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.

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;

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<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>
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"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 said on Friday it will send a small helicopter to Mars as part of the U.S. space agency's 2020 mission to place a next-generation rover on the Martian surface, marking the first time such an aircraft will be used on another world. 
 
The remote-controlled Mars Helicopter, designed to take flight in the thin Martian atmosphere with twin counter-rotating blades, weighs about four pounds (1.8 kilograms), with a fuselage the size of a softball, NASA said. Its blades will spin at almost 3,000 rpm, roughly 10 times the rate employed by helicopters on Earth. 
 
"The altitude record for a helicopter flying here on Earth is about 40,000 feet (12,200 meters). The atmosphere of Mars is only one percent that of Earth, so when our helicopter is on the Martian surface, it's already at the Earth equivalent of 100,000 feet (30,480 meters) up," Mimi Aung, the Mars Helicopter project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement. 
 
NASA officials said the rotorcraft will reach the Red Planet's surface attached to the car-sized rover. After placing the helicopter on the ground, the rover will be directed to drive to a safe distance to relay commands. Controllers on Earth will command the helicopter to take its first autonomous flight after its batteries are charged and tests are conducted, NASA said. 
 
"The idea of a helicopter flying the skies of another planet is thrilling," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement. 
 
The helicopter is intended to demonstrate the viability and usefulness of such aircraft on Mars, NASA said, with potential roles as a low-flying scout or to reach locations inaccessible from the ground. 
 
NASA said it plans a 30-day flight test period that will include up to five flights, starting with a short vertical jaunt to hover for about 30 seconds at an altitude of 10 feet (3 meters) and progressing to flight distances up to a few hundred yards and durations up to 90 seconds. 
 
The helicopter contains solar cells to charge its lithium-ion batteries and a heating mechanism to keep it warm during frigid nights.

The Mars 2020 rover mission is scheduled to launch in July 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and reach Mars in February 2021. The rover is designed to carry out geological studies and ascertain the habitability of the Martian environment, NASA said.

The helicopter is intended to demonstrate the viability and usefulness of such aircraft on Mars, NASA said, with potential roles as a low-flying scout or to reach locations inaccessible from the ground

NASA said on Friday it will send a small helicopter to Mars as part of the U.S. space agency's 2020 mission to place a next-generation rover on the Martian surface, marking the first time such an aircraft will be used on another world. The remote-controlled Mars Helicopter, designed to take flight in the thin Martian atmosphere with twin counter-rotating blades, weighs about four pounds (1.8 kilograms), with a fuselage the size of a softball, NASA said. Its blades will spin at almost 3,000 rpm, roughly 10 times the rate employed by helicopters on Earth. "The altitude record for a helicopter flying here on Earth is about 40,000 feet (12,200 meters). The atmosphere of Mars is only one percent that of Earth, so when our helicopter is on the Martian surface, it's already at the Earth equivalent of 100,000 feet (30,480 meters) up," Mimi Aung, the Mars Helicopter project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement. NASA officials said the rotorcraft will reach the Red Planet's surface attached to the car-sized rover. After placing the helicopter on the ground, the rover will be directed to drive to a safe distance to relay commands. Controllers on Earth will command the helicopter to take its first autonomous flight after its batteries are charged and tests are conducted, NASA said. "The idea of a helicopter flying the skies of another planet is thrilling," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement. The helicopter is intended to demonstrate the viability and usefulness of such aircraft on Mars, NASA said, with potential roles as a low-flying scout or to reach locations inaccessible from the ground. NASA said it plans a 30-day flight test period that will include up to five flights, starting with a short vertical jaunt to hover for about 30 seconds at an altitude of 10 feet (3 meters) and progressing to flight distances up to a few hundred yards and durations up to 90 seconds. The helicopter contains solar cells to charge its lithium-ion batteries and a heating mechanism to keep it warm during frigid nights. The Mars 2020 rover mission is scheduled to launch in July 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and reach Mars in February 2021. The rover is designed to carry out geological studies and ascertain the habitability of the Martian environment, NASA said.

In a first, NASA to fly a helicopter on Mars

The White House has "quietly killed" a $10-million per year NASA program that tracks carbon and methane, key greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, the journal Science said.

NASA's Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) tracked sources and sinks for carbon and made high-resolution models of the planet's flows of carbon, said the report.

"Now, President Donald Trump's administration has quietly killed the CMS," it said, describing the move as the latest in a "broad attack on climate science" mounted by the White House.

The journal said NASA "declined to provide a reason for the cancellation beyond 'budget constraints and higher priorities within the science budget."

It also quoted US space agency spokesman Steve Cole as saying there was no mention of the CMS in a budget deal signed in March, which "allowed the administration's move to take effect."&nbsp

Cole, responding to a request for comment from AFP, said Trump proposed cutting the CMS project and four Earth science missions last year.

After much deliberation, Congress decided they wanted those four space missions to be funded, writing them into the budget bill they passed in March 2018, he said.

But since CMS was not among them, it was cut as proposed, Cole said, describing the entire process as a joint effort by lawmakers and the executive branch.

Existing grants would be allowed to finish but no new research would be supported, he said.

Trump has already cancelled another Earth science mission, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3), and announced the US pullout from the 2015 Paris climate accord.

According to Kelly Sims Gallagher, director of Tufts University's Center for International Environment and Resource Policy in Medford, Massachusetts, the CMS cuts jeopardize efforts to verify the national emission cuts agreed to in the Paris climate deal.

"If you cannot measure emissions reductions, you cannot be confident that countries are adhering to the agreement," she told the magazine.

