with NASA. It was the first time a crewed spaceship was launched from the United States since 2011 when the space shuttle program was ended. Between then and this mission, American astronauts traveled exclusively on Russian rockets. Eventually, Dragon will regularly bring four astronauts to the ISS at a time, from NASA and partner space agencies in Canada, Japan, Europe and potentially Russia. This will be the first time the SpaceX capsule will make the journey to Earth with astronauts, having successfully completed an uncrewed test run last year. It will splash down in the Atlantic, like the Apollo capsules did in the 1960s and 1970s.

Two US astronauts to come home on SpaceX ship on August 2

<p>A huge asteroid believed to be more than one and half times the size of the London Eye is approaching Earth, space agency NASA has warned.</p>

<p>The famous UK landmark is 443 feet high, and the space rock is larger than the London Eye by as much as 50 per cent.</p>

<p>The space agency has given the asteroid the name Asteroid 2020ND, and have branded the asteroid "potentially hazardous".</p>

<p>The rock will make its closest approach to Earth on July 24, reports Birmingham Live.</p>

<p>NASA has warned it will come within just 0.034 astronomical units (AU) of our planet.</p>

<p>The space agency said: "Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are currently defined based on parameters that measure the asteroid’s potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/five-asteroids-head-towards-earth-one-the-size-of-stadium-303234"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Five asteroids head towards Earth; one the size of stadium</strong></a></p>

<p>"Specifically, all asteroids with a minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.05 AYU or less are considered PHAs."</p>

<p>An astronomical unit is equal to about 150 million kilometres or roughly the distance from the Earth to the Sun.</p>

<p>NASA said on its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) website: "The scientific interest in comets and asteroids is due largely to their status as the relatively unchanged remnant debris from the solar system formation process some 4.6 billion years ago.</p>

<p>"The giant outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) formed from an agglomeration of billions of comets and the left over bits and pieces from this formation process are the comets we see today.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/you-can-see-these-5-planets-in-the-night-skies-all-week-long-313427"><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;You can see these 5 planets in the night skies all week long!</strong></a></p>

<p>"Likewise, today’s asteroids are the bits and pieces left over from the initial agglomeration of the inner planets that include Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars."</p>


A huge asteroid believed to be more than one and half times the size of the London Eye is approaching Earth, space agency NASA has warned. The famous UK landmark is 443 feet high, and the space rock is larger than the London Eye by as much as 50 per cent.

A huge asteroid believed to be more than one and half times the size of the London Eye is approaching Earth, space agency NASA has warned. The famous UK landmark is 443 feet high, and the space rock is larger than the London Eye by as much as 50 per cent. The space agency has given the asteroid the name Asteroid 2020ND, and have branded the asteroid "potentially hazardous". The rock will make its closest approach to Earth on July 24, reports Birmingham Live. NASA has warned it will come within just 0.034 astronomical units (AU) of our planet. The space agency said: "Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are currently defined based on parameters that measure the asteroid’s potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth. Also read | Five asteroids head towards Earth; one the size of stadium "Specifically, all asteroids with a minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.05 AYU or less are considered PHAs." An astronomical unit is equal to about 150 million kilometres or roughly the distance from the Earth to the Sun. NASA said on its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) website: "The scientific interest in comets and asteroids is due largely to their status as the relatively unchanged remnant debris from the solar system formation process some 4.6 billion years ago. "The giant outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) formed from an agglomeration of billions of comets and the left over bits and pieces from this formation process are the comets we see today. IN PICS | You can see these 5 planets in the night skies all week long! "Likewise, today’s asteroids are the bits and pieces left over from the initial agglomeration of the inner planets that include Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars."

Asteroid bigger than London Eye approaching close to Earth, warns NASA

<p>The first images from ESA/NASA's Solar Orbiter, a new Sun-observing mission, are now available to the public, including the closest pictures ever taken of the Sun.</p>

<p>Solar Orbiter is an international collaboration between the European Space Agency or ESA, and NASA, to study our closest star, the Sun. Launched on February 9, 2020 (EST), the spacecraft completed its first close pass of the Sun in mid-June.</p>

