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☆ SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission just made history. But the riskiest part is still to come
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission kicked off early Tuesday, launching a four-person crew of civilian astronauts into orbit. The company confirmed that the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying the crew reached its peak altitude of 1,400.7 kilometers (870 miles) at 9:19 p.m. The Polaris Dawn mission also marks the farthest any human has journeyed since the final Apollo mission in 1972 — and the farthest into space a woman has ever traveled. The pre-breathe protocol the Polaris Dawn crew is undergoing is entirely unlike what is carried out on the International Space Station. In this screenshot from video, the Polaris Dawn crew sit in the Dragon capsule shortly after launching towards space on Tuesday.

Persons: CNN —, Jared Isaacman, Scott “ Kidd ” Poteet, Anna Menon, Sarah Gillis —, Menon, Poteet, Gillis, Isaacman, Rick Mastracchio, Dave Williams, Polaris Dawn crew’s, ” Gillis, “, pressurization, Garrett Reisman Organizations: CNN, SpaceX, Polaris, SpaceX SpaceX, Shift4, US Air Force, NASA, Space Station, Space Locations: —

☆ China aims for historic Mars mission ‘around 2028’ as it vies for space power
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The projected mission launch is more ambitious than a 2030 target announced by space officials earlier this year, though the timeline has fluctuated in recent years. It also comes as an effort by NASA and the European Space Agency to retrieve Mars samples remains under assessment amid concerns over budget, complexity and risk. Becoming the first country to return samples from Mars would be a significant accomplishment for China’s ambitious space program and leader Xi Jinping’s stated “eternal dream” to make the country a space power. A key priority of China’s Tianwen-3 mission would be to search for traces of life on Mars. “The return mission requires launch from the surface of Mars.

Persons: Liu Jizhong, Xi Jinping’s, Liu, CGTN, It’s, China's Tianwen, ”, Planitia, Mars, Bill Nelson Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, NASA, European Space Agency, AP Missions, US Locations: Hong Kong, China’s Anhui, China’s, China, Soviet Union, United States

☆ Boeing's uncrewed Starliner spacecraft touches down on Earth, capping months of drama in orbit
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-07 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Denise-Chow-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Denise Chow | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

After a summer of turmoil, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is finally home. The capsule undocked from the International Space Station without astronauts onboard on Friday at 6:04 p.m. Its smooth journey back suggests that the two NASA astronauts it carried to the space station could probably have flown home safely on the spacecraft. But the Starliner then remained parked at the space station for months as engineers on the ground assessed how to safely bring it back to Earth. Wilmore and Williams will remain on the space station into the new year then fly back in February on a SpaceX capsule.

Persons: Starliner, ” Joel Montalbano, NASA Starliner, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Wilmore, Williams, you’ve, ” Williams, “, ”, Boeing’s Organizations: International, NASA, Boeing, SpaceX, Space Center Locations: New, China, Houston

☆ Why do people give feelings to inanimate objects? What experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-07 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

People commented that they felt emotions for their stuffed animals, plants, furniture and even the voice behind their phone’s GPS. “We’re sort of hardwired to connect with other people, and sometimes that extends to other (things) who aren’t people,” Shepard said. Anthropomorphizing household objectsWhen people feel sympathy for inanimate objects, they are anthropomorphizing, attributing human behaviors or feelings to animals or objects who cannot feel the same emotions as we do, Shepard said. When Wilde first shared the video, she thought she might be the only one who experienced emotions for the unassuming objects, she said. These AI companions are becoming increasingly popular, but experts don’t yet know how these bots can affect someone’s development or psychology, Wei said.

Persons: Lilianna Wilde, jean, Wilde, Melissa Shepard, ” Shepard, Shepard, Kim Egel, ” Egel, “, who’s, ’ ” Wilde, it’s, It’s, …, hasn’t, ” Wilde, Anthropomorphizing, anthropomorphizing, Marlynn Wei, Wei, We’re Organizations: CNN, NASA Locations: Maryland, California, …, New York

☆ Boeing Starliner spacecraft returns uncrewed to Earth as stranded NASA astronauts turn their hands to new tasks on the ISS
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-07 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft has safely returned to Earth — but without its astronauts. NASA said it decided to "prioritize safety and return Starliner without its crew." Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementBoeing's Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth uncrewed after a three-month flight test to the International Space Station (ISS), NASA said on Saturday.

