<p>Space is full of wonders beyond our imagination. Though we have gazed far and deep into reaches of the black expanse, a lot remains unknown and what is known continues to surprise and mesmerise us. It's a good thing NASA and other space agencies are keeping track of it all.</p>

<p>A new image posted by NASA has transfixed everyone. The image shows a celestial structure that is like an eye in the sky looking at us from above. The eye does not appear benevolently watchful but has a mesmerising glow to it. The eyelashes are blue while the iris is blazing red.</p>

<p>Who is watching? God? or the Devil himself?</p>

<p>The eerie beauty is imparted to the photo by Helix Nebula which has been captured by Spitzer telescope. Helix Nebula is 700 light-years away from Earth and located in the Aquarius constellation.</p>

<p>NASA has posted the image on its Instagram account.</p>

<p>"The two-light-year diameter shroud of dust and gas around a central white dwarf, is an example of a planetary nebula, one of the final stages in the evolution of a Sun-like star. The dust makes this cosmic eye gleam red," says NASA in its Instagram post.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-posts-image-of-hand-of-god-netizens-are-awestruck-416265">NASA posts image of 'Hand of God', netizens are awestruck</a></strong></p>

<p>NASA further explains that nebular material was ejected from the star thousands of years ago.</p>

<p>"...the close-in dust could be generated by collisions in a reservoir of objects, like our own solar system’s Kuiper Belt or cometary Oort cloud. Formed in the distant planetary system, the comet-like bodies have otherwise survived the dramatic late stages of the star’s evolution...," says NASA</p>

<p>Check out the image</p>

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<p>The image has gone crazy viral on Instagram and has been liked by more than 1000000 people.</p>


Space is full of wonders beyond our imagination. Though we have gazed far and deep into reaches of the black expanse, a lot remains unknown and what is known continues to surprise and mesmerise us.

Space is full of wonders beyond our imagination. Though we have gazed far and deep into reaches of the black expanse, a lot remains unknown and what is known continues to surprise and mesmerise us. It's a good thing NASA and other space agencies are keeping track of it all. A new image posted by NASA has transfixed everyone. The image shows a celestial structure that is like an eye in the sky looking at us from above. The eye does not appear benevolently watchful but has a mesmerising glow to it. The eyelashes are blue while the iris is blazing red. Who is watching? God? or the Devil himself? The eerie beauty is imparted to the photo by Helix Nebula which has been captured by Spitzer telescope. Helix Nebula is 700 light-years away from Earth and located in the Aquarius constellation. NASA has posted the image on its Instagram account. "The two-light-year diameter shroud of dust and gas around a central white dwarf, is an example of a planetary nebula, one of the final stages in the evolution of a Sun-like star. The dust makes this cosmic eye gleam red," says NASA in its Instagram post. Also Read | NASA posts image of 'Hand of God', netizens are awestruck NASA further explains that nebular material was ejected from the star thousands of years ago. "...the close-in dust could be generated by collisions in a reservoir of objects, like our own solar system’s Kuiper Belt or cometary Oort cloud. Formed in the distant planetary system, the comet-like bodies have otherwise survived the dramatic late stages of the star’s evolution...," says NASA Check out the image View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) × The image has gone crazy viral on Instagram and has been liked by more than 1000000 people.

Devil's eye? NASA posts eerie image of Helix Nebula in Halloween season

Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin unveiled its plans for a private space station called “Orbital Reef”, which is expected to be deployed between 2025 and 2030.

Blue Origin unveils plans for Orbital Reef, a 'business park' in outer space

<p>Col. Wang Yaping is a pilot in the People’s Liberation Army’s Air Force. She is a space veteran, now making her second trip into orbit. She is set in the coming weeks to be the first Chinese woman to walk in space as China’s space station glides around Earth at 17,100 mph.</p>

<p>And yet, as she began a six-month mission last week at the core of China’s ambitious space program, official and news media attention fixated as much on the comparative physiology of men and women, menstruation cycles, and the 5-year-old daughter she has left behind, as they did on her accomplishments. (No one asked about the children of her two male colleagues.)</p>

<p>Shortly before the launch, Pang Zhihao, an official with the China National Space Administration, let it be known that a cargo capsule had supplied the orbiting space station with sanitary napkins and cosmetics.</p>

<p>“Female astronauts may be in better condition after putting on makeup,” he said in remarks shown on CCTV, the state television network.</p>

<p>At 41, Wang is a model of gender equality in a country where Mao Zedong famously said that “women hold up half the sky,” and the object of an undercurrent of sexism and condescension that courses through Chinese society, business and politics.</p>

<p>In China today, it is rare for women outside the entertainment industry to reach such public prominence as Wang. When they do manage to break barriers, their accomplishments are often viewed through the prism of gender.</p>

<p>In a short television report showing her training for the upcoming spacewalk, Wang exuded confidence, saying she hoped the mission aboard the new space station, called Tiangong, would be “more brilliant because of me.” She also hinted at the hurdles she had to overcome.</p>

<p>“For me, being an astronaut is not a profession, but a career, and it is such a career that I have an ardent love for,” she said. “This love is enough for me to overcome all difficulties, to overcome all barriers and even to sacrifice my own life.”</p>

<p>Online debates have erupted over whether women and men are fit for the same physical tasks.</p>

<p>“Most girls cannot do hard work or sweaty labor,” one user wrote on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. “Women must face up to this characteristic of their gender.” Others suggested she should have cut her hair or wondered how she would wash it.</p>


Col. Wang Yaping is a pilot in the People’s Liberation Army’s Air Force. She is a space veteran, now making her second trip into orbit. She is set in the coming weeks to be the first Chinese woman to walk in space as China’s space station glides around Earth at 17,100 mph.

Col. Wang Yaping is a pilot in the People’s Liberation Army’s Air Force. She is a space veteran, now making her second trip into orbit. She is set in the coming weeks to be the first Chinese woman to walk in space as China’s space station glides around Earth at 17,100 mph. And yet, as she began a six-month mission last week at the core of China’s ambitious space program, official and news media attention fixated as much on the comparative physiology of men and women, menstruation cycles, and the 5-year-old daughter she has left behind, as they did on her accomplishments. (No one asked about the children of her two male colleagues.) Shortly before the launch, Pang Zhihao, an official with the China National Space Administration, let it be known that a cargo capsule had supplied the orbiting space station with sanitary napkins and cosmetics. “Female astronauts may be in better condition after putting on makeup,” he said in remarks shown on CCTV, the state television network. At 41, Wang is a model of gender equality in a country where Mao Zedong famously said that “women hold up half the sky,” and the object of an undercurrent of sexism and condescension that courses through Chinese society, business and politics. In China today, it is rare for women outside the entertainment industry to reach such public prominence as Wang. When they do manage to break barriers, their accomplishments are often viewed through the prism of gender. In a short television report showing her training for the upcoming spacewalk, Wang exuded confidence, saying she hoped the mission aboard the new space station, called Tiangong, would be “more brilliant because of me.” She also hinted at the hurdles she had to overcome. “For me, being an astronaut is not a profession, but a career, and it is such a career that I have an ardent love for,” she said. “This love is enough for me to overcome all difficulties, to overcome all barriers and even to sacrifice my own life.” Online debates have erupted over whether women and men are fit for the same physical tasks. “Most girls cannot do hard work or sweaty labor,” one user wrote on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. “Women must face up to this characteristic of their gender.” Others suggested she should have cut her hair or wondered how she would wash it.

She is breaking glass ceilings in space, but facing sexism on Earth

<p>It perhaps is a dream of all of us to find a new planet or a star. If the discovery is vital enough, they even may give the planet our name. But not all of us have the scientific know-how to actually do that and all we can do is dream.</p>

<p>But now in our connected world, anything is possible. And if you really want to help scientists discover a new planet, all you need is a web browser and the internet.</p>

<p>The mission is to observe changes in brightness of stars. If a planet comes between us and the star, the star may dim in a certain way indicating presence of the planet.</p>

<p>There is a lot of data to sift through. The images and data has been captured by NGTS telescopes based at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Paranal Observatory in Chile.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/jupiter-collides-with-a-space-rock-japanese-skywatchers-observe-event-423312">Jupiter collides with a space rock, collision causes flash in its atmosphere</a></strong></p>

<p>The NGTS telescope captures images of thousands of stars in the space.</p>

<p>So why don't our softwares find the planets? Astronomers have been quoted in media reports as saying that current softwares do not capture the dimming effectively. They may miss a dimming star or falsely report presence of a planet. That's where volunteers come in.</p>

<p>If you are interested, you can head to Planet Hunters NGST page to get started. And if you think all the exercise is futile, remember that a mechanic in Australia has already found an unusual four-planet solar system.</p>


It perhaps is a dream of all of us to find a new planet or a star. If the discovery is vital enough, they even may give the planet our name. But not all of us have the scientific know-how to actually do that and all we can do is dream.

It perhaps is a dream of all of us to find a new planet or a star. If the discovery is vital enough, they even may give the planet our name. But not all of us have the scientific know-how to actually do that and all we can do is dream. But now in our connected world, anything is possible. And if you really want to help scientists discover a new planet, all you need is a web browser and the internet. The mission is to observe changes in brightness of stars. If a planet comes between us and the star, the star may dim in a certain way indicating presence of the planet. There is a lot of data to sift through. The images and data has been captured by NGTS telescopes based at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Paranal Observatory in Chile. Also Read | Jupiter collides with a space rock, collision causes flash in its atmosphere The NGTS telescope captures images of thousands of stars in the space. So why don't our softwares find the planets? Astronomers have been quoted in media reports as saying that current softwares do not capture the dimming effectively. They may miss a dimming star or falsely report presence of a planet. That's where volunteers come in. If you are interested, you can head to Planet Hunters NGST page to get started. And if you think all the exercise is futile, remember that a mechanic in Australia has already found an unusual four-planet solar system.

Scientists want you to help them discover new planets, here's how

<p>Some readers may remember the time when a legit comet collided with planet Jupiter. The exceptional event that took place in the year 1992 was huge news worldwide as it was first such event taking place inside solar system when human technology was developed enough to observe it in detail. As the comet approached Jupiter, it broke apart and created several bright flashes that were observed by telescopes on Earth and in space.</p>

<p>A similar event has grabbed headlines now. This time the object that hit Jupiter may not be as spectacular as a comet but has generated interest in scientific community nonetheless.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asteroid-deflecting-nasa-spacecraft-begins-final-preparations-422759">Asteroid-deflecting NASA spacecraft begins final preparations</a></strong></p>

<p>On October 15, a flash in Jupiter's atmosphere attracted attention of skywatchers in Japan. A Twitter user who photographed the event told news websites that the flash appeared to last long.</p>

<p>The flash was also observed by team of astronomers at Japan's Kyoto University. A space rock had collided with the gas giant.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/china-plans-to-extract-oxygen-from-moons-surface-report-422444">China plans to extract oxygen from Moon's surface: Report</a></strong></p>

<p>According to Sky &amp; Telescope, the space rock hit Jupiter's northern hemisphere.</p>

<p>Space rocks, asteroids and even comets are attracted to Jupiter due to the planet's enormous gravity. The biggest planet in our solar system has a monstrous pull on objects venturing too close to it. The planet is jokingly called a 'vacuum cleaner' of the solar system but in all seriousness, Jupiter may have been the reason we are alive today because of it eating up a rogue asteroid heading our way in all these years.</p>


Some readers may remember the time when a legit comet collided with planet Jupiter. The exceptional event that took place in the year 1992 was huge news worldwide as it was first such event taking place inside solar system when human technology was developed enough to observe it in detail.

Some readers may remember the time when a legit comet collided with planet Jupiter. The exceptional event that took place in the year 1992 was huge news worldwide as it was first such event taking place inside solar system when human technology was developed enough to observe it in detail. As the comet approached Jupiter, it broke apart and created several bright flashes that were observed by telescopes on Earth and in space. A similar event has grabbed headlines now. This time the object that hit Jupiter may not be as spectacular as a comet but has generated interest in scientific community nonetheless. Also Read | Asteroid-deflecting NASA spacecraft begins final preparations On October 15, a flash in Jupiter's atmosphere attracted attention of skywatchers in Japan. A Twitter user who photographed the event told news websites that the flash appeared to last long. The flash was also observed by team of astronomers at Japan's Kyoto University. A space rock had collided with the gas giant. Also Read | China plans to extract oxygen from Moon's surface: Report According to Sky & Telescope, the space rock hit Jupiter's northern hemisphere. Space rocks, asteroids and even comets are attracted to Jupiter due to the planet's enormous gravity. The biggest planet in our solar system has a monstrous pull on objects venturing too close to it. The planet is jokingly called a 'vacuum cleaner' of the solar system but in all seriousness, Jupiter may have been the reason we are alive today because of it eating up a rogue asteroid heading our way in all these years.

