Science

The capsule that could one day send astronauts back into space is undergoing extensive testing at Cape Canaveral. Boeing's Starliner is designed for land-based returns rather than water returns, a first for a space capsule built in the United States. The Starliner landing system includes parachutes as well as airbags, seen here, which are designed to absorb the shock of impact.

Some Central Florida students have found themselves in the global spotlight, going on Facebook Live with real-life NASA scientists to help in the space agency's next groundbreaking study. Students at Montverde Academy are participating in a program to collect and upload environmental data that will be used in research by scientists all over the world.

Two Florida police officers, with no connection to one another, were united after a DNA test determined the men were half-brothers. David Stull, of the Orange County Sheriff's Office, and Eric Reynolds, of the Boynton Beach Police Department, first met over the summer after Stull reached out to Reynolds in an email, revealing the pair's connection. The two men have since been connected to other siblings and their father through the DNA testing.

We get a rare look inside NASA Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Inside is a critical component of the planned Space Launch System (SLS), the pathfinder rocket. Weighing in at 228,000 pounds, the pathfinder is a full-scale mock-up of the rocket’s core stage and will provide the power necessary to send NASA’s Orion spacecraft beyond Earth’s orbit and to the Moon.

NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir exited the International Space Station on Friday, the first time in a half-century of spacewalking that a woman floated out without a male crewmate. Their job is to fix a broken part of the station's solar power network.

In just two days, two invasive snakes have been discovered in the wild in Central Florida. The ball python is native to Africa and brought to the United States as pets. Most likely, these snakes were released by pet owners or they escaped enclosures.

Florida Power and Light is working on the world's largest solar-powered battery and energy storage center on 40 acres of land in Manatee County. FPL expects it to go online by the end of 2021.

Some rough surf has left baby sea turtles stranded on Brevard County beaches. More than 200 turtles were spotted since the weekend, but now volunteers are working to help. Expert say the turtles are suffering from fatigue and need rest before they can be released back into the ocean.

For the foreseeable future, putting American astronauts on the International Space Station must still involve the Russians.