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Tag: Science

  • Despite clouds and fog, SpaceX successfully launches Starlink mission

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    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — While clouds were a bit of a concern, SpaceX was able to successfully launch nearly 30 Starlink satellites atop a Falcon 9 rocket Friday morning.

    What You Need To Know

    • A Falcon 9 rocket sent up Starlink 6-108 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 Friday morning
    • This will be the 30th launch of this Falcon 9’s first-stage booster

    The Falcon 9 rocket was carrying Starlink 6-108 mission from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated SpaceX. 

    The 7:17 a.m. liftoff was within the launch window, which opened at 4:52 a.m. ET and was set to close at 8:52 a.m. 

    The 45th Weather Squadron gave an 85% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the only concern being the cumulus cloud rule.

    Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.

    The Big 3 0!

    For this Falcon 9’s first-stage booster, called B1069, it will finally hit the big 3 0! This is one of the older first-stage boosters, with 29 missions in its resume.

    After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket is expected to land on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas that will be in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The 29 satellites from the Starlink company, owned by SpaceX, will be heading to low-Earth orbit to join its mechanical brothers and sisters.

    Once deployed and in their orbit, they will provide internet service to many parts of Earth.

    Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been keeping track of Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell recorded the following:

    • 9,826 are in orbit
    • 8,352 are in operational orbit

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    Anthony Leone

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  • Genetic analysis reveals new details on ancient human and Neanderthal couplings

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    NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Humans and Neanderthals cozied up from time to time when they lived in the same areas tens of thousands of years ago. But we don’t know much about who got with whom, or why.

    A new genetic analysis offers some ancient gossip: The pairings were more often female humans with male Neanderthals.

    How exactly this happened remains a huge question mark. Did human women venture into Neanderthal populations, or were the Neanderthal males drawn to larger human enclaves? Were these interactions peaceful, confusing, secretive or even violent?

    “I don’t know if we’ll ever get a definitive answer to how this happened, since we can’t travel back in time,” said population genetics expert Xinjun Zhang with the University of Michigan, commenting on the new analysis.

    But the study, published Thursday in the journal Science, shows “that whenever Neanderthals and modern humans have mated, there has been a preference for male Neanderthals and female modern humans, as opposed to the other way around,” said author Alexander Platt, who studies genetics at the University of Pennsylvania.

    Scientists know that Neanderthals and humans mated because there is a small but important percentage of Neanderthal DNA in most modern humans outside of sub-Saharan Africa — including genes that can help us fight some diseases and make us more susceptible to others.

    But they have also known that the Neanderthal DNA is not distributed evenly throughout the human genome.

    In particular, there is a surprising lack of Neanderthal DNA in the human X chromosome, one of the bundles of genes in each cell known as a sex chromosome, compared with the amount of Neanderthal DNA in the other, non-sex chromosomes in the cell.

    Scientists thought that maybe the genes in those locations were simply not beneficial – or even harmful. Perhaps people with those gene patterns didn’t survive as well so those genes were filtered out by evolution over time.

    Or, they thought, maybe the difference could be explained by how the two species intermingled.

    To try to solve the riddle, Platt and colleagues looked instead at the Neanderthal genome and the human DNA that got interspersed during a “mating event” 250,000 years ago.

    When comparing these genes, they found more of a human fingerprint on the Neanderthal X chromosome – the same chromosome that, in humans, has less Neanderthal DNA than would be expected.

    The most likely explanation for this mirror image pattern is mating behavior. That’s because of the way sex chromosomes are passed from parents to children, explained Platt. Because genetic females have two X chromosomes and genetic males have one X and one Y chromosomes, two out of every three X chromosomes in a population, on average, are inherited from people’s mothers.

    If more human females mated with Neanderthal males than the other way around, over thousands of years you would expect to see just what they found: more human DNA in Neanderthal X chromosomes and less Neanderthal DNA in human X chromosomes.

    “I think that they’ve taken some really important steps in filling missing pieces to the puzzle,” said Joshua Akey, who studies evolutionary genomics at Princeton University and wasn’t involved with the new study.

    The study can’t totally rule out other explanations. For example, Zhang said, it’s possible that the offspring of human males and Neanderthal females just didn’t survive as well.

    But the simplest and most likely, explanation, the study found, is also the most interesting: “It’s not the result of a strictly Darwinian survival of the fittest,” Platt said. “It’s really the result of how we interact with each other, and what our culture and society and behavior is like.”

    —-

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • NASA moves its Artemis II moon rocket off the launch pad for more repairs

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    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA moved its grounded Artemis moon rocket from the launch pad back to its hangar Wednesday for more repairs.

    The slow-motion trek at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center was expected to take all day. The 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket had spent a month at the pad ready for potential liftoff, but encountered a series of problems serious enough to require a return to the Vehicle Assembly Building, about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) away.

    Managers ordered the rollback over the weekend after the rocket’s helium pressurization system malfunctioned. Already delayed a month by hydrogen fuel leaks, the launch team had been targeting March for astronauts’ first trip to the moon in decades. But now the Artemis II lunar fly-around by a U.S.-Canadian crew is off until at least April.

    All four astronauts were at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday night for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address as invited guests, since the flight delay means they no longer need to quarantine.

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    Marcia Dunn

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  • NASA moves its Artemis II moon rocket off launch pad for more repairs

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    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA moved its grounded Artemis moon rocket from the launch pad back to its hangar Wednesday for more repairs.

    The slow-motion trek at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center was expected to take all day. The 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket had spent a month at the pad ready for potential liftoff, but encountered a series of problems serious enough to require a return to the Vehicle Assembly Building, about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) away.

