Science

SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon departure from space station postponed because of weather

The departure of SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon from the International Space Station was postponed on Monday morning because of weather in the splashdown zone off the east coast of Florida.

The uncrewed spacecraft was initially scheduled to undock at 9:25 a.m. ET. but was pushed back to 10 a.m. ET on account of bad weather off Daytona. The departure was scratched for the day shortly before 10 a.m. ET.

“A new undocking date and time is currently being evaluated,” tweeted NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

NORTHROP GRUMMAN’S CYGNUS SPACECRAFT DEPARTS SPACE STATION, WILL TEST NEW TECH BEFORE DESTRUCTION

This image shows the SpaceX Cargo Dragon vehicle docked to the Harmony module’s space-facing international docking adapter.
(Credit: NASA TV)

If undocking had proceeded as planned, Cargo Dragon was scheduled to make a parachute-assisted splashdown around 9 pm E.T. Monday.

“Splashing down off the coast of Florida enables quick transportation of the science aboard the capsule to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center’s Space Station Processing Facility, and back into the hands of the researchers,” explained NASA in a note released on Jan. 4. “This shorter transportation timeframe allows researchers to collect data with minimal loss of microgravity effects.”

The CRS-21 cargo craft launched to the International Space Station on Dec. 6, 2020, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The cargo ship delivered over 6,400 pounds of hardware, research and crew supplies.

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Last week, Northrop Grumman’s uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft departed the space station. Cygnus will remain in orbit until Jan. 26, testing new technologies before its fiery destruction on reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.

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New details revealed about Megalodon’s shocking size: They ate their siblings in the womb

A new study may explain why Megalodon went extinct

A new study suggests that Megalodon, the largest marine predator to ever live, may have gone extinct due to the giant shark’s body temperature. As the oceans cooled, the sharks may have been forced to lower latitudes where ocean temperatures were warmer, while its prey evolved to withstand cooler temperatures of higher latitudes.

Megalodon, the apex predator of the seas, was the largest shark to ever live, at nearly 60 feet in length. A recently published study suggests the massive shark reached its epic size because of oophagy: a kind of intrauterine cannibalism behavior.

The research, published in the scientific journal Historical Biology, suggests that these massive sharks were born more than 6 feet in length, thanks to eating undeveloped siblings while still developing during pregnancy.

“The gigantism of O. megalodon is attributed to the evolution of regional endothermy, possibly along with the inferred live-bearing reproductive mode involving intrauterine cannibalism in the form of oophagy,” researchers wrote in the study. “Yet, exactly how O. megalodon developed throughout its lifetime has remained largely in the realm of speculations.”

MEGALODON FOSSILS DISCOVERED ALL OVER THE WORLD

In-utero cannibalism is not uncommon among sharks. In November 2019, a species of shark discovered in Kansas also portrayed in-utero “cannibalistic behavior.”

In September, a separate group of researchers determined the true size of the megalodon’s body, including its huge fins, based on fossils. A 52.5-foot-long megalodon likely had a head 15.3 feet long, a dorsal fin approximately 5.3 feet tall and a tail around 12.6 feet high, the scientists found.

The scientists, led by Kenshu Shimada, used a number of methods to come up with their findings, including CT scans with multiple X-rays to reconstruct fossils and get an idea of how large a megalodon was at birth.

Shimada and the other experts also determined that the massive shark grew 6.3 inches per year for the first 50 years of its life. Megalodons had a life expectancy of around 88 years and could have reached 100 years old, the experts suggested.

“As one of the largest carnivores that ever existed on Earth, the evolution and extinction of O. megalodon must have contributed to shaping the present-day marine ecosystem,” the researchers added. “Hence, deciphering such growth parameters of O. megalodon is critical to understand the role large carnivores play in the context of ecology and evolution.”

The megalodon may have become extinct thanks to being outmaneuvered and outdone by its smaller, more agile cousin, the great white.

