Sunday's science stories
Undeterred by failed mission, Israel plans second attempt to plant its flag on the moon
Not easily discouraged, the company behind Israel's attempted moonshot on Thursday, announced its intention to pursue a second mission, with already-pledged funds from private backers and hopes for public donations, Reuters reports.
The backdrop: Manufactured by nonprofit SpaceIL and state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, the $100 million craft dubbed "Beresheet," crashed on its final lunar descent on Thursday. Had the landing been successful, Israel would have become the fourth country — following the U.S., Soviet Union and China — to manage a controlled lunar landing, and the first craft to land on the moon that was not a product of a government program. Newly re-elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "If at first you don't succeed, you try again," after the mission's failure. SpaceIL president and tech billionaire Morris Kahn, said the Beresheet 2 task force would meet on Sunday, adding: “We began something that we shall complete, and we will place our flag on the moon,” per Reuters.
Go deeper: Israeli moon landing to mark milestone in lunar exploration
Tornadoes join "bomb cyclone" nightmare
Warnings of enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes were issued on Saturday by the National Weather Service for parts of Texas, southern Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and western Alabama, Reuters reports.
What to watch: Damaging winds and large hail are expected from the storms, which are likely to continue into the evening and move east by Sunday morning, where they will stretch from the Ohio Valley and into the southeast. These storms follow a paralyzing blizzard that slammed 6 states in the Plains and Midwest with 2 feet of snow on Thursday, closing many major interstates.