<p>"These unprecedented pictures of the Sun are the closest we have ever obtained," said Holly Gilbert, NASA project scientist for the mission at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SolarOrbiter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SolarOrbiter</a> has made its first close pass by the Sun, studying our star and space with a comprehensive suite of instruments — and the data is already revealing previously unseen details. This is <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheSunUpClose?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheSunUpClose</a>. <a href="https://t.co/rVMjz45DoY">https://t.co/rVMjz45DoY</a> <a href="https://t.co/YLKBXRNQZb">pic.twitter.com/YLKBXRNQZb</a></p>
— NASA Sun &amp; Space (@NASASun) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASASun/status/1283739829268819968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>"These amazing images will help scientists piece together the Sun''s atmospheric layers, which is important for understanding how it drives space weather near the Earth and throughout the solar system," added Gilbert.</p>

<p>"We didn't expect such great results so early. These images show that Solar Orbiter is off to an excellent start," said Daniel Muller, ESA's Solar Orbiter project scientist.</p>

<p>Getting to this point was no simple feat. The novel coronavirus forced mission control at the European Space Operations Center, or ESOC, in Darmstadt, Germany to close down completely for more than a week.</p>

<p>During commissioning, the period when each instrument is extensively tested, ESOC staff were reduced to a skeleton crew. All but essential personnel worked from home.</p>

<p>"The pandemic required us to perform critical operations remotely -- the first time we have ever done that," said Russell Howard, principal investigator for one of Solar Orbiter's imagers.</p>

<p>But the team adapted, even readying for an unexpected encounter with comet ATLAS''s ion and dust tails on June 1 and 6, respectively.</p>

<p>The spacecraft completed commissioning just in time for its first close solar pass on June 15. As it flew within 48 million miles of the Sun, all 10 instruments flicked on, and Solar Orbiter snapped the closest pictures of the Sun to date. (Other spacecraft have been closer, but none have carried Sun-facing imagers.)</p>

<p>Solar Orbiter carries six imaging instruments, each of which studies a different aspect of the Sun. Normally, the first images from a spacecraft confirm the instruments are working; scientists don't expect new discoveries from them. But the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager, or EUI, on Solar Orbiter returned data hinting at solar features never observed in such detail.</p>

<p>Principal investigator David Berghmans, an astrophysicist at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Brussels, points out what he calls "campfires" dotting the Sun in EUI's images.</p>

<p>"The campfires we are talking about here are the little nephews of solar flares, at least a million, perhaps a billion times smaller. When looking at the new high-resolution EUI images, they are literally everywhere we look," Berghmans said.</p>

<p>It's not yet clear what these campfires are or how they correspond to solar brightenings observed by other spacecraft. But it's possible they are mini-explosions known as nanoflares -- tiny but ubiquitous sparks theorized to help heat the Sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, to its temperature 300 times hotter than the solar surface.</p>

<p>To know for sure, scientists need a more precise measurement of the campfires' temperature. Fortunately, the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment, or SPICE instrument, also on Solar Orbiter, does just that.</p>

<p>"So we're eagerly awaiting our next data set. The hope is to detect nanoflares for sure and to quantify their role in coronal heating," said Frederic Auchere, principal investigator for SPICE operations at the Institute for Space Astrophysics in Orsay, France.</p>

<p>Other images from the spacecraft showcase additional promise for later in the mission when Solar Orbiter is closer to the Sun.</p>

<p>The Solar and Heliospheric Imager, or SoloHI, led by Russell Howard of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC, revealed the so-called zodiacal light, light from the Sun reflecting off of interplanetary dust -- a light so faint that the bright face of the Sun normally obscures it. To see it, SoloHI had to reduce the Sun''s light to one trillionth of its original brightness.</p>

<p>"The images produced such a perfect zodiacal light pattern, so clean. That gives us a lot of confidence that we will be able to see solar wind structures when we get closer to the Sun," Howard said.</p>

<p>Images from the Polar and Helioseismic Imager, or PHI, showed it is also primed for later observations. PHI maps the Sun's magnetic field, with a special focus on its poles.</p>

<p>It will have its heyday later in the mission as Solar Orbiter gradually tilts its orbit to 24 degrees above the plane of the planets, giving it an unprecedented view of the Sun's poles.</p>

<p>"The magnetic structures we see at the visible surface show that PHI is receiving top-quality data," said Sami Solanki, PHI's principal investigator at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Gottingen, Germany.</p>

<p>"We're prepared for great science as more of the Sun's poles comes into view," Solanki added.</p>

<p>Today's release highlights Solar Orbiter's imagers, but the mission's four in situ instruments also revealed initial results.</p>

<p>In situ instruments measure the space environment immediately surrounding the spacecraft. The Solar Wind Analyser, or SWA instrument, shared the first dedicated measurements of heavy ions (carbon, oxygen, silicon, iron, and others) in the solar wind from the inner heliosphere.</p>


The first images from ESA/NASA's Solar Orbiter, a new Sun-observing mission, are now available to the public, including the closest pictures ever taken of the Sun.

