Science News Roundup: NASA poised for historic Artemis I lunar launch from Florida; U.S. court upholds SpaceX satellite deployment plan and more

But NASA aims to take a giant leap in its renewed lunar ambitions with the debut launch set for next Monday in Florida of its next-generation megarocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion crew capsule it is designed to carry. U.S. court upholds SpaceX satellite deployment plan A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld the decision of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve a SpaceX plan to deploy some Starlink satellites at a lower Earth orbit than planned as part of its push to offer space-based broadband internet.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

NASA poised for historic Artemis I lunar launch from Florida

A half century after the end of NASA's Apollo era, the U.S. space agency's long-anticipated bid to return astronauts to the moon's surface remains at least three years away, with much of the necessary hardware still on the drawing board. But NASA aims to take a giant leap in its renewed lunar ambitions with the debut launch set for next Monday in Florida of its next-generation megarocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion crew capsule it is designed to carry.

U.S. court upholds SpaceX satellite deployment plan

A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld the decision of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve a SpaceX plan to deploy some Starlink satellites at a lower Earth orbit than planned as part of its push to offer space-based broadband internet. Elon Musk's SpaceX won FCC approval in 2021 to fly 2,824 satellites at a lower orbit to provide high-speed broadband internet services to people who currently lack access. Competitors Viasat Inc and DISH Network Corp challenged the FCC approval.

Russia says it would be ready to extend spaceflight sharing deal with U.S.

Russia would be ready to extend a deal with the United States to share flights to the International Space Station beyond 2024 if the first three flights are successful, the executive director of Russia's space agency said on Friday. NASA and Russian space agency Roscosmos signed an agreement in July allowing Russian cosmonauts to fly on U.S.-made spacecraft in exchange for American astronauts being able to ride on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft.

Rock-hunting NASA rover reveals Martian crater's surprising geology

Core samples drilled by NASA's Perseverance rover on the Martian surface are revealing the geology of a gaping crater scientists suspect may have harbored microbial life billions of years ago, including surprises about the nature of the rock present there. The samples, obtained by the car-sized, six-wheeled robotic rover and stored for future transport to Earth for further study, showed that rock from four sites inside Jezero crater is igneous - formed by the cooling of molten material. The rocks also bore evidence of alteration through exposure to water, another sign that cold and arid Mars long ago was warm and wet.

Musk's SpaceX and T-Mobile plan to connect mobile phones to satellites, boost cell coverage

U.S wireless carrier T-Mobile US Inc will use Elon Musk-owned SpaceX's Starlink satellites to provide mobile users with network access in parts of the United States, the companies announced on Thursday, outlining plans to connect users' mobile phones directly to satellites in orbit. The new plans, which would exist alongside T-mobile's existing cellular services, would cut out the need for cell towers and offer service for sending texts and images where cell coverage does not currently exist, key for emergency situations in remote areas, Musk said at a flashy event on Thursday at his company's south Texas rocket facility.

Boeing targets early 2023 for first Starliner mission carrying astronauts

Boeing Co is targeting February 2023 to fly its first Starliner mission with astronauts aboard to the International Space Station, Boeing and NASA officials said on Thursday, as the aerospace company nears the final leg of a costly and much-delayed development timeline. Starliner's first crewed flight would come nearly a year after the spacecraft flew to the space station and back without any humans in March, completing a critical demonstration mission for NASA on its second try after software failures cut short a similar test flight in 2019.

(With inputs from agencies.)