Astronauts from India, Poland, Hungary head for splashdown with NASA veteran
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -NASA retiree turned private astronaut Peggy Whitson headed for splashdown in the Pacific early on Tuesday after her fifth trip to the International Space Station, joined by crewmates from India, Poland and Hungary returning from their countries' first ISS mission.
A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the foursome undocked from the space station early on Monday to begin a 22-hour descent to Earth, 18 days after arriving at the orbital laboratory.
If all goes as planned, the capsule will parachute into the Pacific off the California coast at 2:30 a.m. PDT (0930 GMT) following a fiery re-entry through Earth's atmosphere.
The return flight concludes the fourth ISS mission organized by Texas-based startup Axiom Space in collaboration with billionaire Elon Musk's California-headquartered private rocket venture Space X.
The Axiom-4 crew was led by Whitson, 65, who retired from NASA in 2018 after a pioneering career that included becoming the U.S. space agency's first female chief astronaut and the first woman ever to command an ISS expedition.
Now director of human spaceflight for Axiom, she had logged 675 days in space, a U.S. record, during three previous NASA missions and a fourth flight to space as commander of the Axiom-2 crew in 2023. Her latest mission commanding Axiom-4 will extend her record by about three more weeks.
Rounding out the Axiom-4 crew were Shubhanshu Shukla, 39, of India, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, 41, of Poland, and Tibor Kapu, 33, of Hungary.
They are returning with a cargo of science samples from more than 60 microgravity experiments conducted aboard the ISS and due for shipment to researchers back on Earth for final analysis.
For India, Poland and Hungary, the launch marked the first human spaceflight of each country in more than 40 years and the first mission ever to send astronauts from their government's respective space programs to the ISS.
The participation of Shukla, an Indian air force pilot, is seen by India's space program as a precursor of sorts to the debut crewed mission of its Gaganyaan orbital spacecraft, planned for 2027.
Uznanski-Wisniewski is a Polish astronaut assigned to the European Space Agency, while Kapu is part of his country's Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) program, though he is not the first person of Hungarian descent to board the space station.
Billionaire Charles Simonyi, a Hungarian-born software designer who became a U.S. citizen in 1982, has twice visited the ISS as a space tourist, in 2007 and 2009, hitching rides aboard Russian Soyuz capsules on both occasions.
But like many wealthy individuals from various countries who have paid their own way for joyrides to space, Simonyi was not flying on behalf of his homeland or any government.
Dubbed "Grace" by its crew, the newly commissioned capsule flown for Axiom-4 was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral in Florida on June 25, making its debut as the fifth vehicle in SpaceX's Crew Dragon fleet.
Axiom-4 also marks the 18th crewed spaceflight logged by SpaceX since 2020, when Musk's rocket company ushered in a new NASA era by providing American astronauts their first rides to space from U.S. soil since the end of the space shuttle program nine years earlier.
For Axiom, a 9-year-old venture co-founded by NASA's former ISS program manager, the mission builds on its business of putting astronauts sponsored by private companies and foreign governments into low-Earth orbit.
Axiom also is one of a handful of companies developing a commercial space station of its own intended to eventually replace the ISS, which NASA expects to retire around 2030.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Jamie Freed)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Indian Cabinet welcomes Group Captain Shukla's return from space, lauds PM Modi's visionary leadership
NEW DELHI: The Cabinet on Wednesday (July 16) accorded a heartfelt welcome to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on his safe return from the International Space Station on Tuesday (July 15). 'This is a moment of pride, glory and joy for the entire nation. The Cabinet joins the nation in celebrating the return of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to Earth, following the successful completion of his historic 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station,' said the resolution adopted at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. This marks a significant milestone in India's space exploration journey as Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS. The Cabinet applauds the visionary and decisive leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, whose strategic foresight, unwavering belief in India's space potential, and consistent guidance have enabled the country to chart new frontiers and emerge as a leader among space faring nations. 'The Cabinet also recalls with pride India's recent landmark achievements, including the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the South Pole of the Moon on 23rd August 2023, a day etched in history as India's National Space Day. Likewise, India's Aditya-L1 Mission launched in 2023 has significantly enhanced humanity's understanding of solar activity. These feats reflect the spirit of scientific excellence and national self-reliance,' said the resolution. Earlier, welcoming Shukla on his return, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday said, 'I join the nation in welcoming Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he returns to Earth from his historic mission to Space. As India's first astronaut to have visited the International Space Station, he has inspired a billion dreams through his dedication, courage and pioneering spirit.' Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's 18-day mission aboard the ISS was part of the Axiom-4 crew. He conducted pioneering experiments in microgravity on subjects like muscle regeneration, algal growth, and crop viability. The mission elevates India's global standing in space exploration and is a stepping stone towards India's human spaceflight ambitions like Gaganyaan. The Cabinet commends the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and scientists for their efforts. The mission reflects India's growing leadership in international space cooperation. It inspires a new generation of Indians to pursue careers in science and innovation. - The Statesman/ANN
The Star
14 hours ago
- The Star
Nvidia's resumption of AI chips to China is part of rare earths talks
