Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is preparing for the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS, now launching no sooner than June 8, 2025. This joint ISRO, NASA, and ESA mission marks a significant step for India's space program. Shukla will conduct experiments, including space agriculture research, and engage with Indian students via live broadcast.
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Asteroid 2003 MH4, a large space rock about three football fields in length, will make a close approach to Earth around May 24, 2025. While not an immediate threat, its size and speed have prompted NASA to closely monitor its trajectory. This event highlights the importance of ongoing planetary defense efforts and the need for vigilance in tracking near-Earth objects.
Ramdas Hemraj Marbade, hailing from a small village in Maharashtra, transitioned from selling golgappas to becoming an ISRO technician. Overcoming financial constraints, he pursued education through correspondence and gained crucial technical skills at ITI. His perseverance led him to secure a position at ISRO's Space Centre in Sriharikota, where he now contributes to India's space missions.
Rice University scientists discovered bacteria thriving without oxygen by releasing electricity. These microorganisms use extracellular respiration, transferring electrons to external surfaces via naphthoquinones. This groundbreaking finding, confirmed through computer models and lab experiments, holds immense potential for clean energy, bioelectronic sensors, and sustainable technologies, reshaping our understanding of life in extreme environments.
Researchers propose a lunar space elevator using existing materials, potentially revolutionizing space travel within decades. Anchored on the moon and extending to Earth's orbit, this "spaceline" could drastically cut mission costs and fuel needs. It would also enable a sustainable human presence in space, facilitating lunar bases and interplanetary missions.
Challenging conventional wisdom, modern science explores concepts that redefine life and death, suggesting death might be a mental illusion. Biocentrism posits that consciousness shapes the universe, supported by quantum physics' observation-dependent reality. The concept of time as a construct and parallel universes further implies consciousness continuity, potentially easing death anxiety and reshaping our understanding of existence.
Scientists have identified *Ikaria wariootia*, a tiny wormlike creature from 555 million years ago, as the earliest known bilaterian. This discovery from South Australia reveals the origin of bilateral body structure, a key feature in most animals today. The fossil's characteristics and burrowing behavior provide insights into early animal evolution and locomotion.
President Trump unveiled the Golden Dome, a $175 billion missile defense program integrating ground- and space-based technologies. Led by General Michael Guetlein, the system aims to neutralize threats at all stages, offering unprecedented security. While initial costs range from $25 billion to $35 billion, long-term expenses could reach $831 billion, potentially nearing $1 trillion within two decades.
Researchers in the United States and Japan have discovered the genetic basis for ginger cats' orange fur. The ARHGAP36 gene is responsible for this unique coloration. A missing DNA segment in this gene causes lighter pigments. This explains why most ginger cats are male due to X chromosome genetics. Professor Hiroyuki Sasaki led the research, funded by cat enthusiasts.
In a global scientific race, US and Japan are exploring the universe's existence mystery. The US-led Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) in South Dakota and Japan's Hyper-Kamiokande are constructing detectors to study neutrinos. These elusive particles may explain why matter exists despite the theoretical annihilation with antimatter after the Big Bang.