In pics: NASA's five successful satellite missions in 2018

Voyager 2, a NASA probe launched in 1977 and designed for just a five-year mission, has become only the second human-made object to enter interstellar space as it continues its marathon trek billions of miles (km) from Earth, scientists said on Monday.

Data from instruments aboard the spacecraft showed it crossed the outer edge of the heliosphere, a protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields produced by the sun, on November 5, the US space agency said.

The boundary crossed by the intrepid probe as it journeys a bit more than 11 billion miles (18 billion km) from Earth is called the heliopause, a place where the hot solar wind runs up against the interstellar medium, the soup of stuff residing between the stars of our Milky Way galaxy.

"This is a very exciting time again in Voyager's 41-year journey, so far, of exploring the planets and now the heliosphere and entering interstellar space," Ed Stone, Voyager project scientist based at Caltech, told a news briefing.

Voyager 2 was launched in 1977, 16 days before its twin probe Voyager 1, which reached interstellar space in 2012. Voyager 2's instrument called the Plasma Science Experiment (PLS) is able to provide observations of the nature of this region of space. While Voyager 1 is still going strong on its own journey in interstellar space, its PLS stopped working in 1980.

The Voyager probes were designed to last five years and study the giant gas planets Jupiter and Saturn. Their refusal to die has also let them study Uranus and Neptune, the solar system's outermost giant planets.

Both probes carry a phonograph record. The gold-plated copper disk bears sounds, images and spoken greetings in multiple languages to depict Earth's diversity of life and culture, intended to communicate with potential extraterrestrial beings who may encounter them.

The two probes have not officially exited the solar system, whose outermost region is a shell called the Oort Cloud comprised of numerous small icy objects still under the sun's gravitational influence.

"I often get asked, 'So, is this it for Voyager? You've crossed out of the heliopause. Is it done? Are we finished?' Absolutely not. This is really, for me, the beginning of a new era of heliophysics science," said Nicola Fox, director of the heliophysics division at NASA headquarters.

"We are fortunate enough to have two very brave sentinels that have left our heliosphere and are out truly looking at the other side of the boundary," Fox added.

Voyager 2, a NASA probe launched in 1977 and designed for just a five-year mission, has become only the second human-made object to enter interstellar space as it continues its marathon trek billions of miles (km) from Earth, scientists said on Monday.

Voyager 2, a NASA probe launched in 1977 and designed for just a five-year mission, has become only the second human-made object to enter interstellar space as it continues its marathon trek billions of miles (km) from Earth, scientists said on Monday. Data from instruments aboard the spacecraft showed it crossed the outer edge of the heliosphere, a protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields produced by the sun, on November 5, the US space agency said. The boundary crossed by the intrepid probe as it journeys a bit more than 11 billion miles (18 billion km) from Earth is called the heliopause, a place where the hot solar wind runs up against the interstellar medium, the soup of stuff residing between the stars of our Milky Way galaxy. "This is a very exciting time again in Voyager's 41-year journey, so far, of exploring the planets and now the heliosphere and entering interstellar space," Ed Stone, Voyager project scientist based at Caltech, told a news briefing. Voyager 2 was launched in 1977, 16 days before its twin probe Voyager 1, which reached interstellar space in 2012. Voyager 2's instrument called the Plasma Science Experiment (PLS) is able to provide observations of the nature of this region of space. While Voyager 1 is still going strong on its own journey in interstellar space, its PLS stopped working in 1980. The Voyager probes were designed to last five years and study the giant gas planets Jupiter and Saturn. Their refusal to die has also let them study Uranus and Neptune, the solar system's outermost giant planets. Both probes carry a phonograph record. The gold-plated copper disk bears sounds, images and spoken greetings in multiple languages to depict Earth's diversity of life and culture, intended to communicate with potential extraterrestrial beings who may encounter them. The two probes have not officially exited the solar system, whose outermost region is a shell called the Oort Cloud comprised of numerous small icy objects still under the sun's gravitational influence. "I often get asked, 'So, is this it for Voyager? You've crossed out of the heliopause. Is it done? Are we finished?' Absolutely not. This is really, for me, the beginning of a new era of heliophysics science," said Nicola Fox, director of the heliophysics division at NASA headquarters. "We are fortunate enough to have two very brave sentinels that have left our heliosphere and are out truly looking at the other side of the boundary," Fox added.

Watch: NASA's intrepid Voyager 2 probe crosses into interstellar space

'Part of the journey is the end,' says Tony Stark as he is shown sending a farewell message to Miss Pots in the trailer of 'Avengers: Endgame'. As Marvel dropped the trailer of the highly anticipated Avengers 4 on Friday, fans of the franchise saw a distraught Tony Stark recording a message to his ladylove, while being stuck in a spacecraft far away from earth.&nbsp;

"Dear Miss Potts, if you find this recording don’t feel bad about this, part of the journey is the end. Just for the record being adrift in space with zero promise of rescue is more fun than it sounds. Food and water ran out four days ago, oxygen will run out tomorrow morning and I mean it, when I drift off I will dream about you, it’s always you," says Stark at the beginning of the trailer which picks up from where 'Avengers: Infinity War' ended.&nbsp;

The speech was so effective that it led to several fans seeking help from NASA to rescue the popular superhero. In the last few days, NASA has been flooded with tweets, asking them to bring back Stark to Earth. On Sunday, NASA's official twitter responded to Marvel dolling out some advice on how to bring back their hero.&nbsp;

NASA tweeted, "Hey @Marvel, we heard about Tony Stark. As we know, the first thing you should do is listen in mission control for “@Avengers, we have a problem.” But if he can’t communicate, then we recommend ground teams use all resources to scan the skies for your missing man(sic)"

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/Marvel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Marvel</a>, we heard about Tony Stark. As we know, the first thing you should do is listen in mission control for “<a href="https://twitter.com/Avengers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Avengers</a>, we have a problem.” But if he can’t communicate, then we recommend ground teams use all resources to scan the skies for your missing man <a href="https://t.co/zavXrsPljq">pic.twitter.com/zavXrsPljq</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1071818572056403970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

A twitter follower with a sharp eye, observed the image that NASA had tweeted and wondered if Thor would ultimately bring him back.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
Finally found the hammer. <a href="https://t.co/b18zTRV9Ep">pic.twitter.com/b18zTRV9Ep</a>
— Darshan Baid (@frunkad) <a href="https://twitter.com/frunkad/status/1071826116501880832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Since Friday, when Marvel dropped the first trailer of the film, fans have been seeking out help.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
dear <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a>, PLEASE please find Tony Stark that poor guy is floating somewhere up in space and is running out of oxygen. WE NEED YOUR HELP.
— 𝔑𝔞𝔡𝔦𝔫𝔢 (@Nahdizzle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nahdizzle/status/1071714430587555840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
what are u doing nasa Tony Stark’s in space go save him he’s dying. <a href="https://t.co/Fr5073MCSI">pic.twitter.com/Fr5073MCSI</a>
— Bobert Duckey Jr (@juzahoneybunnie) <a href="https://twitter.com/juzahoneybunnie/status/1071737642734108672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hello Mr <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a> can you please rescue Tony Stark he's stuck somewhere in outer space and his food and water supply ran out four days ago his oxygen levels are depleting WE DONT KNOW HOW LONG HE HAS BEFORE HE DRIFTS OFF PLEASE <a href="https://t.co/nlsISwYAVK">pic.twitter.com/nlsISwYAVK</a>
— 🍑 adie (@yeheypizza) <a href="https://twitter.com/yeheypizza/status/1071717922173681664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Some even send Elon Musk SOS messages to which Musk replied in the affirmative.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Machete!!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1071843189705719808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The last film in the 'Avengers' franchise, the film is set to release in April 2019.&nbsp;

'Part of the journey is the end,' says Tony Stark as he is shown sending a farewell message to Miss Pots in the trailer of 'Avengers: Endgame'. As Marvel dropped the trailer of the highly anticipated Avengers 4 on Friday, fans of the franchise saw a distraught Tony Stark recording a message to his ladylove, while being stuck in a spacecraft far away from earth.

'Part of the journey is the end,' says Tony Stark as he is shown sending a farewell message to Miss Pots in the trailer of 'Avengers: Endgame'. As Marvel dropped the trailer of the highly anticipated Avengers 4 on Friday, fans of the franchise saw a distraught Tony Stark recording a message to his ladylove, while being stuck in a spacecraft far away from earth. "Dear Miss Potts, if you find this recording don’t feel bad about this, part of the journey is the end. Just for the record being adrift in space with zero promise of rescue is more fun than it sounds. Food and water ran out four days ago, oxygen will run out tomorrow morning and I mean it, when I drift off I will dream about you, it’s always you," says Stark at the beginning of the trailer which picks up from where 'Avengers: Infinity War' ended. The speech was so effective that it led to several fans seeking help from NASA to rescue the popular superhero. In the last few days, NASA has been flooded with tweets, asking them to bring back Stark to Earth. On Sunday, NASA's official twitter responded to Marvel dolling out some advice on how to bring back their hero. NASA tweeted, "Hey @Marvel, we heard about Tony Stark. As we know, the first thing you should do is listen in mission control for “@Avengers, we have a problem.” But if he can’t communicate, then we recommend ground teams use all resources to scan the skies for your missing man(sic)" Hey @Marvel, we heard about Tony Stark. As we know, the first thing you should do is listen in mission control for “@Avengers, we have a problem.” But if he can’t communicate, then we recommend ground teams use all resources to scan the skies for your missing man pic.twitter.com/zavXrsPljq — NASA (@NASA) December 9, 2018 × A twitter follower with a sharp eye, observed the image that NASA had tweeted and wondered if Thor would ultimately bring him back. Finally found the hammer. pic.twitter.com/b18zTRV9Ep — Darshan Baid (@frunkad) December 9, 2018 × Since Friday, when Marvel dropped the first trailer of the film, fans have been seeking out help. dear @NASA, PLEASE please find Tony Stark that poor guy is floating somewhere up in space and is running out of oxygen. WE NEED YOUR HELP. — 𝔑𝔞𝔡𝔦𝔫𝔢 (@Nahdizzle) December 9, 2018 × what are u doing nasa Tony Stark’s in space go save him he’s dying. pic.twitter.com/Fr5073MCSI — Bobert Duckey Jr (@juzahoneybunnie) December 9, 2018 × Hello Mr @NASA can you please rescue Tony Stark he's stuck somewhere in outer space and his food and water supply ran out four days ago his oxygen levels are depleting WE DONT KNOW HOW LONG HE HAS BEFORE HE DRIFTS OFF PLEASE pic.twitter.com/nlsISwYAVK — 🍑 adie (@yeheypizza) December 9, 2018 × Some even send Elon Musk SOS messages to which Musk replied in the affirmative. Machete!! — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2018 × The last film in the 'Avengers' franchise, the film is set to release in April 2019.

NASA tells Marvel how to rescue Tony Stark from space

China launched a rover early Saturday destined to land on the far side of the moon, a global first that would boost Beijing's ambitions to become a space superpower, state media said.

The Chang'e-4 lunar probe mission -- named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology -- launched on a Long March 3B rocket from the southwestern Xichang launch centre at 2:23 am (1823 GMT), according to the official Xinhua news agency.

The blast-off marked the start of a long journey to the far side of the moon for the Chang'e-4 mission, expected to land around the New Year to carry out experiments and survey the untrodden terrain.

Xinhua said the successful launch had opened "a new chapter in lunar exploration".

Unlike the near side of the moon that is "tidally locked" and always faces the earth, and offers many flat areas to touch down on, the far side is mountainous and rugged.

It was not until 1959 that the Soviet Union captured the first images of the heavily cratered surface, uncloaking some of the mystery of the moon's "dark side".

No lander or rover has ever touched the surface there, positioning China as the first nation to explore the area.

"China over the past 10 or 20 years has been systematically ticking off the various firsts that America and the Soviet Union did in the 1960s and 1970s in space exploration," said Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

"This is one of the first times they've done something that no one else has done before."

Next up: Humans

It is no easy technological feat -- China has been preparing for this moment for years.

A major challenge for such a mission is communicating with the robotic lander: as the far side of the moon always points away from earth, there is no direct "line of sight" for signals.

As a solution, China in May blasted the Queqiao ("Magpie Bridge") satellite into the moon's orbit, positioning it so that it can relay data and commands between the lander and earth.

Adding to the difficulties, Chang'e-4 is being sent to the Aitken Basin in the lunar south pole region -- known for its craggy and complex terrain -- state media has said.

The probe is carrying six experiments from China and four from abroad.

They include low-frequency radio astronomical studies -- aiming to take advantage of the lack of interference on the far side -- as well as mineral and radiation tests, Xinhua cited the China National Space Administration as saying.

The experiments also involve planting potato and other seeds, according to Chinese media reports.

Beijing is pouring billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022, and of eventually sending humans to the moon.

The Chang'e 4 mission is a step in that direction, significant for the engineering expertise needed to explore and settle the moon, McDowell said.

"The main thing about this mission is not science, this is a technology mission," he said.

'National pride'

Chang'e-4 will be the second Chinese probe to land on the moon, following the Yutu ("Jade Rabbit") rover mission in 2013.

Once on the moon's surface, the rover faces an array of extreme challenges.

During the lunar night -- which lasts 14 earth days -- temperatures will drop as low as minus 173 degrees Celsius (minus 279 Fahrenheit). During the lunar day, also lasting 14 earth days, temperatures soar as high as 127 C (261 F).

The rover's instruments must withstand those fluctuations and it must generate enough energy to sustain it during the long night.

Yutu conquered those challenges and, after initial setbacks, ultimately surveyed the moon's surface for 31 months. Its success provided a major boost to China's space programme.

Beijing is planning to send another lunar lander, Chang'e-5, next year to collect samples and bring them back to earth.

It is among a slew of ambitious Chinese targets, which include a reusable launcher by 2021, a super-powerful rocket capable of delivering payloads heavier than those NASA and private rocket firm SpaceX can handle, a moon base, a permanently crewed space station, and a Mars rover.

"Our country's successful lunar exploration project not only vaults us to the top of the world's space power ranks, it also allows the exploration of the far side of the moon," said Niu Min, a booster and expert on China's space programme.