    Managers ordered the rollback over the weekend after the rocket’s helium pressurization system malfunctioned. Already delayed a month by hydrogen fuel leaks, the launch team had been targeting March for astronauts’ first trip to the moon in decades. But now the Artemis II lunar fly-around by a U.S.-Canadian crew is off until at least April.

    All four astronauts were at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday night for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address as invited guests, since the flight delay means they no longer need to quarantine.

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Crew-11 astronaut with mission-ending medical issue identifies self

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    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — In a prepared statement, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke revealed that it was he who suffered a medical issue onboard the International Space Station that resulted in the Crew-11 mission being cut short.

    What You Need To Know

    • NASA astronaut Mike Fincke thanked his fellow astronauts and NASA’s medical team after he suffered a medical issue onboard the International Space Station
    • It is not know what type of medical issue he suffered while onboard
    • 🔻Scroll down to read his full statement🔻

    The 58-year-old retired U.S. Air Force colonel recapped and thanked his fellow astronauts and NASA flight surgeons when he experienced his medical issue, which he did not reveal what that was.

    “On Jan. 7, while aboard the International Space Station, I experienced a medical event that required immediate attention from my incredible crewmates. Thanks to their quick response and the guidance of our NASA flight surgeons, my status quickly stabilized,” he wrote.  

    Fincke, who was the pilot of Crew-11, and Cmdr. Zena Cardman were scheduled to conduct a six-hour spacewalk the following day, where the pair were going to install a modification kit and cables for a future rollout of a solar array.

    That did not happen.

    The Crew-11 mission was cut short and splashed down back to Earth this past January, a month earlier than when the mission was supposed to end.

    During a press conference, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman only revealed that an unnamed astronaut suffered a “serious medical condition” while onboard the space station.

    Even during a separate press conference with the Crew-11 members, no one revealed the identity of the astronaut or what the medical episode was.

    Fincke was selected to be a NASA astronaut in 1996. The Pennsylvania native is a veteran astronaut, logging 549 days in space with nine spacewalks.

    In his words

    “On Jan. 7, while aboard the International Space Station, I experienced a medical event that required immediate attention from my incredible crewmates. Thanks to their quick response and the guidance of our NASA flight surgeons, my status quickly stabilized.

    After further evaluation, NASA determined the safest course was an early return for Crew-11—not an emergency, but a carefully coordinated plan to be able to take advantage of advanced medical imaging not available on the space station. On Jan. 15, we splashed down off the coast of San Diego after an amazing five-and-a-half-month mission.

    I am deeply grateful to my fellow Expedition 74 members—Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui, Oleg Platonov, Chris Williams, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and Sergei Mikayev—as well as the entire NASA team, SpaceX, and the medical professionals at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla near San Diego. Their professionalism and dedication ensured a positive outcome.

    I’m doing very well and continuing standard post-flight reconditioning at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Spaceflight is an incredible privilege, and sometimes it reminds us just how human we are. Thank you all for your support.”

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    Anthony Leone

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  • NASA to roll back its Artemis II moon rocket for repairs

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    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — On Wednesday morning, NASA will begin its Artemis II moon rocket’s long march back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to begin repairs after a helium flow issue forced the cancellation of another launch attempt.

    What You Need To Know

    • NASA will use a crawler transporter to move the Space Launch System rocket and its Orion capsule back to the Vehicle Assembly Building
    • This can take up to 12 hours to move about four miles from the launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building
    • The reason behind the rollback is because a helium flow issue was discovered

    On Wednesday at around 9 a.m. ET, NASA will use a crawler transporter to move the 322-foot (98.27-meter) Space Launch System rocket and its Orion capsule companion back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, the U.S. space agency stated.

    This can take up to 12 hours as it will make its approximately 4-mile journey to the Vehicle Assembly Building, as the crawler transporter will burn rubber at about 1 mile per hour or less.

    The reason behind the trek is due to a helium flow issue that came up over the weekend.

    “Once back in the VAB, teams will immediately begin work to install platforms to access the area of the helium flow issue. Teams also will take advantage of the time in the VAB to replace batteries in the flight termination system and retest it, and replace additional batteries in the upper stage,” NASA shared.

    The Artemis II moon rocket will be rolled back to NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building for repair work. (Spectrum News file photo/Anthony Leone)

    The Artemis II rocket has had some issues since it was first rolled to its temporary home at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in January.

    During the first wet dress rehearsal — or a prelaunch test — NASA teams filled more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic fuel into the rocket, but they discovered a liquid hydrogen leak, among other issues.

    The teams replaced the seals where the leak was discovered, near the rocket’s tail service mast umbilical interface.

    In the second wet dress rehearsal, the new seals worked fine and all looked good.

    However, over the weekend, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced on X that a helium flow issue was discovered, and the massive moon rocket would need to be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs.

    Hurricane Ian forced NASA to roll the rocket back into the Vehicle Assembly Building during the Artemis I mission in 2022.

    Originally, the Artemis II was going to be launched in February, until the leak pushed that back, and the next attempt was going to be in March.

    Now, the possible next launch attempt will be in April.

    When all is ready, NASA’s Cmdr. Gregory Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut mission specialist Jeremy Hansen will be launched on a flyby mission to the moon.

    Artemis II possible launch dates

     

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    Anthony Leone

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  • SpaceX launches Starlink satellites into nice skies

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    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — The weather was mighty fine for a Tuesday evening Starlink launch. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The Falcon 9 rocket sent up Starlink 6-110 mission from Space Launch Complex 40

    The Falcon 9 rocket sent up Starlink 6-110 mission from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated SpaceX. 

