Weekly - Trapped ISS astronauts return after more than a year and more

Weekly Space News - Quick and Easy

NASA returns samples from asteroid

In 2016, NASA launched the OOSIRIS-REx mission to collect samples from an asteroid. The mission was designed to collect samples from the asteroid ‘Bennu’ and return them safely back to the Earth. After almost 7 years, the craft has finally returned to the Earth with the samples. It is NASA's first time achieving such a feat, making it a major accomplishment.

Trapped ISS astronauts return after more than a year

One astronaut and two cosmonauts found themselves stranded aboard the International Space Station for over a year. Originally scheduled for a 180-day mission, their return plans were disrupted when their capsule was struck by space debris, leading to fuel leaks. Due to these unforeseen circumstances, the astronauts had to stay back at the space station for 191 more days. A replacement for the capsule was sent this February but they had to stay at the ISS for a few more months before coming back to the earth due to scheduling issues. Last week, all three crew members safely returned, with Frank Rubio setting a new record for the longest duration spent in space by any US astronaut. The astronauts had to be carried out of the capsule as the extended stay in space had weakened their muscles.

NASA finds signs of life on Jupiter’s moon

NASA’s James Webb telescope recently found abundant carbon dioxide on the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa. This is a significant new finding as this means that there could possibly be life on this moon. The moon is already known to have massive oceans of frozen water on it. Due to this, the moon was previously suspected to have life on it. The new discovery of carbon dioxide has enhanced this suspicion. Though no lifeform has been discovered yet, experts believe that it is definitely possible.