Shenzhou-20 Brings Retired Extravehicular Spacesuit Back to Earth

The return capsule of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft landed at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on January 19 without any crew onboard. Among the items brought back to Earth was a retired extravehicular spacesuit. Known as extravehicular spacesuit B, it is the first spacesuit used in China's space station to meet the extended service target of supporting 20 spacewalks over a four-year period.

Chinese Satellite Data Signals Iceberg Near Complete Breakup

Data from China's Fengyun-3D satellite show that A23a, once the largest iceberg in the world, is approaching the final phase of its breakup, the China Meteorological Administration said. True-color images with a resolution of 250 meters reveal that the iceberg's main mass has diminished to about 506 square kilometers — less than one-eighth of its original area of 4,170 square kilometers when it separated from an Antarctic ice shelf in 1986.

UN High Seas Treaty Enters into Force

The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction officially entered into force on January 17. The treaty establishes the world's first comprehensive legal framework for protecting and sustainably using marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, commonly known as the high seas.

Robot Learns Human-like Lip Movements

Researchers from Columbia University have developed a robot that can learn lip motions for tasks like speech and singing. Not relying on preset rules, the robot learned this by observing its own reflection and analyzing videos of human speech available online. Researchers believe this breakthrough could help robots finally cross the uncanny valley.