    The launch window opened at 3:56 p.m. ET and was set to close at 7:56 p.m. ET, which meant SpaceX had during that time period to send up the Starlink company’s satellites.

    The liftoff time was 6:04 p.m. ET.

    The 45th Weather Squadron gave a 95% chance of good liftoff conditions, with no forecast restrictions against the launch.

    Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.

    Double Digits

    This is the 10th mission for the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster B1092.

    Its previous missions include:

    1. Starlink 12-13 mission
    2. NROL-69 mission
    3. Bandwagon-3 mission
    4. GPS III-7 mission
    5. Starlink 10-34 mission
    6. USSF-36 mission
    7. Starlink 10-61 mission
    8. Starlink 6-89 mission
    9. Starlink 6-82 mission

    After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions that is in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The 29 satellites will be heading to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there.

    Once deployed and in their orbit, they will provide internet service to many parts of Earth.

    SpaceX owns the Starlink company.

    Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell recorded the following:

    • 9,779 are in orbit
    • 8,436 are in operational orbit

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    Anthony Leone

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  • A horse’s neigh may be unique in the animal kingdom. Now scientists know how they do it

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    NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Horses whinny to find new friends, greet old ones and celebrate happy moments like feeding time.

    How exactly horses produce that distinctive sound — also called a neigh — has long eluded scientists.

    The whinny is an unusual combination of both high and low pitched sounds, like a cross between a grunt and a squeal — that come out at the same time.

    The low-pitched part wasn’t much of a mystery. It comes from air passing over bands of tissue in the voice box that make noise when they vibrate. It’s a technique similar to how humans speak and sing.

    But the high-pitched piece is more puzzling. With some exceptions, larger animals have larger vocal systems and typically make lower sounds. So how do horses do it?

    According to a new study, they whistle.

    Researchers slid a small camera through horses’ noses to film what happened inside while they whinnied and made another common horse sound, the softer, subtler nicker. They also conducted detailed scans and blew air through the isolated voice boxes of dead horses.

    The whinny’s mysterious high-pitched tones, they discovered, are a kind of whistling that starts in the horse’s voice box. Air vibrates the tissues in the voice box while an area just above contracts, leaving a small opening for the whistle to escape.

    That’s different from human whistling, which we do with our mouths.

    “I’d never imagined that there was a whistling component. It’s really interesting, and I can hear that now,” said Jenifer Nadeau, who studies horses at the University of Connecticut. Nadeau was not involved with the study, which was published Monday in the journal Current Biology.

    A few small rodents like rats and mice whistle like this, but horses are the first known large mammal to have a knack for it. They’re also the only animals known to be able to whistle through their voice boxes while they sing.

    “Knowing that a ‘whinny’ is not just a ‘whinny’ but that it is actually composed of two different fundamental frequencies that are created by two different mechanisms is exciting,” said Alisa Herbst with Rutgers University’s Equine Science Center, of the study in an email.

    A big lingering question is how horses’ two-toned calls came to be. Wild Przewalski’s horses can do something similar, as can elks. But more distant horse relatives like donkeys and zebras can’t make the high-pitched sounds.

    The two-toned whinnies could help horses convey multiple messages at the same time. The differently pitched neighs may help them express a more complex range of feelings when socializing, said study author Elodie Mandel-Briefer with the University of Copenhagen.

    “They can express emotions in these two dimensions,” Mandel-Briefer said.

    —-

    Associated Press video journalist James Brooks contributed to this report.

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • NASA will return its moon rocket to the hangar for more repairs before astronauts strap in

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    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Grounded until at least April, NASA’s giant moon rocket is headed back to the hangar this week for more repairs before astronauts climb aboard.

    The space agency said Sunday it’s targeting Tuesday for the slow, four-mile (6.4-kilometer) trek across Kennedy Space Center, weather permitting.

    NASA had barely finished a repeat fueling test Thursday, to ensure dangerous hydrogen fuel leaks were plugged, when another problem cropped up.

    This time, the rocket’s helium system malfunctioned, further delaying astronauts’ first trip to the moon in more than half a century.

    Engineers had just tamed the hydrogen leaks and settled on a March 6 launch date — already a month late — when the helium issue arose. The helium flow to the rocket’s upper stage was disrupted; helium is needed to purge the engines and pressurize the fuel tanks.

    “Returning to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy is required to determine the cause of the issue and fix it,” NASA said in a statement.

    NASA said the quick rollback preps preserve an April launch attempt, but stressed that will depend on how the repairs go. The space agency has only a handful of days any given month to launch the crew of four around the moon and back.

    The three Americans and one Canadian assigned to the Artemis II mission remain on standby in Houston. They will become the first people to fly to the moon since NASA’s Apollo program that sent 24 astronauts there from 1968 through 1972.

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    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • NASA Will Return Its Moon Rocket to the Hangar for More Repairs Before Astronauts Strap In

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    The space agency said Sunday it’s targeting Tuesday for the slow, four-mile (6.4-kilometer) trek across Kennedy Space Center, weather permitting.

    NASA had barely finished a repeat fueling test Thursday, to ensure dangerous hydrogen fuel leaks were plugged, when another problem cropped up.

    This time, the rocket’s helium system malfunctioned, further delaying astronauts’ first trip to the moon in more than half a century.

    Engineers had just tamed the hydrogen leaks and settled on a March 6 launch date — already a month late — when the helium issue arose. The helium flow to the rocket’s upper stage was disrupted; helium is needed to purge the engines and pressurize the fuel tanks.

