Space Innovations: From Chile’s Giant Camera to SpaceX’s Ambitious Missions

Recent science news highlights various space innovations, including Chile's groundbreaking astronomy camera, the debut of Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket, and Boeing's Starliner capsule nearing ISS docking. Additionally, China's Chang'e-6 probe returns lunar samples, and SpaceX's latest Starship rocket test gets FAA approval for its ambitious reusable satellite and moon lander development.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Chile to install world's largest astronomy camera on the edge of Atacama desert

With a resolution above 3.2 gigapixels, a nearly three-ton weight and the ambitious task of carrying out an unprecedented decade-long exploration, the largest digital camera ever built for optical astronomy is ready to be installed under the clear skies of northern Chile. The pieces required to assemble the Vera C. Rubin Observatory - which includes a ground-based telescope and the camera - traveled in several vehicles to the summit of Cerro Pachón in the Coquimbo region, on the edge of the Atacama desert, some 565 kilometers north of Santiago.

Europe's Ariane 6 rocket debut planned for July 9

Europe's new Ariane 6 satellite launcher will stage a long-awaited inaugural flight on July 9, the head of the European Space Agency said at the Berlin Airshow on Wednesday. The delayed debut comes a year after its predecessor, Ariane 5, was retired, leaving Europe with no independent path to orbit for its satellites after setbacks involving a smaller Italian alternative and the severing of ties with Russia over Ukraine.

Boeing Starliner capsule nears first crewed ISS docking as new issues arise

Boeing's new Starliner capsule and its inaugural two-member NASA crew were set to approach the International Space Station for docking on Thursday after helium leaks detected on the spacecraft showed fresh problems in the crucial test mission. The CST-100 Starliner, with veteran astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams aboard, launched to space on Wednesday from Florida for a much-delayed test flight aimed at demonstrating the spacecraft's flightworthiness and sharpening Boeing's competition with Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Factbox-Who are the first astronauts to fly aboard Boeing's Starliner?

Two veteran NASA astronauts with 500 days of previous spaceflight experience between them are the first crew of Boeing's pxpCST-100 Starliner space capsule, launched to space in a test flight on Wednesday from Florida. Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams are set to test Starliner's manual controls before it docks with the International Space Station (ISS) in orbit on Thursday. Both will be arriving at the ISS for the third time.

China's Chang'e-6 transfers moon samples to spacecraft, set for return to Earth

China's Chang'e-6 probe transferred samples it collected from the moon's far side to a spacecraft in lunar orbit on Thursday, state news agency Xinhua reported. After receiving the samples, the uncrewed spacecraft will fly back to Earth, with an expected landing in China's Inner Mongolia region on June 25. If successful, China will be the first country to ever return lunar matter from the side of the moon that permanently faces away from Earth.

China's Space Pioneer raises $207 million to fund development of reusable rockets

Beijing-based rocket developer Space Pioneer said on Thursday that it had completed more than 1.5 billion yuan ($207 million) round of fundraising that will go towards financing the development of its reusable rockets. Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology Co, is among a small group of rapidly growing private-sector rocket developers, spurred by the government's call to transform China into a major space power.

China says open to space cooperation with US but 'hurdles' remain

China remains open towards cooperation with countries including the United States in space, the foreign ministry said on Thursday, following congratulations from U.S. space agency NASA on China's Chang'e-6 mission to the far side of the moon. But the United States needs to remove obstacles towards further cooperation, Mao Ning, a spokesperson at the ministry, said at a regular news conference.

SpaceX's next Starship rocket test gets FAA go-ahead

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday said it issued a license for SpaceX's fourth flight of its Starship rocket system, another test mission along the company's path to building a reusable satellite launcher and moon lander. SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, is aiming to launch its nearly 400-foot-tall (122-meter), two-stage Starship as early as Thursday at 7 a.m. CDT (1200 GMT) from its rocket facilities in south Texas, from which past flights in the company's test-to-failure development campaign have launched.

SpaceX launches giant Starship rocket on fourth test flight

SpaceX's giant Starship rocket launched from south Texas on Thursday for its fourth test toward space to execute a tricky primary objective: survive a blazingly hot re-entry through Earth's atmosphere, the violent phase where the rocket broke apart during its last attempt. The two-stage spacecraft, consisting of the Starship cruise vessel mounted atop its towering Super Heavy rocket booster, blasted off from the company's Starbase launch site near Boca Chica Village on the Gulf Coast of Texas. It is the latest trial mission in the test-to-failure rocket development campaign of Elon Musk's company.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)