NASA's Carbon Monitoring System tracked sources and sinks for carbon and made high-resolution models of the planet's flows of carbon

The White House has "quietly killed" a $10-million per year NASA program that tracks carbon and methane, key greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, the journal Science said. NASA's Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) tracked sources and sinks for carbon and made high-resolution models of the planet's flows of carbon, said the report. "Now, President Donald Trump's administration has quietly killed the CMS," it said, describing the move as the latest in a "broad attack on climate science" mounted by the White House. The journal said NASA "declined to provide a reason for the cancellation beyond 'budget constraints and higher priorities within the science budget." It also quoted US space agency spokesman Steve Cole as saying there was no mention of the CMS in a budget deal signed in March, which "allowed the administration's move to take effect." Cole, responding to a request for comment from AFP, said Trump proposed cutting the CMS project and four Earth science missions last year. After much deliberation, Congress decided they wanted those four space missions to be funded, writing them into the budget bill they passed in March 2018, he said. But since CMS was not among them, it was cut as proposed, Cole said, describing the entire process as a joint effort by lawmakers and the executive branch. Existing grants would be allowed to finish but no new research would be supported, he said. Trump has already cancelled another Earth science mission, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3), and announced the US pullout from the 2015 Paris climate accord. According to Kelly Sims Gallagher, director of Tufts University's Center for International Environment and Resource Policy in Medford, Massachusetts, the CMS cuts jeopardize efforts to verify the national emission cuts agreed to in the Paris climate deal. "If you cannot measure emissions reductions, you cannot be confident that countries are adhering to the agreement," she told the magazine.

Trump administration has quietly killed NASA's program to track greenhouse gases: Report

Uber Technologies Inc said on Tuesday it signed an agreement with US&nbspspace agency NASA to explore concepts and technologies needed for passenger and cargo air transportation within an urban area.

This is Uber's second agreement with the space agency. As part of the pact, the ride-hailing company will share data related to its efforts to build flying taxis in 2020 for the development of NASA's urban air mobility (UAM) program.

"Using data from Uber, NASA will use its research facility at the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) airport to simulate a small passenger carrying aircraft as it flies through DFW airspace during peak scheduled air traffic, and analyze if these operations would trigger traffic collision advisories," Uber said in a statement.

Uber on Tuesday also released a new prototype for flying taxies at its annual Elevate Summit.

In November, the company said it was working with NASA to develop a software which could be used to manage flying taxi routes and would work like ride-hailing services that Uber has popularised on the ground.

This is Uber's second agreement with the space agency. As part of the pact, the ride-hailing company will share data related to its efforts to build flying taxis in 2020 for the development of NASA's urban air mobility program

Uber Technologies Inc said on Tuesday it signed an agreement with US&nbspspace agency NASA to explore concepts and technologies needed for passenger and cargo air transportation within an urban area. This is Uber's second agreement with the space agency. As part of the pact, the ride-hailing company will share data related to its efforts to build flying taxis in 2020 for the development of NASA's urban air mobility (UAM) program. "Using data from Uber, NASA will use its research facility at the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) airport to simulate a small passenger carrying aircraft as it flies through DFW airspace during peak scheduled air traffic, and analyze if these operations would trigger traffic collision advisories," Uber said in a statement. Uber on Tuesday also released a new prototype for flying taxies at its annual Elevate Summit. In November, the company said it was working with NASA to develop a software which could be used to manage flying taxi routes and would work like ride-hailing services that Uber has popularised on the ground.

Uber to provide data support for NASA's urban air mobility programme

An Atlas 5 rocket soared into space early on Saturday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, carrying NASA's first robotic lander designed for exploring the deep interior of another planet on its voyage to Mars.

The Mars InSight probe lifted off from the central California coast at 4:05 a.m.PDT, treating early-rising residents across a wide swath of the state to the luminous pre-dawn spectacle of the first US interplanetary spacecraft to be launched over the Pacific.

The lander will be carried aloft for NASA and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) atop a two-stage, 19-story Atlas 5 rocket from the fleet of United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co.

The payload will be released about 90 minutes after launch on a 301 million mile (484 million km) flight to Mars. It is due to reach its destination in six months, landing on a broad, smooth plain close to the planet's equator called the Elysium Planitia.

That will put InSight roughly 373 miles (600 km) from the 2012 landing site of the car-sized Mars rover Curiosity.

The new 800-pound (360-kg) spacecraft marks the 21st US-launched Martian exploration, dating to the Mariner fly-by missions of the 1960s. Nearly two dozen other Mars missions have been launched by other nations.

Once settled, the solar-powered InSight will spend two years - about one Martian year - plumbing the depths of the planet's interior for clues to how Mars took form and, by extension, the origins of the Earth and other rocky planets.

InSight's primary instrument is a French-built seismometer, designed to detect the slightest vibrations from "marsquakes" 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 over the course of 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 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, detecting thousands of moonquakes and meteorite impacts. But InSight is expected to yield the first meaningful data on planetary seismic tremors beyond Earth.

InSight also will be 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 flowing from inside the planet.

Meanwhile, a special transmitter on the lander will send radio signals back to Earth, tracking Mars' subtle rotational wobble to reveal the size of the planet's core and possibly whether it remains molten.

Hitching a ride aboard the same rocket that launches InSight will be a pair of miniature satellites called CubeSats, which will fly to Mars on their own paths behind the lander in a first deep-space test of that technology.

