Science News Roundup: Bezos offers NASA $2 billion in exchange for moon mission contract; Father builds exoskeleton to help wheelchair-bound son walk and more

NASA in April awarded rival billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX https://www.reuters.com/technology/spacex-wins-us-contract-spacecraft-send-astronauts-moon-washington-post-2021-04-16 a $2.9 billion contract to build a spacecraft to bring astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2024, rejecting bids from Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics. Blue Origin had partnered with Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Draper in the bid.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Father builds exoskeleton to help wheelchair-bound son walk

"Robot, stand up" - Oscar Constanza, 16, gives the order and slowly but surely a large frame strapped to his body lifts him up and he starts walking. Fastened to his shoulders, chest, waist, knees and feet, the exoskeleton allows Oscar - who has a genetic neurological condition that means his nerves do not send enough signals to his legs - to walk across the room and turn around.

Dutch teen on space flight told Bezos he had never ordered from Amazon

The Dutch teenager who became the world's youngest space traveller this week surprised billionaire Jeff Bezos on the flight by telling him he'd never ordered anything on Amazon.com.

Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old physics student, accompanied Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos and 82-year-old female aviator Wally Funk - the oldest person to go to space - on a 10-minute trip beyond Earth's atmosphere.

Bezos offers NASA $2 billion in exchange for moon mission contract

Fresh off his trip to space, billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos on Monday offered to cover up to $2 billion in NASA costs if the U.S. space agency awards his company Blue Origin a contract to make a spacecraft designed to land astronauts back on the moon. NASA in April awarded rival billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX https://www.reuters.com/technology/spacex-wins-us-contract-spacecraft-send-astronauts-moon-washington-post-2021-04-16 a $2.9 billion contract to build a spacecraft to bring astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2024, rejecting bids from Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics. Blue Origin had partnered with Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Draper in the bid.

(With inputs from agencies.)