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Touchdown! Private Chinese rocket aces landing on 2nd-ever flight

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China just notched another big spaceflight milestone. The Beijing startup LandSpace successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket this evening (Aug. 18), becoming the first Chinese company ever to do so during an orbital launch. It was just the second Chinese orbital rocket touchdown overall. The first was pulled of on July 10 by a Long March 10B , which is built by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The Long March 10B had some help returning to Earth, settling softly into a net-like device affixed to a ship at sea. But Zhuque-3 came down on terra firma and stayed upright thanks to a set of landing legs, like those sported by SpaceX 's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. "This mission marks China's first-ever successful recovery attempt of the first stage of an orbital-class launch vehicle using landing legs, and China's first success...
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NASA astronaut and 1st female French spacewalker remove failed ISS antenna but run out of time for replacement

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Two astronauts — including the first French woman in history to perform a spacewalk — worked outside of the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday (Aug 18), becoming temporary TV repairpersons. Just like what frequently happens on Earth, the work required more time than the "appointment" allowed, requiring a second visit to be scheduled. NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA ( European Space Agency ) astronaut Sophie Adenot were tasked with the removal and replacement of a Space-to-Ground antenna that since November had ceased being able to track NASA's data relay satellites , rendering it unusable. A second antenna has been in use since, continuing the transmission of critical data and enabling high-speed communications with Mission Control Houston. Spacewalk planners had allocated about six and a half hours for the work to be completed. The two Expedition 75 crewmates were succ...
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How an ancient collision with another galaxy transformed the Milky Way

The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered evidence that our galaxy experienced a significant collision and merger with a dwarf galaxy 11.8 billion years ago. Mergers between galaxies are one of the main ways in which galaxies can grow. However, while we can witness mergers taking place in other galaxies, figuring out our Milky Way galaxy's history requires painstaking detective work. Even now, the story is only partly known. "Our home is the Milky Way galaxy, but we do not know how our house was built," Davide Massari of the Astrophysics and Space Science Observatory of Bologna in Italy said in a statement . Massari is lead author of a paper describing the discovery of an ancient galactic merger. "In this paper we discover where the first significant batch of bricks came from: a dwarf galaxy that we call LKH." LKH stands for Low-energy–Kraken–Heracles, which is an obtus...
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The best Ruko drone to date is half-price at Amazon but you'll have to hurry

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We've seen drone deals come and go, but this Ruko F11 Pro 2 really is something else. Equipped with a 6K camera and built to last, this drone is 54% off at Amazon, saving you $280! Save $280 on this Ruko F11 Pro 2 drone at Amazon. In our Ruko F11 Pro 2 review we called it "The best designed and built Ruko drone to date," and that still stands. It can capture 30FPS 4K video, or snap 6K stills and comes with 2 batteries for a 70-minute flight time. $280 off is a serious saving, though there is one catch. Sold by Ruko and shipped by Amazon, this deal is only available for a day and the clock's already ticking, so you'll have to move fast. Looking for a different flyer? We've rounded up the best drones and the best beginner drones. F11 PRO 2: was $520 now $240 Save a massive $280 and get a sturdily-built drone equipped with a 4K video camera and a 6K still camera. With t...
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Scientists find dead star that predicts our sun's future: 'Broken apart and returned to the galaxy'

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Astronomers have watched a dead star, in the guise of the Helix Nebula, being recycled back into the interstellar gas from which it originally came, bringing the story of that star full circle. Stars can last for millions, or even billions, of years, but they do not last forever. When a sun -like star reaches the end, it blossoms into a beautiful planetary nebula . The Helix Nebula , located 650 light-years away in the constellation of Aquarius , the Water Bearer, is one such example of a planetary nebula. The Helix's central star has run out of hydrogen needed for nuclear fusion reactions in its core. This caused the core to begin to contract and raised the temperature in the star's outer layers, which ignited fusion reactions there instead. This had the effect of causing the star to bloat into a red giant . Then, eventually, the outer layers of that red giant detached and expanded in...
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A little-known protein may be fueling Alzheimer’s — and scientists found a way to block it

An experimental Alzheimer’s compound prevented damaging protein clumps from forming in the brains of mice, helping nerve cells survive longer and reducing amyloid buildup. The treatment also appeared to improve heart health and slow some signs of aging, raising hopes for an entirely new way to combat dementia. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3j2Mlpg
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How to watch 'Lanterns' — HBO's gritty new Green Lantern show

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In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night… Come on, you know the rest! DC Comics' Green Lantern Corps. spans the infinite boundaries of the cosmos with its legion of 7,204 intergalactic space cops representing all races, genders, and biological entities patrolling thousands of Guardian sectors of the universe. The fabled interstellar law enforcement society based on the planet Oa, armed with the coolest oath ever recited, is getting its own gritty, grounded " Lanterns " TV series and fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their intrepid emerald ring-wearing heroes capable of manifesting an incredible arsenal of colorful mental constructs. Specific plot elements remain secretive and we're unsure which side of morality we’ll ultimately find Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and his upstart John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) . Power up and let's parade into all the details of how to watch HBO...
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