In a plan straight out of a sci-fi film, NASA will be deliberately crashing the Dart robot spacecraft into an asteroid in order to determine whether the collision can change the latter’s course. The target of this test is the asteroid called Dimorphos and the spacecraft will crash into it while travelling four miles/sec.&nbsp;

In the past, a number of theories have been put forward which involved using an object to deviate any asteroid from its course. With this experiment, the scientists are looking to observe the exact effect that the collision will have and also how the debris in the space will react in case of a similar situation.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/liz-truss-trumps-rishi-sunak-to-become-next-uk-pm-513117" hreflang="en">Liz Truss elected new UK Prime Minister, beats Rishi Sunak in leadership race</a>

“We know&nbsp;asteroids have hit us in the past,” said Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer at Queen’s University Belfast, according to a report in The Guardian. “These impacts are a natural process and they are going to happen in the future. We would like to stop the worst of them.&nbsp;

“The problem is that we have never tested the technology which will be needed to do that. That is the purpose of Dart,” Fitzsimmons, a member of Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, said.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mysterious-route-of-german-businessmans-aircraft-baffles-authorities-after-it-crashes-into-baltic-sea-513102" hreflang="en">Mysterious route of German businessman's aircraft baffles authorities after it crashes into Baltic Sea</a>

The spacecraft is expected to collide with the asteroid on September 27.&nbsp;

“Dart’s target has been carefully chosen,” said Jay Tate, director of the National Near Earth Objects Information Centre in Knighton, Powys. “Dimorphos actually orbits another, bigger asteroid called Didymos, and the extent of the deflection caused by the crash will be easier to detect as astronomers have been carefully observing its path around the bigger asteroid.”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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In a plan straight out of a sci-fi film, NASA will be deliberately crashing the Dart robot spacecraft into an asteroid in order to determine whether the collision can change the latter’s course.

In a plan straight out of a sci-fi film, NASA will be deliberately crashing the Dart robot spacecraft into an asteroid in order to determine whether the collision can change the latter’s course. The target of this test is the asteroid called Dimorphos and the spacecraft will crash into it while travelling four miles/sec. In the past, a number of theories have been put forward which involved using an object to deviate any asteroid from its course. With this experiment, the scientists are looking to observe the exact effect that the collision will have and also how the debris in the space will react in case of a similar situation. Also read | Liz Truss elected new UK Prime Minister, beats Rishi Sunak in leadership race “We know asteroids have hit us in the past,” said Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer at Queen’s University Belfast, according to a report in The Guardian. “These impacts are a natural process and they are going to happen in the future. We would like to stop the worst of them. “The problem is that we have never tested the technology which will be needed to do that. That is the purpose of Dart,” Fitzsimmons, a member of Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, said. Also read | Mysterious route of German businessman's aircraft baffles authorities after it crashes into Baltic Sea The spacecraft is expected to collide with the asteroid on September 27. “Dart’s target has been carefully chosen,” said Jay Tate, director of the National Near Earth Objects Information Centre in Knighton, Powys. “Dimorphos actually orbits another, bigger asteroid called Didymos, and the extent of the deflection caused by the crash will be easier to detect as astronomers have been carefully observing its path around the bigger asteroid.” (With inputs from agencies)

NASA to crash spacecraft into asteroid in an attempt to change its direction

South Korea has joined the race to the Moon with the launch of its first lunar orbiter. The satellite launched by SpaceX is taking a long, roundabout path to conserve fuel and will enter the Moon’s orbit in December.

South Korea joins Lunar Race by sending its first spacecraft to the Moon

&nbsp;An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft has acquired imagery data covering all of Mars, including visuals of its south pole, after circling the planet more than 1,300 times since early last year, state media reported on Wednesday.

China's Tianwen-1 successfully reached the Red Planet in February 2021 on the country's inaugural mission there. A robotic rover has since been deployed on the surface as an orbiter surveyed the planet from space.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-planning-to-bring-mars-sample-to-earth-before-nasa-esa-joint-mission-490054">&nbsp;China planning to bring Mars sample to Earth before NASA, ESA joint mission</a>

Among the images taken from space were China's first photographs of the Martian south pole, where almost all of the planet's water resources are locked.

In 2018, an orbiting probe operated by the European Space Agency had discovered water under the ice of the planet's south pole.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Mysterious rocks to reveal secrets of Mars?

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Locating subsurface water is key to determining the planet's potential for life, as well as providing a permanent resource for any human exploration there.

Other Tianwen-1 images include photographs of the 4,000 kilometres (2,485-mile) long canyon Valles Marineris, and impact craters of highlands in the north of Mars known as Arabia Terra.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-to-test-3-nuclear-fission-plant-designs-on-the-moon-to-power-martian-and-deep-space-exploration-490657">NASA to test 3 nuclear fission plant designs on the Moon to power Martian and deep space exploration</a>

Tianwen-1 also sent back high-resolution imagery of the edge of the vast Maunder crater, as well as a top-down view of the 18,000 metres (59,055-foot) Ascraeus Mons, a large shield volcano first detected by NASA's Mariner 9 spacecraft more than five decades ago.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft has acquired imagery data covering all of Mars, including visuals of its south pole, after circling the planet more than 1,300 times since early last year, state media reported on Wednesday.

An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft has acquired imagery data covering all of Mars, including visuals of its south pole, after circling the planet more than 1,300 times since early last year, state media reported on Wednesday. China's Tianwen-1 successfully reached the Red Planet in February 2021 on the country's inaugural mission there. A robotic rover has since been deployed on the surface as an orbiter surveyed the planet from space. Also read | China planning to bring Mars sample to Earth before NASA, ESA joint mission Among the images taken from space were China's first photographs of the Martian south pole, where almost all of the planet's water resources are locked. In 2018, an orbiting probe operated by the European Space Agency had discovered water under the ice of the planet's south pole. Watch | Gravitas: Mysterious rocks to reveal secrets of Mars? Locating subsurface water is key to determining the planet's potential for life, as well as providing a permanent resource for any human exploration there. Other Tianwen-1 images include photographs of the 4,000 kilometres (2,485-mile) long canyon Valles Marineris, and impact craters of highlands in the north of Mars known as Arabia Terra. Also read | NASA to test 3 nuclear fission plant designs on the Moon to power Martian and deep space exploration Tianwen-1 also sent back high-resolution imagery of the edge of the vast Maunder crater, as well as a top-down view of the 18,000 metres (59,055-foot) Ascraeus Mons, a large shield volcano first detected by NASA's Mariner 9 spacecraft more than five decades ago. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Chinese spacecraft acquires images of entire planet of Mars

Aliens, if they are there somewhere in the outer space have not yet made a contact with us. It may also be that they have and we missed the message.

Just imagine an alien craft coming to Earth and then going back dejected because we were too busy doing other things than to notice them. But what if there are tell-tale signs of such a visit? Not on Earth but on the Moon?

A double-crater formed due to crash of a mystery spacecraft has piqued scientific interest. This crater has been found on the Moon. The eastern crater measures 59 feet (18 metres) across and a western crater measures 52.5 feet (16 metres) across.&nbsp;

Scientists expected a crater to be formed as they knew an unknown piece of space junk crashed into the Moon last year. But here's the thing, no other previous crash of any space junk has formed twin craters like this one.