PREHISTORIC SHARK WITH ‘SPACESHIP-SHAPED TEETH’ DISCOVERED ALONGSIDE MOST FAMOUS TYRANNOSAURUS

Other theories suggest the megalodon was killed off by an exploding star approximately 2.6 million years ago.

Another theory that has gotten a lot of attention in recent memory is that the megalodon simply was unable to regulate its body temperature. Cooler ocean temperatures during the Pliocene era led its preferred food, whales, to adapt, while the megalodon was unable to,

During the Pleistocene extinction event, many animals larger than 80 pounds went extinct, according to the Illinois State Museum. At roughly 50 feet in length and a weight approaching 120,000 pounds, megalodons would have been a prime candidate to be affected by the cosmic blast.

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Fox News’ James Rogers contributed to this story.

SpaceX completes first rocket launch of 2021, sending up communications satellite

Following a very busy 2020 that saw it make a number of achievements, including the launch of the first astronauts to space from American soil since 2011, SpaceX completed its first rocket launch of 2021 on Thursday.

The Elon Musk-led company sent a communications satellite for Turkey into orbit via its Falcon 9 rocket, lifting off from Cape Canaveral, Fla. at 9:15 p.m. EST.

Shortly thereafter, SpaceX confirmed it successfully deployed the Turksat 5A satellite, which is said to be used to increase Turkey’s presence in space.

SPACEX LAUNCHES SIRIUSXM SATELLITE FROM CAPE CANAVERAL

Later this year, SpaceX will also send the Turksat 5B satellite into space, according to Space.com.

SpaceX, which has helped Musk become the richest person in the world, was also able to successfully land the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket on the Just Read The Instructions droneship, which floated in the Atlantic Ocean. This is the fourth launch for this particular first stage. It had previously been used to send up a GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force and the company’s growing Starlink Internet satellite business, once in September and then again in October.

Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX is also intending to recover both parts of the nose cone as well.

SPACEX’S STARSHIP TEST FLIGHT ENDS IN MASSIVE FIREBALL, BUT MUSK SAYS IT WAS STILL A SUCCESS

SpaceX is expected to have a jam-packed calendar in 2021, including the testing of its Starship SN9 prototype, which could come as early as this weekend.

The aerospace company conducted a triple Raptor Static Fire Test of the next-generation spaceflight system on Wednesday at SpaceX’s facility in Boca Chica, Texas, which briefly showed the test vehicle’s three engines light up.

Starship is a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the moon, Mars and beyond. Starship is expected to be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, with the ability to carry in excess of 100 metric tons to Earth orbit.

According to Spaceflightnow.com, SpaceX will launch more than 40 rockets this year, with some coming out of Florida and the rest out of California.

The company’s next mission will be a Transporter-1 mission, slated to occur on Jan. 14 out of Cape Canaveral.

Initially set for Dec. 16, this launch will see SpaceX send up the Falcon 9 to transport “dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers,” Spaceflightnow noted.

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FOX Business’ Lucas Manfredi contributed to this story.

Forget the Christmas Star: Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn will form rare ‘triple conjunction’

NASA’s Juno spacecraft captures shocking fiery images of Jupiter’s moon Io

Jupiter’s moon lo was once again partially illuminated with a fiery red glow in late December as a volcano erupted, spewing plumes of gases and lava. NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured images of the volcanic plume during its 17th flyby of the planet. The gas giant’s moon is considered the most active volcanic body in existence.

The “Christmas star,” a rare celestial event that occurs when Jupiter and Saturn, the two largest planets in the Solar System, form what looks like a double planet, was one of the highlights of 2020.

True to form, 2021 promises to top that.

This weekend, Mercury will join the two gas giants in what is being dubbed a “triple conjunction,” as the three planets will be within a couple of degrees from one another in the night sky.