The Mars InSight probe lifted off from the central California coast at 4:05 a.m.PDT, treating early-rising residents across a wide swath of the state to the luminous pre-dawn spectacle of the first US interplanetary spacecraft to be launched over the Pacific

An Atlas 5 rocket soared into space early on Saturday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, carrying NASA's first robotic lander designed for exploring the deep interior of another planet on its voyage to Mars. The Mars InSight probe lifted off from the central California coast at 4:05 a.m.PDT, treating early-rising residents across a wide swath of the state to the luminous pre-dawn spectacle of the first US interplanetary spacecraft to be launched over the Pacific. The lander will be carried aloft for NASA and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) atop a two-stage, 19-story Atlas 5 rocket from the fleet of United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co. The payload will be released about 90 minutes after launch on a 301 million mile (484 million km) flight to Mars. It is due to reach its destination in six months, landing on a broad, smooth plain close to the planet's equator called the Elysium Planitia. That will put InSight roughly 373 miles (600 km) from the 2012 landing site of the car-sized Mars rover Curiosity. The new 800-pound (360-kg) spacecraft marks the 21st US-launched Martian exploration, dating to the Mariner fly-by missions of the 1960s. Nearly two dozen other Mars missions have been launched by other nations. Once settled, the solar-powered InSight will spend two years - about one Martian year - plumbing the depths of the planet's interior for clues to how Mars took form and, by extension, the origins of the Earth and other rocky planets. InSight's primary instrument is a French-built seismometer, designed to detect the slightest vibrations from "marsquakes" 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 over the course of 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 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, detecting thousands of moonquakes and meteorite impacts. But InSight is expected to yield the first meaningful data on planetary seismic tremors beyond Earth. InSight also will be 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 flowing from inside the planet. Meanwhile, a special transmitter on the lander will send radio signals back to Earth, tracking Mars' subtle rotational wobble to reveal the size of the planet's core and possibly whether it remains molten. Hitching a ride aboard the same rocket that launches InSight will be a pair of miniature satellites called CubeSats, which will fly to Mars on their own paths behind the lander in a first deep-space test of that technology.

First NASA lander to study Mars' interior launches from California

Images from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) depict large areas of India lit up in red suggesting active fire locations.

A large chunk of the 'fire locations' are seen spread across north and central India.

NASA's FIRMS depicts "near real-time active fire locations to natural resource managers that faced challenges obtaining timely satellite-derived fire information," mentions the official.&nbsp;

The active fire locations shown on maps are a combination of forest fire locations as well as crop burning sites.

The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) describes 33 to 90 per cent of forest area in various Indian states as fire prone.&nbsp;

"While statistical data on fire loss is weak, it is estimated that the proportion of forest areas prone to fires annually ranges from 33% in some states to over 90% in other. About 90% of the forest fires in India are created by humans. India witnessed the most severe forest fires in the recent time during the summer of 1995 in the hills of Uttar Pradesh & Himachal Pradesh. The fires were very severe. An area of 677,700 ha was affected by fires," mentioned the ISDR website.&nbsp;

On the other hand, agricultural experts primarily link the highly active 'fire spots' in India to the increased practice of crop burning across the country.&nbsp;

Farmers prefer burning agricultural residue as it is cheaper and can easily be done without employing labour. Using a harvester usually slashes the expense of getting rid of the agricultural residue by more than half.&nbsp;

Burning crop residue contributes to the rising black carbon emissions in the country, air pollution and escalating temperatures, especially during summers.&nbsp;

NASA's FIRMS depicts 'near real-time active fire locations to natural resource managers that faced challenges obtaining timely satellite-derived fire information'

Images from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) depict large areas of India lit up in red suggesting active fire locations. A large chunk of the 'fire locations' are seen spread across north and central India. NASA's FIRMS depicts "near real-time active fire locations to natural resource managers that faced challenges obtaining timely satellite-derived fire information," mentions the official. The active fire locations shown on maps are a combination of forest fire locations as well as crop burning sites. The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) describes 33 to 90 per cent of forest area in various Indian states as fire prone. "While statistical data on fire loss is weak, it is estimated that the proportion of forest areas prone to fires annually ranges from 33% in some states to over 90% in other. About 90% of the forest fires in India are created by humans. India witnessed the most severe forest fires in the recent time during the summer of 1995 in the hills of Uttar Pradesh & Himachal Pradesh. The fires were very severe. An area of 677,700 ha was affected by fires," mentioned the ISDR website. On the other hand, agricultural experts primarily link the highly active 'fire spots' in India to the increased practice of crop burning across the country. Farmers prefer burning agricultural residue as it is cheaper and can easily be done without employing labour. Using a harvester usually slashes the expense of getting rid of the agricultural residue by more than half. Burning crop residue contributes to the rising black carbon emissions in the country, air pollution and escalating temperatures, especially during summers.

NASA's fire information system shows India studded with 'active fire spots'

NASA's Parker Solar Probe - Humanity's first mission to the Sun - is expected to launch&nbspon July 31 this year. The mission is in its final leg of preparations.

The spacecraft will undergo a final assembly procedure and will be attached to the third stage of the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle.

Post-launch, it will orbit directly through the solar atmosphere, closer to the surface than any human-made object has ever gone.

The mission is expected to reveal the fundamentals of the solar wind which is characterised by the constant outpouring of material from the Sun that shapes planetary atmospheres and affects space weather near Earth.

Throughout its seven-year mission, Parker Solar Probe will explore Sun's outer atmosphere and make critical observations to answer decades-old questions about the physics of stars.

The spacecraft will undergo comprehensive testing in the months to come before its final launch. A thermal protection system (TPS), or heat shield, will be installed prior to its launch to enable the spacecraft to survive the extreme temperature near Sun's corona.

"There are many milestones to come for Parker Solar Probe and the amazing team of men and women who have worked so diligently to make this mission a reality," said Andy Driesman, Parker Solar Probe project manager from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in the US.

"The installation of the TPS will be our final major step before encapsulation and integration onto the launch vehicle," said Driesman.

