NASA's Spacewalk Halted and Rocket Contracts Awarded

NASA called off a spacewalk due to 'spacesuit discomfort' issues. Simultaneously, an accidental broadcast simulated decompression sickness on the ISS, causing social media buzz. The Pentagon awarded Blue Origin, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance contracts for upcoming national security space missions worth $5.6 billion.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Explainer-How freezing embryos plays a crucial role in IVF

The Southern Baptist Convention voted Wednesday to condemn the use of in vitro fertilization and commend congregants who use alternative fertility therapies or adopt frozen embryos. In February, the practice of freezing embryos was thrown into chaos in Alabama. The state supreme court ruled that such embryos should be considered children, exposing clinics to wrongful death claims in the event they are destroyed in the thawing process. The state later passed a law protecting IVF and allowing clinics to resume operations.

Maya sacrifice of twin boys revealed by DNA from Chichen Itza

In 1967, an underground cistern known as a chultun was discovered near a sacred body of water at Chichen Itza, an important ancient Maya city on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Skeletal remains of more than 100 children were found inside. Now, DNA obtained from 64 of them is offering insight into child sacrifice at Chichen Itza in the centuries before Europeans reached the New World. Those entombed were all boys - some of them brothers, including two sets of identical twins - killed during religious rituals, scientists said on Wednesday. Most were ages 3 to 6.

NASA calls off astronauts' ISS spacewalk over 'spacesuit discomfort'

NASA said a "spacesuit discomfort issue" forced the cancellation of a planned spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) by two U.S. astronauts on Thursday, roughly an hour before their repair mission was poised to begin. NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matt Dominick, two of the orbiting laboratory's six U.S. astronauts, donned their spacesuits early on Thursday morning in preparation for a roughly six-hour trek outside the ISS for routine repairs and a science mission, as shown on a NASA live stream.

NASA accidentally broadcasts simulation of distressed astronauts on space station

NASA accidentally broadcast a simulation of astronauts being treated for decompression sickness on the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, prompting speculation of an emergency in posts on social media. About 5:28 p.m. U.S. Central Time (2228 GMT), The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) live YouTube channel broadcast audio that indicated a crew member was experiencing the effects of decompression sickness (DCS), NASA said on its official ISS X account.

Blue Origin, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance picked for Pentagon rocket launch contracts

The U.S. Department of Defense picked Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, Elon Musk's SpaceX and Boeing-Lockheed joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA) to compete for national security space missions, making initial selections under a $5.6 billion award program. The Pentagon did not say which of the companies' rockets it selected, but noted seven companies bid for entry into the program, which seeks upcoming rockets that must be ready to fly their first missions to space by December.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)