NVIDIA'S planned resumption of sales of its H20 artificial intelligence (AI) chips to China is part of US negotiations on rare earths, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick says, and comes days after its CEO met President Donald Trump. 'We put that in the trade deal with the magnets,' Lutnick told Reuters, referring to an agreement Trump made to restart rare earth shipments to US manufacturers. He did not provide additional detail. Nvidia said late on Monday that it is filing applications with the US government to resume sales to China of its H20 graphics processing unit, and has been assured by the United States it will get the licences soon. The planned resumption is a reversal of an export restriction imposed in April that is designed to keep the most advanced AI chips out of Chinese hands over national security concerns, an issue that has found rare bipartisan support. It drew swift questions and criticism from US legislators on Tuesday. The decision 'would not only hand our foreign adversaries our most advanced technologies, but is also dangerously inconsistent with this administration's previously-stated position on export controls for China,' Democratic Representative Raja Krishna-moorthi, ranking member of the house of representatives select committee on China, said in a statement. Republican John Moolenaar, chair of that committee, said in a statement he would seek 'clarification' from the commerce department. 'The H20 is a powerful chip that, according to our bipartisan investigation, played a significant role in the rise of PRC AI companies like DeepSeek,' Moolenaar said, referring to a Chinese startup that claims to have built AI models at a fraction of the cost paid by US firms such as OpenAI. 'It is crucial that the United States maintains its lead and keep advanced AI out of the hands of the CCP.' Shares of Nvidia, the world's most valuable firm, closed up 4% and were nearly unchanged in after-market trading. Nvidia had estimated that the curbs would cut its revenue by US$15bil. Nvidia's plan to resume sales has set off a scramble at Chinese firms to buy H20 chips, sources told Reuters. The chips that Nvidia will resume selling are the best it can legally offer in China but lack much of the computing power of the versions for sale outside of China because of previous restrictions put in place by Trump's first administration and then President Joe Biden's administration. De facto standard But critically, H20 chips work with Nvidia's software tools, which have become a de facto standard in the global AI industry. CEO Jensen Huang, who is visiting Beijing has argued that Nvidia's leadership position could slip away if the company cannot sell to Chinese developers being courted by Huawei Technologies with chips produced in China. The significance of the shift depends on the volume of H20 chips that the United States allows to be shipped to China, said Divyansh Kaushik, an AI expert at Beacon Global Strategies, a Washington-based advisory firm. 'If China is able to get a million H20 chips, it could significantly narrow, if not overtake, the US lead in AI,' he said. China is crucial 'The Chinese market is massive, dynamic, and highly innovative, and it's also home to many AI researchers,' Huang told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday. China generated US$17bil in revenue for Nvidia in the fiscal year ending Jan 26, or 13% of total sales, based on its latest annual report. Internet giants ByteDance and Tencent are also in the process of submitting applications for H20 chips, the sources said. Central to the process is an approved list put together by Nvidia for Chinese companies to register for potential purchases. Asked at a regular foreign ministry briefing in Beijing about Nvidia's plans to resume AI chip sales, a spokesperson said: 'China is opposed to the politicisation, instrumentalisation and weaponisation of science, technology and economic and trade issues to maliciously blockade and suppress China.' China halted exports of rare earths in March following a trade spat with Trump that has shown some signs of easing. It dominates the market for rare earths, a group of 17 metals used in cellphones, weapons, electric vehicles and more. Closely watched Huang's visit is being closely watched in both China and the United States, where a bipartisan pair of senators last week sent the CEO a letter asking him to abstain from meeting companies working with military or intelligence bodies. The senators also asked Huang to refrain from meeting with entities named on the United States' restricted export list. Rival AI chipmaker AMD also said the department of commerce would review its licence applications to export its MI308 chips to China; it plans to resume those shipments when licences are approved, it said. Its shares gained 7% in trading on Tuesday. — Reuters Jarrett Renshaw and Karen Freifeld write for Reuters. The views expressed here are the writers' own.
The Star
20 hours ago
- The Star
Denmark aims to host world's most powerful quantum computer
Danish flags fly above the streets in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark, January 9, 2024. REUTERS/Tom Little/File Photo STOCKHOLM/COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -The Novo Nordisk Foundation and Denmark's state-owned credit fund said on Thursday they will invest in what they say will be the world's most powerful quantum computer, aiming to revolutionize areas such as drug discovery and materials computing holds the promise of carrying out calculations that would take today's systems millions of years and could unlock discoveries in medicine, chemistry and many other fields where near-infinite seas of possible combinations of molecules confound classical computers. The Novo Nordisk Foundation, the non-profit which controls pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, and Denmark's Export and Investment Fund (EIFO), said in a statement they would invest 80 million euros ($92.93 million) in the initiative called QuNorth. Microsoft, which has its largest quantum lab in Denmark, will provide software and Atom Computing will build the quantum computer. The computer will be named Magne, inspired by Norse mythology where Magne, the son of Thor, is known for his immense strength. Construction will begin in autumn and the computer is expected to be ready by the end of next year. The quantum computer will start operating with 50 logical qubits, Jason Zander, Microsoft's executive vice president, told Reuters. A qubit, short for quantum bit, is the basic unit of information in a quantum computer and a logical qubit is a virtual qubit built from many physical qubits to reliably process quantum information. Last November, Microsoft and Atom created 24 logical qubits, the highest number ever created. "When we get to about 50 logical qubits, that's when we start hitting true quantum advantage," Zander said. "I get to the point where I can run something on a quantum computer that I could not run on a classic computer." "When the machine gets up to 100 (logical qubits), we can start doing science problems, get up to a couple 100s, we can start doing some chemistry and starting to answer things, and then when all the way up to 1,000, now you are solving everything," Zander said. ($1 = 0.8606 euros) (Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm and Stine Jacobsen in CopenhagenEditing by Frances Kerry)