Photo credit: NASA

CHRISTMAS STAR IS COMING: JUPITER AND SATURN ARE ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING NOT SEEN FOR NEARLY 800 YEARS

“From Friday evening to Monday evening, the planet Mercury will appear to pass first by Saturn and then by Jupiter as it shifts away from the horizon, visible each evening low in the west-southwest and setting before evening twilight ends,” NASA wrote on its website.

According to Forbes, the three planets will be in the same two degrees of the sky in the Capricorn constellation.

EarthSky.org notes skywatchers may need binoculars to catch some of the planets, but the event can be seen by looking for Jupiter first, then spotting Saturn and Mercury. Jupiter will be the brightest of the trio.

JUPITER, SATURN SPOTTED OVER LEGENDARY BRONZE AGE STRUCTURE

The science website adds that it is best to “find an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunset” to see these planets, starting stargazing no less than 45 minutes after sundown.

Unlike the “Christmas star,” this triple conjunction of planets has happened recently, last occurring in October 2015. By comparison, Jupiter and Saturn form a double conjunction once every roughly 20 years, though the most recent event was the closest the two had been to each other since 1226 A.D.

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After this weekend, the next time the trio will form a triple conjunction is Feb. 13, 2021, just before Valentine’s Day.

The next two triple conjunctions are set for April 20, 2026 (Mercury, Mars, Saturn) and June 16, 2028, when Mercury, Venus and Mars make up the event.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft departs space station, will test new tech before destruction

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station on Wednesday and is set to test new technologies before its fiery destruction when it returns to Earth’s atmosphere.

The uncrewed craft arrived at the orbiting space lab on Oct. 5, 2020, carrying around 8,000 pounds of supplies, research experiments and hardware, including a new toilet. Cygnus undocked from the space station’s Canadarm2 at 10:11 a.m ET over the Eastern Pacific Ocean near the coast of Ecuador. Following its departure from the ISS, the spacecraft will remain in orbit until Jan. 26, testing new technologies known as SharkSat.

The electronic components of SharkSat are focused on the development of Ka-Band software-defined radio (SRB). Ka-band refers to the frequency of the electromagnetic spectrum at which it operates, according to NASA. “As more applications use this spectrum to communicate, some bandwidths grow increasingly crowded,” explains the space agency on its website. “The Ka-Band of the spectrum is currently less crowded and offers data transmission rates that are hundreds of times faster than bandwidths currently in use.”

NASA’S NEW SPACE TOILET ON ITS WAY TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

The Cygnus spacecraft shortly after its undocking from the International Space Station.
(NASA TV)

“Potential uses of the technology include various types of terrestrial 5G telecommunications, as well as space-to-space and space-to-ground communications, among others,” NASA added.

Cygnus also carries over 4,000 pounds of trash from the space station. After testing the SharkSat technologies during its two-week Earth orbit, NASA explains that Cygnus will “deorbit” and dispose of the trash during its fiery reentry in Earth’s atmosphere, burning up over the Pacific Ocean.

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Prior to its destruction, the spacecraft will also conduct a Spacecraft Fire Safety Experiments (Saffire) V, which is designed to investigate major flame growth and material flammability limits in space.

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WWI cannon found 4,000 miles away from where it was last fired

A cannon used by the Germans during World War I has been discovered — nearly 4,000 miles away from where it was last fired.

The Feldkanone 96 was discovered in Amherstburg, Ontario, where builders were bulldozing an old baseball field to make way for a new school.

The town’s mayor, Aldo DiCarlo, said the discovery was “unusual” because so many people forgot about it after it was captured by Canadian troops during the war.

AMHERSTBURG, ONTARIO, CANADA A lost German artillery gun from the first world war has been uncovered by stunned Canadian builders, an estimated 4,000 miles from where it was last fired (Credit: Pen News/Aldo DiCarlo)
(Pen News/Aldo DiCarlo)

MARYLAND COUPLE FINDS LIVE WORLD WAR I BOMB IN THEIR FLOWER BED

“[We’ve] already received communication from a number of military historical associations that are interested in what we’re doing with it and have even offered to help restore it,” DiCarlo told CBC News last month. “The historical significance I think just can’t be overstated, it is really something.”

