NASA on Friday published satellite photos of a powerful meteor which appeared just above the Bering Sea on December 18 but went unnoticed until months later.

The explosion unleashed around 173 kilotons of energy, more than 10 times that of the atomic bomb blast over Hiroshima in World War II.

Images captured minutes after the fireball disintegrated in the atmosphere show the shadow of the meteor's trail cast on top of clouds, elongated by the sun's low position.&nbsp;

The super-heated air turns the clouds to an orange tint in the meteor's wake.

The photographs were taken by two NASA instruments onboard the Terra satellite.&nbsp;

A still image was taken at 2350 GMT, while five of the of nine cameras on the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument took another sequence of photos at 2355, which NASA collated into a GIF that shows the orange trail

NASA estimates that the meteor occurred at 23:48 GMT.

Meteors are rocks from outer space that become incandescent upon entering the earth's atmosphere as a result of friction. They are also known as shooting stars. Pieces which survive intact and hit the ground are known as meteorites.

It was the most powerful explosion in the atmosphere since the fireball that burst over the Russian town of Chelyabinsk in 2013. That was 440 kilotons, and left 1,500 people injured, mostly from glass flying out of smashed windows. &nbsp;

This time around, the blast occurred over waters, hundreds of kilometres off the Russian coast.&nbsp;

The first photo of the event was taken by a Japanese weather satellite and published only this week.

NASA on Friday published satellite photos of a powerful meteor which appeared just above the Bering Sea on December 18 but went unnoticed until months later. The explosion unleashed around 173 kilotons of energy, more than 10 times that of the atomic bomb blast over Hiroshima in World War II.

NASA on Friday published satellite photos of a powerful meteor which appeared just above the Bering Sea on December 18 but went unnoticed until months later. The explosion unleashed around 173 kilotons of energy, more than 10 times that of the atomic bomb blast over Hiroshima in World War II. Images captured minutes after the fireball disintegrated in the atmosphere show the shadow of the meteor's trail cast on top of clouds, elongated by the sun's low position. The super-heated air turns the clouds to an orange tint in the meteor's wake. The photographs were taken by two NASA instruments onboard the Terra satellite. A still image was taken at 2350 GMT, while five of the of nine cameras on the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument took another sequence of photos at 2355, which NASA collated into a GIF that shows the orange trail NASA estimates that the meteor occurred at 23:48 GMT. Meteors are rocks from outer space that become incandescent upon entering the earth's atmosphere as a result of friction. They are also known as shooting stars. Pieces which survive intact and hit the ground are known as meteorites. It was the most powerful explosion in the atmosphere since the fireball that burst over the Russian town of Chelyabinsk in 2013. That was 440 kilotons, and left 1,500 people injured, mostly from glass flying out of smashed windows. This time around, the blast occurred over waters, hundreds of kilometres off the Russian coast. The first photo of the event was taken by a Japanese weather satellite and published only this week.

NASA publishes images of the meteor no one saw

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-to-send-astronauts-back-to-moon-then-mars-202800">The first person to set foot on Mars</a> is likely to be a woman, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has said.

While Bridenstine did not identify a specific person, he said that women are at the forefront of the US space agency's upcoming plans.

Asked if a woman will go to the moon for the first time, Bridenstine said "The answer is absolutely. In fact, it is likely to be a woman, the first next person on the moon."

"It is also true that the first person on Mars is likely to be a woman," Bridenstine said during a recent interview on the science and technology radio talk show "Science Friday."

NASA recently announced that it will have its first all-female spacewalk at the end of the month, when astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will get to float around in space.

"We have the first all-female spacewalk happening this month at the end of March, which is of course, National Women's Month. So NASA is committed to making sure that we have a broad and diverse set of talent. And we are looking forward to the first woman on the moon," he said.&nbsp;

The first person to set foot on Mars is likely to be a woman, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has said. While Bridenstine did not identify a specific person, he said that women are at the forefront of the US space agency's upcoming plans.

The first person to set foot on Mars is likely to be a woman, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has said. While Bridenstine did not identify a specific person, he said that women are at the forefront of the US space agency's upcoming plans. Asked if a woman will go to the moon for the first time, Bridenstine said "The answer is absolutely. In fact, it is likely to be a woman, the first next person on the moon." "It is also true that the first person on Mars is likely to be a woman," Bridenstine said during a recent interview on the science and technology radio talk show "Science Friday." NASA recently announced that it will have its first all-female spacewalk at the end of the month, when astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will get to float around in space. "We have the first all-female spacewalk happening this month at the end of March, which is of course, National Women's Month. So NASA is committed to making sure that we have a broad and diverse set of talent. And we are looking forward to the first woman on the moon," he said.

First person to set foot on Mars is likely to be a woman: NASA chief

The administrator of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/nasa-captures-unprecedented-images-of-supersonic-shockwaves-201957"> NASA</a>, Jim Bridenstine, said Monday that the return to the moon is part of a "sustainable" project that will turn this satellite into a "test" base for an ambitious project: to organise the first manned mission to Mars and discover possible life on other planets.

With words of enthusiasm, Bridenstine revealed at a conference at the Kennedy Space Center the plans of the US space agency, which was made possible thanks to the fiscal year 2020 budget proposal of the White House, which has bipartisan support in Congress.

This next mission to the Moon aims to be, for the first time, "sustainable," which means that the human presence on its surface will be lasting. "This time, when we go to the Moon, we will stay. We will use what we learn as we move forward to the Moon to take the next giant leap - sending astronauts to Mars, " Bridenstine said in a statement.

"Beginning with a series of small commercial delivery missions to the Moon as early as this year, we will use new landers, robots and eventually humans by 2028 to conduct science across the entire lunar surface," he added.

NASA has embarked on the construction of the Gateway space base, which will orbit with "highly efficient" solar energy around the Moon and will have contributions from other space agencies and private companies.

The head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) pointed out that "this budget will build on our successes in low-Earth orbit to create a sustainable exploration campaign that combines NASA's expertise with that of our commercial and international partners."

Bridenstine made reference to the successful test trip to the International Space Station (ISS) carried out by the US company SpaceX, whose unmanned capsule Crew Dragon returned to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-rocket-to-image-earths-leaky-atmosphere-180849">Earth</a> on March 8.

This confirmed SpaceX's ability to send modules with astronauts into space and the possibility of making NASA its customer.

This success makes SpaceX approach the milestone of launching the first commercial flights into space with humans on board, following the launch last March of this unmanned capsule to the ISS.

But the "sustainable mission" to the Moon with "commercial and international partners" is much more than that. "We will continue planning and developing the first round-trip mission to the Red Planet with Mars Sample Return" Bridenstine said.

The return to the Moon and the exploration of Mars have been two of the objectives set by US president, Donald Trump, whose plans include the installation of the Gateway orbital platform whose initial construction price will be $500 million and which will be ready by the year 2024.

The administrator of NASA then referred to the exciting commitment to reach Mars, a planet, he said, that was once covered with water, suggesting that it was habitable, with complex organic compounds detected on its surface.

He said that the possibility of finding life on other planets has increased when it comes to microbial life and the budget for 2020 will allow the search for life on other planets.

NASA, which began operations on October 1, 1958, already announced last year its intention to return to the Moon and then go to Mars with manned missions in the coming years.

The administrator of NASA, Jim Bridenstine, said Monday that the return to the moon is part of a "sustainable" project that will turn this satellite into a "test" base for an ambitious project: to organise the first manned mission to Mars and discover possible life on other planets.

The administrator of NASA, Jim Bridenstine, said Monday that the return to the moon is part of a "sustainable" project that will turn this satellite into a "test" base for an ambitious project: to organise the first manned mission to Mars and discover possible life on other planets. With words of enthusiasm, Bridenstine revealed at a conference at the Kennedy Space Center the plans of the US space agency, which was made possible thanks to the fiscal year 2020 budget proposal of the White House, which has bipartisan support in Congress. This next mission to the Moon aims to be, for the first time, "sustainable," which means that the human presence on its surface will be lasting. "This time, when we go to the Moon, we will stay. We will use what we learn as we move forward to the Moon to take the next giant leap - sending astronauts to Mars, " Bridenstine said in a statement. "Beginning with a series of small commercial delivery missions to the Moon as early as this year, we will use new landers, robots and eventually humans by 2028 to conduct science across the entire lunar surface," he added. NASA has embarked on the construction of the Gateway space base, which will orbit with "highly efficient" solar energy around the Moon and will have contributions from other space agencies and private companies. The head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) pointed out that "this budget will build on our successes in low-Earth orbit to create a sustainable exploration campaign that combines NASA's expertise with that of our commercial and international partners." Bridenstine made reference to the successful test trip to the International Space Station (ISS) carried out by the US company SpaceX, whose unmanned capsule Crew Dragon returned to Earth on March 8. This confirmed SpaceX's ability to send modules with astronauts into space and the possibility of making NASA its customer. This success makes SpaceX approach the milestone of launching the first commercial flights into space with humans on board, following the launch last March of this unmanned capsule to the ISS. But the "sustainable mission" to the Moon with "commercial and international partners" is much more than that. "We will continue planning and developing the first round-trip mission to the Red Planet with Mars Sample Return" Bridenstine said. The return to the Moon and the exploration of Mars have been two of the objectives set by US president, Donald Trump, whose plans include the installation of the Gateway orbital platform whose initial construction price will be $500 million and which will be ready by the year 2024. The administrator of NASA then referred to the exciting commitment to reach Mars, a planet, he said, that was once covered with water, suggesting that it was habitable, with complex organic compounds detected on its surface. He said that the possibility of finding life on other planets has increased when it comes to microbial life and the budget for 2020 will allow the search for life on other planets. NASA, which began operations on October 1, 1958, already announced last year its intention to return to the Moon and then go to Mars with manned missions in the coming years.

NASA to send astronauts back to Moon, then Mars

SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, completing a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-captures-unprecedented-images-of-supersonic-shockwaves-201954">NASA demonstration mission</a> that paves the way for the resumption of manned space flights from the US.

After hours of suspense, the Dragon spacecraft touched down at 8:45 am (1345 GMT) some 230 miles (370 kilometres) off the coast of the US state of Florida.

The seven-seat capsule brought its "crew" of one test dummy back to Earth in the same way that American astronauts returned to the planet in the Apollo era in the 1960s and 1970s, before the 1981-2011 Space Shuttle Program.

NASA TV footage showed the capsule drifting down into the ocean, its descent slowed by its four main orange and white parachutes, which gently folded into the water around it as boats sped toward the site.

Pending the analysis of flight data, everything indicated that SpaceX -- founded in 2002 by Elon Musk -- had passed its test from beginning to end, a result that drew widespread praise.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine hailed the splashdown, saying it "marked another milestone in a new era of human spaceflight."

The head of the Russian space agency Roskosmos sent his congratulations via Twitter to his "dear colleagues Jim Bridenstine and Elon Musk!"

And former president Barack Obama noted that it was his government that launched the commercialization of astronaut space transport. "We invested in the @Commercial_Crew program to strengthen the U.S. space program for the long haul, and it's great to see that happening," he tweeted.

Launched on March 2 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Dragon docked at ISS the following day before successfully undocking Friday some 250 miles over Sudan.

The re-entry into Earth's atmosphere tested the vehicle's heat shield for the first time, and Musk had previously said that the phase was "probably my biggest concern."

Even though the capsule came back to Earth looking like a "toasted marshmallow" -- in the words of SpaceX engineer Kate Tice -- the heat shield held.

Preparation for crewed mission

While Dragon's crew member was a dummy named Ripley this time, the mission sets the stage for a manned flight, which will see two US astronauts book a return trip to the ISS.

In June, the capsule's in-flight abort system will be put to the test: the rocket will take off without human passengers, after which the capsule will eject using its own engines and return safely in a simulation of an incident.

"I don't think we saw really anything in the mission, so far -- and we've got to do the data reviews -- that would preclude us having the crewed mission later this year," Steve Stich, deputy program manager at NASA, said on Friday.

Separately, Boeing is scheduled to carry out an unmanned demo mission in April of its Starliner capsule.

Both systems must give NASA two independent means -- and at a lower cost than that of the Space Shuttle Program -- to access the ISS by 2020.

The SpaceX mission represents the first private venture to the ISS, as well as the first time a space vessel capable of carrying people was launched by the US in eight years.