NASA has said that the double crater was 'unexpected'.

"The double crater was unexpected and may indicate that the rocket body had large masses at each end. Typically a spent rocket has mass concentrated at the motor end; the rest of the rocket stage mainly consists of an empty fuel tank. Since the origin of the rocket body remains uncertain, the double nature of the crater may indicate its identity," NASA has said in its release.

So is there a possibility of a tentacle-y alien brooding on the Moon because his spacecraft crashed? Time will tell.

Aliens, if they are there somewhere in the outer space have not yet made a contact with us. It may also be that they have and we missed the message. Just imagine an alien craft coming to Earth and then going back dejected because we were too busy doing other things than to notice them.

Aliens, if they are there somewhere in the outer space have not yet made a contact with us. It may also be that they have and we missed the message. Just imagine an alien craft coming to Earth and then going back dejected because we were too busy doing other things than to notice them. But what if there are tell-tale signs of such a visit? Not on Earth but on the Moon? A double-crater formed due to crash of a mystery spacecraft has piqued scientific interest. This crater has been found on the Moon. The eastern crater measures 59 feet (18 metres) across and a western crater measures 52.5 feet (16 metres) across. Scientists expected a crater to be formed as they knew an unknown piece of space junk crashed into the Moon last year. But here's the thing, no other previous crash of any space junk has formed twin craters like this one. NASA has said that the double crater was 'unexpected'. "The double crater was unexpected and may indicate that the rocket body had large masses at each end. Typically a spent rocket has mass concentrated at the motor end; the rest of the rocket stage mainly consists of an empty fuel tank. Since the origin of the rocket body remains uncertain, the double nature of the crater may indicate its identity," NASA has said in its release. So is there a possibility of a tentacle-y alien brooding on the Moon because his spacecraft crashed? Time will tell.

Mystery deepens as spacecraft crashes into Moon, creating a double crater

A NASA spacecraft has officially "touched" the sun, falling through the corona, an unknown region of the solar atmosphere.

Scientists made the announcement at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union on Tuesday.

During the Parker Solar Probe's seventh close encounter to the sun in April, the spacecraft sailed through the corona.

The data took a few months to arrive, and then several more months to confirm, according to the scientists.&nbsp;

When Parker first crossed the jagged, uneven boundary between the solar atmosphere and outgoing solar wind, it was 8 million miles (13 million kilometres) from the sun's centre.

According to scientists, the spacecraft dipped in and out of the corona at least three times, each time with a smooth transition.&nbsp;

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"The Parker Solar Probe "touching the Sun" is a monumental moment for solar science and a truly remarkable feat," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA Headquarters in Washington.

"Not only does this milestone provide us with deeper insights into our Sun's evolution and it's impacts on our solar system, but everything we learn about our own star also teaches us more about stars in the rest of the universe." 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/want-to-space-travel-nasa-awards-4156-million-for-new-space-hubs-where-people-can-visit-live-work-433693">Also read | Want to space travel? NASA awards $415.6 million for new space hubs where people can visit, live, work</a>

According to the statement issued by the NASA, Parker is finding new discoveries that other spacecraft couldn't observe because they were too far away, including from within the solar wind, which is the flow of particles from the Sun that can affect us on Earth.

Parker revealed in 2019 that magnetic zig-zag formations in the solar wind, known as switchbacks, are abundant near the Sun.

However, it remained a mystery as to how and where they formed.

Parker Solar Probe has now travelled close enough to identify one spot where they originate: the solar surface, after halving the distance to the Sun since then.

The first flyby into the corona – and the promise of many to come – will continue to deliver information on processes that are difficult to examine from afar.&nbsp;

Until its grand finale orbit in 2025, Parker will continue to get closer to the sun and dive deeper into the corona.

The American Physical Society also published the latest findings.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A NASA spacecraft has officially "touched" the sun, falling through the corona, an unknown region of the solar atmosphere. Scientists made the announcement at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union on Tuesday.

A NASA spacecraft has officially "touched" the sun, falling through the corona, an unknown region of the solar atmosphere. Scientists made the announcement at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union on Tuesday. During the Parker Solar Probe's seventh close encounter to the sun in April, the spacecraft sailed through the corona. The data took a few months to arrive, and then several more months to confirm, according to the scientists. When Parker first crossed the jagged, uneven boundary between the solar atmosphere and outgoing solar wind, it was 8 million miles (13 million kilometres) from the sun's centre. According to scientists, the spacecraft dipped in and out of the corona at least three times, each time with a smooth transition. × "The Parker Solar Probe "touching the Sun" is a monumental moment for solar science and a truly remarkable feat," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Not only does this milestone provide us with deeper insights into our Sun's evolution and it's impacts on our solar system, but everything we learn about our own star also teaches us more about stars in the rest of the universe." Also read | Want to space travel? NASA awards $415.6 million for new space hubs where people can visit, live, work According to the statement issued by the NASA, Parker is finding new discoveries that other spacecraft couldn't observe because they were too far away, including from within the solar wind, which is the flow of particles from the Sun that can affect us on Earth. Parker revealed in 2019 that magnetic zig-zag formations in the solar wind, known as switchbacks, are abundant near the Sun. However, it remained a mystery as to how and where they formed. Parker Solar Probe has now travelled close enough to identify one spot where they originate: the solar surface, after halving the distance to the Sun since then. The first flyby into the corona – and the promise of many to come – will continue to deliver information on processes that are difficult to examine from afar. Until its grand finale orbit in 2025, Parker will continue to get closer to the sun and dive deeper into the corona. The American Physical Society also published the latest findings. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | NASA makes history as spacecraft ‘touches’ sun for first time ever

US-Russia spat seems to have reached space now. In a new development, Russian space agency Roscosmos has threatened to sue a NASA astronaut. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The agency claims the astronaut drilled a two-mm hole in a Soyuz MS-09 vehicle, which was docked with the International Space Station (ISS) in 2018. &nbsp;

After completing its investigation recently, the agency deemed the action as a sabotage. It cited Serena Auñón-Chancellor, an ISS crew member during the incident, as the culprit. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-nasa-mission-to-test-out-armageddon-scenario-blasts-off-431550" hreflang="en">Watch | NASA mission to test out Armageddon scenario blasts off</a>

As the allegations were handed over to law enforcement of the Russia, Roscosmos announced the possibility of criminal charges. &nbsp;&nbsp;

With the hope of returning home early, Auñón-Chancellor purposefully made the hole, reported the Izvestia newspaper while citing sources on Friday. &nbsp;

Auñón-Chancellor seems to have wanted to leave due to a blood clot or a fight with her boyfriend onboard the ISS, Russian news outlet said citing sources. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-postpones-iss-spacewalk-because-of-space-debris-433087" hreflang="en">NASA postpones ISS spacewalk because of space debris</a>

When Auñón-Chancellor was in space, she got married to Jeff Chancellor. The couple is still married to this day. It is unclear who is the 'boyfriend' as stated by sources. &nbsp;

After a pressure drop was identified due to an air leak, the hole was spotted on August 30, 2018. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

US-Russia spat seems to have reached space now. In a new development, Russian space agency Roscosmos has threatened to sue a NASA astronaut. The agency claims the astronaut drilled a two-mm hole in a Soyuz MS-09 vehicle, which was docked with the International Space Station (ISS) in 2018.