The first images from ESA/NASA's Solar Orbiter, a new Sun-observing mission, are now available to the public, including the closest pictures ever taken of the Sun. Solar Orbiter is an international collaboration between the European Space Agency or ESA, and NASA, to study our closest star, the Sun. Launched on February 9, 2020 (EST), the spacecraft completed its first close pass of the Sun in mid-June. "These unprecedented pictures of the Sun are the closest we have ever obtained," said Holly Gilbert, NASA project scientist for the mission at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. #SolarOrbiter has made its first close pass by the Sun, studying our star and space with a comprehensive suite of instruments — and the data is already revealing previously unseen details. This is #TheSunUpClose. https://t.co/rVMjz45DoY pic.twitter.com/YLKBXRNQZb — NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) July 16, 2020 × "These amazing images will help scientists piece together the Sun''s atmospheric layers, which is important for understanding how it drives space weather near the Earth and throughout the solar system," added Gilbert. "We didn't expect such great results so early. These images show that Solar Orbiter is off to an excellent start," said Daniel Muller, ESA's Solar Orbiter project scientist. Getting to this point was no simple feat. The novel coronavirus forced mission control at the European Space Operations Center, or ESOC, in Darmstadt, Germany to close down completely for more than a week. During commissioning, the period when each instrument is extensively tested, ESOC staff were reduced to a skeleton crew. All but essential personnel worked from home. "The pandemic required us to perform critical operations remotely -- the first time we have ever done that," said Russell Howard, principal investigator for one of Solar Orbiter's imagers. But the team adapted, even readying for an unexpected encounter with comet ATLAS''s ion and dust tails on June 1 and 6, respectively. The spacecraft completed commissioning just in time for its first close solar pass on June 15. As it flew within 48 million miles of the Sun, all 10 instruments flicked on, and Solar Orbiter snapped the closest pictures of the Sun to date. (Other spacecraft have been closer, but none have carried Sun-facing imagers.) Solar Orbiter carries six imaging instruments, each of which studies a different aspect of the Sun. Normally, the first images from a spacecraft confirm the instruments are working; scientists don't expect new discoveries from them. But the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager, or EUI, on Solar Orbiter returned data hinting at solar features never observed in such detail. Principal investigator David Berghmans, an astrophysicist at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Brussels, points out what he calls "campfires" dotting the Sun in EUI's images. "The campfires we are talking about here are the little nephews of solar flares, at least a million, perhaps a billion times smaller. When looking at the new high-resolution EUI images, they are literally everywhere we look," Berghmans said. It's not yet clear what these campfires are or how they correspond to solar brightenings observed by other spacecraft. But it's possible they are mini-explosions known as nanoflares -- tiny but ubiquitous sparks theorized to help heat the Sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, to its temperature 300 times hotter than the solar surface. To know for sure, scientists need a more precise measurement of the campfires' temperature. Fortunately, the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment, or SPICE instrument, also on Solar Orbiter, does just that. "So we're eagerly awaiting our next data set. The hope is to detect nanoflares for sure and to quantify their role in coronal heating," said Frederic Auchere, principal investigator for SPICE operations at the Institute for Space Astrophysics in Orsay, France. Other images from the spacecraft showcase additional promise for later in the mission when Solar Orbiter is closer to the Sun. The Solar and Heliospheric Imager, or SoloHI, led by Russell Howard of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC, revealed the so-called zodiacal light, light from the Sun reflecting off of interplanetary dust -- a light so faint that the bright face of the Sun normally obscures it. To see it, SoloHI had to reduce the Sun''s light to one trillionth of its original brightness. "The images produced such a perfect zodiacal light pattern, so clean. That gives us a lot of confidence that we will be able to see solar wind structures when we get closer to the Sun," Howard said. Images from the Polar and Helioseismic Imager, or PHI, showed it is also primed for later observations. PHI maps the Sun's magnetic field, with a special focus on its poles. It will have its heyday later in the mission as Solar Orbiter gradually tilts its orbit to 24 degrees above the plane of the planets, giving it an unprecedented view of the Sun's poles. "The magnetic structures we see at the visible surface show that PHI is receiving top-quality data," said Sami Solanki, PHI's principal investigator at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Gottingen, Germany. "We're prepared for great science as more of the Sun's poles comes into view," Solanki added. Today's release highlights Solar Orbiter's imagers, but the mission's four in situ instruments also revealed initial results. In situ instruments measure the space environment immediately surrounding the spacecraft. The Solar Wind Analyser, or SWA instrument, shared the first dedicated measurements of heavy ions (carbon, oxygen, silicon, iron, and others) in the solar wind from the inner heliosphere.

