Science News Roundup: NASA chief says Russia ties 'solid' as Moscow's space chief rejects U.S.-led moon program; UAE reschedules Mars mission launch to between July 20 and July 22 and more

UAE reschedules Mars mission launch to between July 20 and July 22 The United Arab Emirates has rescheduled the launch of its mission to Mars to a preliminary window between July 20 and July 22, depending on weather conditions at the launch site in Japan, the government's communications office said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

NASA chief says Russia ties 'solid' as Moscow's space chief rejects U.S.-led moon program

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said Tuesday he still expected support from Russia's space corporation in its Artemis moon program despite Moscow's space chief slamming the U.S.-led lunar effort. Bridenstine said in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday "the relationship between NASA and Roscosmos is solid" and emphasized that international partners will play a key role in NASA's plan to land humans on the lunar surface by 2024 and construct a space station orbiting the moon.

UAE reschedules Mars mission launch to between July 20 and July 22

The United Arab Emirates has rescheduled the launch of its mission to Mars to a preliminary window between July 20 and July 22, depending on weather conditions at the launch site in Japan, the government's communications office said on Thursday. The launch of the UAE's Hope Probe from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center has been delayed twice due to unsettled weather. The probe is set to make a seven-month journey to the red planet before orbiting it and sending back data about the atmosphere.

UAE postpones Mars mission again due to weather at Japan launch site

The United Arab Emirates has postponed the launch of its mission to Mars for a second time due to weather conditions at the launch site in Japan, the government's communications office said on Wednesday. A new launch date in July will be announced soon, the statement on Twitter said. The UAE has said the launch window extends until Aug. 3.

Lung radiation shows promise for COVID-19 pneumonia; smoking raises risks

The following is a brief roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Lung radiation may hasten COVID-19 pneumonia recovery.