US-Russia spat seems to have reached space now. In a new development, Russian space agency Roscosmos has threatened to sue a NASA astronaut. The agency claims the astronaut drilled a two-mm hole in a Soyuz MS-09 vehicle, which was docked with the International Space Station (ISS) in 2018. After completing its investigation recently, the agency deemed the action as a sabotage. It cited Serena Auñón-Chancellor, an ISS crew member during the incident, as the culprit. Also Read: Watch | NASA mission to test out Armageddon scenario blasts off As the allegations were handed over to law enforcement of the Russia, Roscosmos announced the possibility of criminal charges. With the hope of returning home early, Auñón-Chancellor purposefully made the hole, reported the Izvestia newspaper while citing sources on Friday. Auñón-Chancellor seems to have wanted to leave due to a blood clot or a fight with her boyfriend onboard the ISS, Russian news outlet said citing sources. Also Read: NASA postpones ISS spacewalk because of space debris When Auñón-Chancellor was in space, she got married to Jeff Chancellor. The couple is still married to this day. It is unclear who is the 'boyfriend' as stated by sources. After a pressure drop was identified due to an air leak, the hole was spotted on August 30, 2018. (With inputs from agencies)

Love gone sour? Russia sues Austronaut who drilled spacecraft to reportedly be separate from partner

NASA has sent a spacecraft to space that will crash into an asteroid. Why? NASA is undertaking some target practice to avoid Armageddon in the future. Palki Sharma tells you all you need to know.

Gravitas: NASA wants to crash a spacecraft to save earth from Armageddon

In what can be called the first case of humanity’s interference in the gravitational dance of the solar system, NASA is going to launch a mission to deliberately collide a spacecraft into an asteroid in order to alter its orbit. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The agency will carry out the mission on Wednesday. The aim of the mission is to test drive a planetary defence system, which can prevent from extinction. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/indian-astronomers-discover-stars-hotter-than-sun-430818" hreflang="en">Indian astronomers discover stars hotter than Sun</a>

It will provide the first real data about what it is needed to deflect an Armageddon-inducing asteroid away from Earth.&nbsp;

The NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is the first attempt to test if such asteroid deflection is a realistic strategy. It will look into the possibility that whether a spacecraft can autonomously navigate to a target asteroid and intentionally collide with it along with measuring the amount of deflection. &nbsp;

The 610 kg DART spacecraft will blast off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/strange-rock-thought-to-be-gold-turns-out-far-more-valuable-431237" hreflang="en">Strange rock thought to be gold turns out far more valuable</a>

Its target is the Didymos system, a harmless pair of asteroids, which consists of a 163-metre “moonlet” asteroid called Dimorphos orbiting a larger 780-metre asteroid called Didymos. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Jay Tate, director, National Near Earth Objects Information Centre in Knighton in Powys, Wales, said, “This is the first step to actually try a way of preventing near-Earth object impact. If it works, it would be a big deal, because it would prove that we have the technical capability of protecting ourselves.” &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

In what can be called the first case of humanity’s interference in the gravitational dance of the solar system, NASA is going to launch a mission to deliberately collide a spacecraft into an asteroid in order to alter its orbit.

In what can be called the first case of humanity’s interference in the gravitational dance of the solar system, NASA is going to launch a mission to deliberately collide a spacecraft into an asteroid in order to alter its orbit. The agency will carry out the mission on Wednesday. The aim of the mission is to test drive a planetary defence system, which can prevent from extinction. Also Read: Indian astronomers discover stars hotter than Sun It will provide the first real data about what it is needed to deflect an Armageddon-inducing asteroid away from Earth. The NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is the first attempt to test if such asteroid deflection is a realistic strategy. It will look into the possibility that whether a spacecraft can autonomously navigate to a target asteroid and intentionally collide with it along with measuring the amount of deflection. The 610 kg DART spacecraft will blast off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday. Also Read: Strange rock thought to be gold turns out far more valuable Its target is the Didymos system, a harmless pair of asteroids, which consists of a 163-metre “moonlet” asteroid called Dimorphos orbiting a larger 780-metre asteroid called Didymos. Jay Tate, director, National Near Earth Objects Information Centre in Knighton in Powys, Wales, said, “This is the first step to actually try a way of preventing near-Earth object impact. If it works, it would be a big deal, because it would prove that we have the technical capability of protecting ourselves.” (With inputs from agencies)

To avert Armageddon, NASA to collide spacecraft into asteroid to alter its orbit

The first woman and the next man to walk on the moon's surface could happen in the next two years, that is if the NASA-led artemis program, a new generation of lunar exploration missions succeeds to fly its Orion spacecraft near the moon in their first un-crewed test. This next report explains.

First woman and the next man to walk on the moon's surface in the next two years

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will launch the New Shepard spacecraft on August 26, 2021.&nbsp;

As per a public statement by Blue Origins, the spacecraft will be carrying a NASA lunar landing tech on the external boosters and other commercial payloads inside the capsule.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewShepard?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NewShepard</a> NS-17 is go for launch tomorrow at 8:35 AM CDT / 13:35 UTC with the second flight of <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a>'s lunar landing technology demonstration on board. Live webcast starts at T-30 mins on <a href="https://t.co/7Y4TherpLr">https://t.co/7Y4TherpLr</a> <a href="https://t.co/hRTUojHsR4">pic.twitter.com/hRTUojHsR4</a>
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) <a href="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1430569091371253760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Also, the spacecraft has already flown to space with Jeff Bezos, his brother, Wally Funk, and another passenger in July 2021.&nbsp;

“This will be the 4th flight for the New Shepard program this year and the 8th flight for this particular vehicle, which is dedicated to flying scientific and research payloads to space and back,” Blue Origin said in a statement on August 23.

The NS-17 flight, which was flown for the first time in October 2020, is all set to test further a suite of lunar landing technologies.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/former-afghanistan-minister-now-delivers-pizzas-in-germany-report-408316">Also read |&nbsp;Former Afghanistan minister now delivers pizzas in Germany: Report</a>

This is being done to reduce risk and increase confidence for successful missions to the Moon in its latest spaceflight.

“The technologies could allow future missions—both crewed and robotic—to target landing sites that weren’t possible during the Apollo missions, such as regions with varied terrain near craters,” said Blue Origins.