    “Returning to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy is required to determine the cause of the issue and fix it,” NASA said in a statement.

    NASA said the quick rollback preps preserve an April launch attempt, but stressed that will depend on how the repairs go. The space agency has only a handful of days any given month to launch the crew of four around the moon and back.

    The three Americans and one Canadian assigned to the Artemis II mission remain on standby in Houston. They will become the first people to fly to the moon since NASA’s Apollo program that sent 24 astronauts there from 1968 through 1972.

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

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    Associated Press

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  • NASA moon rocket hit by new problem expected to bump astronauts’ lunar trip into April

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    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s new moon rocket suffered another setback Saturday, almost certain to bump astronauts’ first lunar trip in decades into spring.

    The space agency revealed the latest problem just one day after targeting March 6 for the Artemis II mission, humanity’s first flight to the moon in more than half a century. Overnight, the flow of helium to the rocket’s upper stage was interrupted, officials said. Solid helium flow is essential for purging the engines and pressurizing the fuel tanks.

    This helium issue has nothing to do with the hydrogen fuel leaks that marred a countdown dress rehearsal of the Space Launch System rocket earlier this month and forced a repeat test.

    NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said a bad filter, valve or connection plate could be to blame for the stalled helium flow. Regardless of the cause, he noted, the only way to access the area and fix the problem is in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center.

    “We will begin preparations for rollback, and this will take the March launch window out of consideration,” Isaacman said via X. NASA’s next opportunities would be at the beginning or end of April.

    Earlier in the morning, NASA said it was preparing to return the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket to its hangar for repairs, while raising the possibility of the work being done at the pad.

    “I understand people are disappointed by this development,” Isaacman said. “That disappointment is felt most by the team at NASA, who have been working tirelessly to prepare for this great endeavor.”

    Hydrogen fuel leaks had already delayed the Artemis II lunar fly-around by a month. A second fueling test on Thursday revealed hardly any leaks, giving managers the confidence to aim for a March liftoff. The four astronauts went into their two-week quarantine Friday night, mandatory for avoiding germs.

    The interrupted helium flow is confined to the SLS rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage. This upper stage is essential for placing the Orion crew capsule into the proper high-altitude orbit around Earth for checkout, following liftoff. After that, it’s supposed to separate from Orion and serve as a target for the astronauts inside the capsule, allowing them to practice docking techniques for future moon missions.

    During NASA’s Apollo program, 24 astronauts flew to the moon from 1968 through 1972. The new Artemis program has completed only one flight so far, a lunar-orbiting mission without a crew in 2022. That first test flight was also plagued by hydrogen fuel leaks before blasting off, as well as a helium issue similar to the one that arose Saturday. The first moon landing with a crew under Artemis is still at least a few years away.

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • NASA Moon Rocket Hit by New Problem, Putting March Launch With Astronauts in Jeopardy

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    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s new moon rocket has suffered another setback, putting next month’s planned launch with astronauts in jeopardy, the space agency announced Saturday.

    Officials revealed the latest problem just one day after targeting March 6 for humanity’s first flight to the moon in more than half a century. Overnight, the flow of helium to the rocket’s upper stage was interrupted, they noted. Solid helium flow is required for launch.

    NASA said it is reviewing all the data and preparing, if necessary, to return the Space Launch System rocket to the hangar for repairs at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. It’s possible the work could be done at the launch pad; the space agency said engineers are protecting for both options.

    “This will almost assuredly impact the March launch window.,” NASA said in a statement.

    Hydrogen fuel leaks had already delayed the Artemis II lunar fly-around by a month. A second fueling test on Thursday revealed hardly any leaks, giving managers the confidence to aim for a March 6 liftoff.

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

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  • NASA to rollback Artemis moon rocket due to helium flow issue

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    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — On Saturday, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X that due to a helium flow issue, the Artemis II moon rocket will be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs and the possible March launch attempt has been canceled.

    What You Need To Know

    • This new issue has pushed the launch date to a possible April launch
    • The new issue is a helium flow that could result in the rocket being sent to the Vehicle Assembly Building
    • The Artemis II rocket has seen some issues during the first wet dress rehearsal

    “After overnight data showed an interruption in helium flow in the SLS interim cryogenic propulsion stage, teams are troubleshooting and preparing for a likely rollback of Artemis II to the VAB at @NASAKennedy,” Isaacman stated, who added that this could impact the March launch window.

    The U.S. space agency followed up with a blog post, stating that during the overnight, the issue was detected.

    “NASA is taking steps to potentially roll back the Artemis II rocket and Orion spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida after overnight Feb. 21 observing interrupted flow of helium in the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage. Helium flow is required for launch,” NASA stated.

    In a follow-up post on X, Isaacman shared that engineers were unable to get the helium flow through the rocket during a routine procedure to repressurize the system.

    “Potential faults could include the final filter between the ground and flight vehicle, located on the umbilical, though this seems least likely based on the failure signature. It could also be a failed QD umbilical interface, where similar issues have been observed,” he stated.

    He said this issue was found on the Artemis I back in 2022 and stated that access and repairs to any of the issues can only be performed in the Vehicle Assembly Building.

    “As mentioned previously, we will begin preparations for rollback, and this will take the March launch window out of consideration,” he posted.

    NASA was eyeing as early as March 6, but now the next launch attempt should be in April.

    Both NASA and Isaacman stated that teams are reviewing the data and trying to determine the best course of action. Earlier on Saturday, the duo stated that a decision was being made to either make the repairs on the launch pad or roll it back to the Vehicle Assembly Building.

    NASA stated that high winds may make that decision for them.