In an interview with The Sun, DiCarlo said the cannon was one of more than 1,100 other trophies, including howitzers, trench mortars and field guns, that were shipped back to Canada in 1922.

DiCarlo added that the cannon was originally put on display in 1922 as part of a cenotaph, but by 1971, the school acquired additional land and with the cannon in such disrepair, it was not moved when the cenotaph itself was moved.

The exact history of the gun is still being researched, but DiCarlo noted it’s possible it could have been obtained during the 1918 victory in Cambrai, 3,935 miles away from where it currently resides.

“What is interesting about this piece is that it’s breech block is intact,” DiCarlo continued. “Often, if an enemy was going to capture a weapon the crew would attempt to sabotage it to prevent it being used against them later. It appears, however, that when this weapon was taken, it likely happened too quickly for that to occur.”

It’s expected that the German cannon will be restored and preserved and put on display, DiCarlo said.

A number of artifacts from World War I have been discovered in recent memory. In June, a northeast Maryland couple found a live World War I bomb while digging in their flower bed.

One family in England discovered a live World War I grenade that had been sitting on the roof of their house for more than 100 years in April.

WHILE PASSING THE TIME DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, FAMILY FINDS LIVE WWI GRENADE

In February, a grenade from the Great War was discovered on a beach in the U.K. after a series of storms unearthed the object.

In February 2019, factory workers at a Hong Kong potato chip plant uncovered a German hand grenade from World War I that had not detonated.

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Reawakened Yellowstone geyser won’t predict the volcanic ‘big one,’ scientists say

The famous Steamboat geyser in Yellowstone National Park won’t foretell a major volcanic eruption, according to scientists.

The geyser in the Norris Geyser basin shoots water more than 300 feet into the air during its major eruptions.

Steamboat, which is the world’s tallest active geyser, reawakened with prolific eruptions in 2018 after 34 years of sporadic activity. The geyser erupted on March 15, 2018, after 3.5 years of inactivity.

STEAMBOAT GEYSER AT YELLOWSTONE BREAKS YEARLY ERUPTION RECORD

July 31, 2013: Steamboat Geyser, in Yellowstone National Park’s Norris Geyser Basin in Wyoming, erupts – file photo.
(AP)

Steamboat’s return to activity sparked speculation that it could indicate future volcanic eruptions in the surrounding geyser basin, according to UC Berkeley’s website.

New research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests this is not the case.

Scientists have found few indications of the movement of magma or molten rock, that would be necessary for an eruption, according to UC Berkeley.

YELLOWSTONE GEYSER ERUPTS FOR 3RD TIME IN 6 WEEKS

“We don’t find any evidence that there is a big eruption coming. I think that is an important takeaway,” said Michael Manga, a professor of earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, and the study’s senior author.

The research was led by UC Berkeley graduate student Mara Reed and also involved experts from Columbia University, the University of Chile, Rice University, the University of Utah, the University of Alaska, Brown University, the University of Texas at El Paso, Yellowstone National Park and the U.S. Geological Survey.

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The Steamboat geyser is an incredible sight, according to the National Park Service, with the water phase of a major eruption lasting from three to more than 40 minutes.

“Once the water supply is exhausted, the geyser continues with a powerful steam phase lasting several hours to several days,” the National Park Service explains on its website. “Its roar is so great that conversation near the geyser is difficult, and visitors in the Norris Campground, a mile to the north, have been awakened by the noise.”

Dozens of army camps from Ancient Rome discovered

Archaeologists have uncovered dozens of 2,000-year-old army camps from Ancient Rome in Spain, according to a new study.

The research, published in Geosciences, details the enormity of the Roman Army as it

marched, conquering the Iberian Peninsula and subsequent areas. The experts uncovered 66 camps in the northern part of the country, all designed for training and shelter. They range in size, with some as small as a few thousand square feet, all the way to 37 acres (15 hectares).