For the first-ever time, NS-17 will also feature the Suborbital Tryptych, which is a series of portraits by Amoako Boafo, a Ghanaian artist, on the top of the capsule which houses the crew.&nbsp;

The flight remains to be controversial among scientists and space enthusiasts. Famous astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson called out the Blue Origin's flight did not cross the Karman Line, which is considered as the threshold for the beginning of space.&nbsp;

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will launch the New Shepard spacecraft on August 26, 2021. As per a public statement by Blue Origins, the spacecraft will be carrying a NASA lunar landing tech on the external boosters and other commercial payloads inside the capsule.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will launch the New Shepard spacecraft on August 26, 2021. As per a public statement by Blue Origins, the spacecraft will be carrying a NASA lunar landing tech on the external boosters and other commercial payloads inside the capsule. #NewShepard NS-17 is go for launch tomorrow at 8:35 AM CDT / 13:35 UTC with the second flight of @NASA's lunar landing technology demonstration on board. Live webcast starts at T-30 mins on https://t.co/7Y4TherpLr pic.twitter.com/hRTUojHsR4 — Blue Origin (@blueorigin) August 25, 2021 × Also, the spacecraft has already flown to space with Jeff Bezos, his brother, Wally Funk, and another passenger in July 2021. “This will be the 4th flight for the New Shepard program this year and the 8th flight for this particular vehicle, which is dedicated to flying scientific and research payloads to space and back,” Blue Origin said in a statement on August 23. The NS-17 flight, which was flown for the first time in October 2020, is all set to test further a suite of lunar landing technologies. Also read | Former Afghanistan minister now delivers pizzas in Germany: Report This is being done to reduce risk and increase confidence for successful missions to the Moon in its latest spaceflight. “The technologies could allow future missions—both crewed and robotic—to target landing sites that weren’t possible during the Apollo missions, such as regions with varied terrain near craters,” said Blue Origins. For the first-ever time, NS-17 will also feature the Suborbital Tryptych, which is a series of portraits by Amoako Boafo, a Ghanaian artist, on the top of the capsule which houses the crew. The flight remains to be controversial among scientists and space enthusiasts. Famous astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson called out the Blue Origin's flight did not cross the Karman Line, which is considered as the threshold for the beginning of space.

Blue Origin to launch New Shepard spacecraft today with NASA's lunar landing tech

In Pics | Richard Branson all set for Virgin Galactic spaceflight

As&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Galactic&nbsp;finalises plans for founder Richard Branson to join five others on a test flight to the edge of space on July 11, the British billionaire said his wife may be nervous about the launch but he himself wasn't the least bit afraid. 
 
"I've been looking forward to this for 17 years," Branson said in an interview on Tuesday from Spaceport America near the remote town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. 
 
He said pre-flight preparations only add to the excitement ahead of Sunday's scheduled launch, which will be taking place one week before his 71st birthday. 
 
"Every bit about it is a pinch-me moment," he said. 
 
The launch of Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc's VSS Unity rocket plane over the desert will mark the space tourism company's fourth crewed test mission beyond Earth's atmosphere. But it will be the first to carry a full complement of space travellers, consisting of Branson, two pilots and three mission specialists. 
 
Unity will be launched at an altitude of about 50,000 feet from a Virgin Galactic carrier plane, then soar on its own rocket power to the boundary of space, where the crew will experience about 4 minutes of weightlessness before beginning a descent back to Earth. 
 
The trip is not without the inherent hazards of spaceflight. An earlier prototype of the rocket plane crashed during a 2014 test flight over California's Mojave Desert, killing one pilot and seriously injuring the other. 
 
Asked how his family reacted to the news last week that he would join Sunday's crew, Branson said his children, adventurous like him, were excited, but suggested his wife, Joan, while supportive, was more wary. 
 
"My wife is the sort of person who would be terrified on a&nbsp;Virgin&nbsp;Atlantic airplane," he said. "She's the last person who would want to do something like this. But she's known me since I tried to balloon across the Atlantic or the Pacific or around the world, and she still seems to love us." 
 
He laughed as he quoted his wife telling him: "If you're foolish enough to do these wonderful things, you can do it, but I won't be going to your funeral."

(With inputs from agencies)

As Virgin Galactic finalises plans for founder Richard Branson to join five others on a test flight to the edge of space on July 11, the British billionaire said his wife may be nervous about the launch but he himself wasn't the least bit afraid.

As Virgin Galactic finalises plans for founder Richard Branson to join five others on a test flight to the edge of space on July 11, the British billionaire said his wife may be nervous about the launch but he himself wasn't the least bit afraid. "I've been looking forward to this for 17 years," Branson said in an interview on Tuesday from Spaceport America near the remote town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. He said pre-flight preparations only add to the excitement ahead of Sunday's scheduled launch, which will be taking place one week before his 71st birthday. "Every bit about it is a pinch-me moment," he said. The launch of Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc's VSS Unity rocket plane over the desert will mark the space tourism company's fourth crewed test mission beyond Earth's atmosphere. But it will be the first to carry a full complement of space travellers, consisting of Branson, two pilots and three mission specialists. Unity will be launched at an altitude of about 50,000 feet from a Virgin Galactic carrier plane, then soar on its own rocket power to the boundary of space, where the crew will experience about 4 minutes of weightlessness before beginning a descent back to Earth. The trip is not without the inherent hazards of spaceflight. An earlier prototype of the rocket plane crashed during a 2014 test flight over California's Mojave Desert, killing one pilot and seriously injuring the other. Asked how his family reacted to the news last week that he would join Sunday's crew, Branson said his children, adventurous like him, were excited, but suggested his wife, Joan, while supportive, was more wary. "My wife is the sort of person who would be terrified on a Virgin Atlantic airplane," he said. "She's the last person who would want to do something like this. But she's known me since I tried to balloon across the Atlantic or the Pacific or around the world, and she still seems to love us." He laughed as he quoted his wife telling him: "If you're foolish enough to do these wonderful things, you can do it, but I won't be going to your funeral." (With inputs from agencies)

Virgin Galactic's Branson calls his upcoming spaceflight a 'pinch-me moment'

The Shenzhou-12 spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China's Gobi Desert.

China launches three-man crew to new space station

An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft successfully landed on the surface of Mars on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua reported, making China the second space-faring nation after the United States to land on the Red Planet.&nbsp;

The Tianwen-1 spacecraft landed on a site on a vast plain known as Utopia Planitia, "leaving a Chinese footprint on Mars for the first time," Xinhua said.&nbsp;

The craft left its parked orbit at about 1700 GMT Friday (0100 Beijing time Saturday). The landing module separated from the orbiter three hours later and entered the Martian atmosphere, the official China Space News said.&nbsp;

It said the landing process consisted of 'nine minutes of terror' as the module decelerates and then slowly descends.&nbsp;

A solar-powered rover, named Zhurong, will now survey the landing site before departing from its platform to conduct inspections. Named after a mythical Chinese god of fire, Zhurong has six scientific instruments including a high-resolution topography camera.&nbsp;

The rover will study the planet's surface soil and atmosphere. Zhurong will also look for signs of ancient life, including any sub-surface water and ice, using a ground-penetrating radar.&nbsp;

Tianwen-1, or 'Questions to Heaven', after a Chinese poem written two millennia ago, is China’s first independent mission to Mars. A probe co-launched with Russia in 2011 failed to leave the Earth's orbit.&nbsp;

The five-tonne spacecraft blasted off from the southern Chinese island of Hainan in July last year, launched by the powerful Long March 5 rocket.&nbsp;

After more than six months in transit, Tianwen-1 reached the Red Planet in February where it had been in orbit since.&nbsp;

