Nasa sends images of new crater on Moon formed likely by crashlanding of Russian lander

Boeing's Starliner Set to Make Third Attempt at First-Ever Human Spaceflight

Boeing's Starliner , Set to Make Third Attempt at , First-Ever Human Spaceflight. On June 5, a pair of NASA astronauts will take part in Boeing's CST-100 Starliner's third attempt at accomplishing its first human spaceflight. . 'Orlando Sentinel' reports that NASA's Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have twice climbed on board the Starliner in the last month. . 'Orlando Sentinel' reports that NASA's Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have twice climbed on board the Starliner in the last month. . However, both of those launch attempts were scrapped at the last minute. . The most recent failed attempt came on June 1, and was abandoned within four minutes of liftoff after an issue with ULA's computer system forced the mission to be scrubbed. The most recent failed attempt came on June 1, and was abandoned within four minutes of liftoff after an issue with ULA's computer system forced the mission to be scrubbed. The next attempt is scheduled for 10:52 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. According to Space Launch Delta 45's weather squadron forecast, there is a 90% chance of favorable weather conditions for the highly anticipated launch. The first launch attempt on May 6, was scrubbed due to a faulty valve on the ULA rocket's upper Centaur stage, which has since been replaced. 'Orlando Sentinel' reports that both Boeing and NASA also signed off on a small helium leak on Starliner’s propulsion module that was ultimately not addressed. 'Orlando Sentinel' reports that both Boeing and NASA also signed off on a small helium leak on Starliner’s propulsion module that was ultimately not addressed. Following a successful launch, the crew will spend just over 24 hours traveling to the International Space Station where they will stay for about eight days. The crew is then scheduled to return to Earth via a landing in the desert in the southwestern United States

SPECULOOS-3 b: Astronomers find new Earth-sized exoplanet about 55 light-years away

The research team plans to study the exoplanet’s surface using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

Astronomers Witness Merger of 2 Black Holes From the 'Cosmic Dawn'

Astronomers Witness , Merger of 2 Black Holes, From the 'Cosmic Dawn'. 'The Independent' reports that NASA's Webb Space Telescope has made the most distant detection of merging black holes. . Two gigantic black holes and the galaxies that they stood at the center of merged together just 740 million years after the universe was formed in the Big Bang. One of the black holes is a staggering 50 million times larger than our Sun, and the other is believed to be a similar gigantic size. . Astronomers have long wondered how supermassive black holes are so big. . Lead author Hannah Ubler of the University of Cambridge says the findings suggest that mergers like this ancient example show how black holes are able to grow so rapidly. According to Ubler, the latest Webb discovery also suggests that black holes have been merging since the "cosmic dawn.". Massive black holes have been shaping the evolution of galaxies from the very beginning, Hannah Ubler, lead author from the University of Cambridge, via 'The Independent'. In 2021, NASA launched Webb, intended to replace the Hubble Space Telescope. Webb is the largest and most powerful observatory ever launched into space. . The joint U.S.-European project surveys the universe from a vantage point located about 1 million miles away from Earth.

Contractor Warns of Potential Catastrophe if NASA Goes Ahead With Scheduled Launch

Contractor Warns of , Potential Catastrophe if NASA , Goes Ahead With Scheduled Launch. IEN reports that a NASA contractor has publicly urged the space agency to reconsider an upcoming launch, warning it could end in disaster. The news comes after the initial launch of Boeing's Starliner was scrapped as the result of a leaky valve just last week. . The news comes after the initial launch of Boeing's Starliner was scrapped as the result of a leaky valve just last week. . NASA has plans to attempt another launch later this week. . ValveTech produces valves and other components for both aerospace and military applications. ValveTech produces valves and other components for both aerospace and military applications. The company issued a press release warning that a second launch attempt could end in catastrophe. . The statement from ValveTech President Erin Faville called for NASA to re-double safety checks and protocols. . The failed launch last week would have been the first human space flight for Boeing but was scrubbed after a faulty valve was discovered. . The Associated Press reported that the fluttering oxygen pressure-relief valve on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas rocket may have exceeded its 200,000 lifetime cycles. . The ValveTech statement questions how NASA, Aerojet and Boeing could have... . ... "qualified this valve for the mission without proper supporting data or previous history or legacy information.". According to ValveTech, this , "goes against aerospace-industry qualification protocols established by NASA."

China Raises Flag on the 'Dark Side' of the Moon

China Raises Flag , on the 'Dark Side' , of the Moon. 'Newsweek' reports that for the first time in human history, China has begun the process of returning samples from the "dark side" of the moon to the Earth. . The Chang'e-6 craft reportedly raised a small Chinese flag after collecting the samples before ending its two-day mission on the moon's "dark side.". It is an impressive demonstration of Chinese technological capability, John Logsdon, professor emeritus at the George Washington University and founder of its Space Policy Institute, via 'Newsweek'. The "dark side" refers to the hemisphere of the moon that faces away from the Earth most of the time due to its synchronous rotation. John Logsdon, professor emeritus at the George Washington University and founder of its Space Policy Institute, says the samples could... . ... "determine whether the lunar far side is similar or dissimilar to the face of the moon that has been explored for over 50 years.". The Chang'e-6 landed at the moon's South Pole in the Aitken Basin, one of our solar system's largest impact craters. In order to communicate with the spacecraft, China used the Queqiao-2 relay satellite to transmit messages to vehicles on either side of the moon. The probe autonomously used a robotic arm to drill into the surface and gather the samples. . 'Newsweek' reports that the lander also carried three research instruments from European space agencies, including Italy's National Institute for Nuclear Physics. China's seventh Chang'e mission is scheduled to take place in 2026.

China launches first probe to collect samples from far side of Moon