Persons: —, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams Organizations: NASA, Service, International Space, Business Locations: New Mexico, Cape Canaveral, Florida

☆ Boeing Starliner capsule is back on Earth while crew will hitch a SpaceX ride home in 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-07 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The spacecraft successfully launched and delivered NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station in June. But what seemed like an eight-day jaunt turned into months of questions surrounding Starliner’s ability to return the crew safely to Earth. NASAAfter nearly three months, the Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth without the two test pilots after undocking from the space station Friday night and parachuting into the New Mexico desert early Saturday. Starliner is the first US-made capsule to parachute to a ground landing, rather than splashing into the ocean. It remains to be seen how and when Starliner will be certified to carry astronauts regularly to space.

Persons: Boeing’s, —, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, jaunt, Starliner, Williams, “, Butch, Suni, ”, Steve Stich, mako, Guillermo López, Wells, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Radian Aerospace, NASA, International Space Station, Boeing, Starliner, European Union, Spanish, NSF, Cornell University, CNN Space, Science Locations: Seattle, New Mexico, Cod, Massachusetts, Zamora, Philippines, Luzon, Scotland

☆ 5 careers in the space industry that new grads should focus on, according to a VC
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-07 | by ( Robin Madell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. A 2024 report from McKinsey & Co. estimates the global space economy will balloon to $1.8 trillion by 2035, fueled by advances in AI. Chad Anderson, founder and managing partner of Space Capital, one of the first early-stage VC firms to focus exclusively on the space economy, told Business Insider that the space economy has plenty of technical career paths available. Anderson — who's invested in dozens of space ventures, including SpaceX, moon landers, satellites, and space tech, and founded Space Talent, an online resource for jobs in the space field and tech industry — shared his perspective as a VC on the top five careers in space that are on the rise. Specifically, expect heightened demand for orbital interior designers, space suit designers, space station industrial designers, and other lifestyle consultants for long-term tourism trips and crewed platforms.

Persons: —, Chad Anderson, Anderson — who's, landers, Anderson —, Anderson, they'll, you've, it's Organizations: Service, McKinsey & Co, Space, Business, SpaceX, Talent, Software, of Defense, NASA

In this image from video provided by NASA, the unmanned Boeing Starliner capsule undocks as it pulls away from the International Space Station on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. Boeing 's Starliner undocked from the International Space Station on Friday, months later than the spacecraft was originally supposed to depart — and without the two astronauts that it delivered to orbit in early June. It left the space station at 6:04 p.m. ET Friday and took about six hours to return to Earth. Starliner successfully touched down at a landing zone at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 12:01 a.m.

Persons: Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, SpaceX's, Starliner, you've, Williams Organizations: NASA, Boeing, International, ISS, Space Center Locations: —, New Mexico, Houston

☆ Boeing Starliner capsule returns home from space — without astronauts on board
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-06 | by ( Jackie Wattles | Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Relive the Boeing Starliner capsule’s return home as it happened. CNN —Boeing’s Starliner capsule returned from the International Space Station Friday evening — concluding its nearly three-month stay in space. This screengrab taken from a video shows Boeing Starliner as it touches down in White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico, at 12:01 a.m. Boeing and NASA teams work around NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test Starliner spacecraft after it landed uncrewed at White Sands, New Mexico, on September 7. NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, left, and Scott Tingle look inside NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test Starliner spacecraft after it landed uncrewed at White Sands Missile Range’s Space Harbor, in New Mexico, on September 7.

Persons: CNN —, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Starliner, —, “, ”, Williams, Calypso, ” Williams, you’ve, uncrewed, Aubrey Gemignani, Mark Nappi, Steve Stich, we’ve, ” Stich, we’d, ” Stitch, Butch, Suni, NASA Starliner’s, Wilmore, Stitch, Stich, Mike Fincke, Scott Tingle, NASA ‘, …, Ken Bowersox Organizations: Boeing, CNN, International, NASA, NASA's Boeing, SpaceX, White, Space Operations, Software Locations: Sands, , New Mexico, terra firma, Starliner, White Sands , New Mexico, New Mexico

☆ NASA says astronauts stuck in space will not return on Boeing capsule, will wait for SpaceX craft
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Denise-Chow-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Denise Chow | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

NASA will call on SpaceX to bring home two astronauts who have been stuck on the International Space Station since early June after their Boeing spacecraft ran into several problems midflight, the agency said Saturday. While the agency has finally settled on how to bring the astronauts back, their return trip will not be immediate. Instead, Wilmore and Williams will remain at the space station for about six more months before flying home in February. NASA said it will free up two seats on an upcoming SpaceX launch, known as Crew-9, that will be taking a new rotation of space station crew members to the orbiting outpost. The beleaguered Starliner capsule, meanwhile, will journey back to Earth without a crew, likely sometime in early September, according to NASA.

