June 8, 2018

The Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft approaching the International Space Station (Image NASA TV)

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A little while ago the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft, which blasted off about two days ago from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, has reached the International Space Station carrying three new crew members. The astronauts Serena Auñón-Chancellor of NASA and Alexander Gerst of ESA and the cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos now complete the Expedition 55 crew.

The Mars Rover Curiosity and two elements found (Image NASA/GSFC)

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In a press conference, NASA announced the latest discoveries on the planet Mars obtained thanks to the analyzes carried out by the Mars Rover Curiosity. In some new samples taken at two sites of Gale Crater, various organic compounds were detected. The methane measurements in Mars atmosphere indicate a seasonal cycle in which its amount varies. These findings have been described in detail in two articles published in the journal “Science”.