Reuters Science News Summary
Following is a summary of current science news briefs.
NASA spacecraft 'safe' after closest-ever approach to Sun
NASA said on Friday that its Parker Solar Probe was "safe" and operating normally after successfully completing the closest-ever approach to the Sun by any human-made object. The spacecraft passed 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) from the solar surface on Dec. 24, flying into the sun's outer atmosphere called the corona, on a mission to help scientists learn more about Earth's closest star.
Bezos' Blue Origin gets FAA license for its first New Glenn rocket launch
The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday that it has issued a commercial space launch license for Blue Origin's - Jeff Bezos' rocket company - New Glenn launch. Blue Origin entered into a highly competitive area it has long sought to join, as the U.S. Department of Defense picked the company, along with Elon Musk's SpaceX and Boeing-Lockheed joint venture United Launch Alliance, to compete for national security space missions.