The project, he said in an interview with local website Netease, "greatly inspires everyone's national pride and self-confidence".

China launched a rover early Saturday destined to land on the far side of the moon, a global first that would boost Beijing's ambitions to become a space superpower, state media said.

China launched a rover early Saturday destined to land on the far side of the moon, a global first that would boost Beijing's ambitions to become a space superpower, state media said. The Chang'e-4 lunar probe mission -- named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology -- launched on a Long March 3B rocket from the southwestern Xichang launch centre at 2:23 am (1823 GMT), according to the official Xinhua news agency. The blast-off marked the start of a long journey to the far side of the moon for the Chang'e-4 mission, expected to land around the New Year to carry out experiments and survey the untrodden terrain. Xinhua said the successful launch had opened "a new chapter in lunar exploration". Unlike the near side of the moon that is "tidally locked" and always faces the earth, and offers many flat areas to touch down on, the far side is mountainous and rugged. It was not until 1959 that the Soviet Union captured the first images of the heavily cratered surface, uncloaking some of the mystery of the moon's "dark side". No lander or rover has ever touched the surface there, positioning China as the first nation to explore the area. "China over the past 10 or 20 years has been systematically ticking off the various firsts that America and the Soviet Union did in the 1960s and 1970s in space exploration," said Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "This is one of the first times they've done something that no one else has done before." Next up: Humans It is no easy technological feat -- China has been preparing for this moment for years. A major challenge for such a mission is communicating with the robotic lander: as the far side of the moon always points away from earth, there is no direct "line of sight" for signals. As a solution, China in May blasted the Queqiao ("Magpie Bridge") satellite into the moon's orbit, positioning it so that it can relay data and commands between the lander and earth. Adding to the difficulties, Chang'e-4 is being sent to the Aitken Basin in the lunar south pole region -- known for its craggy and complex terrain -- state media has said. The probe is carrying six experiments from China and four from abroad. They include low-frequency radio astronomical studies -- aiming to take advantage of the lack of interference on the far side -- as well as mineral and radiation tests, Xinhua cited the China National Space Administration as saying. The experiments also involve planting potato and other seeds, according to Chinese media reports. Beijing is pouring billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022, and of eventually sending humans to the moon. The Chang'e 4 mission is a step in that direction, significant for the engineering expertise needed to explore and settle the moon, McDowell said. "The main thing about this mission is not science, this is a technology mission," he said. 'National pride' Chang'e-4 will be the second Chinese probe to land on the moon, following the Yutu ("Jade Rabbit") rover mission in 2013. Once on the moon's surface, the rover faces an array of extreme challenges. During the lunar night -- which lasts 14 earth days -- temperatures will drop as low as minus 173 degrees Celsius (minus 279 Fahrenheit). During the lunar day, also lasting 14 earth days, temperatures soar as high as 127 C (261 F). The rover's instruments must withstand those fluctuations and it must generate enough energy to sustain it during the long night. Yutu conquered those challenges and, after initial setbacks, ultimately surveyed the moon's surface for 31 months. Its success provided a major boost to China's space programme. Beijing is planning to send another lunar lander, Chang'e-5, next year to collect samples and bring them back to earth. It is among a slew of ambitious Chinese targets, which include a reusable launcher by 2021, a super-powerful rocket capable of delivering payloads heavier than those NASA and private rocket firm SpaceX can handle, a moon base, a permanently crewed space station, and a Mars rover. "Our country's successful lunar exploration project not only vaults us to the top of the world's space power ranks, it also allows the exploration of the far side of the moon," said Niu Min, a booster and expert on China's space programme. The project, he said in an interview with local website Netease, "greatly inspires everyone's national pride and self-confidence".

China launches rover for first far side of the moon landing

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-rocket-to-image-earths-leaky-atmosphere-180849">&nbsp;NASA'</a>s deep space explorer Osiris-Rex flew on Monday to within a dozen miles of its destination, a skyscraper-sized asteroid believed to hold organic compounds fundamental to life as well as the potential to collide with Earth in about 150 years.&nbsp;

Launched in September 2016, Osiris-Rex embarked on NASA's unprecedented seven-year mission to conduct a close-up survey of the asteroid Bennu, collect a sample from its surface and return that material to Earth for study.

Bennu, a rocky mass roughly a third of a mile wide and shaped like a giant acorn, orbits the sun at roughly the same distance as Earth and is thought to be rich in carbon-based organic molecules dating back to the earliest days of the solar system. Water, another vital component to the evolution of life, may also be trapped in the asteroid's minerals.

Scientists believe that asteroids and comets crashing into early Earth delivered organic compounds and water that seeded the planet for life, and atomic-level analysis of samples from Bennu could help prove that theory.

But there is another, more existential reason to study Bennu.

Scientists estimate there is a one-in-2,700 chance of the asteroid slamming catastrophically into Earth 166 years from now. That probability ranks Bennu No. 2 on NASA's catalog of 72 near-Earth objects potentially capable of hitting the planet.

Osiris-Rex will help scientists understand how heat radiated from the sun is gently steering Bennu on an increasingly menacing course through the solar system. That solar energy is believed to be nudging the asteroid ever closer toward Earth's path each time the asteroid makes its closest approach to our planet every six years.

"By the time we collect the sample in 2020 we will have a much better idea of the probability that Bennu would impact Earth in the next 150 years," mission spokeswoman Erin Morton said.

Scientists have estimated that in 2135 Bennu could pass closer to Earth than the moon, which orbits at a distance of about 250,000 miles, and possibly come closer still sometime between 2175 and 2195.

Osiris-Rex reached the "preliminary survey" phase of its mission on Monday, soaring to within 12 miles of the asteroid. The spacecraft will pass just 1.2 miles from Bennu in late December, where it will enter the object's gravitational pull.

From that stage, the spacecraft will begin gradually tightening its orbit around the asteroid, spiraling to within just 6 feet of its surface. Osiris-Rex will then extend its robot arm to snatch a sample of Bennu's terrain in a "touch-and-go" maneuver set for July 2020.

Osiris-Rex will later fly back to Earth, jettisoning a capsule bearing the asteroid specimen for a parachute descent in the Utah desert in September 2023.

NASA is developing a strategy for deflecting Bennu, or any other asteroid found to be on a collision course with Earth, by use of a special spacecraft to slam into the object hard enough to nudge it onto a safer path, said Lindley Johnson, a planetary defence officer with NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

"But this is all dependent on the outcome of a very close approach that Bennu has with Earth in September 2135," Johnson said. "We’ll just need to wait and see. Rather, our great-great-grandchildren will need to see."

NASA's deep space explorer Osiris-Rex flew on Monday to within a dozen miles of its destination, a skyscraper-sized asteroid believed to hold organic compounds fundamental to life as well as the potential to collide with Earth in about 150 years.

NASA's deep space explorer Osiris-Rex flew on Monday to within a dozen miles of its destination, a skyscraper-sized asteroid believed to hold organic compounds fundamental to life as well as the potential to collide with Earth in about 150 years. Launched in September 2016, Osiris-Rex embarked on NASA's unprecedented seven-year mission to conduct a close-up survey of the asteroid Bennu, collect a sample from its surface and return that material to Earth for study. Bennu, a rocky mass roughly a third of a mile wide and shaped like a giant acorn, orbits the sun at roughly the same distance as Earth and is thought to be rich in carbon-based organic molecules dating back to the earliest days of the solar system. Water, another vital component to the evolution of life, may also be trapped in the asteroid's minerals. Scientists believe that asteroids and comets crashing into early Earth delivered organic compounds and water that seeded the planet for life, and atomic-level analysis of samples from Bennu could help prove that theory. But there is another, more existential reason to study Bennu. Scientists estimate there is a one-in-2,700 chance of the asteroid slamming catastrophically into Earth 166 years from now. That probability ranks Bennu No. 2 on NASA's catalog of 72 near-Earth objects potentially capable of hitting the planet. Osiris-Rex will help scientists understand how heat radiated from the sun is gently steering Bennu on an increasingly menacing course through the solar system. That solar energy is believed to be nudging the asteroid ever closer toward Earth's path each time the asteroid makes its closest approach to our planet every six years. "By the time we collect the sample in 2020 we will have a much better idea of the probability that Bennu would impact Earth in the next 150 years," mission spokeswoman Erin Morton said. Scientists have estimated that in 2135 Bennu could pass closer to Earth than the moon, which orbits at a distance of about 250,000 miles, and possibly come closer still sometime between 2175 and 2195. Osiris-Rex reached the "preliminary survey" phase of its mission on Monday, soaring to within 12 miles of the asteroid. The spacecraft will pass just 1.2 miles from Bennu in late December, where it will enter the object's gravitational pull. From that stage, the spacecraft will begin gradually tightening its orbit around the asteroid, spiraling to within just 6 feet of its surface. Osiris-Rex will then extend its robot arm to snatch a sample of Bennu's terrain in a "touch-and-go" maneuver set for July 2020. Osiris-Rex will later fly back to Earth, jettisoning a capsule bearing the asteroid specimen for a parachute descent in the Utah desert in September 2023. NASA is developing a strategy for deflecting Bennu, or any other asteroid found to be on a collision course with Earth, by use of a special spacecraft to slam into the object hard enough to nudge it onto a safer path, said Lindley Johnson, a planetary defence officer with NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "But this is all dependent on the outcome of a very close approach that Bennu has with Earth in September 2135," Johnson said. "We’ll just need to wait and see. Rather, our great-great-grandchildren will need to see."

NASA deep space probe reaches asteroid deemed potential Earth threat

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasas-insight-sends-first-picture-from-mars-surface-after-safe-landing-179824">NASA is set to launch a sounding rocket</a> to get a closer look at the how the Earth's atmosphere is slowly leaking into space.

Understanding atmospheric escape on Earth has applications all over the Universe from predicting which far-off planets might be habitable, to piecing together how Mars became the desolate, exposed landscape it is today, the US space agency said.

The VISIONS-2 mission, short for Visualizing Ion Outflow via Neutral Atom Sensing-2, is scheduled to launch no earlier than December 4.

A sounding rocket makes brief, targeted flights into space before falling back to Earth just a few minutes later.

Sounding rockets are unique among scientific spacecraft for their superior dexterity.

They can be carted to remote locations, where they are aimed and shot into short-lived events -- like the sudden formation of the aurora borealis -- at a moment's notice.

The aurora borealis is of keen interest to the VISIONS-2 team, but not just for its otherworldly glow.

The aurora play are fundamental drivers in the process of atmospheric escape, whereby planets, including Earth, gradually leak their atmosphere into space.

"The Earth is losing weight," said Thomas Moore, a NASA space physicist.

"There have been enough observations to know that anywhere from a hundred to several hundred tonnes of atmosphere are going into space every day," Moore said.

Moore estimates that at that rate, the Earth will retain its atmosphere for a billion or so years.

Scientists had long thought that oxygen, weighing in at 16 times the mass of hydrogen, was too heavy to escape Earth's gravity.

However, near-Earth space is teeming with much more Earth-borne oxygen than anyone had expected.

The aurora is formed when energetic electrons, accelerated in the electric and magnetic fields in near-Earth space, crash into and excite atmospheric gases, which emit bright hues of red, green, and yellow as they relax back to a lower energy state.&nbsp;

These unruly electrons also create a cascade of havoc in the process, including driving electric currents that heat the upper atmosphere in splotchy patches.

In some cases, that heating is sufficient to give stray oxygen atoms enough energy to escape.

VISIONS-1, the current mission's precursor, launched from the Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska in 2013, where they studied oxygen outflow from aurora that form on Earth's night side, the part of the planet that is temporarily pointed away from the Sun.

For the VISIONS-2 mission, the team will travel to Svalbard a remote archipelago off the northern coast of Norway where dayside aurora can be found.

VISIONS-2 is the first of nine sounding rockets launching over the next 14 months as part of the Grand Challenge Initiative, an international collaboration to explore the unusual portal between Earth and space.&nbsp;

NASA is set to launch a sounding rocket to get a closer look at the how the Earth's atmosphere is slowly leaking into space. Understanding atmospheric escape on Earth has applications all over the Universe from predicting which far-off planets might be habitable, to piecing together how Mars became the desolate, exposed landscape it is today, the US space agency said.

NASA is set to launch a sounding rocket to get a closer look at the how the Earth's atmosphere is slowly leaking into space. Understanding atmospheric escape on Earth has applications all over the Universe from predicting which far-off planets might be habitable, to piecing together how Mars became the desolate, exposed landscape it is today, the US space agency said. The VISIONS-2 mission, short for Visualizing Ion Outflow via Neutral Atom Sensing-2, is scheduled to launch no earlier than December 4. A sounding rocket makes brief, targeted flights into space before falling back to Earth just a few minutes later. Sounding rockets are unique among scientific spacecraft for their superior dexterity. They can be carted to remote locations, where they are aimed and shot into short-lived events -- like the sudden formation of the aurora borealis -- at a moment's notice. The aurora borealis is of keen interest to the VISIONS-2 team, but not just for its otherworldly glow. The aurora play are fundamental drivers in the process of atmospheric escape, whereby planets, including Earth, gradually leak their atmosphere into space. "The Earth is losing weight," said Thomas Moore, a NASA space physicist. "There have been enough observations to know that anywhere from a hundred to several hundred tonnes of atmosphere are going into space every day," Moore said. Moore estimates that at that rate, the Earth will retain its atmosphere for a billion or so years. Scientists had long thought that oxygen, weighing in at 16 times the mass of hydrogen, was too heavy to escape Earth's gravity. However, near-Earth space is teeming with much more Earth-borne oxygen than anyone had expected. The aurora is formed when energetic electrons, accelerated in the electric and magnetic fields in near-Earth space, crash into and excite atmospheric gases, which emit bright hues of red, green, and yellow as they relax back to a lower energy state. These unruly electrons also create a cascade of havoc in the process, including driving electric currents that heat the upper atmosphere in splotchy patches. In some cases, that heating is sufficient to give stray oxygen atoms enough energy to escape. VISIONS-1, the current mission's precursor, launched from the Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska in 2013, where they studied oxygen outflow from aurora that form on Earth's night side, the part of the planet that is temporarily pointed away from the Sun. For the VISIONS-2 mission, the team will travel to Svalbard a remote archipelago off the northern coast of Norway where dayside aurora can be found. VISIONS-2 is the first of nine sounding rockets launching over the next 14 months as part of the Grand Challenge Initiative, an international collaboration to explore the unusual portal between Earth and space.

