On Sunday, a capsule carrying samples of a distant asteroid landed safely in the desert in Utah. The samples, collected by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, are the largest amount of asteroid material ever returned to Earth.
Published in “Science”
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio has set a new record for the longest spaceflight by an American. As of today, he has been in space for a full year, working on the International Space Station. Dr. Rubio broke the old record of 355 days in early September.
Over the weekend, people around the world turned out in huge numbers to protest the burning of fossil fuels. The protests - the largest since before the coronavirus pandemic - were meant to send a strong message to political leaders: "Take climate action now."
On August 21, a cargo ship traveling from Singapore to Brazil became the first to try out a new kind of sail. The sail is expected to save fuel and cut pollution. If it works well, similar sails could become common on cargo ships over the next few years.
On August 29, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a huge change in the rules designed to protect America's wetlands. The EPA was forced to change the rules because of a Supreme Court decision that took away protection from most wetlands.
Recently, fans of self-driving cars have gotten some good news, followed by bad news. Two self-driving taxi companies were given permission to expand their work in San Francisco. But a string of accidents has led to new concerns about how safe the cars actually are.
A recent report from a United Nations group warns that using technology in classes may not help as much as many people believe. The report suggests that technology should be used less in schools, and that smartphones should be banned from classrooms.
India's space agency, ISRO, has successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon. It's the first time any country has safely landed at the moon's south pole. The landing is a huge success for India, which has been working on the project for years.
On Sunday, Ecuador held a special vote on whether oil drilling should be allowed in Yasuni National Park. The vote was part of a larger election to choose the country's next president. Nearly 60% of Ecuadorian voters chose to protect the park.
On August 1, new rules went into effect in the United States that make it against the law to sell most incandescent light bulbs. These are older-style light bulbs that create light by heating a wire. The law is expected to save energy and help the environment.
Last week, three wildfires swept through the island of Maui in Hawaii. The fires have killed at least 96 people and destroyed over 3 square miles (8.5 square kilometers) of land. Some of the fires are still burning, but the danger seems to have passed.