If Zhurong is successfully deployed, China would be the first country to orbit, land and release a rover in its maiden mission to Mars.&nbsp;

Tianwen-1 was one of three that reached Mars in February, with US rover Perseverance successfully touching down on February 18 in a huge depression called Jezero Crater, more than 2,000 km away from Utopia Planitia.&nbsp;

Hope - the third spacecraft that arrived at Mars in February this year - is not designed to make a landing. Launched by the United Arab Emirates, it is currently orbiting above Mars gathering data on its weather and atmosphere.&nbsp;

The first successful landing ever was made by NASA's Viking 1 in July 1976 and then by Viking 2 in September that year. A Mars probe launched by the former Soviet Union landed in December 1971, but communication was lost seconds after landing.&nbsp;

China is pursuing an ambitious space programme. It is testing reusable spacecraft and is also planning to establish manned lunar research station.&nbsp;

In a commentary published on Saturday, Xinhua said China was 'not looking to compete for leadership in space' but was committed to 'unveiling the secrets of the universe and contributing to humanity's peaceful use of space’.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft successfully landed on the surface of Mars on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua reported, making China the second space-faring nation after the United States to land on the Red Planet.

An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft successfully landed on the surface of Mars on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua reported, making China the second space-faring nation after the United States to land on the Red Planet. The Tianwen-1 spacecraft landed on a site on a vast plain known as Utopia Planitia, "leaving a Chinese footprint on Mars for the first time," Xinhua said. The craft left its parked orbit at about 1700 GMT Friday (0100 Beijing time Saturday). The landing module separated from the orbiter three hours later and entered the Martian atmosphere, the official China Space News said. It said the landing process consisted of 'nine minutes of terror' as the module decelerates and then slowly descends. A solar-powered rover, named Zhurong, will now survey the landing site before departing from its platform to conduct inspections. Named after a mythical Chinese god of fire, Zhurong has six scientific instruments including a high-resolution topography camera. The rover will study the planet's surface soil and atmosphere. Zhurong will also look for signs of ancient life, including any sub-surface water and ice, using a ground-penetrating radar. Tianwen-1, or 'Questions to Heaven', after a Chinese poem written two millennia ago, is China’s first independent mission to Mars. A probe co-launched with Russia in 2011 failed to leave the Earth's orbit. The five-tonne spacecraft blasted off from the southern Chinese island of Hainan in July last year, launched by the powerful Long March 5 rocket. After more than six months in transit, Tianwen-1 reached the Red Planet in February where it had been in orbit since. If Zhurong is successfully deployed, China would be the first country to orbit, land and release a rover in its maiden mission to Mars. Tianwen-1 was one of three that reached Mars in February, with US rover Perseverance successfully touching down on February 18 in a huge depression called Jezero Crater, more than 2,000 km away from Utopia Planitia. Hope - the third spacecraft that arrived at Mars in February this year - is not designed to make a landing. Launched by the United Arab Emirates, it is currently orbiting above Mars gathering data on its weather and atmosphere. The first successful landing ever was made by NASA's Viking 1 in July 1976 and then by Viking 2 in September that year. A Mars probe launched by the former Soviet Union landed in December 1971, but communication was lost seconds after landing. China is pursuing an ambitious space programme. It is testing reusable spacecraft and is also planning to establish manned lunar research station. In a commentary published on Saturday, Xinhua said China was 'not looking to compete for leadership in space' but was committed to 'unveiling the secrets of the universe and contributing to humanity's peaceful use of space’. (With inputs from agencies)

China completes historic Mars spacecraft landing 

In the Arab world's first interplanetary mission, a spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates was set to swing into orbit around Mars on Tuesday, the first of three robotic explorers arriving at the red planet over the next week and a half.&nbsp;

The orbiter, which is called Amal, Arabic for Hope, traveled 300 million miles in nearly seven months to get to Mars with the goal of mapping its atmosphere throughout each season.&nbsp;

A combination of orbiter and lander from China is close behind, scheduled to reach the planet on Wednesday. It will circle Mars until the rover separates and attempts to land on the surface in May to look for signs of ancient life.&nbsp;

A rover from the US Named Perseverance is set to join the crowd next week, aiming for a landing on February 18. It will be the first leg in a decade-long US-European project to bring Mars rocks back to Earth to be examined for evidence the planet once harbored microscopic life.&nbsp;

About 60 per cent of all Mars missions have ended in failure, crashing, burning up or otherwise falling short in a testament to the complexity of interplanetary travel and the difficulty of making a descent through Mars' thin atmosphere.&nbsp;

If it pulls this off, China will become only the second country to land successfully on Mars. The US has done it eight times, the first almost 45 years ago. A NASA rover and lander are still working on the surface.&nbsp;

For the UAE, it was the country's first venture beyond Earth's orbit, making the flight a matter of intense national pride.&nbsp;

For days, landmarks across the UAE, including Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower on Earth, glowed red to mark Amal's anticipated arrival. This year is the 50th anniversary of the country's founding, casting even more attention on Amal.&nbsp;

The celestial weather station aimed for an exceptionally high Martian orbit of 13,670 miles by 27,340 miles (22,000 kilometers by 44,000 kilometers). It was set to join six spacecraft already operating around Mars: three US, two European and one Indian.&nbsp;

Amal was expected to perform an intricate, high-stakes series of turns and engine firings to maneuver into orbit and achieve what has eluded so many before.&nbsp;

In the Arab world's first interplanetary mission, a spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates was set to swing into orbit around Mars on Tuesday, the first of three robotic explorers arriving at the red planet over the next week and a half.

In the Arab world's first interplanetary mission, a spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates was set to swing into orbit around Mars on Tuesday, the first of three robotic explorers arriving at the red planet over the next week and a half. The orbiter, which is called Amal, Arabic for Hope, traveled 300 million miles in nearly seven months to get to Mars with the goal of mapping its atmosphere throughout each season. A combination of orbiter and lander from China is close behind, scheduled to reach the planet on Wednesday. It will circle Mars until the rover separates and attempts to land on the surface in May to look for signs of ancient life. A rover from the US Named Perseverance is set to join the crowd next week, aiming for a landing on February 18. It will be the first leg in a decade-long US-European project to bring Mars rocks back to Earth to be examined for evidence the planet once harbored microscopic life. About 60 per cent of all Mars missions have ended in failure, crashing, burning up or otherwise falling short in a testament to the complexity of interplanetary travel and the difficulty of making a descent through Mars' thin atmosphere. If it pulls this off, China will become only the second country to land successfully on Mars. The US has done it eight times, the first almost 45 years ago. A NASA rover and lander are still working on the surface. For the UAE, it was the country's first venture beyond Earth's orbit, making the flight a matter of intense national pride. For days, landmarks across the UAE, including Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower on Earth, glowed red to mark Amal's anticipated arrival. This year is the 50th anniversary of the country's founding, casting even more attention on Amal. The celestial weather station aimed for an exceptionally high Martian orbit of 13,670 miles by 27,340 miles (22,000 kilometers by 44,000 kilometers). It was set to join six spacecraft already operating around Mars: three US, two European and one Indian. Amal was expected to perform an intricate, high-stakes series of turns and engine firings to maneuver into orbit and achieve what has eluded so many before.