Earth's atmosphere leaking, NASA to send rocket to get closer look

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-to-review-workplace-culture-after-musk-smokes-marijuana-in-podcast-report-178516"> elaborated this week on the reasons</a> why the US space agency launched a safety review of SpaceX and Boeing, which are building spaceships for astronauts, including their workplace culture and drug-free policies.

Although NASA initially declined to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musks-teslaquila-drink-faces-clash-with-mexican-tequila-industry-177254">confirm media reports</a> that the review was prompted by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's appearance on a filmed podcast in which he was smoking a joint, Bridenstine admitted Thursday, during a roundtable with reporters, it "was not helpful."

Musk reportedly took a hit of marijuana and sipped whiskey on a podcast streamed on the Internet.

He added that he was the one who called for the safety review, announced November 20, of the two companies tasked with building the spacecraft that will enable Americans once again to send people to space -- a capacity the US lost in 2011 with the retirement of the space shuttle program.

"We've had a number of conversations," Bridenstine was quoted as telling The Atlantic magazine.

"I will tell you, he (Musk) is as committed to safety as anybody, and he understands that that was not appropriate behavior, and you won't be seeing that again."

Speaking later to AFP, Bridenstine said the review shows how seriously NASA takes the safety of its astronauts.

"The reality is, we're getting ready to launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil for the first time since 2011, and we want to make sure we have a cultural assessment, a safety assessment of each of our providers," he said.

"If you look back at the history of how, when accidents have occurred in the past, there has always been a safety assessment after the fact and it includes things like leadership and culture and safety of the organizations that are involved in the mission," he added.

"We didn't want to wait until after there's an accident, because we don't believe there's going to be an accident, but we wanted to make sure that we do that assessment early and not after the fact."

SpaceX has been a contractor for NASA since 2012, ferrying supplies to the International Space Station aboard its Dragon cargo ship.

Next year, SpaceX is preparing for the first flight of its Dragon crew capsule, with two astronauts on board, launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket.

An empty test flight is planned for January 7, 2019 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine elaborated this week on the reasons why the US space agency launched a safety review of SpaceX and Boeing, which are building spaceships for astronauts, including their workplace culture and drug-free policies.

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine elaborated this week on the reasons why the US space agency launched a safety review of SpaceX and Boeing, which are building spaceships for astronauts, including their workplace culture and drug-free policies. Although NASA initially declined to confirm media reports that the review was prompted by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's appearance on a filmed podcast in which he was smoking a joint, Bridenstine admitted Thursday, during a roundtable with reporters, it "was not helpful." Musk reportedly took a hit of marijuana and sipped whiskey on a podcast streamed on the Internet. He added that he was the one who called for the safety review, announced November 20, of the two companies tasked with building the spacecraft that will enable Americans once again to send people to space -- a capacity the US lost in 2011 with the retirement of the space shuttle program. "We've had a number of conversations," Bridenstine was quoted as telling The Atlantic magazine. "I will tell you, he (Musk) is as committed to safety as anybody, and he understands that that was not appropriate behavior, and you won't be seeing that again." Speaking later to AFP, Bridenstine said the review shows how seriously NASA takes the safety of its astronauts. "The reality is, we're getting ready to launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil for the first time since 2011, and we want to make sure we have a cultural assessment, a safety assessment of each of our providers," he said. "If you look back at the history of how, when accidents have occurred in the past, there has always been a safety assessment after the fact and it includes things like leadership and culture and safety of the organizations that are involved in the mission," he added. "We didn't want to wait until after there's an accident, because we don't believe there's going to be an accident, but we wanted to make sure that we do that assessment early and not after the fact." SpaceX has been a contractor for NASA since 2012, ferrying supplies to the International Space Station aboard its Dragon cargo ship. Next year, SpaceX is preparing for the first flight of its Dragon crew capsule, with two astronauts on board, launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket. An empty test flight is planned for January 7, 2019 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Musk smokes marijuana: He understands it was not appropriate behavior, says NASA chief Bridenstine

NASA's InSight successfully lands on Mars

Watch: WION Gravitas, 27th November, 2018

WION Gravitas: NASA's InSight spacecraft lands on Mars

NASA's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/nasa-counts-down-to-landing-of-martian-quake-sensor-insight-178934">InSight spacecraft</a>, the first robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of a distant world, touched down safely on the surface of Mars on Monday with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth.

The landing data and initial photograph were relayed to Earth from two briefcase-sized satellites that were launched along with InSight and were flying past Mars as it reached its destination.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Our Mars Odyssey orbiter phoned home, relaying news from <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAInSight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAInSight</a> indicating its solar panels are open &amp; collecting sunlight on the Martian surface. Also in the dispatch: this snapshot from the lander's arm showing the instruments in their new home: <a href="https://t.co/WygR5X2Px4">https://t.co/WygR5X2Px4</a> <a href="https://t.co/UwzBsu8BNe">pic.twitter.com/UwzBsu8BNe</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1067257207799103488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The twin "Cubesats" tagging along for the flight to Mars represented the first deep-space use of a miniature satellite technology that space engineers see as a promising low-cost alternative to some larger, more complex vehicles.

The Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC), located on the robotic arm of NASA's InSight lander, took the picture of the Martian surface on November 26, 2018, the same day the spacecraft touched down on the Red Planet.&nbsp;

The camera's transparent dust cover is still on in this image, to prevent particulates kicked up during landing from settling on the camera's lens. This image was relayed from InSight to Earth via NASA's Odyssey spacecraft, currently orbiting Mars.

(With agency inputs)

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 on Monday with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth.

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 on Monday with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth. The landing data and initial photograph were relayed to Earth from two briefcase-sized satellites that were launched along with InSight and were flying past Mars as it reached its destination. Our Mars Odyssey orbiter phoned home, relaying news from @NASAInSight indicating its solar panels are open & collecting sunlight on the Martian surface. Also in the dispatch: this snapshot from the lander's arm showing the instruments in their new home: https://t.co/WygR5X2Px4 pic.twitter.com/UwzBsu8BNe — NASA (@NASA) November 27, 2018 × The twin "Cubesats" tagging along for the flight to Mars represented the first deep-space use of a miniature satellite technology that space engineers see as a promising low-cost alternative to some larger, more complex vehicles. The Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC), located on the robotic arm of NASA's InSight lander, took the picture of the Martian surface on November 26, 2018, the same day the spacecraft touched down on the Red Planet. The camera's transparent dust cover is still on in this image, to prevent particulates kicked up during landing from settling on the camera's lens. This image was relayed from InSight to Earth via NASA's Odyssey spacecraft, currently orbiting Mars. (With agency inputs)

NASA's InSight sends first picture from Mars surface after safe landing

Watch: WION Fineprint, 27th November, 2018

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasas-insight-lands-on-mars-to-peer-into-planets-deep-interior-179634">NASA's InSight spacecraft lands on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasas-insight-lands-on-mars-to-peer-into-planets-deep-interior-179634">Mars,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nasas-insight-lands-on-mars-to-peer-into-planets-deep-interior-179634"> will study planet's deep interior</a>

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 on Monday with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/my-advice-to-pm-he-should-exercise-due-restraint-on-use-of-language-manmohan-singh-179639">My advice to PM Modi is, exercise due restraint on language: Manmohan Singh</a>

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra suggesting that PM Modi must exercise due restraint and not use the "type of language which has now become common practice," news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;

The former PM added that the prime minister of a country must set an example for others.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-he-expects-to-raise-china-tariffs-likely-to-be-placed-on-laptops-and-iphones-179635">Trump says he is going to raise tariffs further on China imports</a>

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he expected to move ahead with raising tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports to 25 per cent from the current 10 per cent and repeated his threat to slap tariffs on all remaining imports from China.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal four days ahead of his high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Argentina, Trump said it was "highly unlikely" he would accept China's request to hold off on the increase, which is due to take effect on January 1.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/there-were-children-says-migrant-mother-tear-gassed-at-us-border-179650">'There were children,' says migrant mother tear-gassed at US border</a>

A migrant mother photographed running with her daughters from tear gas at the US-Mexico border said she never expected the US Border Patrol to fire gas canisters at children and families.

Three tear gas canisters shot from the US side landed around Maria Meza and her children, who range in age from toddlers to teenagers, she said in an interview at a Tijuana migrant shelter.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/aamir-khan-on-thugs-of-hindostan-failure-we-went-wrong-and-i-take-full-responsibility-for-it-179641">Aamir Khan takes 'full responsibility' for Thugs Of Hindostan debacle</a>

t takes courage to accept failure on a public platform. On Monday, Aamir Khan admitted that his last release 'Thugs Of Hindostan' had failed to live up to the expectations and took full resp[onsibility for the film's failure.&nbsp;

“I take full responsibility for 'Thugs....' not working with the audience. I think we went wrong but I would like to take full responsibility of that. You can be sure we tried our level best."

NASA's InSight spacecraft lands on Mars, will study planet's deep interior 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 on Monday with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth.

NASA's InSight spacecraft lands on Mars, will study planet's deep interior 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 on Monday with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth. My advice to PM Modi is, exercise due restraint on language: Manmohan Singh Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra suggesting that PM Modi must exercise due restraint and not use the "type of language which has now become common practice," news agency ANI reported. The former PM added that the prime minister of a country must set an example for others. Trump says he is going to raise tariffs further on China imports US President Donald Trump said on Monday he expected to move ahead with raising tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports to 25 per cent from the current 10 per cent and repeated his threat to slap tariffs on all remaining imports from China. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal four days ahead of his high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Argentina, Trump said it was "highly unlikely" he would accept China's request to hold off on the increase, which is due to take effect on January 1. 'There were children,' says migrant mother tear-gassed at US border A migrant mother photographed running with her daughters from tear gas at the US-Mexico border said she never expected the US Border Patrol to fire gas canisters at children and families. Three tear gas canisters shot from the US side landed around Maria Meza and her children, who range in age from toddlers to teenagers, she said in an interview at a Tijuana migrant shelter. Aamir Khan takes 'full responsibility' for Thugs Of Hindostan debacle t takes courage to accept failure on a public platform. On Monday, Aamir Khan admitted that his last release 'Thugs Of Hindostan' had failed to live up to the expectations and took full resp[onsibility for the film's failure. “I take full responsibility for 'Thugs....' not working with the audience. I think we went wrong but I would like to take full responsibility of that. You can be sure we tried our level best."

News brief: Big stories of the day

NASA's InSight lands on Mars to peer into planet's deep interior

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 on Monday with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth.

Engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) near Los Angeles burst into <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/anxiety-at-nasa-as-mars-insight-spacecraft-nears-red-planet-179452">cheers, applause and hugs</a> as they received signals confirming InSight's arrival on Martian soil - a vast, barren plain near the planet's equator - shortly before 3 pm&nbsp;EST (2000 GMT)

Minutes later, JPL controllers received a fuzzy "selfie" photograph of the probe's new surroundings on the Red Planet, showing the edge of one lander leg beside a rock.
<img alt="NASA's InSight Mars lander acquired this image of the area in front of the lander using its lander-mounted, Instrument Context Camera (ICC) with the ICC image field of view of 124 x 124 degrees, on Mars." data-caption="&lt;em&gt;NASA's InSight Mars &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;lander&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; acquired this image of the area in front of the lander using its lander-mounted, Instrument Context Camera (ICC) with the ICC image field of view of 124 x 124 degrees, on Mars.&lt;/em&gt;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dc198223-e384-425b-af63-c448abadd106" height="845" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/2018-11-26T224147Z_2_LYNXNPEEAP1S3_RTROPTP_4_SPACE-MARS.JPG" width="992" />
Watch parties for NASA's live television coverage of the event were held at museums, libraries and other public venues around the world, including Times Square, where a small crowd of 40 or 50 people braved pouring rain to witness the broadcast on a giant TV screen affixed to a wall of the Nasdaq building.

InSight's descent and landing, consisting of about 1,000 individual steps that had to be flawlessly executed to achieve success, capped a six-month journey of 301 million miles (548 million km) from Earth.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ihXDSgi-Evs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The spacecraft was launched from California in May on its nearly $1 billion mission. It will spend the next 24 months - about one Martian year - collecting a wealth of data to unlock mysteries about how Mars formed and, by extension, the origins of the Earth and other rocky planets of the inner solar system.

"The reason why we’re digging into Mars is to better understand not just Mars, but the Earth itself," said JPL's Bruce Banerdt, InSight's principal investigator.

A central question is why Mars, once a relatively warm, wet planet, evolved so differently from Earth into a mostly dry, desolate and cold world, devoid of life.

The answers are believed to have something to do with the as-yet unexplained absence, since Mars' ancient past, of either a magnetic field or tectonic activity, said NASA's chief scientist James Green.

While Earth's tectonics and other forces have erased most evidence of its early history, much of Mars - about one-third the size of Earth - has seemingly remained largely static, creating a geologic time machine for scientists, Green said.

InSight and the next Mars rover mission, scheduled for 2020, are both seen as precursors for eventual human exploration of Mars, an objective that NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said on Monday might be achieved as early as the mid-2030s.

Daredevil landing

InSight was the eighth spacecraft to have landed successfully on Mars, all of them operated by NASA.

The three-legged lander streaked into the thin Martian atmosphere at 12,300 miles (19,795 km) per hour and plunged 77 miles to the surface within seven minutes, slowed to a gentle touchdown by atmospheric friction, a giant parachute and retro rockets.

The stationary probe was programmed to pause for 16 minutes for the dust to settle, literally, around its landing site, before two disc-shaped solar panels were to be unfurled like wings to provide power to the spacecraft.

But scientists did not expect to verify successful deployment of the solar arrays for at least several hours.

The 880-pound (360 kg) InSight - its name is short for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport - marks the 21st U.S.-launched Mars mission, dating back to the Mariner fly-bys of the 1960s.

Nearly two dozen other Mars missions have been sent from other nations.

InSight's new home in the middle of Elysium Planitia, a wide, relatively smooth expanse close to the planet's equator, is roughly 373 miles (600 km) from the 2012 landing spot of the car-sized Mars rover Curiosity, the last spacecraft sent to the Red Planet by NASA.

