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Every time SpaceX’s Starship system leaps off the launch pad, it unleashes an unmistakable roar over South Texas that heralds the most powerful rocket ever built.
Its 33 engines power the spacecraft, which could eventually carry NASA astronauts to the surface of the moon on a supersonic journey to space.
But the first two test flights ended in explosions in 2023.
SpaceX does not view these surge disasters as failures. Instead, the company uses flight tests to gather critical data and make improvements before deploying the next vehicle for lift.
And this week, another Starship rose from the Starbase facility over the skies of Texas, with the team hoping that the third time would be the charm.
Defying gravity
Starship’s third eventful test flight achieved multiple milestones before ending prematurely and likely breaking up.
The spacecraft was expected to splash down in the Indian Ocean at the end of the one-hour flight, but SpaceX lost the Starship signal shortly after the vehicle re-entered Earth’s atmosphere.
During a live view of the entry, a bright red halo could be seen around the Starship, indicating the scorching temperatures of its heat shield.
However, the third flight of Starship flew further and higher than either of the previous tests.
The spacecraft reached orbital speeds and performed tests of capabilities that will be required on future flights.
Long long ago
People have been worshiping themselves for thousands of years, but for the first time, researchers have discovered how people in the Stone Age wore their piercings.
When researchers excavated Boncuklu Tarla, an archaeological site in southeastern Turkey, they found facial decorations placed near the ears and mouths of the remains inside the graves.
Distinctive tooth wear patterns showed that the people buried at the site had a piercing below their lower lip, similar to an ornament known as a labret.
Amazing creatures
In the world of amphibians, axolotls – somehow – manage to stay young forever.
“They keep their youthful appearance throughout their lives. They are teenagers, at least in appearance, until they die,” said Dr. Randal Voss, a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.
These adorable and aquatic salamanders are like adorable Muppets with their wide eyes and frilly gills.
Unlike other amphibians such as frogs, axolotls never make the transition to land. And while axolotls have taken the internet by storm, the poor water quality in their home in Lake Xochimilco in Mexico has put them in serious danger. Now, conservationists are getting creative to protect these extraordinary creatures.
Around the globe
Since November, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has been experiencing a bit of a communications glitch that allows one of its computers to send a signal but no usable data back to the mission team on Earth.
But the engineers hope that a “pocket” they sent to the aging probe, and the surprising answer they just got from Voyager 1, will help them better understand the question and solve it from nearly 15 billion miles on away.
Voyager 1, launched in 1977 along with its twin, Voyager 2, is currently the farthest spacecraft from Earth.
And like the Voyager probes and their iconic Golden Records, NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission will have 2.6 million names, an original poem and meaningful artwork to Jupiter’s ocean moon.
Wild kingdom
The last time a total solar eclipse passed over the United States was in 2017. During the historic event, scientists noticed animals behaving strangely when the skies suddenly darkened over the Riverbank Zoo and Gardens. River in Columbia, South Carolina.
Gorillas prepared themselves for bed, the Galápagos tortoises began to mate, and the giraffes gathered and took off at a gallop.
As the April 8 total solar eclipse approaches, researchers are preparing to watch for increased activity in nocturnal creatures and anxious or sleep-induced patterns in other critters as the moon’s shadow blocks bright sunlight from view for a few minutes.
And scientists are inviting the public to join in the fun by helping to collect the sights and sounds of unusual animal behavior.
Discoveries
Take a closer look at these funny stories:
— The James Webb Space Telescope helped astronomers find icy molecules that could be used to create potentially habitable planets, and perhaps spark a cosmic margarita, around two young stars.
— Archaeologists have uncovered the solitary tomb of a religious leader known as the “Lord of the Flutes”, who was buried 1,200 years ago alongside gold objects as well as a few dozen sacrificial companions in Panama.
— New research based on brain tests suggests that watching cute puppy videos or interacting with dogs may strengthen brain waves associated with relaxation and rest.
— The unexpected appearance of an Arctic walrus in Scarborough, England, and a trippy nighttime sighting of a starling are among the winning entries for the 2024 British Wildlife Photography Awards.
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