Secretary of state Mike Pompeo's visit to UAE was mainly focused on maritime security and countering Iran. watch the full video to know more.

Mike Pompeo talks to UAE leader about countering Iran

SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket on Tuesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying 24 experimental satellites in what Elon Musk's rocket company called one of the most difficult launches it has attempted.

The craft blasted off to cheers from onlookers at 2:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) after a three-hour delay from the original launch time late Monday.

The boosters separated safely as the craft began its six-hour mission to deploy the satellites.

The two-side booster rockets returned safely to Earth, landing on adjacent Air Force landing pads, but the rocket's centre booster missed its mark, crashing in the Atlantic ocean.

Musk, who predicted trouble with landing the centre booster on SpaceX's drone ship in the Atlantic, said on Twitter early Tuesday, "It was a long shot."

The mission, dubbed Space Test Program 2 (STP-2), is the third for the Falcon Heavy rocket, which SpaceX describes as the most powerful launch system in the world.

It was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense, the key contractor for commercial space companies such as SpaceX.

The company is putting satellites into orbit for agencies including NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), defence department laboratories, universities and a non-profit organisation, SpaceX said.

The mission is one of the most challenging in SpaceX history, with four separate upper-stage engine burns and three separate orbits to deploy satellites, the company said on its website.

Solar sail

The payloads on the satellites Falcon Heavy is putting into orbit include an atomic clock NASA is testing for space navigation, another testing new telescope technologies, and a solar sail project part-funded by the Planetary Society, a non-profit organisation headed by Bill Nye, "The Science Guy" on television presentations.

The LightSail is a crowdfunded project that aims to become the first spacecraft in earth orbit propelled solely by sunlight, the society, which has championed solar propulsion for decades, says on its website.

Falcon Heavy is the most powerful operational rocket in the world "by a factor of two," SpaceX says on its website. It has the ability to lift into orbit nearly 64 metric tons (141,000 pounds) - more than a 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew, luggage and fuel.

Only the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973 from the same launch pad, delivered more payload to orbit, it says.

SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket on Tuesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying 24 experimental satellites in what Elon Musk's rocket company called one of the most difficult launches it has attempted.

SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket on Tuesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying 24 experimental satellites in what Elon Musk's rocket company called one of the most difficult launches it has attempted. The craft blasted off to cheers from onlookers at 2:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) after a three-hour delay from the original launch time late Monday. The boosters separated safely as the craft began its six-hour mission to deploy the satellites. The two-side booster rockets returned safely to Earth, landing on adjacent Air Force landing pads, but the rocket's centre booster missed its mark, crashing in the Atlantic ocean. Musk, who predicted trouble with landing the centre booster on SpaceX's drone ship in the Atlantic, said on Twitter early Tuesday, "It was a long shot." The mission, dubbed Space Test Program 2 (STP-2), is the third for the Falcon Heavy rocket, which SpaceX describes as the most powerful launch system in the world. It was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense, the key contractor for commercial space companies such as SpaceX. The company is putting satellites into orbit for agencies including NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), defence department laboratories, universities and a non-profit organisation, SpaceX said. The mission is one of the most challenging in SpaceX history, with four separate upper-stage engine burns and three separate orbits to deploy satellites, the company said on its website. Solar sail The payloads on the satellites Falcon Heavy is putting into orbit include an atomic clock NASA is testing for space navigation, another testing new telescope technologies, and a solar sail project part-funded by the Planetary Society, a non-profit organisation headed by Bill Nye, "The Science Guy" on television presentations. The LightSail is a crowdfunded project that aims to become the first spacecraft in earth orbit propelled solely by sunlight, the society, which has championed solar propulsion for decades, says on its website. Falcon Heavy is the most powerful operational rocket in the world "by a factor of two," SpaceX says on its website. It has the ability to lift into orbit nearly 64 metric tons (141,000 pounds) - more than a 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew, luggage and fuel. Only the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973 from the same launch pad, delivered more payload to orbit, it says.

SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy rocket with 24 satellites

NASA has announced that it will be taking women to the moon in a new mission called Artemis, goddess of the hunt as well as the moon and Apollo's twin sister. Speaking at the 2019 Paris Air Show, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said NASA would "to retire the risk, prove the technology and we are going to take it out to Mars".

NASA Administrator Makes Announcement To Take Women On Moon This Time

US President Donald Trump on Friday criticised&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nasa-releases-images-of-power-situation-after-fani-217238">NASA</a>&nbsp;for aiming to put astronauts back on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/moon-is-steadily-shrinking-causing-wrinkling-on-its-surface-and-quakes-study-218513">moon</a> by 2024 and urged the space agency to focus instead on "much bigger" initiatives like going to Mars, undercutting his previous support for the lunar initiative.

"For all of the money we are spending,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;should NOT be talking about going to the Moon - We did that 50 years ago," the president wrote on Twitter. "They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defence and Science!"

Trump's statement, tweeted from Air Force One as he returned from Europe, appeared at odds with his administration's recent push to return humans to the lunar surface by 2024 "by any means necessary," five years sooner than the previous goal of 2028.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-to-open-international-space-station-to-tourists-from-2020-225333">NASA to open International Space Station to tourists from 2020</a>

NASA&nbsp;plans to build a space outpost in lunar orbit that can relay astronauts to the lunar surface by 2024, part of a broader initiative to use the moon as a staging ground for eventual missions to Mars.&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;administrator Jim Bridenstine said Trump was only reaffirmingNASA's space plan.

"As @POTUS said, @NASA&nbsp;is using the Moon to send humans to Mars!,” he said on Friday in a tweet referring to the President of the United States. The accelerated timetable to land humans on the moon by 2024 ran into early trouble when the Trump administration asked a sceptical Congress in May to increase&nbsp;NASA's 2020 budget proposal by $1.6 billion as a “down payment” to accommodate the accelerated goal.

The accelerated timetable for going to the moon was a key recommendation in March of the new National Space Council led by Vice President Mike Pence.

Watch: The Moon is shrinking due to earthquakes, claims study

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'Sustainable human presence'

NASA's website on Friday said the Artemis program would send "the first woman and the next man to the Moon by 2024 and develop a sustainable human presence on the Moon by 2028." The program takes its name from the twin sister of Apollo and the goddess of the moon in Greek mythology.

NASA's Apollo program landed the first men on the moon 50 years ago on July 20.

The&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;website also provided details on the space agency's plans for making the moon a jumping off point for future missions to Mars and a place to test equipment and technology for other forays out into the solar system.

Trump's comments about the US&nbsp;manned space program reflect his desire to champion a bold new national objective as he mounts a re-election bid, while also seeking to counter the potential space weaponry capabilities of Russia and China.

Private companies are also joining the race to the moon.

Billionaire entrepreneur Jeff Bezos last month unveiled a mock-up of a lunar lander being built by his Blue Origin rocket company and touted his moon goals as part of a strategy aimed at capitalizing on the Trump administration’s push to establish a lunar outpost in just five years.

US President Donald Trump on Friday criticised NASA for aiming to put astronauts back on the moon by 2024 and urged the space agency to focus instead on "much bigger" initiatives like going to Mars, undercutting his previous support for the lunar initiative.

US President Donald Trump on Friday criticised NASA for aiming to put astronauts back on the moon by 2024 and urged the space agency to focus instead on "much bigger" initiatives like going to Mars, undercutting his previous support for the lunar initiative. "For all of the money we are spending, NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon - We did that 50 years ago," the president wrote on Twitter. "They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defence and Science!" Trump's statement, tweeted from Air Force One as he returned from Europe, appeared at odds with his administration's recent push to return humans to the lunar surface by 2024 "by any means necessary," five years sooner than the previous goal of 2028. Also read: NASA to open International Space Station to tourists from 2020 NASA plans to build a space outpost in lunar orbit that can relay astronauts to the lunar surface by 2024, part of a broader initiative to use the moon as a staging ground for eventual missions to Mars. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said Trump was only reaffirmingNASA's space plan. "As @POTUS said, @NASA is using the Moon to send humans to Mars!,” he said on Friday in a tweet referring to the President of the United States. The accelerated timetable to land humans on the moon by 2024 ran into early trouble when the Trump administration asked a sceptical Congress in May to increase NASA's 2020 budget proposal by $1.6 billion as a “down payment” to accommodate the accelerated goal. The accelerated timetable for going to the moon was a key recommendation in March of the new National Space Council led by Vice President Mike Pence. Watch: The Moon is shrinking due to earthquakes, claims study × 'Sustainable human presence' NASA's website on Friday said the Artemis program would send "the first woman and the next man to the Moon by 2024 and develop a sustainable human presence on the Moon by 2028." The program takes its name from the twin sister of Apollo and the goddess of the moon in Greek mythology. NASA's Apollo program landed the first men on the moon 50 years ago on July 20. The NASA website also provided details on the space agency's plans for making the moon a jumping off point for future missions to Mars and a place to test equipment and technology for other forays out into the solar system. Trump's comments about the US manned space program reflect his desire to champion a bold new national objective as he mounts a re-election bid, while also seeking to counter the potential space weaponry capabilities of Russia and China. Private companies are also joining the race to the moon. Billionaire entrepreneur Jeff Bezos last month unveiled a mock-up of a lunar lander being built by his Blue Origin rocket company and touted his moon goals as part of a strategy aimed at capitalizing on the Trump administration’s push to establish a lunar outpost in just five years.

'They should be focused on much bigger things!' Trump criticises NASA moon mission

NASA said Friday it will open up the International Space Station to business ventures including space tourism -- with stays priced at $35,000 a night -- as it seeks to financially disengage from the orbiting research lab.

"NASA is opening the International Space Station to commercial opportunities and marketing these opportunities as we've never done before," NASA chief financial officer Jeff DeWit said in New York.

There will be up to two short private astronaut missions per year, said Robyn Gatens, deputy director of the ISS.

The missions will be for stays of up to 30 days. As many as a dozen private astronauts could visit the ISS per year, NASA said.

These travellers would be ferried to the orbiter exclusively by the two companies currently developing transport vehicles for NASA: SpaceX, with its Crew Dragon capsule, and Boeing, which is building one called Starliner.

These companies would choose the clients and bill for the trip to the ISS, which will be the most expensive part of the adventure: around $58 million for a round trip ticket.

That is the average rate the companies will bill NASA for taking the space adventurers up to the ISS.

But the tourists will also pay NASA for their stay in space, for food, water and use of the life support system on the orbiter.

That will run about $35,000 per night per astronaut, said DeWit.

The space station does not belong to NASA. It was built along with Russia starting in 1998, and other countries participate in the mission and send up astronauts.

But the US has paid for and controls most of the modules that make up the orbiter.

The new space tourists to the ISS will not be the first: US businessman Dennis Tito had that honour in 2001. He paid Russia around $20 million for the trip. 
 
&nbsp;

NASA said Friday it will open up the International Space Station to business ventures including space tourism -- with stays priced at $35,000 a night -- as it seeks to financially disengage from the orbiting research lab.

NASA said Friday it will open up the International Space Station to business ventures including space tourism -- with stays priced at $35,000 a night -- as it seeks to financially disengage from the orbiting research lab. "NASA is opening the International Space Station to commercial opportunities and marketing these opportunities as we've never done before," NASA chief financial officer Jeff DeWit said in New York. There will be up to two short private astronaut missions per year, said Robyn Gatens, deputy director of the ISS. The missions will be for stays of up to 30 days. As many as a dozen private astronauts could visit the ISS per year, NASA said. These travellers would be ferried to the orbiter exclusively by the two companies currently developing transport vehicles for NASA: SpaceX, with its Crew Dragon capsule, and Boeing, which is building one called Starliner. These companies would choose the clients and bill for the trip to the ISS, which will be the most expensive part of the adventure: around $58 million for a round trip ticket. That is the average rate the companies will bill NASA for taking the space adventurers up to the ISS. But the tourists will also pay NASA for their stay in space, for food, water and use of the life support system on the orbiter. That will run about $35,000 per night per astronaut, said DeWit. The space station does not belong to NASA. It was built along with Russia starting in 1998, and other countries participate in the mission and send up astronauts. But the US has paid for and controls most of the modules that make up the orbiter. The new space tourists to the ISS will not be the first: US businessman Dennis Tito had that honour in 2001. He paid Russia around $20 million for the trip.