On historic flight, Arab spacecraft to enter Mars orbit

After spending nearly six years in the space Japan's 'Hayabusa 2' spacecraft have arrived back on Earth carrying samples from distant asteroid.

Japanese spacecraft returns to Earth carrying pieces of distant Asteroid

Japanese spacecraft 'Hayabusa 2' is bringing back pieces of the asteroid after 6 years since it was launched. The spacecraft is carrying two samples of rock and dust from the surface of the asteroid.

Japanese spacecraft 'Hayabusa 2' on its way back to the Earth

A commercial cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS) -- carrying the name of deceased NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla -- arrived at the International Space Station for ‘rendezvous and capture’ on October 5.

Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born woman to enter space, has had the spacecraft named after her for her key contributions to human spaceflight.

The SS Kalpana Chawla, a Northrop Grumman Cygnus, was launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 09:38 pm EDT.

On the NG-14 mission, the SS Kalpana Chawla will deliver approximately 3,630 kilograms of cargo to the station.

Research flying aboard the Cygnus includes the test of a biologic drug that could be used for the treatment of leukemia, a plant growth study that will cultivate radishes as a model for future crops in space, a compact toilet for astronauts to use on deep-space exploration missions and a 360-degree virtual reality camera that will be used to film during a spacewalk for an immersive cinematic production.

Northrop Grumman, an American global aerospace and defence technology company said that this mission is named after Chawla in memory of the mission specialist who died with her six crewmates aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 2003 Northrop Grumman stated that it is proud to celebrate the life of Kalpana Chawla and her dream of flying through the air and in space.

"It is the company's tradition to name each Cygnus after an individual who has played a pivotal role in human spaceflight," said Northrop Grumman.

Born in Haryana, India, Chawla moved to the United States to earn her master's and doctorate degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas in 1984 and the University of Colorado in 1988, respectively.

She then began her career at NASA, conducting research in fluid dynamics at the Ames Research Center in California.

After becoming a naturalised US citizen, Chawla applied for and became a NASA astronaut as a member of "The Flying Escargot," NASA's 15th class of trainees. In 1997, she launched on STS-87, a 15-day shuttle mission that was dedicated to the science flying as part of the fourth United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4).

Chawla's second spaceflight, STS-107, came to a tragic end on February 1, 2003, following 16 days of conducting science onboard the space shuttle Columbia. A small piece of foam that struck the orbiter's left wing during launch created a hole that went undetected during the mission.

Upon Columbia's return to Earth, hot plasma entered the wing, tearing it apart, and the resulting loss of control led to the vehicle disintegrating and the death of the crew.

A commercial cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS) -- carrying the name of deceased NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla -- arrived at the International Space Station for ‘rendezvous and capture’ on October 5.

A commercial cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS) -- carrying the name of deceased NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla -- arrived at the International Space Station for ‘rendezvous and capture’ on October 5. Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born woman to enter space, has had the spacecraft named after her for her key contributions to human spaceflight. The SS Kalpana Chawla, a Northrop Grumman Cygnus, was launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 09:38 pm EDT. On the NG-14 mission, the SS Kalpana Chawla will deliver approximately 3,630 kilograms of cargo to the station. Research flying aboard the Cygnus includes the test of a biologic drug that could be used for the treatment of leukemia, a plant growth study that will cultivate radishes as a model for future crops in space, a compact toilet for astronauts to use on deep-space exploration missions and a 360-degree virtual reality camera that will be used to film during a spacewalk for an immersive cinematic production. Northrop Grumman, an American global aerospace and defence technology company said that this mission is named after Chawla in memory of the mission specialist who died with her six crewmates aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 2003 Northrop Grumman stated that it is proud to celebrate the life of Kalpana Chawla and her dream of flying through the air and in space. "It is the company's tradition to name each Cygnus after an individual who has played a pivotal role in human spaceflight," said Northrop Grumman. Born in Haryana, India, Chawla moved to the United States to earn her master's and doctorate degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas in 1984 and the University of Colorado in 1988, respectively. She then began her career at NASA, conducting research in fluid dynamics at the Ames Research Center in California. After becoming a naturalised US citizen, Chawla applied for and became a NASA astronaut as a member of "The Flying Escargot," NASA's 15th class of trainees. In 1997, she launched on STS-87, a 15-day shuttle mission that was dedicated to the science flying as part of the fourth United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4). Chawla's second spaceflight, STS-107, came to a tragic end on February 1, 2003, following 16 days of conducting science onboard the space shuttle Columbia. A small piece of foam that struck the orbiter's left wing during launch created a hole that went undetected during the mission. Upon Columbia's return to Earth, hot plasma entered the wing, tearing it apart, and the resulting loss of control led to the vehicle disintegrating and the death of the crew.

Cargo spacecraft SS Kalpana Chawla arrives at ISS

China has launched the Tianwen-1 mission to planet Mars. This is China's first interplanetary spacecraft. With its ambitious Tianwen 1 mission, China will attempt to orbit and land on Mars on its first attempt, subsequently deploying a rover.

China's mission to Mars: A mission to collect data from Mars Tianwen-1

WION Fineprint: Beijing's attempt to join the elite global space club | China MARS Mission

We have all read about how the magnetic field of the earth protects us from the solar radiation. However, according to reports, that magnetic field is now weakening.

As per the reports, the magnetic field around the earth, on an average, has lost almost 10% of its strength over the last two centuries.

However, a rapid shrink has been observed in the South Atlantic Anomaly, a stretch between Africa and South America. A large and rapid shrink has been observed in this region over the past&nbsp;50 years just as the area itself has grown and moved westward.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/nasa-finds-evidence-of-parallel-universe-where-time-runs-backward-299949">Also read:&nbsp;NASA finds evidence of parallel universe where time runs backward</a>

Scientists from European Space Agency (ESA) from the Swarm Data, Innovation and Science Cluster (DISC) are using this data from ESA's Swarm satellite constellation to study the anomaly. The Swarm satellites can identify and measure the the various magnetic signals that combine to make up the Earth's magnetic field.In the last five years, a second centre of minimum intensity has developed towards southwest of Africa. Researchers believe that this could mean that the anomaly can split into two separate cells.

The weakening of the magnetic field is also causing technical difficulties for the satellites and spacecrafts orbiting the planet.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scientists-prepare-a-map-of-antarctica-turning-green-due-to-climate-change-300122">Also read:&nbsp;Scientists prepare a map of Antarctica turning green due to climate change</a>

The South Atlantic Anomaly has been appearing over the last decade, but has developed vigorously in the last few years. Dr Jurgen Matzka, from the German Research Centre for Geosciences, said:&nbsp;"We are very lucky to have the Swarm satellites in orbit to investigate the development of the South Atlantic Anomaly. The challenge now is to understand the processes in Earth's core driving these changes."

One most speculated reason behind this is that there is a chance that the time for Earth's pole reversal is coming near.

