NASA has contracted with two private space firms to prepare and execute missions to land on and mine asteroids for valuable resources. Space mining could help provide deep space missions with vital resources such as water, silicate or minerals. VIDEOGRAPHICS
Video provided by AFP news agency














![Scientists discover 36-million-year geological cycle that drives biodiversity Mesozoic mural depicting different ocean species that have evolved through time. [Credit: Smithsonian Institution]](https://www.geologypage.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Scientists-discover-36-million-year-geological-cycle-that-drives-biodiversity-GeologyPage-218x150.jpg)