NASA to open International Space Station to tourists from 2020

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-astronaut-christina-koch-to-set-record-longest-spaceflight-by-a-woman-211272">NASA on Thursday unveiled</a> the calendar for the "Artemis" program that will return astronauts to the Moon for the first time in half a century, including eight scheduled launches and a mini-station in lunar orbit by 2024.

The original lunar missions were named for Apollo -- Artemis was his twin sister in Greek mythology, and the goddess of hunting, wilderness and the Moon.

Administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed that Artemis 1 will be an uncrewed mission around the Moon planned for 2020.

Next will come Artemis 2, which will orbit Earth's satellite with a crew around 2022; followed finally by Artemis 3 that will put astronauts on lunar soil in 2024, including the first woman.

The three will be launched into space by the biggest rocket of all time, the Boeing-led Space Launch System (SLS), which is currently under development but has seen numerous delays and has been criticized in some quarters as a bloated jobs program.

Affixed to its summit will be the Orion capsule, for which Lockheed Martin is the primary contractor.

In addition to these missions, which will be all NASA's efforts, there will be five launches carrying the building blocks of the lunar mini-station "Gateway" which will serve as a staging point for the Moon landing.

These will be carried out between 2022 and 2024 by private space companies, which NASA will pay for their services.

The orbital station will initially consist of a simple power and propulsion element and a small habitat module. In 2024, astronauts will stop there en route to the Moon. They will then descend to the surface on a lander.

A part of the lander will remain on the Moon while the other part will take off and allow the astronauts to return to their station, where they will board the Orion capsule and return to Earth.

Bridenstine said Thursday that NASA had chosen private firm Maxar to build the station's first module, the power and propulsion element, which would rely on huge solar panels.

In the coming months, NASA will have to decide on who will build the lander. Aerospace giants such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin are vying for the contract as are new players like Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

"We're not owning the hardware, we're buying the service," said Bridenstine of the lander. "The goal here is speed. 2024 is right around the corner." He added: "Our goal is ultimately to move on to Mars and not get stuck on the surface of the Moon."&nbsp;

NASA on Thursday unveiled the calendar for the "Artemis" program that will return astronauts to the Moon for the first time in half a century, including eight scheduled launches and a mini-station in lunar orbit by 2024.

NASA on Thursday unveiled the calendar for the "Artemis" program that will return astronauts to the Moon for the first time in half a century, including eight scheduled launches and a mini-station in lunar orbit by 2024. The original lunar missions were named for Apollo -- Artemis was his twin sister in Greek mythology, and the goddess of hunting, wilderness and the Moon. Administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed that Artemis 1 will be an uncrewed mission around the Moon planned for 2020. Next will come Artemis 2, which will orbit Earth's satellite with a crew around 2022; followed finally by Artemis 3 that will put astronauts on lunar soil in 2024, including the first woman. The three will be launched into space by the biggest rocket of all time, the Boeing-led Space Launch System (SLS), which is currently under development but has seen numerous delays and has been criticized in some quarters as a bloated jobs program. Affixed to its summit will be the Orion capsule, for which Lockheed Martin is the primary contractor. In addition to these missions, which will be all NASA's efforts, there will be five launches carrying the building blocks of the lunar mini-station "Gateway" which will serve as a staging point for the Moon landing. These will be carried out between 2022 and 2024 by private space companies, which NASA will pay for their services. The orbital station will initially consist of a simple power and propulsion element and a small habitat module. In 2024, astronauts will stop there en route to the Moon. They will then descend to the surface on a lander. A part of the lander will remain on the Moon while the other part will take off and allow the astronauts to return to their station, where they will board the Orion capsule and return to Earth. Bridenstine said Thursday that NASA had chosen private firm Maxar to build the station's first module, the power and propulsion element, which would rely on huge solar panels. In the coming months, NASA will have to decide on who will build the lander. Aerospace giants such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin are vying for the contract as are new players like Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. "We're not owning the hardware, we're buying the service," said Bridenstine of the lander. "The goal here is speed. 2024 is right around the corner." He added: "Our goal is ultimately to move on to Mars and not get stuck on the surface of the Moon."

NASA unveils schedule for 'Artemis' 2024 Moon mission

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chandrayaan-2-modules-getting-ready-for-launch-in-july-isro-215126&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiizpqzqZ3iAhWLQY8KHbIlADsQFjAAegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1v-mBKK7Z6P4RJkCsLoaJ5">India's second Moon mission</a> that is planned for a July launch will have 13 payloads and one passive experiment from American space agency NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said Wednesday.

"Thirteen Indian payloads (8 on the orbiter, 3 on lander and 2 on rover) and one passive experiment from NASA," ISRO said in a mission update but did not specify them or their objective.

The spacecraft with a mass of 3.8 tonnes has three modules--Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan).

All the modules are getting ready for <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ex-isro-chief-says-chandrayaan-2-will-look-for-specific-minerals-on-moons-surface-215526&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiizpqzqZ3iAhWLQY8KHbIlADsQFjABegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0pwwVwLdLstj7VXAJs2cAU">Chandrayaan-2</a> launch during the window of July 9 to July 16, 2019, with an expected Moon landing on September 6, the space agency had said earlier this month.

The orbiter will orbit 100 km from the lunar surface, while Lander (Vikram) will do the soft landing near the south pole of the moon, and Rover (Pragyan) will conduct in-situ experiments.

The orbiter and lander modules will be interfaced mechanically and stacked together as an integrated module and accommodated inside the GSLV MK-III launch vehicle, ISRO has said, adding the rover is housed inside the lander.

After launching into earth-bound orbit by GSLV MK-III, the integrated module will reach Moon orbit using orbiter propulsion module, and subsequently, the lender will separate from the orbiter and soft land at the predetermined site close to the lunar South Pole.

Further, the rover will roll out for carrying out scientific experiments on the lunar surface, ISRO has said, noting that instruments are also mounted on lander and orbiter for carrying out scientific experiments.

ISRO Chairman K Sivan had said in January, "We are going to land at a place where nobody else has gone-the Moon's the South Pole... It is unexplored region."

Chandrayaan-2 mission is an advanced version of the previous Chandrayaan-1 mission about 10 years ago.

Chandrayaan-1 had 11 payloads- five from India, three from Europe, 2 from USA and 1 from Bulgaria, and the mission had the credit for the discovery of water on the lunar surface.

The 1.4-tonne spacecraft was launched using PSLV and the orbiter had orbited 100 km from the lunar surface.

India's second Moon mission that is planned for a July launch will have 13 payloads and one passive experiment from American space agency NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said Wednesday.

India's second Moon mission that is planned for a July launch will have 13 payloads and one passive experiment from American space agency NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said Wednesday. "Thirteen Indian payloads (8 on the orbiter, 3 on lander and 2 on rover) and one passive experiment from NASA," ISRO said in a mission update but did not specify them or their objective. The spacecraft with a mass of 3.8 tonnes has three modules--Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan). All the modules are getting ready for Chandrayaan-2 launch during the window of July 9 to July 16, 2019, with an expected Moon landing on September 6, the space agency had said earlier this month. The orbiter will orbit 100 km from the lunar surface, while Lander (Vikram) will do the soft landing near the south pole of the moon, and Rover (Pragyan) will conduct in-situ experiments. The orbiter and lander modules will be interfaced mechanically and stacked together as an integrated module and accommodated inside the GSLV MK-III launch vehicle, ISRO has said, adding the rover is housed inside the lander. After launching into earth-bound orbit by GSLV MK-III, the integrated module will reach Moon orbit using orbiter propulsion module, and subsequently, the lender will separate from the orbiter and soft land at the predetermined site close to the lunar South Pole. Further, the rover will roll out for carrying out scientific experiments on the lunar surface, ISRO has said, noting that instruments are also mounted on lander and orbiter for carrying out scientific experiments. ISRO Chairman K Sivan had said in January, "We are going to land at a place where nobody else has gone-the Moon's the South Pole... It is unexplored region." Chandrayaan-2 mission is an advanced version of the previous Chandrayaan-1 mission about 10 years ago. Chandrayaan-1 had 11 payloads- five from India, three from Europe, 2 from USA and 1 from Bulgaria, and the mission had the credit for the discovery of water on the lunar surface. The 1.4-tonne spacecraft was launched using PSLV and the orbiter had orbited 100 km from the lunar surface.

Chandrayaan-2 will have 13 payloads, one passive experiment from NASA: ISRO

The Moon is steadily shrinking, causing wrinkling on its surface and quakes, according to an analysis of imagery captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) published Monday.

A survey of more than 12,000 images revealed that lunar basin Mare Frigoris near the Moon's north pole -- one of many vast basins long assumed to be dead sites from a geological point of view -- has been cracking and shifting.

Unlike our planet, the Moon doesn't have tectonic plates; instead, its tectonic activity occurs as it slowly loses heat from when it was formed 4.5 billion years ago.

This, in turn, causes its surface to wrinkle, similar to a grape that shrivels into a raisin.

Since the moon's crust is brittle, these forces cause its surface to break as the interior shrinks, resulting in so-called thrust faults, where one section of the crust is pushed up over an adjacent section.

As a result, the Moon has become about 150 feet (50 meters) "skinnier" over the past several hundred million years.

The Apollo astronauts first began measuring seismic activity on the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, finding the vast majority have occurred deep in the body's interior while a smaller number were on its surface.

The analysis was published in Nature Geoscience and examined the shallow moonquakes recorded by the Apollo missions, establishing links between them and very young surface features.

"It's quite likely that the faults are still active today," said Nicholas Schmerr, an assistant professor of geology at the University of Maryland who co-authored the study.&nbsp;

"You don't often get to see active tectonics anywhere but Earth, so it's very exciting to think these faults may still be producing moonquakes."

The Moon is steadily shrinking, causing wrinkling on its surface and quakes, according to an analysis of imagery captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) published Monday.

The Moon is steadily shrinking, causing wrinkling on its surface and quakes, according to an analysis of imagery captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) published Monday. A survey of more than 12,000 images revealed that lunar basin Mare Frigoris near the Moon's north pole -- one of many vast basins long assumed to be dead sites from a geological point of view -- has been cracking and shifting. Unlike our planet, the Moon doesn't have tectonic plates; instead, its tectonic activity occurs as it slowly loses heat from when it was formed 4.5 billion years ago. This, in turn, causes its surface to wrinkle, similar to a grape that shrivels into a raisin. Since the moon's crust is brittle, these forces cause its surface to break as the interior shrinks, resulting in so-called thrust faults, where one section of the crust is pushed up over an adjacent section. As a result, the Moon has become about 150 feet (50 meters) "skinnier" over the past several hundred million years. The Apollo astronauts first began measuring seismic activity on the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, finding the vast majority have occurred deep in the body's interior while a smaller number were on its surface. The analysis was published in Nature Geoscience and examined the shallow moonquakes recorded by the Apollo missions, establishing links between them and very young surface features. "It's quite likely that the faults are still active today," said Nicholas Schmerr, an assistant professor of geology at the University of Maryland who co-authored the study. "You don't often get to see active tectonics anywhere but Earth, so it's very exciting to think these faults may still be producing moonquakes."

