Science News Roundup: US FAA in contact with SpaceX after booster rocket fired; Cyprus launches first underwater archaeological park in ancient port and more

Here is a summary of current scientific news.

US FAA in contact with SpaceX after booster rocket launch

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Tuesday it was in “close contact” with SpaceX as the company investigated a fire that occurred as part of its Super Heavy booster rocket development, but the agency did not had no right to investigate the matter. The FAA said US law “limits FAA safety oversight to the protection of the public during planned launch and reentry operations. Yesterday’s event is outside the agency’s jurisdiction.” .

Cyprus launches first underwater archaeological park in ancient port

Cyprus has opened its first underwater archaeological park, giving visitors a glimpse of history in one of the best-preserved ancient ports in the eastern Mediterranean. The now submerged harbor off the ancient city-kingdom of Amathus was built between 312/311 BC. AD and 294 BC. AD when Cyprus was at the center of a conflict between the two successors of Alexander the Great. It was probably built as a naval base due to its narrow entrance, although experts say its combined commercial use cannot be ruled out either.

NASA pulls back the curtain on the first color images from the Webb Space Telescope

NASA pulled back the curtain on billions of years of cosmic evolution on Tuesday with the first batch of photos from the largest and most powerful observatory ever launched into space, saying the bright images showed the telescope exceeded expectations. . The first color, high-resolution images from the James Webb Space Telescope, designed to look farther than before with greater clarity at the dawn of the universe, have been hailed by NASA as a milestone marking a new era of astronomical exploration.

Science offers basis for national claims for climate damage – study

A scientific basis exists for calculating how much one country’s carbon emissions have hurt the economy of another, a study said on Tuesday into a development it has touted as a potential change for climate litigation. Research from US-based Dartmouth College has found that a small group of big polluters have caused billions of dollars in economic losses due to warming caused by their emissions, the hottest and hottest countries in the South poor being the hardest hit.

Chinese scientists are developing robot fish that gobble up microplastics

Robot fish that “eat” microplastics could one day help clean up the world’s polluted oceans, according to a team of Chinese scientists from Sichuan University in southwest China. Soft to the touch and measuring only 1.3 centimeters (0.5 inches), these robots already suck up microplastics in shallow waters.

SpaceX Starship booster ‘probably’ returns after explosion -Elon Musk

The Starship rocket booster that SpaceX plans to use for a maiden flight into orbit will “likely” return to its launch pad in Texas next week after a test explosion on Monday, the company’s chief executive Elon told Reuters. Musk. “Damage is minor, but the booster will be moved to the high bay for inspections, and will likely return to the launch pad next week,” Musk said in an email.

Prospects for space tourism in China have been boosted by a cooperation agreement

A Chinese space technology company said on Wednesday it had signed a cooperation agreement with the country’s largest public travel company, the latest sign that the arrival of a domestic “space tourism” industry is near. CAS Space has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based travel industry giant China Tourism Group, pledging to “jointly promote the application of commercial space technology and create a new space economy such as space tourism,” according to a statement posted on the official CAS Space WeChat account.

The Webb Space Telescope opens the door to unimaginable discoveries

The first batch of images from the mighty James Webb Space Telescope has opened a new chapter in cosmic exploration, but astronomers say the observatory’s most important discoveries may well be ones they haven’t even seen yet imagined. Distant colliding galaxies, gas giant exoplanets and dying star systems were the first celestial subjects captured by the multibillion-dollar observatory, putting its wide range of infrared imaging capabilities on a colorful display and proving that the telescope works as expected.

(With agency contributions.)