Dragon also marks a return to a "vintage" format: it is the first US capsule since the pioneering Apollo program.&nbsp;

Capsules have no wings and fall to Earth, their descent slowed only by parachutes -- much like the Russian Soyuz craft, which lands in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

The last generation of US spacecraft, the space shuttles, landed like aeroplanes. Shuttles took American astronauts to space from 1981 to 2011, but their cost proved prohibitive, while two of the original four craft had catastrophic accidents, killing 14 crew members. Until SpaceX and Boeing are certified by NASA, Russia will continue to be the only country taking humans to the ISS. NASA buys seats for its astronauts, who train with their Russian cosmonaut counterparts.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, completing a NASA demonstration mission that paves the way for the resumption of manned space flights from the US.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, completing a NASA demonstration mission that paves the way for the resumption of manned space flights from the US. After hours of suspense, the Dragon spacecraft touched down at 8:45 am (1345 GMT) some 230 miles (370 kilometres) off the coast of the US state of Florida. The seven-seat capsule brought its "crew" of one test dummy back to Earth in the same way that American astronauts returned to the planet in the Apollo era in the 1960s and 1970s, before the 1981-2011 Space Shuttle Program. NASA TV footage showed the capsule drifting down into the ocean, its descent slowed by its four main orange and white parachutes, which gently folded into the water around it as boats sped toward the site. Pending the analysis of flight data, everything indicated that SpaceX -- founded in 2002 by Elon Musk -- had passed its test from beginning to end, a result that drew widespread praise. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine hailed the splashdown, saying it "marked another milestone in a new era of human spaceflight." The head of the Russian space agency Roskosmos sent his congratulations via Twitter to his "dear colleagues Jim Bridenstine and Elon Musk!" And former president Barack Obama noted that it was his government that launched the commercialization of astronaut space transport. "We invested in the @Commercial_Crew program to strengthen the U.S. space program for the long haul, and it's great to see that happening," he tweeted. Launched on March 2 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Dragon docked at ISS the following day before successfully undocking Friday some 250 miles over Sudan. The re-entry into Earth's atmosphere tested the vehicle's heat shield for the first time, and Musk had previously said that the phase was "probably my biggest concern." Even though the capsule came back to Earth looking like a "toasted marshmallow" -- in the words of SpaceX engineer Kate Tice -- the heat shield held. Preparation for crewed mission While Dragon's crew member was a dummy named Ripley this time, the mission sets the stage for a manned flight, which will see two US astronauts book a return trip to the ISS. In June, the capsule's in-flight abort system will be put to the test: the rocket will take off without human passengers, after which the capsule will eject using its own engines and return safely in a simulation of an incident. "I don't think we saw really anything in the mission, so far -- and we've got to do the data reviews -- that would preclude us having the crewed mission later this year," Steve Stich, deputy program manager at NASA, said on Friday. Separately, Boeing is scheduled to carry out an unmanned demo mission in April of its Starliner capsule. Both systems must give NASA two independent means -- and at a lower cost than that of the Space Shuttle Program -- to access the ISS by 2020. The SpaceX mission represents the first private venture to the ISS, as well as the first time a space vessel capable of carrying people was launched by the US in eight years. Dragon also marks a return to a "vintage" format: it is the first US capsule since the pioneering Apollo program. Capsules have no wings and fall to Earth, their descent slowed only by parachutes -- much like the Russian Soyuz craft, which lands in the steppes of Kazakhstan. The last generation of US spacecraft, the space shuttles, landed like aeroplanes. Shuttles took American astronauts to space from 1981 to 2011, but their cost proved prohibitive, while two of the original four craft had catastrophic accidents, killing 14 crew members. Until SpaceX and Boeing are certified by NASA, Russia will continue to be the only country taking humans to the ISS. NASA buys seats for its astronauts, who train with their Russian cosmonaut counterparts.

SpaceX capsule back on Earth, paving way for new manned US flights

NASA&nbsp;has captured&nbsp;unprecedented&nbsp;photos of the interaction of&nbsp;shockwaves&nbsp;from two&nbsp;supersonic&nbsp;aircraft, part of its research into developing planes that can fly faster than sound without thunderous "sonic booms".

When an aircraft crosses that threshold -- around 1,225 kilometers (760 miles) per hour at sea level -- it produces waves from the pressure it puts on the air around it, which merge to cause the ear-splitting sound.

In an intricate maneuver by "rock star" pilots at&nbsp;NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, two&nbsp;supersonic&nbsp;T-38 jets flew just 30 feet (nine meters) apart below another plane waiting to photograph them with an advanced, high-speed camera, the agency said.

The rendezvous -- at an altitude of around 30,000 feet -- yielded mesmerizing&nbsp;images&nbsp;of the&nbsp;shockwaves&nbsp;emanating from both planes.

With one jet flying just behind the other, "the shocks are going to be shaped differently", said Neal Smith of AerospaceComputing Inc, an engineering firm that works with&nbsp;NASA, in a post on the agency's website.

"This data is really going to help us advance our understanding of how these shocks interact."

Sonic booms can be a major nuisance, capable of not just startling people on the ground but also causing damage -- like shattered windows -- and this has led to strong restrictions on&nbsp;supersonic&nbsp;flight over land in jurisdictions like the United States.

The ability to capture such detailed&nbsp;images&nbsp;of&nbsp;shockwaves&nbsp;will be "crucial" to&nbsp;NASA's development of the X-59, the agency said, an experimental&nbsp;supersonic&nbsp;plane it hopes will be able to break the sound barrier with just a rumble instead of a sonic boom.

A breakthrough like that could lead to the loosening of flight restrictions and the return of commercial&nbsp;supersonic&nbsp;planes for the first time since Concorde was retired in 2003.

Some countries and cities banned the Franco-British airliner from their airspace because of its sonic booms.

NASA has captured unprecedented photos of the interaction of shockwaves from two supersonic aircraft, part of its research into developing planes that can fly faster than sound without thunderous "sonic booms".

NASA has captured unprecedented photos of the interaction of shockwaves from two supersonic aircraft, part of its research into developing planes that can fly faster than sound without thunderous "sonic booms". When an aircraft crosses that threshold -- around 1,225 kilometers (760 miles) per hour at sea level -- it produces waves from the pressure it puts on the air around it, which merge to cause the ear-splitting sound. In an intricate maneuver by "rock star" pilots at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, two supersonic T-38 jets flew just 30 feet (nine meters) apart below another plane waiting to photograph them with an advanced, high-speed camera, the agency said. The rendezvous -- at an altitude of around 30,000 feet -- yielded mesmerizing images of the shockwaves emanating from both planes. With one jet flying just behind the other, "the shocks are going to be shaped differently", said Neal Smith of AerospaceComputing Inc, an engineering firm that works with NASA, in a post on the agency's website. "This data is really going to help us advance our understanding of how these shocks interact." Sonic booms can be a major nuisance, capable of not just startling people on the ground but also causing damage -- like shattered windows -- and this has led to strong restrictions on supersonic flight over land in jurisdictions like the United States. The ability to capture such detailed images of shockwaves will be "crucial" to NASA's development of the X-59, the agency said, an experimental supersonic plane it hopes will be able to break the sound barrier with just a rumble instead of a sonic boom. A breakthrough like that could lead to the loosening of flight restrictions and the return of commercial supersonic planes for the first time since Concorde was retired in 2003. Some countries and cities banned the Franco-British airliner from their airspace because of its sonic booms.

NASA captures unprecedented images of supersonic shockwaves

NASA has captured unprecedented photos of the interaction of shockwaves from two supersonic aircraft, part of its research into developing planes that can fly faster than sound without thunderous "sonic booms".

When an aircraft crosses that threshold -- around 1,225 kilometres (760 miles) per hour at sea level -- it produces waves from the pressure it puts on the air around it, which merge to cause the ear-splitting sound.

In an intricate manoeuvre by "rock star" pilots at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, two supersonic T-38 jets flew just 30 feet (nine meters) apart below another plane waiting to photograph them with an advanced, high-speed camera, the agency said.

The rendezvous -- at an altitude of around 30,000 feet -- yielded mesmerizing images of the shockwaves emanating from both planes.

With one jet flying just behind the other, "the shocks are going to be shaped differently", said Neal Smith of AerospaceComputing Inc, an engineering firm that works with NASA, in a post on the agency's website.

"This data is really going to help us advance our understanding of how these shocks interact."

Sonic booms can be a major nuisance, capable of not just startling people on the ground but also causing damage -- like shattered windows -- and this has led to strong restrictions on supersonic flight over land in jurisdictions like the United States.

The ability to capture such detailed images of shockwaves will be "crucial" to NASA's development of the X-59, the agency said, an experimental supersonic plane it hopes will be able to break the sound barrier with just a rumble instead of a sonic boom.

A breakthrough like that could lead to the loosening of flight restrictions and the return of commercial supersonic planes for the first time since Concorde was retired in 2003.

Some countries and cities banned the Franco-British airliner from their airspace because of its sonic booms.

NASA has captured unprecedented photos of the interaction of shockwaves from two supersonic aircraft, part of its research into developing planes that can fly faster than sound without thunderous "sonic booms". When an aircraft crosses that threshold -- around 1,225 kilometres (760 miles) per hour at sea level -- it produces waves from the pressure it puts on the air around it, which merge to cause the ear-splitting sound. In an intricate manoeuvre by "rock star" pilots at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, two supersonic T-38 jets flew just 30 feet (nine meters) apart below another plane waiting to photograph them with an advanced, high-speed camera, the agency said. The rendezvous -- at an altitude of around 30,000 feet -- yielded mesmerizing images of the shockwaves emanating from both planes. With one jet flying just behind the other, "the shocks are going to be shaped differently", said Neal Smith of AerospaceComputing Inc, an engineering firm that works with NASA, in a post on the agency's website. "This data is really going to help us advance our understanding of how these shocks interact." Sonic booms can be a major nuisance, capable of not just startling people on the ground but also causing damage -- like shattered windows -- and this has led to strong restrictions on supersonic flight over land in jurisdictions like the United States. The ability to capture such detailed images of shockwaves will be "crucial" to NASA's development of the X-59, the agency said, an experimental supersonic plane it hopes will be able to break the sound barrier with just a rumble instead of a sonic boom. A breakthrough like that could lead to the loosening of flight restrictions and the return of commercial supersonic planes for the first time since Concorde was retired in 2003. Some countries and cities banned the Franco-British airliner from their airspace because of its sonic booms.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-rocket-with-unmanned-us-capsule-blasts-off-for-space-station-200674">SpaceX's new Dragon capsule</a> successfully docked on the International Space Station on Sunday, NASA and SpaceX confirmed during a live broadcast of the mission.

"We can confirm hard capture is complete," NASA said.&nbsp;

The docking began at 1051 GMT, more than 400 kilometres above the Earth's surface, north of New Zealand -- and 27 hours after the capsule's launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

The mission is a test launch and only has a dummy on board the capsule ahead of a manned flight scheduled for later this year.

SpaceX's new Dragon capsule successfully docked on the International Space Station on Sunday, NASA and SpaceX confirmed during a live broadcast of the mission. "We can confirm hard capture is complete," NASA said.

SpaceX's new Dragon capsule successfully docked on the International Space Station on Sunday, NASA and SpaceX confirmed during a live broadcast of the mission. "We can confirm hard capture is complete," NASA said. The docking began at 1051 GMT, more than 400 kilometres above the Earth's surface, north of New Zealand -- and 27 hours after the capsule's launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The mission is a test launch and only has a dummy on board the capsule ahead of a manned flight scheduled for later this year.

SpaceX capsule docks successfully at International Space Station: NASA

NASA and SpaceX counted down the hours Friday to the launch of a new astronaut capsule on a week-long trip to the International Space Station and back -- a key step towards resuming manned space flights from US soil after an eight-year break.

This time around, the only occupant on board SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule will be a dummy named Ripley.

But if the test goes smoothly, NASA plans to put two astronauts aboard by the end of the year.&nbsp;

The new capsule will blast off aboard a rocket built by SpaceX -- run by billionaire Elon Musk -- at 2:49 am Saturday (0749 GMT) from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

It is scheduled to reach the ISS by Sunday, with a return to Earth next Friday.

"This is a critically important event in American history," the head of the US space agency, Jim Bridenstine, told reporters, with the rocket and capsule visible behind him on the legendary launch pad where the Apollo missions to the Moon began. &nbsp;

"We're on the precipice of launching American astronauts on American rockets from American soil again for the first time since the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011."

The excitement was palpable at Cape Canaveral, from the space-fan volunteers guiding media on site, to the tourists who came to watch the launch light up the overcast skies.

"It's been a long eight years," the Kennedy Space Center's director Bob Cabana, a former astronaut himself, said as SpaceX employees milled around the rocket.

After the shuttle program was shuttered in July 2011 after a 30-year run, NASA began outsourcing the logistics of its space missions.

It pays Russia to get its people up to the ISS orbiting research facility at a cost of $82 million ahead, for a round trip.

In 2014, the US space agency awarded contracts to SpaceX and Boeing for them to take over this task.

But the program has suffered delays as safety requirements are much more stringent for manned flights than for unmanned missions to deploy satellites.

"We're going to have more access to space at a better cost than at any point in human history," said Bridenstine, adding he was "100 per cent confident" that a manned flight would happen by year's end.

Boeing next&nbsp;

Boeing also received a contract in 2014 to develop a space vessel, the Starliner. It will not be tested until April, in a mission similar to SpaceX's.

NASA did not want to rely on just one single vehicle, in case of accidents.

"We're going to be a customer," Bridenstine told reporters.

Planning has been delayed by around three years, with the first manned SpaceX flight still pencilled in for July, though officials frequently refer to the end of 2019 as a more realistic deadline.

"We're going to take it day by day," Bridenstine said of the timeline.&nbsp;

"Right now, the date is July and that's what we're planning for, but if we change that date we'll make sure people know when it's the right time."

Doug Hurley, one of the two astronauts chosen for the future first manned flight, said: "We will be ready when SpaceX and NASA are ready for us to fly."

'Going to learn a ton'

Saturday's flight aims to test the vessel's reliability and safety in real-life conditions.

The dummy that will ride in the capsule -- which SpaceX's Hans Koenigsmann prefers to call a "smartie" -- has been nicknamed Ripley in honour of the character played by Sigourney Weaver in the "Alien" movies.

It will be fitted with monitors to test the forces that future astronauts will be subjected to on takeoff and when they return to the Earth's atmosphere and then splash down in the Atlantic, slowed down by giant parachutes.

"We're going to learn a ton from this mission," said Kathy Lueders, the manager of NASA's Commercial Crew program.

For SpaceX, which Musk founded in 2002, sending an astronaut into orbit would be a culmination of years of hard work and high-risk investment.

"Every mission is important, but this is even more important, said Koenigsmann, the firm's vice-president for build and flight reliability.

"Early on, our goal was human spaceflight," he said. "Human spaceflight is a core value of the business of SpaceX."

In less than a decade, SpaceX has become a key partner for NASA, in addition to dominating the market for private satellite launches.

Its Falcon 9 rockets have resupplied the space station 15 times in seven years, even though one of them blew up in 2015.

NASA and SpaceX counted down the hours Friday to the launch of a new astronaut capsule on a week-long trip to the International Space Station and back -- a key step towards resuming manned space flights from US soil after an eight-year break.