Peering beneath surface

InSight's primary instrument is a French-built seismometer, designed to record the slightest vibrations from "marsquakes" and meteor impacts around the planet. The device, to be placed on the surface by the lander's robot arm, is so sensitive it can measure a seismic wave just one half the radius of a hydrogen atom.

Scientists expect to see a dozen to 100 marsquakes during the mission, producing data to help them deduce the depth, density and composition of the planet's core, the rocky mantle surrounding it, and the outermost layer, the crust.

The NASA Viking probes of the mid-1970s were equipped with seismometers, too, but they were bolted to the top of the landers, a design that proved largely ineffective.

Apollo missions to the moon brought seismometers to the lunar surface as well. But InSight is expected to yield the first meaningful data on planetary seismic tremors beyond Earth.

A second instrument, furnished by Germany's space agency, consists of a drill to burrow as much as 16 feet (5 meters) underground, pulling behind it a rope-like thermal probe to measure heat flowing from inside the planet.

Meanwhile, a radio transmitter will send back signals tracking Mars' subtle rotational wobble to reveal the size of the planet's core and possibly whether it remains molten.

NASA officials say it will take two to three months for the main instruments to be deployed and put into operation.

The landing data and initial photograph were relayed to Earth from two briefcase-sized satellites that were launched along with InSight and were flying past Mars as it reached its destination. The twin "Cubesats" tagging along for the flight to Mars represented the first deep-space use of a miniature satellite technology that space engineers see as a promising low-cost alternative to some larger, more complex vehicles.

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 on Monday with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth. Engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) near Los Angeles burst into cheers, applause and hugs as they received signals confirming InSight's arrival on Martian soil - a vast, barren plain near the planet's equator - shortly before 3 pm EST (2000 GMT) Minutes later, JPL controllers received a fuzzy "selfie" photograph of the probe's new surroundings on the Red Planet, showing the edge of one lander leg beside a rock. Watch parties for NASA's live television coverage of the event were held at museums, libraries and other public venues around the world, including Times Square, where a small crowd of 40 or 50 people braved pouring rain to witness the broadcast on a giant TV screen affixed to a wall of the Nasdaq building. InSight's descent and landing, consisting of about 1,000 individual steps that had to be flawlessly executed to achieve success, capped a six-month journey of 301 million miles (548 million km) from Earth. The spacecraft was launched from California in May on its nearly $1 billion mission. It will spend the next 24 months - about one Martian year - collecting a wealth of data to unlock mysteries about how Mars formed and, by extension, the origins of the Earth and other rocky planets of the inner solar system. "The reason why we’re digging into Mars is to better understand not just Mars, but the Earth itself," said JPL's Bruce Banerdt, InSight's principal investigator. A central question is why Mars, once a relatively warm, wet planet, evolved so differently from Earth into a mostly dry, desolate and cold world, devoid of life. The answers are believed to have something to do with the as-yet unexplained absence, since Mars' ancient past, of either a magnetic field or tectonic activity, said NASA's chief scientist James Green. While Earth's tectonics and other forces have erased most evidence of its early history, much of Mars - about one-third the size of Earth - has seemingly remained largely static, creating a geologic time machine for scientists, Green said. InSight and the next Mars rover mission, scheduled for 2020, are both seen as precursors for eventual human exploration of Mars, an objective that NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said on Monday might be achieved as early as the mid-2030s. Daredevil landing InSight was the eighth spacecraft to have landed successfully on Mars, all of them operated by NASA. The three-legged lander streaked into the thin Martian atmosphere at 12,300 miles (19,795 km) per hour and plunged 77 miles to the surface within seven minutes, slowed to a gentle touchdown by atmospheric friction, a giant parachute and retro rockets. The stationary probe was programmed to pause for 16 minutes for the dust to settle, literally, around its landing site, before two disc-shaped solar panels were to be unfurled like wings to provide power to the spacecraft. But scientists did not expect to verify successful deployment of the solar arrays for at least several hours. The 880-pound (360 kg) InSight - its name is short for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport - marks the 21st U.S.-launched Mars mission, dating back to the Mariner fly-bys of the 1960s. Nearly two dozen other Mars missions have been sent from other nations. InSight's new home in the middle of Elysium Planitia, a wide, relatively smooth expanse close to the planet's equator, is roughly 373 miles (600 km) from the 2012 landing spot of the car-sized Mars rover Curiosity, the last spacecraft sent to the Red Planet by NASA. Peering beneath surface InSight's primary instrument is a French-built seismometer, designed to record the slightest vibrations from "marsquakes" and meteor impacts around the planet. The device, to be placed on the surface by the lander's robot arm, is so sensitive it can measure a seismic wave just one half the radius of a hydrogen atom. Scientists expect to see a dozen to 100 marsquakes during the mission, producing data to help them deduce the depth, density and composition of the planet's core, the rocky mantle surrounding it, and the outermost layer, the crust. The NASA Viking probes of the mid-1970s were equipped with seismometers, too, but they were bolted to the top of the landers, a design that proved largely ineffective. Apollo missions to the moon brought seismometers to the lunar surface as well. But InSight is expected to yield the first meaningful data on planetary seismic tremors beyond Earth. A second instrument, furnished by Germany's space agency, consists of a drill to burrow as much as 16 feet (5 meters) underground, pulling behind it a rope-like thermal probe to measure heat flowing from inside the planet. Meanwhile, a radio transmitter will send back signals tracking Mars' subtle rotational wobble to reveal the size of the planet's core and possibly whether it remains molten. NASA officials say it will take two to three months for the main instruments to be deployed and put into operation. The landing data and initial photograph were relayed to Earth from two briefcase-sized satellites that were launched along with InSight and were flying past Mars as it reached its destination. The twin "Cubesats" tagging along for the flight to Mars represented the first deep-space use of a miniature satellite technology that space engineers see as a promising low-cost alternative to some larger, more complex vehicles.

Watch: NASA's InSight spacecraft lands on Mars, will study planet's deep interior

WION Gravitas: Countdown to NASA's insight Mars landing begins

NASA's top scientists admitted to sleepless nights, sweaty palms, stomach aches and moments of pure terror as their $993 million Mars InSight spacecraft approaches a high-drama finale Monday: landing on Mars.

Mars InSight's goal is listen for quakes and tremors as a way to unveil <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/one-lakh-indians-have-signed-up-for-nasas-next-mission-to-mars-23798">the Red Planet's inner mysteries</a>, how it formed billions of years ago, and by extension, how other rocky planets like Earth took shape.&nbsp;

The unmanned spacecraft launched nearly seven months ago, and is NASA's first to attempt to touch down on Earth's neighbouring planet since the Curiosity rover arrived in 2012.&nbsp;

More than half of 43 attempts to reach Mars with rovers, orbiters and probes by space agencies from around the world have failed.&nbsp;

NASA is the only space agency to have made it, and is invested in these robotic missions as a way to prepare for the first Mars-bound human explorers in the 2030s.

"We never take Mars for granted. Mars is hard," said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for the science mission directorate, on Sunday.

'An absolutely terrifying thought'

The high drama of the entry, descent and landing phase begins at 11:47 am (1940 GMT) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, home to mission control for Mars InSight.

A carefully orchestrated sequence -- already fully preprogrammed on board the spacecraft -- takes place over the next several minutes, coined "six and a half minutes of terror."

Speeding faster than a bullet at 12,300 mph (19,800 kph), the heat-shielded spacecraft encounters scorching frictions as it enters Mars' atmosphere.

The heat shield soars to a temperature of 2,700 Fahrenheit (about 1,500 Celsius). Radio signals may be briefly lost.

The heat shield is discarded, the three landing legs deploy, and the parachute pops out.&nbsp;

"We freefall for just a little bit, which is an absolutely terrifying thought for me," said Tom Hoffman, project manager of InSight.

But then, the spacecraft's thrusters begin to fire, further slowing down the 800-pound (365 kilogram) spacecraft to a speed of just about 5 mph (8 kph) when it reaches the surface.

Since there is no joystick back on Earth for this spacecraft, and no way to intervene if anything goes wrong, Hoffman described his emotions as mixed.

"I am completely comfortable and completely nervous at the same time," he said.

"We have done everything we can think to make sure we are going to be successful, but you just never know what is going to happen."

Hoffman, who is father to a two- and four-year-old, added that has "not been sleeping that great," though he said that might because of his rambunctious toddlers.

But when the first signal arrives at 2001 GMT, hopefully showing that the lander set itself down, intact and upright, "I am totally going to unleash my inner four-year-old at that point," he said.

Goal: 3D map of inner Mars

Zurbuchen described InSight as "unique" because the waist-high lander contains instruments that were contributed by several European space agencies.

France's Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) made the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument, the key element for sensing quakes.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) provided a self-hammering mole that can burrow 16 feet (five meters) into the surface -- further than any instrument before -- to measure heat flow.

Spain's Centro de Astrobiologia made the spacecraft's wind sensors.

Other significant contributions to the project came from the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Astronika in Poland, the Swiss Institute of Technology in Switzerland, and the Imperial College and Oxford University in Britain.

Together, these instruments will use physics to study geological processes, said Bruce Banerdt, InSight's principal investigator at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

By listening for tremors on Mars, whether from quakes or meteor impacts or even volcanic activity, scientists can learn more about its interior and reveal how the planet formed.

The goal is to map the inside of Mars in three dimensions, "so we understand the inside of Mars as well as we have come to understand the outside of Mars," Banerdt told reporters.

Understanding how Mars formed could reveal more about the processes that formed Earth, too.

NASA's top scientists admitted to sleepless nights, sweaty palms, stomach aches and moments of pure terror as their $993 million Mars InSight spacecraft approaches a high-drama finale Monday: landing on Mars.

NASA's top scientists admitted to sleepless nights, sweaty palms, stomach aches and moments of pure terror as their $993 million Mars InSight spacecraft approaches a high-drama finale Monday: landing on Mars. Mars InSight's goal is listen for quakes and tremors as a way to unveil the Red Planet's inner mysteries, how it formed billions of years ago, and by extension, how other rocky planets like Earth took shape. The unmanned spacecraft launched nearly seven months ago, and is NASA's first to attempt to touch down on Earth's neighbouring planet since the Curiosity rover arrived in 2012. More than half of 43 attempts to reach Mars with rovers, orbiters and probes by space agencies from around the world have failed. NASA is the only space agency to have made it, and is invested in these robotic missions as a way to prepare for the first Mars-bound human explorers in the 2030s. "We never take Mars for granted. Mars is hard," said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for the science mission directorate, on Sunday. 'An absolutely terrifying thought' The high drama of the entry, descent and landing phase begins at 11:47 am (1940 GMT) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, home to mission control for Mars InSight. A carefully orchestrated sequence -- already fully preprogrammed on board the spacecraft -- takes place over the next several minutes, coined "six and a half minutes of terror." Speeding faster than a bullet at 12,300 mph (19,800 kph), the heat-shielded spacecraft encounters scorching frictions as it enters Mars' atmosphere. The heat shield soars to a temperature of 2,700 Fahrenheit (about 1,500 Celsius). Radio signals may be briefly lost. The heat shield is discarded, the three landing legs deploy, and the parachute pops out. "We freefall for just a little bit, which is an absolutely terrifying thought for me," said Tom Hoffman, project manager of InSight. But then, the spacecraft's thrusters begin to fire, further slowing down the 800-pound (365 kilogram) spacecraft to a speed of just about 5 mph (8 kph) when it reaches the surface. Since there is no joystick back on Earth for this spacecraft, and no way to intervene if anything goes wrong, Hoffman described his emotions as mixed. "I am completely comfortable and completely nervous at the same time," he said. "We have done everything we can think to make sure we are going to be successful, but you just never know what is going to happen." Hoffman, who is father to a two- and four-year-old, added that has "not been sleeping that great," though he said that might because of his rambunctious toddlers. But when the first signal arrives at 2001 GMT, hopefully showing that the lander set itself down, intact and upright, "I am totally going to unleash my inner four-year-old at that point," he said. Goal: 3D map of inner Mars Zurbuchen described InSight as "unique" because the waist-high lander contains instruments that were contributed by several European space agencies. France's Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) made the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument, the key element for sensing quakes. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) provided a self-hammering mole that can burrow 16 feet (five meters) into the surface -- further than any instrument before -- to measure heat flow. Spain's Centro de Astrobiologia made the spacecraft's wind sensors. Other significant contributions to the project came from the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Astronika in Poland, the Swiss Institute of Technology in Switzerland, and the Imperial College and Oxford University in Britain. Together, these instruments will use physics to study geological processes, said Bruce Banerdt, InSight's principal investigator at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. By listening for tremors on Mars, whether from quakes or meteor impacts or even volcanic activity, scientists can learn more about its interior and reveal how the planet formed. The goal is to map the inside of Mars in three dimensions, "so we understand the inside of Mars as well as we have come to understand the outside of Mars," Banerdt told reporters. Understanding how Mars formed could reveal more about the processes that formed Earth, too.

Anxiety at NASA as it attempts Mars landing today

NASA`s first robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of a distant world hurtled closer to Mars on course for a planned touchdown on Monday after a six-month voyage through space.

Travelling 301 million miles (548 million km) from Earth, the Mars InSight spacecraft was due to reach its destination on the dusty, rock-strewn surface of the Red Planet at about 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT).

If all goes according to plan, InSight will streak into the pink Martian sky at 12,000 miles per hour (19,310 kilometers per hour). Its 77-mile descent to the surface will be slowed by atmospheric friction, a giant parachute and retro rockets. When it lands 6-1/2 minutes later, it will be traveling a mere 5 mph (8 kph).

The stationary probe, which launched from California in May, will then pause for 16 minutes for the dust to settle, literally, around the landing site before its disc-shaped solar arrays unfurl to provide power.&nbsp;

The mission control team at NASA`s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) near Los Angeles hopes to get real-time electronic confirmation of the spacecraft`s safe arrival from miniature satellites that were launched along with InSight and will fly past Mars.

The JPL controllers also expect to receive a photo of the probe`s surroundings on the flat, smooth Martian plain close to the planet`s equator called the Elysium Planitia.

