Science News Roundup: New analysis reveals dynamic volcanism on Venus; Oldest fossils of remarkable marine reptiles found in Arctic and more

NASA on Wednesday unveiled the first prototype for a newly designed next-generation spacesuit specially tailored and accessorized for the first astronauts expected to venture back to the moon's surface in the next few years. Study explains mealtime for the minke whale, the ocean's littlest giant As the smallest of the group of baleen whales that includes the blue whale - filter-feeding behemoths of the marine realm - the Antarctic minke whale aptly can be called the littlest giant.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

New analysis reveals dynamic volcanism on Venus

A fresh analysis of radar images obtained more than three decades ago has yielded new evidence indicating Venus, Earth's planetary next-door neighbor, is currently volcanically active - a dynamic world with eruptions and lava flows. Researchers said on Wednesday radar images taken by NASA's Magellan spacecraft showed that a volcanic vent about a mile (1.6 km) wide on the Venusian surface expanded and changed shape over an eight-month span in 1991. The vent is situated on Maat Mons, which at about 5 miles (9 km) tall is the planet's highest volcano and second-highest mountain.

Oldest fossils of remarkable marine reptiles found in Arctic

Ichthyosaurs were a successful group of marine reptiles that prospered during the age of dinosaurs, some reaching up to around 70 feet (21 meters) long - exceeded in size in the history of Earth's oceans only by the largest of the whales. But their origins have been a bit mysterious. Fossils dating to about 250 million years ago unearthed in a harsh and remote locale - Norway's Arctic island of Spitsbergen - are now providing surprising insight into the rise of ichthyosaurs.

OneWeb 'moves on' from Soyuz-stranded satellites as its network nears completion

OneWeb, nearing completion of its internet-from-space network, has largely given up on trying to retrieve satellites worth $50 million in a dispute related to the Ukraine conflict, the satellite operator's chief executive said this week. The company will launch from India the final batch of satellites needed to complete its global network on March 26 and said it expects to begin global service for new government and enterprise customers shortly after.

Brazilian researchers find 'terrifying' plastic rocks on remote island

The geology of Brazil's volcanic Trindade Island has fascinated scientists for years, but the discovery of rocks made from plastic debris in this remote turtle refuge is sparking alarm. Melted plastic has become intertwined with rocks on the island, located 1,140 km (708 miles) from the southeastern state of Espirito Santo, which researchers say is evidence of humans' growing influence over the earth's geological cycles.

NASA awards Firefly Aerospace $112 million contract for far-side moon lander

NASA on Tuesday said it had picked U.S. rocket builder Firefly Aerospace to put a lander on the moon's far side in 2026, under a nearly $112 million contract. "The commercial lander will deliver two agency payloads, as well as communication and data relay satellite for lunar orbit, which is an ESA (European Space Agency) collaboration with NASA," the U.S. space agency said.

Amazon targets 2024 launch of first Kuiper internet satellites

Amazon.com plans to launch its first internet satellites to space in the first half of 2024 and offer initial commercial tests shortly after, the company said Tuesday, as it prepares to vie with Elon Musk's SpaceX and others to provide broadband internet globally. Amazon's satellite internet unit, Project Kuiper, will begin mass-producing the satellites later this year, the company said. Those will be the first of over 3,000 satellites the technology giant plans to launch in low-Earth orbit in the next few years.

Blue Origin expects New Shepard rocket's return to flight in late 2023

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin expects to return its New Shepard rocket to flight by the end of 2023 after the vehicle suffered a mid-flight failure in September, a company sales executive said on Wednesday. "We are looking to get back into flight with New Shepard by the end of this year," Ariane Cornell, vice president of commercial and international sales, said at a conference in Washington.

NASA unveils new spacesuit specially tailored for lunar wear

The big, puffy white moonsuits worn by Neil Armstrong and his fellow Apollo astronauts a half-century ago are out of fashion. Lunar haute couture now calls for something more form-fitting and appropriate for men and women alike. NASA on Wednesday unveiled the first prototype for a newly designed next-generation spacesuit specially tailored and accessorized for the first astronauts expected to venture back to the moon's surface in the next few years.

Study explains mealtime for the minke whale, the ocean's littlest giant

As the smallest of the group of baleen whales that includes the blue whale - filter-feeding behemoths of the marine realm - the Antarctic minke whale aptly can be called the littlest giant. It also has been among the most enigmatic of the baleen whales, owing to its remote and frigid domain. New research provides a fuller understanding of this species, focusing on a foraging behavior called lunge-feeding that it shares with the other members of its cetacean group, the rorqual whales. It showed that the Antarctic minke whale, reaching a maximum of about 26 feet (8 meters) long, has the smallest possible body size to capture enough prey to survive using this feeding strategy.

(With inputs from agencies.)