China space mission

China's next batch of taikonauts takes off to the China's space station. Taikonauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin lifted off on Thursday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. It is the youngest Shenzhou crew since the construction of China's space station. The crew, who will stay in orbit for about six months, will conduct several tasks, including extravehicular activities and space station maintenance.

NASA space discovery

Tiny quartz crystals have been found on a giant gas planet. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope discovered the crystals, swirling from the clouds of the exoplanet, WASP-17b, located 1,300 light-years from Earth. They contain silica, a common mineral on Earth. The finding could help researchers understand the materials used to form planetary environments.

Deep-sea archaeology

Nearly 580 cultural pieces have been retrieved from the South China Sea. The relics, which include porcelain, pottery and timber, were unearthed from two ancient shipwrecks, providing concrete evidence that Chinese ancestors explored and traded in the South China Sea. The two shipwrecks from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), discovered earlier in southern China's Hainan Province, provide important evidence of trade and cultural exchanges along the ancient Maritime Silk Road.

India space exploration

India has launched a key test flight before sending its crew into space. The Gaganyaan spacecraft was launched last Saturday from Sriharikota. The test was conducted to find out if the crew could safely escape the rocket if it malfunctions. Other unmanned missions are in the pipeline, including sending a robot into space next year. Once these tests are completed, a manned mission with three astronauts will be sent into low-Earth orbit. And that's expected to happen in 2025.