NASA and SpaceX counted down the hours Friday to the launch of a new astronaut capsule on a week-long trip to the International Space Station and back -- a key step towards resuming manned space flights from US soil after an eight-year break. This time around, the only occupant on board SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule will be a dummy named Ripley. But if the test goes smoothly, NASA plans to put two astronauts aboard by the end of the year. The new capsule will blast off aboard a rocket built by SpaceX -- run by billionaire Elon Musk -- at 2:49 am Saturday (0749 GMT) from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is scheduled to reach the ISS by Sunday, with a return to Earth next Friday. "This is a critically important event in American history," the head of the US space agency, Jim Bridenstine, told reporters, with the rocket and capsule visible behind him on the legendary launch pad where the Apollo missions to the Moon began. "We're on the precipice of launching American astronauts on American rockets from American soil again for the first time since the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011." The excitement was palpable at Cape Canaveral, from the space-fan volunteers guiding media on site, to the tourists who came to watch the launch light up the overcast skies. "It's been a long eight years," the Kennedy Space Center's director Bob Cabana, a former astronaut himself, said as SpaceX employees milled around the rocket. After the shuttle program was shuttered in July 2011 after a 30-year run, NASA began outsourcing the logistics of its space missions. It pays Russia to get its people up to the ISS orbiting research facility at a cost of $82 million ahead, for a round trip. In 2014, the US space agency awarded contracts to SpaceX and Boeing for them to take over this task. But the program has suffered delays as safety requirements are much more stringent for manned flights than for unmanned missions to deploy satellites. "We're going to have more access to space at a better cost than at any point in human history," said Bridenstine, adding he was "100 per cent confident" that a manned flight would happen by year's end. Boeing next Boeing also received a contract in 2014 to develop a space vessel, the Starliner. It will not be tested until April, in a mission similar to SpaceX's. NASA did not want to rely on just one single vehicle, in case of accidents. "We're going to be a customer," Bridenstine told reporters. Planning has been delayed by around three years, with the first manned SpaceX flight still pencilled in for July, though officials frequently refer to the end of 2019 as a more realistic deadline. "We're going to take it day by day," Bridenstine said of the timeline. "Right now, the date is July and that's what we're planning for, but if we change that date we'll make sure people know when it's the right time." Doug Hurley, one of the two astronauts chosen for the future first manned flight, said: "We will be ready when SpaceX and NASA are ready for us to fly." 'Going to learn a ton' Saturday's flight aims to test the vessel's reliability and safety in real-life conditions. The dummy that will ride in the capsule -- which SpaceX's Hans Koenigsmann prefers to call a "smartie" -- has been nicknamed Ripley in honour of the character played by Sigourney Weaver in the "Alien" movies. It will be fitted with monitors to test the forces that future astronauts will be subjected to on takeoff and when they return to the Earth's atmosphere and then splash down in the Atlantic, slowed down by giant parachutes. "We're going to learn a ton from this mission," said Kathy Lueders, the manager of NASA's Commercial Crew program. For SpaceX, which Musk founded in 2002, sending an astronaut into orbit would be a culmination of years of hard work and high-risk investment. "Every mission is important, but this is even more important, said Koenigsmann, the firm's vice-president for build and flight reliability. "Early on, our goal was human spaceflight," he said. "Human spaceflight is a core value of the business of SpaceX." In less than a decade, SpaceX has become a key partner for NASA, in addition to dominating the market for private satellite launches. Its Falcon 9 rockets have resupplied the space station 15 times in seven years, even though one of them blew up in 2015.

Countdown as SpaceX, NASA prepare to test new astronaut capsule

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/enhance-security-government-issues-alert-to-at-all-airports-airlines-200723">Enhance security, Indian government issues alert to all airports, airlines</a>

The government on Saturday issued an "alert" for all airports and airlines in the country, asking them to "enhance the existing security measures", as it has received intelligence inputs in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and subsequent developments.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-india-vs-australia-1st-odi-at-rajiv-gandhi-international-stadium-200657">Live updates | INDvsAUS, 1st ODI: Dhawan out for nought, India are 4/1 after 2 overs</a>

Nathan Coulter-Nile to Dhawan, caught out by Maxwell.&nbsp;

It's no doubt a big wicket for Australia and it might create pressure on the India side.&nbsp;

Skipper Kohli comes to the crease.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/defence-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-meets-wing-commander-abhinandan-he-is-currently-undergoing-cooling-process-200730">Wing Commander Abhinandan undergoing 'cooling process', is met by Nirmala Sitharaman</a>

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Saturday.&nbsp;

Abhinandan was released from Pakistani custody on Friday night and has since then been kept at the Air Force Central Medical Establishment in Delhi.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/dragon-capsule-successfully-separates-from-rocket-spacex-200705">SpaceX astronaut capsule separates from </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/dragon-capsule-successfully-separates-from-rocket-spacex-200705">rocket</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/dragon-capsule-successfully-separates-from-rocket-spacex-200705">, is en route to International Space Station</a>

NASA and SpaceX celebrated the successful launch Saturday of a new astronaut capsule on a week-long round trip to the International Space Station -- a key step towards resuming manned space flights from US soil after an eight-year break.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/samjhauta-express-services-restored-train-to-run-from-india-on-sunday-railways-200726">Samjhauta Express services restored; train to run from India to Pak to Sunday</a>

The Samjhauta Express will leave for Pakistan from Delhi on Sunday after the two neighbours agreed to operationalise services at their ends, a senior railway official told PTI.

The announcement came a day after Pakistan released Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

Enhance security, Indian government issues alert to all airports, airlines The government on Saturday issued an "alert" for all airports and airlines in the country, asking them to "enhance the existing security measures", as it has received intelligence inputs in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and subsequent developments.

Enhance security, Indian government issues alert to all airports, airlines The government on Saturday issued an "alert" for all airports and airlines in the country, asking them to "enhance the existing security measures", as it has received intelligence inputs in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and subsequent developments. Live updates | INDvsAUS, 1st ODI: Dhawan out for nought, India are 4/1 after 2 overs Nathan Coulter-Nile to Dhawan, caught out by Maxwell. It's no doubt a big wicket for Australia and it might create pressure on the India side. Skipper Kohli comes to the crease. Wing Commander Abhinandan undergoing 'cooling process', is met by Nirmala Sitharaman Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Saturday. Abhinandan was released from Pakistani custody on Friday night and has since then been kept at the Air Force Central Medical Establishment in Delhi. SpaceX astronaut capsule separates from rocket, is en route to International Space Station NASA and SpaceX celebrated the successful launch Saturday of a new astronaut capsule on a week-long round trip to the International Space Station -- a key step towards resuming manned space flights from US soil after an eight-year break. Samjhauta Express services restored; train to run from India to Pak to Sunday The Samjhauta Express will leave for Pakistan from Delhi on Sunday after the two neighbours agreed to operationalise services at their ends, a senior railway official told PTI. The announcement came a day after Pakistan released Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

News brief: Big stories of the day

&nbsp;A SpaceX rocket with an unmanned crew capsule blasted off on Saturday for the International Space Station, in a key milestone for Elon Musk’s space company and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/countdown-as-spacex-nasa-prepare-to-test-new-astronaut-capsule-200633">NASA's long-delayed goal</a> to resume human spaceflight from US soil later this year.

SpaceX's 16-foot-tall (4.9 meter) Crew Dragon capsule, atop a Falcon 9 rocket, lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 2:49 am (0749 GMT), carrying a test dummy nicknamed Ripley.

The capsule successfully separated from the rocket about 11 minutes later, sparking cheers in the control room, and began its journey to the space station.

The station's three-member crew was expected to greet the capsule, carrying 400 pounds (181 kg) of supplies and test equipment, early Sunday morning, NASA said.

During its five-day stay, US astronaut Anne McClain and Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques will run tests and inspect Crew Dragon's cabin.

NASA has awarded SpaceX and Boeing Co $6.8 billion to build competing rocket and capsule systems to launch astronauts into orbit from American soil for the first time since the US Space Shuttle was retired from service in 2011.

Either SpaceX or Boeing will have bragging rights as the first private company to launch humans into space on its own rocket, although plans call for rockets built by both companies to carry astronauts into space.

The launch systems are aimed at ending US&nbsp;reliance on Russian rockets for rides to the $100 billion orbital research laboratory, which flies about 250 miles (402 km) above Earth, at about $80 million per ticket.

While Saturday's SpaceX test mission is a crucial step in the oft-delayed project, there are questions about whether NASA can achieve its 2019 flight goal of manned flight.

Reuters reported on Feb. 21 that SpaceX and Boeing both must address significant design and safety concerns before they can fly humans.

Early on Friday, Musk, who is also chief executive officer of electric carmaker Tesla Inc, tweeted a photo of the inside of Crew Dragon capsule with Ripley strapped inside.

SpaceX said the spacesuit for Ripley, apparently a reference to the protagonist in the science fiction movie "Alien", has been embedded with sensors around its head, neck, and spine to monitor how a flight would feel for a human. 
&nbsp;

A SpaceX rocket with an unmanned crew capsule blasted off on Saturday for the International Space Station, in a key milestone for Elon Musk’s space company and NASA's long-delayed goal to resume human spaceflight from US soil later this year.

A SpaceX rocket with an unmanned crew capsule blasted off on Saturday for the International Space Station, in a key milestone for Elon Musk’s space company and NASA's long-delayed goal to resume human spaceflight from US soil later this year. SpaceX's 16-foot-tall (4.9 meter) Crew Dragon capsule, atop a Falcon 9 rocket, lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 2:49 am (0749 GMT), carrying a test dummy nicknamed Ripley. The capsule successfully separated from the rocket about 11 minutes later, sparking cheers in the control room, and began its journey to the space station. The station's three-member crew was expected to greet the capsule, carrying 400 pounds (181 kg) of supplies and test equipment, early Sunday morning, NASA said. During its five-day stay, US astronaut Anne McClain and Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques will run tests and inspect Crew Dragon's cabin. NASA has awarded SpaceX and Boeing Co $6.8 billion to build competing rocket and capsule systems to launch astronauts into orbit from American soil for the first time since the US Space Shuttle was retired from service in 2011. Either SpaceX or Boeing will have bragging rights as the first private company to launch humans into space on its own rocket, although plans call for rockets built by both companies to carry astronauts into space. The launch systems are aimed at ending US reliance on Russian rockets for rides to the $100 billion orbital research laboratory, which flies about 250 miles (402 km) above Earth, at about $80 million per ticket. While Saturday's SpaceX test mission is a crucial step in the oft-delayed project, there are questions about whether NASA can achieve its 2019 flight goal of manned flight. Reuters reported on Feb. 21 that SpaceX and Boeing both must address significant design and safety concerns before they can fly humans. Early on Friday, Musk, who is also chief executive officer of electric carmaker Tesla Inc, tweeted a photo of the inside of Crew Dragon capsule with Ripley strapped inside. SpaceX said the spacesuit for Ripley, apparently a reference to the protagonist in the science fiction movie "Alien", has been embedded with sensors around its head, neck, and spine to monitor how a flight would feel for a human.

SpaceX rocket with unmanned US capsule blasts off for space station

NASA gave its final go-ahead on Friday to billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX company to conduct its first unmanned test flight of a newly designed crew capsule to the International Space Station on March 2.

The approval cleared a key hurdle for SpaceX in its quest to help NASA revive America's human spaceflight program, stalled since space shuttle missions came to an end in 2011.

NASA has awarded SpaceX $2.6 billion, and aerospace rival Boeing Co $4.2 billion to build separate rocket and capsule launch systems to carry US astronauts to and from the space station, an orbital research laboratory that flies 250 miles above Earth.

"Following a full day of briefings and discussion, NASA and SpaceX are proceeding with plans to conduct the first uncrewed test flight of the Crew Dragon on a mission to the International Space Station," NASA said in a statement announcing its decision.

NASA gave its final go-ahead on Friday to billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX company to conduct its first unmanned test flight of a newly designed crew capsule to the International Space Station on March 2.

NASA gave its final go-ahead on Friday to billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX company to conduct its first unmanned test flight of a newly designed crew capsule to the International Space Station on March 2. The approval cleared a key hurdle for SpaceX in its quest to help NASA revive America's human spaceflight program, stalled since space shuttle missions came to an end in 2011. NASA has awarded SpaceX $2.6 billion, and aerospace rival Boeing Co $4.2 billion to build separate rocket and capsule launch systems to carry US astronauts to and from the space station, an orbital research laboratory that flies 250 miles above Earth. "Following a full day of briefings and discussion, NASA and SpaceX are proceeding with plans to conduct the first uncrewed test flight of the Crew Dragon on a mission to the International Space Station," NASA said in a statement announcing its decision.

NASA clears SpaceX test flight to space station

Israel is to launch its first moon mission this week, sending an unmanned spacecraft to collect data to be shared with NASA, organisers said Monday.

The 585-kilogram (1,290-pound) Beresheet (Genesis) spacecraft is to lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida at around 0145 GMT on Friday.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and technology NGO SpaceIL announced the date at a press conference.

Mission control will be in Yehud, near Tel Aviv.

"We are entering history and are proud to belong to a group that has dreamed and fulfilled the vision shared by many countries in the world but that so far only three of them have accomplished," SpaceIL president Morris Kahn said.

So far only Russia, the United States and China have sent spacecraft to the moon.

The Chinese craft made the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon on January 3.

NASA, which has installed equipment on Genesis to upload its signals from the moon, said last week it aims to land an unmanned vehicle there by 2024, and it is inviting private sector bids to build the US probe.

NASA plans to build a small space station, dubbed Gateway, in the moon's orbit by 2026.&nbsp;

It will serve as a way-station for trips to and from the lunar surface, but will not be permanently crewed.