The site is roughly 373 miles (600 km) from the 2012 landing spot of the car-sized Mars rover Curiosity, the last spacecraft sent to the Red Planet by NASA.

The smaller, 880-pound (360 kg) InSight - its name is short for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport - marks the 21st US-launched Martian exploration including the Mariner fly-by missions of the 1960s. Nearly two dozen other Mars missions have been sent from other nations.

HOW ROCKY PLANETS FORMED

InSight is the first dedicated to unlocking secrets from deep below the Martian surface. The lander will spend 24 months - about one Martian year - using seismic monitoring and underground drilling to gather clues on how Mars formed and, by extension, the origins of Earth and other rocky planets of the inner solar system more than 4 billion years ago.

"What this helps us understand is how we got to here," said JPL`s Bruce Banerdt, InSight principal investigator, during a pre-landing briefing with reporters last week.

While Earth`s tectonics and other forces have erased most evidence of its early history, much of Mars - about one-third the size of Earth - is believed to have remained largely static over the eons, creating a geologic time machine for scientists.

InSight`s primary instrument is a highly sensitive French-built seismometer, designed to detect the slightest vibrations from "marsquakes" and meteor impacts.&nbsp;

Scientists expect to see a dozen to 100 marsquakes over the course of the mission, producing data to help them deduce the size, density and composition of the planet.&nbsp;

The Viking probes of the mid-1970s were equipped with seismometers, but they were bolted atop the landers, a design that proved largely ineffective.

InSight also is fitted with a German-made drill to burrow as much as 16 feet (5 meters) underground, pulling behind it a rope-like thermal probe to measure heat.

Meanwhile, a radio transmitter will send signals back to Earth, tracking Mars` subtle rotational wobble to reveal the size of the planet`s core and possibly whether it remains molten.

The InSight and next rover mission, along with others in the planning stage, are seen as precursors for eventual human exploration of Mars, NASA officials said.

NASA`s first robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of a distant world hurtled closer to Mars on course for a planned touchdown on Monday after a six-month voyage through space.

NASA`s first robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of a distant world hurtled closer to Mars on course for a planned touchdown on Monday after a six-month voyage through space. Travelling 301 million miles (548 million km) from Earth, the Mars InSight spacecraft was due to reach its destination on the dusty, rock-strewn surface of the Red Planet at about 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT). If all goes according to plan, InSight will streak into the pink Martian sky at 12,000 miles per hour (19,310 kilometers per hour). Its 77-mile descent to the surface will be slowed by atmospheric friction, a giant parachute and retro rockets. When it lands 6-1/2 minutes later, it will be traveling a mere 5 mph (8 kph). The stationary probe, which launched from California in May, will then pause for 16 minutes for the dust to settle, literally, around the landing site before its disc-shaped solar arrays unfurl to provide power. The mission control team at NASA`s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) near Los Angeles hopes to get real-time electronic confirmation of the spacecraft`s safe arrival from miniature satellites that were launched along with InSight and will fly past Mars. The JPL controllers also expect to receive a photo of the probe`s surroundings on the flat, smooth Martian plain close to the planet`s equator called the Elysium Planitia. The site is roughly 373 miles (600 km) from the 2012 landing spot of the car-sized Mars rover Curiosity, the last spacecraft sent to the Red Planet by NASA. The smaller, 880-pound (360 kg) InSight - its name is short for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport - marks the 21st US-launched Martian exploration including the Mariner fly-by missions of the 1960s. Nearly two dozen other Mars missions have been sent from other nations. HOW ROCKY PLANETS FORMED InSight is the first dedicated to unlocking secrets from deep below the Martian surface. The lander will spend 24 months - about one Martian year - using seismic monitoring and underground drilling to gather clues on how Mars formed and, by extension, the origins of Earth and other rocky planets of the inner solar system more than 4 billion years ago. "What this helps us understand is how we got to here," said JPL`s Bruce Banerdt, InSight principal investigator, during a pre-landing briefing with reporters last week. While Earth`s tectonics and other forces have erased most evidence of its early history, much of Mars - about one-third the size of Earth - is believed to have remained largely static over the eons, creating a geologic time machine for scientists. InSight`s primary instrument is a highly sensitive French-built seismometer, designed to detect the slightest vibrations from "marsquakes" and meteor impacts. Scientists expect to see a dozen to 100 marsquakes over the course of the mission, producing data to help them deduce the size, density and composition of the planet. The Viking probes of the mid-1970s were equipped with seismometers, but they were bolted atop the landers, a design that proved largely ineffective. InSight also is fitted with a German-made drill to burrow as much as 16 feet (5 meters) underground, pulling behind it a rope-like thermal probe to measure heat. Meanwhile, a radio transmitter will send signals back to Earth, tracking Mars` subtle rotational wobble to reveal the size of the planet`s core and possibly whether it remains molten. The InSight and next rover mission, along with others in the planning stage, are seen as precursors for eventual human exploration of Mars, NASA officials said.

NASA spacecraft nears Red Planet on mission to detect 'marsquakes'

The US space agency <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musks-teslaquila-drink-faces-clash-with-mexican-tequila-industry-177254">has ordered a sweeping safety review </a>of operations and workplace culture, including drug-free policies, at Boeing and SpaceX, two companies working to send astronauts to space, US media said Tuesday.

The review was "prompted <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/musk-says-tesla-now-in-delivery-logistics-hell-166080">by the recent </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/musk-says-tesla-now-in-delivery-logistics-hell-166080">behavior</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/musk-says-tesla-now-in-delivery-logistics-hell-166080"> of SpaceX's founder</a>, Elon Musk, according to three officials with knowledge of the probe, after he took a hit of marijuana and sipped whiskey on a podcast streamed on the Internet," said the Washington Post, which first reported on the story.

NASA declined to comment on the allegations, but confirmed the review would start next year as the agency focuses "on safe and successful commercial crew missions" to the International Space Station.&nbsp;

"In the coming months, prior to the crew test flights of Crew Dragon and Starliner, NASA will be conducting a cultural assessment study in coordination with our commercial partners to ensure the companies are meeting NASA's requirements for workplace safety, including the adherence to a drug-free environment," said the NASA statement.&nbsp;

"We fully expect our commercial partners to meet all workplace safety requirements in the execution of our missions and the services they provide the American people. As always, NASA will ensure they do so."

Musk, who is also CEO of Tesla Motors, has faced increased scrutiny over his volatile behavior, including smoking marijuana during a podcast interview earlier this year and assailing a man involved in the Thailand cave rescue as a "pedo guy."

In response to the news of the inquiry, SpaceX said in a statement: "human spaceflight is the core mission of our company. There is nothing more important to SpaceX than this endeavor, and we take seriously the responsibility that NASA has entrusted in us to safely and reliably carry American astronauts to and from the International Space Station."

The company added it "actively promotes workplace safety, and we are confident that our comprehensive drug-free workforce and workplace programs exceed all applicable contractual requirements."

Boeing also insisted its culture "ensures the integrity, safety and quality of our products, our people and their work environment," a spokesman said in a statement emailed to AFP.

"As NASA's trusted partner since the beginning of human spaceflight, we share the same values and are committed to continuing our legacy of trust, openness and mission success."

Both SpaceX and Boeing plan to launch their first unmanned flights of spacecraft that will eventually carry people to the ISS early in 2019, followed by the first crewed flights later in the year.

The spaceships aim to restore US capacity to send astronauts to space. The retirement of the US space shuttle program in 2011 has left the United States without it own spacecraft for ferrying astronauts.

Instead, the world's astronauts must now buy tickets aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft at a cost of some $80 million per seat. 
&nbsp;

The US space agency has ordered a sweeping safety review of operations and workplace culture, including drug-free policies, at Boeing and SpaceX, two companies working to send astronauts to space, US media said Tuesday.

The US space agency has ordered a sweeping safety review of operations and workplace culture, including drug-free policies, at Boeing and SpaceX, two companies working to send astronauts to space, US media said Tuesday. The review was "prompted by the recent behavior of SpaceX's founder, Elon Musk, according to three officials with knowledge of the probe, after he took a hit of marijuana and sipped whiskey on a podcast streamed on the Internet," said the Washington Post, which first reported on the story. NASA declined to comment on the allegations, but confirmed the review would start next year as the agency focuses "on safe and successful commercial crew missions" to the International Space Station. "In the coming months, prior to the crew test flights of Crew Dragon and Starliner, NASA will be conducting a cultural assessment study in coordination with our commercial partners to ensure the companies are meeting NASA's requirements for workplace safety, including the adherence to a drug-free environment," said the NASA statement. "We fully expect our commercial partners to meet all workplace safety requirements in the execution of our missions and the services they provide the American people. As always, NASA will ensure they do so." Musk, who is also CEO of Tesla Motors, has faced increased scrutiny over his volatile behavior, including smoking marijuana during a podcast interview earlier this year and assailing a man involved in the Thailand cave rescue as a "pedo guy." In response to the news of the inquiry, SpaceX said in a statement: "human spaceflight is the core mission of our company. There is nothing more important to SpaceX than this endeavor, and we take seriously the responsibility that NASA has entrusted in us to safely and reliably carry American astronauts to and from the International Space Station." The company added it "actively promotes workplace safety, and we are confident that our comprehensive drug-free workforce and workplace programs exceed all applicable contractual requirements." Boeing also insisted its culture "ensures the integrity, safety and quality of our products, our people and their work environment," a spokesman said in a statement emailed to AFP. "As NASA's trusted partner since the beginning of human spaceflight, we share the same values and are committed to continuing our legacy of trust, openness and mission success." Both SpaceX and Boeing plan to launch their first unmanned flights of spacecraft that will eventually carry people to the ISS early in 2019, followed by the first crewed flights later in the year. The spaceships aim to restore US capacity to send astronauts to space. The retirement of the US space shuttle program in 2011 has left the United States without it own spacecraft for ferrying astronauts. Instead, the world's astronauts must now buy tickets aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft at a cost of some $80 million per seat.

NASA to review workplace culture after Musk smokes marijuana in podcast: Report

Iceberg floating in Antarctica is unusual perfect rectangle

Russian investigators have launched a probe into why a Soyuz rocket failed shortly after blast-off, in a major setback for Russia's beleaguered space industry.

US astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin were forced to make an emergency landing after the incident on Thursday, but were rescued without injury in Kazakhstan.

Russian officials said they were launching a criminal investigation into the accident, the first such incident on a manned flight in the country's post-Soviet history.

The Russian space industry has suffered a series of problems in recent years, including the loss of a number of satellites and spacecraft. Officials said they would suspend manned launches in light of the latest accident.

"The emergency rescue system worked, the vessel was able to land in Kazakhstan... the crew are alive," the Russian space agency Roscosmos said in a tweet.

"An accident with the booster, two minutes, 45 seconds," the voice of Ovchinin could be heard saying calmly in live-streamed footage of the launch from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome.

The incident came as the rocket was travelling about 4,700 miles (7,500 kilometres) per hour, just 119 seconds into the voyage, according to NASA.

"Shortly after launch, there was an anomaly with the booster and the launch ascent was aborted, resulting in a ballistic landing of the spacecraft," the US space agency said in a statement.

The descent was sharper than usual, meaning the crew were subjected to a greater G-force, but they were prepared for this scenario in training, according to a commentator on NASA's video livestream of the launch.

"We're tightening our seatbelts," Ovchinin said in the video.

"That was a short flight."

Documents seized in probe&nbsp;

Rescue workers reached the site of the emergency landing and evacuated Ovchinin and Hague.

Photos released by Russian government and NASA Twitter accounts later showed the men embracing their families and enjoying a hearty Russian meal back on the ground.

Russia is currently the only country taking crew to and from the ISS.&nbsp;

The European Space Agency, whose astronaut Alexander Gerst is on the ISS, said in a statement that "the aborted launch will have influence on the planning for the near future".

Stefan Beransky, editor of the specialist Aerospatium magazine and author of a book on the Soyuz rocket, said now "the main problem is that there are two fewer people at the station".&nbsp;

"As we wait for the conclusions of a Russian probe, the Soyuz will perhaps be grounded for some time," he told AFP.

Russia's Investigative Committee said a criminal probe would seek to determine whether safety regulations had been violated during construction, causing major damage.

"Officials are currently examining the launch site, documents are being seized," it said in a statement.&nbsp;

"Thank God the cosmonauts are alive," Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Kenny Todd, operations integration manager at the International Space Station said he "had every confidence that our Russian colleagues will figure out what's going on".

There have been two similar Soviet-era accidents involving the Soyuz spacecraft, which are still used to ferry crews to and from the ISS.&nbsp;

In 1975, Oleg Makarov and Vasily Lazarev made a successful emergency landing in Siberia's Altai mountains following problems during booster separation.

Vladimir Titov and Gennady Strekalov survived a fire during launch in Kazakhstan in 1983.

Former military pilots Ovchinin and Hague had been set to join the ESA's Gerst, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos following a six-hour flight.&nbsp;

Hole on the ISS&nbsp;

The International Space Station -- a rare point of cooperation between Moscow and Washington -- has been orbiting the Earth since 1998.

But even the space station has proved a source of controversy in recent weeks.&nbsp;

Russian space officials have said they are investigating whether a hole that caused an oxygen leak on the ISS was drilled deliberately by astronauts.

The hole was detected in August and quickly sealed up, but Russian newspapers said Roscosmos was probing the possibility that US crewmates had sabotaged the space station to get a sick colleague sent back home.

Dmitry Rogozin, a firebrand nationalist politician who this year was appointed by Putin to head Roscosmos, said a "thorough investigation" was needed after the failed launch.

"It's a dramatic situation but it was possible to avoid a very much worse turn of events," he said in televised remarks.

The politician has clashed with the US, suggesting American astronauts should use trampolines instead of Russian rockets to reach the ISS after Washington imposed sanctions over Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Russian investigators have launched a probe into why a Soyuz rocket failed shortly after blast-off, in a major setback for Russia's beleaguered space industry. US astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin were forced to make an emergency landing after the incident on Thursday, but were rescued without injury in Kazakhstan.