    “In order to protect for troubleshooting options at both Pad B and the VAB, teams are making preparations to remove the pad access platforms installed (Friday), which have wind-driven constraints and cannot be removed during high winds, which are forecasted for (Sunday),” NASA stated in the blog post on Saturday morning. 

    The day before, NASA held a press conference about its second wet dress rehearsal, where the Space Launch System rocket was fueled with more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic fuel and other tests, like a simulated countdown to launch, took place on Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center.

    The first test earlier this month saw a liquid hydrogen leak, but new seals were replaced and worked well for the second test.

    NASA officials were eyeing March 6 as the earliest possible test launch, but with this new problem, the next attempt may not be until April.

    During the Artemis I mission in 2022, Hurricane Ian forced NASA to roll the rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building.

    Once the Artemis II is ready, it will send NASA’s Cmdr. Gregory Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut mission specialist Jeremy Hansen to the moon in a flyby mission while they are in the Orion capsule.

    Artemis II launch attempt dates

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    Anthony Leone

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  • NASA to rollback Artemis moon rocket due to helium flow issue

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    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — On Saturday, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X that due to a helium flow issue, the Artemis II moon rocket will be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs and the possible March launch attempt has been canceled.

    What You Need To Know

    • This new issue has pushed the launch date to April
    • The new issue is a helium flow that could result in the rocket being sent to the Vehicle Assembly Building
    • The Artemis II rocket has seen some issues during the first wet dress rehearsal

    “After overnight data showed an interruption in helium flow in the SLS interim cryogenic propulsion stage, teams are troubleshooting and preparing for a likely rollback of Artemis II to the VAB at @NASAKennedy,” Isaacman stated, who added that this could impact the March launch window.

    The U.S. space agency followed up with a blog post, stating that during the overnight, the issue was detected.

    “NASA is taking steps to potentially roll back the Artemis II rocket and Orion spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida after overnight Feb. 21 observing interrupted flow of helium in the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage. Helium flow is required for launch,” NASA stated.

    In a follow-up post on X, Isaacman shared that engineers were unable to get the helium flow through the rocket during a routine procedure to repressurize the system.

    “Potential faults could include the final filter between the ground and flight vehicle, located on the umbilical, though this seems least likely based on the failure signature. It could also be a failed QD umbilical interface, where similar issues have been observed,” he stated.

    He said this issue was found on the Artemis I back in 2022 and stated that access and repairs to any of the issues can only be performed in the Vehicle Assembly Building.

    “As mentioned previously, we will begin preparations for rollback, and this will take the March launch window out of consideration,” he posted.

    NASA was eyeing as early as March 6, but now the next launch attempt will be in April.

    Both NASA and Isaacman stated that teams are reviewing the data and trying to determine the best course of action. Earlier on Saturday, the duo stated that a decision was being made to either make the repairs on the launch pad or roll it back to the Vehicle Assembly Building.

    NASA stated that high winds may make that decision for them.

    “In order to protect for troubleshooting options at both Pad B and the VAB, teams are making preparations to remove the pad access platforms installed (Friday), which have wind-driven constraints and cannot be removed during high winds, which are forecasted for (Sunday),” NASA stated in the blog post on Saturday morning. 

    The day before, NASA held a press conference about its second wet dress rehearsal, where the Space Launch System rocket was fueled with more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic fuel and other tests, like a simulated countdown to launch, took place on Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center.

    The first test earlier this month saw a liquid hydrogen leak, but new seals were replaced and worked well for the second test.

    NASA officials were eyeing March 6 as the earliest possible test launch, but with this new problem, the next attempt may not be until April.

    During the Artemis I mission in 2022, Hurricane Ian forced NASA to roll the rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building.

    Once the Artemis II is ready, it will send NASA’s Cmdr. Gregory Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut mission specialist Jeremy Hansen to the moon in a flyby mission while they are in the Orion capsule.

    Artemis II launch attempt dates

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  • These shy, scaly anteaters are the most trafficked mammals in the world

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    CAPE TOWN, South Africa — They are hunted for their unique scales, and the demand makes them the most trafficked mammal in the world.

    Wildlife conservationists are again raising the plight of pangolins, the shy, scaly anteaters found in parts of Africa and Asia, on World Pangolin Day on Saturday.

    Pangolins or pangolin products outstrip any other mammal when it comes to wildlife smuggling, with more than half a million pangolins seized in anti-trafficking operations between 2016 and 2024, according to a report last year by CITES, the global authority on the trading of endangered plant and animal species.

    The World Wildlife Fund estimates that over a million pangolins were taken from the wild over the last decade, including those that were never intercepted.

    Pangolins meat is a delicacy in places, but the driving force behind the illegal trade is their scales, which are made of keratin, the protein also found in human hair and fingernails. The scales are in high demand in China and other parts of Asia due to the unproven belief that they cure a range of ailments when made into traditional medicine.

    There are eight pangolin species, four in Africa and four in Asia. All of them face a high, very high or extremely high risk of extinction.

    While they’re sometimes known as scaly anteaters, pangolins are not related in any way to anteaters or armadillos.

    They are unique in that they are the only mammals covered completely in keratin scales, which overlap and have sharp edges. They are the perfect defense mechanism, allowing a pangolin to roll up into an armored ball that even lions struggle to get to grip with, leaving the nocturnal ant and termite eaters with few natural predators.

    But they have no real defense against human hunters. And in conservation terms, they don’t resonate in the way that elephants, rhinos or tigers do despite their fascinating intricacies — like their sticky insect-nabbing tongues being almost as long as their bodies.

