Computer mishap delays space station supply ship

 A BRAND new commercial cargo ship making its orbital debut has experienced trouble with a computer data link, and its arrival at the International Space Station was delayed at least two days.
The rendezvous was aborted less than six hours before the scheduled arrival of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Cygnus capsule yesterday, packed with 590 kilograms of food and clothes for the space station crew.
The Virginia-based company said it is working on a software repair, but it will be at least two more days until another approach is attempted.

Mars rover hoping to yield more secrets, one year on

WASHINGTON: The dazzling success of NASA's rover Curiosity has paved the way for a human conquest of Mars, scientists say, almost one year after the groundbreaking probe first touched down on the Red Planet.

Since it successfully alighted on the Martian surface on August 6, 2012, Curiosity has gathered and beamed back to Earth a treasure trove of information expected to be vital when a manned mission to Mars eventually takes place.

Japan rocket launch sends supplies, robot to space station

TOKYO: Japan launched a cargo-carrying rocket Sunday loaded with supplies for the crew of the International Space Station, along with a small robot meant as a companion for one of the country's astronauts.

The H-2B rocket blasted off from the southern island of Tanegashima at 04:48 am local time (1948 GMT Saturday), images broadcast by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) showed.