Genesis will make its 6.5-million kilometre (one million-mile) journey at a maximum speed of 10 kilometres per second (36,000 kilometres per hour), according to an IAI statement.

It will carry a "time capsule" loaded with digital files containing a Bible, children's drawings, Israeli songs, memories of a Holocaust survivor and the blue-and-white Israeli flag.

The $100-million project will measure the lunar magnetic field to help to understand the moon's formation.

"This is the lowest-budget spacecraft to ever undertake such a mission. The superpowers who managed to land a spacecraft on the moon have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in government funding," the IAI statement said.

"Beresheet is the first spacecraft to land on the moon as a result of a private initiative, rather than a government."&nbsp;

The project started as a potential entry for the Google Lunar XPrize, which in 2010 offered a $30-million reward to encourage scientists and entrepreneurs to offer relatively inexpensive lunar missions.

The contest closed without a winner in March 2018 but SpaceIL decided to keep working on the challenge.

Israel is to launch its first moon mission this week, sending an unmanned spacecraft to collect data to be shared with NASA, organisers said Monday. The 585-kilogram (1,290-pound) Beresheet (Genesis) spacecraft is to lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida at around 0145 GMT on Friday.

Israel is to launch its first moon mission this week, sending an unmanned spacecraft to collect data to be shared with NASA, organisers said Monday. The 585-kilogram (1,290-pound) Beresheet (Genesis) spacecraft is to lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida at around 0145 GMT on Friday. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and technology NGO SpaceIL announced the date at a press conference. Mission control will be in Yehud, near Tel Aviv. "We are entering history and are proud to belong to a group that has dreamed and fulfilled the vision shared by many countries in the world but that so far only three of them have accomplished," SpaceIL president Morris Kahn said. So far only Russia, the United States and China have sent spacecraft to the moon. The Chinese craft made the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon on January 3. NASA, which has installed equipment on Genesis to upload its signals from the moon, said last week it aims to land an unmanned vehicle there by 2024, and it is inviting private sector bids to build the US probe. NASA plans to build a small space station, dubbed Gateway, in the moon's orbit by 2026. It will serve as a way-station for trips to and from the lunar surface, but will not be permanently crewed. Genesis will make its 6.5-million kilometre (one million-mile) journey at a maximum speed of 10 kilometres per second (36,000 kilometres per hour), according to an IAI statement. It will carry a "time capsule" loaded with digital files containing a Bible, children's drawings, Israeli songs, memories of a Holocaust survivor and the blue-and-white Israeli flag. The $100-million project will measure the lunar magnetic field to help to understand the moon's formation. "This is the lowest-budget spacecraft to ever undertake such a mission. The superpowers who managed to land a spacecraft on the moon have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in government funding," the IAI statement said. "Beresheet is the first spacecraft to land on the moon as a result of a private initiative, rather than a government." The project started as a potential entry for the Google Lunar XPrize, which in 2010 offered a $30-million reward to encourage scientists and entrepreneurs to offer relatively inexpensive lunar missions. The contest closed without a winner in March 2018 but SpaceIL decided to keep working on the challenge.

Israel's first lunar mission to launch this week

NASA said on Friday it was weighing an option to buy two additional astronaut seats aboard a Russian rocket as a contingency plan against further delays in the launch systems being developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Boeing Co.

A possible purchase "provides flexibility and back-up capability" as the companies build rocket-and-capsule launch systems to return astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) from US soil for the first time since NASA's Space Shuttle program went dark in 2011.

The US space agency has since had to rely on Russia's Roscosmos program to ferry astronauts to the orbital space station at a cost of roughly $80 million per seat, NASA has said.

After 2019 there are no seats available on the spacecraft for US crew, and a NASA advisory panel recommended on Friday that the US space program develop a contingency plan to guarantee access to the station in case technical problems delay Boeing and SpaceX any further.

A NASA spokesman on Friday characterized a solicitation request NASA filed on Wednesday as a contingency plan. NASA said it could buy a seat for one astronaut in the fall and another seat in the spring of 2020.

"The absence of US&nbsp;crew members at any point would diminish ISS operations to an inoperable state," NASA wrote in its solicitation on Wednesday.

NASA awarded $6.8 billion to SpaceX, founded by Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, and aerospace giant Boeing to develop separate launch systems to fly astronauts to space, but both companies have faced technical challenges and delays.

NASA announced another slip last week, citing concerns for both contractors such as the need to complete hardware testing and other factors. The US space agency said SpaceX was now targeting March 2 instead of February 23 for its un-crewed Crew Dragon test flight, with its astronaut flight coming in July.

NASA said Boeing's un-crewed CST-100 Starliner would fly no sooner than April, with Boeing's crewed mission is currently slated for August.

"Typically, problems will be discovered during these test flights," NASA wrote.

NASA said on Friday it was weighing an option to buy two additional astronaut seats aboard a Russian rocket as a contingency plan against further delays in the launch systems being developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Boeing Co.

NASA said on Friday it was weighing an option to buy two additional astronaut seats aboard a Russian rocket as a contingency plan against further delays in the launch systems being developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Boeing Co. A possible purchase "provides flexibility and back-up capability" as the companies build rocket-and-capsule launch systems to return astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) from US soil for the first time since NASA's Space Shuttle program went dark in 2011. The US space agency has since had to rely on Russia's Roscosmos program to ferry astronauts to the orbital space station at a cost of roughly $80 million per seat, NASA has said. After 2019 there are no seats available on the spacecraft for US crew, and a NASA advisory panel recommended on Friday that the US space program develop a contingency plan to guarantee access to the station in case technical problems delay Boeing and SpaceX any further. A NASA spokesman on Friday characterized a solicitation request NASA filed on Wednesday as a contingency plan. NASA said it could buy a seat for one astronaut in the fall and another seat in the spring of 2020. "The absence of US crew members at any point would diminish ISS operations to an inoperable state," NASA wrote in its solicitation on Wednesday. NASA awarded $6.8 billion to SpaceX, founded by Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, and aerospace giant Boeing to develop separate launch systems to fly astronauts to space, but both companies have faced technical challenges and delays. NASA announced another slip last week, citing concerns for both contractors such as the need to complete hardware testing and other factors. The US space agency said SpaceX was now targeting March 2 instead of February 23 for its un-crewed Crew Dragon test flight, with its astronaut flight coming in July. NASA said Boeing's un-crewed CST-100 Starliner would fly no sooner than April, with Boeing's crewed mission is currently slated for August. "Typically, problems will be discovered during these test flights," NASA wrote.

NASA mulls buying new rides to space from Russia amid programme delays

Opportunity, a remarkably durable <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-rover-data-shows-mars-had-the-ingredients-needed-for-life-143114">NASA rover designed to roll</a> along the surface of Mars for three months, has stopped communicating with Earth after 15 years of service, officials said on Wednesday, ending a mission that astounded the US&nbsp;space agency.

Engineers lost contact with the solar-powered vehicle on June 10 during a dust storm that encircled Mars. Since then, NASA officials made numerous attempts to reach the six-wheeled rover, which is about the size of a golf cart.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/martian-dust-storm-silences-nasas-rover-opportunity-144235">Opportunity's equipment may</a> have been compromised by the storm, which struck while the rover was at a site called Perseverance Valley and blotted out sunlight needed by the robot's solar panels, officials said.

The vehicle was built to drive six-tenths of a mile (1 km), but ended up covering 28 miles (45 km) and lasting longer on Mars than any other robot sent to the surface of the Red Planet.

On Tuesday, engineers sent a transmission in a last attempt to revive the rover, but heard nothing back, said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

"It is, therefore, that I am standing here with a sense of deep appreciation and gratitude that I declare the Opportunity mission as complete," Zurbuchen said during an online video presentation at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

As Opportunity explored craters on Mars, it gathered evidence to demonstrate the planet in the ancient past was wet and warm enough to possibly sustain life, NASA said. That included the discovery of white veins of the mineral gypsum, an indication of water moving through underground fractures.

Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004, a few weeks after its rover twin, Spirit.

Spirit ended its mission in 2010 after becoming stuck in soft soil.

The Opportunity mission cost more than $1 billion, with about 300 JPL staff members dedicated to the project soon after it landed, John Callas, project manager for Mars Exploration Rovers, said by phone.

The team had dwindled to 30 by the time Opportunity went silent, he said. Its members are going to other projects.

Another NASA rover called Curiosity, which arrived on Mars in 2012, continues its work on the Martian surface, collecting soil samples to analyse them for signs of organic compounds.

And NASA's InSight spacecraft, the first robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of a distant world, touched down safely on the surface of Mars in November, with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth.

InSight and the next Mars rover mission, scheduled for 2020, are both seen as precursors for eventual human exploration of Mars, an objective NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has said might be achieved as early as the mid-2030s. 
&nbsp;

Opportunity, a remarkably durable NASA rover designed to roll along the surface of Mars for three months, has stopped communicating with Earth after 15 years of service, officials said on Wednesday, ending a mission that astounded the US space agency.

Opportunity, a remarkably durable NASA rover designed to roll along the surface of Mars for three months, has stopped communicating with Earth after 15 years of service, officials said on Wednesday, ending a mission that astounded the US space agency. Engineers lost contact with the solar-powered vehicle on June 10 during a dust storm that encircled Mars. Since then, NASA officials made numerous attempts to reach the six-wheeled rover, which is about the size of a golf cart. Opportunity's equipment may have been compromised by the storm, which struck while the rover was at a site called Perseverance Valley and blotted out sunlight needed by the robot's solar panels, officials said. The vehicle was built to drive six-tenths of a mile (1 km), but ended up covering 28 miles (45 km) and lasting longer on Mars than any other robot sent to the surface of the Red Planet. On Tuesday, engineers sent a transmission in a last attempt to revive the rover, but heard nothing back, said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "It is, therefore, that I am standing here with a sense of deep appreciation and gratitude that I declare the Opportunity mission as complete," Zurbuchen said during an online video presentation at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. As Opportunity explored craters on Mars, it gathered evidence to demonstrate the planet in the ancient past was wet and warm enough to possibly sustain life, NASA said. That included the discovery of white veins of the mineral gypsum, an indication of water moving through underground fractures. Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004, a few weeks after its rover twin, Spirit. Spirit ended its mission in 2010 after becoming stuck in soft soil. The Opportunity mission cost more than $1 billion, with about 300 JPL staff members dedicated to the project soon after it landed, John Callas, project manager for Mars Exploration Rovers, said by phone. The team had dwindled to 30 by the time Opportunity went silent, he said. Its members are going to other projects. Another NASA rover called Curiosity, which arrived on Mars in 2012, continues its work on the Martian surface, collecting soil samples to analyse them for signs of organic compounds. And NASA's InSight spacecraft, the first robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of a distant world, touched down safely on the surface of Mars in November, with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth. InSight and the next Mars rover mission, scheduled for 2020, are both seen as precursors for eventual human exploration of Mars, an objective NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has said might be achieved as early as the mid-2030s.

Watch: After 15 years service, NASA announces end of Opportunity's Mars mission

Mars Opportunity rover ends 15-year mission

NASA in a report has said that its high-resolution satellites have shown that the world "is literally a greener place than it was 20 years ago" due to two emerging countries with the world’s biggest populations - China and India- leading in "greening on land".

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/2018-was-fourth-warmest-year-since-1880-nasa-195681">space agency made the discovery</a> with the help of two powerful&nbsp;satellites known as Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS which revealed an increase in "leaf area on plants and trees equivalent to the area covered by all the Amazon rainforests."

"There are now more than two million square miles of extra green leaf area per year, compared to the early 2000s – a&nbsp; 5 per cent increase," the report asserted.

<img alt="NASA image" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="52ce1efe-820e-4d9b-9108-07e73f6c9729" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/NAASA.jpg" />

The author of the study, Chi Chen of the Department of Earth and Environment at Boston University, in Massachusetts, said: "China and India account for one-third of the greening, but contain only 9 per cent of the planet’s land area covered in vegetation – a surprising finding, considering the general notion of land degradation in populous countries from overexploitation."

The report pointed out that although the land area used to grow crops hadn't changed since 2000's in China and India which was "more than 770,000 square miles" but the regions had increased both its "annual total green leaf area" and food production.

The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-space-probe-phones-home-in-landmark-mission-to-solar-systems-edge-187869"> international space agency</a> said the 'greening trend'&nbsp;India was caused due to several factors namely food production grew&nbsp;due to increased groundwater irrigation.

"If the groundwater is depleted, this trend may change," the report cautioned.

The space body said China’s "outsized contribution" to the global greening trend at 42 per cent comes in large part from programs to "conserve and expand forests".

"82 per cent of greening seen in India comes from intensive cultivation of food crops," the report claimed.

The report credited increased greening in India and China to "multiple cropping practices" when a field is "replanted" to produce harvest several times in a year.

"Production of grains, vegetables, fruits and more have increased by about 35-40 per cent since 2000 to feed their large populations," NASA noted.

NASA in a report has said that its high-resolution satellites have shown that the world "is literally a greener place than it was 20 years ago" due to two emerging countries with the world’s biggest populations - China and India- leading in "greening on land".