    While some reports indicate a downward trend in pangolin trafficking since the COVID-19 pandemic, they are still being poached at an alarming rate across parts of Africa, according to conservationists.

    Nigeria is one of the global hot spots. There, Dr. Mark Ofua, a wildlife veterinarian and the West Africa representative for the Wild Africa conservation group, has rescued pangolins for more than a decade, which started with him scouring bushmeat markets for animals he could buy and save. He runs an animal rescue center and a pangolin orphanage in Lagos.

    His mission is to raise awareness of pangolins in Nigeria through a wildlife show for kids and a tactic of convincing entertainers, musicians and other celebrities with millions of social media followers to be involved in conservation campaigns — or just be seen with a pangolin.

    Nigeria is home to three of the four African pangolin species, but they are not well known among the country’s 240 million people.

    Ofua’s drive for pangolin publicity stems from an encounter with a group of well-dressed young men while he was once transporting pangolins he had rescued in a cage. The men pointed at them and asked him what they were, Ofua said.

    “Oh, those are baby dragons,” he joked. But it got him thinking.

    “There is a dark side to that admission,” Ofua said. “If people do not even know what a pangolin looks like, how do you protect them?”

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    AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

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  • NASA targets March for Artemis moon mission after fueling test success

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    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA aims to send astronauts to the moon in March after acing the latest rocket fueling test.

    Administrator Jared Isaacman said Friday that launch teams made “major progress” between the first countdown rehearsal, which was disrupted by hydrogen leaks earlier this month, and the second test, which was completed without significant seepage Thursday night.

    The test was “a big step toward America’s return to the lunar environment,” Isaacman said on the social media platform X.

    NASA could launch four astronauts on the Artemis II lunar fly-around as soon as March 6 from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. To keep their options open, the three Americans and one Canadian plan to go into the mandatory two-week health quarantine Friday night.

    The space agency has only five days in March to launch the crew aboard the Space Launch System rocket, before standing down until April. February’s opportunities evaporated after dangerous amounts of liquid hydrogen leaked during the first fueling demonstration.

    Technicians replaced two seals, leading to Thursday’s successful rerun. The countdown clocks went all the way down to the desired 29-second mark.

    The fixes worked, but there’s still pending work including conducting a flight readiness review, said NASA’s Lori Glaze.

    Commander Reid Wiseman and two of his crew monitored Thursday’s operation alongside launch controllers. The astronauts will be the first to fly to the moon since Apollo 17 closed out NASA’s first chapter in moon exploration in 1972.

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • NASA conducts second Artemis II wet dress rehearsal

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    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER —  NASA took another crack at fueling its giant moon rocket Thursday after leaks halted the initial dress rehearsal and delayed the first lunar trip by astronauts in more than half a century.

    For the second time this month, launch teams pumped more than 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) of supercold fuel into the rocket atop its launch pad. They counted all the way down to the half-minute mark as planned, then turned back the clocks to run through the final 10 minutes again.

    NASA completed the test late at night and said there was minimal hydrogen leakage, well within safety limits.

    It was the most critical and challenging part of the two-day practice countdown. Engineers were analyzing the data, with the outcome determining whether a March launch is possible for the Artemis II moon mission with four astronauts. 

    What You Need To Know

    • A ground issue delayed the filling of the liquid hydrogen fuel
    • However, that issue has been resolved
    • RELATED coverage:

    The nearly 50-hour test started on Tuesday as launch controllers arrived at their consoles at the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Control Center.  

    But it is Thursday that many space fans are anxious about as more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic fuel will be pumped into the Space Launch System rocket during the second test of it and its little companion, the Orion capsule, which will take four astronauts on a flyby mission to the moon.

    “Following successful chilldown of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen lines, teams have started slowly filling the SLS rocket’s core stage with super-cold liquid hydrogen, chilled to minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit, then with liquid oxygen chilled to minus 297 degrees. This marks the official start of propellant loading for the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal,” NASA stated on Thursday morning in a live blog at around 10:30 a.m. ET.

    To fill the core stage can take several hours, but what has space fans anxious is whether any leaks will be detected. As of 1 p.m. ET, no new leaks have been discovered.

    In addition to fueling the rocket, the wet dress rehearsal also allows technicians and engineers to go over countdown procedures, system checks, and determine whether any leaks occur during the first test.

    During the first wet dress rehearsal on Monday, Feb. 2, teams uncovered a liquid hydrogen leak in an interface that is used to route the fuel into the SLS’s core stage.

    In fact, that was the same portion where a liquid hydrogen leak was found during the Artemis I mission back in 2022.

    NASA technicians replaced two seals in that area of the Artemis II rocket, which pushed the crewed launch from early February to early March.

    Between the first and second wet dress rehearsals, NASA conducted a different test last weekend, where another issue was detected.

    “Over the weekend, teams replaced a filter in ground support equipment that was suspected of reducing the flow of liquid hydrogen during a Feb. 12 partial fueling test. The test provided enough data to allow engineers to plan toward a second wet dress rehearsal this week. Engineers have reconnected the line with the new filter and are reestablishing proper environmental conditions,” NASA stated.

    During Thursday’s second test, NASA announced that there was a ground issue, which delayed the filling of the liquid hydrogen.

    But that issue was resolved.

    If all goes well with this test, NASA stated it is eyeing March 6 as the earliest opportunity to launch the historical moon mission.

    The expedition will see NASA’s Cmdr. Gregory Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut mission specialist Jeremy Hansen go to the moon in a flyby mission.