Parker Solar Probe will be launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp

Parker Solar Probe will be launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida

NASA's Parker Solar Probe - Humanity's first mission to the Sun - is expected to launch&nbspon July 31 this year. The mission is in its final leg of preparations. The spacecraft will undergo a final assembly procedure and will be attached to the third stage of the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle. Post-launch, it will orbit directly through the solar atmosphere, closer to the surface than any human-made object has ever gone. The mission is expected to reveal the fundamentals of the solar wind which is characterised by the constant outpouring of material from the Sun that shapes planetary atmospheres and affects space weather near Earth. Throughout its seven-year mission, Parker Solar Probe will explore Sun's outer atmosphere and make critical observations to answer decades-old questions about the physics of stars. The spacecraft will undergo comprehensive testing in the months to come before its final launch. A thermal protection system (TPS), or heat shield, will be installed prior to its launch to enable the spacecraft to survive the extreme temperature near Sun's corona. "There are many milestones to come for Parker Solar Probe and the amazing team of men and women who have worked so diligently to make this mission a reality," said Andy Driesman, Parker Solar Probe project manager from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in the US. "The installation of the TPS will be our final major step before encapsulation and integration onto the launch vehicle," said Driesman. Parker Solar Probe will be launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's first mission to Sun to launch in July

NASA has inked a deal with Lockheed Martin to develop a supersonic "X-plane" that could break the sound barrier without a sonic boom, officials said today.

The $247.5 million contract allows for the design, building and testing of a plane that would make its first test flight in 2021, NASA said.

The experimental plane "will cruise at 16,764 meters at a speed of about 1,513 kph and create a sound about as loud as a car door closing, 75 Perceived Level decibel (PLdB), instead of a sonic boom," the US space agency said in a statement.

As early as mid-2022, NASA plans to fly the X-plane over certain, as yet to be determined, US cities to collect data and gather community responses.

The goal is to enable quieter supersonic flight and create "new commercial cargo and passenger markets in faster-than-sound air travel," NASA said.

Last month, US President Donald Trump signed a federal budget that fully funds the project, saying the new aircraft "would open a new market for US companies to build faster commercial airliners, creating jobs and cutting cross-country flight times in half."

But passenger seats are not part of the project Lockheed Martin is working on, at least not yet. 
First, the company must show it is possible to fly a quiet supersonic aircraft. Then, the rules of the Federal Aviation Administration would have to be changed in order to lift the current ban on civil supersonic flights over land.

"This X-plane is a critical step closer to that exciting future," Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator of NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, told a news conference.

Other companies in the process of building supersonic passenger jets for flight in the coming years include Virgin Galactic and Spike Aerospace.&nbsp

The $247.5 million contract allows for the design, building and testing of a plane that would make its first test flight in 2021

NASA has inked a deal with Lockheed Martin to develop a supersonic "X-plane" that could break the sound barrier without a sonic boom, officials said today. The $247.5 million contract allows for the design, building and testing of a plane that would make its first test flight in 2021, NASA said. The experimental plane "will cruise at 16,764 meters at a speed of about 1,513 kph and create a sound about as loud as a car door closing, 75 Perceived Level decibel (PLdB), instead of a sonic boom," the US space agency said in a statement. As early as mid-2022, NASA plans to fly the X-plane over certain, as yet to be determined, US cities to collect data and gather community responses. The goal is to enable quieter supersonic flight and create "new commercial cargo and passenger markets in faster-than-sound air travel," NASA said. Last month, US President Donald Trump signed a federal budget that fully funds the project, saying the new aircraft "would open a new market for US companies to build faster commercial airliners, creating jobs and cutting cross-country flight times in half." But passenger seats are not part of the project Lockheed Martin is working on, at least not yet. First, the company must show it is possible to fly a quiet supersonic aircraft. Then, the rules of the Federal Aviation Administration would have to be changed in order to lift the current ban on civil supersonic flights over land. "This X-plane is a critical step closer to that exciting future," Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator of NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, told a news conference. Other companies in the process of building supersonic passenger jets for flight in the coming years include Virgin Galactic and Spike Aerospace.

NASA signs deal with Lockheed Martin to develop supersonic 'X-plane'

China said today its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/tiangong-1-space-labs-re-entry-into-earth-imminent-china-127728">space lab named Tiangong-1</a> broke up into pieces as it headed towards Earth in the South Pacific.

The eight-tonne Tiangong-1 <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/tiangong-1-space-labs-re-entry-into-earth-imminent-china-127728">"mostly" burnt up above the vast ocean's </a>central region at 8:15 am (0015 GMT), China's Manned Space Engineering Office said.

China had earlier predicted the space lab would re-entry over the Atlantic.

In the past week, speculation has been growing over the fate of the space lab. &nbsp;Tiangong-1 which in Mandarin means "Heavenly Palace” has been out of China's communication radar since 2017.

The space lab was originally planned to be decommissioned in 2013 but its mission was repeatedly extended.&nbsp;

China had said last year that its reentry would be delayed leading several experts to speculate that it had lost control of the space lab.

It is still unknown whether the debris from the space lab has entered the Earth's atmosphere.

The space lab was originally planned to be decommissioned in 2013 but its mission was repeatedly extended.

China said today its space lab named Tiangong-1 broke up into pieces as it headed towards Earth in the South Pacific. The eight-tonne Tiangong-1 "mostly" burnt up above the vast ocean's central region at 8:15 am (0015 GMT), China's Manned Space Engineering Office said. China had earlier predicted the space lab would re-entry over the Atlantic. In the past week, speculation has been growing over the fate of the space lab. Tiangong-1 which in Mandarin means "Heavenly Palace” has been out of China's communication radar since 2017. The space lab was originally planned to be decommissioned in 2013 but its mission was repeatedly extended. China had said last year that its reentry would be delayed leading several experts to speculate that it had lost control of the space lab. It is still unknown whether the debris from the space lab has entered the Earth's atmosphere.