NASA in a report has said that its high-resolution satellites have shown that the world "is literally a greener place than it was 20 years ago" due to two emerging countries with the world’s biggest populations - China and India- leading in "greening on land". The space agency made the discovery with the help of two powerful satellites known as Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS which revealed an increase in "leaf area on plants and trees equivalent to the area covered by all the Amazon rainforests." "There are now more than two million square miles of extra green leaf area per year, compared to the early 2000s – a 5 per cent increase," the report asserted. The author of the study, Chi Chen of the Department of Earth and Environment at Boston University, in Massachusetts, said: "China and India account for one-third of the greening, but contain only 9 per cent of the planet’s land area covered in vegetation – a surprising finding, considering the general notion of land degradation in populous countries from overexploitation." The report pointed out that although the land area used to grow crops hadn't changed since 2000's in China and India which was "more than 770,000 square miles" but the regions had increased both its "annual total green leaf area" and food production. The international space agency said the 'greening trend' India was caused due to several factors namely food production grew due to increased groundwater irrigation. "If the groundwater is depleted, this trend may change," the report cautioned. The space body said China’s "outsized contribution" to the global greening trend at 42 per cent comes in large part from programs to "conserve and expand forests". "82 per cent of greening seen in India comes from intensive cultivation of food crops," the report claimed. The report credited increased greening in India and China to "multiple cropping practices" when a field is "replanted" to produce harvest several times in a year. "Production of grains, vegetables, fruits and more have increased by about 35-40 per cent since 2000 to feed their large populations," NASA noted.

China, India have helped in greening of Earth: NASA report

The past five years were the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/our-battle-cry-is-against-climate-change-seychelles-president-danny-faure-tells-wion-on-world-environment-day--142217">warmest ever on record</a>, a NASA official said on Wednesday in New York.

"It's been hot," said Gavin Schmidt, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). "The last five years have been the record warmest years that we've seen in a record that goes back to the 19th century and possibly even hundreds of years before that."

2018 marks the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/japan-heatwave-as-heatwave-intensifies-65-people-dead-22600-admitted-to-hospital--154020"> fourth warmest year since 1880</a> and ranks behind 2016, 2017 and 2015, according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Temperatures in both 2016 and 2015 were lifted by an El Niño, a natural event which can disrupt weather patterns worldwide every few years and releases heat from the tropical Pacific Ocean into the atmosphere.

"The key issues in reducing emissions are moving towards renewable fuels for electricity, moving away from internal combustion engines for transport, sequestering carbon more efficiently in agriculture, making better decisions about how we organise our world so that we don't need so much energy," Schmidt said.

"But most of all, reducing the amount of coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels, and deforestation," he added.

Weather extremes in 2018 included wildfires in California and Greece, drought in South Africa and floods in Kerala, India. Record levels of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, trap ever more heat.

The outlook is for more sizzling heat approaching levels that most governments view as dangerous for the Earth.

"What kind of planet is a planet that's four or five degrees warmer than it is now? Well, we haven't seen that on Earth since about 3 million years ago in the Pliocene. At that point, we had forests all the way up to the Arctic Circle, there wasn't any ice," Schmidt informed.

"There was no Greenland and sea level was about 25 meters higher. That was a very different planet, and that's kind of where we're headed unless we do something about emissions."

The past five years were the warmest ever on record, a NASA official said on Wednesday in New York. "It's been hot," said Gavin Schmidt, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS).

The past five years were the warmest ever on record, a NASA official said on Wednesday in New York. "It's been hot," said Gavin Schmidt, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). "The last five years have been the record warmest years that we've seen in a record that goes back to the 19th century and possibly even hundreds of years before that." 2018 marks the fourth warmest year since 1880 and ranks behind 2016, 2017 and 2015, according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Temperatures in both 2016 and 2015 were lifted by an El Niño, a natural event which can disrupt weather patterns worldwide every few years and releases heat from the tropical Pacific Ocean into the atmosphere. "The key issues in reducing emissions are moving towards renewable fuels for electricity, moving away from internal combustion engines for transport, sequestering carbon more efficiently in agriculture, making better decisions about how we organise our world so that we don't need so much energy," Schmidt said. "But most of all, reducing the amount of coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels, and deforestation," he added. Weather extremes in 2018 included wildfires in California and Greece, drought in South Africa and floods in Kerala, India. Record levels of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, trap ever more heat. The outlook is for more sizzling heat approaching levels that most governments view as dangerous for the Earth. "What kind of planet is a planet that's four or five degrees warmer than it is now? Well, we haven't seen that on Earth since about 3 million years ago in the Pliocene. At that point, we had forests all the way up to the Arctic Circle, there wasn't any ice," Schmidt informed. "There was no Greenland and sea level was about 25 meters higher. That was a very different planet, and that's kind of where we're headed unless we do something about emissions."

2018 was fourth warmest year since 1880: NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Monday released a video broadcasting the lit up area in Atlanta, Georgia for the final game of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/history-for-brady-as-new-england-patriots-beats-los-angeles-rams-to-win-super-bowl-194929">Super Bowl between New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams</a> on Sunday.

In the video, the satellite shows the popularity of the sport through the lights. In a small tour, the US space agency grabbed a clear view where the station orbits Earth to catch the stadium's lights in Atlanta.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Tom Brady won the Super Bowl for a sixth time as Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in a defence-dominated finale.

Brady, 41, became the first player ever to win six Super Bowls, 17 years after leading the Patriots to his first title in 2002.&nbsp;Patriots' wide receiver Julian Edelman won the Super Bowl MVP trophy.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Just saw the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a> appear during the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperBowl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperBowl</a>? It orbits Earth with a crew living and conducting science in microgravity. Learn more about the <a href="https://twitter.com/ISS_Research?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ISS_Research</a> &amp; more underway now: <a href="https://t.co/74cLLK9Mk0">https://t.co/74cLLK9Mk0</a> <a href="https://t.co/fYOr9YpDAP">pic.twitter.com/fYOr9YpDAP</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1092253932573863937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In a game where both offences struggled to find the end zone, Edelman made the most of his opportunities, catching 10 of the 12 passes thrown his way for 141 yards while rushing once for eight yards.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Monday released a video broadcasting the lit up area in Atlanta, Georgia for the final game of the Super Bowl between New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Monday released a video broadcasting the lit up area in Atlanta, Georgia for the final game of the Super Bowl between New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. In the video, the satellite shows the popularity of the sport through the lights. In a small tour, the US space agency grabbed a clear view where the station orbits Earth to catch the stadium's lights in Atlanta. Meanwhile, Tom Brady won the Super Bowl for a sixth time as Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in a defence-dominated finale. Brady, 41, became the first player ever to win six Super Bowls, 17 years after leading the Patriots to his first title in 2002. Patriots' wide receiver Julian Edelman won the Super Bowl MVP trophy. Just saw the @Space_Station appear during the #SuperBowl? It orbits Earth with a crew living and conducting science in microgravity. Learn more about the @ISS_Research & more underway now: https://t.co/74cLLK9Mk0 pic.twitter.com/fYOr9YpDAP — NASA (@NASA) February 4, 2019 × In a game where both offences struggled to find the end zone, Edelman made the most of his opportunities, catching 10 of the 12 passes thrown his way for 141 yards while rushing once for eight yards.

View from the top: NASA releases 'shining' Super Bowl video from space

With an eye to launching the first tourists to space by year's end, Blue Origin, the rocket company owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, blasted off the 10th test flight of its New Shepard rocket on Wednesday.

The rocket, carrying no people on board but eight science experiments for NASA, soared skyward from a launchpad in west Texas at 1508 GMT against&nbsp;a clear blue sky.

A few minutes into the flight, the capsule separated as planned from the booster and reached its peak height of 66 miles (106 kilometres).

"That is exactly what we were targeting," said Ariane Cornell, an astronaut for Blue Origin and commentator on the company's live webcast of the launch.

The frontier of space is internationally agreed to be 62 miles (100 kilometres) above Earth, known as the Karman Line.

Eight minutes after blast-off, the rocket booster fired its engines and made a controlled, upright landing back on Earth, marking the fourth flight for this particular rocket, and the 10th flight test for New Shepard overall.

"That, everybody, is a reusable rocket," said Cornell.&nbsp;

Moments later, the capsule floated to Earth, aided by a trio of parachutes, and touched down in a cloud of dust.

The entire mission lasted 10 minutes, 15 seconds.

"Looks to have been a wholly successful flight today," wrote Blue Origin on Twitter.

More test flights lie ahead, but the first flights with passengers on board could start by late 2019.

"We are aiming for the end of this year," Cornell said.

"We are not in a rush. We want to take our time and do this right."

The passenger capsule is "roomy," Cornell said, with six seats and six "big gorgeous windows."

The price per ticket has not yet been announced.

The New Shepard rocket first reached space last year, achieving a height of 66 miles in April 2018.

Virgin Galactic, headed by British billionaire Richard Branson, is also working on a vessel of its own to carry tourists to space.

On December 13, 2018, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity, flew higher than it ever had before, surpassing what the US Air Force considers the boundary of space (50 miles), and marking the first manned flight to space from US soil since 2011.

The spaceship made it to a peak height of 51.4 miles (82.7 kilometres).&nbsp;

The brief flight -- with two pilots on board -- was a key milestone for the Virgin Galactic, which is striving to send tourists to space at a cost of $250,000 per seat.

With an eye to launching the first tourists to space by year's end, Blue Origin, the rocket company owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, blasted off the 10th test flight of its New Shepard rocket on Wednesday.

With an eye to launching the first tourists to space by year's end, Blue Origin, the rocket company owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, blasted off the 10th test flight of its New Shepard rocket on Wednesday. The rocket, carrying no people on board but eight science experiments for NASA, soared skyward from a launchpad in west Texas at 1508 GMT against a clear blue sky. A few minutes into the flight, the capsule separated as planned from the booster and reached its peak height of 66 miles (106 kilometres). "That is exactly what we were targeting," said Ariane Cornell, an astronaut for Blue Origin and commentator on the company's live webcast of the launch. The frontier of space is internationally agreed to be 62 miles (100 kilometres) above Earth, known as the Karman Line. Eight minutes after blast-off, the rocket booster fired its engines and made a controlled, upright landing back on Earth, marking the fourth flight for this particular rocket, and the 10th flight test for New Shepard overall. "That, everybody, is a reusable rocket," said Cornell. Moments later, the capsule floated to Earth, aided by a trio of parachutes, and touched down in a cloud of dust. The entire mission lasted 10 minutes, 15 seconds. "Looks to have been a wholly successful flight today," wrote Blue Origin on Twitter. More test flights lie ahead, but the first flights with passengers on board could start by late 2019. "We are aiming for the end of this year," Cornell said. "We are not in a rush. We want to take our time and do this right." The passenger capsule is "roomy," Cornell said, with six seats and six "big gorgeous windows." The price per ticket has not yet been announced. The New Shepard rocket first reached space last year, achieving a height of 66 miles in April 2018. Virgin Galactic, headed by British billionaire Richard Branson, is also working on a vessel of its own to carry tourists to space. On December 13, 2018, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity, flew higher than it ever had before, surpassing what the US Air Force considers the boundary of space (50 miles), and marking the first manned flight to space from US soil since 2011. The spaceship made it to a peak height of 51.4 miles (82.7 kilometres). The brief flight -- with two pilots on board -- was a key milestone for the Virgin Galactic, which is striving to send tourists to space at a cost of $250,000 per seat.

Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin rocket makes 10th flight test

NASA, China aim to set up human colony on moon

Lord of the rings: Saturn's halo may be relatively recent trait

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Kailasavadivoo Sivan has said when it comes to India versus China debate in the space sector, India is at par with China. His comments have come&nbsp;days after China's launch of Chang'e 4 lunar probe on the dark side of the moon and ahead of India's Chandrayaan-2 mission which will be launched later this year.&nbsp;

Speaking to our correspondent Siddhant Sibal, the chairman also spoke on Gaganyaan and ISRO's focus for 2019.

WION: What will be your focus this year?

K Sivan: This year we mainly want to make use of the children, students and we want them to be more and more aware of ISRO's programmes. We want to bring students for the&nbsp;young scientist programme. Student satellite Kalam SAT is being launched. Along with this outreach programme, we have incubation centres. These are for spreading the wings of ISRO. Along with this, we have priority for Gaganyaan. We have 32 missions to be completed this year.&nbsp;

WION: We are going to launch Chandrayaan-2 this year. Weeks ago <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/chinese-landed-on-moons-far-side-we-will-aim-for-lunar-south-pole-isro-chief-191189">China landed Rover</a> on the dark side of the moon. What is the difference?

K Sivan: The Chinese have landed on the <a href="http://wionews.com/world/china-launches-rover-for-first-far-side-of-the-moon-landing-182334">dark side of the moon</a>. We are going to land on the light side of the moon. Only thing is where we are landing, nobody else has gone. Going closer to the South pole, which nobody has gone. We expect a lot of science available for that.

WION: Your reaction to China versus India space debate?

K Sivan: Regarding the tech part. We are at par with them.

WION: How are we helping the South Asian region?

K Sivan: South Asia, we have one South Asia satellite. We are giving one transponder free of cost to each country. Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives&nbsp;are making use of this. Happy to note they are using satellite for the benefit of their country

WION: On Gaganyaan, are we taking help of countries?&nbsp;

K Sivan: Gaganyaan, many countries are ready to help us. France and Russia are ready to help. We will make use of everybody's expertise to our benefit. NASA is also ready to help us. We want to make use of everyone's help for maximum benefit

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Kailasavadivoo Sivan has said when it comes to India versus China debate in the space sector, India is at par with China.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Kailasavadivoo Sivan has said when it comes to India versus China debate in the space sector, India is at par with China. His comments have come days after China's launch of Chang'e 4 lunar probe on the dark side of the moon and ahead of India's Chandrayaan-2 mission which will be launched later this year. Speaking to our correspondent Siddhant Sibal, the chairman also spoke on Gaganyaan and ISRO's focus for 2019. WION: What will be your focus this year? K Sivan: This year we mainly want to make use of the children, students and we want them to be more and more aware of ISRO's programmes. We want to bring students for the young scientist programme. Student satellite Kalam SAT is being launched. Along with this outreach programme, we have incubation centres. These are for spreading the wings of ISRO. Along with this, we have priority for Gaganyaan. We have 32 missions to be completed this year. WION: We are going to launch Chandrayaan-2 this year. Weeks ago China landed Rover on the dark side of the moon. What is the difference? K Sivan: The Chinese have landed on the dark side of the moon. We are going to land on the light side of the moon. Only thing is where we are landing, nobody else has gone. Going closer to the South pole, which nobody has gone. We expect a lot of science available for that. WION: Your reaction to China versus India space debate? K Sivan: Regarding the tech part. We are at par with them. WION: How are we helping the South Asian region? K Sivan: South Asia, we have one South Asia satellite. We are giving one transponder free of cost to each country. Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives are making use of this. Happy to note they are using satellite for the benefit of their country WION: On Gaganyaan, are we taking help of countries? K Sivan: Gaganyaan, many countries are ready to help us. France and Russia are ready to help. We will make use of everybody's expertise to our benefit. NASA is also ready to help us. We want to make use of everyone's help for maximum benefit

We are at par with China: ISRO chairman on space race

By David Rothery

In a spectacular few days for solar system exploration – during which NASA whizzed the New Horizons spacecraft past the Kuiper Belt object 2009 MU69 (somewhat controversially nicknamed “Ultima Thule”) and eased OSIRIS-REx into orbit about the asteroid Bennu – the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) has set its Chang'e 4 lander and rover down on the far side of the moon.