Moon is steadily shrinking, causing wrinkling on its surface and quakes: Study

The Trump administration isn't convinced the $10.7 billion set aside for space exploration in the proposed 2020 budget is enough to help put astronauts on the Moon by 2024.

Trump administration proposes another $1.6 billion for Moon efforts

The Moon is steadily shrinking, causing wrinkling on its surface and earthquakes, according to an analysis of imagery captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) published Monday.

The Moon is shrinking due to earthquakes, claims study

DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy has said that most of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/a-sat-india-chose-much-lower-orbit-to-avoid-debris-threat-to-global-space-assets-says-drdo-208471">debris generated from the anti-satellite test</a> conducted by India in March have decayed and rest of it will dissipate in a "short period of time".

He said this in response to a question after delivering a talk on 'Technology for National Security' on Friday at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), a city-based think tank.

"As I had mentioned on April 6, the debris were to decay in a few weeks time. As per the information that we have already got, most of the debris has decayed. And, whatever, couple of pieces are there, they will be decaying in a short period of time," Reddy said.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation chief said the continuous information being received is monitored and "I don't think there are any issues".

"It is extremely difficult to predict as to how many days it would take...But, as I had said that day, that they would decay in a few weeks, and the majority of them have decayed," he added.

On April 6 at a press conference at DRDO Bhawan here, Reddy had said India chose a much lower orbit of less than 300 km during 'Mission Shakti' for "capability demonstration" and to avoid threat of debris to global space assets.

His remark had come days after the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) raised concerns about the spread of debris from India's anti-satellite test conducted on March 27.

India's Ministry of External Affairs, too, has said the test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure that there is no space debris.

On another question on leakage of defence know how-related data, he said, "We haven't seen cases as such, but we are careful".

"There are no serious issues as such, but of late, because of the apprehensions of cyber attacks and cyber-related issues, we are sensitising people in the industry and also in our own laboratories on it," he said.&nbsp;

DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy has said that most of the debris generated from the anti-satellite test conducted by India in March have decayed and rest of it will dissipate in a "short period of time".

DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy has said that most of the debris generated from the anti-satellite test conducted by India in March have decayed and rest of it will dissipate in a "short period of time". He said this in response to a question after delivering a talk on 'Technology for National Security' on Friday at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), a city-based think tank. "As I had mentioned on April 6, the debris were to decay in a few weeks time. As per the information that we have already got, most of the debris has decayed. And, whatever, couple of pieces are there, they will be decaying in a short period of time," Reddy said. The Defence Research and Development Organisation chief said the continuous information being received is monitored and "I don't think there are any issues". "It is extremely difficult to predict as to how many days it would take...But, as I had said that day, that they would decay in a few weeks, and the majority of them have decayed," he added. On April 6 at a press conference at DRDO Bhawan here, Reddy had said India chose a much lower orbit of less than 300 km during 'Mission Shakti' for "capability demonstration" and to avoid threat of debris to global space assets. His remark had come days after the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) raised concerns about the spread of debris from India's anti-satellite test conducted on March 27. India's Ministry of External Affairs, too, has said the test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure that there is no space debris. On another question on leakage of defence know how-related data, he said, "We haven't seen cases as such, but we are careful". "There are no serious issues as such, but of late, because of the apprehensions of cyber attacks and cyber-related issues, we are sensitising people in the industry and also in our own laboratories on it," he said.

Most of debris generated from India's anti-satellite test has decayed: Reddy

Billionaire entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, founder of rocket company Blue Origin, unveiled on a mockup of a lunar lander spacecraft and discussed missions to the moon. Watch this video to know more.

Jeff Bezos unveils lunar landing spacecraft mockup

United States space agency NASA on Thursday released images showing the severe impact of the power outage caused by&nbsp;Cyclone Fani, worst to hit in a decade,&nbsp;which struck eastern India earlier this month.

One of the worst-hit states was Odisha which is still reeling under the aftereffects of the cyclone Fani. The cyclone forced&nbsp;evacuation of a million people. The power supply was snapped due to the uprooting of electricity poles, damage to substations and transmission lines&nbsp;plunging parts of Odisha intro darkness for several days.&nbsp;

The images released on Thursday by NASA showed data visualisations of the scale of destruction caused to the state due to the storm.

The images show city lighting on April 30 (before the storm) and on May 5, two days after Fani made landfall in Odisha.

<img alt="NASA image showing cyclone Fani damage" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="11bddf62-73b2-450c-8485-d6123e4e29a0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/bhubaneswar_blm_2019125.png" />

<img alt="NASA images" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f4ad789d-46d7-4d3e-9381-34908b0ed893" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%284%29_2.jpg" />

(Image courtesy: NASA earth observatory)

According to the report on NASA's earth observatory site, images have been made from data acquired by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite.&nbsp;

"VIIRS has a "day-night band" that detects light in a range of wavelengths from green to near-infrared, including reflected moonlight, light from fires and oil wells, lightning, and emissions from cities or other human activity," the report read.

"A team of scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Marshall Space Flight Center processed and corrected the raw VIIRS data to filter out stray light from natural sources (for example, moonlight) and from atmospheric interference, such as dust, haze, and thin clouds."

According to latest report on restoration work in Odisha, the situation in 8 out of total 9 affected districts has improved and power and telecom services are gradually picking up in the worst affected areas of Puri and Bhubaneswar, government informed after review meeting with National Crisis Management Committee.

Telephone services in Puri have started functioning while&nbsp;BSNL and other Telecom Service Providers have also improved their mobile services.

The banking services have also resumed in Puri. Non-availability of power and telecom connectivity was hampering the functioning of some ATMs.

(With inputs from agencies)

United States space agency NASA on Thursday released images showing the severe impact of the power outage caused by Cyclone Fani, worst to hit in a decade, which struck eastern India earlier this month.

United States space agency NASA on Thursday released images showing the severe impact of the power outage caused by Cyclone Fani, worst to hit in a decade, which struck eastern India earlier this month. One of the worst-hit states was Odisha which is still reeling under the aftereffects of the cyclone Fani. The cyclone forced evacuation of a million people. The power supply was snapped due to the uprooting of electricity poles, damage to substations and transmission lines plunging parts of Odisha intro darkness for several days. The images released on Thursday by NASA showed data visualisations of the scale of destruction caused to the state due to the storm. The images show city lighting on April 30 (before the storm) and on May 5, two days after Fani made landfall in Odisha. (Image courtesy: NASA earth observatory) According to the report on NASA's earth observatory site, images have been made from data acquired by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite. "VIIRS has a "day-night band" that detects light in a range of wavelengths from green to near-infrared, including reflected moonlight, light from fires and oil wells, lightning, and emissions from cities or other human activity," the report read. "A team of scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Marshall Space Flight Center processed and corrected the raw VIIRS data to filter out stray light from natural sources (for example, moonlight) and from atmospheric interference, such as dust, haze, and thin clouds." According to latest report on restoration work in Odisha, the situation in 8 out of total 9 affected districts has improved and power and telecom services are gradually picking up in the worst affected areas of Puri and Bhubaneswar, government informed after review meeting with National Crisis Management Committee. Telephone services in Puri have started functioning while BSNL and other Telecom Service Providers have also improved their mobile services. The banking services have also resumed in Puri. Non-availability of power and telecom connectivity was hampering the functioning of some ATMs. (With inputs from agencies)

Cyclone Fani: NASA shares before-after photos of power outage caused by storm in Odisha

NASA has released images showing the impact of Cyclone Fani on power situation in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Watch this video to know more.

NASA releases images of power situation after Fani

Nearly two weeks after a fiery explosion during a ground test of its new crew capsule, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-suffers-capsule-anomaly-during-florida-tests-212274">SpaceX confirmed</a> on Thursday that the vehicle was destroyed, but neither the company nor NASA, its primary customer, have publicly acknowledged the nature of the mishap.

Instead, Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of flight reliability for California-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp, known as SpaceX, continued to refer to the accident simply as an "anomaly" - science jargon for when something goes wrong.

The April 20th accident occurred on a landing zone at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as SpaceX was conducting a test of emergency thrusters designed to propel the capsule, dubbed Crew Dragon, to safety from atop the rocket in the event of a launch failure.

An attempt to test-fire the eight SuperDraco engines triggered the accident, demolishing the entire vehicle on a test stand, Koenigsmann told reporters at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

"Just prior, before we wanted to fire the SuperDraco, there was an anomaly and the vehicle was destroyed," Koenigsmann said on Thursday. "There were no injuries. SpaceX had taken all safety measures prior to this test, as we always do."

The news conference was called ahead of Friday's scheduled launch of an unmanned resupply mission to the international space station using a cargo-only capsule built by SpaceX, the private rocket venture of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.

When pressed, Koenigsmann declined to characterize the nature of the accident, including whether an explosion or fire was involved. NASA has likewise demurred when asked to describe the mishap.

A leaked video of the accident, which was acknowledged as authentic by a NASA contractor in an internal memo obtained by the Orlando Sentinel newspaper, showed the astronaut capsule blasting into smithereens. A pall of smoke was also widely observed rising over the launch pad from a distance at the time of the ill-fated test.

The Crew Dragon had been scheduled to carry US&nbsp;astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station in a test mission in July, although the recent accident, as well as some other hitches in the vehicle's design, are likely to push that schedule to later in the year or into 2020.&nbsp;

"It’s certainly not great news for the schedule overall, but I hope we can recover," Koenigsmann said.

The destroyed vehicle was one of six such capsules built or in late production by SpaceX, and the first flown into space. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched it without crew to the space station in March for a six-day visit before returning to Earth, splashing down safely in the Atlantic for retrieval.

"We have no reason to believe there is an issue with the SuperDracos themselves," Koenigsmann said, adding that the engines have been tested nearly 600 times in the past.

NASA has been awarded $6.8 billion to SpaceX and rival Boeing Co to develop separate capsule systems to fly astronauts to space, but both companies have faced technical challenges and delays.

Nearly two weeks after a fiery explosion during a ground test of its new crew capsule, SpaceX confirmed on Thursday that the vehicle was destroyed, but neither the company nor NASA, its primary customer, have publicly acknowledged the nature of the mishap.

Nearly two weeks after a fiery explosion during a ground test of its new crew capsule, SpaceX confirmed on Thursday that the vehicle was destroyed, but neither the company nor NASA, its primary customer, have publicly acknowledged the nature of the mishap. Instead, Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of flight reliability for California-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp, known as SpaceX, continued to refer to the accident simply as an "anomaly" - science jargon for when something goes wrong. The April 20th accident occurred on a landing zone at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as SpaceX was conducting a test of emergency thrusters designed to propel the capsule, dubbed Crew Dragon, to safety from atop the rocket in the event of a launch failure. An attempt to test-fire the eight SuperDraco engines triggered the accident, demolishing the entire vehicle on a test stand, Koenigsmann told reporters at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. "Just prior, before we wanted to fire the SuperDraco, there was an anomaly and the vehicle was destroyed," Koenigsmann said on Thursday. "There were no injuries. SpaceX had taken all safety measures prior to this test, as we always do." The news conference was called ahead of Friday's scheduled launch of an unmanned resupply mission to the international space station using a cargo-only capsule built by SpaceX, the private rocket venture of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. When pressed, Koenigsmann declined to characterize the nature of the accident, including whether an explosion or fire was involved. NASA has likewise demurred when asked to describe the mishap. A leaked video of the accident, which was acknowledged as authentic by a NASA contractor in an internal memo obtained by the Orlando Sentinel newspaper, showed the astronaut capsule blasting into smithereens. A pall of smoke was also widely observed rising over the launch pad from a distance at the time of the ill-fated test. The Crew Dragon had been scheduled to carry US astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station in a test mission in July, although the recent accident, as well as some other hitches in the vehicle's design, are likely to push that schedule to later in the year or into 2020. "It’s certainly not great news for the schedule overall, but I hope we can recover," Koenigsmann said. The destroyed vehicle was one of six such capsules built or in late production by SpaceX, and the first flown into space. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched it without crew to the space station in March for a six-day visit before returning to Earth, splashing down safely in the Atlantic for retrieval. "We have no reason to believe there is an issue with the SuperDracos themselves," Koenigsmann said, adding that the engines have been tested nearly 600 times in the past. NASA has been awarded $6.8 billion to SpaceX and rival Boeing Co to develop separate capsule systems to fly astronauts to space, but both companies have faced technical challenges and delays.