Watch: Tiangong-1 space lab broke up over South Pacific: China

China today confirmed the <a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/photos/chinese-'out-of-control'-space-station-tiangong-1-may-crash-on-earth-tonight-127602">10.4-metre-long (34.1-foot) Tiangong-1</a> space lab launched in 2011 is set to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and land somewhere off Sao Paulo.

China had said last year that its reentry would be delayed leading several experts to speculate that it had lost control of the space lab.

The space lab was originally planned to be decommissioned in 2013 but its mission was repeatedly extended.

In the past week, speculation has been growing about its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. China says it will fall off Sao Paulo, however, Beijing had said on Friday that it is unlikely any large pieces will reach the ground.

The space lab is widely believed to burn up as it enters the Earth's atmosphere. Reports say there has&nbsp;been no&nbsp;contact with Tiangong-1 for the past two years.

Tiangong-1 which in Mandarin means “Heavenly Palace” weighs&nbsp;nearly 8.5 tonnes.

It still remains to be seen if the debris will fall into the Earth's atmosphere.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The space lab is widely believed to burn up as it enters the Earth's atmosphere.

China today confirmed the 10.4-metre-long (34.1-foot) Tiangong-1 space lab launched in 2011 is set to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and land somewhere off Sao Paulo. China had said last year that its reentry would be delayed leading several experts to speculate that it had lost control of the space lab. The space lab was originally planned to be decommissioned in 2013 but its mission was repeatedly extended. In the past week, speculation has been growing about its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. China says it will fall off Sao Paulo, however, Beijing had said on Friday that it is unlikely any large pieces will reach the ground. The space lab is widely believed to burn up as it enters the Earth's atmosphere. Reports say there has been no contact with Tiangong-1 for the past two years. Tiangong-1 which in Mandarin means “Heavenly Palace” weighs nearly 8.5 tonnes. It still remains to be seen if the debris will fall into the Earth's atmosphere.

Tiangong-1 space lab's re-entry into Earth imminent: China

Experts have predicted a small possibility of an asteroid hitting Earth in September 2135. The asteroid is likely to be the size of the Empire State Building and may cause significant damage to life and property on the planet.&nbsp;

A team of experts from NASA has already put a plan in place to avert the mishap. The asteroid, called Bennu, will be pushed out of Earth&#39;s orbit using a nuclear device -- a nearly nine-ton &quot;bulk impactor&quot;.&nbsp;

NASA&#39;s &nbsp;Planetary Defense Coordination Office aims at detecting dangerous asteroids and comets that threaten Earth&#39;s orbit. The space research agency also has a HAMMER (Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response) scheme in place for similar purposes.

But, should the mankind be scared of facing extinction once Bennu hits? Experts don&#39;t think so. The odds of the steroid actually hitting Earth are dismal&nbsp;-- about 1 in 2,700, plus its size is not big enough to pack up the entire race as it happened for the mighty dinosaurs.&nbsp;

The asteroid, called Bennu, will be pushed out of Earth's orbit using a nuclear device -- a nearly nine-ton 'bulk impactor'

Experts have predicted a small possibility of an asteroid hitting Earth in September 2135. The asteroid is likely to be the size of the Empire State Building and may cause significant damage to life and property on the planet. A team of experts from NASA has already put a plan in place to avert the mishap. The asteroid, called Bennu, will be pushed out of Earth's orbit using a nuclear device -- a nearly nine-ton "bulk impactor". NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office aims at detecting dangerous asteroids and comets that threaten Earth's orbit. The space research agency also has a HAMMER (Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response) scheme in place for similar purposes. But, should the mankind be scared of facing extinction once Bennu hits? Experts don't think so. The odds of the steroid actually hitting Earth are dismal -- about 1 in 2,700, plus its size is not big enough to pack up the entire race as it happened for the mighty dinosaurs.

NASA plans to avert asteroid that may hit Earth in 2135

US President Donald Trump has bashed international efforts to combat climate change and questioned the scientific consensus that global warming is dangerous and driven by human consumption of fossil fuels.

But there is a disconnect between what Trump says at home and what his government does abroad. While attention has been focused on Trump&#39;s rhetoric, State Department envoys, federal agencies, and government scientists remain active participants in international efforts to both research and fight climate change, according to the US and foreign representatives involved in those efforts.

&quot;We really don&#39;t detect any change with the Americans,&quot; said one of the officials, Aleksi H&auml;rk&ouml;nen of Finland, who chairs the eight-nation Arctic Council&#39;s key group of senior officials, who are charged with protecting a region warming faster than any other on Earth.

Over the past year, the United States has helped draft the rulebook for implementing the Paris climate accord, signed international memoranda calling for global action to fight climate change, boosted funding for overseas clean energy projects, and contributed to global research on the dangers and causes of the Earth&#39;s warming.

While the United States&rsquo; participation in international forums - including the Paris accord and the Arctic Council - has been reported, its continued, broad and constructive support for climate change efforts in these gatherings has not.

This business-as-usual approach has surprised some of America&rsquo;s foreign partners, along with some of Trump&rsquo;s allies, who had expected the new administration to match its rhetoric with an obstructionist approach to combating climate change.

&quot;I am concerned that much of our climate policy remains on autopilot,&quot; complained Trump&rsquo;s former energy adviser Myron Ebell, now a research director at the right-leaning Competitive Enterprise Institute, who said it reflects a failure by the administration to fill key positions and replace staffers who oppose the president&#39;s agenda.

The US efforts abroad to tackle climate change have been counter-balanced by Trump&#39;s aggressive push at home to increase production of the fossil fuels scientists blame for global warming. He has also ordered a wide-ranging rollback of Obama-era climate regulations and appointed a self-described climate sceptic, Scott Pruitt, as the nation&rsquo;s chief environmental regulator.

And to be sure, none of the US dealings in international climate efforts since last year have committed the United States to any emissions cuts that would undermine Trump&rsquo;s domestic energy agenda.