Russian investigators have launched a probe into why a Soyuz rocket failed shortly after blast-off, in a major setback for Russia's beleaguered space industry. US astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin were forced to make an emergency landing after the incident on Thursday, but were rescued without injury in Kazakhstan. Russian officials said they were launching a criminal investigation into the accident, the first such incident on a manned flight in the country's post-Soviet history. The Russian space industry has suffered a series of problems in recent years, including the loss of a number of satellites and spacecraft. Officials said they would suspend manned launches in light of the latest accident. "The emergency rescue system worked, the vessel was able to land in Kazakhstan... the crew are alive," the Russian space agency Roscosmos said in a tweet. "An accident with the booster, two minutes, 45 seconds," the voice of Ovchinin could be heard saying calmly in live-streamed footage of the launch from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome. The incident came as the rocket was travelling about 4,700 miles (7,500 kilometres) per hour, just 119 seconds into the voyage, according to NASA. "Shortly after launch, there was an anomaly with the booster and the launch ascent was aborted, resulting in a ballistic landing of the spacecraft," the US space agency said in a statement. The descent was sharper than usual, meaning the crew were subjected to a greater G-force, but they were prepared for this scenario in training, according to a commentator on NASA's video livestream of the launch. "We're tightening our seatbelts," Ovchinin said in the video. "That was a short flight." Documents seized in probe Rescue workers reached the site of the emergency landing and evacuated Ovchinin and Hague. Photos released by Russian government and NASA Twitter accounts later showed the men embracing their families and enjoying a hearty Russian meal back on the ground. Russia is currently the only country taking crew to and from the ISS. The European Space Agency, whose astronaut Alexander Gerst is on the ISS, said in a statement that "the aborted launch will have influence on the planning for the near future". Stefan Beransky, editor of the specialist Aerospatium magazine and author of a book on the Soyuz rocket, said now "the main problem is that there are two fewer people at the station". "As we wait for the conclusions of a Russian probe, the Soyuz will perhaps be grounded for some time," he told AFP. Russia's Investigative Committee said a criminal probe would seek to determine whether safety regulations had been violated during construction, causing major damage. "Officials are currently examining the launch site, documents are being seized," it said in a statement. "Thank God the cosmonauts are alive," Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists. Kenny Todd, operations integration manager at the International Space Station said he "had every confidence that our Russian colleagues will figure out what's going on". There have been two similar Soviet-era accidents involving the Soyuz spacecraft, which are still used to ferry crews to and from the ISS. In 1975, Oleg Makarov and Vasily Lazarev made a successful emergency landing in Siberia's Altai mountains following problems during booster separation. Vladimir Titov and Gennady Strekalov survived a fire during launch in Kazakhstan in 1983. Former military pilots Ovchinin and Hague had been set to join the ESA's Gerst, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos following a six-hour flight. Hole on the ISS The International Space Station -- a rare point of cooperation between Moscow and Washington -- has been orbiting the Earth since 1998. But even the space station has proved a source of controversy in recent weeks. Russian space officials have said they are investigating whether a hole that caused an oxygen leak on the ISS was drilled deliberately by astronauts. The hole was detected in August and quickly sealed up, but Russian newspapers said Roscosmos was probing the possibility that US crewmates had sabotaged the space station to get a sick colleague sent back home. Dmitry Rogozin, a firebrand nationalist politician who this year was appointed by Putin to head Roscosmos, said a "thorough investigation" was needed after the failed launch. "It's a dramatic situation but it was possible to avoid a very much worse turn of events," he said in televised remarks. The politician has clashed with the US, suggesting American astronauts should use trampolines instead of Russian rockets to reach the ISS after Washington imposed sanctions over Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Russia probes ISS rocket failure

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Monday ringed-in its 60th anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, the American space research organisation tweeted out links to some of its groundbreaking discoveries, researches and technologies used to make space exploration easier.&nbsp;

"For six decades, NASA has led the peaceful exploration of space, making discoveries about our planet, our solar system, and our universe," as stated on NASA's website.&nbsp;

NASA's 60-year-long tryst with 'the other world' also involved making "great advances in aviation, developing a commercial space industry, enriching economy, creating jobs, and strengthening national security," in the United States.

"Outside the United States, our international partnerships shine as examples of diplomacy. Space exploration has brought together people of diverse backgrounds working for the good of all humankind," the website read.&nbsp;

One of the NASA tweets caught our fancy, it depicted the gradual conversion of croplands and grasslands around New Delhi into city structures, "to create one of the fastest urban expansions in the world."

NASA's captivating imagery captured by its Earth satellites show urban growth in and around New Delhi from 1989 to 2018.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Croplands and grasslands around New Delhi are being converted into city structures to create one of the fastest urban expansions in the world. Here’s a look at imagery captured by our <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAEarth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAEarth</a> satellites that show urban growth from 1989 to 2018: <a href="https://t.co/aVnsgZeJsd">https://t.co/aVnsgZeJsd</a> <a href="https://t.co/Dhqt2VQFdi">pic.twitter.com/Dhqt2VQFdi</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1046506248542330881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"New Delhi has been experiencing one of the fastest urban expansions in the world. Vast areas of croplands and grasslands are being turned into streets, buildings, and parking lots, attracting an unprecedented amount of new residents. By 2050, the United Nations projects India will add 400 million urban dwellers, which would be the largest urban migration in the world for the thirty-two year period," NASA noted on its website.

"The images show the growth in the city of New Delhi and its adjacent areas—a territory collectively known as Delhi—from December 5, 1989, to June 5, 2018," NASA added further.

NASA also honoured the sacrifice and the tragic loss of lives including aviation pilots and the crew members of Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia.&nbsp;

"Sacrifice has also come in the countless hours dedicated NASA personnel—on the ground and in space—have spent away from families to plan and execute missions," the website read.

On its 60th anniversary, the space research body shared that in the coming decade, NASA's exploits and missions will be "full of adventures that only science fiction writers dreamed of and only NASA and its partners will accomplish."

 
&nbsp;

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Monday ringed-in its 60th anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, the American space research organisation tweeted out links to some of its groundbreaking discoveries, researches and technologies used to make space exploration easier.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Monday ringed-in its 60th anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, the American space research organisation tweeted out links to some of its groundbreaking discoveries, researches and technologies used to make space exploration easier. "For six decades, NASA has led the peaceful exploration of space, making discoveries about our planet, our solar system, and our universe," as stated on NASA's website. NASA's 60-year-long tryst with 'the other world' also involved making "great advances in aviation, developing a commercial space industry, enriching economy, creating jobs, and strengthening national security," in the United States. "Outside the United States, our international partnerships shine as examples of diplomacy. Space exploration has brought together people of diverse backgrounds working for the good of all humankind," the website read. One of the NASA tweets caught our fancy, it depicted the gradual conversion of croplands and grasslands around New Delhi into city structures, "to create one of the fastest urban expansions in the world." NASA's captivating imagery captured by its Earth satellites show urban growth in and around New Delhi from 1989 to 2018. Croplands and grasslands around New Delhi are being converted into city structures to create one of the fastest urban expansions in the world. Here’s a look at imagery captured by our @NASAEarth satellites that show urban growth from 1989 to 2018: https://t.co/aVnsgZeJsd pic.twitter.com/Dhqt2VQFdi — NASA (@NASA) September 30, 2018 × "New Delhi has been experiencing one of the fastest urban expansions in the world. Vast areas of croplands and grasslands are being turned into streets, buildings, and parking lots, attracting an unprecedented amount of new residents. By 2050, the United Nations projects India will add 400 million urban dwellers, which would be the largest urban migration in the world for the thirty-two year period," NASA noted on its website. "The images show the growth in the city of New Delhi and its adjacent areas—a territory collectively known as Delhi—from December 5, 1989, to June 5, 2018," NASA added further. NASA also honoured the sacrifice and the tragic loss of lives including aviation pilots and the crew members of Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia. "Sacrifice has also come in the countless hours dedicated NASA personnel—on the ground and in space—have spent away from families to plan and execute missions," the website read. On its 60th anniversary, the space research body shared that in the coming decade, NASA's exploits and missions will be "full of adventures that only science fiction writers dreamed of and only NASA and its partners will accomplish."

Watch: On 60th anniversary, NASA shares images on urban growth in Delhi

A Turkish-US citizen and former NASA scientist jailed in Turkey on terrorism charges plans to file an appeal to Turkey's top court after a lower appeals court reduced his sentence this week, his lawyer said on Friday.

Serkan Golge was visiting family in southern Turkey when he was arrested in a crackdown following a failed military coup in 2016 which the government blames on supporters of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Golge's case is similar to that of American pastor Andrew Brunson, whose ongoing detention in Turkey in connection with the coup attempt is the cause of a major row between NATO allies Washington and Ankara, and has led to US President Donald Trump imposing sanctions on Turkey.

In a ruling on Wednesday, Turkey's Court of Appeals changed Golge's conviction charge to aiding, rather than being a member of, a terror organisation, and to reduce his 7-1/2-year prison sentence to five years. Golge denied both charges.

"We have already filed an appeal for his release to a higher court and we will go to the Yargitay (appeals court) afterwards," Ali Bilgin, a lawyer representing Golge in Turkey, told Reuters.

Washington welcomed Wednesday's ruling and said it would follow the case closely along with those of other citizens and local US mission employees.

"We welcome the Turkish Court of Appeals' decision to reduce the sentence against Dr Golge," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Thursday. She also called for Golge's release in a case that lacks "credible evidence".

Golge was visiting family in southern Turkey when he was arrested. Turkey has detained 160,000 people and dismissed nearly the same number of civil servants over suspected links to the coup attempt, the UN human rights office said in March.

Of those detained, 77,000 have been formally charged and kept in jail during the trial, the interior minister said in April.

Cleric Gulen denies involvement in the attempted putsch in which 250 people were killed.

Along with sanctions, Trump has imposed double traded tariffs on Turkey, exacerbating a slide in the lira.

A Turkish-US citizen and former NASA scientist jailed in Turkey on terrorism charges plans to file an appeal to Turkey's top court after a lower appeals court reduced his sentence this week, his lawyer said on Friday.

A Turkish-US citizen and former NASA scientist jailed in Turkey on terrorism charges plans to file an appeal to Turkey's top court after a lower appeals court reduced his sentence this week, his lawyer said on Friday. Serkan Golge was visiting family in southern Turkey when he was arrested in a crackdown following a failed military coup in 2016 which the government blames on supporters of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Golge's case is similar to that of American pastor Andrew Brunson, whose ongoing detention in Turkey in connection with the coup attempt is the cause of a major row between NATO allies Washington and Ankara, and has led to US President Donald Trump imposing sanctions on Turkey. In a ruling on Wednesday, Turkey's Court of Appeals changed Golge's conviction charge to aiding, rather than being a member of, a terror organisation, and to reduce his 7-1/2-year prison sentence to five years. Golge denied both charges. "We have already filed an appeal for his release to a higher court and we will go to the Yargitay (appeals court) afterwards," Ali Bilgin, a lawyer representing Golge in Turkey, told Reuters. Washington welcomed Wednesday's ruling and said it would follow the case closely along with those of other citizens and local US mission employees. "We welcome the Turkish Court of Appeals' decision to reduce the sentence against Dr Golge," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Thursday. She also called for Golge's release in a case that lacks "credible evidence". Golge was visiting family in southern Turkey when he was arrested. Turkey has detained 160,000 people and dismissed nearly the same number of civil servants over suspected links to the coup attempt, the UN human rights office said in March. Of those detained, 77,000 have been formally charged and kept in jail during the trial, the interior minister said in April. Cleric Gulen denies involvement in the attempted putsch in which 250 people were killed. Along with sanctions, Trump has imposed double traded tariffs on Turkey, exacerbating a slide in the lira.

Former NASA scientist to appeal terrorism charges at top Turkish court: Lawyer

Russian cosmonaut tells Ivanka Trump seeing her causes his mood to improve

A massive dust storm raging across Mars has overcome NASA's aging Opportunity rover, putting the unmanned, solar-powered vehicle into sleep mode and raising concerns about its survival, the US space agency said Wednesday.

The unusually severe dust storm has blocked out the Sun over one quarter of the Red Planet, blanketing an area spanning 14 million square miles (35 million square kilometers), NASA said.

Opportunity, located in a spot called Perseverance Valley, "has fallen asleep and is waiting out the storm," said John Callas, Opportunity project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

"We are concerned but we are hopeful that the storm will clear and the rover will be able to communicate with us."

The storm was first detected on May 30, and grew worse in recent days.

The robotic vehicle -- one of two currently operating on Mars -- has shut everything down except its master clock, and last communicated with Earth on June 10.

Callas declared a "spacecraft emergency" due to low power.

"In this point we are in a waiting mode. We are listening every day for possible signals from the rover," he said, likening the atmosphere among colleagues to having a loved one lying in a coma.

"If it was your 97-year-old grandmother, you would be very concerned. And we are," he said.

90-day mission

Opportunity, along with its twin named Spirit, launched in 2003 and landed on Mars a year later to hunt for signs of past life.

Its mission was initially meant to last just 90 days.&nbsp;

The rover "has made a number of discoveries about the Red Planet including dramatic evidence that long ago at least one area of Mars stayed wet for an extended period and that conditions could have been suitable for sustaining microbial life," NASA said in a statement.&nbsp;

When the storm struck, Opportunity was tooling around near a channel, carved in rim of crater, to see if it might have been created by flowing water, wind erosion, or something else.

Its partner rover, Spirit, became stuck in soft soil in 2009, and its mission was formally declared over in 2011.

Callas said he is hopeful Opportunity will not fully shut down because the approaching Martian summer means temperatures should not dip below the rover's minimal operating temperature, -55 degrees Celsius (-167 Fahrenheit).

The coldest NASA expects it to get is -36 C (-60 F).

"So we should be able to ride out the storm," he told reporters.

The dust is accumulating in a thin layer, and is not expected to bury the rover.

Opportunity is expected to remain asleep until there is enough power to charge the battery above a certain threshold, at which point it would autonomously wake up, said Callas.

Dust storms 

Opportunity has travelled some 28 miles (45 kilometers) on the Martian surface. It survived a less severe dust storm in 2007.

Martian dust storms are more easily whipped up on the Red Planet than on Earth because of Mars' thin atmosphere.

They can last from a few weeks to a few months.

Where Opportunity lies, "it is completely black on Mars. It is completely dark," said Callas.