Jupiter collides with a space rock, collision causes flash in its atmosphere

<p>Asteroids may be small as compared to Earth, but their destructive power is huge due to momentum imparted to them by their speed. An asteroid struck Earth millions of years ago and ended the reign of dinosaurs. Such a rogue asteroid will very much be capable of ending human civilisation as we know it. Planetary defence hence is an important aspect of our space studies.</p>

<p>Humankind is taking first steps in this direction. NASA's asteroid deflecting spacecraft has begun final preparations before its lift-off. The spacecraft will lift-off in November this year. SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will take it in space.</p>

<p>The spacecraft is now at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It was transported there on October 2.</p>

<p>"The spacecraft will go through a series of final tests and checks, as well as fueling, in the next few weeks as the team prepares for DART’s scheduled launch," NASA said.</p>

<p>DART is an acronym for Double Asteroid Redirection Test.</p>

<p>"DART will be the world’s first mission to test planetary defense techniques, demonstrating one mitigation method of asteroid deflection, called kinetic impact. DART will impact the small asteroid moonlet Dimorphos, which orbits a larger companion, Didymos, in a binary asteroid system to change its orbital period. Although neither asteroid poses a threat to Earth, the collision with Dimorphos enables researchers to demonstrate the deflection technique along with several new technologies, and collect important data to enhance our modeling and predictive capabilities for asteroid deflection. Those enhancements will help us better prepare should an asteroid ever be discovered as a threat to Earth," NASA said on its website<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Asteroids may be small as compared to Earth, but their destructive power is huge due to momentum imparted to them by their speed. An asteroid struck Earth millions of years ago and ended the reign of dinosaurs.

Asteroids may be small as compared to Earth, but their destructive power is huge due to momentum imparted to them by their speed. An asteroid struck Earth millions of years ago and ended the reign of dinosaurs. Such a rogue asteroid will very much be capable of ending human civilisation as we know it. Planetary defence hence is an important aspect of our space studies. Humankind is taking first steps in this direction. NASA's asteroid deflecting spacecraft has begun final preparations before its lift-off. The spacecraft will lift-off in November this year. SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will take it in space. The spacecraft is now at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It was transported there on October 2. "The spacecraft will go through a series of final tests and checks, as well as fueling, in the next few weeks as the team prepares for DART’s scheduled launch," NASA said. DART is an acronym for Double Asteroid Redirection Test. "DART will be the world’s first mission to test planetary defense techniques, demonstrating one mitigation method of asteroid deflection, called kinetic impact. DART will impact the small asteroid moonlet Dimorphos, which orbits a larger companion, Didymos, in a binary asteroid system to change its orbital period. Although neither asteroid poses a threat to Earth, the collision with Dimorphos enables researchers to demonstrate the deflection technique along with several new technologies, and collect important data to enhance our modeling and predictive capabilities for asteroid deflection. Those enhancements will help us better prepare should an asteroid ever be discovered as a threat to Earth," NASA said on its website

Asteroid-deflecting NASA spacecraft begins final preparations

<p>NASA's newly launched spacecraft Lucy, which lifted off on October 16 to explore distant asteroids has faced issues with one of its solar panels.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Sunday, NASA said that one of Lucy's 24-foot-wide solar panels may not be working well.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While the 12-year asteroid mission is safe and healthy, one of the two solar array is not be fully latched, NASA said in a statement.</p>

<p>"NASA`s #LucyMission is safe &amp; stable. The two solar arrays have deployed, but one may not be fully latched. The team is analysing data to determine next steps," Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at the agency`s Headquarters in Washington, DC, wrote on Twitter.</p>

<p>NASA said that the team was analysing the problem and will decide on next steps in coming days.</p>

<p>"Lucy spacecraft systems show the spacecraft is operating well and is stable," NASA added in a blogpost.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, it said all other system is working well and both of the solar arrays are producing power and charging the battery .</p>

<p>"All other subsystems are normal. In the current spacecraft attitude, Lucy can continue to operate with no threat to its health and safety. The team is analysing spacecraft data to understand the situation and determine next steps to achieve full deployment of the solar array," the blogpost said.</p>

<p>Lucy`s solar panels are a crucial part of the spacecraft`s ambitious mission to get scientists their first-ever up-close look at asteroids that orbit in the same path as Jupiter, called the Trojans.</p>

<p>Lucy will explore the Trojan asteroids with a suite of remote sensing instruments. Additionally, the navigation cameras will be used to determine the shapes of the Trojan asteroids.</p>

<p>Jupiter`s Trojan Asteroids are small bodies that are remnants of our early solar system, now trapped in stable orbits associated with, but not close to, the giant planet Jupiter.</p>

<p>These primitive bodies hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system.</p>


NASA's newly launched spacecraft Lucy, which lifted off on October 16 to explore distant asteroids has faced issues with one of its solar panels. On Sunday, NASA said that one of Lucy's 24-foot-wide solar panels may not be working well.

NASA's newly launched spacecraft Lucy, which lifted off on October 16 to explore distant asteroids has faced issues with one of its solar panels. On Sunday, NASA said that one of Lucy's 24-foot-wide solar panels may not be working well. While the 12-year asteroid mission is safe and healthy, one of the two solar array is not be fully latched, NASA said in a statement. "NASA`s #LucyMission is safe & stable. The two solar arrays have deployed, but one may not be fully latched. The team is analysing data to determine next steps," Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at the agency`s Headquarters in Washington, DC, wrote on Twitter. NASA said that the team was analysing the problem and will decide on next steps in coming days. "Lucy spacecraft systems show the spacecraft is operating well and is stable," NASA added in a blogpost. Meanwhile, it said all other system is working well and both of the solar arrays are producing power and charging the battery . "All other subsystems are normal. In the current spacecraft attitude, Lucy can continue to operate with no threat to its health and safety. The team is analysing spacecraft data to understand the situation and determine next steps to achieve full deployment of the solar array," the blogpost said. Lucy`s solar panels are a crucial part of the spacecraft`s ambitious mission to get scientists their first-ever up-close look at asteroids that orbit in the same path as Jupiter, called the Trojans. Lucy will explore the Trojan asteroids with a suite of remote sensing instruments. Additionally, the navigation cameras will be used to determine the shapes of the Trojan asteroids. Jupiter`s Trojan Asteroids are small bodies that are remnants of our early solar system, now trapped in stable orbits associated with, but not close to, the giant planet Jupiter. These primitive bodies hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system.

NASA's Lucy spacecraft faces issues with solar panel

The Russian crew have returned to Earth after spending 12 days at the international space station. The actor and the director visited the ISS to shoot the first film in space. The two on board share their journey and experience in space. Listen in.

Russian crew returns to Earth after 12 days

<p>For Japanese fashion magnate Yusaku Maezawa, training in zero gravity ahead of his planned trip to space later this year was not always easy.</p>

<p>"I've been alive for 45 years and have not experienced anything like that. I felt awkward at first," he said via a translator at a news conference, where he appeared alongside his assistant and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/lucy-in-the-sky-nasa-space-mission-lifts-off-will-study-jupiters-trojan-asteroids-421268">&nbsp;'Lucy in the sky': NASA space mission lifts off, will study Jupiter's Trojan asteroids</a></strong></p>

<p>"I couldn't control the movement of my arms and legs. But when I got used to it a little bit, it was very pleasant," he added at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center outside Moscow.</p>

<p>Misurkin will accompany the space tourist during a 12-day-long trip on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, which is expected to start on December&nbsp;8.</p>

<p>Maezawa plans to become the first Japanese space tourist to visit the International Space Station.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said he was having to train for months before the flight, and that he did not feel fear or anxiety so far.</p>

<p>"Our inspiration is growing," he said.</p>


For Japanese fashion magnate Yusaku Maezawa, training in zero gravity ahead of his planned trip to space later this year was not always easy. "I've been alive for 45 years and have not experienced anything like that.

For Japanese fashion magnate Yusaku Maezawa, training in zero gravity ahead of his planned trip to space later this year was not always easy. "I've been alive for 45 years and have not experienced anything like that. I felt awkward at first," he said via a translator at a news conference, where he appeared alongside his assistant and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin. Also Read | 'Lucy in the sky': NASA space mission lifts off, will study Jupiter's Trojan asteroids "I couldn't control the movement of my arms and legs. But when I got used to it a little bit, it was very pleasant," he added at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center outside Moscow. Misurkin will accompany the space tourist during a 12-day-long trip on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, which is expected to start on December 8. Maezawa plans to become the first Japanese space tourist to visit the International Space Station. He said he was having to train for months before the flight, and that he did not feel fear or anxiety so far. "Our inspiration is growing," he said.

Japanese billionaire gets ready for December space mission

PM Modi has launched the Indian Space Association. Will the public-private partnership be a quantum leap for space exploration? We look at the most iconic moments of India's space odyssey.

WION Wideangle: India in the Space Age

<p>Searching for alien life is a quest filled with excitement for both, scientists and artists. Universe may have its secrets and planets full of life billions of lightyears away from us but a very promising candidate (other than Earth) to harbour life is right here in our solar system.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Enter Europa, one of four moon of the planet Jupiter. The frigid moon has an icy shell that upto 25 kilometres thick. An below this, scientists think there are vast liquid oceans 60 to 150 kilometres deep. And where there is water, there is chance of life.</p>

<p>But NASA's Hubble telescope has found water vapour on the frigid moon. Observations made by Hubble between 1999 and 2015 have suggested presence long-term presence of a water vapor atmosphere only in Europa's 'trailing atmosphere - &nbsp;that portion of the moon that is always opposite its direction of motion along its orbit'.</p>

<p>NASA says that cause of this asymmetry, why the water vapour is found in only one hemisphere and not the other, is not yet fully understood.</p>

<p>"This detection paves the way for in-depth studies of Europa by future probes including NASA's Europa Clipper and the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission from the European Space Agency (ESA). Understanding the formation and evolution of Jupiter and its moons also helps astronomers gain insights into Jupiter-like planets around other stars," sayss NASA.</p>

<p>These observations have been published in journal Geophysical Research Letters.</p>


Searching for alien life is a quest filled with excitement for both, scientists and artists. Universe may have its secrets and planets full of life billions of lightyears away from us but a very promising candidate (other than Earth) to harbour life is right here in our solar system.

Searching for alien life is a quest filled with excitement for both, scientists and artists. Universe may have its secrets and planets full of life billions of lightyears away from us but a very promising candidate (other than Earth) to harbour life is right here in our solar system. Enter Europa, one of four moon of the planet Jupiter. The frigid moon has an icy shell that upto 25 kilometres thick. An below this, scientists think there are vast liquid oceans 60 to 150 kilometres deep. And where there is water, there is chance of life. But NASA's Hubble telescope has found water vapour on the frigid moon. Observations made by Hubble between 1999 and 2015 have suggested presence long-term presence of a water vapor atmosphere only in Europa's 'trailing atmosphere - that portion of the moon that is always opposite its direction of motion along its orbit'. NASA says that cause of this asymmetry, why the water vapour is found in only one hemisphere and not the other, is not yet fully understood. "This detection paves the way for in-depth studies of Europa by future probes including NASA's Europa Clipper and the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission from the European Space Agency (ESA). Understanding the formation and evolution of Jupiter and its moons also helps astronomers gain insights into Jupiter-like planets around other stars," sayss NASA. These observations have been published in journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Hubble telescope spots water vapour on Jupiter's icy moon

<p>NASA launched a first-of-its kind mission on Saturday to study Jupiter's Trojan asteroids, two large clusters of space rocks that scientists believe are remnants of primordial material that formed the solar system's outer planets.</p>

<p>The space probe, dubbed Lucy and packed inside a special cargo capsule, lifted off on schedule from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 5:34 a.m. EDT (0934 GMT), NASA said. It was carried aloft by an Atlas V rocket from United Launch Alliance (UAL), a joint venture of Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp.</p>

<p>Lucy's mission is a 12-year expedition to study a record number of asteroids. It will be the first to explore the Trojans, thousands of rocky objects orbiting the sun in two swarms - one ahead of the path of giant gas planet Jupiter and one behind it.</p>