The State Department - which handles the bulk of US climate policy abroad - told Reuters it was still developing its global warming policy under Trump.

&quot;The State Department is working with the White House and the interagency to further develop our approach to international climate change diplomacy,&quot; State Department spokesman Ambrose Sayles said in a statement before Trump sacked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday.

&quot;In the meantime, we will continue to participate ... to ensure a level playing field that benefits and protects US interests, and to keep all options open for the President,&quot; Sayles said.

Tillerson&#39;s departure leaves a question mark over the future of US climate policy abroad. Tillerson was in favour of the Paris accord, while his successor, Mike Pompeo, has expressed doubts about the science of climate change. Climate advocates say they hope Pompeo will be too distracted by tensions with Iran and North Korea to change the State Department&rsquo;s approach to climate change.

White House spokeswoman Kelly Love declined to comment.

Trump announced last year that he was withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement to fight global warming, raising concerns among other parties to the deal that Washington might attempt to torpedo the accord or disengage from it completely.

That hasn&#39;t happened. Washington sent a 40-strong delegation to talks in Bonn in November to help draft a new rulebook that will provide rules of the road for the 200 participating nations. It was a smaller delegation than Washington had sent to past meetings, but it still won praise from fellow delegates for its work.

For example, Andrew Rakestraw - a climate negotiator for the State Department since 2013 - co-chaired discussions on how to ensure that the pledges by signatories are comparable and use the same accounting standards - a point seen as critical to the success of the accord.

Nazhat Shameem Khan, chief negotiator for Fiji, which presided over the talks, said the United States delegation was &quot;constructive and helpful.&quot; &nbsp;The UN&rsquo;s climate chief, Patricia Espinosa, also called the US role constructive.&nbsp;

Thomas Shannon, the State Department&#39;s chief climate negotiator in Bonn, did not respond to requests for comment. Rakestraw also did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment.

A US source familiar with the US position at the talks, who asked not to be named, said that US delegates in Bonn were pushing an agenda that resembled those of past administrations - stressing that emerging economies like China follow the same rules as developed nations and meet international standards for monitoring and reporting emissions.

There was one jarring note: Washington sponsored a side event to promote &ldquo;clean coal.&rdquo; Some other delegates said they were unhappy with this, as they wanted the talks to focus on renewable energies.

Under the details of the accord, the United States cannot formally withdraw until 2020.

The State Department&rsquo;s delegations to the Arctic Council are also continuing their work in much the same way they did under President Barack Obama - acknowledging that warming is real and should be countered in planning everything from new shipping routes to the protection of indigenous peoples.

Some US agencies are also still bolstering international efforts to fight climate change.

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation, which seeks to advance US policy by financing foreign business ventures, doubled its support for solar projects in 2017 under a climate-friendly policy last updated by the Obama administration.

And NASA, the US space agency, continues to research climate change, publish climate change data, and contribute to international reports, spokesman Stephen Cole said.

Both OPIC and NASA are independent of the State Department, so would not be under Pompeo&#39;s sway.

Scientists representing the United States in the international research say they have also been unfettered by the Trump administration, despite concerns early in the Trump presidency that the White House would seek to silence them or restrict their work.

&ldquo;There has been no pressure on US authors,&rdquo; said one US scientist, who is now helping to write a United Nations report that will call for coal to be &ldquo;phased out rapidly&rdquo; to limit global warming - &nbsp;a direct clash with Trump&#39;s pro-coal agenda.

The scientist asked not to be named because the draft report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), due to be released in October, is confidential.

&quot;Our US colleagues know that climate change is not a hoax,&quot; said one of the non-US authors of the same report, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Christopher Field, a professor of environmental studies at Stanford University who co-chaired a 2014 IPCC report on the impacts of climate change, agreed: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve not seen any indication that the climate denialism from Trump and other members of the administration has had any influence ... on the alignment of the US scientific community with the scientific consensus around the world.&quot;

Still, scientists worry that while the Trump administration is not interfering with their research it is ignoring it.

The Trump administration made no move to block an assessment by 300 experts last year that outlined the threats and causes of warming in the United States and concluded there is &ldquo;no convincing alternative explanation&rdquo; for climate change than human activity.

&quot;But then they haven&#39;t acknowledged the findings, nor changed their climate science denying stance,&rdquo; said the US scientist involved in drafting the UN coal report.

Trump has bashed international efforts to combat climate change and questioned the scientific consensus that global warming is dangerous and driven by human consumption of fossil fuels

