Science News Roundup: Catching a falling rocket with a helicopter? Yes, that’s the plan; The last crew of 4 astronauts welcomed aboard the International Space Station and more

Here is a summary of current scientific news.

Catch a falling rocket with a helicopter? Yes, that’s the plan

Small rocket builder Rocket Lab USA Inc is gearing up for a mission that seems more fitting for a big-budget action movie: catching a four-stage rocket booster with a helicopter. The Long Beach, Calif.-based company is trying to cut the cost of spaceflight by reusing its rockets, a trend pioneered by SpaceX billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.

Argentinian Scientists Discover Fossil of Largest Raptor Dinosaur

A team of Argentine paleontologists digging in Patagonia has discovered the remains of the largest dinosaur belonging to the raptor family ever recorded. The dinosaur, a new species named Maip macrothorax, was between nine and 10 meters (29.5 and 32.8 feet) long, while other ‘megaraptors’ were no more than nine meters, one said. scientists who participated in the discovery, Mauro Aranciaga Rolando. .

Mental health problems in children have increased during the pandemic; knowledge and use of COVID treatments is low

Here is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that deserves further study to substantiate the findings and that has not yet been certified by peer review. Pandemic linked to mental health problems in children

The last crew of 4 astronauts welcomed aboard the International Space Station

Four astronauts, three from NASA and one from the European Space Agency, arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday and docked their SpaceX capsule, just two days after the last crew to leave the front returned to Earth. -position in orbit. The Crew Dragon capsule’s rendezvous with the station less than 16 hours after launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, marked one of Elon Musk’s fastest SpaceX flights ever. to the ISS from liftoff to docking, the NASA webcast commentators said.

Fossils of giant marine reptiles discovered in the Swiss Alps

Fossils of some of the largest creatures to ever swim in Earth’s oceans – whale-sized marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs – have been discovered in a counterintuitive place: atop three mountains in the Swiss Alps up to 8,990 feet (2,740 meters) above sea level. Scientists on Thursday described fossil ribs and vertebrae of two ichthyosaur individuals: one about 69 feet (21 meters ) long and the other about 49 feet (15 meters). They described from a third individual the largest known tooth of any ichthyosaur with a base 2.4 inches (6 cm) wide and an estimated length of 6 inches (15 cm), suggesting a fearsome predator.

(With agency contributions.)