Chang'e is the name of the Chinese moon goddess – and Chang'e 4 builds on the success of the Chang'e 3 lander, which touched down on the moon in December 2013.

This new landing is far from being a mundane event. Only the US and the Soviet Union have ever landed spacecraft on the moon before. Those were either steered by humans onboard or, if uncrewed, relied on luck for a safe landing. Chang’e 4 used a downward-looking camera and hazard avoidance software to steer itself to a flat and sufficiently boulder-free landing spot, as it slowed its descent using retrorockets – an impressive technological feat.

Crucially, any spacecraft on the lunar far side cannot “see” the Earth, and so it can neither send to nor receive a radio signal from its control centre on Earth. To circumvent this problem, CNSA placed a relay satellite in a cunning “halo orbit” around a point in space sufficiently far beyond the moon that it can always see both the lunar far side and the Earth above the lunar horizon. The relay satellite is called Queqiao, which means “Magpie Bridge”, recalling a bridge formed by birds across the Milky Way in Chinese mythology.

This is the first time ever that anyone has landed a probe on the far side of the moon. That side sees just as much sunlight as the Earth-facing side of the moon, so is not literally a “dark side”, as it is often casually called. However, it is metaphorically dark, in that the moon’s rotation acts to keep that side facing away from the Earth as it progresses around its orbit, and its nature was unknown before the space age.

The far side of the moon differs from the near side in having far less area covered by dark lava flows (the lunar maria or “seas”). There is also a 2,500 km wide depression known as the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin occupying much of the southern part of the far side. This is probably the scar of a very ancient impact – and because it is about 8 km deep it provides a window through the moon’s crust and into the mantle that underlies it. It is special in that it never became flooded by lava like the large impact basins on the near side.

The chosen landing site, Von Karman crater, is in the north of the SPA basin about halfway between the south pole and the equator, and punches a little deeper than the surrounding basin floor. This gives the rover the best possible chance of locating rocks that originated from deeper inside the moon than have been analysed before – offering a chance to learn more about how the satellite formed.

There is some lava on the floor of Von Karman (which is what makes it a smooth, and hence fairly safe, place to land), however, but the rover will probably not have to travel far to find some lumps of rock redistributed from the exposed floor of the SPA by later, smaller, impacts. A few candidates can be seen in the first image from the surface.

Scientific measurements

The solar-powered six-wheeled rover is only 140kg, and measures 1.5 metres in its longest dimension. Its nominal lifetime is three months, but with luck, it may keep going for more than a year. Its science instruments are a camera, a ground-penetrating radar (to measure the depth and physical state of the lunar regolith or “soil”), an imaging spectrometer that will give some information on the mineralogy of the rocks and regolith, and a Swedish instrument to look at how the solar wind interacts with the surface.

This science payload is relatively modest and doesn’t take the best advantage of being inside the SPA basin. But just landing on the far side is nevertheless a notable milestone. China’s next step will probably be Chang'e 5, a mission to bring samples back to Earth from a region of apparently young lavas on the near side.

Measuring their age by laboratory techniques on Earth will provide an important piece for the jigsaw of lunar chronology, which is missing because these have never been sampled. Bizarrely, this was originally scheduled to happen before Chang'e 4, but was delayed by problems with the heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket.

China’s further steps in lunar exploration will clearly include a crewed landing, probably within five to ten years. In partial preparation for this, the static part of the Chang'e 4 lander includes a 3kg sealed biosphere within which potato seeds and silkworm eggs will be encouraged to germinate and hatch. This could help unveil whether the carbon dioxide exhaled from the larvae can be balanced by the amount taken up by the seedlings during photosynthesis.

Ultimately, that’s one small step towards a sustainable closed ecosystem on the moon.

(David Rothery is Professor of Planetary Geosciences, The Open University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/china-lands-on-the-far-side-of-moon-here-is-the-science-behind-the-mission-108566">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By David Rothery In a spectacular few days for solar system exploration – during which NASA whizzed the New Horizons spacecraft past the Kuiper Belt object 2009 MU69 (somewhat controversially nicknamed “Ultima Thule”) and eased OSIRIS-REx into orbit about the asteroid Bennu – the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) has set its Chang'e 4 lander and rover down on the far side of the moon.

By David Rothery In a spectacular few days for solar system exploration – during which NASA whizzed the New Horizons spacecraft past the Kuiper Belt object 2009 MU69 (somewhat controversially nicknamed “Ultima Thule”) and eased OSIRIS-REx into orbit about the asteroid Bennu – the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) has set its Chang'e 4 lander and rover down on the far side of the moon. Chang'e is the name of the Chinese moon goddess – and Chang'e 4 builds on the success of the Chang'e 3 lander, which touched down on the moon in December 2013. This new landing is far from being a mundane event. Only the US and the Soviet Union have ever landed spacecraft on the moon before. Those were either steered by humans onboard or, if uncrewed, relied on luck for a safe landing. Chang’e 4 used a downward-looking camera and hazard avoidance software to steer itself to a flat and sufficiently boulder-free landing spot, as it slowed its descent using retrorockets – an impressive technological feat. Crucially, any spacecraft on the lunar far side cannot “see” the Earth, and so it can neither send to nor receive a radio signal from its control centre on Earth. To circumvent this problem, CNSA placed a relay satellite in a cunning “halo orbit” around a point in space sufficiently far beyond the moon that it can always see both the lunar far side and the Earth above the lunar horizon. The relay satellite is called Queqiao, which means “Magpie Bridge”, recalling a bridge formed by birds across the Milky Way in Chinese mythology. This is the first time ever that anyone has landed a probe on the far side of the moon. That side sees just as much sunlight as the Earth-facing side of the moon, so is not literally a “dark side”, as it is often casually called. However, it is metaphorically dark, in that the moon’s rotation acts to keep that side facing away from the Earth as it progresses around its orbit, and its nature was unknown before the space age. The far side of the moon differs from the near side in having far less area covered by dark lava flows (the lunar maria or “seas”). There is also a 2,500 km wide depression known as the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin occupying much of the southern part of the far side. This is probably the scar of a very ancient impact – and because it is about 8 km deep it provides a window through the moon’s crust and into the mantle that underlies it. It is special in that it never became flooded by lava like the large impact basins on the near side. The chosen landing site, Von Karman crater, is in the north of the SPA basin about halfway between the south pole and the equator, and punches a little deeper than the surrounding basin floor. This gives the rover the best possible chance of locating rocks that originated from deeper inside the moon than have been analysed before – offering a chance to learn more about how the satellite formed. There is some lava on the floor of Von Karman (which is what makes it a smooth, and hence fairly safe, place to land), however, but the rover will probably not have to travel far to find some lumps of rock redistributed from the exposed floor of the SPA by later, smaller, impacts. A few candidates can be seen in the first image from the surface. Scientific measurements The solar-powered six-wheeled rover is only 140kg, and measures 1.5 metres in its longest dimension. Its nominal lifetime is three months, but with luck, it may keep going for more than a year. Its science instruments are a camera, a ground-penetrating radar (to measure the depth and physical state of the lunar regolith or “soil”), an imaging spectrometer that will give some information on the mineralogy of the rocks and regolith, and a Swedish instrument to look at how the solar wind interacts with the surface. This science payload is relatively modest and doesn’t take the best advantage of being inside the SPA basin. But just landing on the far side is nevertheless a notable milestone. China’s next step will probably be Chang'e 5, a mission to bring samples back to Earth from a region of apparently young lavas on the near side. Measuring their age by laboratory techniques on Earth will provide an important piece for the jigsaw of lunar chronology, which is missing because these have never been sampled. Bizarrely, this was originally scheduled to happen before Chang'e 4, but was delayed by problems with the heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket. China’s further steps in lunar exploration will clearly include a crewed landing, probably within five to ten years. In partial preparation for this, the static part of the Chang'e 4 lander includes a 3kg sealed biosphere within which potato seeds and silkworm eggs will be encouraged to germinate and hatch. This could help unveil whether the carbon dioxide exhaled from the larvae can be balanced by the amount taken up by the seedlings during photosynthesis. Ultimately, that’s one small step towards a sustainable closed ecosystem on the moon. (David Rothery is Professor of Planetary Geosciences, The Open University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

China lands on the far side of moon – here is the science behind the mission

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-received-great-letter-from-n-koreas-kim-187951">Trump received 'great' letter from North Korea's Kim, says still expects to hold </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-received-great-letter-from-n-koreas-kim-187951">second</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-received-great-letter-from-n-koreas-kim-187951"> summit</a>

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had received a "great letter" from Kim Jong Un, after the North Korean leader warned Pyongyang may change its approach to nuclear talks if Washington persists with sanctions.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-mocks-indian-pm-for-library-in-afghanistan-187955">I don't know who's using it: Trump mocks PM Modi for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-mocks-indian-pm-for-library-in-afghanistan-187955">library</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-mocks-indian-pm-for-library-in-afghanistan-187955"> in Afghanistan</a>

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for funding a library in Afghanistan, suggesting it was of no use.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-says-faraway-world-ultima-thule-shaped-like-snowman-187963">NASA says faraway world Ultima Thule shaped like 'snowman'</a>

Four billion miles from the sun floats Ultima Thule, an icy celestial body that NASA scientists announced Wednesday is aptly shaped like a giant snowman.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-observes-hartal-over-entry-of-2-women-to-sabarimala-temple-187962">Kerala observes hartal over </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-observes-hartal-over-entry-of-2-women-to-sabarimala-temple-187962">entry</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-observes-hartal-over-entry-of-2-women-to-sabarimala-temple-187962"> of 2 women to Sabarimala temple</a>

A dawn-to-dusk 12-hour hartal called by Hindu outfits began Thursday morning in protest against the entry of two women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple of Lord Ayyappa.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-4th-test-mayank-hits-2nd-international-fifty-to-lift-india-on-day-1-187960">IND vs AUS, 4th Test: Mayank departs after brilliant 77, India 126/2 after 34 overs</a>

Mayank Agarwal rose to the occasion and hit another half-century to give India a decent start on day 1 of the fourth and final test against Australia, before losing his wicket to Nathan Lyon while trying to hit a big shot. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Trump received 'great' letter from North Korea's Kim, says still expects to hold second summit US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had received a "great letter" from Kim Jong Un, after the North Korean leader warned Pyongyang may change its approach to nuclear talks if Washington persists with sanctions. I don't know who's using it: Trump mocks PM Modi for library in Afghanistan US President Donald Trump on Wednesday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for funding a library in Afghanistan, suggesting it was of no use. NASA says faraway world Ultima Thule shaped like 'snowman' Four billion miles from the sun floats Ultima Thule, an icy celestial body that NASA scientists announced Wednesday is aptly shaped like a giant snowman. Kerala observes hartal over entry of 2 women to Sabarimala temple A dawn-to-dusk 12-hour hartal called by Hindu outfits began Thursday morning in protest against the entry of two women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple of Lord Ayyappa. IND vs AUS, 4th Test: Mayank departs after brilliant 77, India 126/2 after 34 overs Mayank Agarwal rose to the occasion and hit another half-century to give India a decent start on day 1 of the fourth and final test against Australia, before losing his wicket to Nathan Lyon while trying to hit a big shot.

Four billion miles from the sun floats Ultima Thule, an icy celestial body that NASA scientists announced Wednesday is aptly shaped like a giant snowman.&nbsp;

The first detailed images beamed back from the US agency's New Horizons mission allowed scientists to confidently determine the body was formed when two spheres, or "lobes," slowly gravitated towards each other until they stuck together -- a major scientific discovery.

The New Horizons spacecraft on Tuesday flew past Ultima Thule, which was discovered via telescope in 2014 and is the farthest and potentially oldest cosmic body ever observed by a spacecraft.

Before that flyby, the only image scientists had was a blurry one showing Ultima Thule's oblong shape, resembling something like a bowling pin or a peanut.

"That image is so 2018... Meet Ultima Thule!" said lead investigator Alan Stern, doing little to hide his joy as he revealed a new sharper image of the cosmic body, taken at a distance as close as 17,000 miles (about 27,000 kilometers) with a resolution of 140 meters per pixel.

"That bowling pin is gone -- it's a snowman if anything at all," Stern said during a NASA briefing.

"What this spacecraft and this team accomplished is unprecedented."

Ultima Thule's surface reflects light about as much as "garden variety dirt," he said, as the sun's rays are 1,600 times fainter there than on Earth.

The body is roughly 19 miles long and completes its own rotation in about 15 hours. NASA dubbed the larger lobe Ultima, and the other, which is about three times smaller, Thule.

"This is the first object that we can clearly tell was born this way" Stern said, instead of evolving as a sort of "bi-lobe."

