China Hunts for Scientific Glory, and Aliens, With New Telescope and other top stories.

• China Hunts for Scientific Glory, and Aliens, With New Telescope

  

  But the telescope shows that the government in Beijing is also willing to spend heavily to propel China into the big leagues in research that offers few direct payoffs, apart from knowledge and prestige.“Astronomy is an ultimate expression of ‘pure’ science that has little immediate practical benefits,” Luis C. Ho, the director of the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University, said by email. “It is a luxury that only the most advanced economies enjoy.”China’s history o..

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• India commits to ratifying Paris Agreement climate pact on Oct. 2

  

  India to ratify Paris Agreement climate pact on Oct. 2 FILE- In this Nov. 30, 2015 file photo, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses world leaders at the COP21, United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Le Bourget, outside Paris. India's leader says his country will ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change early next month. Modi said Sunday that his government will ratify the agreement Oct. 2, coinciding with the birth anniversary of India's independence leader Mohandas Gandh..

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• SpaceX test-fires the engines that could take humans to Mars

  

  SpaceX has conducted its first firing test of its Raptor engine, the powerful propulsion system that the company aims to use to take humans to Mars. SpaceX boss Elon Musk tweeted pictures of the tests late last night, sharing one image that showed a steady stream of flame emanating from the engine, and another showing "Mach diamonds" — patterns formed in the exhaust plumes of supersonic craft. Musk has been has been fairly vague on Raptor specifications so far, but tweeted a few extra details a..

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