Persons: Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Butch, Suni, Bill Nelson, Williams, Nelson, NASA’s Organizations: NASA, SpaceX, Space Station, Boeing, Spaceflight, Space, Wilmore, Space Center, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Locations: Houston, Florida

The test flight was originally intended to last about nine days. The decision to bring Starliner back from the ISS empty marks a dramatic about-face for NASA and Boeing, as the organizations were previously adamant that the capsule was the primary choice for returning the crew. But Starliner's crew flight test, which had been seen as the final major milestone in the spacecraft's development, faced problems — most notably with its propulsion system. "Boeing has worked very hard with NASA to get the necessary data to make this decision," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a press conference with top NASA officials at Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday. NASA will now conduct another phase of its Flight Readiness Review to determine when to bring the empty Starliner home.

Persons: Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Wilmore, Williams, Bill Nelson Organizations: NASA, International, Station, Boeing, ISS, SpaceX's, Johnson Space Center Locations: Starliner, Houston

☆ NASA picks SpaceX to bring home the American astronauts stuck in space. It's the latest blow to Boeing.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementBoeing's Starliner spacecraft during NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test in June. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe nor routine. So, the decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station, and bring the Boeing Starliner home un-crewed, is a result of a commitment to safety." Both Boeing and SpaceX have spent a decade working with NASA on their Starliner and Crew Dragon vehicles, respectively. AdvertisementAfter years of delays, technical issues, and rising costs, this Crew Flight Test was the last hurdle Boeing had to clear for NASA to certify Starliner for human spaceflight.

Persons: —, Bill Nelson, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Williams, Wilmore, Nelson, Kelly Ortberg, Wiliams, Starliner —, Joe Raedle, Russ DeLoach, Butch, Suni, Elon, CHANDAN KHANNA, SpaceX would've, Elon Musk Organizations: Service, NASA, Johnson Space Center, Business, Boeing, SpaceX, NASA's Boeing, Space Shuttle Columbia, Ars Technica, Challenger, Columbia, NASA's, Safety, Mission Assurance, Soyuz, ISS Locations: Houston, Boca Chica , Texas

☆ Boeing Starliner astronauts: NASA set to decide how they’ll return
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The fate of two NASA astronauts — who have been in limbo aboard the International Space Station for about 80 days because of issues plaguing their Boeing Starliner spacecraft — may soon become clear. The space agency routinely delays news conferences, however, if discussions take longer than expected. Still, the federal agency funded SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Boeing’s Starliner at the same time in 2014. The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, topped by a Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, lifts off on an uncrewed test flight on December 20, 2019, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. If the Starliner capsule is ultimately certified, it could join SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in making routine trips to the space station to rotate staff.

Persons: —, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Williams, Wilmore, ”, Mark Nappi, we’ve, Ken Bowersox, Bowersox, Starliner, Joe Raedle, SpaceX’s Organizations: CNN, NASA, Space, Boeing, Engineers, NASA NASA, SpaceX, International, Soyuz, United Launch Alliance, V Locations: Cape Canaveral , Florida

☆ NASA to Say if Boeing Starliner Astronauts Will Stay Longer on Space Station
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

On Saturday, NASA is scheduled to finally announce its decision for how two of its astronauts, who went to orbit in June on Starliner, a spacecraft built by Boeing, will come home from the International Space Station. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived at the space station on June 6. If everything during the mission had proceeded perfectly, Starliner would have been docked for just eight days. But this is a test flight for Starliner, the first with people aboard, and it was not a surprise that some problems might pop up. But problems with the Boeing spacecraft’s propulsion system turned out to be more than minor glitches.

Persons: Will, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore Organizations: NASA, Boeing, International Space, Starliner Locations: Starliner

☆ Chinese scientists use lunar soil to produce water, state media reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese scientists have discovered a “brand-new method” of producing large quantities of water using lunar soil brought back from a 2020 expedition, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday. Vials of lunar soil brought back from the moon by China's Chang'e-5 probe in Beijing, on Aug. 26, 2021. China hopes that recent and future lunar expeditions will set the foundations to build the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), an initiative it is co-leading with Russia. The announcement of the discovery comes at a time when Chinese scientists are already conducting experiments on lunar samples brought back in June by the Chang’e-6 mission. The importance of lunar water goes beyond making permanent human presence viable.