NASA's larger and newer Curiosity rover is on the other side of the planet, where the sky has already begun to darken from the storm.&nbsp;

However, NASA is not as worried about Curiosity, which landed in 2012, because it is nuclear-powered, not reliant on the Sun.

Experts said the dust storm is not likely to endanger NASA's InSight mission, which launched earlier this year and is scheduled to land in November, on a mission to study quakes on Mars.

But scientists are studying this and other dust storms on Mars in order to be better able to forecast them, in case human explorers ever set up camp there.

"We would not want to have a crew operating remotely from their base and be caught off guard with a storm like this and have difficulty getting back home," said Jim Watzin, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA.

The unusually severe dust storm has blocked out the Sun over one quarter of the Red Planet, blanketing an area spanning 14 million square miles (35 million square kilometers), NASA said

A massive dust storm raging across Mars has overcome NASA's aging Opportunity rover, putting the unmanned, solar-powered vehicle into sleep mode and raising concerns about its survival, the US space agency said Wednesday. The unusually severe dust storm has blocked out the Sun over one quarter of the Red Planet, blanketing an area spanning 14 million square miles (35 million square kilometers), NASA said. Opportunity, located in a spot called Perseverance Valley, "has fallen asleep and is waiting out the storm," said John Callas, Opportunity project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We are concerned but we are hopeful that the storm will clear and the rover will be able to communicate with us." The storm was first detected on May 30, and grew worse in recent days. The robotic vehicle -- one of two currently operating on Mars -- has shut everything down except its master clock, and last communicated with Earth on June 10. Callas declared a "spacecraft emergency" due to low power. "In this point we are in a waiting mode. We are listening every day for possible signals from the rover," he said, likening the atmosphere among colleagues to having a loved one lying in a coma. "If it was your 97-year-old grandmother, you would be very concerned. And we are," he said. 90-day mission Opportunity, along with its twin named Spirit, launched in 2003 and landed on Mars a year later to hunt for signs of past life. Its mission was initially meant to last just 90 days. The rover "has made a number of discoveries about the Red Planet including dramatic evidence that long ago at least one area of Mars stayed wet for an extended period and that conditions could have been suitable for sustaining microbial life," NASA said in a statement. When the storm struck, Opportunity was tooling around near a channel, carved in rim of crater, to see if it might have been created by flowing water, wind erosion, or something else. Its partner rover, Spirit, became stuck in soft soil in 2009, and its mission was formally declared over in 2011. Callas said he is hopeful Opportunity will not fully shut down because the approaching Martian summer means temperatures should not dip below the rover's minimal operating temperature, -55 degrees Celsius (-167 Fahrenheit). The coldest NASA expects it to get is -36 C (-60 F). "So we should be able to ride out the storm," he told reporters. The dust is accumulating in a thin layer, and is not expected to bury the rover. Opportunity is expected to remain asleep until there is enough power to charge the battery above a certain threshold, at which point it would autonomously wake up, said Callas. Dust storms Opportunity has travelled some 28 miles (45 kilometers) on the Martian surface. It survived a less severe dust storm in 2007. Martian dust storms are more easily whipped up on the Red Planet than on Earth because of Mars' thin atmosphere. They can last from a few weeks to a few months. Where Opportunity lies, "it is completely black on Mars. It is completely dark," said Callas. NASA's larger and newer Curiosity rover is on the other side of the planet, where the sky has already begun to darken from the storm. However, NASA is not as worried about Curiosity, which landed in 2012, because it is nuclear-powered, not reliant on the Sun. Experts said the dust storm is not likely to endanger NASA's InSight mission, which launched earlier this year and is scheduled to land in November, on a mission to study quakes on Mars. But scientists are studying this and other dust storms on Mars in order to be better able to forecast them, in case human explorers ever set up camp there. "We would not want to have a crew operating remotely from their base and be caught off guard with a storm like this and have difficulty getting back home," said Jim Watzin, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA.

Dust storm on Mars knocks out NASA rover, puts it in sleep mode

A NASA rover has detected a bonanza of organic compounds on the surface of Mars and seasonal fluctuations of atmospheric methane in findings released on Thursday that mark some of the strongest evidence ever that Earth's neighbour may have harboured life.

But National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists emphasized there could be nonbiological explanations for both discoveries made by the Curiosity rover at a site called Gale crater, leaving the issue of Martian life a tantalizing but unanswered question.

Three different types of organic molecules were discovered when the rover dug just 2 inches (5 cm) into roughly 3.5 billion-year-old mudstone, a fine-grained sedimentary rock, at Gale crater, apparently the site of a large lake when ancient Mars was warmer and wetter than the desolate planet it is today.

Curiosity also measured an unexpectedly large seasonal cycle in the low levels of atmospheric methane. About 95 per cent of the methane in Earth's atmosphere is produced from biological activity, though the scientists said it is too soon to know if the Martian methane also is related to life.

Organic molecules are the building blocks of life, though they can also be produced by chemical reactions unrelated to life. The scientists said it is premature to know whether or not the compounds were created in biological processes.

Whether anywhere other than Earth has harboured life, perhaps even in microbial form, is one of the paramount questions in science.

"There are three possible sources for the organic material," said astrobiologist Jennifer Eigenbrode of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. "The first one would be life, which we don't know about. The second would be meteorites. And the last one is geological processes, meaning the rock-forming processes themselves."

The rover, which has allowed scientists to explore whether Mars ever boasted conditions conducive to life, in 2014 made the first definitive detection of organic molecules, also in Gale crater rock formed from ancient lake sediment - but it was a much more limited set of compounds.

"What the organic detections in the rock do is to add to the story of habitability. It tells us that this ancient environment on Mars could have supported life," Eigenbrode said. "Everything that was needed to support life was there. But it doesn't tell us that life was there."

Christopher Webster, an atmospheric science research fellow at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, said it is possible existing microbes are contributing to the Martian atmospheric methane.

"With this new data, we again cannot rule out the microbial activity as a potential source," Webster said.

The amount of methane peaked at the end of summer in the northern hemisphere at about 2.7 times the level of the lowest seasonal amount.

The scientists were surprised to find organic compounds, especially in the amounts detected, considering the harsh conditions, including the bombardment of solar radiation on the Martian surface. After drilling, Curiosity heats the rock samples, releasing the compounds.

Referring to the findings regarding organic compounds and methane, Webster said, "They hint at an earlier time on Mars when water was present and the existence of primitive life forms was possible."

The scientists hope to find better preserved organic compounds with Curiosity or other rovers that would allow them to check for chemical signatures of life.

The research was published in the journal Science.

Whether anywhere other than Earth has harboured life, perhaps even in microbial form, is one of the paramount questions in science

A NASA rover has detected a bonanza of organic compounds on the surface of Mars and seasonal fluctuations of atmospheric methane in findings released on Thursday that mark some of the strongest evidence ever that Earth's neighbour may have harboured life. But National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists emphasized there could be nonbiological explanations for both discoveries made by the Curiosity rover at a site called Gale crater, leaving the issue of Martian life a tantalizing but unanswered question. Three different types of organic molecules were discovered when the rover dug just 2 inches (5 cm) into roughly 3.5 billion-year-old mudstone, a fine-grained sedimentary rock, at Gale crater, apparently the site of a large lake when ancient Mars was warmer and wetter than the desolate planet it is today. Curiosity also measured an unexpectedly large seasonal cycle in the low levels of atmospheric methane. About 95 per cent of the methane in Earth's atmosphere is produced from biological activity, though the scientists said it is too soon to know if the Martian methane also is related to life. Organic molecules are the building blocks of life, though they can also be produced by chemical reactions unrelated to life. The scientists said it is premature to know whether or not the compounds were created in biological processes. Whether anywhere other than Earth has harboured life, perhaps even in microbial form, is one of the paramount questions in science. "There are three possible sources for the organic material," said astrobiologist Jennifer Eigenbrode of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. "The first one would be life, which we don't know about. The second would be meteorites. And the last one is geological processes, meaning the rock-forming processes themselves." The rover, which has allowed scientists to explore whether Mars ever boasted conditions conducive to life, in 2014 made the first definitive detection of organic molecules, also in Gale crater rock formed from ancient lake sediment - but it was a much more limited set of compounds. "What the organic detections in the rock do is to add to the story of habitability. It tells us that this ancient environment on Mars could have supported life," Eigenbrode said. "Everything that was needed to support life was there. But it doesn't tell us that life was there." Christopher Webster, an atmospheric science research fellow at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, said it is possible existing microbes are contributing to the Martian atmospheric methane. "With this new data, we again cannot rule out the microbial activity as a potential source," Webster said. The amount of methane peaked at the end of summer in the northern hemisphere at about 2.7 times the level of the lowest seasonal amount. The scientists were surprised to find organic compounds, especially in the amounts detected, considering the harsh conditions, including the bombardment of solar radiation on the Martian surface. After drilling, Curiosity heats the rock samples, releasing the compounds. Referring to the findings regarding organic compounds and methane, Webster said, "They hint at an earlier time on Mars when water was present and the existence of primitive life forms was possible." The scientists hope to find better preserved organic compounds with Curiosity or other rovers that would allow them to check for chemical signatures of life. The research was published in the journal Science.

NASA rover data shows Mars had the ingredients needed for life

''Zero'' is an upcoming 2018 Indian romantic drama film written by Himanshu Sharma and directed by Aanand L&nbsp;Rai. The film is jointly produced by Rai and Red Chillies Entertainment's Gauri Khan. It stars Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Anushka Sharma. The plot follows Sharukh as a man of short stature, who falls in love with a superstar played by Katrina whereas Anushka portrays the character of a girl with an intellectual disability.

Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif reunite yet again on screen after ''Jab Tak Hai Jaan.''&nbsp;

Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka are currently in the United States of America shooting extensively for the movie. Revealing more details about the shoot, it was reported&nbsp;by a publication house that Shah Rukh and Anushka will be shooting for a 45-day start-to-finish schedule.&nbsp;

The shoot will take place in NASA, and Shahrukh will be shooting there after his movie ''Swadesh''.

&nbsp;A poster and teaser of the movie are out, fans are anxiously waiting to see Shah Rukh in a never-before-seen avatar.&nbsp;

During an interaction with a reporter, Aanand was all praises for SRK and said, "It's all thanks to a great actor like Shah Rukh, who acts as if he is doing his first film. What I want to pick up from him is that how he can be so fresh and 'new' as an actor every time he is in front of the camera. His approach [to work] is very exciting. He is extremely energetic and I have seen that only in young actors." 
&nbsp; 
"Shah Rukh, Anushka, and Katrina have become like my friends. They have made my life so simple. I am really thankful to my actors who have given me this space where I can really focus on this tough, beautiful story rather than other things. They have been my support system and let me fly on the set. They also let me enjoy the process and that’s the reason it is shaping up like this. Otherwise, you can’t [do it]. I need my people around me and I know we will deliver a cracker of a film," Aanand added.

Also starring R&nbsp;Madhavan and Abhay Deol, "Zero"&nbsp;is to release on December 22, 2018.

&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka are currently in the United States of America shooting extensively for the movie.

''Zero'' is an upcoming 2018 Indian romantic drama film written by Himanshu Sharma and directed by Aanand L Rai. The film is jointly produced by Rai and Red Chillies Entertainment's Gauri Khan. It stars Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Anushka Sharma. The plot follows Sharukh as a man of short stature, who falls in love with a superstar played by Katrina whereas Anushka portrays the character of a girl with an intellectual disability. Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif reunite yet again on screen after ''Jab Tak Hai Jaan.'' Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka are currently in the United States of America shooting extensively for the movie. Revealing more details about the shoot, it was reported by a publication house that Shah Rukh and Anushka will be shooting for a 45-day start-to-finish schedule. The shoot will take place in NASA, and Shahrukh will be shooting there after his movie ''Swadesh''. A poster and teaser of the movie are out, fans are anxiously waiting to see Shah Rukh in a never-before-seen avatar. During an interaction with a reporter, Aanand was all praises for SRK and said, "It's all thanks to a great actor like Shah Rukh, who acts as if he is doing his first film. What I want to pick up from him is that how he can be so fresh and 'new' as an actor every time he is in front of the camera. His approach [to work] is very exciting. He is extremely energetic and I have seen that only in young actors." "Shah Rukh, Anushka, and Katrina have become like my friends. They have made my life so simple. I am really thankful to my actors who have given me this space where I can really focus on this tough, beautiful story rather than other things. They have been my support system and let me fly on the set. They also let me enjoy the process and that’s the reason it is shaping up like this. Otherwise, you can’t [do it]. I need my people around me and I know we will deliver a cracker of a film," Aanand added. Also starring R Madhavan and Abhay Deol, "Zero" is to release on December 22, 2018.

Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma to shoot at NASA for their upcoming film 'Zero'

When economists Praveen Chakravarty and Vivek Dehejia got hold of NASA images exhibiting the night-time view of Earth, they concluded that some of the regions in the country are not reflected as 'lit-up'&nbsp;due to lack of economic activity. In a report published by the BBC, Chakravarty and Dehejia studied night-time satellite images of the planet obtained from US Air Force Defence Meteorological Satellite Programme and analysed 387 of 640 districts in 12 Indian states.&nbsp;

The research stated the inequality "between and within various"&nbsp;Indian states as metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Delhi shone brightest and some 380 districts in 12 states were, on average, only fifth as bright as the big cities.

But, can the lit-up map of regions be an appropriate marker of economic activity and prosperity?&nbsp;

NASA describes their newest 'Night-time Maps' (2016) as "the clearest yet composite view of the patterns of human settlement across our planet".&nbsp;

“City lights provide a fairly straightforward means to map urban versus rural areas and to show where the major population centres are and where they are not,” William Stefanov, senior remote sensing scientist for the International Space Station program office was quoted on NASA's &nbsp;Earth Observatory website.

"They are also an excellent means to track urban and suburban growth, which feeds into planning for energy use and urban hazards, for studying urban heat islands, and for initializing climate models,” adds Stefanov.