"This really puts the nail on the coffin now. We know that this is how these kinds of objects in many cases form."

'A time machine'

Some 4.5 billion years ago a cloud of frozen pebbles began to join forces, gradually forming two bodies -- Ultima and Thule.

Slowing turning, they eventually touched at each other at what mission geology manager Jeff Moore called an "extremely slow speed" -- maybe just one to a few miles per hour.

If such a meeting occurred between two cars in a parking lot, he said, no driver would bother writing it up. The lobes, according to Moore, are really just "resting on each other."

"New Horizons is like a time machine, taking us back to the birth of the solar system," Moore said. "We are seeing a physical representation of the beginning of planetary formation, frozen in time."

Carly Howett, another researcher of the mission, noted that "we can definitely say that Ultima Thule is red," perhaps due to irradiation of ice.

NASA researchers promised fresh announcements would drop Thursday, including on the composition and atmosphere of Ultima Thule, as new images with even more precise resolution have come through.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Four billion miles from the sun floats Ultima Thule, an icy celestial body that NASA scientists announced Wednesday is aptly shaped like a giant snowman. The first detailed images beamed back from the US agency's New Horizons mission allowed scientists to confidently determine the body was formed when two spheres, or "lobes," slowly gravitated towards each other until they stuck together -- a major scientific discovery.

Four billion miles from the sun floats Ultima Thule, an icy celestial body that NASA scientists announced Wednesday is aptly shaped like a giant snowman. The first detailed images beamed back from the US agency's New Horizons mission allowed scientists to confidently determine the body was formed when two spheres, or "lobes," slowly gravitated towards each other until they stuck together -- a major scientific discovery. The New Horizons spacecraft on Tuesday flew past Ultima Thule, which was discovered via telescope in 2014 and is the farthest and potentially oldest cosmic body ever observed by a spacecraft. Before that flyby, the only image scientists had was a blurry one showing Ultima Thule's oblong shape, resembling something like a bowling pin or a peanut. "That image is so 2018... Meet Ultima Thule!" said lead investigator Alan Stern, doing little to hide his joy as he revealed a new sharper image of the cosmic body, taken at a distance as close as 17,000 miles (about 27,000 kilometers) with a resolution of 140 meters per pixel. "That bowling pin is gone -- it's a snowman if anything at all," Stern said during a NASA briefing. "What this spacecraft and this team accomplished is unprecedented." Ultima Thule's surface reflects light about as much as "garden variety dirt," he said, as the sun's rays are 1,600 times fainter there than on Earth. The body is roughly 19 miles long and completes its own rotation in about 15 hours. NASA dubbed the larger lobe Ultima, and the other, which is about three times smaller, Thule. "This is the first object that we can clearly tell was born this way" Stern said, instead of evolving as a sort of "bi-lobe." "This really puts the nail on the coffin now. We know that this is how these kinds of objects in many cases form." 'A time machine' Some 4.5 billion years ago a cloud of frozen pebbles began to join forces, gradually forming two bodies -- Ultima and Thule. Slowing turning, they eventually touched at each other at what mission geology manager Jeff Moore called an "extremely slow speed" -- maybe just one to a few miles per hour. If such a meeting occurred between two cars in a parking lot, he said, no driver would bother writing it up. The lobes, according to Moore, are really just "resting on each other." "New Horizons is like a time machine, taking us back to the birth of the solar system," Moore said. "We are seeing a physical representation of the beginning of planetary formation, frozen in time." Carly Howett, another researcher of the mission, noted that "we can definitely say that Ultima Thule is red," perhaps due to irradiation of ice. NASA researchers promised fresh announcements would drop Thursday, including on the composition and atmosphere of Ultima Thule, as new images with even more precise resolution have come through.

NASA says faraway world Ultima Thule shaped like 'snowman'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-spacecraft-makes-historic-flyby-of-ultima-thule-distant-world-ever-studied-187648">NASA's New Horizons explorer</a> successfully "phoned home" on Tuesday after a journey to the most distant world ever explored by humankind, a frozen rock at the edge of the solar system that scientists hope will uncover secrets to its creation.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-spacecraft-breaks-record-for-smallest-space-object-ever-orbited-187693">The nuclear-powered space probe</a> has travelled 4 billion miles (6.4 billion km) to come within 2,200 miles (3,540 km) of Ultima Thule, an apparently peanut-shaped, 20-mile-long (32-km-long) space rock in the uncharted heart of the Kuiper Belt. The belt is a ring of icy celestial bodies just outside Neptune's orbit.

Engineers at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland cheered when the spacecraft's first signals came through the National Aeronautic and Space Agency's Deep Space Network at 10:28 am EST (1528 GMT).

"We have a healthy spacecraft," Mission Operations Manager Alice Bowman declared.

The spacecraft will ping back more detailed images and data from Thule in the coming days, NASA said. &nbsp;

Launched in January 2006, New Horizons embarked on its 4 billion-mile journey toward the solar system’s edge to study the dwarf planet Pluto and its five moons.

"Last night, overnight, the United States spacecraft New Horizons conducted the farthest exploration in the history of humankind, and did so spectacularly," New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern told a news conference at the Johns Hopkins facility in Laurel, Maryland.

An image of Thule, sent overnight and barely more detailed than previous images, deepens the mystery of whether Thule is a single rock shaped like an asymmetrical peanut or actually two rocks orbiting each other, "blurred together because of their proximity," Stern said.

During a 2015 fly-by, the probe found Pluto to be slightly larger than previously thought. In March, it revealed methane-rich dunes on the icy dwarf planet’s surface.

Now 1 billion miles (1.6 billion km) beyond Pluto for its second mission into the Kuiper Belt, New Horizons will study the makeup of Ultima Thule's atmosphere and terrain in a months-long study to seek clues about the formation of the solar system and its planets.

Scientists had not discovered Ultima Thule when the probe was launched, according to NASA, making the mission unique in that respect. In 2014, astronomers found Thule using the Hubble Space Telescope and the following year selected it for New Horizon's extended mission.&nbsp;

As the probe flies 2,200 miles (3,540 km) above Thule's surface, scientists hope it will detect the chemical composition of its atmosphere and terrain in what NASA says will be the closest observation of a body so remote.&nbsp;

"We are straining the capabilities of this spacecraft, and by tomorrow we'll know how we did," Stern told reporters on Monday. "There are no second chances for New Horizons."

While the mission marks the farthest close encounter of an object within our solar system, NASA's Voyager 1 and 2, a pair of deep-space probes launched in 1977, have reached greater distances on a mission to survey extrasolar bodies. Both probes are still operational.

Launched in January 2006, New Horizons embarked on its 4 billion-mile journey toward the solar system’s edge to study the dwarf planet Pluto and its five moons.

NASA's New Horizons explorer successfully "phoned home" on Tuesday after a journey to the most distant world ever explored by humankind, a frozen rock at the edge of the solar system that scientists hope will uncover secrets to its creation. The nuclear-powered space probe has travelled 4 billion miles (6.4 billion km) to come within 2,200 miles (3,540 km) of Ultima Thule, an apparently peanut-shaped, 20-mile-long (32-km-long) space rock in the uncharted heart of the Kuiper Belt. The belt is a ring of icy celestial bodies just outside Neptune's orbit. Engineers at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland cheered when the spacecraft's first signals came through the National Aeronautic and Space Agency's Deep Space Network at 10:28 am EST (1528 GMT). "We have a healthy spacecraft," Mission Operations Manager Alice Bowman declared. The spacecraft will ping back more detailed images and data from Thule in the coming days, NASA said. Launched in January 2006, New Horizons embarked on its 4 billion-mile journey toward the solar system’s edge to study the dwarf planet Pluto and its five moons. "Last night, overnight, the United States spacecraft New Horizons conducted the farthest exploration in the history of humankind, and did so spectacularly," New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern told a news conference at the Johns Hopkins facility in Laurel, Maryland. An image of Thule, sent overnight and barely more detailed than previous images, deepens the mystery of whether Thule is a single rock shaped like an asymmetrical peanut or actually two rocks orbiting each other, "blurred together because of their proximity," Stern said. During a 2015 fly-by, the probe found Pluto to be slightly larger than previously thought. In March, it revealed methane-rich dunes on the icy dwarf planet’s surface. Now 1 billion miles (1.6 billion km) beyond Pluto for its second mission into the Kuiper Belt, New Horizons will study the makeup of Ultima Thule's atmosphere and terrain in a months-long study to seek clues about the formation of the solar system and its planets. Scientists had not discovered Ultima Thule when the probe was launched, according to NASA, making the mission unique in that respect. In 2014, astronomers found Thule using the Hubble Space Telescope and the following year selected it for New Horizon's extended mission. As the probe flies 2,200 miles (3,540 km) above Thule's surface, scientists hope it will detect the chemical composition of its atmosphere and terrain in what NASA says will be the closest observation of a body so remote. "We are straining the capabilities of this spacecraft, and by tomorrow we'll know how we did," Stern told reporters on Monday. "There are no second chances for New Horizons." While the mission marks the farthest close encounter of an object within our solar system, NASA's Voyager 1 and 2, a pair of deep-space probes launched in 1977, have reached greater distances on a mission to survey extrasolar bodies. Both probes are still operational.

NASA space probe 'phones home' in landmark mission to solar system's edge

A NASA spacecraft on Tuesday flew past the most distant world ever studied by humankind, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-spaceship-zooms-toward-farthest-world-ever-photographed-187515">Ultima Thule</a>, a frozen relic of the early solar system that could reveal how planets formed.

"Go New Horizons!" said lead scientist Alan Stern as a crowd cheered at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland to mark the moment at 12:33 am (0533 GMT) when the New Horizons spacecraft aimed its cameras at the space rock four billion miles (6.4 billion kilometers) away.

"Never before has a spacecraft explored something so far away."

The spaceship was to collect 900 images over the course of a few seconds as it shaved by at a distance of about 2,000 miles (3,500 kilometers).

"Now it is just a matter of time to see the data coming down," said deputy project scientist John Spencer of the Southwest Research Institute.

Scientists expect to learn whether the pass was successful around 10 am (1500 GMT).

A NASA spacecraft on Tuesday flew past the most distant world ever studied by humankind, Ultima Thule, a frozen relic of the early solar system that could reveal how planets formed.

A NASA spacecraft on Tuesday flew past the most distant world ever studied by humankind, Ultima Thule, a frozen relic of the early solar system that could reveal how planets formed. "Go New Horizons!" said lead scientist Alan Stern as a crowd cheered at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland to mark the moment at 12:33 am (0533 GMT) when the New Horizons spacecraft aimed its cameras at the space rock four billion miles (6.4 billion kilometers) away. "Never before has a spacecraft explored something so far away." The spaceship was to collect 900 images over the course of a few seconds as it shaved by at a distance of about 2,000 miles (3,500 kilometers). "Now it is just a matter of time to see the data coming down," said deputy project scientist John Spencer of the Southwest Research Institute. Scientists expect to learn whether the pass was successful around 10 am (1500 GMT).

NASA spacecraft makes historic flyby of Ultima Thule, distant world ever studied

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-spacecraft-makes-historic-flyby-of-ultima-thule-distant-world-ever-studied-187648">NASA</a>'s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft broke a record after successfully entering into orbit around the asteroid Bennu — the smallest cosmic object ever to be orbited by a spacecraft.

While many on Earth prepared to welcome the New Year, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, 110 million kilometres away, carried out a single, eight-second burn of its thrusters, NASA said in a statement.

The manoeuvre placed the spacecraft into orbit around the asteroid Bennu.

"The team continued our long string of successes by executing the orbit-insertion manoeuvre perfectly," said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona in the US.

"With the navigation campaign coming to an end, we are looking forward to the scientific mapping and sample site selection phase of the mission," said Lauretta.

"Entering orbit around Bennu is an amazing accomplishment that our team has been planning for years," he said.

Inching around the asteroid at a snail's pace, OSIRIS-REx's first orbit marks a leap for humankind. Never before has a spacecraft from Earth circled so close to such a small space object — one with barely enough gravity to keep a vehicle in a stable orbit.

"The gravity of Bennu is so small, forces like solar radiation and thermal pressure from Bennu's surface become much more relevant and can push the spacecraft around in its orbit much more than if it were orbiting around Earth or Mars, where gravity is by far the most dominant force," said Dan Wibben, OSIRIS-REx Maneuver and Trajectory Design Lead.

The spacecraft will circle Bennu about 1.75 kilometres from its centre, closer than any other spacecraft has come to its celestial object of study.&nbsp;

Previously the closest orbit of a planetary body was in May 2016, when the Rosetta spacecraft orbited about seven kilometres from the centre of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

The comfortable distance is necessary to keep the spacecraft locked to Bennu, which has a gravity force only 5-millionths as strong as Earth's. The spacecraft is scheduled to orbit Bennu through mid-February at a leisurely 62 hours per orbit.

Now that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is closer to Bennu, physical details about the asteroid will leap into sharper focus, and the spacecraft's tour of this rubble pile of primordial debris will become increasingly detailed and focused.

"Our orbit design is highly dependent on Bennu's physical properties, such as its mass and gravity field, which we didn't know before we arrived," said OSIRIS-REx's flight dynamics system manager Mike Moreau, who is based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in the US.

"Up until now, we had to account for a wide variety of possible scenarios in our computer simulations to make sure we could safely navigate the spacecraft so close to Bennu. As the team learned more about the asteroid, we incorporated new information to hone in on the final orbit design," he said.

The simulations have played a critical role. The OSIRIS-REx mission, after all, was designed based on complex computer programs that predicted the properties of Bennu and how the spacecraft's trajectory would behave.

This diligent preparation allowed the team to navigate the vehicle safely to Bennu in December and put some questions to rest and to fly over its poles and equator in a preliminary survey that led to some surprises.