<p>The largest known Trojan asteroids, named for the warriors of Greek mythology, are believed to measure as much as 225 kilometers (140 miles) in diameter.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/this-star-spins-around-itself-once-every-25-seconds-421138">This star spins around itself once every 25 seconds</a></strong></p>

<p>Scientists hope Lucy's close-up fly-by of seven Trojans will yield new clues to how the solar system's planets came to be formed some 4.5 billion years ago and what shaped their present configuration.</p>

<p>Believed to be rich in carbon compounds, the asteroids may even provide new insights into the origin of organic materials and life on Earth, NASA said.</p>

<p>"The Trojan asteroids are leftovers from the early days of our solar system, effectively the fossils of planet formation," principal mission investigator Harold Levison of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, was quoted by NASA as saying.</p>

<p>No other single science mission has been designed to visit as many different objects independently orbiting the sun in the history of space exploration, NASA said.\</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/first-exoplanet-to-survive-death-of-its-star-provides-hint-of-solar-systems-future-420589">First exoplanet to survive death of its star provides hint of solar system's future</a></strong></p>

<p>As well as the Trojans, Lucy will do a fly-by of an asteroid in the solar system's main asteroid belt, called DonaldJohanson in honor of the lead discoverer of the fossilized human ancestor known as Lucy, from which the NASA mission takes its name. The Lucy fossil, unearthed in Ethiopia in 1974, was in turn named for the Beatles hit "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/astronauts-photo-from-space-reveals-a-strange-blue-glow-on-earth-420466">Astronaut's photo from space reveals a strange blue glow on Earth</a></strong></p>

<p>Lucy the asteroid probe will make spaceflight history in another way. Following a route that circles back to Earth three times for gravitational assists, it will be the first spacecraft ever to return to Earth's vicinity from the outer solar system, according to NASA.</p>

<p>The probe will use rocket thrusters to maneuver in space and two rounded solar arrays, each the width of a school bus, to recharge batteries that will power the instruments contained in the much smaller central body of the spacecraft.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>


NASA launched a first-of-its kind mission on Saturday to study Jupiter's Trojan asteroids, two large clusters of space rocks that scientists believe are remnants of primordial material that formed the solar system's outer planets.

NASA launched a first-of-its kind mission on Saturday to study Jupiter's Trojan asteroids, two large clusters of space rocks that scientists believe are remnants of primordial material that formed the solar system's outer planets. The space probe, dubbed Lucy and packed inside a special cargo capsule, lifted off on schedule from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 5:34 a.m. EDT (0934 GMT), NASA said. It was carried aloft by an Atlas V rocket from United Launch Alliance (UAL), a joint venture of Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp. Lucy's mission is a 12-year expedition to study a record number of asteroids. It will be the first to explore the Trojans, thousands of rocky objects orbiting the sun in two swarms - one ahead of the path of giant gas planet Jupiter and one behind it. The largest known Trojan asteroids, named for the warriors of Greek mythology, are believed to measure as much as 225 kilometers (140 miles) in diameter. Also Read | This star spins around itself once every 25 seconds Scientists hope Lucy's close-up fly-by of seven Trojans will yield new clues to how the solar system's planets came to be formed some 4.5 billion years ago and what shaped their present configuration. Believed to be rich in carbon compounds, the asteroids may even provide new insights into the origin of organic materials and life on Earth, NASA said. "The Trojan asteroids are leftovers from the early days of our solar system, effectively the fossils of planet formation," principal mission investigator Harold Levison of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, was quoted by NASA as saying. No other single science mission has been designed to visit as many different objects independently orbiting the sun in the history of space exploration, NASA said.\ Also Read | First exoplanet to survive death of its star provides hint of solar system's future As well as the Trojans, Lucy will do a fly-by of an asteroid in the solar system's main asteroid belt, called DonaldJohanson in honor of the lead discoverer of the fossilized human ancestor known as Lucy, from which the NASA mission takes its name. The Lucy fossil, unearthed in Ethiopia in 1974, was in turn named for the Beatles hit "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." Also Read | Astronaut's photo from space reveals a strange blue glow on Earth Lucy the asteroid probe will make spaceflight history in another way. Following a route that circles back to Earth three times for gravitational assists, it will be the first spacecraft ever to return to Earth's vicinity from the outer solar system, according to NASA. The probe will use rocket thrusters to maneuver in space and two rounded solar arrays, each the width of a school bus, to recharge batteries that will power the instruments contained in the much smaller central body of the spacecraft. (With inputs from agencies)

'Lucy in the sky': NASA space mission lifts off, will study Jupiter's Trojan asteroids

<p>China will send three astronauts to its new space station this week, officials confirmed Thursday, in what will be Beijing's longest crewed mission to date.</p>

<p>The three will blast off at 12:23 am on Saturday from the launch centre in northwestern China's Gobi desert, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said at a press conference Thursday.</p>

<p>They will spend six months at the Tiangong space station's core module, Tianhe.</p>

<p>Their mission, twice as long as its record-holding predecessor,&nbsp;aims to test "critical technologies" for assembling Tiangong, CMSA deputy director Lin Xiqiang said.</p>

<p>The mission will also include "two to three" spacewalks to install components needed for future construction work, Lin said.</p>

<p>The three "taikonauts", as China&nbsp;calls its astronauts include commander Zhai Zhigang, 55, a former People's Liberation Army (PLA) fighter pilot who in 2008 performed the first spacewalk by a Chinese astronaut.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-lucy-mission-to-begin-voyage-to-trojan-asteroids-420877"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;NASA's Lucy mission to begin voyage to Trojan asteroids</strong></a></p>

<p>Zhai said the main challenges for the astronauts will include "more complex" spacewalks than previous missions and the extra physical and mental pressure of living in space for a longer period.</p>

<p>But the crew "had the confidence and ability" to achieve their objectives and "live up to the great trust placed in us by the motherland and the people," he added at a separate press conference Thursday.</p>

<p>Another crew member, Wang Yaping, 41, will become the first woman astronaut to visit the nation's space station.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She previously became China's second woman in space in 2013.</p>

<p>The other team member is former PLA pilot Ye Guangfu, 41.</p>

<p>The trio were previously the backup crew for the successful Shenzhou-12 mission that concluded last month when the astronauts returned safely to Earth in a landing capsule.</p>

<p>The astronauts spent three months on the Tiangong station, which has separate living modules for each of them as well as a shared bathroom, dining area, and a communication centre to send emails and allow video calls with ground control.</p>

<p>The Long March-2F rocket that will carry the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft into space was moved to the launch pad last Thursday, Chinese state media reported.</p>

<p>It is currently taking on propellant before Saturday's launch, Lin said.</p>

<p>China's heavily promoted space programme has already seen the country land a rover on Mars and send probes to the moon.</p>

<p>Beijing's desire for a human outpost of its own in Earth's orbit was fuelled by a US ban on its astronauts on the International Space Station.</p>


China will send three astronauts to its new space station this week, officials confirmed Thursday, in what will be Beijing's longest crewed mission to date. The three will blast off at 12:23 am on Saturday from the launch centre in northwestern China's Gobi desert, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said at a press conference Thursday.

China will send three astronauts to its new space station this week, officials confirmed Thursday, in what will be Beijing's longest crewed mission to date. The three will blast off at 12:23 am on Saturday from the launch centre in northwestern China's Gobi desert, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said at a press conference Thursday. They will spend six months at the Tiangong space station's core module, Tianhe. Their mission, twice as long as its record-holding predecessor, aims to test "critical technologies" for assembling Tiangong, CMSA deputy director Lin Xiqiang said. The mission will also include "two to three" spacewalks to install components needed for future construction work, Lin said. The three "taikonauts", as China calls its astronauts include commander Zhai Zhigang, 55, a former People's Liberation Army (PLA) fighter pilot who in 2008 performed the first spacewalk by a Chinese astronaut. Also read | NASA's Lucy mission to begin voyage to Trojan asteroids Zhai said the main challenges for the astronauts will include "more complex" spacewalks than previous missions and the extra physical and mental pressure of living in space for a longer period. But the crew "had the confidence and ability" to achieve their objectives and "live up to the great trust placed in us by the motherland and the people," he added at a separate press conference Thursday. Another crew member, Wang Yaping, 41, will become the first woman astronaut to visit the nation's space station. She previously became China's second woman in space in 2013. The other team member is former PLA pilot Ye Guangfu, 41. The trio were previously the backup crew for the successful Shenzhou-12 mission that concluded last month when the astronauts returned safely to Earth in a landing capsule. The astronauts spent three months on the Tiangong station, which has separate living modules for each of them as well as a shared bathroom, dining area, and a communication centre to send emails and allow video calls with ground control. The Long March-2F rocket that will carry the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft into space was moved to the launch pad last Thursday, Chinese state media reported. It is currently taking on propellant before Saturday's launch, Lin said. China's heavily promoted space programme has already seen the country land a rover on Mars and send probes to the moon. Beijing's desire for a human outpost of its own in Earth's orbit was fuelled by a US ban on its astronauts on the International Space Station.

China to launch latest crewed space mission Saturday morning

<p>NASA is scheduled on Saturday to launch a probe toward clusters of asteroids along Jupiter’s orbital path. They are known as the Trojan swarms, and they represent the final unexplored regions of asteroids in the solar system. The spacecraft, a deep-space robotic archaeologist named Lucy, will seek to answer pressing questions about the origins of the solar system, how the planets migrated to their current orbits and how life might have emerged on Earth.</p>

<p>“We have never gone this far to study asteroids,” said Bill Nelson, the administrator of NASA. “In so doing, we’re going to be able to better understand the formation of the solar system, and better understand ourselves and our development.”</p>

<p>After a six-year cruise, Lucy will fly close to seven Trojan asteroids through 2033, completing wild circuits of the sun that conjure the outline of a Formula 1 racetrack in some graphic renderings.</p>

<p>The spacecraft will study the geology, composition, density and structure of the Trojans, which are small bodies locked in stable points along Jupiter’s orbit of the sun, fixed in their own orbits ahead or behind the massive planet.</p>

<p>“It’s always interesting to go somewhere for the first time,” said Cathy Olkin, the deputy principal investigator of the Lucy mission. “Every time we’ve done that, we’ve learned more and more about our solar system and the area in space that we live in.”</p>

<p>Humanity has explored a variety of small rocky bodies throughout the solar system. The NEAR mission landed on Eros in the inner asteroid belt. The Dawn mission orbited Ceres and Vesta, the two largest worlds in the belt between Mars and Jupiter. Japan’s Hayabusa missions and NASA’s OSIRIS-REX completed close encounters with near earth asteroids. And the New Horizons mission visited Arrokoth, an object in the solar system’s distant Kuiper belt.</p>

<p>But the Trojans in Jupiter’s vicinity have yet to be investigated. About 10,000 such objects have been discovered. When the first was spotted more than a century ago, astronomers began naming them after heroes of Homer’s Iliad. The result was the overall descriptor of “Trojan.”</p>

<p>The mission name “Lucy” is a nod to the 3.2 million-year-old australopithecine skeleton discovered in 1974, which revealed secrets of human evolution. The NASA team hopes that the robotic Lucy does the same for the solar system’s evolution, and prehistory is a recurring theme among the mission’s scientists.</p>

<p>Tom Statler, the Lucy program scientist at NASA, describes Lucy as “planetary archaeology” and compares it to the study of the pyramids in Egypt.</p>

<p>“If you want to understand how the pyramids were built, you can go and look at the outsides of them, you can climb all over them,” Statler said. Doing that, however, will answer very little about how they were actually built.</p>

<p>“If you can find and excavate the abandoned construction site that’s next to the pyramids, however, and you find the tools used to build them, and you find the leftover blocks — the things that got broken and shaped but didn’t get used — then you start getting insight into a pyramid’s interior and how it got there,” he said.</p>

<p>“That’s what we’re doing with asteroids,” he said. “We’re excavating the leftovers from the construction site.”</p>

<p>The mission was born of necessity.</p>

<p>Thirty years ago, the concept of planetary formation was much more orderly than it is today. A star formed in the center of a rotating disc of protoplanetary material. Gradually, the material condensed and collected into eight planets in simple orbits (as well as Pluto).</p>

<p>However, when Hal Levison, a planetary scientist, and fellow theorists tried to simulate the formation of the solar system, they repeatedly ran into a problem: It was virtually impossible to build Uranus and Neptune in their present orbits. To account for those worlds, known as the ice giants, Levison, now the principal investigator of the Lucy mission, and three other researchers developed the Nice model of solar system evolution (named for the city in France).</p>

