Launch success for SpaceX mission

California's SpaceX has launched on a mission to re-supply the space station - the first cargo delivery to the orbiting outpost by a private company. The firm's Falcon rocket, topped by an unmanned Dragon freight capsule, lifted clear of its Florida pad at 03:44 EDT (07:44 GMT; 08:44 BST). The initial climb to an altitude some 340km above the Earth lasted a little under 10 minutes. Within moments of being ejected, Dragon opened its solar panels. It will take a couple of days to reach the station. The plan currently is for the vessel to demonstrate its guidance, control and communications systems on Thursday, at a distance of 2.5km from the International Space Station (ISS). If those practice proximity manoeuvres go well, Dragon will be allowed to drive to within 10m of the station on Friday. Astronauts inside the platform will then grab the ship with a robotic arm and berth it to the 400km-high structure. They will empty Dragon of its 500kg of food, water and equipment, before releasing it for a return to Earth at the end of the month. SpaceX mission control celebrates a successful ascent to orbit for Falcon and Dragon The mission has major significance because it marks a big change in the way the US wants to conduct its space operations. Nasa is attempting to offload routine human spaceflight operations in low-Earth orbit to commercial industry in a way similar to how some large organisations contract out their IT or payroll. The carriage of freight will be the first service to be bought in from external suppliers; the transport of astronauts to and from the station will be the second, later this decade. The US agency hopes these changes will save it money that can then be invested in exploration missions far beyond Earth, at destinations such as asteroids and Mars. SpaceX has many new systems it has to demonstrate in the coming days, and has tried to lower expectations ahead of the mission. Nasa has set the California company a series of development milestones. Only when those have been met fully will a $1.6bn ISS re-supply contract kick in. The agency is also looking to engage a second cargo partner. Orbital Sciences Corporation of Virginia is slightly behind SpaceX in its development schedule, although it started work on its Antares rocket and Cygnus capsule system later. Orbital expects to fly a first mission to the vicinity of the ISS later this year or early in 2013

Mart

The notice is very interesting, and I hope they have good luck with the special mission. With this mission, we go much further in space, and probably to the red planet, Mart.

Francois Hollande becomes France's new president

Live coverage of Francois Hollande being sworn in as French president  

Francois Hollande has been sworn in as president of France, becoming the first Socialist leader in 17 years to occupy the Elysee Palace.

Mr Hollande said he was fully aware of the challenges facing France, including the debt crisis and weak growth. He will later name his prime minister and fly to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mr Hollande wants "a compromise" over the German-led focus on austerity as the way out of the economic crisis. On Monday, the value of stock markets and the euro fell amid continuing political uncertainty in Greece. The chairman of the eurozone finance ministers, Jean-Claude Juncker, insisted on Monday night that they would do "everything possible" to keep Greece in the euro.

'Compromises'

On Tuesday afternoon, Mr Hollande will fly to Germany for dinner with Chancellor Merkel, who says she will welcome the new leader "with open arms". But her embrace will hide some embarrassment, says the BBC's Europe editor Gavin Hewitt, after Mrs Merkel openly supported Mr Sarkozy in the election battle. "We don't think the same on everything," Mr Hollande acknowledged on French television on Monday. "We'll tell each other that so that together we can reach good compromises." Mr Hollande has demanded that a European fiscal pact that cracked down on overspending be renegotiated to include a greater emphasis on measures to stimulate growth, while Germany insists the treaty must be respected. Francois Hollande will be put to work almost as soon as his inauguration is finished Whatever their differences, the crisis in the eurozone will put them under huge pressure to compromise, our correspondent says. As the eurozone's two biggest economies - and biggest contributors to its bailout funds - Germany and France are key decision-makers over the strategy supposed to pull Europe out of crisis. According to official figures released on Tuesday morning, the French economy showed no growth in the first quarter of 2012. Growth in the final quarter of 2011 was also revised down to 0.1% from 0.2%. However, Germany's economy grew by a stronger than expected 0.5% in the first three months of the year. Following his German trip, Mr Hollande will hold his first cabinet meeting on Thursday followed by a visit to Washington to meet US President Barack Obama on Friday


I'm really interest in this notice because my mother is a Francois teacher, and she like a lot travelling to France. For this reason she is very interest about who will became the president. And I think about Hollande will make his work very good.

Good luck, Hollande!

Camera traps capture new Scottish wildcat sites in the Cairngorms

The project has resulted in new sightings and helped raise wildcat awareness

Previously unknown populations of Scottish wildcats are living in the Cairngorms National Park, conservationists have discovered.

The new pockets of habitation have been identified by camera traps which captured images of the animals across the park and beyond.

The Cairngorms Wildcat Project has also helped raise awareness about the cats.

However, scientists warn the species remains under threat because of cross-breeding with domestic and feral cats.

The Scottish wildcat, or Highland Tiger as it is sometimes known, is larger and much fiercer than its domestic cousin.

It is estimated there are only about 400 left in the wild and for the past three years researchers have been using camera traps to gain an insight into the lives of the animals.

Shy and secretive

Dr David Hetherington, from the Cairngorms National Park Authority, led the project.

He told BBC Scotland: "The Cairngorms Wildcat Project was established to secure the future of this very shy and secretive animal not only within the boundaries of the Cairngorms National Park, which is thought to be a stronghold for the species, but also across a wider area of Scotland."

The images captured by the camera traps have helped scientists gain a much better understanding of wildcat distribution and the biggest threat to their survival - hybridisation as a result of cross-breeding.

Dr Hetherington said: "The camera traps have been particularly helpful in verifying the occurrence of wildcats and hybrids.

"Wildcats have also been confirmed in some parts of the Cairngorms National Park where they were not previously thought to live."

In total, there were 465 potential wildcat sightings around the national park. The findings suggest the species is especially rare in Donside, Deeside and the Angus Glens, but does still live in Badenoch and Strathspey, Perthshire and, possibly, Glenlivet.

Experts said the neutering of domestic and feral cats living in wildcat territory would be essential and cat owners were encouraged to participate in voluntary neutering and vaccination programmes.

Inter-breeding risk

Scottish Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "The support of the public and land managers for conservation work in this area is vital if we are to see a recovery from the perilously low numbers of wildcats in the Scottish countryside at present.

"The research that has been carried out, and the work in reducing the risk of inter-breeding, are also key elements in protecting the wildcat - one of Scotland's most charismatic and fascinating wild animals."

The project involved the Cairngorms National Park Authority, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Gamekeepers' Association, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and Forestry Commission Scotland.