MOSCOW — The United States and Russia on Monday named the two men who will spend a year aboard the International Space Station to gather more data on the impact of outer space on humans to help prepare for future interplanetary missions.
Navy Capt. Scott Kelly of NASA and Mikhail Kornienko of the Russian space agency Roscosmo will take part in the mission, set to start in spring 2015.
A key goal is to help reduce health risks for planned NASA missions around the moon, an asteroid and, ultimately, Mars.
Capt. Kelly has logged more than 180 days in space, and Mr. Kornienko traveled to the station in 2010. They will start training for the mission early next year.
Capt. Kelly’s twin brother, Mark, is the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, who was targeted in a 2011 assassination attempt, and was the skipper of Space Shuttle Endeavour on its last mission in 2011. He retired then.
China lands first jet on its aircraft carrier
BEIJING — China has successfully landed a fighter jet on its first aircraft carrier, which entered service two months ago, the country’s official news agency confirmed Sunday.
The Liaoning aircraft carrier underscores China’s ambitions to be a leading Asian naval power, but it is not expected to carry a full complement of planes or be ready for combat for some time.
Xinhua News Agency said the landing exercise marked the debut of the J-15 stealth fighter jet, a carrier-based fighter-bomber developed by China from Russia’s Sukhoi Su-33.
The Defense Ministry’s website carried photos of the jet taking off from and landing on the carrier.
Citing unnamed naval sources, Xinhua said the carrier platform and J-15 capabilities met all requirements and achieved “good compatibility.”
Iranian warships returning to Sudanese port
KHARTOUM — Iranian warships will return Friday to Sudan, a Sudanese army spokesman said, one month after a similar port call followed Khartoum’s accusation that Israel had bombed a military factory.
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