<p>The model suggests that the giant planets formed much closer to the sun than their current orbits, and that the increasingly eccentric orbits of a young Jupiter and Saturn destabilized and rearranged the solar system. In the process, as the giant planets moved, and Uranus and Neptune bounded outward, they scattered the small bodies of the solar system. Some comets and asteroids were flung to the deep outer solar system, and others were ejected entirely out into the Milky Way.</p>

<p>A small minority of scattered asteroids were ensnared in two of Jupiter’s permanent Lagrange points, which are regions of space where the gravitational and orbital influences of the planet and the sun are balanced. The regions both lead and follow Jupiter in its orbit. Those asteroids are the Trojan swarms.</p>

<p>Today, the Nice model offers the predominant understanding of how a disc of dust and gas about 4.6 billion years ago became a system of planets circling a sun. Moreover, telescope observations of exoplanets prompted a broader scientific reevaluation of how star systems, including our own, can form. Some distant stars are orbited by giant planets that are closer to them than Mercury is to our sun.</p>

<p>Levison came to believe that the planetary science community’s ideas about planetary formation outpaced the data it had available. The best way to constrain variables in the Nice model would be to account for the origins of the Trojans.</p>

<p>“One of the surprising things about the Trojan population is that they are physically very different from one another but occupy a really small region of space,” he said. “That diversity in that small region is telling us something important about the early evolution of the solar system.”</p>

<p>To understand the secrets locked in the Trojans’ orbits, Levison needed to persuade NASA to build a spacecraft to study them and determine what formed where. Lucy is the result. It was chosen for flight in 2014 through NASA’s Discovery Program, in which scientists compete over smaller mission proposals.</p>

<p>Studying camera imagery will be an important part of the Lucy team’s scientific efforts. By counting the number of craters spotted on each asteroid, an object’s surface age is revealed. (Older surfaces will have been hit by more impactors and thus show more craters.) The scientists will also analyze the returned images for the distribution of color across the asteroids’ surfaces, which can be an indicator of what the rocks are made of: Thermal measurements will help identify the compositions and structures of the asteroids. They will also use infrared spectra to measure the presence of minerals, ices and organic molecules.</p>

<p>NASA is interested in finding primordial organic material on asteroids because billions of years ago, they may have seeded Earth with the chemical ingredients necessary for life.</p>

<p>Despite the Trojans sharing an orbit with Jupiter, Lucy will not visit Jupiter. Before the spacecraft even launches from Earth, it will be closer to Jupiter than when it visits the Trojans.</p>

<p>During its 12-year mission it will be powered by two giant solar arrays that are stowed at launch and gradually expand outward like folding fans. Lucy’s roller coaster-like trajectory will carry it farther than any solar-powered spacecraft has ever flown. And it will be moving at about 6 miles per second at its fastest clip.</p>

<p>“Its speed will be like running a 10K every second,” Olkin said.</p>

<p>The spacecraft will be in a sophisticated orbit of loop-the-loops across the solar system, circling the sun, borrowing gravity from Earth for free propulsion to Jupiter’s orbital path at a point known as Lagrange 4. Gravity will take it back around the sun to the Earth, whose gravity will again hurl it outward, this time to Lagrange 5, and back, the process repeating. The trajectory is driven by the positions of planets and gravity assists, meaning the spacecraft, if nothing stops it, will continue to do this for hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of years.</p>

<p>Each encounter will be at an altitude of 600 miles or less from the Trojan’s surface. After the final flyby, depending on Lucy’s health, NASA can target future asteroids and other celestial objects for analyses.</p>

<p>“As we are flying past a Trojan asteroid, we are taking data,” Olkin said.</p>


NASA is scheduled on Saturday to launch a probe toward clusters of asteroids along Jupiter’s orbital path. They are known as the Trojan swarms, and they represent the final unexplored regions of asteroids in the solar system.

NASA is scheduled on Saturday to launch a probe toward clusters of asteroids along Jupiter’s orbital path. They are known as the Trojan swarms, and they represent the final unexplored regions of asteroids in the solar system. The spacecraft, a deep-space robotic archaeologist named Lucy, will seek to answer pressing questions about the origins of the solar system, how the planets migrated to their current orbits and how life might have emerged on Earth. “We have never gone this far to study asteroids,” said Bill Nelson, the administrator of NASA. “In so doing, we’re going to be able to better understand the formation of the solar system, and better understand ourselves and our development.” After a six-year cruise, Lucy will fly close to seven Trojan asteroids through 2033, completing wild circuits of the sun that conjure the outline of a Formula 1 racetrack in some graphic renderings. The spacecraft will study the geology, composition, density and structure of the Trojans, which are small bodies locked in stable points along Jupiter’s orbit of the sun, fixed in their own orbits ahead or behind the massive planet. “It’s always interesting to go somewhere for the first time,” said Cathy Olkin, the deputy principal investigator of the Lucy mission. “Every time we’ve done that, we’ve learned more and more about our solar system and the area in space that we live in.” Humanity has explored a variety of small rocky bodies throughout the solar system. The NEAR mission landed on Eros in the inner asteroid belt. The Dawn mission orbited Ceres and Vesta, the two largest worlds in the belt between Mars and Jupiter. Japan’s Hayabusa missions and NASA’s OSIRIS-REX completed close encounters with near earth asteroids. And the New Horizons mission visited Arrokoth, an object in the solar system’s distant Kuiper belt. But the Trojans in Jupiter’s vicinity have yet to be investigated. About 10,000 such objects have been discovered. When the first was spotted more than a century ago, astronomers began naming them after heroes of Homer’s Iliad. The result was the overall descriptor of “Trojan.” The mission name “Lucy” is a nod to the 3.2 million-year-old australopithecine skeleton discovered in 1974, which revealed secrets of human evolution. The NASA team hopes that the robotic Lucy does the same for the solar system’s evolution, and prehistory is a recurring theme among the mission’s scientists. Tom Statler, the Lucy program scientist at NASA, describes Lucy as “planetary archaeology” and compares it to the study of the pyramids in Egypt. “If you want to understand how the pyramids were built, you can go and look at the outsides of them, you can climb all over them,” Statler said. Doing that, however, will answer very little about how they were actually built. “If you can find and excavate the abandoned construction site that’s next to the pyramids, however, and you find the tools used to build them, and you find the leftover blocks — the things that got broken and shaped but didn’t get used — then you start getting insight into a pyramid’s interior and how it got there,” he said. “That’s what we’re doing with asteroids,” he said. “We’re excavating the leftovers from the construction site.” The mission was born of necessity. Thirty years ago, the concept of planetary formation was much more orderly than it is today. A star formed in the center of a rotating disc of protoplanetary material. Gradually, the material condensed and collected into eight planets in simple orbits (as well as Pluto). However, when Hal Levison, a planetary scientist, and fellow theorists tried to simulate the formation of the solar system, they repeatedly ran into a problem: It was virtually impossible to build Uranus and Neptune in their present orbits. To account for those worlds, known as the ice giants, Levison, now the principal investigator of the Lucy mission, and three other researchers developed the Nice model of solar system evolution (named for the city in France). The model suggests that the giant planets formed much closer to the sun than their current orbits, and that the increasingly eccentric orbits of a young Jupiter and Saturn destabilized and rearranged the solar system. In the process, as the giant planets moved, and Uranus and Neptune bounded outward, they scattered the small bodies of the solar system. Some comets and asteroids were flung to the deep outer solar system, and others were ejected entirely out into the Milky Way. A small minority of scattered asteroids were ensnared in two of Jupiter’s permanent Lagrange points, which are regions of space where the gravitational and orbital influences of the planet and the sun are balanced. The regions both lead and follow Jupiter in its orbit. Those asteroids are the Trojan swarms. Today, the Nice model offers the predominant understanding of how a disc of dust and gas about 4.6 billion years ago became a system of planets circling a sun. Moreover, telescope observations of exoplanets prompted a broader scientific reevaluation of how star systems, including our own, can form. Some distant stars are orbited by giant planets that are closer to them than Mercury is to our sun. Levison came to believe that the planetary science community’s ideas about planetary formation outpaced the data it had available. The best way to constrain variables in the Nice model would be to account for the origins of the Trojans. “One of the surprising things about the Trojan population is that they are physically very different from one another but occupy a really small region of space,” he said. “That diversity in that small region is telling us something important about the early evolution of the solar system.” To understand the secrets locked in the Trojans’ orbits, Levison needed to persuade NASA to build a spacecraft to study them and determine what formed where. Lucy is the result. It was chosen for flight in 2014 through NASA’s Discovery Program, in which scientists compete over smaller mission proposals. Studying camera imagery will be an important part of the Lucy team’s scientific efforts. By counting the number of craters spotted on each asteroid, an object’s surface age is revealed. (Older surfaces will have been hit by more impactors and thus show more craters.) The scientists will also analyze the returned images for the distribution of color across the asteroids’ surfaces, which can be an indicator of what the rocks are made of: Thermal measurements will help identify the compositions and structures of the asteroids. They will also use infrared spectra to measure the presence of minerals, ices and organic molecules. NASA is interested in finding primordial organic material on asteroids because billions of years ago, they may have seeded Earth with the chemical ingredients necessary for life. Despite the Trojans sharing an orbit with Jupiter, Lucy will not visit Jupiter. Before the spacecraft even launches from Earth, it will be closer to Jupiter than when it visits the Trojans. During its 12-year mission it will be powered by two giant solar arrays that are stowed at launch and gradually expand outward like folding fans. Lucy’s roller coaster-like trajectory will carry it farther than any solar-powered spacecraft has ever flown. And it will be moving at about 6 miles per second at its fastest clip. “Its speed will be like running a 10K every second,” Olkin said. The spacecraft will be in a sophisticated orbit of loop-the-loops across the solar system, circling the sun, borrowing gravity from Earth for free propulsion to Jupiter’s orbital path at a point known as Lagrange 4. Gravity will take it back around the sun to the Earth, whose gravity will again hurl it outward, this time to Lagrange 5, and back, the process repeating. The trajectory is driven by the positions of planets and gravity assists, meaning the spacecraft, if nothing stops it, will continue to do this for hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of years. Each encounter will be at an altitude of 600 miles or less from the Trojan’s surface. After the final flyby, depending on Lucy’s health, NASA can target future asteroids and other celestial objects for analyses. “As we are flying past a Trojan asteroid, we are taking data,” Olkin said.

Why NASA is launching a robotic archaeologist named Lucy

<p>As competition in the space tourism industry heats up, a US-based firm said Friday it was excited to re-enter the sector with the upcoming launch of a Japanese billionaire.</p>

<p>Space Adventures, headed by Tom Shelley, is set in December to send Japanese tycoon Yusaku Maezawa to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Russia-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.</p>

<p>It's the company's first launch in over a decade after suspending trips to the ISS as NASA bought up seats on Russia-operated flights and no other vehicles were available.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/top-us-naval-commander-hosts-senior-indian-navy-officers-aboard-uss-carl-vinson-420814">Top US naval commander hosts senior Indian Navy officers aboard USS Carl Vinson</a></strong></p>

<p>"It's a very exciting time for us," Shelley, 48, the president of Space Adventures, told AFP during an interview in Moscow on Friday.</p>

<p>He added that Space Adventures with Russia was planning &nbsp;future launches "to innovate and find new offerings" for clients.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shelley said the next Space Adventures flight to the ISS -- scheduled for late 2023 or early 2024 -- will give one of its clients an opportunity to complete a spacewalk.</p>

<p>The return of Shelley's company to the industry with Russia was made possible after the succesful flight of Elon Musk's SpaceX last year that delivered astronauts to the ISS.</p>

<p>The move rendered NASA less dependant on Russian launches, freeing up seats with Moscow's space agency, Roscosmos.</p>

<p>Maezawa, 45, will board a Soyuz rocket operated by Roscosmos together with his assistant Yozo Hirano and cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.</p>

<p>The December launch &nbsp;comes in the middle of a flurry of non-professional launches.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-open-stars-fall-at-indian-wells-which-struggles-to-draw-a-crowd-420743"><strong>US Open stars fall at Indian Wells, which struggles to draw a crowd</strong></a></p>

<p>SpaceX this year sent an all-civilian crew on an orbit of the Earth, a first in the history of amateur space travel.</p>

<p>In Moscow, Shelley said the boom in civilian launches meant the general public was becoming "more aware" of space travel.</p>

<p>"2021 has turned into a very interesting year within the private spaceflight industry," he said.</p>

<p>It's "not just something that has been talked as something for the future, but it is happening now".</p>

<p>Space Adventures has sent seven tourists to the ISS. The last was Canadian Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberte in 2009.</p>


As competition in the space tourism industry heats up, a US-based firm said Friday it was excited to re-enter the sector with the upcoming launch of a Japanese billionaire.