Crew capsule destroyed during April test accident, confirms SpaceX

Scientists said Tuesday they might have <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-spacecraft-nears-red-planet-on-mission-to-detect-marsquakes-179340">detected the first known seismic tremor</a> on Mars in a discovery that could shed light on the ancient origins of Earth's neighbour.&nbsp;

A dome-shaped probe known as SEIS landed on the surface of Mars in December after hitching a ride on NASA's InSight spacecraft.&nbsp;

Its instruments measure surface vibrations caused by weather but are also capable of detecting movement from deep within the planet -- so called "marsquakes" -- or those caused by meteorite impacts.&nbsp;

The French space agency Cnes, which operates SEIS, said it had detected "a weak but distinct seismic signal" from the probe.

The team hopes to be able to gather information about the activity at the centre of Mars, hopefully providing insight into its formation billions of years ago.&nbsp;

"It's great to finally have a sign that there's still seismic activity on Mars," said Philippe Lognonne, a researcher at Paris' Institut de Physique du Globe.&nbsp;

"We've waited for our first Martian quake for months."&nbsp;

According to NASA's Bruce Banerdt, the quake detection "marks the birth of a new discipline: Martian seismology."&nbsp;

The team said they were still working to confirm the cause of the tremor, picked up on April 6, and ensure it came from the planet's interior rather than wind or noise distortion.&nbsp;

It said three other similar but weaker signals of tremors had been picked up by the apparatus.&nbsp;

Scientists said Tuesday they might have detected the first known seismic tremor on Mars in a discovery that could shed light on the ancient origins of Earth's neighbour.

Scientists said Tuesday they might have detected the first known seismic tremor on Mars in a discovery that could shed light on the ancient origins of Earth's neighbour. A dome-shaped probe known as SEIS landed on the surface of Mars in December after hitching a ride on NASA's InSight spacecraft. Its instruments measure surface vibrations caused by weather but are also capable of detecting movement from deep within the planet -- so called "marsquakes" -- or those caused by meteorite impacts. The French space agency Cnes, which operates SEIS, said it had detected "a weak but distinct seismic signal" from the probe. The team hopes to be able to gather information about the activity at the centre of Mars, hopefully providing insight into its formation billions of years ago. "It's great to finally have a sign that there's still seismic activity on Mars," said Philippe Lognonne, a researcher at Paris' Institut de Physique du Globe. "We've waited for our first Martian quake for months." According to NASA's Bruce Banerdt, the quake detection "marks the birth of a new discipline: Martian seismology." The team said they were still working to confirm the cause of the tremor, picked up on April 6, and ensure it came from the planet's interior rather than wind or noise distortion. It said three other similar but weaker signals of tremors had been picked up by the apparatus.

'Marsquake': First tremor detected on Red Planet

Earth Day 2019 is being observed in Latin America and around the world and something people everywhere will notice: it's getting hotter.

NASA images show climate change impact in LatAm

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-falcon-heavy-rocket-launches-first-commercial-flight-209697">Elon Musk's SpaceX</a> suffered an anomaly in one of its Crew Dragon capsules while conducting engine tests at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Saturday, the company said.

"The initial tests completed successfully but the final test resulted in an anomaly on the test stand," the company said in a statement.

The issue was earlier reported by Florida Today, which said orange smoke was seen rising above SpaceX's facilities, and that the anomaly was contained with no injuries.

SpaceX said its teams are investigating and are working closely with US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) partners.

"NASA has been notified about the results of the SpaceX Static Fire Test and the anomaly that occurred during the final test," its administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a tweet.

"This is why we test. We will learn, make the necessary adjustments and safely move forward with our Commercial Crew Program," he added.

NASA has awarded SpaceX and Boeing Co a total of $6.8 billion to build competing rocket and capsule systems to launch astronauts into orbit from American soil.

In March, the privately owned SpaceX successfully completed its mission of sending an unmanned capsule to the International Space Station and returned safely to Earth, a mission seen as crucial to NASA's plans to resume human space flight from US soil.

SpaceX's first crewed test flight is slated to launch in July with US astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken.

Elon Musk's SpaceX suffered an anomaly in one of its Crew Dragon capsules while conducting engine tests at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Saturday, the company said.

Elon Musk's SpaceX suffered an anomaly in one of its Crew Dragon capsules while conducting engine tests at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Saturday, the company said. "The initial tests completed successfully but the final test resulted in an anomaly on the test stand," the company said in a statement. The issue was earlier reported by Florida Today, which said orange smoke was seen rising above SpaceX's facilities, and that the anomaly was contained with no injuries. SpaceX said its teams are investigating and are working closely with US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) partners. "NASA has been notified about the results of the SpaceX Static Fire Test and the anomaly that occurred during the final test," its administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a tweet. "This is why we test. We will learn, make the necessary adjustments and safely move forward with our Commercial Crew Program," he added. NASA has awarded SpaceX and Boeing Co a total of $6.8 billion to build competing rocket and capsule systems to launch astronauts into orbit from American soil. In March, the privately owned SpaceX successfully completed its mission of sending an unmanned capsule to the International Space Station and returned safely to Earth, a mission seen as crucial to NASA's plans to resume human space flight from US soil. SpaceX's first crewed test flight is slated to launch in July with US astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken.

SpaceX suffers capsule anomaly during Florida tests

NASA astronaut Christina Koch is going to have her mission on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasas-twins-study-landmark-research-for-an-eventual-mars-mission-209733">International Space Station (ISS)</a> extended to nearly 11 months, which would set a record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, the US space agency said Wednesday.

Koch, 40, arrived on the ISS on March 14 with two other crew members - an American and a Russian - for what was initially planned to be a six-month mission.

The two other astronauts will return to Earth on October 3 but Koch's stay would be extended until February 2020, which would beat the record held by another female US astronaut, Peggy Whitson, who spent 288 days aboard the ISS in 2016-17, NASA said.

"It feels awesome," Koch said when told her mission was being prolonged. "I have known that this was a possibility for a long time and it's truly a dream come true."

Jennifer Fogarty, chief scientist of NASA's Human Research Program, said Koch's extended mission would provide additional data about the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body and "support future missions to the Moon and Mars."

The record for an extended spaceflight by an American is held by US astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent 340 days aboard the ISS in 2015-16 with Russian Mikhail Kornienko.

The longest ever spaceflight was by Russia's Valery Polyakov, who spent 14 months aboard the Mir space station in 1994-95.

The current team aboard the ISS is made up of three Americans -- Koch, Anne McClain and Nick Hague -- two Russians -- Oleg Kononenko and Alexey Ovchinin -- and a Canadian, David Saint-Jacques.

Between June and September, several astronauts will return to Earth and be replaced by others, including an Italian, Luca Parmitano, and the first ever astronaut from the United Arab Emirates, Hazzaa Ali Almansoori, who will spend about a week in space.

Astronauts are currently flown to and from the ISS using Russia's Soyuz spacecraft. US manufacturers SpaceX and Boeing are developing their own transports and those are scheduled to be ready by the end of the year.

The ISS -- a rare area of cooperation between Moscow and Washington -- has been orbiting the Earth since 1998. 
&nbsp;

NASA astronaut Christina Koch is going to have her mission on the International Space Station (ISS) extended to nearly 11 months, which would set a record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, the US space agency said Wednesday.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch is going to have her mission on the International Space Station (ISS) extended to nearly 11 months, which would set a record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, the US space agency said Wednesday. Koch, 40, arrived on the ISS on March 14 with two other crew members - an American and a Russian - for what was initially planned to be a six-month mission. The two other astronauts will return to Earth on October 3 but Koch's stay would be extended until February 2020, which would beat the record held by another female US astronaut, Peggy Whitson, who spent 288 days aboard the ISS in 2016-17, NASA said. "It feels awesome," Koch said when told her mission was being prolonged. "I have known that this was a possibility for a long time and it's truly a dream come true." Jennifer Fogarty, chief scientist of NASA's Human Research Program, said Koch's extended mission would provide additional data about the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body and "support future missions to the Moon and Mars." The record for an extended spaceflight by an American is held by US astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent 340 days aboard the ISS in 2015-16 with Russian Mikhail Kornienko. The longest ever spaceflight was by Russia's Valery Polyakov, who spent 14 months aboard the Mir space station in 1994-95. The current team aboard the ISS is made up of three Americans -- Koch, Anne McClain and Nick Hague -- two Russians -- Oleg Kononenko and Alexey Ovchinin -- and a Canadian, David Saint-Jacques. Between June and September, several astronauts will return to Earth and be replaced by others, including an Italian, Luca Parmitano, and the first ever astronaut from the United Arab Emirates, Hazzaa Ali Almansoori, who will spend about a week in space. Astronauts are currently flown to and from the ISS using Russia's Soyuz spacecraft. US manufacturers SpaceX and Boeing are developing their own transports and those are scheduled to be ready by the end of the year. The ISS -- a rare area of cooperation between Moscow and Washington -- has been orbiting the Earth since 1998.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch to set record longest spaceflight by a woman

Providing a potential resource for future explorations, NASA on Monday revealed that water is released on the Moon during meteor showers.

The data leading up to this landmark finding was collected through the space agency's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) - a robotic mission which orbited the Moon from October 2013 to April 2014, to gather information about the Moon's exosphere.

"The Moon doesn't have significant amounts of H2O or OH in its atmosphere most of the time," Richard Elphic, the LADEE project scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley said.

"But when the Moon passed through one of these meteoroid streams, enough vapour was ejected for us to detect it. And then, when the event was over, the H2O or OH went away," a NASA press release quoted him as saying.

The findings of the study, spearheaded by Mehdi Benna of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center here, are published in Nature Geosciences.

According to NASA, the revelations give scientists an opportunity to understand the history of lunar water and improve the understanding of the Moon's geologic past and its continued evolution.

While there is evidence that water exists on the Moon, these findings can help explain the deposits of ice in cold traps in the dark reaches of craters near the poles of the spatial body.

However, the scientists working on the project have rejected the idea that all of the detected water on Earth's natural satellite comes from meteoroids."We know that some of the water must be coming from the Moon because the mass of water being released is greater than the water mass within the meteoroids coming in," the second author of the research, Dana Hurley from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, said.

Debates regarding the origins of the water on the Moon, amongst other things, continue.

The distribution of water on the natural satellite as well as the quantity in which the element is present on the Moon is&nbsp;a few other hotly debated topics in scientific circles.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Providing a potential resource for future explorations, NASA on Monday revealed that water is released on the Moon during meteor showers. The data leading up to this landmark finding was collected through the space agency's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) - a robotic mission which orbited the Moon from October 2013 to April 2014, to gather information about the Moon's exosphere.