Pole reversal is when the north and south magnetic poles flip. While this flip will not occur immediately or suddenly, and will happen over centuries,&nbsp;there would be multiple north and south magnetic poles during this period, all around the planet.

This is definitely not the first time that pole reversal will be happening on the Earth. This event has occurred few times in the history of our planet, as per the scientists and we are long overdue by the average rate at which these reversals take place (roughly every 250,000 years).

While this is not going to affect or alarm the general public to a huge extent, it is causing technical difficulties for various satellites and spacecrafts, as the&nbsp;magnetic field getting weaker, charged particles from the cosmos can penetrate through to the altitudes that low-Earth orbiting satellites fly at.

(With inputs from agencies)

We have all read about how the magnetic field of the earth protects us from the solar radiation. However, according to reports, that magnetic field is now weakening.

We have all read about how the magnetic field of the earth protects us from the solar radiation. However, according to reports, that magnetic field is now weakening. As per the reports, the magnetic field around the earth, on an average, has lost almost 10% of its strength over the last two centuries. However, a rapid shrink has been observed in the South Atlantic Anomaly, a stretch between Africa and South America. A large and rapid shrink has been observed in this region over the past 50 years just as the area itself has grown and moved westward. Also read: NASA finds evidence of parallel universe where time runs backward Scientists from European Space Agency (ESA) from the Swarm Data, Innovation and Science Cluster (DISC) are using this data from ESA's Swarm satellite constellation to study the anomaly. The Swarm satellites can identify and measure the the various magnetic signals that combine to make up the Earth's magnetic field.In the last five years, a second centre of minimum intensity has developed towards southwest of Africa. Researchers believe that this could mean that the anomaly can split into two separate cells. The weakening of the magnetic field is also causing technical difficulties for the satellites and spacecrafts orbiting the planet. Also read: Scientists prepare a map of Antarctica turning green due to climate change The South Atlantic Anomaly has been appearing over the last decade, but has developed vigorously in the last few years. Dr Jurgen Matzka, from the German Research Centre for Geosciences, said: "We are very lucky to have the Swarm satellites in orbit to investigate the development of the South Atlantic Anomaly. The challenge now is to understand the processes in Earth's core driving these changes." One most speculated reason behind this is that there is a chance that the time for Earth's pole reversal is coming near. Pole reversal is when the north and south magnetic poles flip. While this flip will not occur immediately or suddenly, and will happen over centuries, there would be multiple north and south magnetic poles during this period, all around the planet. This is definitely not the first time that pole reversal will be happening on the Earth. This event has occurred few times in the history of our planet, as per the scientists and we are long overdue by the average rate at which these reversals take place (roughly every 250,000 years). While this is not going to affect or alarm the general public to a huge extent, it is causing technical difficulties for various satellites and spacecrafts, as the magnetic field getting weaker, charged particles from the cosmos can penetrate through to the altitudes that low-Earth orbiting satellites fly at. (With inputs from agencies)

Earth's magnetic field weakens; satellites and spacecrafts malfunction

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

Jeff Bezos unveils lunar landing spacecraft mockup

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

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

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

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

Israeli spacecraft Beresheet made its final maneuver ahead of a planned descent to the moon on Thursday, which, if successful, will propel Israel into an elite group of countries that have mastered the lunar landing.

The unmanned robotic lander dubbed Beresheet - Hebrew for the biblical phrase “in the beginning” - has travelled through space for seven weeks in a series of expanding orbits around Earth before crossing into the moon's gravity last week.

The final maneuver brought the spacecraft into a tight elliptical orbit around the moon, just 15-17 kilometres (9-10.5 miles) from the surface at its closest. The landing is set to begin late on Thursday, with touchdown expected around 10:25 p.m. in Israel (1925 GMT), the Israeli space team said.

So far, only three other nations have carried out controlled "soft" landings of spacecraft on the lunar surface - the United States, the former Soviet Union and China.

The US Apollo program tallied six manned missions to the moon - the only ones yet achieved - between 1969 and 1972, and the United States and Soviets conducted a total of about a dozen more robotic landings between them. China made history in January with its Chang'e 4, the first craft to touch down on the dark side of the moon.

If successful, Beresheet would also make the first lunar landing by a craft not from a government programme. It was built by Israeli nonprofit space venture SpaceIL and state-owned defense contractor Israel Aerospace Industries with $100 million furnished almost entirely by private donors.

Shaped like a round table with four carbon-fibre legs, Beresheet stands about 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) tall. It blasted off from Cape Canaveral in the United States on Feb. 21 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and entered Earth's orbit about 34 minutes after launch.

At launch it weighed 585 kg (1,290 pounds), most of which was fuel burned during its circuitous flight path of around 4 million miles (6.5 million km). A direct route from the Earth to the moon covers roughly 240,000 miles (386,000 km).

The excitement was high over the lunar mission in Israel, where it has been discussed in schools and promoted on television.

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Israeli spacecraft Beresheet made its final maneuver ahead of a planned descent to the moon on Thursday, which, if successful, will propel Israel into an elite group of countries that have mastered the lunar landing.

Israeli spacecraft Beresheet made its final maneuver ahead of a planned descent to the moon on Thursday, which, if successful, will propel Israel into an elite group of countries that have mastered the lunar landing. The unmanned robotic lander dubbed Beresheet - Hebrew for the biblical phrase “in the beginning” - has travelled through space for seven weeks in a series of expanding orbits around Earth before crossing into the moon's gravity last week. The final maneuver brought the spacecraft into a tight elliptical orbit around the moon, just 15-17 kilometres (9-10.5 miles) from the surface at its closest. The landing is set to begin late on Thursday, with touchdown expected around 10:25 p.m. in Israel (1925 GMT), the Israeli space team said. So far, only three other nations have carried out controlled "soft" landings of spacecraft on the lunar surface - the United States, the former Soviet Union and China. The US Apollo program tallied six manned missions to the moon - the only ones yet achieved - between 1969 and 1972, and the United States and Soviets conducted a total of about a dozen more robotic landings between them. China made history in January with its Chang'e 4, the first craft to touch down on the dark side of the moon. If successful, Beresheet would also make the first lunar landing by a craft not from a government programme. It was built by Israeli nonprofit space venture SpaceIL and state-owned defense contractor Israel Aerospace Industries with $100 million furnished almost entirely by private donors. Shaped like a round table with four carbon-fibre legs, Beresheet stands about 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) tall. It blasted off from Cape Canaveral in the United States on Feb. 21 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and entered Earth's orbit about 34 minutes after launch. At launch it weighed 585 kg (1,290 pounds), most of which was fuel burned during its circuitous flight path of around 4 million miles (6.5 million km). A direct route from the Earth to the moon covers roughly 240,000 miles (386,000 km). The excitement was high over the lunar mission in Israel, where it has been discussed in schools and promoted on television.

Israeli spacecraft nears moon landing and place in elite lunar club

Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully touched down on the asteroid Ryugu on Friday, which is some 340 million kilometers from Earth, to take samples that could provide clues on the origins of the solar system.

The Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA) reported that at 7:49 local time (22:49 GMT on Thursday) it began to receive data from the probe that confirmed its landing on the asteroid.