NASA's solar orbiter returns first data, captures closest pictures of sun

<p>The United Arab Emirates has postponed the launch of its mission to Mars due to weather conditions at the launch site in Japan.</p>

<p>The UAE government communications office said that a new launch date in July will be announced soon.</p>

<p>The UAE's Hope Probe, the first interplanetary mission by an Arab country, was due to launch from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center at 12:51am UAE time on Wednesday&nbsp;for a seven-month journey to the red planet.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-curiosity-rover-embarks-on-mars-road-trip-312520">Also Read: NASA's Curiosity rover embarks on Mars road trip</a></p>

<p>While the mission objective is to provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics in Mars' atmosphere and pave the way for scientific breakthroughs, the probe is a foundation for a much bigger goal - building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years.</p>

<p>The oil-rich Gulf nation plan to establish a "science city" on Earth that will reproduce Mars' atmospheric conditions, with the goal of establishing a human colony on the Red Planet around 2117.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/us-china-and-uae-all-set-to-take-advantage-of-mars-current-position-312295">Also Read: US, China and UAE all set to take advantage of Mars' current position</a></p>

<p>Only the United States, India, the former Soviet Union, and the European Space Agency have successfully sent missions to orbit the Red Planet, while China is preparing to launch its first Mars rover later this month.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The United Arab Emirates has postponed the launch of its mission to Mars due to weather conditions at the launch site in Japan. The UAE government communications office said that a new launch date in July will be announced soon.

The United Arab Emirates has postponed the launch of its mission to Mars due to weather conditions at the launch site in Japan. The UAE government communications office said that a new launch date in July will be announced soon. The UAE's Hope Probe, the first interplanetary mission by an Arab country, was due to launch from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center at 12:51am UAE time on Wednesday for a seven-month journey to the red planet. Also Read: NASA's Curiosity rover embarks on Mars road trip While the mission objective is to provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics in Mars' atmosphere and pave the way for scientific breakthroughs, the probe is a foundation for a much bigger goal - building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years. The oil-rich Gulf nation plan to establish a "science city" on Earth that will reproduce Mars' atmospheric conditions, with the goal of establishing a human colony on the Red Planet around 2117. Also Read: US, China and UAE all set to take advantage of Mars' current position Only the United States, India, the former Soviet Union, and the European Space Agency have successfully sent missions to orbit the Red Planet, while China is preparing to launch its first Mars rover later this month. (With inputs from agencies)

UAE Mars mission postponed due to weather conditions

<p>NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has started a road trip that will continue across roughly a mile of terrain. By the end of the said trip, the rover will be able to ascend to the next section of the Martian mountain it's been exploring since 2014.</p>

<p>The rover will then search for conditions that may have supported ancient microbial life.</p>

<p>The rover's next stop is a part of Mount Sharp, located on the floor of Gale Crater, called the "sulfate-bearing unit." Sulfates, like gypsum and Epsom salts, usually form around water as it evaporates, and they are yet another clue to how the climate and prospects for life on the Red Planet changed nearly 3 billion years ago.</p>

<p>Rover planners, who are commanding Curiosity from home rather than their offices at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, expect to reach the area in early fall.</p>

<p><img alt="Stitched together from 116 images, this view captured by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the path it will take in the summer of 2020 as it drives toward the next region it will be investigating, the &quot;sulfate-bearing unit.&quot; (Courtesy: NASA)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c031705f-76ef-43b7-99b7-7ec001148b14" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/nasa%20mars%202.jpg" /></p>

<p>Scientists had been investigating on the mountain's "clay-bearing unit" since early 2019, and are interested in the watery environment that formed this clay and whether it could have supported ancient microbes.</p>

<p>Scientists are also interested in a feature between the clay unit and the sulfate unit, nicknamed the "Greenheugh pediment."</p>

<p>Curiosity will celebrate its eighth anniversary of landing on August 6.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA plans to send a new rover this summer to search for habitable samples in Jezero Crater.</p>


NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has started a road trip that will continue across roughly a mile of terrain. By the end of the said trip, the rover will be able to ascend to the next section of the Martian mountain it's been exploring since 2014.