Providing a potential resource for future explorations, NASA on Monday revealed that water is released on the Moon during meteor showers. The data leading up to this landmark finding was collected through the space agency's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) - a robotic mission which orbited the Moon from October 2013 to April 2014, to gather information about the Moon's exosphere. "The Moon doesn't have significant amounts of H2O or OH in its atmosphere most of the time," Richard Elphic, the LADEE project scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley said. "But when the Moon passed through one of these meteoroid streams, enough vapour was ejected for us to detect it. And then, when the event was over, the H2O or OH went away," a NASA press release quoted him as saying. The findings of the study, spearheaded by Mehdi Benna of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center here, are published in Nature Geosciences. According to NASA, the revelations give scientists an opportunity to understand the history of lunar water and improve the understanding of the Moon's geologic past and its continued evolution. While there is evidence that water exists on the Moon, these findings can help explain the deposits of ice in cold traps in the dark reaches of craters near the poles of the spatial body. However, the scientists working on the project have rejected the idea that all of the detected water on Earth's natural satellite comes from meteoroids."We know that some of the water must be coming from the Moon because the mass of water being released is greater than the water mass within the meteoroids coming in," the second author of the research, Dana Hurley from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, said. Debates regarding the origins of the water on the Moon, amongst other things, continue. The distribution of water on the natural satellite as well as the quantity in which the element is present on the Moon is a few other hotly debated topics in scientific circles.

NASA study finds meteor showers eject water on Moon

A NASA study of a US astronaut who spent a year in space while his twin brother remained on Earth is providing valuable insights into the effects of extended spaceflight on the human body, a key to planning a future manned mission to Mars, researchers said Thursday.

US astronaut Scott Kelly spent a year on the International Space Station while his identical twin Mark Kelly, also a former NASA astronaut, stayed on the ground.

The researchers who carried out the "NASA Twins Study" found that most of the changes to Scott's body during his time in space returned to normal within months of his return to Earth -- although not all of them.
<img alt="Former astronaut Scott Kelly (R) along with his twin brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly (L)." data-caption="Former astronaut Scott Kelly (R) along with his twin brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly (L). (Image courtesy: Reuters)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8035904-046a-4ac3-ab68-02b4604489cb" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2843%29.jpg" />
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;[Former astronaut Scott Kelly (R) along with his twin brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly (L). (Image courtesy: Reuters)]

The findings, published in the journal Science, were encouraging to scientists and engineers envisioning interplanetary travel such as an eventual trip to Mars, a mission that could last two to three years.

"The Twins Study is the most comprehensive review of the response of the human body to spaceflight ever conducted," said Dr Susan Bailey of Colorado State University.

Dr Steven Platts, the deputy chief scientist of NASA's Human Research Program, said it will "guide future biomedical space research and allow us to have a safer journey to and from Mars."

Using Mark as a baseline, 84 researchers at 12 universities documented the molecular, cognitive and physiological effects of Scott's year in space.

Scott, a 50-year-old veteran of two US Space Shuttle missions, spent 340 consecutive days on the ISS -- from March 27, 2015 to March 1, 2016.

He was monitored pre-flight and post-flight and during his time on the ISS. Blood, urine and stool samples were sent back to Earth on resupply vessels.

At the same time, scientists monitored Mark -- a veteran himself of four Space Shuttle missions -- on Earth as what they called a "genetically matched ground control."

'Nauseous, dizzy'

Bailey said the uniqueness of using twins was because the scientists could "attribute any kind of differences that we saw in spaceflight to spaceflight.

"It wasn't because of any genetic differences," she said.

Dr Michael Snyder of Stanford University said there are "thousands of gene and molecular changes that occur as someone goes in space."

"Virtually all of those returned to normal (in Scott) by six months," Snyder said. "It's reassuring to know that when you come back things will largely be back to the same."

Scott Kelly said he was extremely fatigued after coming back from the ISS and attributed it mostly to the adaptation to gravity.

"I felt like I had the flu," he said.

"I was nauseous. I was dizzy," he said and suffered from joint and muscle pain and rashes.

Dr Stuart Lee of NASA's Johnson Space Center said measurements were taken of the thickness in both Scott and Mark of the carotid artery wall, which can be a predictor of cardiovascular disease or stroke risk.

"Our main findings in Scott were that the carotid artery wall became thicker early in the flight and remained so throughout the mission," Lee said.

Mark did not have any such thickening.

Thickening of the carotid artery wall has been observed in astronauts previously.

So has weight loss due to poorer nutrition in space and a lack of exercise.

Scott lost seven per cent of his body mass during his time on the ISS while Mark gained about four per cent during the course of the study.

In one test, both Scott and Mark were administered a flu vaccination. It delivered a similar immune response.

The twins also performed a battery of cognitive tests before, during and after the flight and found that Scott's cognitive performance declined post-flight in terms of speed and accuracy.

Telomere length

Chris Mason, a geneticist at Weill Cornell Medicine, looked at how the unique environment of space impacts genes.

"We catalogued basically what is the landscape of all these genes that have gone up and gone down at different stages during the mission," Mason said.

"We saw that the vast majority, over 90 per cent of all these changes, all returned back to baseline coming back to Earth," Mason said.

Some of the most interesting research was done by Bailey's team at Colorado State University which looked at telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that typically shorten as people get older.

Telomeres are considered a biomarker of ageing or health risks from cardiovascular disease or cancer.

Bailey's team evaluated Scott and Mark's telomere lengths before the flight and found that they were very similar.

What surprised her team was that Scott experienced a "specific elongation of telomeres" during his time on the ISS.

Bailey cautioned that the finding "can't really be viewed as the fountain of youth and that people might expect to live longer because they're in space."

She said there was a "very rapid decrease" in telomere length upon Scott's return to Earth and he also experienced some unexplained telomere loss.

Bailey said her team has not come up with a reason for the telomere lengthening but was looking at whether the higher radiation exposure in space, inflammation or stress may be responsible.

A NASA study of a US astronaut who spent a year in space while his twin brother remained on Earth is providing valuable insights into the effects of extended spaceflight on the human body, a key to planning a future manned mission to Mars, researchers said Thursday.

A NASA study of a US astronaut who spent a year in space while his twin brother remained on Earth is providing valuable insights into the effects of extended spaceflight on the human body, a key to planning a future manned mission to Mars, researchers said Thursday. US astronaut Scott Kelly spent a year on the International Space Station while his identical twin Mark Kelly, also a former NASA astronaut, stayed on the ground. The researchers who carried out the "NASA Twins Study" found that most of the changes to Scott's body during his time in space returned to normal within months of his return to Earth -- although not all of them. [Former astronaut Scott Kelly (R) along with his twin brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly (L). (Image courtesy: Reuters)] The findings, published in the journal Science, were encouraging to scientists and engineers envisioning interplanetary travel such as an eventual trip to Mars, a mission that could last two to three years. "The Twins Study is the most comprehensive review of the response of the human body to spaceflight ever conducted," said Dr Susan Bailey of Colorado State University. Dr Steven Platts, the deputy chief scientist of NASA's Human Research Program, said it will "guide future biomedical space research and allow us to have a safer journey to and from Mars." Using Mark as a baseline, 84 researchers at 12 universities documented the molecular, cognitive and physiological effects of Scott's year in space. Scott, a 50-year-old veteran of two US Space Shuttle missions, spent 340 consecutive days on the ISS -- from March 27, 2015 to March 1, 2016. He was monitored pre-flight and post-flight and during his time on the ISS. Blood, urine and stool samples were sent back to Earth on resupply vessels. At the same time, scientists monitored Mark -- a veteran himself of four Space Shuttle missions -- on Earth as what they called a "genetically matched ground control." 'Nauseous, dizzy' Bailey said the uniqueness of using twins was because the scientists could "attribute any kind of differences that we saw in spaceflight to spaceflight. "It wasn't because of any genetic differences," she said. Dr Michael Snyder of Stanford University said there are "thousands of gene and molecular changes that occur as someone goes in space." "Virtually all of those returned to normal (in Scott) by six months," Snyder said. "It's reassuring to know that when you come back things will largely be back to the same." Scott Kelly said he was extremely fatigued after coming back from the ISS and attributed it mostly to the adaptation to gravity. "I felt like I had the flu," he said. "I was nauseous. I was dizzy," he said and suffered from joint and muscle pain and rashes. Dr Stuart Lee of NASA's Johnson Space Center said measurements were taken of the thickness in both Scott and Mark of the carotid artery wall, which can be a predictor of cardiovascular disease or stroke risk. "Our main findings in Scott were that the carotid artery wall became thicker early in the flight and remained so throughout the mission," Lee said. Mark did not have any such thickening. Thickening of the carotid artery wall has been observed in astronauts previously. So has weight loss due to poorer nutrition in space and a lack of exercise. Scott lost seven per cent of his body mass during his time on the ISS while Mark gained about four per cent during the course of the study. In one test, both Scott and Mark were administered a flu vaccination. It delivered a similar immune response. The twins also performed a battery of cognitive tests before, during and after the flight and found that Scott's cognitive performance declined post-flight in terms of speed and accuracy. Telomere length Chris Mason, a geneticist at Weill Cornell Medicine, looked at how the unique environment of space impacts genes. "We catalogued basically what is the landscape of all these genes that have gone up and gone down at different stages during the mission," Mason said. "We saw that the vast majority, over 90 per cent of all these changes, all returned back to baseline coming back to Earth," Mason said. Some of the most interesting research was done by Bailey's team at Colorado State University which looked at telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that typically shorten as people get older. Telomeres are considered a biomarker of ageing or health risks from cardiovascular disease or cancer. Bailey's team evaluated Scott and Mark's telomere lengths before the flight and found that they were very similar. What surprised her team was that Scott experienced a "specific elongation of telomeres" during his time on the ISS. Bailey cautioned that the finding "can't really be viewed as the fountain of youth and that people might expect to live longer because they're in space." She said there was a "very rapid decrease" in telomere length upon Scott's return to Earth and he also experienced some unexplained telomere loss. Bailey said her team has not come up with a reason for the telomere lengthening but was looking at whether the higher radiation exposure in space, inflammation or stress may be responsible.

NASA's Twins Study, landmark research for an eventual Mars mission

A NASA study of a US astronaut who spent a year in space while his twin brother remained on Earth is providing valuable insights into the effects of extended spaceflight on the human body, a key to planning a future manned mission to Mars, researchers said Thursday.

US astronaut Scott Kelly spent a year on the International Space Station while his identical twin Mark Kelly, also a former NASA astronaut, stayed on the ground.

The researchers who carried out the "NASA Twins Study" found that most of the changes to Scott's body during his time in space returned to normal within months of his return to Earth -- although not all of them.
<img alt="Former astronaut Scott Kelly (R) along with his twin brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly (L)." data-caption="Former astronaut Scott Kelly (R) along with his twin brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly (L). (Image courtesy: Reuters)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8035904-046a-4ac3-ab68-02b4604489cb" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2843%29.jpg" />
The findings, published in the journal Science, were encouraging to scientists and engineers envisioning interplanetary travel such as an eventual trip to Mars, a mission that could last two to three years.

"The Twins Study is the most comprehensive review of the response of the human body to spaceflight ever conducted," said Dr Susan Bailey of Colorado State University.

Dr Steven Platts, the deputy chief scientist of NASA's Human Research Program, said it will "guide future biomedical space research and allow us to have a safer journey to and from Mars."

Using Mark as a baseline, 84 researchers at 12 universities documented the molecular, cognitive and physiological effects of Scott's year in space.

Scott, a 50-year-old veteran of two US Space Shuttle missions, spent 340 consecutive days on the ISS -- from March 27, 2015 to March 1, 2016.

