Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen warns that Europe risks falling behind in the global space race and missing out on key technologies. Mogensen, who will be piloting SpaceX’s Crew Dragon shuttle to the International Space Station (ISS) in August, hopes to one day fly into space on an independent European mission. Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity spaceplane, carrying a crew of six, has completed its first spaceflight test in nearly two years, reaching the edge of space. Elon Musk’s brain-implant company, Neuralink, has gained FDA approval for its first-in-human clinical trial, though the aims of the study are not yet clear. NASA’s Juno probe has obtained data on Jupiter’s lightning processes, which are similar to those on Earth, despite the dramatic differences between the two planets. South Korea’s domestically made space rocket has successfully delivered a commercial grade satellite into orbit for the first time.
As highlighted by the latest science news roundup, Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen has warned Europe that it is at risk of falling behind in the global space race and missing out on key technologies. Mogensen, who will be the first non-American pilot to steer the SpaceX Crew Dragon shuttle to the International Space Station (ISS), hopes to one day fly into space on an independent European mission. He made these statements ahead of his second trip into space onboard Elon Musk’s next SpaceX mission in August.
Virgin Galactic, the space tourism firm founded by Richard Branson, made a key spaceflight test before starting commercial service. A spaceplane from Virgin Galactic reached the edge of space on Thursday carrying a crew of six, making its first spaceflight test in nearly two years. The company’s VSS Unity spaceplane dropped from its twin-fuselage carrier aircraft over the desert of New Mexico and blasted off to the edge of space seconds later at roughly three times the speed of sound.
In another exciting development, Elon Musk’s brain-implant company Neuralink has received FDA approval for its first-in-human clinical trial. This is a critical milestone for the company after earlier struggles to gain approval. The FDA nod “represents an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people,” Neuralink said in a tweet. It did not elaborate on the aims of the study, saying only that it was not recruiting yet and more details would be available soon.
NASA’s Juno probe has provided fresh information on how the lightning processes on Jupiter are similar to those on Earth, despite the dramatic differences between the two planets. Hidden below the brownish ammonia clouds blanketing Jupiter are clouds that like on Earth are made of water. And like on Earth, lightning often is generated within these clouds – an eerie sight spotted by various spacecraft that have visited our solar system’s largest planet.
In South Korea, the country’s domestically made space rocket delivered a commercial grade satellite into orbit for the first time on Thursday. The successful launch is a major milestone for the country’s space program, which has been aiming to develop its own rocket technology to compete with regional rivals such as Japan and China. The South Korean government has been investing heavily in space technology in recent years, with the goal of becoming a major player in the global space industry.
In the final analysis, the latest science news roundup highlights some exciting developments in the world of space technology. From warnings about falling behind in the global space race to major milestones in brain-implant technology and successful spaceflight tests, there is plenty to be excited about in the world of science and technology. As we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, we can look forward to even more exciting developments in the years to come.
