Washington - Space shuttle Endeavour continued to enjoy a problem-free journey throught space Saturday on its way to link up with the International Space Station (ISS).

The shuttle is expected to rendezvous with the station around 0100 GMT on Sunday, 24 hours after takeoff from Cape Canaveral.

The shuttle's 15-day mission will include four spacewalks to repair joints that allow the station's solar panels to rotate toward the sun. Astronauts will also install a nitrogen tank, a global positioning system and a camera outside the ISS

Washington, Nov 15 : Scientists have discovered an unusual microorganism in the sea that plays an important role in ocean ecology, and may force them to rethink their understanding of how carbon and nitrogen cycle through ocean ecosystems.

A research team led by Jonathan Zehr, a marine scientist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, characterized the new microbe by analyzing its genetic material, even though researchers have not been able to grow it in the laboratory.

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 15 : The world’s first-ever humanoid robot Asimo is showcasing its abilities in Malaysia during an ongoing road tour until Nov 30.

Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd has brought in Asimo, an acronym for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, which is capable to grip objects and recognise people.

London, Nov 15 : Reports indicate that the Mars rover Spirit is still working and is slowly recharging its batteries after a weekend dust storm that caused the craft’s power levels to drop to an all-time low.

The storm that hit Spirit came less than two weeks after similar weather in the far north sent NASA’s Phoenix Lander to an early grave.

Rover team members were awaiting a sign this week that the craft had survived the storm, which blanketed Spirit’s solar panels with dust.

Washington, Nov 15 : Scientists have determined that to understand how life began on Earth, it is important to study the chemistry that preceded early life, as well as studying Mars.

These two new approaches for understanding how life started on our planet were discussed at a European Science Foundation (ESF) and COST ‘Frontiers of Science’ conference in Sicily, which was held recently.

The first applies complex systems theory to the chemistry that preceded early life. The second involves studying Mars, which may yield ample evidence about what Earth was like when life evolved.