As competition in the space tourism industry heats up, a US-based firm said Friday it was excited to re-enter the sector with the upcoming launch of a Japanese billionaire. Space Adventures, headed by Tom Shelley, is set in December to send Japanese tycoon Yusaku Maezawa to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Russia-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It's the company's first launch in over a decade after suspending trips to the ISS as NASA bought up seats on Russia-operated flights and no other vehicles were available. Also Read | Top US naval commander hosts senior Indian Navy officers aboard USS Carl Vinson "It's a very exciting time for us," Shelley, 48, the president of Space Adventures, told AFP during an interview in Moscow on Friday. He added that Space Adventures with Russia was planning future launches "to innovate and find new offerings" for clients. Shelley said the next Space Adventures flight to the ISS -- scheduled for late 2023 or early 2024 -- will give one of its clients an opportunity to complete a spacewalk. The return of Shelley's company to the industry with Russia was made possible after the succesful flight of Elon Musk's SpaceX last year that delivered astronauts to the ISS. The move rendered NASA less dependant on Russian launches, freeing up seats with Moscow's space agency, Roscosmos. Maezawa, 45, will board a Soyuz rocket operated by Roscosmos together with his assistant Yozo Hirano and cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin. The December launch comes in the middle of a flurry of non-professional launches. Also Read | US Open stars fall at Indian Wells, which struggles to draw a crowd SpaceX this year sent an all-civilian crew on an orbit of the Earth, a first in the history of amateur space travel. In Moscow, Shelley said the boom in civilian launches meant the general public was becoming "more aware" of space travel. "2021 has turned into a very interesting year within the private spaceflight industry," he said. It's "not just something that has been talked as something for the future, but it is happening now". Space Adventures has sent seven tourists to the ISS. The last was Canadian Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberte in 2009.

US firm sees 'exciting' moment as space tourism booms

The heart of the milky way galaxy, also known as the galactic centre is emitting some 'unusual radio waves'. Extraordinary signals that are unlike anything known to mankind have been discovered by a team of scientists at the university of Sydney. The scientists say these signals are beyond their understanding. That they're not coming from a star or a planet. But from a new kind of celestial object. The story is truly puzzling. The question is, could this be a new sign of life in outer space?

Milky way galaxy's galactic centre emits 'unusual radio waves'

<p>No two galaxies are exactly alike. Rather each galaxy in the universe is considered to be like a fingerprint. There may be similarities between two galaxies but it is almost inconceivable that two galaxies would be identical twins of each other.</p>

<p>It is because of this scientific community was surprised as astronomer Timothy Hamilton found two galaxies that appeared to be twins of each other.</p>

<p>The object is now called Hamilton's Object.</p>

<p>"My first thought was that maybe they were interacting galaxies with tidally stretched-out arms. It didn't really fit well, but I didn't know what else to think," Hamilton has been quoted as saying by NASA.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-catch-unexpected-radio-signals-from-distant-stars-420244">Scientists catch unexpected radio signals from distant stars</a></strong></p>

<p>As scientific world pondered over reasons why these galaxies would have been twins, astronomer Richard Griffiths of the University of Hawaii proposed his view.</p>

<p>He said that the Hamilton's Object was seen as two galaxies due to 'gravitational lensing'</p>

<p>Gravitational lensing is a phenomenon that occurs due chance alignment of a massive space object between us and another distant object. The light coming from the distant object 'bends' due to massive gravity of the object situated nearer to us. As the light travels along the space-time curvature of the massive object,&nbsp;a single distant object appears as two.</p>


No two galaxies are exactly alike. Rather each galaxy in the universe is considered to be like a fingerprint. There may be similarities between two galaxies but it is almost inconceivable that two galaxies would be identical twins of each other.

No two galaxies are exactly alike. Rather each galaxy in the universe is considered to be like a fingerprint. There may be similarities between two galaxies but it is almost inconceivable that two galaxies would be identical twins of each other. It is because of this scientific community was surprised as astronomer Timothy Hamilton found two galaxies that appeared to be twins of each other. The object is now called Hamilton's Object. "My first thought was that maybe they were interacting galaxies with tidally stretched-out arms. It didn't really fit well, but I didn't know what else to think," Hamilton has been quoted as saying by NASA. Also Read | Scientists catch unexpected radio signals from distant stars As scientific world pondered over reasons why these galaxies would have been twins, astronomer Richard Griffiths of the University of Hawaii proposed his view. He said that the Hamilton's Object was seen as two galaxies due to 'gravitational lensing' Gravitational lensing is a phenomenon that occurs due chance alignment of a massive space object between us and another distant object. The light coming from the distant object 'bends' due to massive gravity of the object situated nearer to us. As the light travels along the space-time curvature of the massive object, a single distant object appears as two.

Mystery of two 'identical galaxies' solved

<p>Asteroids, like deadlines, may not make a whooshing sound as they go by (Or they do for all we know!) but its nice to see them do a flyby. They are good to observe from a distance. As long as they flying by, no one should have any problem.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It's when one of them decides to crash onto Earth is when skyfall (quite literally) occurs. The Earth-shaking (again, literally), groundbreaking (get the drift) catastrophe has potential to either destroy life on Earth or drastically alter make-up of it. Dinosaurs know it all too well.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Asteroids do not have to be very large to create major mayhem on our blue planet. Due to their high speeds, even a relatively smaller one can pack a big punch due to its huge momentum.</p>

<p>In a few weeks, 8 asteroids bigger than the pyramids of Giza are going to fly past Earth. Just for the record, the Giza pyramids weigh millions of tonnes and these asteroids are bigger than these oversized luxury coffins of ancient Egyptian kings and queens.</p>

<p>Here are the names of the asteroids that will whoosh by Earth in coming weeks. Dates have also been mentioned</p>

<p><strong>October 15 - 2021 SM3</strong></p>

<p>This asteroid has been classified as Near-Earth Object (NEO). It will pass at a distance of 4.8 million kilometres</p>

<p><strong>October 20 - 1996 VB3:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>This one is more massive than the previous one. And it will also come closer to Earth than the last one. This asteroid will pass at a distance of 3.2 million kilometres.</p>

<p><strong>October 25 - 2017 SJ20:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>This one is relatively smaller. It will pass by Earth at a distance of 7.1 million kilometres</p>

<p><strong>November 2 - 2017 TS3:</strong></p>

<p>This one is a big gun with a size ranging from 98 metres to 220 metres. It will clear the Earth at a distance of 5.3 million kilometres.</p>

<p><strong>November 13 - 2004 UE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>This one is the biggest of them all. And perhaps it's a good thing that it will keep a distance of 4.2 million kilometres between itself and Earth when it will fly by</p>

<p><strong>November 20 - 2016 JG12:</strong></p>

<p>This one is about 190 metres in diameter. It will come at a distance of 5.5 kilometres from Earth</p>

<p><strong>November 21 - 1982 HR:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>This asteroid is also called 3361 Orpheus. It will clear the Earth by a distance of 5.7 million kilometres.</p>

<p><strong>November 29 - 1994 WR12</strong></p>

<p>This asteroid will fly by Earth at a distance of 6.1 million kilometres</p>


Asteroids, like deadlines, may not make a whooshing sound as they go by (Or they do for all we know!) but its nice to see them do a flyby. They are good to observe from a distance.

Asteroids, like deadlines, may not make a whooshing sound as they go by (Or they do for all we know!) but its nice to see them do a flyby. They are good to observe from a distance. As long as they flying by, no one should have any problem. It's when one of them decides to crash onto Earth is when skyfall (quite literally) occurs. The Earth-shaking (again, literally), groundbreaking (get the drift) catastrophe has potential to either destroy life on Earth or drastically alter make-up of it. Dinosaurs know it all too well. Asteroids do not have to be very large to create major mayhem on our blue planet. Due to their high speeds, even a relatively smaller one can pack a big punch due to its huge momentum. In a few weeks, 8 asteroids bigger than the pyramids of Giza are going to fly past Earth. Just for the record, the Giza pyramids weigh millions of tonnes and these asteroids are bigger than these oversized luxury coffins of ancient Egyptian kings and queens. Here are the names of the asteroids that will whoosh by Earth in coming weeks. Dates have also been mentioned October 15 - 2021 SM3 This asteroid has been classified as Near-Earth Object (NEO). It will pass at a distance of 4.8 million kilometres October 20 - 1996 VB3: This one is more massive than the previous one. And it will also come closer to Earth than the last one. This asteroid will pass at a distance of 3.2 million kilometres. October 25 - 2017 SJ20: This one is relatively smaller. It will pass by Earth at a distance of 7.1 million kilometres November 2 - 2017 TS3: This one is a big gun with a size ranging from 98 metres to 220 metres. It will clear the Earth at a distance of 5.3 million kilometres. November 13 - 2004 UE: This one is the biggest of them all. And perhaps it's a good thing that it will keep a distance of 4.2 million kilometres between itself and Earth when it will fly by November 20 - 2016 JG12: This one is about 190 metres in diameter. It will come at a distance of 5.5 kilometres from Earth November 21 - 1982 HR: This asteroid is also called 3361 Orpheus. It will clear the Earth by a distance of 5.7 million kilometres. November 29 - 1994 WR12 This asteroid will fly by Earth at a distance of 6.1 million kilometres

Eight massive asteroids, bigger than pyramids, to approach Earth in October-November

Three months after billionaire US businessman Jeff Bezos soared into space, his Blue Origin is set to launch its new rocket for the fifth time this year. Canadian actor William Shatner will join the second crewed spaceflight for the company.

William Shatner to go to space with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin

<p>Astronaut Thomas Pesquet has a fanbase of his own! The European Space Agency astronaut is perched on the International Space Station (ISS). And from there, he clicks beautiful pics of Earth and space. His posts on his Instagram account reveal wonders of our own planet and space alike.</p>

<p>On October 8, Pesquet posted an image in which part of night side of Earth was visible. The land could be seen lit up with cities and roads and more. While this alone very much made for a beautiful image, a certain detail in the photo was unmissable.</p>

<p>Prominent among the yellow lights was a blue glow just near the centre of the image. It resembled movie depiction of a blast taking place. The bluish hue appears mysterious and certainly piques interest.</p>

<p>Pesquet explains in his post that the blue glow is of a '...thunder strike with a ‘transient luminous event’...' The phenomenon, he says has taken place in upper atmosphere.</p>

<p>"A single frame from a timelapse over Europe, showing a thunder strike with a ‘transient luminous event’ in the upper atmosphere!! This is a very rare occurrence and we have a facility outside Europe's Columbus laboratory dedicated to observing these flashes of light. The Space Station is extremely well suited for this observatory as it flies over the equator where there are more thunderstorms. What is fascinating about this lightning is that just a few decades ago they had been observed anecdotally by pilots and scientists were not convinced they actually existed. Fast forward a few years and we can confirm elves, and sprites are very real and could be influencing our climate too! My friend Andreas Mogensen has a large part to play in this story, he was the first to capture them from space (in only ten days on the Space Station he did all this, legend!) proving the worth of having a facility to monitor the flashes!" says Pesquet in his Instagram post.</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUvUt6xKIV0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Thomas Pesquet (@thom_astro)</a></p>
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<p>Like any other Instagram post of Pesquet, this one has mesmerised thousands. The image has got more than 40,000 likes.</p>


Astronaut Thomas Pesquet has a fanbase of his own! The European Space Agency astronaut is perched on the International Space Station (ISS). And from there, he clicks beautiful pics of Earth and space.

