From Cosmic Missions to Artistic Revelations: Today's Scientific Highlights

Today's science news includes NASA's anticipated collaboration with United Launch Alliance on moon missions, repairs at Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome, the re-attribution of a Michelangelo sculpture, and a dispute between a US mining company and a Belgian museum over colonial-era Congo archives.

NASA is reportedly considering the United Launch Alliance for a crucial component of its moon rocket missions, according to Bloomberg News. This new direction may replace Boeing-built hardware, which NASA's inspector general estimates will reach costs nearing $2.8 billion by 2028.

In Kazakhstan, Russia's space agency announced the completion of repairs at the Baikonur cosmodrome's launch pad, which was damaged during a Soyuz spacecraft launch last November. This facility remains vital to Moscow's space endeavors.

In an art world revelation, a marble bust previously overlooked for centuries was re-attributed to Michelangelo. Scholars unearthed documents attributing the sculpture of Christ the Saviour in Rome's Basilica of Sant'Agnese fuori le mura to the legendary artist.

(With inputs from agencies.)