US President Donald Trump has bashed international efforts to combat climate change and questioned the scientific consensus that global warming is dangerous and driven by human consumption of fossil fuels. But there is a disconnect between what Trump says at home and what his government does abroad. While attention has been focused on Trump's rhetoric, State Department envoys, federal agencies, and government scientists remain active participants in international efforts to both research and fight climate change, according to the US and foreign representatives involved in those efforts. "We really don't detect any change with the Americans," said one of the officials, Aleksi Härkönen of Finland, who chairs the eight-nation Arctic Council's key group of senior officials, who are charged with protecting a region warming faster than any other on Earth. Over the past year, the United States has helped draft the rulebook for implementing the Paris climate accord, signed international memoranda calling for global action to fight climate change, boosted funding for overseas clean energy projects, and contributed to global research on the dangers and causes of the Earth's warming. While the United States’ participation in international forums - including the Paris accord and the Arctic Council - has been reported, its continued, broad and constructive support for climate change efforts in these gatherings has not. This business-as-usual approach has surprised some of America’s foreign partners, along with some of Trump’s allies, who had expected the new administration to match its rhetoric with an obstructionist approach to combating climate change. "I am concerned that much of our climate policy remains on autopilot," complained Trump’s former energy adviser Myron Ebell, now a research director at the right-leaning Competitive Enterprise Institute, who said it reflects a failure by the administration to fill key positions and replace staffers who oppose the president's agenda. The US efforts abroad to tackle climate change have been counter-balanced by Trump's aggressive push at home to increase production of the fossil fuels scientists blame for global warming. He has also ordered a wide-ranging rollback of Obama-era climate regulations and appointed a self-described climate sceptic, Scott Pruitt, as the nation’s chief environmental regulator. And to be sure, none of the US dealings in international climate efforts since last year have committed the United States to any emissions cuts that would undermine Trump’s domestic energy agenda. The State Department - which handles the bulk of US climate policy abroad - told Reuters it was still developing its global warming policy under Trump. "The State Department is working with the White House and the interagency to further develop our approach to international climate change diplomacy," State Department spokesman Ambrose Sayles said in a statement before Trump sacked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday. "In the meantime, we will continue to participate ... to ensure a level playing field that benefits and protects US interests, and to keep all options open for the President," Sayles said. Tillerson's departure leaves a question mark over the future of US climate policy abroad. Tillerson was in favour of the Paris accord, while his successor, Mike Pompeo, has expressed doubts about the science of climate change. Climate advocates say they hope Pompeo will be too distracted by tensions with Iran and North Korea to change the State Department’s approach to climate change. White House spokeswoman Kelly Love declined to comment. Trump announced last year that he was withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement to fight global warming, raising concerns among other parties to the deal that Washington might attempt to torpedo the accord or disengage from it completely. That hasn't happened. Washington sent a 40-strong delegation to talks in Bonn in November to help draft a new rulebook that will provide rules of the road for the 200 participating nations. It was a smaller delegation than Washington had sent to past meetings, but it still won praise from fellow delegates for its work. For example, Andrew Rakestraw - a climate negotiator for the State Department since 2013 - co-chaired discussions on how to ensure that the pledges by signatories are comparable and use the same accounting standards - a point seen as critical to the success of the accord. Nazhat Shameem Khan, chief negotiator for Fiji, which presided over the talks, said the United States delegation was "constructive and helpful." The UN’s climate chief, Patricia Espinosa, also called the US role constructive. Thomas Shannon, the State Department's chief climate negotiator in Bonn, did not respond to requests for comment. Rakestraw also did not respond to calls and emails requesting comment. A US source familiar with the US position at the talks, who asked not to be named, said that US delegates in Bonn were pushing an agenda that resembled those of past administrations - stressing that emerging economies like China follow the same rules as developed nations and meet international standards for monitoring and reporting emissions. There was one jarring note: Washington sponsored a side event to promote “clean coal.” Some other delegates said they were unhappy with this, as they wanted the talks to focus on renewable energies. Under the details of the accord, the United States cannot formally withdraw until 2020. The State Department’s delegations to the Arctic Council are also continuing their work in much the same way they did under President Barack Obama - acknowledging that warming is real and should be countered in planning everything from new shipping routes to the protection of indigenous peoples. Some US agencies are also still bolstering international efforts to fight climate change. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation, which seeks to advance US policy by financing foreign business ventures, doubled its support for solar projects in 2017 under a climate-friendly policy last updated by the Obama administration. And NASA, the US space agency, continues to research climate change, publish climate change data, and contribute to international reports, spokesman Stephen Cole said. Both OPIC and NASA are independent of the State Department, so would not be under Pompeo's sway. Scientists representing the United States in the international research say they have also been unfettered by the Trump administration, despite concerns early in the Trump presidency that the White House would seek to silence them or restrict their work. “There has been no pressure on US authors,” said one US scientist, who is now helping to write a United Nations report that will call for coal to be “phased out rapidly” to limit global warming - a direct clash with Trump's pro-coal agenda. The scientist asked not to be named because the draft report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), due to be released in October, is confidential. "Our US colleagues know that climate change is not a hoax," said one of the non-US authors of the same report, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. Christopher Field, a professor of environmental studies at Stanford University who co-chaired a 2014 IPCC report on the impacts of climate change, agreed: “I’ve not seen any indication that the climate denialism from Trump and other members of the administration has had any influence ... on the alignment of the US scientific community with the scientific consensus around the world." Still, scientists worry that while the Trump administration is not interfering with their research it is ignoring it. The Trump administration made no move to block an assessment by 300 experts last year that outlined the threats and causes of warming in the United States and concluded there is “no convincing alternative explanation” for climate change than human activity. "But then they haven't acknowledged the findings, nor changed their climate science denying stance,” said the US scientist involved in drafting the UN coal report.

Weathering Trump's scepticism, US officials still fighting global warming

A recent study done&nbsp;by NASA has revealed that spending a year in space could change a person&#39;s&nbsp;DNA.

According to the research, 7% of astronaut&#39;s DNA does not return to normal after they land on earth.

The case study is based on an astronaut Scott Kelly&#39;s genes which involve information data gathered from before, during and after he spent one year in the International space station(ISS).

The data was later compared to his identical twins living on earth.

The research revelaed&nbsp;that after Kelly&#39;s return to earth he no longer shared the same genetics.

The official statement by NASA said&nbsp;&#39;&#39;researchers now know that 93% of Scott&rsquo;s genes returned to normal after landing. However, the remaining 7% point to possible long-term changes in genes related to his immune system, DNA repair, bone formation networks, hypoxia, and hypercapnia.&#39;&#39;

&quot;Increasing mission duration from the typical six-month ISS mission to one year resulted in no significant decreases in Scott&rsquo;s cognitive performance while inflight and relative to his twin brother Mark on the ground. However, a more pronounced decrease in speed and accuracy was reported post-flight, possibly due to re-exposure and adjustment to Earth&rsquo;s gravity, and the busy schedule that enveloped Scott after his mission.&quot;

The twin study research was done by ten research teams from around the country to discover what happens to the human body after spending a year in space.