He was monitored pre-flight and post-flight and during his time on the ISS. Blood, urine and stool samples were sent back to Earth on resupply vessels.

At the same time, scientists monitored Mark -- a veteran himself of four Space Shuttle missions -- on Earth as what they called a "genetically matched ground control."

'Nauseous, dizzy'

Bailey said the uniqueness of using twins was because the scientists could "attribute any kind of differences that we saw in spaceflight to spaceflight.

"It wasn't because of any genetic differences," she said.

Dr Michael Snyder of Stanford University said there are "thousands of gene and molecular changes that occur as someone goes in space."

"Virtually all of those returned to normal (in Scott) by six months," Snyder said. "It's reassuring to know that when you come back things will largely be back to the same."

Scott Kelly said he was extremely fatigued after coming back from the ISS and attributed it mostly to the adaptation to gravity.

"I felt like I had the flu," he said.

"I was nauseous. I was dizzy," he said and suffered from joint and muscle pain and rashes.

Dr Stuart Lee of NASA's Johnson Space Center said measurements were taken of the thickness in both Scott and Mark of the carotid artery wall, which can be a predictor of cardiovascular disease or stroke risk.

"Our main findings in Scott were that the carotid artery wall became thicker early in the flight and remained so throughout the mission," Lee said.

Mark did not have any such thickening.

Thickening of the carotid artery wall has been observed in astronauts previously.

So has weight loss due to poorer nutrition in space and a lack of exercise.

Scott lost seven per cent of his body mass during his time on the ISS while Mark gained about four per cent during the course of the study.

In one test, both Scott and Mark were administered a flu vaccination. It delivered a similar immune response.

The twins also performed a battery of cognitive tests before, during and after the flight and found that Scott's cognitive performance declined post-flight in terms of speed and accuracy.

Telomere length

Chris Mason, a geneticist at Weill Cornell Medicine, looked at how the unique environment of space impacts genes.

"We catalogued basically what is the landscape of all these genes that have gone up and gone down at different stages during the mission," Mason said.

"We saw that the vast majority, over 90 per cent of all these changes, all returned back to baseline coming back to Earth," Mason said.

Some of the most interesting research was done by Bailey's team at Colorado State University which looked at telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that typically shorten as people get older.

Telomeres are considered a biomarker of ageing or health risks from cardiovascular disease or cancer.

Bailey's team evaluated Scott and Mark's telomere lengths before the flight and found that they were very similar.

What surprised her team was that Scott experienced a "specific elongation of telomeres" during his time on the ISS.

Bailey cautioned that the finding "can't really be viewed as the fountain of youth and that people might expect to live longer because they're in space."

She said there was a "very rapid decrease" in telomere length upon Scott's return to Earth and he also experienced some unexplained telomere loss.

Bailey said her team has not come up with a reason for the telomere lengthening but was looking at whether the higher radiation exposure in space, inflammation or stress may be responsible.

A NASA study of a US astronaut who spent a year in space while his twin brother remained on Earth is providing valuable insights into the effects of extended spaceflight on the human body, a key to planning a future manned mission to Mars, researchers said Thursday. US astronaut Scott Kelly spent a year on the International Space Station while his identical twin Mark Kelly, also a former NASA astronaut, stayed on the ground. The researchers who carried out the "NASA Twins Study" found that most of the changes to Scott's body during his time in space returned to normal within months of his return to Earth -- although not all of them. The findings, published in the journal Science, were encouraging to scientists and engineers envisioning interplanetary travel such as an eventual trip to Mars, a mission that could last two to three years. "The Twins Study is the most comprehensive review of the response of the human body to spaceflight ever conducted," said Dr Susan Bailey of Colorado State University. Dr Steven Platts, the deputy chief scientist of NASA's Human Research Program, said it will "guide future biomedical space research and allow us to have a safer journey to and from Mars." Using Mark as a baseline, 84 researchers at 12 universities documented the molecular, cognitive and physiological effects of Scott's year in space. Scott, a 50-year-old veteran of two US Space Shuttle missions, spent 340 consecutive days on the ISS -- from March 27, 2015 to March 1, 2016. He was monitored pre-flight and post-flight and during his time on the ISS. Blood, urine and stool samples were sent back to Earth on resupply vessels. At the same time, scientists monitored Mark -- a veteran himself of four Space Shuttle missions -- on Earth as what they called a "genetically matched ground control." 'Nauseous, dizzy' Bailey said the uniqueness of using twins was because the scientists could "attribute any kind of differences that we saw in spaceflight to spaceflight. "It wasn't because of any genetic differences," she said. Dr Michael Snyder of Stanford University said there are "thousands of gene and molecular changes that occur as someone goes in space." "Virtually all of those returned to normal (in Scott) by six months," Snyder said. "It's reassuring to know that when you come back things will largely be back to the same." Scott Kelly said he was extremely fatigued after coming back from the ISS and attributed it mostly to the adaptation to gravity. "I felt like I had the flu," he said. "I was nauseous. I was dizzy," he said and suffered from joint and muscle pain and rashes. Dr Stuart Lee of NASA's Johnson Space Center said measurements were taken of the thickness in both Scott and Mark of the carotid artery wall, which can be a predictor of cardiovascular disease or stroke risk. "Our main findings in Scott were that the carotid artery wall became thicker early in the flight and remained so throughout the mission," Lee said. Mark did not have any such thickening. Thickening of the carotid artery wall has been observed in astronauts previously. So has weight loss due to poorer nutrition in space and a lack of exercise. Scott lost seven per cent of his body mass during his time on the ISS while Mark gained about four per cent during the course of the study. In one test, both Scott and Mark were administered a flu vaccination. It delivered a similar immune response. The twins also performed a battery of cognitive tests before, during and after the flight and found that Scott's cognitive performance declined post-flight in terms of speed and accuracy. Telomere length Chris Mason, a geneticist at Weill Cornell Medicine, looked at how the unique environment of space impacts genes. "We catalogued basically what is the landscape of all these genes that have gone up and gone down at different stages during the mission," Mason said. "We saw that the vast majority, over 90 per cent of all these changes, all returned back to baseline coming back to Earth," Mason said. Some of the most interesting research was done by Bailey's team at Colorado State University which looked at telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that typically shorten as people get older. Telomeres are considered a biomarker of ageing or health risks from cardiovascular disease or cancer. Bailey's team evaluated Scott and Mark's telomere lengths before the flight and found that they were very similar. What surprised her team was that Scott experienced a "specific elongation of telomeres" during his time on the ISS. Bailey cautioned that the finding "can't really be viewed as the fountain of youth and that people might expect to live longer because they're in space." She said there was a "very rapid decrease" in telomere length upon Scott's return to Earth and he also experienced some unexplained telomere loss. Bailey said her team has not come up with a reason for the telomere lengthening but was looking at whether the higher radiation exposure in space, inflammation or stress may be responsible.

NASA's 'Twins Study,' landmark research for an eventual Mars mission

With the successful anti-satellite missile test, India is capable of hitting a target at a range of over 1,000 km in space and a lower orbit was chosen for the mission to avoid a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/asat-satellite-destruction-led-to-400-pieces-of-debris-endangering-iss-nasa-207311">threat of debris to global space assets</a>, DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy said Saturday.

On being asked whether multiple satellite targets can be hit, he said, "It is a question of how many launchers we have, and with multiple launchers, one can have multiple engagements. But, multiple (targets) is definitely feasible."

India shot down one of its satellites in space on March 27 with an anti-satellite (A-SAT) missile to demonstrate this complex capability, joining the elite club of countries -- the US, Russia and China -- which have such capabilities.

"The A-SAT test was successfully conducted with a new interceptor missile against a live orbiting satellite in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a hit-to-kill mode. The interceptor has the capability to hit the target at a range of 1,000 km, which covers most of the LEO satellites," he told a press conference at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Bhawan here.

"An orbit of around 300 km was chosen for the test for capability demonstration and the purpose was to avoid the threat of debris to any global space assets," Reddy said.

His remarks come days after NASA raised concerns about the spread of debris from the A-SAT test India conducted under Mission Shakti.

"The debris created following the intercept will decay in a matter of weeks," he added.

Addressing the media persons, Reddy also said, "For a similar application we don't need another test."

On Tuesday, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had termed a "terrible thing" India's shooting down of its satellite, saying the hit-to-kill mission created about 400 pieces of orbital debris.

"Some debris going up could be a possibility, as per our simulation also. We don't have information on that.. From our simulation, we can very clearly say that the possibilities of (debris) hitting the ISS are not there," Reddy said.

He said the first 10 days since the test were critical and that have passed, and in 45 days all debris will disintegrate.

The Ministry of External Affairs too has said the test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure that there is no space debris.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hailed the A-SAT test's success as "an unprecedented achievement" that makes India a "space power".

Some 150 scientists, including at least 40 women scientists, worked round-the-clock, and especially in the last six months on this project. About 2,000 components were sourced from 50 private industries. The idea began around 2014 and development started in 2016 with a go-ahead from the government.

The press interaction came days ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls on April 11 due to which the model code of conduct is in place.

He also said that earlier in the day there was a meeting with eminent scientists to inform them about the A-SAT test.&nbsp;

He also responded to a question on Congress leader P Chidambaram's criticism of the government on the test, who had said that "only a foolish government" would reveal a defence secret.

"Mission of this nature after a test is conducted can't be kept secret. The satellite is tracked by many stations across the world. All necessary permissions were taken, Reddy said.

With the successful anti-satellite missile test, India is capable of hitting a target at a range of over 1,000 km in space and a lower orbit was chosen for the mission to avoid a threat of debris to global space assets, DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy said Saturday.

With the successful anti-satellite missile test, India is capable of hitting a target at a range of over 1,000 km in space and a lower orbit was chosen for the mission to avoid a threat of debris to global space assets, DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy said Saturday. On being asked whether multiple satellite targets can be hit, he said, "It is a question of how many launchers we have, and with multiple launchers, one can have multiple engagements. But, multiple (targets) is definitely feasible." India shot down one of its satellites in space on March 27 with an anti-satellite (A-SAT) missile to demonstrate this complex capability, joining the elite club of countries -- the US, Russia and China -- which have such capabilities. "The A-SAT test was successfully conducted with a new interceptor missile against a live orbiting satellite in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a hit-to-kill mode. The interceptor has the capability to hit the target at a range of 1,000 km, which covers most of the LEO satellites," he told a press conference at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Bhawan here. "An orbit of around 300 km was chosen for the test for capability demonstration and the purpose was to avoid the threat of debris to any global space assets," Reddy said. His remarks come days after NASA raised concerns about the spread of debris from the A-SAT test India conducted under Mission Shakti. "The debris created following the intercept will decay in a matter of weeks," he added. Addressing the media persons, Reddy also said, "For a similar application we don't need another test." On Tuesday, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had termed a "terrible thing" India's shooting down of its satellite, saying the hit-to-kill mission created about 400 pieces of orbital debris. "Some debris going up could be a possibility, as per our simulation also. We don't have information on that.. From our simulation, we can very clearly say that the possibilities of (debris) hitting the ISS are not there," Reddy said. He said the first 10 days since the test were critical and that have passed, and in 45 days all debris will disintegrate. The Ministry of External Affairs too has said the test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure that there is no space debris. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hailed the A-SAT test's success as "an unprecedented achievement" that makes India a "space power". Some 150 scientists, including at least 40 women scientists, worked round-the-clock, and especially in the last six months on this project. About 2,000 components were sourced from 50 private industries. The idea began around 2014 and development started in 2016 with a go-ahead from the government. The press interaction came days ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls on April 11 due to which the model code of conduct is in place. He also said that earlier in the day there was a meeting with eminent scientists to inform them about the A-SAT test. He also responded to a question on Congress leader P Chidambaram's criticism of the government on the test, who had said that "only a foolish government" would reveal a defence secret. "Mission of this nature after a test is conducted can't be kept secret. The satellite is tracked by many stations across the world. All necessary permissions were taken, Reddy said.