Astronaut Thomas Pesquet has a fanbase of his own! The European Space Agency astronaut is perched on the International Space Station (ISS). And from there, he clicks beautiful pics of Earth and space. His posts on his Instagram account reveal wonders of our own planet and space alike. On October 8, Pesquet posted an image in which part of night side of Earth was visible. The land could be seen lit up with cities and roads and more. While this alone very much made for a beautiful image, a certain detail in the photo was unmissable. Prominent among the yellow lights was a blue glow just near the centre of the image. It resembled movie depiction of a blast taking place. The bluish hue appears mysterious and certainly piques interest. Pesquet explains in his post that the blue glow is of a '...thunder strike with a ‘transient luminous event’...' The phenomenon, he says has taken place in upper atmosphere. "A single frame from a timelapse over Europe, showing a thunder strike with a ‘transient luminous event’ in the upper atmosphere!! This is a very rare occurrence and we have a facility outside Europe's Columbus laboratory dedicated to observing these flashes of light. The Space Station is extremely well suited for this observatory as it flies over the equator where there are more thunderstorms. What is fascinating about this lightning is that just a few decades ago they had been observed anecdotally by pilots and scientists were not convinced they actually existed. Fast forward a few years and we can confirm elves, and sprites are very real and could be influencing our climate too! My friend Andreas Mogensen has a large part to play in this story, he was the first to capture them from space (in only ten days on the Space Station he did all this, legend!) proving the worth of having a facility to monitor the flashes!" says Pesquet in his Instagram post. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Thomas Pesquet (@thom_astro) × Like any other Instagram post of Pesquet, this one has mesmerised thousands. The image has got more than 40,000 likes.

Astronaut's photo from space reveals a strange blue glow on Earth

<p>Earth and Venus are somewhat similar planets when it comes to size. But there are vast differences. Earth is moderate and supports life while Venus is quite literally hellish. It is the hottest planet in the solar system with surface temperature of 475 degrees Celcius.</p>

<p>The early solar system was a violent place. There were huge collisions between space rocks. Some of them grew in size because of that and became planet. Both, Earth and Venus underwent this violent process.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-posts-video-of-moon-parade-with-saturn-in-background-419171">NASA posts video of 'moon parade' with Saturn in background</a></strong></p>

<p>Now a study has said that there were some space rocks that grazed the Earth but collided with Venus. So what was hit-and-run for Earth was a full-blown collision for Venus. In other words, these huge space rocks 'bounced off' the early Earth and collided with early Venus often becoming part of the planet.</p>

<p>The study has been published in Planetary Journal Science.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/what-is-the-significance-of-change-5-less-than-2-billion-years-old-lunar-samples-419140">What is the significance of Chang'e-5 less than 2 billion years old lunar samples?</a></strong></p>

<p>The scientists carrying out the study analysed 4000 computer simulations. In these simulations, Mars-sized protoplanets were crashing with early Earth and Venus. The researchers found that about half of the space rocks just grazed the Earth and about half of these collided with Venus. Grazing the Earth slowed down the speed of these protoplanets because of which they were able to collide and stick with Venus.</p>

<p>Such studies hold potential to shed more light on why there is (literally) world of a difference between Earth and Venus, planets with similar mass and almost similar orbit around the Sun.</p>


Earth and Venus are somewhat similar planets when it comes to size. But there are vast differences. Earth is moderate and supports life while Venus is quite literally hellish.

Earth and Venus are somewhat similar planets when it comes to size. But there are vast differences. Earth is moderate and supports life while Venus is quite literally hellish. It is the hottest planet in the solar system with surface temperature of 475 degrees Celcius. The early solar system was a violent place. There were huge collisions between space rocks. Some of them grew in size because of that and became planet. Both, Earth and Venus underwent this violent process. Also Read | NASA posts video of 'moon parade' with Saturn in background Now a study has said that there were some space rocks that grazed the Earth but collided with Venus. So what was hit-and-run for Earth was a full-blown collision for Venus. In other words, these huge space rocks 'bounced off' the early Earth and collided with early Venus often becoming part of the planet. The study has been published in Planetary Journal Science. Also Read | What is the significance of Chang'e-5 less than 2 billion years old lunar samples? The scientists carrying out the study analysed 4000 computer simulations. In these simulations, Mars-sized protoplanets were crashing with early Earth and Venus. The researchers found that about half of the space rocks just grazed the Earth and about half of these collided with Venus. Grazing the Earth slowed down the speed of these protoplanets because of which they were able to collide and stick with Venus. Such studies hold potential to shed more light on why there is (literally) world of a difference between Earth and Venus, planets with similar mass and almost similar orbit around the Sun.

Space rocks bounced off Earth before collision with Venus: Study

A new world record is about to be created. On the 12th of October, William Shatner will be heading to space and with this, he hopes to prove to the rest of the world that age is no barrier to head out on an adventure of a lifetime. Our next report tells you the complete story.

90-year-old William Shatner to go to space

<p>Think your life is hell? All the life's misery burning you to the core and you craving for escape from all the agony? Think about a planet that literally has to bear rain of blazing hot liquid iron.</p>

<p>WASP-76b is the appropriately named planet that has to suffer such a fate. It's a gas giant. It was discovered in 2016. It is 640 lightyears away from us.</p>

<p>The planet is tidally locked. That means one side of the planet always faces its sun and the&nbsp;other side experiences perpetual night.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-posts-video-of-moon-parade-with-saturn-in-background-419171">NASA posts video of 'moon parade' with Saturn in background</a></strong></p>

<p>The temperature on the dark side is upwards of 1000 degrees Celsius while that on day side goes beyond 2000 degrees Celsius. For comparison, consider Venus, the hottest planet in the solar system. The surface temperature on Venus is 471 degrees Celsius. Way lower that what this gas giant has to bear.</p>

<p>Super high temperatures means that iron vapourises on the day side of WASP-76b and falls as hellish rain on the night side.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/what-is-the-significance-of-change-5-less-than-2-billion-years-old-lunar-samples-419140">What is the significance of Chang'e-5 less than 2 billion years old lunar samples?</a></strong></p>

<p>Now, as if this was not enough, scientists have found ionised calcium in the atmosphere of the planet. This means that WASP-76b's atmosphere may be more intense than we previously thought. The scientists say that upper layers of the atmosphere of this planet may be hotter than expected.</p>

<p>The study has been published in peer-reviewed journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters.</p>


Think your life is hell? All the life's misery burning you to the core and you craving for escape from all the agony? Think about a planet that literally has to bear rain of blazing hot liquid iron.

Think your life is hell? All the life's misery burning you to the core and you craving for escape from all the agony? Think about a planet that literally has to bear rain of blazing hot liquid iron. WASP-76b is the appropriately named planet that has to suffer such a fate. It's a gas giant. It was discovered in 2016. It is 640 lightyears away from us. The planet is tidally locked. That means one side of the planet always faces its sun and the other side experiences perpetual night. Also Read | NASA posts video of 'moon parade' with Saturn in background The temperature on the dark side is upwards of 1000 degrees Celsius while that on day side goes beyond 2000 degrees Celsius. For comparison, consider Venus, the hottest planet in the solar system. The surface temperature on Venus is 471 degrees Celsius. Way lower that what this gas giant has to bear. Super high temperatures means that iron vapourises on the day side of WASP-76b and falls as hellish rain on the night side. Also Read | What is the significance of Chang'e-5 less than 2 billion years old lunar samples? Now, as if this was not enough, scientists have found ionised calcium in the atmosphere of the planet. This means that WASP-76b's atmosphere may be more intense than we previously thought. The scientists say that upper layers of the atmosphere of this planet may be hotter than expected. The study has been published in peer-reviewed journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Hot, liquid iron rains on this planet and temperature can hit 2k mark

<p>NASA posts spectacular image of things across the universe. One may be forgiven to think that NASA's lenses are always focussed at distant stars and galaxies. The space agency posts n-number of photos of distant celestial bodies after all! But NASA has a close eye on our planetary neighbourhood as well. And the results are no less breathtaking.</p>

<p>This time NASA has wowed people by posting a unique visualisation of Saturn, the most recognisable planet in our solar system. The ringed beauty is a sight to behold on its own. The majestic planet and its rings can easily be spotted in the night sky using even a mid-sized telescope.</p>

<p>So what's special about this new video?</p>

<p>NASA's visualisation, made based on images from Hubble Space Telescope show a 'moon parade'. This is to say that Saturn's moons can be seen in this video along with the beautuful planet. The sight mesmesrises the viewers.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-images-from-mars-rover-show-ancient-river-delta-in-jezero-crater-419119">First images from Mars rover show ancient river delta in Jezero crater</a></strong></p>

<p>"Time for a moon parade. Four of Saturn’s moons move across the face of their planet in this spectacular Hubble visualization...," NASA has said in its Instagram post. In the video, a shadow on one of the moons ON Saturn can also be seen. Check it out. Make sure you keep sound on.</p>

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<p>Like any other NASA post, this one has got thumbs up from Instagram people. At the time of publishing of this story, the video has got more than 90,000 likes.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


NASA posts spectacular image of things across the universe. One may be forgiven to think that NASA's lenses are always focussed at distant stars and galaxies. The space agency posts n-number of photos of distant celestial bodies after all!

NASA posts spectacular image of things across the universe. One may be forgiven to think that NASA's lenses are always focussed at distant stars and galaxies. The space agency posts n-number of photos of distant celestial bodies after all! But NASA has a close eye on our planetary neighbourhood as well. And the results are no less breathtaking. This time NASA has wowed people by posting a unique visualisation of Saturn, the most recognisable planet in our solar system. The ringed beauty is a sight to behold on its own. The majestic planet and its rings can easily be spotted in the night sky using even a mid-sized telescope. So what's special about this new video? NASA's visualisation, made based on images from Hubble Space Telescope show a 'moon parade'. This is to say that Saturn's moons can be seen in this video along with the beautuful planet. The sight mesmesrises the viewers. Also Read | First images from Mars rover show ancient river delta in Jezero crater "Time for a moon parade. Four of Saturn’s moons move across the face of their planet in this spectacular Hubble visualization...," NASA has said in its Instagram post. In the video, a shadow on one of the moons ON Saturn can also be seen. Check it out. Make sure you keep sound on. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hubble Space Telescope (@nasahubble) × Like any other NASA post, this one has got thumbs up from Instagram people. At the time of publishing of this story, the video has got more than 90,000 likes.

NASA posts video of 'moon parade' with Saturn in background

<p>What if an asteroid is headed on a collision course? What would we do to escape the fate of dinosaurs? Well, we have nuclear weapons that can possibly be fired at the asteroid. But what if the broken pieces are still large enough to create major mayhem on Earth?</p>

<p>Questions like these are important for our planetary defence. And we need a plan in place to better tackle such a situation when it occurs.</p>

<p>Perhaps as a step in that direction, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is planning to intentionally crash a spacecraft into a moon of an asteroid to see what happens to its orbit.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/winds-on-jupiter-are-speeding-up-and-no-one-knows-why-416727">Winds on Jupiter are speeding up and no one knows why</a></strong></p>

<p>NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission (DART) is set to lift-off this November. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will be used for this.</p>

<p>The mission is targetting Dimorphos, a small moon that revolves around the asteroid Didymos.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-has-captured-image-of-eye-in-the-sky-418294">NASA has captured image of 'eye in the sky'</a></strong></p>

<p>Didymos is a Near Earth Object (NEO). These are space objects whose orbits bring them within 30 million miles radius around Earth.</p>

<p>Didymos (the asteroid) and Dimorphos (the moon) will come within a distance of 6,835,083 miles (11 million kilometers).</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/cosmic-music-check-out-nasa-post-on-heavenly-sounds-from-galaxys-centre-418128">'Cosmic Music': Check out NASA post on 'heavenly' sounds from galaxy's centre</a></strong></p>

<p>The NASA spacecraft will deliberately crash into Dimorphos and see what happens to its motion in space. It is estimated that motion of the moon will change by 1 per cent. Though this doesn't sound much, it would affect the period of revolution by about seven minutes.</p>

<p>A DART program executive at NASA headquarters has been quoted by CNN as saying that the mission was the first step to test methods for hazardous asteroid deflection.</p>


What if an asteroid is headed on a collision course? What would we do to escape the fate of dinosaurs? Well, we have nuclear weapons that can possibly be fired at the asteroid.

What if an asteroid is headed on a collision course? What would we do to escape the fate of dinosaurs? Well, we have nuclear weapons that can possibly be fired at the asteroid. But what if the broken pieces are still large enough to create major mayhem on Earth? Questions like these are important for our planetary defence. And we need a plan in place to better tackle such a situation when it occurs. Perhaps as a step in that direction, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is planning to intentionally crash a spacecraft into a moon of an asteroid to see what happens to its orbit. Also Read | Winds on Jupiter are speeding up and no one knows why NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission (DART) is set to lift-off this November. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will be used for this. The mission is targetting Dimorphos, a small moon that revolves around the asteroid Didymos. Also Read | NASA has captured image of 'eye in the sky' Didymos is a Near Earth Object (NEO). These are space objects whose orbits bring them within 30 million miles radius around Earth. Didymos (the asteroid) and Dimorphos (the moon) will come within a distance of 6,835,083 miles (11 million kilometers). Also Read | 'Cosmic Music': Check out NASA post on 'heavenly' sounds from galaxy's centre The NASA spacecraft will deliberately crash into Dimorphos and see what happens to its motion in space. It is estimated that motion of the moon will change by 1 per cent. Though this doesn't sound much, it would affect the period of revolution by about seven minutes. A DART program executive at NASA headquarters has been quoted by CNN as saying that the mission was the first step to test methods for hazardous asteroid deflection.