According to the research, 7% of astronaut's DNA does not return to normal after they land on earth

A recent study done by NASA has revealed that spending a year in space could change a person's DNA. According to the research, 7% of astronaut's DNA does not return to normal after they land on earth. The case study is based on an astronaut Scott Kelly's genes which involve information data gathered from before, during and after he spent one year in the International space station(ISS). The data was later compared to his identical twins living on earth. The research revelaed that after Kelly's return to earth he no longer shared the same genetics. The official statement by NASA said ''researchers now know that 93% of Scott’s genes returned to normal after landing. However, the remaining 7% point to possible long-term changes in genes related to his immune system, DNA repair, bone formation networks, hypoxia, and hypercapnia.'' "Increasing mission duration from the typical six-month ISS mission to one year resulted in no significant decreases in Scott’s cognitive performance while inflight and relative to his twin brother Mark on the ground. However, a more pronounced decrease in speed and accuracy was reported post-flight, possibly due to re-exposure and adjustment to Earth’s gravity, and the busy schedule that enveloped Scott after his mission." The twin study research was done by ten research teams from around the country to discover what happens to the human body after spending a year in space.

Spending a year in space could change your DNA: NASA

The interior of Jupiter is just as intriguing as the planet&#39;s dazzling surface, with a swirling mixture of liquid hydrogen and helium at its centre, vast atmospheric jet streams and exotic gravitational properties, scientists said on Wednesday. 
 
Data from NASA&#39;s Juno spacecraft, orbiting the solar system&#39;s largest planet since 2016, is providing researchers with what they called unprecedented insight into Jupiter&#39;s internal dynamics and structure. Until now, scientists have had scant information about what lies below Jupiter&#39;s thick red, brown, yellow and white clouds. 
 
&quot;Juno is designed to look beneath these clouds,&quot; said planetary science professor Yohai Kaspi of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, who led part of the research using Juno&#39;s new measurements of Jupiter&#39;s gravity. 
 
&quot;On Jupiter, a gaseous planet without a solid surface, we can only gather information from orbit,&quot; added aerospace engineering professor Luciano Iess of the Sapienza University of Rome, who also led part of the research. 
 
Jupiter is a type of planet called a gas giant, as opposed to rocky planets like Earth and Mars, and its composition is 99 percent hydrogen and helium. Juno&#39;s data showed that as you go deeper under the surface, Jupiter&#39;s gas becomes ionized and eventually turns into a hot, dense metallic liquid. 
 
The scientists said Jupiter&#39;s jet streams, related to the familiar stripes on its surface, plunge some 1,800 miles (3,000 km) below cloud level, and that its deep interior is comprised of a fluid hydrogen and helium mixture that rotates as if it were a solid body. 
 
&quot;The very centre may contain a core made of high-pressure and high-temperature rocks and perhaps water, but it is believed to be fluid as well, not solid,&quot; said planetary scientist Tristan Guillot of the Universite Cote d&#39;Azur in Nice, another of the research leaders.

Juno&#39;s data showed a small but significant asymmetry between the gravitational field of Jupiter&#39;s northern and southern hemispheres, driven by the immense jet streams. The deeper the jets streams go, the more mass they contain, exerting a strong effect on Jupiter&#39;s gravitational field, Kaspi said. 
 
Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, dwarfs the solar system&#39;s other planets, measuring about 89,000 miles (143,000 km) in diameter at its equator, compared with Earth&#39;s diameter of about 8,000 miles (12,750 km). It is big enough that 1,300 Earths could fit inside it.

The research was published in the journal Nature.

Data from NASA's Juno spacecraft, orbiting the solar system's largest planet since 2016

The interior of Jupiter is just as intriguing as the planet's dazzling surface, with a swirling mixture of liquid hydrogen and helium at its centre, vast atmospheric jet streams and exotic gravitational properties, scientists said on Wednesday. Data from NASA's Juno spacecraft, orbiting the solar system's largest planet since 2016, is providing researchers with what they called unprecedented insight into Jupiter's internal dynamics and structure. Until now, scientists have had scant information about what lies below Jupiter's thick red, brown, yellow and white clouds. "Juno is designed to look beneath these clouds," said planetary science professor Yohai Kaspi of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, who led part of the research using Juno's new measurements of Jupiter's gravity. "On Jupiter, a gaseous planet without a solid surface, we can only gather information from orbit," added aerospace engineering professor Luciano Iess of the Sapienza University of Rome, who also led part of the research. Jupiter is a type of planet called a gas giant, as opposed to rocky planets like Earth and Mars, and its composition is 99 percent hydrogen and helium. Juno's data showed that as you go deeper under the surface, Jupiter's gas becomes ionized and eventually turns into a hot, dense metallic liquid. The scientists said Jupiter's jet streams, related to the familiar stripes on its surface, plunge some 1,800 miles (3,000 km) below cloud level, and that its deep interior is comprised of a fluid hydrogen and helium mixture that rotates as if it were a solid body. "The very centre may contain a core made of high-pressure and high-temperature rocks and perhaps water, but it is believed to be fluid as well, not solid," said planetary scientist Tristan Guillot of the Universite Cote d'Azur in Nice, another of the research leaders. Juno's data showed a small but significant asymmetry between the gravitational field of Jupiter's northern and southern hemispheres, driven by the immense jet streams. The deeper the jets streams go, the more mass they contain, exerting a strong effect on Jupiter's gravitational field, Kaspi said. Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, dwarfs the solar system's other planets, measuring about 89,000 miles (143,000 km) in diameter at its equator, compared with Earth's diameter of about 8,000 miles (12,750 km). It is big enough that 1,300 Earths could fit inside it. The research was published in the journal Nature.

NASA's Juno spacecraft strips Jupiter down to its underwear

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