"Spacecraft state is normal. Based on this, we determined touchdown was successful! A detailed analysis will now be done," JAXA wrote on their Twitter feed, adding "the Doppler data showed the behaviour as expected and cheers went up with a clap!"

The landing took place from an altitude of 20 kilometers, where the probe had been circling the asteroid since last June, and its descend began on Thursday afternoon.

The landing operation was originally scheduled for last October, but was delayed to gather more information about Ryugu first.

Hayabusa2 was launched in December 2014 from the Tanegashima space center, in southwestern Japan, and is scheduled to return to Earth in late 2020.

At the end of June 2018 it arrived at the asteroid and was first located at a height of 20 kilometers, but also went as close at 6 kilometers to conduct the necessary preliminary studies to define the eventual landing site.

If the probe successfully returns to Earth with the samples, valuable clues about the origins of the solar system could be provided, the Japanese aerospace agency said.

The asteroid Ryugu - the name of a magical submarine palace from Japanese folklore - is about 900 meters in diameter and slightly cubic in shape.

Like other minor planets, it is considered to be among the oldest bodies in the solar system and therefore has the potential to provide information on the evolution of the universe.

The Japanese aerospace agency had already undertaken a similar mission, with the Hayabusa1 spacecraft, between 2003 and 2010 to take samples from a different type of asteroid.

That project was successfully completed after several technical problems and delays, including loss of contact with the spacecraft.

&nbsp;

Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully touched down on the asteroid Ryugu on Friday, which is some 340 million kilometers from Earth, to take samples that could provide clues on the origins of the solar system.

Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully touched down on the asteroid Ryugu on Friday, which is some 340 million kilometers from Earth, to take samples that could provide clues on the origins of the solar system. The Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA) reported that at 7:49 local time (22:49 GMT on Thursday) it began to receive data from the probe that confirmed its landing on the asteroid. "Spacecraft state is normal. Based on this, we determined touchdown was successful! A detailed analysis will now be done," JAXA wrote on their Twitter feed, adding "the Doppler data showed the behaviour as expected and cheers went up with a clap!" The landing took place from an altitude of 20 kilometers, where the probe had been circling the asteroid since last June, and its descend began on Thursday afternoon. The landing operation was originally scheduled for last October, but was delayed to gather more information about Ryugu first. Hayabusa2 was launched in December 2014 from the Tanegashima space center, in southwestern Japan, and is scheduled to return to Earth in late 2020. At the end of June 2018 it arrived at the asteroid and was first located at a height of 20 kilometers, but also went as close at 6 kilometers to conduct the necessary preliminary studies to define the eventual landing site. If the probe successfully returns to Earth with the samples, valuable clues about the origins of the solar system could be provided, the Japanese aerospace agency said. The asteroid Ryugu - the name of a magical submarine palace from Japanese folklore - is about 900 meters in diameter and slightly cubic in shape. Like other minor planets, it is considered to be among the oldest bodies in the solar system and therefore has the potential to provide information on the evolution of the universe. The Japanese aerospace agency had already undertaken a similar mission, with the Hayabusa1 spacecraft, between 2003 and 2010 to take samples from a different type of asteroid. That project was successfully completed after several technical problems and delays, including loss of contact with the spacecraft.

Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 lands on Ryugu asteroid, takes samples

Israel was gearing up to launch a spacecraft to the moon that will be the first private initiative of its kind in the world, the non-profit organization responsible for the project announced on Monday.

The $100-million spacecraft, which will cover the longest route to the moon – spanning nearly 6.5 million kilometres – was set to be ready to launch on February 22 from Florida's Cape Canaveral in the United States, according to Morris Kahn, president of SpaceIL, the company in charge of the project.

"The upcoming launch in Cape Canaveral and the lunar landing about two months later will be the culmination of eight years of hard work and dedication," Kahn said.

"This mission is a source of inspiration for people around the world, and we are looking forward to making history and watching as the Israeli flag joins superpowers Russia, China and the United States on (the) moon," he added.

Next Friday, the Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to be launched; it will carry the spacecraft that is set to separate from the booster 32 minutes after the launch.

Israeli Minister of Science and Technology Ofir Akunis has already headed to the United States to attend the launch process.

Should everything go according to schedule, the promoters of the project are expected to receive a signal from the spacecraft after the separation at the headquarters of Israel Aerospace Industries, located in the central Israeli city of Yehud, where the technology was manufactured.

After landing on the moon on April 11, the spacecraft, which has been christened with the name Beresheet, will start a series of tests to guarantee it is fully functioning.

Beresheet carries a digital time capsule, which includes thousands of documents about the history of humankind and of Israel. In addition, it contains photos of the manufacturers, as well as drawings, stories and music made by Israeli children who took part in the project.

During a press conference ahead of the launch, the project's promoters discussed the main challenges that the initiative – which has been made possible through private donations – was expected to face.

The main challenges included the launch itself, positioning the spacecraft, staying in contact with it at such a long distance, its ability to resist extreme conditions and landing successfully.

Israel was gearing up to launch a spacecraft to the moon that will be the first private initiative of its kind in the world, the non-profit organization responsible for the project announced on Monday.

Israel was gearing up to launch a spacecraft to the moon that will be the first private initiative of its kind in the world, the non-profit organization responsible for the project announced on Monday. The $100-million spacecraft, which will cover the longest route to the moon – spanning nearly 6.5 million kilometres – was set to be ready to launch on February 22 from Florida's Cape Canaveral in the United States, according to Morris Kahn, president of SpaceIL, the company in charge of the project. "The upcoming launch in Cape Canaveral and the lunar landing about two months later will be the culmination of eight years of hard work and dedication," Kahn said. "This mission is a source of inspiration for people around the world, and we are looking forward to making history and watching as the Israeli flag joins superpowers Russia, China and the United States on (the) moon," he added. Next Friday, the Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to be launched; it will carry the spacecraft that is set to separate from the booster 32 minutes after the launch. Israeli Minister of Science and Technology Ofir Akunis has already headed to the United States to attend the launch process. Should everything go according to schedule, the promoters of the project are expected to receive a signal from the spacecraft after the separation at the headquarters of Israel Aerospace Industries, located in the central Israeli city of Yehud, where the technology was manufactured. After landing on the moon on April 11, the spacecraft, which has been christened with the name Beresheet, will start a series of tests to guarantee it is fully functioning. Beresheet carries a digital time capsule, which includes thousands of documents about the history of humankind and of Israel. In addition, it contains photos of the manufacturers, as well as drawings, stories and music made by Israeli children who took part in the project. During a press conference ahead of the launch, the project's promoters discussed the main challenges that the initiative – which has been made possible through private donations – was expected to face. The main challenges included the launch itself, positioning the spacecraft, staying in contact with it at such a long distance, its ability to resist extreme conditions and landing successfully.

Israel readies to launch world's first private spacecraft to moon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NASA spacecraft breaks record for smallest space object ever orbited

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

NASA's unmanned New Horizons spacecraft is closing in on its historic New Year's flyby target, the most distant world ever studied, a frozen relic of the solar system some four billion miles (6.

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

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

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

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

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

Anxiety at NASA as it attempts Mars landing today

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