    Artemis II launch attempt dates

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  • NASA conducts 2nd rocket fueling test that decides when astronauts head to moon

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    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA took another crack at fueling its giant moon rocket Thursday after leaks halted the initial dress rehearsal and delayed the first lunar trip by astronauts in more than half a century.

    For the second time this month, launch teams began pumping more than 700,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) of supercold fuel into the rocket atop its launch pad.

    It’s the most critical and challenging part of the two-day practice countdown. The outcome will determine whether a March launch is possible for the Artemis II moon mission with four astronauts.

    During the rehearsal two weeks ago, dangerous amounts of supercold liquid hydrogen escaped from the connections between the pad and the 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket. Engineers replaced a pair of seals and a clogged filter in hopes of getting through the repeat test at Kennedy Space Center.

    NASA won’t set a launch date for the Artemis II mission until it passes the fueling demonstration. Like last time, the crew — three Americans and one Canadian — watched the test from afar.

    The soonest astronauts could soar is March 6. They will become the first people to fly to the moon — making a 10-day out-and-back trip with no stops — since Apollo 17 in 1972. They won’t orbit or land.

    NASA has been battling hydrogen fuel leaks ever since the space shuttle era, which provided many of the SLS engines. The first Artemis test flight without anyone on board was grounded for months by leaking hydrogen before finally blasting off in November 2022.

    Going years between flights exacerbates the problem, according to NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman, a tech entrepreneur who financed his own trips to orbit through SpaceX.

    Just two months into the job, Isaacman already is promising to redesign the fuel connections between the rocket and pad before the next Artemis III launch. Still a few years away, that mission will attempt to land two astronauts near the moon’s south pole.

    “We will not launch unless we are ready and the safety of our astronauts will remain the highest priority,” he said last week on X.

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Early prenatal care, considered best for moms and babies, is on the decline in the US, data shows

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    Early prenatal care improves the chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby. But a new federal report shows it’s been on the decline.The share of U.S. births to women who began prenatal care in the first trimester dropped from 78.3% in 2021 to 75.5% in 2024, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.Meanwhile, starting care later in pregnancy or getting no care at all has been on the rise. Prenatal care beginning in the second trimester rose from 15.4% to 17.3%, and starting care in the third trimester or getting no care went from 6.3% to 7.3%.“We know that early engagement in prenatal care is linked to better overall health outcomes,” said Dr. Clayton Alfonso, an OB-GYN at Duke University in North Carolina. When patients delay medical care during pregnancy, “we’ve missed that window to optimize both fetal and maternal care.”While the trend identified in the report held for nearly all racial and ethnic groups, the decrease in early prenatal care was higher for moms in minority groups. For example, first-trimester care dropped from 69.7% in 2021 to 65.1% in 2024 for Black mothers. Getting late or no prenatal care raises the risk of maternal mortality, which is much higher among Black mothers.Michelle Osterman, lead author of the report, said the overall findings represent a shift. Between 2016 and 2021, the timing of when U.S. women started prenatal care had been improving.The earlier prenatal visits begin, doctors said, the earlier problems can be caught. Visits give doctors a chance to share health guidance, and can include blood pressure checks, screenings, blood tests, physical exams and ultrasound scans.The report doesn’t provide reasons why prenatal care is starting later. But the proliferation of maternity care deserts across the nation is a growing concern, said Dr. Grace Ferguson, an OB-GYN in Pittsburgh.Many hospitals have shut down labor and delivery units “and the prenatal care providers that work at those hospitals also have probably moved,” said Ferguson, who was not involved with the report.A 2024 March of Dimes report found that more than 35% of U.S. counties are maternity care deserts, meaning there’s no birthing facility or obstetric provider. Women living in these areas receive less prenatal care, the report showed.Ferguson, who provides abortions as part of her OB-GYN care, said post-Roe v. Wade abortion restrictions may play a part because some obstetricians are choosing not to practice in states with more restrictive laws.Alfonso, who was not involved in the CDC report, said he also suspects that access issues for patients are pushing prenatal care later, particularly in rural areas. Patients may have to travel farther to get to appointments and may struggle to find a practice that accepts their insurance, particularly if they have Medicaid.Doctors fear that things could get worse.“If this trend continues,” Alfonso said, “I worry about kind of what that would mean for morbidity and mortality for our moms.”

    Early prenatal care improves the chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby. But a new federal report shows it’s been on the decline.

    The share of U.S. births to women who began prenatal care in the first trimester dropped from 78.3% in 2021 to 75.5% in 2024, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.

    Meanwhile, starting care later in pregnancy or getting no care at all has been on the rise. Prenatal care beginning in the second trimester rose from 15.4% to 17.3%, and starting care in the third trimester or getting no care went from 6.3% to 7.3%.

    “We know that early engagement in prenatal care is linked to better overall health outcomes,” said Dr. Clayton Alfonso, an OB-GYN at Duke University in North Carolina. When patients delay medical care during pregnancy, “we’ve missed that window to optimize both fetal and maternal care.”

    While the trend identified in the report held for nearly all racial and ethnic groups, the decrease in early prenatal care was higher for moms in minority groups. For example, first-trimester care dropped from 69.7% in 2021 to 65.1% in 2024 for Black mothers. Getting late or no prenatal care raises the risk of maternal mortality, which is much higher among Black mothers.

    Michelle Osterman, lead author of the report, said the overall findings represent a shift. Between 2016 and 2021, the timing of when U.S. women started prenatal care had been improving.

    The earlier prenatal visits begin, doctors said, the earlier problems can be caught. Visits give doctors a chance to share health guidance, and can include blood pressure checks, screenings, blood tests, physical exams and ultrasound scans.

