Science News Roundup: U.S. FAA in contact with SpaceX after booster rocket fire; NASA draws back curtain on Webb space telescope's first full-color images and more

The first full-color, high-resolution pictures from the James Webb Space Telescope, designed to peer farther than before with greater clarity to the dawn of the universe, were hailed by NASA as milestone marking a new era of astronomical exploration. High-pressure oxygen shows promise in long COVID; earlier Omicron infection may protect against subvariants The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

U.S. FAA in contact with SpaceX after booster rocket fire

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Tuesday it was in "close contact" with SpaceX as the company reviewed a fire that occurred as part of its Super Heavy booster rocket development, but that the agency was barred from investigating the matter. The FAA said U.S. law "limits the FAA's safety oversight to protecting the public during scheduled launch and reentry operations. Yesterday's event does not fall under the agency's jurisdiction."

Cyprus launches first underwater archaeological park at ancient port

Cyprus has opened its first underwater archaeological park, offering visitors a glimpse of history at one of the eastern Mediterranean's best preserved ancient harbours. The now-submerged harbour lying off the ancient city-kingdom of Amathus was constructed between 312/311 B.C. and 294 B.C., when Cyprus was the focus of conflict between two sucessors of Alexander the Great. It was probably constructed as a naval base because of its narrow entrance, though experts say its combined commercial use cannot be dismissed either.

NASA draws back curtain on Webb space telescope's first full-color images

NASA on Tuesday drew back the curtain on billions of years of cosmic evolution with the inaugural batch of photos from the largest, most powerful observatory ever launched to space, saying the luminous imagery showed the telescope exceeds expectations. The first full-color, high-resolution pictures from the James Webb Space Telescope, designed to peer farther than before with greater clarity to the dawn of the universe, were hailed by NASA as milestone marking a new era of astronomical exploration.

High-pressure oxygen shows promise in long COVID; earlier Omicron infection may protect against subvariants

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. High-pressure oxygen treatment may help long COVID

SpaceX Starship booster 'probably' returning to pad after explosion -Elon Musk

The Starship rocket booster SpaceX plans to use for an inaugural flight to orbit will "probably" return to its launch mount in Texas next week following a testing explosion on Monday, the company's chief executive, Elon Musk, told Reuters. "Damage is minor, but booster will be transferred back to the high bay for inspections, returning to the launch stand probably next week," Musk said in an email.

China space tourism prospects boosted by cooperation agreement

A Chinese space tech company said on Wednesday it had signed a cooperation agreement with the country's largest state-owned travel corporation, the latest sign that the arrival of a domestic "space tourism" industry is near. CAS Space signed a strategic cooperation agreement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based travel industry giant China Tourism Group, pledging to "jointly promote the application of commercial space technology and create a new space economy such as space tourism," according to a statement published on CAS Space's official WeChat account.

Webb space telescope opens door to discoveries still unimagined

The powerful James Webb Space Telescope's inaugural batch of images has opened a new chapter of cosmic exploration, but astronomers say the observatory's most consequential discoveries may well be those they have yet to even imagine. Distant colliding galaxies, gas-giant exoplanets and dying star systems were the first celestial subjects captured by the multibillion-dollar observatory, putting its wide range of infrared-imaging capabilities on colorful display and proving the telescope works as designed.