Science News Roundup: Fossilised flying reptile, cousin of dinosaur, found on Scottish beach; Russian cosmonaut sets record for most time in space - more than 878 days and more

Resembling a crucifix, like the Crux constellation or the Southern Cross, the Qinling station will be staffed year-round with quarters sufficient to house as many as 80 people in the summer months, official media has previously said. Plans to ship human ashes, drink container to Moon spark legal debate An array of unconventional, privately funded plans to exploit the moon, including as a site for human ashes and sports-drink containers, has gathered steam in recent years as NASA pushes to make Earth's natural satellite more accessible.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

China opens Antarctic station south of Australia, New Zealand

China on Wednesday inaugurated its Ross Sea scientific research station, the official Xinhua news agency reported, starting operations in an outpost in a part of the Antarctic due south of Australia and New Zealand for the first time. Resembling a crucifix, like the Crux constellation or the Southern Cross, the Qinling station will be staffed year-round with quarters sufficient to house as many as 80 people in the summer months, official media has previously said.

Plans to ship human ashes, drink container to Moon spark legal debate

An array of unconventional, privately funded plans to exploit the moon, including as a site for human ashes and sports-drink containers, has gathered steam in recent years as NASA pushes to make Earth's natural satellite more accessible. Concerns about possible gaps in U.S. oversight and legal questions about proper use of the moon have rocketed to the forefront.

Russian cosmonaut sets record for most time in space - more than 878 days

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko on Sunday set a world record for total time spent in space, surpassing his compatriot Gennady Padalka who logged more than 878 days in orbit, Russia's space corporation said. At 0830 GMT Kononenko broke the record, Roscosmos said. Kononenko is expected to reach a total of 1,000 days in space on June 5 and by late September he will have clocked 1,110 days.

Fossilised flying reptile, cousin of dinosaur, found on Scottish beach

The fossil remains of a species of flying reptile considered a close cousin of the dinosaur and believed to have roamed the earth tens of millions of years ago has been discovered on a beach on Scotland's Isle of Skye, scientists said on Tuesday. The remains, found partially exposed on a large boulder, consist of a partial skeleton, including parts of the shoulders, wings, legs and backbone, an academic paper on the discovery showed.