Astronomy's Giant Camera and Space Exploration Milestones

A new astronomy camera with a resolution of 3.2 gigapixels is set for installation in Chile. Boeing attempts another Starliner mission, Europe introduces its Ariane 6 rocket, and SpaceX gears up for another Starship test. Additional highlights include Astroscale's IPO success and climate change's impact on Brazil's floods.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Chile to install world's largest astronomy camera on the edge of Atacama desert

With a resolution above 3.2 gigapixels, a nearly three-ton weight and the ambitious task of carrying out an unprecedented decade-long exploration, the largest digital camera ever built for optical astronomy is ready to be installed under the clear skies of northern Chile. The pieces required to assemble the Vera C. Rubin Observatory - which includes a ground-based telescope and the camera - traveled in several vehicles to the summit of Cerro Pachón in the Coquimbo region, on the edge of the Atacama desert, some 565 kilometers north of Santiago.

Boeing to try again to launch first Starliner crewed mission

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is set for a third attempt to fly astronauts to space for the first time on Wednesday, a much-delayed testing milestone in the aerospace giant's ambitions to step up its competition with Elon Musk's SpaceX. The gumdrop-shaped CST-100 Starliner capsule, with two astronauts aboard, is due for liftoff at 10:52 a.m. ET (1452 GMT) from a launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, strapped to an Atlas V rocket from Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA).

Europe's Ariane 6 rocket debut planned for July 9

Europe's new Ariane 6 satellite launcher will stage a long-awaited inaugural flight on July 9, the head of the European Space Agency said at the Berlin Airshow on Wednesday. The delayed debut comes a year after its predecessor, Ariane 5, was retired, leaving Europe with no independent path to orbit for its satellites after setbacks involving a smaller Italian alternative and the severing of ties with Russia over Ukraine.

Climate change made devastating Brazil floods twice as likely, scientists say

Climate change made the recent flooding that devastated southern Brazil twice as likely, a team of international scientists said on Monday, adding that the heavy rains were also intensified by the natural El Nino phenomenon. More than 170 people were killed and nearly 580,000 displaced after storms and floods battered Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul last month, with local authorities describing it as the worst disaster in the region's history.

Space janitor startup Astroscale jumps 51% in Tokyo debut

Shares of Japanese space junk removal startup Astroscale Holdings rose 51% in their debut on Tokyo's growth market on Wednesday. The stock first traded at 1,281 yen per share, compared with an initial public offering (IPO) price of 850 yen, valuing the company at 145 billion yen ($934 million).

New Zealand's nascent space industry aims for the stars

The grassy plains on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island, once home to cattle, have been transformed into a key aerospace facility for the Pacific nation as it looks to become a global hub for advanced aircraft and space exploration. New Zealand is inviting aerospace firms from around the world to set up at the new Tawhaki National Aerospace Centre on the Kaitorete spit, a 25 kilometre (15.5 mile) long and 3km wide coastal site. The centre, in which the government has to date invested NZ$29.4 million ($17.97 million), is part of an ambitious plan to turn the country's nascent aerospace sector into a significant contributor to the agriculturally dependent economy. There is little air traffic over the spit, launches over water minimise risk from falling debris, and a latitude deep in the Southern Hemisphere makes it easier to place satellites in specific orbits.

Carrying lunar rocks, Chinese probe lifts off from far side of moon

China's Chang'e-6 probe has lifted off from the far side of the moon, starting its journey back towards Earth, China's national space agency announced on Tuesday. The probe's successful departure from the moon means China is closer to becoming the first country to return samples from the far side of the moon, which permanently faces away from Earth.

Rare fossil of adolescent Tyrannosaurus - 'Teen Rex'- found by US kids

A rare fossil of an adolescent Tyrannosaurus rex has been excavated in North Dakota's badlands - a find noteworthy for the scientific insight it may offer into the life history of this famous dinosaur and for the tale of the kids who found it. The discovery of the fossil, nicknamed "Teen Rex," was announced on Tuesday by the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, where it will be studied and displayed.

SpaceX's next Starship rocket test gets FAA go-ahead

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday said it issued a license for SpaceX's fourth flight of its Starship rocket system, another test mission along the company's path to building a reusable satellite launcher and moon lander. SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, is aiming to launch its nearly 400-foot-tall (122-meter), two-stage Starship as early as Thursday at 7 a.m. CDT (1200 GMT) from its rocket facilities in south Texas, from which past flights in the company's test-to-failure development campaign have launched.

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