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has started a road trip that will continue across roughly a mile of terrain. By the end of the said trip, the rover will be able to ascend to the next section of the Martian mountain it's been exploring since 2014. The rover will then search for conditions that may have supported ancient microbial life. The rover's next stop is a part of Mount Sharp, located on the floor of Gale Crater, called the "sulfate-bearing unit." Sulfates, like gypsum and Epsom salts, usually form around water as it evaporates, and they are yet another clue to how the climate and prospects for life on the Red Planet changed nearly 3 billion years ago. Rover planners, who are commanding Curiosity from home rather than their offices at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, expect to reach the area in early fall. Scientists had been investigating on the mountain's "clay-bearing unit" since early 2019, and are interested in the watery environment that formed this clay and whether it could have supported ancient microbes. Scientists are also interested in a feature between the clay unit and the sulfate unit, nicknamed the "Greenheugh pediment." Curiosity will celebrate its eighth anniversary of landing on August 6. NASA plans to send a new rover this summer to search for habitable samples in Jezero Crater.

NASA's Curiosity rover embarks on Mars road trip

<p>The oil-rich United Arab Emirates plans to join another elite club by sending a probe to Mars -- after having built a nuclear power programme and sent a man to space.</p>

<p>It will mark the 50th anniversary of its unification with "Hope", an unmanned spacecraft expected to reach its target in February after being launched on July 15 from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre.</p>

<p>Only the United States, India, the former Soviet Union, and the European Space Agency have successfully sent missions to orbit the Red Planet, while China is preparing to launch its first Mars rover later this month.</p>

<p>The UAE is now pushing to join their ranks in what will be a first for the Arab world.</p>

<p>While the mission objective is to provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics in Mars' atmosphere and pave the way for scientific breakthroughs, the probe is a foundation for a much bigger goal -- building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/launch-of-nasa-mars-rover-delayed-again-309993"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Launch of NASA Mars rover delayed again</strong></a></p>

<p>Dubai has hired architects to imagine what a Martian city might look like and recreate it in its desert as "Science City", at a cost of around 500 million dirhams (135 million dollars).</p>

<p>Over the last few decades, UAE has become a hub for young Arabs aspiring to build professional careers and raise families in a safe environment, in a region too often blighted by war and political crises.</p>

<p>Last September, Hazza al-Mansouri became the first Emirati in space, part of a three-member crew that blasted off on a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan, returning home after an eight-day mission in which he became the first Arab to visit the International Space Station.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-eyes-july-20-25-launch-for-mars-rover-309957"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;China eyes July 20-25 launch for Mars rover</strong></a></p>


The oil-rich United Arab Emirates plans to join another elite club by sending a probe to Mars -- after having built a nuclear power programme and sent a man to space.

The oil-rich United Arab Emirates plans to join another elite club by sending a probe to Mars -- after having built a nuclear power programme and sent a man to space. It will mark the 50th anniversary of its unification with "Hope", an unmanned spacecraft expected to reach its target in February after being launched on July 15 from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre. Only the United States, India, the former Soviet Union, and the European Space Agency have successfully sent missions to orbit the Red Planet, while China is preparing to launch its first Mars rover later this month. The UAE is now pushing to join their ranks in what will be a first for the Arab world. While the mission objective is to provide a comprehensive image of the weather dynamics in Mars' atmosphere and pave the way for scientific breakthroughs, the probe is a foundation for a much bigger goal -- building a human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years. Also read | Launch of NASA Mars rover delayed again Dubai has hired architects to imagine what a Martian city might look like and recreate it in its desert as "Science City", at a cost of around 500 million dirhams (135 million dollars). Over the last few decades, UAE has become a hub for young Arabs aspiring to build professional careers and raise families in a safe environment, in a region too often blighted by war and political crises. Last September, Hazza al-Mansouri became the first Emirati in space, part of a three-member crew that blasted off on a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan, returning home after an eight-day mission in which he became the first Arab to visit the International Space Station. Also read | China eyes July 20-25 launch for Mars rover

UAE plans to send a probe to Mars - a first for the Arab world

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