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India’s moon rover finds sulfur, other elements in search for water near lunar south pole
India’s moon rover confirmed the presence of sulfur and detected several other elements near the lunar south pole as it searches for signs of frozen water nearly a week after its historic moon landing, the country’s space agency said Tuesday. The rover’s laser-induced spectroscope instrument also detected aluminum, iron, calcium, chromium, titanium, manganese, oxygen and silicon on the lunar surface, the Indian Space Research Organization, or ISRO, said in a post on its website.
The lunar rover had come down a ramp from the lander of India’s spacecraft after last Wednesday’s touchdown near the moon’s south pole. The Chandrayan-3 Rover is expected to conduct experiments over 14 days, the ISRO has said.
AP
The rover “unambiguously confirms the presence of sulfur,” ISRO said. It also is searching for signs of frozen water that could help future astronaut missions, as a potential source of drinking water or to make rocket fuel.
The rover also will study the moon’s atmosphere and seismic activity, ISRO Chairman S. Somnath said.
On Monday, the rover’s route was reprogrammed when it came close to a 13-foot-wide crater. “It’s now safely heading on a new path,” the ISRO said.
The craft moves at a slow speed of around one centimeter (half inch) per second to minimize shock and damage to the vehicle from the moon’s rough terrain.
After a failed attempt to land on the moon in 2019, India last week joined the United States, the Soviet Union and China as only the fourth country to achieve the milestone.
The successful mission showcases India’s rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse and dovetails with the image that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to project: an ascendant country asserting its place among the global elite.
The mission began more than a month ago at an estimated cost of $75 million.
India’s success came just days after Russia’s Luna-25, which was aiming for the same lunar region, spun into an uncontrolled orbit and crashed. It would have been the first successful Russian lunar landing after a gap of 47 years.
The head of Russia’s state-controlled space corporation Roscosmos attributed the failure to the lack of expertise due to the long break in lunar research that followed the last Soviet mission to the moon in 1976.
Active since the 1960s, India has launched satellites for itself and other countries, and successfully put one in orbit around Mars in 2014. India is planning its first mission to the International Space Station next year, in collaboration with the United States.
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“Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo on building trust with Ariana Grande to bring Elphaba and Glinda to life
Cynthia Erivo is earning widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Elphaba in the highly anticipated film adaptation of “Wicked.” The movie has already set records, grossing $262 million domestically and becoming one of the most successful Broadway adaptations.
In an interview on “CBS Mornings,“ Erivo opened up about how her friendship with singer and co-star Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda, became such an important part of their on-screen chemistry. She revealed that despite how close they are now, they didn’t know each other before filming.
“She came to my house, we sat, we chatted and talked,” Erivo said. “And we just talked about everything and nothing. We were there for ages, and it was very, very easy, so part of us kind of knew, ‘Oh, this might, this might work. We’ll be okay, and I think we’ll be able to get along with each other, and we’ll find it.'”
Their connection deepened during a dinner hosted by director Jon M. Chu.
“Stephen Schwartz played piano, and we sang ‘For Good’ together for the first time,” Erivo recalled. “Our voices are very different but somehow, they made sense together.”
To ensure their collaboration stayed strong, Erivo and Grande made a pact early and promised to take care of each other, the Tony Award winner said.
“Before we started shooting both of us had a conversation about making sure that we would take care of each other and make the space that we needed for each other, and take, you know, give each other what we needed, be generous with each other in this thing, because we knew it was a big undertaking,” she said. “We knew we had a big responsibility, but we knew neither of us could really do that alone.”
On fans singing along to the movie in theaters, Erivo was enthusiastic.
“I’m not ever going to be the person that says, ‘Don’t sing.’ I think there’s something really beautiful about people feeling comfortable enough to sing along,” she said.
On Christmas Day, a sing-a-long version of Wicked will be released in theaters, according to Erivo.
The actress said that playing Elphaba – who goes on to become the Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz” – required her to embrace her vulnerability.
“It means people can see the human being behind the character a little bit more,” she shared. “That meant I had to allow myself to do that a little bit, which was terrifying, but I knew it would be meaningful. That was really the only way to play this role.”
As Erivo reflected on her journey with “Wicked”, she said she remains proud of the bravery it took to bring authenticity to Elphaba.
“You have to put yourself on the line a little bit… This is scary, but it’s the only way to play her is to reveal a bit more of me,” she said.
Pop icon Elton John said on Sunday that he struggled to see his new musical, “The Devil Wears Prada” after losing his eyesight because of an eye infection.
John gave audience members an update on his condition at the conclusion of the musical’s opening night at London’s Dominion Theatre, which was also a charity gala for the Elton John AIDS foundation.
“I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews because, as you know, I’ve lost my eyesight so, it’s hard for me to see it,” he said. “But I love to hear it and it quite sounded good tonight.”
Dave Benett
John, 77, revealed in September that he had been dealing with a “severe eye infection” that left him with “only limited vision in one eye.” He said it was healing, but it “will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye.”
Last week, he told “Good Morning America” that there’s “hope and encouragement” that he will recover, but admits he can’t even see a lyric at the studio.
“I can’t see anything, I can’t read anything, I can’t watch anything,” John said.
John retired from touring in 2023, but wrote the score for “The Devil Wears Prada,” a stage musical based on the 2006 movie (which itself was based on the 2003 novel by Lauren Weisberger) about a young journalist navigating the demands of a fashion magazine and its fearsome editor. In addition to the show, he has a documentary, “Elton John: Never Too Late” about him coming out on Dec. 13.
The pop legend also achieved EGOT status earlier this year after winning an Emmy for outstanding variety special (live) for his show “Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium.”
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