Donald Trump has withdrawn Jared Isaacman's nomination for Nasa administrator just before the senate confirmation vote. Isaacman, the CEO of Shift4 and a SpaceX mission participant, was nominated in December. He distanced himself from Elon Musk's views on lunar landings during his confirmation hearing, pledging to prioritize them if confirmed.
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Sky gazers can look forward to the Strawberry Moon in June 2025. This full moon, named by Native American tribes, signals the start of strawberry harvesting. It will appear low on the horizon, possibly with a golden hue. The best viewing time is June 10, as the moon rises in the southeast.
A strong solar storm is currently impacting Earth. The event, triggered by a major solar flare, may cause widespread auroras. Satellite and GPS interference are possible. Power grid instability is also a concern. Scientists are closely monitoring the storm. The public, especially in northern latitudes, may witness spectacular northern lights. Monitoring of GPS and communication equipment is advised.
A groundbreaking study reveals that a combination of rapamycin and trametinib extends the lifespan of mice by up to 30%, while also improving their health in old age. The drug cocktail reduced inflammation, delayed tumor growth, and enhanced physical function. This discovery offers hope for developing anti-ageing treatments for humans, potentially slowing or reversing ageing-related decline.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have safely returned to Earth after spending over nine months aboard the International Space Station, their mission extended due to technical problems with Boeing’s Starliner capsule. Both astronauts are currently undergoing intensive rehabilitation to readjust to Earth’s gravity and rebuild muscle strength. They are also contributing to NASA and Boeing’s efforts to improve future space missions.
A NASA study reveals that increased solar activity, particularly during solar maximum, accelerates satellite re-entry due to heightened atmospheric drag. This phenomenon, impacting constellations like Starlink, poses operational challenges and environmental concerns as more satellites burn up, releasing materials into the atmosphere. The situation necessitates improved space traffic management and consideration of space weather in planning.
SpaceX's Starlink is poised to launch in India, armed with a Letter of Intent from the Department of Telecommunications. The initial phase targets urban areas with 600-700 Gbps bandwidth, serving 30,000-50,000 customers. Plans may start at $10 per month, offering high-speed internet, especially benefiting underserved regions, with aims to expand to 3 Tbps by 2027.
Chinese scientists have engineered a laser-based imaging system capable of reading millimetre-sized text from 1.4 kilometres away, overcoming atmospheric distortion through active intensity interferometry. This breakthrough, achieving a 14-fold resolution improvement, could revolutionise archaeology, environmental monitoring, and infrastructure inspection. Researchers are now focused on enhancing usability and integrating AI for real-time image rendering.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced a recruitment drive for 320 scientists and engineers across various technical departments. Applications are being accepted online until June 16, 2025. The recruitment focuses on filling positions in electronics, mechanical engineering, and computer science, offering opportunities to contribute to India's space missions. The selection process involves a written exam and an interview.
Astronomers have detected ASKAP J1832-0911, a unique space object 15,000 light-years away, emitting powerful radio and X-ray bursts every 44 minutes. This long-period transient, observed by ASKAP and Chandra, challenges existing stellar evolution models. Scientists believe it could be a magnetar or a binary system with a magnetized white dwarf, potentially revealing new physics.
Scientists in the UK have successfully revived living cells from a southern white rhino that passed away in 2021. Nature's SAFE, a conservation charity, cultivated millions of cells from a preserved skin sample. This breakthrough offers new hope for restoring endangered populations by potentially creating viable egg or sperm cells, marking a significant advancement in conservation efforts.