NASA to crash spacecraft into asteroid's moon to save Earth

A Russian film crew blasted into space today on a mission to make the world's first movie in orbit. Actor Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko have spent three months training for life onboard the International Space Station. Along with cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov, they are set to spend 12 days flying above Earth to film scenes for a feature-length production.

Russian film crew in orbit to make first movie in space

<p>A comet and an asteroid are chalk and cheese. The difference between these two is perhaps as large as the distance between respective places where they usually hang out in space</p>

<p>A comet comes from outer space. They are icy. As they approach the Sun, the heat begins to melt the ice and the 'outgassing' as it is called, forms the 'tail' of the comet that we see when it passes by Earth.</p>

<p>Asteroids on the other hand are generally located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. These space rocks do not have a spectacular look like comets but the fate of dinosaurs makes us keep a close watch on them. Asteroids are very much part of the solar system and have orbits around the Sun that are somewhat similar to those of the planets.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-has-captured-image-of-eye-in-the-sky-418294">NASA has captured image of 'eye in the sky'</a></strong></p>

<p>A newly discovered space rock seems to be a hybrid of both classes. It has been named (248370) 2005 QN173</p>

<p>There is nothing special about its location. It hangs out in the asteroid belt like a million others and peacefully revolves around the Sun.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/cosmic-music-check-out-nasa-post-on-heavenly-sounds-from-galaxys-centre-418128">'Cosmic Music': Check out NASA post on 'heavenly' sounds from galaxy's centre</a></strong></p>

<p>But in July this year, the asteroid was seen to show signs of outgassing just like a comet. The outgassing was seen when the asteroid was relatively closer to the Sun in his orbit. So it has characteristics of an asteroid as well as a comet</p>

<p>Such space objects are called active asteroids or main-belt comets. These are very rare. Only 7 have been confirmed to be main-belt comet so far.</p>


A comet and an asteroid are chalk and cheese. The difference between these two is perhaps as large as the distance between respective places where they usually hang out in space A comet comes from outer space.

A comet and an asteroid are chalk and cheese. The difference between these two is perhaps as large as the distance between respective places where they usually hang out in space A comet comes from outer space. They are icy. As they approach the Sun, the heat begins to melt the ice and the 'outgassing' as it is called, forms the 'tail' of the comet that we see when it passes by Earth. Asteroids on the other hand are generally located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. These space rocks do not have a spectacular look like comets but the fate of dinosaurs makes us keep a close watch on them. Asteroids are very much part of the solar system and have orbits around the Sun that are somewhat similar to those of the planets. Also Read | NASA has captured image of 'eye in the sky' A newly discovered space rock seems to be a hybrid of both classes. It has been named (248370) 2005 QN173 There is nothing special about its location. It hangs out in the asteroid belt like a million others and peacefully revolves around the Sun. Also Read | 'Cosmic Music': Check out NASA post on 'heavenly' sounds from galaxy's centre But in July this year, the asteroid was seen to show signs of outgassing just like a comet. The outgassing was seen when the asteroid was relatively closer to the Sun in his orbit. So it has characteristics of an asteroid as well as a comet Such space objects are called active asteroids or main-belt comets. These are very rare. Only 7 have been confirmed to be main-belt comet so far.

An asteroid or comet? This space rock is a combination of both

<p>All astronomers, professional and amateur, know that planet Jupiter is a prominent presence in the night sky. Thousands across the world point their telescopes at the biggest planet in the solar system and its moons. The planet has been of such fascination to humankind that it has been continuously observed since the year 1878.</p>

<p>The defining feature of the gas giant is the Great Red Spot. It is a storm raging in the gaseous clouds of the planet. The storm is greater in size than that of Earth. It is the largest storm of its kind in the solar system.</p>

<p>Now, a new study has revealed that winds in the Giant Red Spot are speeding up. And no one knows why.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-posts-image-of-hand-of-god-netizens-are-awestruck-416265">NASA posts image of 'Hand of God', netizens are awestruck</a></strong></p>

<p>Researchers took a look at data from Hubble Space Telescope collected between 2009 to 2020. They found that wind speeds in the storm had increased by 8 per cent over the period. It may appear to be a small increase but it is significant.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-launches-landsat-9-satellite-to-monitor-earths-surface-416604">NASA launches Landsat 9 satellite to monitor Earth's surface</a></strong></p>

<p>The coloured clouds at the edge of the storm are now reaching speeds of up to 640 kilometres per hour in counter-clockwise direction. But a definitive answer to why the wind speed is increasing has not been found.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronaut-posts-breathtaking-photo-of-aurora-taken-from-above-earth-416595">Astronaut posts breathtaking photo of aurora taken from above Earth</a></strong></p>

<p>Another mystery is the shrinking of the Great Red Spot. It has been observed that since 1878, it has become smaller. The shape has undergone a change as well. The storm has become more circular as compared to before.</p>

<p>Wonder storm chasers on Earth would like to do the same on Jupiter. Till they are ready to do such a thing, Hubble will have its lenses on the great planet.</p>


All astronomers, professional and amateur, know that planet Jupiter is a prominent presence in the night sky. Thousands across the world point their telescopes at the biggest planet in the solar system and its moons.

All astronomers, professional and amateur, know that planet Jupiter is a prominent presence in the night sky. Thousands across the world point their telescopes at the biggest planet in the solar system and its moons. The planet has been of such fascination to humankind that it has been continuously observed since the year 1878. The defining feature of the gas giant is the Great Red Spot. It is a storm raging in the gaseous clouds of the planet. The storm is greater in size than that of Earth. It is the largest storm of its kind in the solar system. Now, a new study has revealed that winds in the Giant Red Spot are speeding up. And no one knows why. Also Read | NASA posts image of 'Hand of God', netizens are awestruck Researchers took a look at data from Hubble Space Telescope collected between 2009 to 2020. They found that wind speeds in the storm had increased by 8 per cent over the period. It may appear to be a small increase but it is significant. Also Read | NASA launches Landsat 9 satellite to monitor Earth's surface The coloured clouds at the edge of the storm are now reaching speeds of up to 640 kilometres per hour in counter-clockwise direction. But a definitive answer to why the wind speed is increasing has not been found. Also Read | Astronaut posts breathtaking photo of aurora taken from above Earth Another mystery is the shrinking of the Great Red Spot. It has been observed that since 1878, it has become smaller. The shape has undergone a change as well. The storm has become more circular as compared to before. Wonder storm chasers on Earth would like to do the same on Jupiter. Till they are ready to do such a thing, Hubble will have its lenses on the great planet.

Winds on Jupiter are speeding up and no one knows why

<p>Leaders of Quad countries —Australia, India, Japan and the US —would announce a new working group on space, a supply chain initiative and a 5G deployment and diversification effort apart from discussing issues like challenges in the Indo Pacific, climate change and COVID-19 pandemic during their historic meeting here on Friday, the White House has said.</p>

<p>At the invitation of President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterparts Scott Morrison from Australia and Yoshihide Suga from Japan have gathered in the American capital for the first-ever in-person Quad summit at the White House.</p>

<p>Quad leaders are also planning to roll out vaccine deliverables and announce a series of measures in the field of healthcare and infrastructure sector, officials here said.</p>

<p>"The leaders are hopeful for an opportunity in an intimate setting to sit down and talk about issues of mutual interest and concern. They'll have discussions on critical issues that are confronting the Indo Pacific; issues associated with climate change, with matters relating to COVID-19. They will also talk about how to advance infrastructure,"&nbsp;a senior administration official said.</p>

<p>Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official noted that the Quad has been all about advancing areas of mutual interests.</p>

<p>"You will also see that the leaders are determined to pool our unique capabilities, our resources and our expertise to make common challenges,"&nbsp;the official said.</p>

<p>The White House official underscored that the Quad is an unofficial gathering.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/furious-china-slams-quad-ahead-of-groupings-first-in-person-summit-in-us-415618">Furious China slams Quad ahead of grouping's first in-person summit in US</a></p>

<p>"Although we have a number of working groups, and we are deepening cooperation on a very daily basis, it is also the case that it is not a regional security organisation. We are going to address particular issues associated with the challenges confronting the Indo Pacific in the current environment,"&nbsp;the official said, adding that that's what the leaders want to focus on.</p>

<p>India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region.</p>

<p>China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.</p>

<p>"President Biden believes that too often these kinds of discussions are scripted and he really wants to be able to sit down and have a deeper conversation with all leaders in an environment where they can really share perspectives on what's important to each of them as they go forward,"&nbsp;the official said.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-vice-president-kamala-harris-referred-to-pakistans-role-in-terrorism-during-meeting-with-pm-modi-shringla-415387?UTM_SRC=breakingnews">US Vice President Kamala Harris referred to Pakistan's role in terrorism during meeting with PM Modi: Shringla</a></p>

<p>The White House official underscored this is a clear and emblematic indication of the strategy of diplomacy.</p>

<p>"It also indicates that the Biden administration understands that the challenges of the 21st century will largely play out in the Indo-Pacific and we are doubling down on our efforts. This quad is part of a larger fabric of engagement that you will see,"&nbsp;the official said.</p>

<p>In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence.</p>

<p><strong>Watch</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-pm-modis-first-formal-meeting-with-us-vp-kamala-harris-415405/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"You have already seen evidence of, with very high level, bilateral engagements with security partners, other steps that we've taken and we believe that the Quad will be a key and critical format and forum for discussion and joint purpose as we head into a challenging period ahead,"&nbsp;the official said.</p>

<p>On the deliverables, the White House official said that the Quad leaders will be announcing a supply chain initiative.</p>

<p>"The effort is really a detailed joint initiative to map overall capacity, identify the respective vulnerabilities, and to take critical steps to bolster supply chain security, particularly for semiconductors and all their vital components,"&nbsp;the official said.</p>

<p>The goal is to ensure Quad partners take their steps to support a somewhat diverse and competitive market that produces secure critical technologies that are essential for digital economies globally.</p>

<p>"We're also going to announce a 5G deployment and diversification effort. This is to support the quite a critical role of Quad governments in fostering and promoting a diverse resilient secure intelligent telecommunications ecosystem,"&nbsp;said the senior administration official.</p>

<p>They would also announce a STEM -science, technology, engineering and mathematics - scholarship programme.</p>

<p>"We will also announce a major fellowship that will bring students from India, from Japan, from Australia and the United States 100 in total, over the course of the next year and a half to study in elite universities in the United States, in areas related to science and technology as a clear signal of the importance of these issues to all of our country's futures,"&nbsp;said the senior administration official.</p>

<p>The Quad fellowship, the official said, is sponsored by private donors which will bring 100 students per year 25 from each quad country to pursue either a master's or doctoral degree at a leading STEM graduate university in the United States.</p>

<p>"That's a big deal for us and that's a signature initiative designed to indicate that we want and encourage Quad countries to send their best students to work with us and to build those lines of communication, coordination with young people,"&nbsp;the official said.</p>

<p>The Quad leaders, the official said, would be announcing new working groups on space.</p>

<p>"We will have an initiative on space. I think all four countries are determined to work on joint efforts. We are going to share information on illegal fishing and issues associated with maritime domain awareness. We are also taking steps to help monitor climate change and promote a variety of issues associated with estuaries and fishing more generally,? the official said.<br />
Quad countries already have a robust cybersecurity effort underway and it is going to be enhanced at the leader level.</p>

<p>"We're going to try to take steps to bolster critical, critical inner infrastructure resilience against cyber threats, something that's plagued all four of our countries. We are advancing a very high-level group on specific capabilities and technologies,"&nbsp;the official said.</p>

<p>"We have got some specific steps that we're taking in the climate, green shipping network, and this has to do with how to decarbonise, what we call the shipping value chain. We are also taking specific steps to work with ports in each of our countries, to ensure that best practices are followed with respect to decarbonising efforts there as well,"&nbsp;said the official.</p>

<p>Responding to a question, the official underscored that Quad and AUKUS are two completely separate initiatives; they really have nothing to do with one another, even though there is some overlap with Australia.</p>

<p>AUKUS (Australia, the UK and the US) security partnership was unveiled last week by President Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Morrison.</p>

<p>"The Quad is a discussion and engagement effort around a number of practical matters like COVID and issues associated with climate change. There is not a military dimension to it or a security dimension to it. And it is an informal grouping,"&nbsp;the official said.</p>


Leaders of Quad countries —Australia, India, Japan and the US —would announce a new working group on space, a supply chain initiative and a 5G deployment and diversification effort apart from discussing issues like challenges in the Indo Pacific, climate change and COVID-19 pandemic during their historic meeting here on Friday, the White House has said.