The OSIRIS-REx team will resume science operations in late February. At that point, the spacecraft will perform a series of close flybys of Bennu for several months to take high-resolution images of every square inch of the asteroid to help select a sampling site.&nbsp;

During the summer of 2020, the spacecraft will briefly touch the surface of Bennu to retrieve a sample. The OSIRIS-REx mission is scheduled to deliver the sample to Earth in September 2023.

The spacecraft will circle the asteroid Bennu about 1.75 kilometres from its centre, closer than any other spacecraft has come to its celestial object of study.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft broke a record after successfully entering into orbit around the asteroid Bennu — the smallest cosmic object ever to be orbited by a spacecraft. While many on Earth prepared to welcome the New Year, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, 110 million kilometres away, carried out a single, eight-second burn of its thrusters, NASA said in a statement. The manoeuvre placed the spacecraft into orbit around the asteroid Bennu. "The team continued our long string of successes by executing the orbit-insertion manoeuvre perfectly," said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona in the US. "With the navigation campaign coming to an end, we are looking forward to the scientific mapping and sample site selection phase of the mission," said Lauretta. "Entering orbit around Bennu is an amazing accomplishment that our team has been planning for years," he said. Inching around the asteroid at a snail's pace, OSIRIS-REx's first orbit marks a leap for humankind. Never before has a spacecraft from Earth circled so close to such a small space object — one with barely enough gravity to keep a vehicle in a stable orbit. "The gravity of Bennu is so small, forces like solar radiation and thermal pressure from Bennu's surface become much more relevant and can push the spacecraft around in its orbit much more than if it were orbiting around Earth or Mars, where gravity is by far the most dominant force," said Dan Wibben, OSIRIS-REx Maneuver and Trajectory Design Lead. The spacecraft will circle Bennu about 1.75 kilometres from its centre, closer than any other spacecraft has come to its celestial object of study. Previously the closest orbit of a planetary body was in May 2016, when the Rosetta spacecraft orbited about seven kilometres from the centre of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The comfortable distance is necessary to keep the spacecraft locked to Bennu, which has a gravity force only 5-millionths as strong as Earth's. The spacecraft is scheduled to orbit Bennu through mid-February at a leisurely 62 hours per orbit. Now that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is closer to Bennu, physical details about the asteroid will leap into sharper focus, and the spacecraft's tour of this rubble pile of primordial debris will become increasingly detailed and focused. "Our orbit design is highly dependent on Bennu's physical properties, such as its mass and gravity field, which we didn't know before we arrived," said OSIRIS-REx's flight dynamics system manager Mike Moreau, who is based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in the US. "Up until now, we had to account for a wide variety of possible scenarios in our computer simulations to make sure we could safely navigate the spacecraft so close to Bennu. As the team learned more about the asteroid, we incorporated new information to hone in on the final orbit design," he said. The simulations have played a critical role. The OSIRIS-REx mission, after all, was designed based on complex computer programs that predicted the properties of Bennu and how the spacecraft's trajectory would behave. This diligent preparation allowed the team to navigate the vehicle safely to Bennu in December and put some questions to rest and to fly over its poles and equator in a preliminary survey that led to some surprises. The OSIRIS-REx team will resume science operations in late February. At that point, the spacecraft will perform a series of close flybys of Bennu for several months to take high-resolution images of every square inch of the asteroid to help select a sampling site. During the summer of 2020, the spacecraft will briefly touch the surface of Bennu to retrieve a sample. The OSIRIS-REx mission is scheduled to deliver the sample to Earth in September 2023.

NASA spacecraft breaks record for smallest space object ever orbited

A NASA spaceship is zooming toward the farthest, and quite possibly the oldest, cosmic body ever photographed by humankind, a tiny, distant world called Ultima Thule some four billion miles (6.4 billion kilometers) away.

The US space agency will ring in the New Year with a live online broadcast to mark historic flyby of the mysterious object in a dark and frigid region of space known as the Kuiper Belt at 12:33 am January 1 (local time).

A guitar anthem recorded by legendary Queen guitarist Brian May - who also holds an advanced degree in astrophysics - will be released just after midnight to accompany a video simulation of the flyby, as NASA commentators describe the close pass on www.Nasa.Gov/nasalive.

Real-time video of the actual flyby is impossible since it takes more six hours for a signal sent from Earth to reach the spaceship, named New Horizons, and another six hours for the response to arrive.

But if all goes well, the first images should be in hand by the end of New Year's Day.

And judging by the latest tweet from Alan Stern, the lead scientist on the New Horizons mission, the excitement among team members is palpable.

"IT'S HAPPENING!! Flyby is upon us! @NewHorizons2015 is healthy and on course! The farthest exploration of worlds in history!" he wrote on Saturday.

Scientists are not sure what Ultima Thule (pronounced TOO-lee) looks like - whether it is round or oblong or even if it is a single object or a cluster.

It was discovered in 2014 with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, and is believed to be 12-20 miles (20-30 kilometers) in size.

Scientists decided to study it with New Horizons after the spaceship, which launched in 2006, completed its main mission of flying by Pluto in 2015, returning the most detailed images ever taken of the dwarf planet.

"At closest approach we are going to try to image Ultima at three times the resolution we had for Pluto," said Stern.

"If we can accomplish that it will be spectacular." Hurtling through space at a speed of 32,000 miles (51,500 kilometers) per hour, the spacecraft aims to make its closest approach within 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers) of the surface of Ultima Thule.

The flyby will be fast, at a speed of nine miles (14 kilometers) per second. Seven instruments on board will record high-resolution images and gather data about its size and composition.

Ultima Thule is named for a mythical, far-northern island in medieval literature and cartography, according to NASA.

"Ultima Thule means 'beyond Thule' - beyond the borders of the known world - symbolising the exploration of the distant Kuiper Belt and Kuiper Belt objects that New Horizons is performing, something never before done," the US space agency said in a statement.

According to project scientist Hal Weaver of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, mankind didn't even know the Kuiper Belt - a vast ring of relics from the formation days of the solar system - existed until the 1990s. "This is the frontier of planetary science," said Weaver.

"We finally have reached the outskirts of the solar system, these things that have been there since the beginning and have hardly changed - we think. We will find out."

Despite the partial US government shutdown, sparked by a feud over funding for a border wall with Mexico between President Donald Trump and opposition Democrats,

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine vowed that the US space agency would broadcast the flyby.

Normally, NASA TV and NASA's website would go dark during a government shutdown.

NASA will also provide updates about another spacecraft, called OSIRIS-REx, that will enter orbit around the asteroid Bennu on New Year's Eve, Bridenstine said.

A NASA spaceship is zooming toward the farthest, and quite possibly the oldest, cosmic body ever photographed by humankind, a tiny, distant world called Ultima Thule some four billion miles (6.

A NASA spaceship is zooming toward the farthest, and quite possibly the oldest, cosmic body ever photographed by humankind, a tiny, distant world called Ultima Thule some four billion miles (6.4 billion kilometers) away. The US space agency will ring in the New Year with a live online broadcast to mark historic flyby of the mysterious object in a dark and frigid region of space known as the Kuiper Belt at 12:33 am January 1 (local time). A guitar anthem recorded by legendary Queen guitarist Brian May - who also holds an advanced degree in astrophysics - will be released just after midnight to accompany a video simulation of the flyby, as NASA commentators describe the close pass on www.Nasa.Gov/nasalive. Real-time video of the actual flyby is impossible since it takes more six hours for a signal sent from Earth to reach the spaceship, named New Horizons, and another six hours for the response to arrive. But if all goes well, the first images should be in hand by the end of New Year's Day. And judging by the latest tweet from Alan Stern, the lead scientist on the New Horizons mission, the excitement among team members is palpable. "IT'S HAPPENING!! Flyby is upon us! @NewHorizons2015 is healthy and on course! The farthest exploration of worlds in history!" he wrote on Saturday. Scientists are not sure what Ultima Thule (pronounced TOO-lee) looks like - whether it is round or oblong or even if it is a single object or a cluster. It was discovered in 2014 with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, and is believed to be 12-20 miles (20-30 kilometers) in size. Scientists decided to study it with New Horizons after the spaceship, which launched in 2006, completed its main mission of flying by Pluto in 2015, returning the most detailed images ever taken of the dwarf planet. "At closest approach we are going to try to image Ultima at three times the resolution we had for Pluto," said Stern. "If we can accomplish that it will be spectacular." Hurtling through space at a speed of 32,000 miles (51,500 kilometers) per hour, the spacecraft aims to make its closest approach within 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers) of the surface of Ultima Thule. The flyby will be fast, at a speed of nine miles (14 kilometers) per second. Seven instruments on board will record high-resolution images and gather data about its size and composition. Ultima Thule is named for a mythical, far-northern island in medieval literature and cartography, according to NASA. "Ultima Thule means 'beyond Thule' - beyond the borders of the known world - symbolising the exploration of the distant Kuiper Belt and Kuiper Belt objects that New Horizons is performing, something never before done," the US space agency said in a statement. According to project scientist Hal Weaver of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, mankind didn't even know the Kuiper Belt - a vast ring of relics from the formation days of the solar system - existed until the 1990s. "This is the frontier of planetary science," said Weaver. "We finally have reached the outskirts of the solar system, these things that have been there since the beginning and have hardly changed - we think. We will find out." Despite the partial US government shutdown, sparked by a feud over funding for a border wall with Mexico between President Donald Trump and opposition Democrats, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine vowed that the US space agency would broadcast the flyby. Normally, NASA TV and NASA's website would go dark during a government shutdown. NASA will also provide updates about another spacecraft, called OSIRIS-REx, that will enter orbit around the asteroid Bennu on New Year's Eve, Bridenstine said.

NASA spaceship zooms toward farthest world ever photographed

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasas-intrepid-voyager-2-probe-crosses-into-interstellar-space-183047">NASA'</a>s unmanned New Horizons spacecraft is closing in on its historic New Year's flyby target, the most distant world ever studied, a frozen relic of the solar system some four billion miles (6.4 billion kilometres) away.

The cosmic object, known as Ultima Thule, is about the size of the US capital, Washington, and orbits in the dark and frigid Kuiper Belt about a billion miles beyond the dwarf planet, Pluto.

The spacecraft's closest approach to this primitive space rock comes January 1 at 12:33 am ET (0533 GMT).&nbsp;

Until then, what it looks like, and what it is made of, remain a mystery.

"This is a time capsule that is going to take us back four and a half billion years to the birth of the solar system," said Alan Stern, the principal investigator on the project at the Southwest Research Institute, during a press briefing Friday.

A camera on board the New Horizons spacecraft is currently zooming in on Ultima Thule, so scientists can get a better sense of its shape and configuration — whether it is one object or several.

"We've never been to a type of object like this before," said Kelsi Singer, New Horizons co-investigator at the Southwest Research Institute.&nbsp;

About a day prior, "we will start to see what the actual shape of the object is," she said.

The spacecraft entered "encounter mode" on December 26, and is "very healthy," added Stern.

Communicating with a spacecraft that is so far away takes six hours and eight minutes each way — or about 12 hours and 15 minutes round trip.

New Horizons' eagerly awaited "phone home" command, indicating if it survived the close pass — at a distance of just 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometres) — is expected January 1 at 10:29 am (1529 GMT).

Until then, the New Horizons spacecraft continues speeding through space at 32,000 miles (51,500 kilometres) per hour, travelling almost a million miles per day.

And <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/nasa-offers-advice-to-marvel-after-anguished-fans-seek-help-to-bring-back-tony-stark-from-space-182864">NASA scientists</a> are eagerly awaiting the first images.

"Because this is a flyby mission, we only have one chance to get it right," said Alice Bowman, missions operations manager for New Horizons.&nbsp;

The spacecraft, which launched in 2006, captured stunning images of Pluto when it flew by the dwarf planet in 2015. 
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NASA's unmanned New Horizons spacecraft is closing in on its historic New Year's flyby target, the most distant world ever studied, a frozen relic of the solar system some four billion miles (6.

NASA's unmanned New Horizons spacecraft is closing in on its historic New Year's flyby target, the most distant world ever studied, a frozen relic of the solar system some four billion miles (6.4 billion kilometres) away. The cosmic object, known as Ultima Thule, is about the size of the US capital, Washington, and orbits in the dark and frigid Kuiper Belt about a billion miles beyond the dwarf planet, Pluto. The spacecraft's closest approach to this primitive space rock comes January 1 at 12:33 am ET (0533 GMT). Until then, what it looks like, and what it is made of, remain a mystery. "This is a time capsule that is going to take us back four and a half billion years to the birth of the solar system," said Alan Stern, the principal investigator on the project at the Southwest Research Institute, during a press briefing Friday. A camera on board the New Horizons spacecraft is currently zooming in on Ultima Thule, so scientists can get a better sense of its shape and configuration — whether it is one object or several. "We've never been to a type of object like this before," said Kelsi Singer, New Horizons co-investigator at the Southwest Research Institute. About a day prior, "we will start to see what the actual shape of the object is," she said. The spacecraft entered "encounter mode" on December 26, and is "very healthy," added Stern. Communicating with a spacecraft that is so far away takes six hours and eight minutes each way — or about 12 hours and 15 minutes round trip. New Horizons' eagerly awaited "phone home" command, indicating if it survived the close pass — at a distance of just 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometres) — is expected January 1 at 10:29 am (1529 GMT). Until then, the New Horizons spacecraft continues speeding through space at 32,000 miles (51,500 kilometres) per hour, travelling almost a million miles per day. And NASA scientists are eagerly awaiting the first images. "Because this is a flyby mission, we only have one chance to get it right," said Alice Bowman, missions operations manager for New Horizons. The spacecraft, which launched in 2006, captured stunning images of Pluto when it flew by the dwarf planet in 2015.

NASA's unmanned spaceship closes in on most distant world ever studied

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