“The remains are of the temporary camps that the Roman army set up when moving through hostile territory or when carrying out maneuvers around their permanent bases,” study co-author João Fonte said in a statement. “They reveal the intense Roman activity at the entrance to the Cantabrian Mountains during the last phase of the Roman conquest of Hispania.”

Roman military presence in Castile (Credit: romanarmy.eu)

HAS JESUS’ CHILDHOOD HOME BEEN DISCOVERED IN NAZARETH?

The 66 camps, which were used as temporary housing for the Roman soldiers as they marched through the Iberian Peninsula, were discovered using a number of different technologies, Fonte added.

“We have identified so many sites because we used different types of remote sensing,” Fonte explained. “Airborne laser scanning gave good results for some sites in more remote places because it showed earthworks really well. Aerial photography worked better in lowland areas for the detection of cropmarks.”

The camps aided in the Roman Empire’s exploitation of natural resources, such as tin and gold, some of which were used to make coins and jewelry.

Researchers have discovered a number of Ancient Rome’s secrets in recent memory.

POMPEII RUINS UNEARTH ‘MASTER AND SLAVE’ REMAINS

In 2017, a rare Roman coin was discovered on a remote Scottish island.

In October 2019, a pair of 2,000-year-old Roman scrolls believed to have belonged to Caesar’s family that were buried and charred during Vesuvius’ eruption, were virtually “unwrapped” for the first time ever.

In June 2020, experts discovered an entire ancient Roman city in Italy via Ground Penetrating Radar technology. The following month, 13 ancient Roman amphorae, or jars, were recovered from a seafood store in the Spanish city of Alicante.

In October 2020, an extremely rare Roman coin commemorating the assassination of Julius Caesar surfaced, one that could be worth millions of dollars.

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2020: A year of UFO news almost too strange to believe

If 2019 was a big year for UFO coverage, 2020 may have been the best year ever.

No one can say for certain whether life exists outside of this planet, but the public’s interest levels in the subject have likely never been higher.

FIRST QUARTER

In January, the U.S. Navy said the release of certain classified briefings and a classified video about a UFO incident held by the Department of Defense “would cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security” to the U.S., in response to a public records request from Vice.

AREA 51 PHOTOS FROM PILOT REVEAL NEW VIEW OF MYSTERIOUS NEVADA BASE

A couple of weeks later, the U.K. announced that reported UFO sightings by the British public will be published online for the first time. The Royal Air Force ran a UFO unit for 50 years but shut it down in 2009 after coming to the conclusion that none of the reports offered evidence of a real threat.

In mid-February, after the U.K.’s decision to publish reported UFO sightings online, 61% of Americans surveyed said they want the U.S. government to declassify the country’s so-called “X-files.” Fifty-eight percent said they believe the U.S. government “actively investigates extraterrestrial life.”

SECOND QUARTER

April was a blockbuster month as the Pentagon finally released unclassified footage showing “unidentified aerial phenomena” captured by Navy aircraft that had circulated in the public for years.

That same week, Tom DeLonge, the former Blink-182 singer and the head of To the Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences, the group that originally obtained the videos, said “UFOs are real” in a since-deleted tweet.

The videos, known as “FLIR1,” “Gimbal” and “GoFast,” were originally released to the New York Times and to TTSA.

The first video of the unidentified object was taken on Nov. 14, 2004, and shot by the F-18’s gun camera. The second video was shot on Jan. 21, 2015, and shows another aerial vehicle with pilots commenting on how strange it is. The third video was also taken on Jan. 21, 2015, but it is unclear whether the third video was of the same object or a different one.

In June, the topic spurred national interest once again, after President Trump told his son, Donald Jr., that he had “interesting” details on Roswell, N.M.

“So many people ask me that question,” the president said in response to whether aliens exist. “There are millions and millions of people that want to go there, that want to see it. I won’t talk to you about what I know about it but it’s very interesting. But Roswell is a very interesting place with a lot of people that would like to know what’s going on.”

