NASA's Perserverence Rover Generates Oxygen on Mars in Amazing First For Science

The six-wheeled robot has converted some carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into oxygen, the first time this has happened on another planet, the space agency said Wednesday.

"This is a critical first step at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen on Mars," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA's space technology mission directorate.

Not only can the process produce oxygen for future astronauts to breathe, but it could make hauling vast amounts of oxygen over from Earth to use as rocket propellant for the return journey unnecessary.

Article | #Mars2020
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The #MarsHelicopter successfully completed its 2nd flight

It captured this image with its black-and-white navigation camera. It also reached new milestones of a higher altitude, a longer hover and lateral flying.

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Astronomers Have Detected The Closest Black Hole to Earth. Thankfully, It's Tiny

Astronomers think they have discovered a tiny black hole, with a mass so small it places it in an exclusive category. Best of all, it's excitingly close by.

Roughly 1,500 light-years from our own planet, in a Milky Way constellation known as Monoceros, this is the closest black hole candidate to our planet scientists have yet had the fortune to find. 

The team at Ohio State University have named it the Unicorn - a hat tip to the black hole's home and its exceedingly rare nature.

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Astronauts are about to launch on a used rocket, inside a used spacecraft

This Crew-2 mission is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center at 09:49 UTC on Friday. Weather conditions appear favourable, but if there is an issue SpaceX, has a backup opportunity on Monday at 08:48 UTC

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Mysteriously Slow Pulses From Giant Old Stars May Finally Have an Explanation

The extremely slow, steady pulsations of light from many red giant stars may finally have an explanation.

According to a new analysis, these mysterious fluctuations in brightness are not caused by internal processes after all, but by binary companions obscured in clouds of dust siphoned off the dying giants...

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⁣Apollo astronaut Michael Collins dies aged 90

Collins, known as the ‘forgotten astronaut’, kept command module flying while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon.

A statement released by Collins’s family on Wednesday, including a tweet, said: “We regret to share that out beloved father and grandfather passed away today, after a valiant battle with cancer. He spent his final days peacefully.”

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