    The report doesn’t provide reasons why prenatal care is starting later. But the proliferation of maternity care deserts across the nation is a growing concern, said Dr. Grace Ferguson, an OB-GYN in Pittsburgh.

    Many hospitals have shut down labor and delivery units “and the prenatal care providers that work at those hospitals also have probably moved,” said Ferguson, who was not involved with the report.

    A 2024 March of Dimes report found that more than 35% of U.S. counties are maternity care deserts, meaning there’s no birthing facility or obstetric provider. Women living in these areas receive less prenatal care, the report showed.

    Ferguson, who provides abortions as part of her OB-GYN care, said post-Roe v. Wade abortion restrictions may play a part because some obstetricians are choosing not to practice in states with more restrictive laws.

    Alfonso, who was not involved in the CDC report, said he also suspects that access issues for patients are pushing prenatal care later, particularly in rural areas. Patients may have to travel farther to get to appointments and may struggle to find a practice that accepts their insurance, particularly if they have Medicaid.

    Doctors fear that things could get worse.

    “If this trend continues,” Alfonso said, “I worry about kind of what that would mean for morbidity and mortality for our moms.”

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  • NASA labels Starliner danger level as Type A, same as Challenger

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    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER —  NASA officials labeled the Boeing Starliner saga — which suffered from helium leaks and thruster issues and its crew had to use SpaceX’s Dragon capsule to return to Earth — as the same level of danger as the fatal Challenger mission.

    What You Need To Know

    • NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said there was a “culture” where more importance was given to Starliner
    • Officials revealed that the thruster issue on Starliner has not been resolved
    • A NASA official said the U.S. space agency “failed” the Starliner astronauts

    During Thursday afternoon’s press conference, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman labeled what happened to Boeing’s Starliner capsule as a Type A mishap, where the crew could have been in real danger if things had not gone as they did.

    NASA released a 311-page report on what happened with the Starliner mission.

    A recap of the Starliner mission

    In 2024, Cmdr. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams were members of the Boeing Crew Flight Test as they experimented with Boeing’s experimental Starliner capsule and go to the International Space Station in what was supposed to be a days-long mission.

    However, from trying to launch with liquid helium leaks and thruster issues on the Starliner, the eightish-day mission on the space station turned into a nine-month stay.  

    NASA eventually deemed Calypso, the name of the Starliner capsule, unsafe and returned to Earth without Wilmore and Williams.

    The U.S. space agency already had a plan to bring them home, as Spectrum News was the first to confirm that NASA was considering the use of a SpaceX Dragon capsule for their ride home.  Which was the case.

    They have since retired from NASA.

    Scroll down to the interactive timeline of events of what happened with Startliner.

    Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are seen in this file photo. (NASA)

    Isaacman explains what a Type A mishap is

    During the Thursday afternoon teleconference, Isaacman started off by reading a letter that he sent to NASA employees, which listed the history of Starliner and the issues it faced.

    “While we have identified organizational root causes, the technical investigations to identify proximate (direct) causes for the service module and crew module thruster anomalies remain ongoing. Acknowledging that present-day reality is essential to mission success,” he read off.

    When Starliner was coming in to dock with the International Space Station, five of its thrusters failed and once the system returned, only four came back online. This also resulted in the loss of 6 Degree of Freedom (6DOF) controllers.

    Isaacman stated in the letter that the cause for the failure has not been identified and officials with both Boeing and NASA are still working to determine the cause.

    He also stated in the letter that this resulted in the mission being labeled a serious Type A mishap and originally, it was not declared as such. A Type A mishap is the worst type of accident category that NASA has, which can result in mission failure, resulting in a $2 million or more financial loss, the aircraft or spacecraft being damaged or destroyed and injury or death.  

    This is the same category as the fatal 1986 Challenger space shuttle mission or the 2003 space shuttle Columbia incident.

    During a question-and-answer session, Spectrum News asked Isaacman just how much danger Wilmore and Williams were in.

    “How much danger were they were in? Losing 6doff controllers is a huge deal. I actually want to give a lot of credit, and I mentioned it in my remarks earlier, to the flight controllers that made the decision to kind of challenge some of our flight rules and bring that crew to a safe haven, which is the International Space Station. Had that not taken place, had thrusters not been recovered, it could have very well been a different, different outcome,” he answered.

    He continued to say that once the Starliner returned to Earth, there was another thruster failure, adding, “So, the spaceship was not healthy.”

    He stressed that Starliner will not fly again until everything has been resolved, which means it may not have an uncrewed test launch to the space station in April of this year.

    NASA astronauts pilot Sunita

    NASA astronauts pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams and Cmdr. Barry “Butch” Wilmore of the Boeing Crew Flight Test spoke to the media on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, about their thoughts on the issues with Starliners and being on the International Space Station longer than expected. (NASA)

    ‘And we failed them’

    Another thing that was revealed is that while there were mechanical and technical issues, it was the “culture” between NASA and Boeing staff, that created mistrust, Isaacman shared, adding that officials were unprofessional during the situation and worried more about Starliner’s capability than solving the immediate issues.

    NASA Associate Administrator Amit Shastri, who was also with Isaacman during the teleconference, said that the U.S. space agency failed Wilmore and Williams.

    “They have so much grace and they’re so competent, the two of them. And we failed them. The agency failed them. And even though they won’t, they won’t say that, we have to say that, we have to recognize that our responsibility is to them and to all the crews that are coming and to the crews that (are) about to go fly and … our responsibilities to each other, too. We’re a family,” he said.

    Starliner Interactive Timeline

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