Persons: China’s, “, ”, China's Chang'e, Ren Hui, Bill Nelson, NASA’s Nelson Organizations: Academy of Sciences, Getty, Lunar Research, Russia, NPR Locations: U.S, China, Beijing

☆ Watch spectacular new images caught by the International Space Station
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Jon Sarlin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ New fossils could reveal origin of ancient ‘hobbit’ humans
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

More bones followed, and at first, archaeologist Thomas Sutikna and his team thought they had uncovered the ancient fossils of a child. And the newly studied fossils represent an earlier hobbit who was 2.4 inches (6.1 centimeters) shorter than the first specimen. Homo erectus was the first ancient human to migrate out of Africa about 1.9 million years ago. Together, the Homo floresiensis fossils paint a portrait of a hardy species able to adapt and thrive despite the presence of hulking Komodo dragons. Defying gravityAstronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have long outstayed a planned eight days in low-Earth orbit after traveling to the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June.

Persons: Bua, Thomas Sutikna, floresiensis, Homo floresiensis, erectus, Homo erectus, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, SpaceX’s, Williams, David Brunetti, Pharaoh Djoser, NASA's, squaretail groupers, China’s Chang’e, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, International Space, NASA, Sutton, Exploration Rover, Rover, CNN Space, Science Locations: Indonesian, Flores, Africa, African, Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, England, Sutton, Turkey, China, India’s

The report, released Thursday by NASA’s Office of Inspector General, calls into question Boeing’s standards and quality control for its part in NASA’s efforts to return astronauts to the moon. But according to the report, Boeing’s quality control systems fall short of NASA’s requirements, and some known deficiencies have gone unaddressed. Now, the report from NASA's inspector general has found that the second stage of the Space Launch System — the part Boeing is responsible for — is significantly over budget. As for Boeing's quality control practices, the NASA inspector general said that from 2021 to 2023, federal oversight officers issued 71 “Corrective Action Requests” to address “deficiencies in quality.”Many of the requests took aim at Boeing’s work at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana. “Quality control issues at Michoud are largely due to the lack of a sufficient number of trained and experienced aerospace workers at Boeing,” the report said.

Organizations: NASA’s, Boeing, International Space Station, NASA Locations: Michoud, Louisiana

☆ China rocket launch creates cloud of space debris in low-Earth orbit
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —One of China’s Long March 6A rockets has broken apart in low-Earth orbit and created a debris cloud consisting of hundreds of pieces, according to multiple space debris-tracking entities. And the reason for the rocket breakup remains unknown. Everything in low-Earth orbit travels at 17,500 miles per hour, Crassidis said. It’s the second time one of these rocket bodies has experienced a significant breakup event in low-Earth orbit, according to Victoria Heath, associate director of marketing and communications for LeoLabs. “Events like this highlight the importance of adherence to existing space debris mitigation guidelines to reduce the creation of new space debris and underscore the need for robust space domain awareness capabilities to rapidly detect, track, and catalog newly-launched space objects so they can be screened for potential conjunctions.”

Persons: China’s, SpaceX’s, “ USSPACECOM, ”, Rob Margetta, LeoLabs, John L, Crassidis, “, It’s, Victoria Heath, Audrey Schaffer Organizations: CNN, Taiyuan Satellite, Shanghai Spacecom, Satellite Technology, Space Command, US Department of Defense, NASA, International, Network, University, Buffalo’s School of Engineering, Applied Sciences, LeoLabs, Aerospace Locations: Taiyuan, Shanghai, Victoria

☆ Boeing Starliner: What life is like for two astronauts in limbo in space
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

They’re not part of Expedition 71, the international crew of seven astronauts serving as the space station’s official staff. Crew-9 — a routine trip to the space station to replenish expedition staff — is currently slated to fly with four astronauts: NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Nick Hague and Stephanie Wilson, and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are greeted by the crew of the International Space Station on June 6, 2024. In 2012, during an earlier trip to the International Space Station, she became the first person to finish a triathlon in space. Without a suitcaseFlying to the space station without the suitcases they had packed for their mission perhaps complicated the comfort of the Starliner astronauts’ extended stay.

Persons: Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, —, They’ve, Williams, They’re, ” Dana Weigel, “ Butch, Suni, ” Weigel, “, Zena Cardman, Nick Hague, Stephanie Wilson, Aleksandr Gorbunov, Wilmore, they’ve, Sunita Williams, Frank Rubio, yearlong, ’, ”, Bill Spetch, Spetch, they’re, Ken Bowersox Organizations: CNN, Space, NASA, SpaceX, International Space Station, Boeing, SpaceX’s, International, Station, AP, Boston Marathon, Space Station, Northrop Grumman, Space Operations, “ Locations: Russian

☆ The New York Times News Quiz, Aug. 9, 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

NASA said two astronauts could be stranded on the International Space Station until next year because of problems with their spacecraft, which was made by what company?

