Science news this week: Artemis II splashes down, the world's fattest parrot bounces back, and the Shroud of Turin is contaminated

This week's science news was moonstruck by updates from the Artemis II mission, which saw four astronauts swing around the moon's far side before splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean.

This nail-biting final stage of the mission, which Live Science covered with minute-by-minute live updates, was a key test of the Orion capsule's heat shield. Despite some concerns, the protective layer held up under scorching heat, and the crewmembers' just under 25,000 mph (40,000 km/h) return made them contenders for the fastest humans in history.

That's just one record set by the NASA and Canadian Space Agency astronauts aboard the mission this week. They also flew farther from Earth than any humans in history, capturing first-of-their-kind views of the far side of the moon and a total eclipse in space.

The mission's spectacular launch is a big milestone in the new space race between China and the U.S. that will reframe humanity's relationship with the moon and our scientific understanding of it. And with Artemis III set to launch next year in preparation for humanity's return to the lunar surface not once, but twice in 2028, it's just a taste of what's to come.

World's fattest parrot bounces back

World's fattest parrot — on the verge of extinction 30 years ago — has record-breaking breeding season

While people soared around the moon and back, Live Science also spared some time for flightless, portly parrots of New Zealand that are swinging back from the brink of extinction with a record-breaking breeding season.

The kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) almost went extinct in the 1990s due to hunting, habitat destruction and the introduction of new predators. But thanks to a major recovery program, the species just celebrated its 105th egg hatching this season ‪—‬ the most in 30 years.

Not all of these chicks will survive to be reintroduced, and their time in the wild will prove challenging — but it's still news that should help the world's heaviest parrot keep its beak up.

Discover more animals and planet Earth news

—Fossil site in China reveals bevy of complex creatures lived prior to the Cambrian explosion, including a 'Dune'-like sandworm

—'In every continent where humans are present, water bankruptcy is manifesting itself': Exiled Iranian scientist Kaveh Madani on our desperate need to preserve our most precious resource

—California declared war on smog in the 1970s. The knock-on effects were huge.

Life's Little Mysteries

Do the microbes in your gut influence what foods you like?

Our gut bacteria affect more than just digestion; they are also linked to our mood, weight, sleep, immune system and even how we smell. But can gut microbes also play a role in which foods we crave?

—If you enjoyed this, sign up for our Life's Little Mysteries newsletter

The Iran war is a climate catastrophe

Shroud of Turin, claimed to be Jesus' burial cloth, contaminated with carrot and red coral DNA

The Shroud of Turin, which some people claim is the burial cloth of Jesus, received a DNA analysis with intriguing findings, we recently learned.

First, the shroud contains the DNA of multiple people and many other species, including carrots, melons and red coral. Some of this DNA suggests the shroud could have come from India, but other experts disagree.

Overall, the scientific evidence still supports arguments that the Shroud of Turin is a medieval fake, scholars told us.

Discover more archaeology news

—DNA reveals ancestry of man buried in Stone Age monument in Spain, but his religion remains a mystery

—'They could spend 4 or 5 hours per day underwater': How humans adapted to the most challenging environments

—16th-century silver coin discovered near Strait of Magellan marks the spot of a doomed Spanish colony

Also in science news this week

—'RIP, Comet MAPS': Watch the superbright sungrazer become a 'headless wonder' after being ripped apart by the sun

—We went to Finland to hear about the new 'sand battery' that will turn stored renewable energy back into power for the electrical grid

—Western states face above-normal wildfire threats this summer. New maps reveal which areas are most at risk.

—'No one knows what they are': Researchers discover new type of cell that's seen only during pregnancy

—AI 'mirages' mean tools used to analyze medical scans could fabricate their findings

Science Spotlight

'A cure on the horizon': Are we finally close to ending type 1 diabetes?

Scientists have proclaimed that a cure for type 1 diabetes is imminent for a while now, but with functional cures now appearing on the horizon, they could finally be right.

Someone who is closely familiar with type 1 diabetes is Live Science's editor-in-chief of premium reporting Tia Ghose, whose sixth grader has the disease. In this Science Spotlight, she wrote a moving deep dive into cutting-edge therapies set to make the daily management of the disease a thing of the past.

Something for the weekend

If you're looking for something a little longer to read over the weekend, here are some of the best interviews, crosswords and opinion pieces published this week.

—'They are literally everywhere': The shocking story of how forever chemicals polluted the world [Interview]

—Live Science crossword puzzle #38: Largest non-polar desert in the world — 10 across [Crossword]

—I've witnessed nearly 100 rocket launches. Artemis II was like nothing I've ever experienced. [Opinion]

Science news in pictures

'So much magic': Artemis II shares first images from the far side of the moon, including new 'Earthset' and total eclipse in space

NASA released its first batch of photos taken by the Artemis II astronauts during their historic lunar flyby this week, and they are absolutely stunning.

There are so many amazing images from the mission to choose from, but the standout remains the zoomed-out shot of "Earthset," which shows our planet disappearing behind the moon's pockmarked face, an advancing shadow delineating the night side where billions of humans slept.

Follow Live Science on social media

Want more science news? Follow our Live Science WhatsApp Channel for the latest discoveries as they happen. It's the best way to get our expert reporting on the go, but if you don't use WhatsApp we're also on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Flipboard, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky and LinkedIn.