But, if city lights are a marker of economic equality, and if the night-time map of India is to be compared with other countries, one would expect completely lit up maps of highly developed countries like the US or Australia, but that is not quite the case.&nbsp;

As per NASA's latest night-time maps released in the year 2016, the world at night lights up like this.&nbsp;

<img alt="world-map.JPG" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/world-map.JPG" width="770" />

This how the continental United States looks like at night (2016). Notice the remarkable pool of light that shines on the east coast and nearby areas of the United States and spurts of bright&nbsp;spots on the west coast in and around California.

<img alt="US-2016.JPG" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/US-2016.JPG" width="770" />

As suggested by the map, American states like North and South Dakota, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, among other central states are depicted as poorly lit. Does that suggest economic inequality among American states too?&nbsp;

And here is the composite (2016) image of Europe at night.

<img alt="Europs_0.JPG" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="429" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/Europs_0.JPG" width="770" />

Coming back to India, a comparison between country's night map in 2012 and 2016 shows a remarkable increase in 'lit-up areas'.

<img alt="iNDIA-2012.JPG" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/iNDIA-2012.JPG" width="770" />

India, 2012

The 2016 night-time map also shows more evenly distributed bright spots across the country with slightly dull patches along states like Odisha, West Bengal, parts of Chattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.&nbsp;

<img alt="INDIA-2016.JPG" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/INDIA-2016.JPG" width="770" />

India, 2016

NASA's night-time maps have been igniting curiosity for nearly 25 years. "They have provided a broad, beautiful picture, showing how humans have shaped the planet and lit up the darkness. Produced every decade or so, such maps have spawned hundreds of pop-culture uses and dozens of economic, social science and environmental research projects," states the website.

"The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on Suomi NPP can observe dim light down to the scale of an isolated highway lamp or fishing boat. It can even detect faint, nocturnal atmospheric light — known as airglow — and observe clouds lit by it. Through the use of its “day-night band,” VIIRS can make the first quantitative measurements of light emissions and reflections, distinguishing the intensity and the sources of night light. The sum of these measurements gives us a global view of the human footprint on the Earth," it adds.&nbsp;

And there will continue to be several similar studies in the future till the time&nbsp;NASA doesn't tire out bettering its technology and keep coming up with more advanced data. Until then, experts will continue to gauge at the vast pool data provided by NASA with different lenses to arrive at a range of interpretations.

(Images via NASA)

NASA describes their newest 'Night-time Maps' (2016) as 'the clearest yet composite view of the patterns of human settlement across our planet'

When economists Praveen Chakravarty and Vivek Dehejia got hold of NASA images exhibiting the night-time view of Earth, they concluded that some of the regions in the country are not reflected as 'lit-up' due to lack of economic activity. In a report published by the BBC, Chakravarty and Dehejia studied night-time satellite images of the planet obtained from US Air Force Defence Meteorological Satellite Programme and analysed 387 of 640 districts in 12 Indian states. The research stated the inequality "between and within various" Indian states as metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Delhi shone brightest and some 380 districts in 12 states were, on average, only fifth as bright as the big cities. But, can the lit-up map of regions be an appropriate marker of economic activity and prosperity? NASA describes their newest 'Night-time Maps' (2016) as "the clearest yet composite view of the patterns of human settlement across our planet". “City lights provide a fairly straightforward means to map urban versus rural areas and to show where the major population centres are and where they are not,” William Stefanov, senior remote sensing scientist for the International Space Station program office was quoted on NASA's Earth Observatory website. "They are also an excellent means to track urban and suburban growth, which feeds into planning for energy use and urban hazards, for studying urban heat islands, and for initializing climate models,” adds Stefanov. But, if city lights are a marker of economic equality, and if the night-time map of India is to be compared with other countries, one would expect completely lit up maps of highly developed countries like the US or Australia, but that is not quite the case. As per NASA's latest night-time maps released in the year 2016, the world at night lights up like this. This how the continental United States looks like at night (2016). Notice the remarkable pool of light that shines on the east coast and nearby areas of the United States and spurts of bright spots on the west coast in and around California. As suggested by the map, American states like North and South Dakota, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, among other central states are depicted as poorly lit. Does that suggest economic inequality among American states too? And here is the composite (2016) image of Europe at night. Coming back to India, a comparison between country's night map in 2012 and 2016 shows a remarkable increase in 'lit-up areas'. India, 2012 The 2016 night-time map also shows more evenly distributed bright spots across the country with slightly dull patches along states like Odisha, West Bengal, parts of Chattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. India, 2016 NASA's night-time maps have been igniting curiosity for nearly 25 years. "They have provided a broad, beautiful picture, showing how humans have shaped the planet and lit up the darkness. Produced every decade or so, such maps have spawned hundreds of pop-culture uses and dozens of economic, social science and environmental research projects," states the website. "The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on Suomi NPP can observe dim light down to the scale of an isolated highway lamp or fishing boat. It can even detect faint, nocturnal atmospheric light — known as airglow — and observe clouds lit by it. Through the use of its “day-night band,” VIIRS can make the first quantitative measurements of light emissions and reflections, distinguishing the intensity and the sources of night light. The sum of these measurements gives us a global view of the human footprint on the Earth," it adds. And there will continue to be several similar studies in the future till the time NASA doesn't tire out bettering its technology and keep coming up with more advanced data. Until then, experts will continue to gauge at the vast pool data provided by NASA with different lenses to arrive at a range of interpretations. (Images via NASA)

Can NASA's night-time maps depict economic inequality for real?

US astronaut Alan Bean, the fourth person to walk on the moon, has died, his family announced in a statement released by NASA. He was 86 years old.

The moonwalker who went on to become a painter died Saturday in Houston after suddenly falling ill weeks before, the statement said.

He was among the elite group NASA chose for its third group of astronauts in 1963, having served as a test pilot in the US Navy.

He twice ventured into space, originally in 1969 on the Apollo 12 moon landing mission, and later as commander of the second crew to fly to the first US space station Skylab in 1973.

His second foray outside of Earth's atmosphere saw Bean log a record-breaking 59-day, 24.4 million-mile flight (39.3 million kilometers).

He retired from NASA in 1981 to embark on a third career as an artist, creating Apollo-themed paintings textured with lunar boot prints or using acrylics infused with small bits of his mission patches sprinkled with moon dust.

Fellow astronaut Harrison Schmitt called Bean "one of the great renaissance men of his generation -- engineer, fighter pilot, astronaut and artist."

Born March 15, 1932 in Wheeler, Texas the future moonwalker earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Texas in 1955.

He is survived by his wife, sister and two children from a prior marriage.

Walt Cunningham, who flew on Apollo 7 and called Bean his best friend of 55 years, said "we are accustomed to losing friends in our business but this is a tough one."

"Alan and I never missed a month where we did not have a cheeseburger."

In 1994 Bean told The New York Times the otherworldly perspectives he got in space inspired him to devote the latter half of his life to art, to the surprise of many of his colleagues.

"Every artist has the Earth or their imaginations to inspire their paintings," he said.

"I've got the Earth and my imagination, and I'm the first to have the moon, too."

The moonwalker who went on to become a painter died Saturday in Houston after suddenly falling ill weeks before, the statement said

US astronaut Alan Bean, the fourth person to walk on the moon, has died, his family announced in a statement released by NASA. He was 86 years old. The moonwalker who went on to become a painter died Saturday in Houston after suddenly falling ill weeks before, the statement said. He was among the elite group NASA chose for its third group of astronauts in 1963, having served as a test pilot in the US Navy. He twice ventured into space, originally in 1969 on the Apollo 12 moon landing mission, and later as commander of the second crew to fly to the first US space station Skylab in 1973. His second foray outside of Earth's atmosphere saw Bean log a record-breaking 59-day, 24.4 million-mile flight (39.3 million kilometers). He retired from NASA in 1981 to embark on a third career as an artist, creating Apollo-themed paintings textured with lunar boot prints or using acrylics infused with small bits of his mission patches sprinkled with moon dust. Fellow astronaut Harrison Schmitt called Bean "one of the great renaissance men of his generation -- engineer, fighter pilot, astronaut and artist." Born March 15, 1932 in Wheeler, Texas the future moonwalker earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Texas in 1955. He is survived by his wife, sister and two children from a prior marriage. Walt Cunningham, who flew on Apollo 7 and called Bean his best friend of 55 years, said "we are accustomed to losing friends in our business but this is a tough one." "Alan and I never missed a month where we did not have a cheeseburger." In 1994 Bean told The New York Times the otherworldly perspectives he got in space inspired him to devote the latter half of his life to art, to the surprise of many of his colleagues. "Every artist has the Earth or their imaginations to inspire their paintings," he said. "I've got the Earth and my imagination, and I'm the first to have the moon, too."

Moonwalking astronaut-artist Alan Bean dies at 86

NASA's Curiosity rover could soon be drilling rocks on Mars again, according to the US space agency.

Engineers have been working for the past year to restore the rover's full drilling capabilities, which were hampered in 2016 due to a mechanical problem, NASA said in a statement.

A new technique called Feed Extended Drilling, or FED, lets Curiosity drill more like the way a person would at home, using the force of its robotic arm to push its drill bit forward as it spins.

The new version of FED adds a hammering force to the drill bit. The drill was tested with the FED technique without percussion at the end of February, NASA said.

It did not successfully produce a rock sample, but did provide valuable results for engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, US.

Data from the percussive tests will help them continue to refine the drill technique over the coming months.

"This is our next big test to restore drilling closer to the way it worked before," said Steven Lee, Curiosity deputy project manager at JPL.

"Based on how it performs, we can fine-tune the process, trying things like increasing the amount of force we apply while drilling," said Lee.

The strategy has been to prototype these new methods while on the go, he said.

Engineers at JPL will continue tweaking the extended drilling technique. At the same time, they are developing new ways to improve the drill's performance.

The rover has been making its way along Vera Rubin Ridge towards an uphill area enriched in clay minerals that the science team is eager to explore.

In anticipation of being able to obtain samples, the rover reversed direction in mid-April, heading towards a location just downhill from the ridge.

"We have purposely driven backwards because the team believes there is high value in drilling a distinct kind of rock that makes up a 200-foot-thick layer below the ridge," said Curiosity Project Scientist Ashwin Vasavada of JPL.

"We are fortunately in a position to drive back a short way and still pick up a target on the top of this layer," said Vasavada.&nbsp

Engineers have been working for the past year to restore the rover's full drilling capabilities

NASA's Curiosity rover could soon be drilling rocks on Mars again, according to the US space agency. Engineers have been working for the past year to restore the rover's full drilling capabilities, which were hampered in 2016 due to a mechanical problem, NASA said in a statement. A new technique called Feed Extended Drilling, or FED, lets Curiosity drill more like the way a person would at home, using the force of its robotic arm to push its drill bit forward as it spins. The new version of FED adds a hammering force to the drill bit. The drill was tested with the FED technique without percussion at the end of February, NASA said. It did not successfully produce a rock sample, but did provide valuable results for engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, US. Data from the percussive tests will help them continue to refine the drill technique over the coming months. "This is our next big test to restore drilling closer to the way it worked before," said Steven Lee, Curiosity deputy project manager at JPL. "Based on how it performs, we can fine-tune the process, trying things like increasing the amount of force we apply while drilling," said Lee. The strategy has been to prototype these new methods while on the go, he said. Engineers at JPL will continue tweaking the extended drilling technique. At the same time, they are developing new ways to improve the drill's performance. The rover has been making its way along Vera Rubin Ridge towards an uphill area enriched in clay minerals that the science team is eager to explore. In anticipation of being able to obtain samples, the rover reversed direction in mid-April, heading towards a location just downhill from the ridge. "We have purposely driven backwards because the team believes there is high value in drilling a distinct kind of rock that makes up a 200-foot-thick layer below the ridge," said Curiosity Project Scientist Ashwin Vasavada of JPL. "We are fortunately in a position to drive back a short way and still pick up a target on the top of this layer," said Vasavada.

Curiosity rover may soon drill rocks on Mars: NASA

China for the first time today launched a privately developed rocket the "Chongqing Liangjiang Star" with an eye towards sending a permanent manned space station into orbit by 2022.

OneSpace Technology, a Beijing-based private firm manufactured the rocket which was powered by solid fuel engine, company chairman Mao Chao said. The company aims to send 10 rocket missions by next year. "I hope we can become one of the biggest small-satellite launchers in the world," company founder Shu said.

The rocket has a 100 kg payload, significantly it uses energy-saving technology instead of internet power.&nbsp;

Chinese state media said One Space is the result of the Chinese government's effort to foster commercial space flight.

“We will develop bigger rockets in the future and participate in the global competition,” Shu added. Shu Chang added that his startup OneSpace mirrored Musk-controlled SpaceX.

The development of the Chinese military and space technology is one of President Xi's stated goals with the country spending millions of dollars on upgrading its various military hardware, including technology to power rockets, aircraft and drones.

The Chinese government tightly controls the development of space technology but the rise of OneSpace signals the country's intent to develop this space beyond government control more on the SpaceX and Jeff Bezos led-Blue Origin of the US.

Reports said the goal&nbsp;of the first flight of OneSpace was to collect data for a classified research project. 
&nbsp;

The rocket has a 100 kg payload, significantly it uses energy-saving technology instead of internet power.

China for the first time today launched a privately developed rocket the "Chongqing Liangjiang Star" with an eye towards sending a permanent manned space station into orbit by 2022. OneSpace Technology, a Beijing-based private firm manufactured the rocket which was powered by solid fuel engine, company chairman Mao Chao said. The company aims to send 10 rocket missions by next year. "I hope we can become one of the biggest small-satellite launchers in the world," company founder Shu said. The rocket has a 100 kg payload, significantly it uses energy-saving technology instead of internet power. Chinese state media said One Space is the result of the Chinese government's effort to foster commercial space flight. “We will develop bigger rockets in the future and participate in the global competition,” Shu added. Shu Chang added that his startup OneSpace mirrored Musk-controlled SpaceX. The development of the Chinese military and space technology is one of President Xi's stated goals with the country spending millions of dollars on upgrading its various military hardware, including technology to power rockets, aircraft and drones. The Chinese government tightly controls the development of space technology but the rise of OneSpace signals the country's intent to develop this space beyond government control more on the SpaceX and Jeff Bezos led-Blue Origin of the US. Reports said the goal of the first flight of OneSpace was to collect data for a classified research project.

Watch: In a first, China launches privately owned rocket, eyes space station in 2022

nasa

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