Science Briefs: Pears of the Future & Crew Missions

Current science news includes a Russian Soyuz capsule returning to Earth with three crew members from the ISS, Belgian climate scientists growing future pears, NASA delaying its Crew-9 mission due to Tropical Storm Helene, and the discovery of Ice Age mastodon remains in Peru.

The Russian Soyuz capsule brought two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut back from the International Space Station, landing in Kazakhstan on Monday. The spacecraft landed precisely at 1159 GMT, safely returning Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Oleg Kononenko, and NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson after their stint in space.

In Belgium's Limburg province, researchers are making strides in climate science by growing pears in artificial domes. These domes mimic the conditions expected in 2040 due to climate change, providing valuable data on how global warming may impact European fruit growers.

NASA announced a delay in its Crew-9 mission launch with SpaceX due to Tropical Storm Helene. The mission, now rescheduled for September 28, aims to send three NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station, continuing the series of routine Crew Dragon flights.

Meanwhile, in Peru, the fossilized remains of three Ice Age mastodons were unearthed in the Andes. Discovered in the valley near Chambara, these findings, estimated to be between 11,000 and 12,000 years old, pose new questions about the migration of these ancient giants.

(With inputs from agencies.)