Reuters Science News Summary

The CST-100 Starliner test mission, a years-delayed milestone after more than $1 billion in cost overruns, will ferry two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in a final demonstration before the spacecraft can be approved to fly routine space trips under the space agency's commercial crew program. Factbox-China's missions to the moon - past, present and future China on Friday launched a mission to collect samples from the moon's "hidden" side, a first in space exploration history, and marked a new phase in China's 20-year-old Chang'e lunar programme, named after the mythical moon goddess.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

German company launches candle wax-powered rocket on test flight into space

German company HyImpulse successfully launched on Friday a candle wax-powered rocket capable of carrying commercial satellites on a test suborbital flight into space for the first time. "We're signalling Germany's prowess as a spacefaring nation and expanding Europe's access to space," HyImpulse's chief executive Mario Kobald said in a statement.

Boeing sending first astronaut crew to space after years of delay

Boeing is poised to send the first Starliner space capsule with a crew of humans into orbit next week, giving it a long-delayed chance to score a badly needed win as it struggles to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX. The CST-100 Starliner test mission, a years-delayed milestone after more than $1 billion in cost overruns, will ferry two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in a final demonstration before the spacecraft can be approved to fly routine space trips under the space agency's commercial crew program.

Factbox-China's missions to the moon - past, present and future

China on Friday launched a mission to collect samples from the moon's "hidden" side, a first in space exploration history, and marked a new phase in China's 20-year-old Chang'e lunar programme, named after the mythical moon goddess. CHANG'E-1

New Zealand signs MOU with German institute on Antarctica cooperation

New Zealand said on Saturday that its Antarctic agency signed a memorandum of understanding with Germany's Alfred Wegener Institute to foster cooperation between the two polar science bodies, amid China's growing presence in Antarctica. "Antarctica is of increasing geostrategic and scientific interest, and this arrangement will broaden connections between our marine and polar science institutes," New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a press release.

China launches historic mission to retrieve samples from far side of the moon

China on Friday launched an uncrewed spacecraft on a nearly two-month mission to retrieve rocks and soil from the far side of the moon, the first country to make such an ambitious attempt. The Long March-5, China's largest rocket, blasted off at 5:27 p.m. Beijing time (0927 GMT) from Wenchang Space Launch Center on the southern island of Hainan with the more than 8 metric ton Chang'e-6 probe.

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