A-SAT: India chose much lower orbit to avoid debris threat to global space assets, says DRDO

Apparently, under prodding from the White House, NASA has said it will continue to cooperate with the ISRO, days after the US space agency's chief criticised India and termed its anti-satellite weapon test a "terrible thing" for creating about 400 pieces of orbital debris.

In a letter to ISRO Chairman K Sivan, NASA Administrator James Bridenstine said, "based on the guidance received from the White House", he looks forward to continuing to work with ISRO on a host of issues including human space flights.

"As part of our partnership with you, we will continue to work on issues using the NASA-ISRO Human Space Flight Working Group, Planetary Science Working Group, US India Earth Science Working Group and the Heliophysics Working Group," Bridenstine said.

In his letter, Bridenstine says he recently wrote to ISRO about the suspension of cooperation on human space flight.

"Recently, we sent you a letter indicating a suspension of activities under the NASA-ISRO Human Space Flight Working Group," he wrote. 
From the April 4 letter, it appears that after the White House weighing in, the cooperation remains intact.

The letter comes days after NASA chief Bridenstine in a town hall meeting criticised India's anti-satellite missile (ASAT) test because of the debris it generated in the space and its potential threat to the International Space Station.

"The anti-satellite weapons test by India last week has resulted in about 400 pieces of orbital debris," he said on April 1, adding "that is a terrible, terrible thing to create an event that sends debris and an apogee that goes above the International Space Station".

"As we made clear, space debris is a serious issue for the United States. As it is a growing threat, it is the responsibility of all nations who operate in space," Bridenstine said in his letter, a copy of which has been seen by PTI.

"We will continue to monitor the remaining debris from your test as it relates to the safety of our human spaceflight activities especially at the International Space Station," wrote the NASA Administration, according to the letter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on March 27 that India had achieved a "historic feat" by shooting down its own low-orbit satellite with a ground-to-space missile, making the country a "space power".

Only three other countries - the US, Russia and China - have anti-satellite missile (ASAT) capabilities.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Apparently, under prodding from the White House, NASA has said it will continue to cooperate with the ISRO, days after the US space agency's chief criticised India and termed its anti-satellite weapon test a "terrible thing" for creating about 400 pieces of orbital debris.

Apparently, under prodding from the White House, NASA has said it will continue to cooperate with the ISRO, days after the US space agency's chief criticised India and termed its anti-satellite weapon test a "terrible thing" for creating about 400 pieces of orbital debris. In a letter to ISRO Chairman K Sivan, NASA Administrator James Bridenstine said, "based on the guidance received from the White House", he looks forward to continuing to work with ISRO on a host of issues including human space flights. "As part of our partnership with you, we will continue to work on issues using the NASA-ISRO Human Space Flight Working Group, Planetary Science Working Group, US India Earth Science Working Group and the Heliophysics Working Group," Bridenstine said. In his letter, Bridenstine says he recently wrote to ISRO about the suspension of cooperation on human space flight. "Recently, we sent you a letter indicating a suspension of activities under the NASA-ISRO Human Space Flight Working Group," he wrote. From the April 4 letter, it appears that after the White House weighing in, the cooperation remains intact. The letter comes days after NASA chief Bridenstine in a town hall meeting criticised India's anti-satellite missile (ASAT) test because of the debris it generated in the space and its potential threat to the International Space Station. "The anti-satellite weapons test by India last week has resulted in about 400 pieces of orbital debris," he said on April 1, adding "that is a terrible, terrible thing to create an event that sends debris and an apogee that goes above the International Space Station". "As we made clear, space debris is a serious issue for the United States. As it is a growing threat, it is the responsibility of all nations who operate in space," Bridenstine said in his letter, a copy of which has been seen by PTI. "We will continue to monitor the remaining debris from your test as it relates to the safety of our human spaceflight activities especially at the International Space Station," wrote the NASA Administration, according to the letter. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on March 27 that India had achieved a "historic feat" by shooting down its own low-orbit satellite with a ground-to-space missile, making the country a "space power". Only three other countries - the US, Russia and China - have anti-satellite missile (ASAT) capabilities.

NASA says cooperation with ISRO remains intact

A day after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/asat-satellite-destruction-led-to-400-pieces-of-debris-endangering-iss-nasa-207311">NASA branded India's</a> anti-satellite missile(ASAT) test as a "terrible thing", the US State Department said it was an important concern and that it had taken note of government’s statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues.&nbsp;

"The issue of space debris, that's an important concern for United States and&nbsp;I would say that we took note of Indian Government’s statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues," US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said on NASA's remarks.

NASA had said on Monday that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-didnt-spy-on-indias-asat-test-pentagon-206628">Indian satellite which was destroyed</a> had led to twenty-four pieces of debris floating "above the apogee of the International Space Station".

The US military tracks objects in space to predict the collision risk for the International Space Station(ISS) and for satellites. They are currently tracking 23,000 objects larger than 10 centimetres.

"We have a strong strategic partnership with India and we continue to pursue shared interests in space and in scientific&nbsp;and technical cooperation, that includes collaboration on safety and security in space," US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino added while briefing reporters at the White House.

US Strategic Command's Joint Force Space Component Command (JFSCC) had said earlier that 250 pieces of debris associated with an Indian ASAT launch last Wednesday were&nbsp;being actively tracked.&nbsp;

The JFSCC said it will continue to actively track debris associated with the event and issue close approach notifications as required until the debris enters the earth's atmosphere.

The Pentagon had said the ISS is not at risk.

Astronomer Jonathan McDowell from the prestigious Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics had said India acted in a less irresponsible manner than the Chinese in doing the test.&nbsp;

"We don't know yet how much debris and how high. The United States has said that it's tracking about 250 pieces. But it will take them at least a few days, if not a few weeks to figure to catalogue those pieces," he told PTI. 
&nbsp;

A day after NASA branded India's anti-satellite missile(ASAT) test as a "terrible thing", the US State Department said it was an important concern and that it had taken note of government’s statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues.

A day after NASA branded India's anti-satellite missile(ASAT) test as a "terrible thing", the US State Department said it was an important concern and that it had taken note of government’s statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues. "The issue of space debris, that's an important concern for United States and I would say that we took note of Indian Government’s statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues," US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said on NASA's remarks. NASA had said on Monday that the Indian satellite which was destroyed had led to twenty-four pieces of debris floating "above the apogee of the International Space Station". The US military tracks objects in space to predict the collision risk for the International Space Station(ISS) and for satellites. They are currently tracking 23,000 objects larger than 10 centimetres. "We have a strong strategic partnership with India and we continue to pursue shared interests in space and in scientific and technical cooperation, that includes collaboration on safety and security in space," US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino added while briefing reporters at the White House. US Strategic Command's Joint Force Space Component Command (JFSCC) had said earlier that 250 pieces of debris associated with an Indian ASAT launch last Wednesday were being actively tracked. The JFSCC said it will continue to actively track debris associated with the event and issue close approach notifications as required until the debris enters the earth's atmosphere. The Pentagon had said the ISS is not at risk. Astronomer Jonathan McDowell from the prestigious Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics had said India acted in a less irresponsible manner than the Chinese in doing the test. "We don't know yet how much debris and how high. The United States has said that it's tracking about 250 pieces. But it will take them at least a few days, if not a few weeks to figure to catalogue those pieces," he told PTI.

We continue to collaborate with India on security and safety in space: US on ASAT test

WION Gravitas: Why is the NASA slamming India's A-Sat Test?

The head of NASA on Monday branded India's destruction of one of its satellites a "terrible thing" that had created 400 pieces of orbital debris and led to new dangers for astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Jim Bridenstine was addressing employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration five days after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-tracking-250-270-objects-from-indian-asat-test-debris-iss-not-at-risk-pentagon-206638">India shot down a low-orbiting satellite in a missile test </a>to prove it was among the world's advanced space powers.&nbsp;

Not all of the pieces were big enough to track, Bridenstine explained. "What we are tracking right now, objects big enough to track -- we're talking about 10 centimetres (six inches) or bigger -- about 60 pieces have been tracked."

The Indian satellite was destroyed at a relatively low altitude of 180 miles (300 kilometres), well below the ISS and most satellites in orbit.

But 24 of the pieces "are going above the apogee of the International Space Station," said Bridenstine.

"That is a terrible, terrible thing to create an event that sends debris at an apogee that goes above the International Space Station," he continued, adding, "That kind of activity is not compatible with the future of human spaceflight."

"It's unacceptable and NASA needs to be very clear about what its impact to us is."

The US military tracks objects in space to predict the collision risk for the ISS and for satellites. They are currently tracking 23,000 objects larger than 10 centimetres.&nbsp;

That includes about 10,000 pieces of space debris, of which nearly 3,000 were created by a single event, a Chinese anti-satellite test in 2007 at 530 miles from the surface.&nbsp;

As a result of the Indian test, the risk of collision with the ISS has increased by 44 per cent over 10 days, Bridenstine said.

But the risk will dissipate over time as much of the debris will burn up as it enters the atmosphere.

The head of NASA on Monday branded India's destruction of one of its satellites a "terrible thing" that had created 400 pieces of orbital debris and led to new dangers for astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

The head of NASA on Monday branded India's destruction of one of its satellites a "terrible thing" that had created 400 pieces of orbital debris and led to new dangers for astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Jim Bridenstine was addressing employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration five days after India shot down a low-orbiting satellite in a missile test to prove it was among the world's advanced space powers. Not all of the pieces were big enough to track, Bridenstine explained. "What we are tracking right now, objects big enough to track -- we're talking about 10 centimetres (six inches) or bigger -- about 60 pieces have been tracked." The Indian satellite was destroyed at a relatively low altitude of 180 miles (300 kilometres), well below the ISS and most satellites in orbit. But 24 of the pieces "are going above the apogee of the International Space Station," said Bridenstine. "That is a terrible, terrible thing to create an event that sends debris at an apogee that goes above the International Space Station," he continued, adding, "That kind of activity is not compatible with the future of human spaceflight." "It's unacceptable and NASA needs to be very clear about what its impact to us is." The US military tracks objects in space to predict the collision risk for the ISS and for satellites. They are currently tracking 23,000 objects larger than 10 centimetres. That includes about 10,000 pieces of space debris, of which nearly 3,000 were created by a single event, a Chinese anti-satellite test in 2007 at 530 miles from the surface. As a result of the Indian test, the risk of collision with the ISS has increased by 44 per cent over 10 days, Bridenstine said. But the risk will dissipate over time as much of the debris will burn up as it enters the atmosphere.

