What you need to know about NASA and China's space race - as Chinese mission set to blast off

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."

'Initiate our scrub and recycle operation': Boeing abandons Starliner launch

Boeing called off its first astronaut launch, ferrying two NASA test pilots to the International Space Station, because of a valve problem on its Starliner capsule. But if engineers find a solution quickly, another countdown could be expected in the next 24-hours.

Boeing expected to launch its first crewed Starliner capsule to the International Space Station

Boeing’s new Starliner capsule will launch NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station on May 6.

NASA Reestablishes Connection With Distant Voyager 1 Space Probe

NASA Reestablishes , Connection With Distant , Voyager 1 Space Probe. The news comes after engineers at the agency worked for months attempting to fix the 46-year-old probe. In December, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said that the probe, now a staggering 15 billion miles away from Earth, was transmitting gibberish code. . On April 23, the JPL announced that the team was once again receiving usable data from the spacecraft. Currently, the probe is only transmitting data regarding the status of the ship's engineering systems. The next step is to enable the spacecraft to begin returning science data again, JPL statement, via 'The Guardian'. 'The Guardian' reports that Voyager 1 has been in operation for nearly half a century after launching in 1977 with the goal of studying Jupiter and Saturn. In August of 2012, Voyager crossed into interstellar space, becoming the first human-made object to leave the solar system. The probe is currently traveling at a staggering 36,800 miles per hour through space. NASA plans to collect data from the two Voyager spacecraft for a few more years, but the space agency expects to lose contact with the probes within the next decade

China launch of relay satellite Queqiao-2 for lunar probe mission successful | Know More | Oneindia

China's National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on Friday that the Queqiao-2 satellite has successfully concluded its in-orbit communication tests, with both its platform and payloads operating as expected. CNSA affirmed that Queqiao-2's functions and performance align with mission specifications, enabling it to deliver relay communication services for the fourth phase of China's lunar exploration endeavour and forthcoming lunar missions undertaken by China and other nations. This milestone marks the Queqiao-2 mission as a resounding success. On April 6, the satellite accomplished a successful communication test with the Chang'e-4 spacecraft, currently engaged in an exploration mission on the far side of the moon. Subsequently, from April 8 to 9, it underwent communication trials with the Chang'e-6 probe, slated for future launch. Launched on March 20, Queqiao-2 reached its intended highly elliptical orbit around the moon on April 2, following midway correction, near-moon braking, and orbital manoeuvres. #Queqiao2Launch #ChinaSpaceMission #LunarProbe #RelaySatellite #SpaceExploration #MissionSuccess #SpaceTech #LunarMission #Queqiao2 #SpaceAchievement ~PR.152~ED.102~GR.124~