Leaders of Quad countries —Australia, India, Japan and the US —would announce a new working group on space, a supply chain initiative and a 5G deployment and diversification effort apart from discussing issues like challenges in the Indo Pacific, climate change and COVID-19 pandemic during their historic meeting here on Friday, the White House has said. At the invitation of President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterparts Scott Morrison from Australia and Yoshihide Suga from Japan have gathered in the American capital for the first-ever in-person Quad summit at the White House. Quad leaders are also planning to roll out vaccine deliverables and announce a series of measures in the field of healthcare and infrastructure sector, officials here said. "The leaders are hopeful for an opportunity in an intimate setting to sit down and talk about issues of mutual interest and concern. They'll have discussions on critical issues that are confronting the Indo Pacific; issues associated with climate change, with matters relating to COVID-19. They will also talk about how to advance infrastructure," a senior administration official said. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official noted that the Quad has been all about advancing areas of mutual interests. "You will also see that the leaders are determined to pool our unique capabilities, our resources and our expertise to make common challenges," the official said. The White House official underscored that the Quad is an unofficial gathering. Also read | Furious China slams Quad ahead of grouping's first in-person summit in US "Although we have a number of working groups, and we are deepening cooperation on a very daily basis, it is also the case that it is not a regional security organisation. We are going to address particular issues associated with the challenges confronting the Indo Pacific in the current environment," the official said, adding that that's what the leaders want to focus on. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region. China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. "President Biden believes that too often these kinds of discussions are scripted and he really wants to be able to sit down and have a deeper conversation with all leaders in an environment where they can really share perspectives on what's important to each of them as they go forward," the official said. Also read | US Vice President Kamala Harris referred to Pakistan's role in terrorism during meeting with PM Modi: Shringla The White House official underscored this is a clear and emblematic indication of the strategy of diplomacy. "It also indicates that the Biden administration understands that the challenges of the 21st century will largely play out in the Indo-Pacific and we are doubling down on our efforts. This quad is part of a larger fabric of engagement that you will see," the official said. In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence. Watch "You have already seen evidence of, with very high level, bilateral engagements with security partners, other steps that we've taken and we believe that the Quad will be a key and critical format and forum for discussion and joint purpose as we head into a challenging period ahead," the official said. On the deliverables, the White House official said that the Quad leaders will be announcing a supply chain initiative. "The effort is really a detailed joint initiative to map overall capacity, identify the respective vulnerabilities, and to take critical steps to bolster supply chain security, particularly for semiconductors and all their vital components," the official said. The goal is to ensure Quad partners take their steps to support a somewhat diverse and competitive market that produces secure critical technologies that are essential for digital economies globally. "We're also going to announce a 5G deployment and diversification effort. This is to support the quite a critical role of Quad governments in fostering and promoting a diverse resilient secure intelligent telecommunications ecosystem," said the senior administration official. They would also announce a STEM -science, technology, engineering and mathematics - scholarship programme. "We will also announce a major fellowship that will bring students from India, from Japan, from Australia and the United States 100 in total, over the course of the next year and a half to study in elite universities in the United States, in areas related to science and technology as a clear signal of the importance of these issues to all of our country's futures," said the senior administration official. The Quad fellowship, the official said, is sponsored by private donors which will bring 100 students per year 25 from each quad country to pursue either a master's or doctoral degree at a leading STEM graduate university in the United States. "That's a big deal for us and that's a signature initiative designed to indicate that we want and encourage Quad countries to send their best students to work with us and to build those lines of communication, coordination with young people," the official said. The Quad leaders, the official said, would be announcing new working groups on space. "We will have an initiative on space. I think all four countries are determined to work on joint efforts. We are going to share information on illegal fishing and issues associated with maritime domain awareness. We are also taking steps to help monitor climate change and promote a variety of issues associated with estuaries and fishing more generally,? the official said. Quad countries already have a robust cybersecurity effort underway and it is going to be enhanced at the leader level. "We're going to try to take steps to bolster critical, critical inner infrastructure resilience against cyber threats, something that's plagued all four of our countries. We are advancing a very high-level group on specific capabilities and technologies," the official said. "We have got some specific steps that we're taking in the climate, green shipping network, and this has to do with how to decarbonise, what we call the shipping value chain. We are also taking specific steps to work with ports in each of our countries, to ensure that best practices are followed with respect to decarbonising efforts there as well," said the official. Responding to a question, the official underscored that Quad and AUKUS are two completely separate initiatives; they really have nothing to do with one another, even though there is some overlap with Australia. AUKUS (Australia, the UK and the US) security partnership was unveiled last week by President Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Morrison. "The Quad is a discussion and engagement effort around a number of practical matters like COVID and issues associated with climate change. There is not a military dimension to it or a security dimension to it. And it is an informal grouping," the official said.

Quad leaders to announce working group on space, supply chain initiative and 5G deployment diversification effort: White House

<p>NASA is splitting its human spaceflight department into two separate bodies - one centered on big, future-oriented missions to the moon and Mars, the other on the International Space Station and other operations closer to Earth.</p>

<p>The reorganization, announced by NASA chief Bill Nelson on Tuesday, reflects an evolving relationship between private companies, such as SpaceX, that have increasingly commercialised rocket travel and the federal agency that had exercised a US&nbsp;monopoly over spaceflight for decades.</p>

<p>Nelson said the shake-up was also spurred by a recent proliferation of flights and commercial investment in low-Earth orbit even as NASA steps up its development of deep-space aspirations.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-astronaut-iss-cracks-serious-issue-415124">Cracks on ISS a 'serious issue', says former NASA astronaut</a></strong></p>

<p>"Today is more than organizational change," Nelson said at a press briefing. "It's setting the stage for the next 20 years, it's defining NASA's future in a growing space economy."</p>

<p>The move breaks up NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, currently headed by Kathy Leuders, into two separate branches.</p>

<p>Leuders will keep her associate administrator title as head of the new Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, focusing on NASA's most ambitious, long-term programs, such as plans to return astronauts to the moon under project Artemis, and eventual human exploration of Mars.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-ingenuity-helicopter-latest-mars-flying-tougher-415112">NASA's Ingenuity helicopter is finding it tougher to fly on Mars</a></strong></p>

<p>A retired deputy associate administrator, James Free, who played key roles in NASA's space station and commercial crew and cargo programs, will return to the agency as head of the new Space Operations Mission Directorate.</p>

<p>His branch will primarily oversee more routine launch and spaceflight activities, including missions involving the space station and privatization of low-Earth orbit, as well as sustaining lunar operations once those have been established.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-hubble-telescope-captures-massive-eye-of-dying-star-414846">NASA's Hubble Telescope captures massive 'eye' of dying star</a></strong></p>

<p>"This approach with two areas focused on human spaceflight allows one mission directorate to operate in space while the other builds future space systems," NASA said in a press release announcing the move.</p>

<p>The announcement came less than a week after SpaceX, which had already flown numerous astronaut missions and cargo payloads to the space station for NASA, launched the first all-civilian crew ever to reach orbit and returned them safely to Earth.</p>


NASA is splitting its human spaceflight department into two separate bodies - one centered on big, future-oriented missions to the moon and Mars, the other on the International Space Station and other operations closer to Earth.

NASA is splitting its human spaceflight department into two separate bodies - one centered on big, future-oriented missions to the moon and Mars, the other on the International Space Station and other operations closer to Earth. The reorganization, announced by NASA chief Bill Nelson on Tuesday, reflects an evolving relationship between private companies, such as SpaceX, that have increasingly commercialised rocket travel and the federal agency that had exercised a US monopoly over spaceflight for decades. Nelson said the shake-up was also spurred by a recent proliferation of flights and commercial investment in low-Earth orbit even as NASA steps up its development of deep-space aspirations. Also Read | Cracks on ISS a 'serious issue', says former NASA astronaut "Today is more than organizational change," Nelson said at a press briefing. "It's setting the stage for the next 20 years, it's defining NASA's future in a growing space economy." The move breaks up NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, currently headed by Kathy Leuders, into two separate branches. Leuders will keep her associate administrator title as head of the new Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, focusing on NASA's most ambitious, long-term programs, such as plans to return astronauts to the moon under project Artemis, and eventual human exploration of Mars. Also Read | NASA's Ingenuity helicopter is finding it tougher to fly on Mars A retired deputy associate administrator, James Free, who played key roles in NASA's space station and commercial crew and cargo programs, will return to the agency as head of the new Space Operations Mission Directorate. His branch will primarily oversee more routine launch and spaceflight activities, including missions involving the space station and privatization of low-Earth orbit, as well as sustaining lunar operations once those have been established. Also Read | NASA's Hubble Telescope captures massive 'eye' of dying star "This approach with two areas focused on human spaceflight allows one mission directorate to operate in space while the other builds future space systems," NASA said in a press release announcing the move. The announcement came less than a week after SpaceX, which had already flown numerous astronaut missions and cargo payloads to the space station for NASA, launched the first all-civilian crew ever to reach orbit and returned them safely to Earth.

NASA splits human spaceflight unit in two, reflecting new orbital economy

<p>On realising how fragile the Earth was after looking at it from space, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said he is committing $1bn for its conservation. The billionaire is going to invest in such projects around the world. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Last year, the Amazon founder had formed $10bn Bezos Earth Fund. The money made through it will go for conservation of nature in the tropical Andes, Congo Basin and Pacific Ocean. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:</strong></p>

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<p>It will also be used to protect 30% of the world’s oceans and land by the end of the decade. The billionaire made the announcement during New York Climate Week. &nbsp;</p>

<p>At the launch event on Monday, the Washington Post owner said, “Nature is our life support system and it’s fragile. I was reminded of this just this July when I went into space with Blue Origin. I’d heard that seeing the Earth from space changes one’s point of view of the world. But I was not prepared for just how much that would be true.” &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-rare-60-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-melbourne-414800" hreflang="en">Australia: Rare 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Melbourne</a></strong></p>

<p>“Living down here, the world and the atmosphere seem vast and they seem stable. But looking back at Earth from there, the atmosphere seems thin and the world finite. Both beautiful, both fragile,” said Bezos. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The grants will be distributed this year. It will prioritise regions and countries with a standing commitment of protecting nature. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-california-even-fire-resistant-trees-need-to-be-protected-from-flames-414740" hreflang="en">In California, even fire-resistant trees need to be protected from flames</a></strong></p>

<p>The money would help in expanding, managing and monitoring protected areas while also putting indigenous and local communities at the heart of efforts to protect biodiversity, Bezos said. &nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p>


On realising how fragile the Earth was after looking at it from space, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said he is committing $1bn for its conservation. The billionaire is going to invest in such projects around the world.

On realising how fragile the Earth was after looking at it from space, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said he is committing $1bn for its conservation. The billionaire is going to invest in such projects around the world. Last year, the Amazon founder had formed $10bn Bezos Earth Fund. The money made through it will go for conservation of nature in the tropical Andes, Congo Basin and Pacific Ocean. Watch: × It will also be used to protect 30% of the world’s oceans and land by the end of the decade. The billionaire made the announcement during New York Climate Week. At the launch event on Monday, the Washington Post owner said, “Nature is our life support system and it’s fragile. I was reminded of this just this July when I went into space with Blue Origin. I’d heard that seeing the Earth from space changes one’s point of view of the world. But I was not prepared for just how much that would be true.” Also Read: Australia: Rare 6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Melbourne “Living down here, the world and the atmosphere seem vast and they seem stable. But looking back at Earth from there, the atmosphere seems thin and the world finite. Both beautiful, both fragile,” said Bezos. The grants will be distributed this year. It will prioritise regions and countries with a standing commitment of protecting nature. Also Read: In California, even fire-resistant trees need to be protected from flames The money would help in expanding, managing and monitoring protected areas while also putting indigenous and local communities at the heart of efforts to protect biodiversity, Bezos said. (With inputs from agencies)

After finding Earth fragile from space, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos commits $1bn for conservation

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