Counting Down to Juno's Arrival at Jupiter

A model of the Juno spacecraft is seen at a news briefing on Thursday, June 30, 2016, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The Juno mission will arrive at Jupiter July 4, 2016, to orbit the planet for 20 months and collect data on the planetary core, map the magnetic field, and measure the amount of water and ammonia in the atmosphere.
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NASA's X-57 Electric Research Plane

With 14 electric motors turning propellers and all of them integrated into a uniquely-designed wing, NASA will test new propulsion technology using an experimental airplane now designated the X-57 and nicknamed “Maxwell.” This concept image illustrates NASA's X-57 plane in flight.
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Expedition 47 Soyuz Landing

The Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft is seen as it lands with Expedition 47 crew members Tim Kopra of NASA, Tim Peake of the European Space Agency, and Yuri Malenchenko of Roscosmos near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Kopra, Peake, and Malenchenko are returning after six months onboard the International Space Station.
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Space Station View of the Full Moon

Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams of NASA took this photograph on June 21, 2016, from the International Space Station, writing, "A spectacular rise of the full moon just before sunset while flying over western China."
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Pervasive Ice Retreat in West Antarctica

Along the Bellingshausen Sea coast of West Antarctica, ice has been retreating inland being lost to the sea. Scientists knew this, but they lacked a full picture of the scale. Now a team of researchers has compiled a Landsat-based data set and found that such losses have been going on for at least the past four decades.
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Europe's robots to become 'electronic persons' under draft plan

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Europe's growing army of robot workers could be classed as "electronic persons" and their owners liable to paying social security for them if the European Union adopts a draft plan to address the realities of a new industrial revolution.

Reuters: Science News

Obama: Trump's rhetoric is xenophobic, not populist

OTTAWA (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama is tired of hearing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump described as a populist.

Reuters: Politics

Hubble Sees New Dark Spot on Neptune

New images obtained on May 16, 2016, by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope confirm the presence of a dark vortex in the atmosphere of Neptune. This full visible-light image shows that the dark feature resides near and below a patch of bright clouds in the planet's southern hemisphere.
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India launches 20 satellites at one go; most to serve U.S. customers

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India successfully launched 20 satellites in a single mission on Wednesday, with most of them set to serve international customers as the South Asian country pursues a bigger share of the $ 300 billion global space industry.

Reuters: Science News

U.S. lawmakers push for action on human rights in Bahrain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seven U.S. senators urged Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday to press Bahrain's government to do more to promote political and social reform, adding to recent concern in Washington over that country's human rights record.

Reuters: Politics

A Test Version of the Booster for NASA's New Rocket

A test version of the booster for NASA's new rocket, the Space Launch System, will fire up for the second of two qualification ground tests at 10:05 a.m. EDT (8:05 a.m. MDT) Tuesday, June 28 at prime contractor Orbital ATK's test facility in Promontory, Utah. NASA Television will air live coverage of the booster test June 28 beginning at 9:30 a.m.
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British astronaut Tim Peake would return to space station 'in a heartbeat'

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Britain's first official astronaut said on Tuesday he would join another trip to the International Space Station "in a heartbeat" and would love to explore the moon.

Reuters: Science News

Albanian town backs Clinton with bronze bust

SARANDE, Albania (Reuters) - Whatever the outcome of November's U.S. presidential election, the Albanian town of Sarande is backing Hillary Clinton by erecting a bronze bust to thank her for supporting Albanian causes.

Reuters: Politics

Human flights to Mars still at least 15 years off: ESA head

DARMSTADT, Germany (Reuters) - Dreaming of a trip to Mars? You'll have to wait at least 15 years for the technology to be developed, the head of the European Space Agency (ESA) said, putting doubt on claims that the journey could happen sooner.

Reuters: Science News

Juno on Jupiter's Doorstep

NASA's Juno spacecraft obtained this color view on June 21, 2016, at a distance of 6.8 million miles (10.9 million kilometers) from Jupiter. Juno will arrive at Jupiter on July 4. As Juno makes its initial approach, the giant planet's four largest moons -- Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto -- are visible.
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Attorney general to accept FBI findings in Clinton email probe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch will accept the recommendations of career prosecutors and investigators on whether or not to bring charges against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton over her email use, a Justice Department official said on Friday.

Reuters: Politics

Human skin cells used in animal-free cosmetic tests

A UK-based laboratory is working to eradicate animal testing in the cosmetics industry by developing alternative methods which are not only cruelty-free but more scientifically advanced than other current tests.

Reuters: Science News

Trump's opposition to trade deals fuels internal party opposition

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's scathing criticism of his stance on trade, highlighting divisions within the Republican Party that threaten unity ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

Reuters: Politics

Booster Test for Space Launch System Rocket

The second and final qualification motor (QM-2) test for the Space Launch System’s booster is seen, Tuesday, June 28, 2016, at Orbital ATK Propulsion Systems test facilities in Promontory, Utah. During the Space Launch System flight the boosters will provide more than 75 percent of the thrust needed to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth.
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Bat wings inspire new breed of drone

The unique mechanical properties of bat wings could lead to a new breed of nature-inspired drone. A prototype built by researchers at the University of Southampton shows that membrane wings can have improved aerodynamic properties and fly over longer distances on less power.

Reuters: Science News