Category: Science

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP): Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson is aiming to beat fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos into space by nine days. Branson’s company announced Thursday evening that its next test flight will be July 11 and that its founder will be among the six people on board. The winged rocket ship will soar from New… Continue reading Richard Branson announces trip to space, ahead of Jeff Bezos

BBC: China’s space agency has released video of its Zhurong rover trundling across the surface of Mars. The pictures were acquired by a wireless camera that the robot had placed on the ground. The new media release also includes sequences from Zhurong’s landing in May, showing the deployment of its parachute system and the moment… Continue reading China releases videos of its Zhurong Mars rover

Kathmandu: Karkhana has launched the country’s first science kit for school students. With an aim of making science subject experimental the science kit has been introduced on a virtual event organized on Friday. Materials for science experiments are included in the science kit. The kit will include several material bundles based on the science course… Continue reading Karkhana introduces country’s first science kit

AP: The coelacanth — a giant weird fish still around from dinosaur times — can live for 100 years, a new study found. These slow-moving, people-sized fish of the deep, nicknamed a “living fossil,” are the opposite of the live fast, die young mantra. These nocturnal fish grow at an achingly slow pace. Females don’t… Continue reading Weird ‘living fossil’ fish lives 100 years, pregnant for five

(BBC): As many said at the time, bird song did sound different during lockdown, according to a scientific study. By analysing the calls of sparrows recorded over decades, scientists confirmed a change in the birds’ vocal repertoire when the city fell quiet. The birds upped the quality of their songs, as they called to defend… Continue reading How lockdown birds sang to a different tune

(BBC): China has released the first pictures taken by its Zhurong rover on Mars. The forward view shows the landscape ahead of the robot as it sits on its landing platform; the rear-looking image reveals Zhurong’s solar panels. The rover touched down on the Red Planet early on Sunday, Beijing time. In doing so, it… Continue reading China on Mars: Zhurong rover returns first pictures

NEW DELHI (AP): A potentially worrisome variant of the coronavirus detected in India may spread more easily. But the country is behind in doing the kind of testing needed to track it and understand it better. On Monday, the World Health Organization designated the new version of the virus a “variant of concern” based on… Continue reading Scientists race to study variants in India as cases explode

(BBC): Debris from a Chinese rocket that had been hurtling back towards Earth has disintegrated over the Indian Ocean, China says. The bulk of the rocket was destroyed during the re-entry, but parts landed at a location 72.47° East and 2.65° North, Chinese state-run media reported. The point lies west of the Maldives. US and… Continue reading China rocket debris ‘disintegrates over Indian Ocean’ – Chinese media

BBC: Debris from a Chinese rocket is expected to fall back to Earth in an uncontrolled re-entry this weekend. The main segment from the Long March-5b vehicle was used to launch the first module of China’s new space station last month. At 18 tonnes it is one of the largest items in decades to have… Continue reading Big Chinese rocket segment set to fall to Earth

(BBC): China has launched a key module of a new permanent space station, the latest in Beijing’s increasingly ambitious space programme. The Tianhe module – which contains living quarters for crew members – was launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre on a Long March-5B rocket. China hopes to have the new station operational by… Continue reading China launches first module of new space station