Science News Roundup: Omicron infections appear no less severe than Delta; COVID-19 lowers sperm count, motility; Launch of NASA's new space telescope delayed until Christmas Day and more

The 46-year-old fashion magnate and art collector, who launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Dec. 8 along with his assistant Yozo Hirano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, landed on the Kazakh steppe. Launch of NASA's new space telescope delayed until Christmas Day Liftoff of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, designed to peer farther than ever into the universe, has been delayed until Christmas Day at the earliest, due to poor weather at the launch site on South America's northeastern coast, the space agency said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Omicron infections appear no less severe than Delta; COVID-19 lowers sperm count, motility

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Omicron infections no less severe based on early UK data

Launch of NASA's new space telescope delayed until Christmas Day

Liftoff of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, designed to peer farther than ever into the universe, has been delayed until Christmas Day at the earliest, due to poor weather at the launch site on South America's northeastern coast, the space agency said on Tuesday. The 24-hour weather delay at the Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana follows a two-day postponement from an earlier Dec. 22 targeted launch window caused by electronic communications difficulties between the launch vehicle and its payload, according to NASA.

Chimes from Crusader times: Recreating Nativity Church's Mediaeval music

Crusader-era bells and organ pipes from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem are inspiring researchers' efforts to re-create music as it may have sounded in the birthplace of Jesus during almost 800 years ago. Worried they might otherwise be destroyed, mid-13th century Crusaders buried the 13 bronze bells near the church on the eve of a Muslim offensive, slathering them in animal fat to protect them from rust, said David Catalunya, who is leading a project to build facsimiles of them.

Japan billionaire Maezawa lands in Kazakhstan after 12-day space flight

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa returned to Earth on Monday after a 12-day journey into space, ending a practice run for his planned trip around the moon with Elon Musk's SpaceX in 2023. The 46-year-old fashion magnate and art collector, who launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Dec. 8 along with his assistant Yozo Hirano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, landed on the Kazakh steppe.

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