CLASSIFIED UFO BRIEFINGS MAY HAVE LEFT SENATORS ‘DISTURBED,’ EXPERT SAYS

When Trump Jr. further pressed his father on whether he would declassify details about Roswell, the president said, “I’ll have to think about that one.”

Later that month, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, acting chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, asked the Pentagon for a detailed, unclassified report on unidentified aerial phenomena. Rubio cited concerns the issue has been given scant attention from the intelligence community while acknowledging the existence of an “Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Task Force.”

THIRD QUARTER

Late July saw the explosive release of a report that mentioned a long-hidden UFO investigative unit within the Pentagon making its findings public, as well as “off-world vehicles not made on this Earth.”

In August, the Pentagon officially launched the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, boosting an effort by the Office of Naval Intelligence, to investigate UFOs following several unexplained incidents that have been observed by the U.S. military.

This announcement came with its own controversies, Nick Pope, a former employee and UFO investigator for Britain’s Ministry of Defense, told Fox News in August.

ASTRONOMER PUTS ODDS ON EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE EXISTING: ‘UNIVERSE TEEMING WITH LIFE… THE FAVORED BET’

FOURTH QUARTER

President Trump made news once again, this time telling Fox News in an October interview that he would take a “good, strong look” at whether there are UFOs.

In December, leaked reports from the Pentagon’s UFO task force discussed “non-human technology,” including an Oct. 2019 email exchange between high-ranking military officials.

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Fox News’ James Rogers, Christopher Carbone, Louis Casiano and Tyler Olson contributed to this story.

16-foot crocodile nicknamed ‘swamp king’ was Earth’s terror millions of years ago

An enormous 16-foot long crocodile nicknamed the “swamp king” that terrorized ancient waters a few million years ago has been identified.

The new species of prehistoric reptile, Paludirex vincenti (which in Latin means “swamp king Vincent,” after the late fossil collector Geoff Vincent) was discovered in Queensland, Australia, in the 1980s. It was only recently that researchers really examined the fossilized 25-inch-long skull to get an idea of the size of the beast.

“The ‘swamp king’ was one intimidating croc,” the study’s lead author, University of Queensland Ph.D. candidate Jorgo Ristevski, said in a statement.

“Its fossilized skull measures around 65 centimeters, so we estimate Paludirex vincenti was at least five meters long. The largest crocodylian today is the Indo-Pacific crocodile, Crocodylus porosus, which grows to about the same size. But Paludirex had a broader, more heavy-set skull so it would’ve resembled an Indo-Pacific crocodile on steroids.”

The ‘swamp king’ was one intimidating croc. (Credit: The University of Queensland)

‘BONECRUSHING’ CROCODILE THAT HUNTED DINOSAURS 230M YEARS AGO DISCOVERED IN BRAZIL

It’s believed that the enormous head allowed the massive reptile to hunt giant prehistoric marsupials, making it one of the top predators of its time.

“The waterways of the Darling Downs would once have been a very dangerous place because of it,” Ristevski added.

The research was published in the scientific journal PeerJ.

Researchers have learned a great deal about ancient crocodiles in recent months. In June, experts identified footprints from a 13-foot crocodile that lived between 110 and 120 million years ago and walked on two legs,

In February, a “bone-crushing” 7-foot long crocodile – nicknamed the “T. Rex of its time” – that walked on all fours but used its hind legs to run 230 million years ago, was discovered in Brazil.

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In September 2019, fossils of a 30-foot crocodile-like creature that lived 210 million years ago and ate herbivore dinosaurs and mammals were discovered in southern Africa. Separately in September 2019, the identity of a massive, 15-foot prehistoric crocodile that lived 180 million years ago was properly identified nearly 250 years after its fossils were first discovered.

In September 2018, researchers discovered an ancient type of crocodile that lived during the Jurassic Period.

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