Dormant Supermassive Black Hole Awakens, Boeing Starliner Delayed

NASA's Boeing Starliner's return from the International Space Station has been delayed to June 26 due to technical issues. Meanwhile, scientists have witnessed a dormant supermassive black hole in another galaxy awakening and consuming nearby material for the first time in real-time.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Boeing Starliner's return to Earth pushed to June 26

Boeing Starliner's return to Earth from the International Space Station with its first crew of astronauts has been pushed back to June 26, a NASA official said on Tuesday. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were launched aboard Starliner June 5 and arrived at the ISS following a 24-hour flight in which the spacecraft encountered four helium leaks and five failures of its 28 maneuvering thrusters.

Scientists witness a dormant supermassive black hole roar to life

At the center of the Milky Way galaxy resides a supermassive black hole four million times the mass of our sun called Sagittarius A* that some scientists have called a gentle giant because of its quiescence. But someday it could become a beast. Researchers said on Tuesday they have observed in real time a dramatic brightening at the heart of another galaxy apparently caused by a supermassive black hole awakening from dormancy and beginning to gorge itself with nearby material. It marks the first time this awakening process has been seen as it happens.

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