44 articles from SATURDAY 30.5.2020

New sunspots potentially herald increased solar activity

On May 29, 2020, a family of sunspots -- dark spots that freckle the face of the Sun, representing areas of complex magnetic fields -- sported the biggest solar flare since October 2017. Although the sunspots are not yet visible (they will soon rotate into view over the left limb of the Sun), NASA spacecraft spotted the flares high above them.

SpaceX successfully launches Nasa astronauts into orbit

Donald Trump and Mike Pence witness launch in FloridaFirst attempt was cancelled minutes from blast-offA rocketship named Dragon breathed new fire into America’s human spaceflight programme on Saturday, carrying two astronauts on a much-anticipated adventure. Related: Trump wants America looking at the stars as he drags it through the gutter Continue...

Dragon-riding astronauts join exclusive inner circle at NASA

Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken join NASA’s exclusive inner circle by catching a ride on a SpaceX rocket and capsule. It’s only the fifth time that NASA has put people aboard a brand new spacecraft line for liftoff. And it’s the first time the spacecraft belongs to a for-profit company in charge of the launch. The retired Marine colonel and former fighter pilot flew on NASA’s...

Millipede from Scotland is world's oldest-known land animal

A fossilized millipede-like creature discovered in Scotland may represent the oldest-known land animal, a humble pioneer of terrestrial living 425 million years ago that helped pave the way for the throngs that would eventually inhabit Earth's dry parts. Researchers said the fossil of the Silurian Period creature, called Kampecaris obanensis and unearthed on the island of Kerrera in the Scottish...

NASA astronauts just flew SpaceX’s Crew Dragon into orbit for the first time

Two NASA astronauts have just launched into space aboard SpaceX’s brand new Crew Dragon vehicle, en route to the International Space Station. It is the first time the company has sent humans into space, and the first time in nine years Americans have launched into space from US soil.  What happened: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Crew Dragon was launched at 3:22 p.m. Eastern Time from...

SpaceX’s Crewed Launch Restores America’s Status Among an Elite Group of Spacefaring Nations

You never know what you’ve got til it’s gone. And if you don’t believe that, consider the national jubilation at 3:22 PM EDT Saturday afternoon, when an American rocket carrying an American crew lifted off from American soil for the first time since 2011, carrying astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station (ISS). The successful launch comes just a...

SpaceX rocket ship lifts off with 2 Americans (Update)

A rocket ship built by Elon Musk's SpaceX company thundered away from Earth with two Americans on Saturday, ushering in a new era of commercial space travel and putting NASA back in the business of launching astronauts from U.S. soil for the first time in nearly a decade.

SpaceX and NASA reset the countdown for second try to launch first crewed Dragon

The countdown clock is running for a second time, in hopes of achieving a first: SpaceX is aiming to become the first company to send NASA astronauts to the International Space Station on a commercial spaceship. If liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida occurs today at 3:22 p.m. ET (12:22 p.m. PT), it'll be a feat that America hasn't been able to perform since NASA retired...

The eyes have it: communication and face masks

As more of us wear face masks and rely on eye contact, how will it change the way we relate to each otherA conversation with a girlfriend when I was in Italy a few weeks ago got me thinking about the latest new norm of the post-coronavirus society: enhanced eye contact. She had told me how, standing in the endless queue for the supermarket, wearing her mask, she had caught the eye of a handsome...

Watch continuing coverage of SpaceX crewed launch to the International Space Station

SpaceX is once again preparing to make history – the private spaceflight company is set to launch its Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission in collaboration with NASA today. The launch will take off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, and once again weather is a concern for today's launch window. SpaceX and NASA have an instantaneous launch window today, which means they only have the one shot to take off...

Could nearly half of those with Covid-19 have no idea they are infected?

As studies confirm many infected people show no symptoms, contact tracing and face masks assume even greater importance Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWhen Noopur Raje’s husband fell critically ill with Covid-19 in mid-March, she did not suspect that she too was infected with the virus.Raje, an oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, had been caring...

England 'risks Covid-19 surge' without test-and-trace safety net

More Sage scientists express concerns that Boris Johnson is easing lockdown too soonCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government is facing increasing pressure from its scientific advisers over the decision to ease England’s lockdown.Prof Peter Horby has become the latest adviser to express his concerns, saying on Saturday that while thousands of people a day are...

SpaceX to reattempt manned rocket launch in Florida

Elon Musk’s firm plans flight with Nasa astronauts, following Wednesday’s cancellationElon Musk’sSpaceX is due to undertake a repeat attempt at launching two Americans into orbit from Florida, in a mission that would mark the first spaceflight of Nasa astronauts from US soil in nine years.The mission’s first launch attempt on Wednesday was called off with fewer than 17 minutes remaining on...

Nanoparticles can make home refrigeration more accessible for low-income households

Power consumption of a home refrigerator can be cut by 29% while improving cooling capacity. Researchers replaced environmentally-unfriendly R134a refrigerant with the more energy-efficient R600a. They dosed R600a with multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanoparticles. Drop-in refrigerant replacement in the field by trained technicians is possible, says an engineer from the University of...

Study shows hydroxychloroquine's harmful effects on heart rhythm

The malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, which has been promoted as a potential treatment for Covid-19, is known to have potentially serious effects on heart rhythms. Now, a team of researchers has used an optical mapping system to observe exactly how the drug creates serious disturbances in the electrical signals that govern heartbeat.

Nathan Turner death: scientists to test town's sewage to try and solve coronavirus mystery

Baffled investigators hope to reveal how many people in Blackwater may have been exposed or unknowingly have the virusScientists will sift through the sewage of a central Queensland town to try and determine the source of a Covid-19 infection that claimed the life of a 30-year-old man.As Queensland recorded no new Covid-19 cases and only six active cases on Saturday, authorities remain baffled by...

Coronavirus live news: deaths surge in Brazil and Russia as Trump says US is quitting WHO

President claims body has ‘failed to reform’; UK expert says country not ready to ease lockdown; Australia to relax rules on 1 June. All the developments liveTrump announces severing of ties with WHOCoronavirus latest: at a glance 1.57am BST Mexico recorded 3,227 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday and 371 more deaths, bringing the total numbers to 84,627 cases and 9,415 fatalities, Reuters...

How the coronavirus could be prevented from invading a host cell

How might the novel coronavirus be prevented from entering a host cell in an effort to thwart infection? A team of biomedical scientists has made a discovery that points to a solution. The scientists report that two proteases -- enzymes that break down proteins -- located on the surface of host cells and responsible for processing viral entry could be inhibited.