Science News Roundup: Robots set their sights on a new job: sewing blue jeans; NASA to conduct first global water survey from space and more

The scientists focused a laser on a target of fuel to fuse two light atoms into a denser one, releasing the energy. NASA to conduct first global water survey from space A NASA-led international satellite mission was set for blastoff from Southern California early on Thursday on a major Earth science project to conduct a comprehensive survey of the world's oceans, lakes and rivers for the first time.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Robots set their sights on a new job: sewing blue jeans

Will a robot ever make your blue jeans? There is a quiet effort underway to find out — involving clothing and technology companies, including Germany's Siemens AG and Levi Strauss & Co.

NASA to conduct first global water survey from space

A NASA-led international satellite mission was set for blastoff from Southern California early on Thursday on a major Earth science project to conduct a comprehensive survey of the world's oceans, lakes and rivers for the first time. Dubbed SWOT, short for Surface Water and Ocean Topography, the advanced radar satellite is designed to give scientists an unprecedented view of the life-giving fluid covering 70% of the planet, shedding new light on the mechanics and consequences of climate change.

Japan's ispace launches world's first commercial moon lander

A Japanese space startup launched a spacecraft to the moon on Sunday after several delays, a step toward what would be a first for the nation and for a private company. ispace Inc's HAKUTO-R mission took off without incident from Cape Canaveral, Florida, after two postponements caused by inspections of its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Explainer-Could fusion energy help fight climate change?

U.S. scientists announced a breakthrough on fusion energy on Tuesday, potentially a step toward one day harnessing the process that fires the sun to generate carbon-free electricity as the world struggles with climate change. Here are some of the main issues surrounding fusion energy:

U.S. lab hits fusion milestone raising hopes for clean power

U.S. scientists on Tuesday revealed a breakthrough on fusion energy that could one day help curb climate change if companies can scale up the technology to a commercial level in the coming decades. Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California on Dec. 5 for the first time briefly achieved a net energy gain in a fusion experiment using lasers, the U.S. Energy Department said. The scientists focused a laser on a target of fuel to fuse two light atoms into a denser one, releasing the energy.