ASAT satellite destruction led to 400 pieces of debris, endangering International Space Station: NASA

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-parliament-remains-divided-on-brexit-options-207308">British Parliament remains divided on Brexit options</a>

All four alternative Brexit proposals considered Monday by the UK House of Commons went down to defeat, albeit by narrower margins than in last week's initial vote.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/asat-satellite-destruction-led-to-400-pieces-of-debris-endangering-iss-nasa-207311">ASAT satellite destruction led to 400 pieces of debris, endangering International Space Station: NASA</a>

The head of NASA on Monday branded India's destruction of one of its satellites a "terrible thing" that had created 400 pieces of orbital debris and led to new dangers for astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khans-promise-of-naya-pakistan-a-distant-dream-as-pakistan-economy-struggles-207337">Imran Khan's promise of 'Naya Pakistan' a distant dream as economy struggles&nbsp;</a>

Imran Khan's promise of 'Naya Pakistan' seems to be a distant dream' with the country's economy in shambles

According to the latest numbers released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, inflation in Pakistan is at an all-time high at 9.41 per cent, up from the previous 8.21 per cent.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/second-woman-says-former-us-vice-president-biden-touched-her-inappropriately-207340">Second</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/second-woman-says-former-us-vice-president-biden-touched-her-inappropriately-207340"> woman says former US vice president Joe Biden touched her inappropriately</a>

A Connecticut woman said former US Vice President Joe Biden touched her inappropriately and rubbed noses with her at a 2009 political fundraiser, becoming the second person in three days to accuse the former vice president of unwanted physical contact as he considers a White House run.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-venezuela-court-calls-to-strip-guaidos-immunity-207309">Top Venezuela court calls to strip opposition leader Guaido's immunity</a>

Venezuela's top court called on the ruling Constituent Assembly Monday to strip opposition leader Juan Guaido of parliamentary immunity.

The decision by the Supreme Court of Justice could open the way for President Nicolas Maduro's rival Guaido, recognized as interim president by more than 50 countries, to be prosecuted.

British Parliament remains divided on Brexit options All four alternative Brexit proposals considered Monday by the UK House of Commons went down to defeat, albeit by narrower margins than in last week's initial vote.

British Parliament remains divided on Brexit options All four alternative Brexit proposals considered Monday by the UK House of Commons went down to defeat, albeit by narrower margins than in last week's initial vote. ASAT satellite destruction led to 400 pieces of debris, endangering International Space Station: NASA The head of NASA on Monday branded India's destruction of one of its satellites a "terrible thing" that had created 400 pieces of orbital debris and led to new dangers for astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Imran Khan's promise of 'Naya Pakistan' a distant dream as economy struggles Imran Khan's promise of 'Naya Pakistan' seems to be a distant dream' with the country's economy in shambles According to the latest numbers released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, inflation in Pakistan is at an all-time high at 9.41 per cent, up from the previous 8.21 per cent. Second woman says former US vice president Joe Biden touched her inappropriately A Connecticut woman said former US Vice President Joe Biden touched her inappropriately and rubbed noses with her at a 2009 political fundraiser, becoming the second person in three days to accuse the former vice president of unwanted physical contact as he considers a White House run. Top Venezuela court calls to strip opposition leader Guaido's immunity Venezuela's top court called on the ruling Constituent Assembly Monday to strip opposition leader Juan Guaido of parliamentary immunity. The decision by the Supreme Court of Justice could open the way for President Nicolas Maduro's rival Guaido, recognized as interim president by more than 50 countries, to be prosecuted.

News brief: Big stories of the day

NASA is extremely unhappy with India's A-SAT test

Donald Trump's administration announced Tuesday it was speeding up plans to send US astronauts back to the Moon, from 2028 to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/by-2022-indian-son-or-daughter-to-go-in-space-carrying-national-flag-pm-narendra-modi-159291">2024</a>, calling for a "spark of urgency" to prevail over delays that have plagued NASA's lunar return plans.&nbsp;

"It is the stated policy of this administration and the United States of America to return American astronauts to the Moon, within the next five years," Vice President Mike Pence vowed in a speech in Huntsville, Alabama, the "Rocket City" where American launchers have been built since the 1960s.

"Let me be clear, the first woman and the next man on the Moon will both be American astronauts launched by American rockets from American soil," he said, echoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-person-to-set-foot-on-mars-is-likely-to-be-a-woman-nasa-chief-203093">previous declarations by NASA chief Jim Bridenstine</a> that a woman could be the next human to set foot on the Moon.

The first manned Moon flight since the last Apollo mission in 1972 had been scheduled for 2028.

But the program has encountered frustrating delays in the development of a new heavy rocket for the Moon missions, the Space Launch System (SLS), whose first uncrewed flight was recently pushed back beyond 2020.

Within months of taking office, President Trump made clear his desire to reinvigorate the American space agency, which had been somewhat adrift since the 2011 end of its shuttle program.

In 2017, Trump set a goal of returning to the Moon as a first step before moving on to human exploration of Mars.&nbsp;

NASA then adopted a schedule of launching a manned mission to the Moon in 2028.&nbsp;

"That's just not good enough. We're better than that. It took us eight years to get to the moon, the first time, 50 years ago, when we had never done it before," said Pence, who heads the White House's National Space Council.&nbsp;

"It shouldn't take us 11 years to get back."

- 'Paralysis by analysis' - 
In his speech, Pence criticized the "bureaucratic inertia" and "paralysis by analysis" that he said had resulted in the SLS delays, and called for a "new mindset" at the space agency.

Included in that criticism, though unnamed, was Boeing, who is building the SLS rocket that was scheduled to launch for its first flight in 2020, until NASA recently announced it would not be ready in time.&nbsp;

"Urgency must be our watchword," said Pence. "Failure to achieve our goal to return an American astronaut to the Moon in the next five years is not an option."

He said the US was engaged in a present-day "space race" under Trump, this time against China, just as the country was in the 1960s under President John F. Kennedy against the Soviet Union.&nbsp;

Pence threatened to use commercial launch systems or to look to other partners if NASA is not ready in time.

"To be clear, we're not committed to anyone's contract. If our current contractors can't meet this objective, then we will find ones that will," Pence said.

"If commercial rockets are the only way to get American astronauts to the Moon in the next five years, then commercial rockets it will be," he said.

He didn't mention SpaceX or other companies by name, but the allusion was clear, as SpaceX currently has rockets capable of launching heavy loads into space.&nbsp;

"We got it loud and clear," NASA head Bridenstine responded to the vice president. He assured the gathering that the SLS rocket would be ready in 2020.

Donald Trump's administration announced Tuesday it was speeding up plans to send US astronauts back to the Moon, from 2028 to 2024, calling for a "spark of urgency" to prevail over delays that have plagued NASA's lunar return plans.

Donald Trump's administration announced Tuesday it was speeding up plans to send US astronauts back to the Moon, from 2028 to 2024, calling for a "spark of urgency" to prevail over delays that have plagued NASA's lunar return plans. "It is the stated policy of this administration and the United States of America to return American astronauts to the Moon, within the next five years," Vice President Mike Pence vowed in a speech in Huntsville, Alabama, the "Rocket City" where American launchers have been built since the 1960s. "Let me be clear, the first woman and the next man on the Moon will both be American astronauts launched by American rockets from American soil," he said, echoing previous declarations by NASA chief Jim Bridenstine that a woman could be the next human to set foot on the Moon. The first manned Moon flight since the last Apollo mission in 1972 had been scheduled for 2028. But the program has encountered frustrating delays in the development of a new heavy rocket for the Moon missions, the Space Launch System (SLS), whose first uncrewed flight was recently pushed back beyond 2020. Within months of taking office, President Trump made clear his desire to reinvigorate the American space agency, which had been somewhat adrift since the 2011 end of its shuttle program. In 2017, Trump set a goal of returning to the Moon as a first step before moving on to human exploration of Mars. NASA then adopted a schedule of launching a manned mission to the Moon in 2028. "That's just not good enough. We're better than that. It took us eight years to get to the moon, the first time, 50 years ago, when we had never done it before," said Pence, who heads the White House's National Space Council. "It shouldn't take us 11 years to get back." - 'Paralysis by analysis' - In his speech, Pence criticized the "bureaucratic inertia" and "paralysis by analysis" that he said had resulted in the SLS delays, and called for a "new mindset" at the space agency. Included in that criticism, though unnamed, was Boeing, who is building the SLS rocket that was scheduled to launch for its first flight in 2020, until NASA recently announced it would not be ready in time. "Urgency must be our watchword," said Pence. "Failure to achieve our goal to return an American astronaut to the Moon in the next five years is not an option." He said the US was engaged in a present-day "space race" under Trump, this time against China, just as the country was in the 1960s under President John F. Kennedy against the Soviet Union. Pence threatened to use commercial launch systems or to look to other partners if NASA is not ready in time. "To be clear, we're not committed to anyone's contract. If our current contractors can't meet this objective, then we will find ones that will," Pence said. "If commercial rockets are the only way to get American astronauts to the Moon in the next five years, then commercial rockets it will be," he said. He didn't mention SpaceX or other companies by name, but the allusion was clear, as SpaceX currently has rockets capable of launching heavy loads into space. "We got it loud and clear," NASA head Bridenstine responded to the vice president. He assured the gathering that the SLS rocket would be ready in 2020.

US to put (another) man on the moon by 2024: Mike Pence

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-publishes-images-of-the-meteor-no-one-saw-204988">US space agency NASA</a> scrapped Monday a planned historic spacewalk by two women astronauts, citing a lack of available spacesuits that would fit them at the International Space Station.

Christina Koch will now perform tasks in space Friday with fellow American Nick Hague -- instead of Anne McClain as originally planned.

Had Koch and McClain done their spacewalk together, it would have been the first ever by two women astronauts.

Until now, male-only or mixed male-female teams had conducted spacewalk since the space station was assembled in 1998 -- 214 spacewalks until now.

McClain worked outside the station last week -- with Hague -- when she realized that a "medium"-sized upper half of her spacesuit fit her better.

"Because only one medium-size torso can be made ready by Friday, March 29, Koch will wear it," NASA explained.

The spacesuits aboard the ISS are in fact assemblies of several parts put together as best adapted to each astronaut's body, explained Brandi Dean, spokeswoman of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas where American astronauts are based.

She said two upper parts in each of the three available spacesuit sizes are currently held at the ISS: medium, large and extra large.

"We do our best to anticipate the spacesuit sizes that each astronaut will need, based on the spacesuit size they wore in training on the ground, and in some cases astronauts train in multiple sizes," she said in explaining the problem that hampered Friday's planned spacewalk.

"However, individuals' sizing needs may change when they are on orbit, in response to the changes living in microgravity can bring about in a body.&nbsp;

"In addition, no one training environment can fully simulate performing a spacewalk in microgravity, and an individual may find that their sizing preferences change in space."

The US space agency NASA scrapped Monday a planned historic spacewalk by two women astronauts, citing a lack of available spacesuits that would fit them at the International Space Station.

The US space agency NASA scrapped Monday a planned historic spacewalk by two women astronauts, citing a lack of available spacesuits that would fit them at the International Space Station. Christina Koch will now perform tasks in space Friday with fellow American Nick Hague -- instead of Anne McClain as originally planned. Had Koch and McClain done their spacewalk together, it would have been the first ever by two women astronauts. Until now, male-only or mixed male-female teams had conducted spacewalk since the space station was assembled in 1998 -- 214 spacewalks until now. McClain worked outside the station last week -- with Hague -- when she realized that a "medium"-sized upper half of her spacesuit fit her better. "Because only one medium-size torso can be made ready by Friday, March 29, Koch will wear it," NASA explained. The spacesuits aboard the ISS are in fact assemblies of several parts put together as best adapted to each astronaut's body, explained Brandi Dean, spokeswoman of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas where American astronauts are based. She said two upper parts in each of the three available spacesuit sizes are currently held at the ISS: medium, large and extra large. "We do our best to anticipate the spacesuit sizes that each astronaut will need, based on the spacesuit size they wore in training on the ground, and in some cases astronauts train in multiple sizes," she said in explaining the problem that hampered Friday's planned spacewalk. "However, individuals' sizing needs may change when they are on orbit, in response to the changes living in microgravity can bring about in a body. "In addition, no one training environment can fully simulate performing a spacewalk in microgravity, and an individual may find that their sizing preferences change in space."

NASA scraps all-women spacewalk for lack of well-fitting suits

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