Organizations: NASA, Space Station

☆ Boeing's new outsider CEO Ortberg takes the helm, this time from the factory floor
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Aerospace veteran Robert “Kelly” Ortberg becomes Boeing’s new CEO on Thursday with a singular mission: restoring the reputation of a U.S. manufacturing icon. Boeing's new CEO, Robert "Kelly" Ortberg. Ortberg’s Day 1 activity is walking the floor of Boeing’s factory in Renton, Washington, where it builds its bestselling but problematic 737 Max. The airline’s CEO hinted at the big feat Ortberg has ahead of him. “We look forward to working with Kelly Ortberg in his efforts to return Boeing to its place as the leading American aerospace company,” CEO Bob Jordan said in a written statement.

Persons: Robert “ Kelly ” Ortberg, Robert " Kelly, Ortberg, ”, Rockwell Collins, Richard Aboulafia, ” Ortberg, Boeing’s, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Ron Epstein, “, isn’t, ” Jon Holden, Dave Calhoun, Calhoun, Dennis Muilenburg, Max, Chicago —, Kelly Ortberg, Bob Jordan, —, Michael Sheetz Organizations: Boeing, AFP, Getty, Ortberg’s, National Transportation, Air Force One, NASA, SpaceX, International Space, Airbus, Bank of America, International Association of Machinists, Aerospace Workers, Arlington , Virginia —, ”, Southwest Airlines Locations: U.S, Renton , Washington, Portland , Oregon, “, Washington state, Oregon, Arlington , Virginia, Chicago, Seattle, American

NASA is considering keeping the two astronauts who flew Boeing's capsule to the International Space Station there until February as a result of issues the spaceship encountered midflight. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams before boarding Boeing's Starliner capsule at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., on May 6. The thruster issues cropped up as Starliner was nearing the space station in June, forcing delays during the docking process. Mission managers also conducted two “hot fire tests” in space, firing the capsule’s thrusters in short bursts while it remained docked at the space station. SpaceX has been transporting astronauts to the International Space Station since 2020.

Persons: Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Butch, Suni, ” Steve Stich, ” Wilmore, Williams, Stich, John Raoux, Ken Bowersox, ” Bowersox, Starliner, ” Stich Organizations: NASA, International, SpaceX, Boeing, Cape Canaveral Space Force, ”, Engineers, International Space Locations: Fla, New Mexico

☆ Boeing Starliner: NASA says it needs more time to plan astronaut return
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The space agency said the move “allows more time for mission managers to finalize return planning” for the Starliner and its crew, according to a written update from the space agency. NASA will host a news conference on the change Wednesday at 12:30 pm ET. The brief NASA update lands as rumors swirl about the fate of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which has remained attached to the space station for roughly seven weeks longer than expected, leaving its two crewmembers — veteran NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams — in limbo aboard the orbiting laboratory. It also makes clear that the Starliner crewed test flight and SpaceX Crew-9 missions will not play out exactly as officials publicly mapped out in late July. That’s when NASA said SpaceX could launch its Crew-9 mission as soon as August 18 — likely after Williams and Wilmore returned to Earth aboard Starliner.

Persons: Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, —, Williams, Wilmore Organizations: CNN, SpaceX’s, International, NASA, Boeing, SpaceX

☆ China moon samples reveal water molecules in groundbreaking discovery, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

NASA and Indian spacecraft have spotted what they believe to be water on the moon’s surface, and Chinese scientists last year found water trapped in glass beads strewn across the moon. But people didn’t always know there was water on the moon, though scientists theorized about its existence for hundreds of years. “I think it has lots of potential, this new finding that we can extract molecular water directly from lunar soils,” Qian said. After the latest study, many Weibo users raised the possibility of growing plants or crops on the moon using the molecular water found in soil. “We can’t work behind closed doors – it would be best to attract all of their scientists to China,” one wrote.

Persons: China’s Chang’e, ”, David A, Ren Junchuan, Yuqi Qian, didn’t, NASA’s, Luna, Qian, ” Qian, “, Xi Jinping’s, it’s, ” Kring, hasn’t, Bill Nelson, Weibo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, NASA, Indian, Planetary Institute, University of Hong, China National Space Administration, Xinhua, CNN, “, International Space, Weibo Locations: China, Hong Kong, ULM, Texas, Xinhua, University of Hong Kong, Soviet, SOFIA, United States

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