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The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday announced that all <keyword id="37180" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="schools">schools</keyword> for <keyword id="3216" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="students">students</keyword> up to Class 9 will remain closed for two weeks from April 5 in view of the rising <keyword id="6384751" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="number">number</keyword> of <keyword id="8785701" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="COVID-19-cases">COVID-19 cases</keyword> in the union territory.<br /><br /><br />Physical classes for students from classes 10 to 12 will also be suspended for a week, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha's office said in a tweet on Sunday.<br /><br />This comes days after the Jammu and Kashmir administration asked all district magistrates to take a call on the continuation of physical classes in schools amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the union territory.<br /><br />"In view of rising trend in #COVID19 cases in <keyword id="6360420" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="JK">J&amp;K</keyword> &amp; likelihood of young children getting infected &amp; transmitting infection in large numbers, ALL classes up to &amp; including Class 9 in schools will be closed for 2 weeks in all schools beginning on Monday, 5 April till 18 April, 21 in J&amp;K," Sinha's office tweeted.<br /><br />Schools for students of classes 10, 11 and 12 will also be closed for a week, it said.<br /><br />"Further, all gatherings for social and customary functions will be restricted to 200 only and after following due COVID SOPs," it added.<br /><br />COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir have shown an upward trajectory over the last few weeks. The union territory had recorded 501 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday.<br /><br />Several schools in many districts were shut in the last few days after many students and teachers tested positive for COVID-19.<br /><br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasa-estimates-pandemic-could-cost-it-around-3-billion-quick-look-at-projects-to-take-the-biggest-hit/slidelist/81869940.cms">NASA estimates the pandemic ballooned costs by $3 billion — here are the projects to take the biggest hit</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/a-5-5-billion-british-fintech-start-up-may-have-200-jobs-to-offer-in-india/articleshow/81867620.cms">A $5.5 billion British fintech start up may have 200 jobs to offer in India</a><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/for-revolut-india-is-just-the-first-in-a-series-of-countries-it-plans-to-enter-in-the-next-18-months/articleshow/81883114.cms"><strong>For Revolut, India is just the first in a series of countries it plans to enter in the next 18 months</strong></a><br />

Jammu and Kashmir schools for students up to Class 9 to remain shut till April 18 amid rising COVID-19 cases

A plant in the US which ruined 15 million <keyword id="11028655" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="potential-doses">potential doses</keyword> of <keyword id="11011" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Johnson">Johnson</keyword> and Johnson's <keyword id="8904563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine">Covid-19 vaccine</keyword> has been asked to stop producing doses for <keyword id="6409874" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="astrazeneca">AstraZeneca</keyword>, the media reported.<br /><br />The facility at Baltimore, Emergent Biosolutions, was earlier picked as a manufacturing partner for both AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson.<br /><br />In a statement on Saturday, Johnson and Johnson said it was "assuming full responsibility" regarding the manufacturing of drug substance for its Covid-19 vaccine at the Emergent BioSolutions.<br /><br />The development, first reported by The New York Times, could be a setback for AstraZeneca which is yet to receive approval for its Covid-19 vaccines in the US.<br /><br />According to a report in The New York Times last week, a mix-up at the Baltimore manufacturing plant ruined 15 million potential doses of the Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccine.<br /><br />Johnson and Johnson then said that the "quality control process identified one batch of drug substance that did not meet <keyword id="1136928" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="quality-standards">quality standards</keyword> at Emergent Biosolutions, a site not yet authorised to manufacture drug substance for our Covid-19 vaccine".<br /><br />After taking charge of manufacturing its drug substance at the facility, the company said it was adding dedicated leaders for operations and quality, and significantly increasing the number of manufacturing, quality and technical operations personnel to work with the specialists already at Emergent.<br /><br />Johnson and Johnson said that all of its Covid-19 vaccine doses distributed to date have met rigorous regulatory quality standards.<br /><br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasa-estimates-pandemic-could-cost-it-around-3-billion-quick-look-at-projects-to-take-the-biggest-hit/slidelist/81869940.cms">NASA estimates the pandemic ballooned costs by $3 billion — here are the projects to take the biggest hit</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/a-5-5-billion-british-fintech-start-up-may-have-200-jobs-to-offer-in-india/articleshow/81867620.cms">A $5.5 billion British fintech start up may have 200 jobs to offer in India</a><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/for-revolut-india-is-just-the-first-in-a-series-of-countries-it-plans-to-enter-in-the-next-18-months/articleshow/81883114.cms"><strong>For Revolut, India is just the first in a series of countries it plans to enter in the next 18 months</strong></a><br />

US halts AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine production at Baltimore plant where 15 million J&J vaccines were ruined

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6360409" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nasa">NASA</keyword> designed a simple <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-ventilators-some-doctors-try-reduce-use-new-york-death-rate-2020-4">ventilator</a> for <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> patients to help prevent <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-doctors-nurses-healthcare-supplies-hospitals-2020-3">shortages</a> of the life-saving equipment in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-lift-lockdowns-face-new-waves-covid-19-2020-3">future waves of coronavirus infections</a>.</li><li>Engineers at NASA's <keyword id="324773" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jet-Propulsion-Laboratory">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</keyword> designed the new device in just 37 days, using one-seventh of the parts required for conventional <keyword id="3939429" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="ventilators">ventilators</keyword>.</li><li>After testing at Mount Sinai in New York, the low-cost ventilator is awaiting emergency use authorization from the FDA.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>NASA engineers have designed a mass-producible ventilator tailored to <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> patients, and it could get emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration by the weekend.</p><p>A team of engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, designed and built the ventilator in just 37 days. The device, called VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally), uses one-seventh of the parts required for a conventional ventilator. That makes it easier to mass produce quickly.</p><p>NASA administrators said they would offer a free license to help get the device into hospitals faster. That could help emergency-response departments prepare for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-lift-lockdowns-face-new-waves-covid-19-2020-3">future influxes of COVID-19 patients</a>, which experts expect to see once lockdowns across the country begin to lift.</p><p>"Intensive-care units are seeing COVID-19 patients who require highly dynamic ventilators," Dr. J.D. Polk, NASA's chief health and medical officer, said in a <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7646">press release</a>. "The intention with VITAL is to decrease the likelihood patients will get to that advanced stage of the disease and require more advanced ventilator assistance."</p><p>A prototype of the ventilator was tested at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, where the school's Human Simulation Lab simulated a range of patient conditions.</p><p>"The testing was outstanding," Dave Gallagher, a JPL associate director who worked with the team, said in a press call on Thursday.</p><p>The team has submitted an application for emergency use authorization from the FDA, Gallagher said, and expects approval within 48 hours.</p><h2>NASA improvised parts to avoid supply-chain issues</h2><p><div type="image" title="nasa ventilator coronavirus covid 19 jpl" height="1332" width="1776" msid="75338039" hostid="261"></div></p><p>To avoid disrupting the supply chain for conventional ventilators, which have already been in short supply, NASA's engineers opted for a design that requires fewer parts than a conventional ventilator and relies on different machinery.</p><p>"They're really parts from other industries that can be used with this application," Gallagher said.</p><p>The hope is that manufacturers could produce the device without detracting from the production of conventional ventilators. </p><p>"They're not parts that you would normally necessarily use in building up a ventilator," Dr. J.D. Polk, NASA's Chief Health and Medical Officer, said in the briefing. "There's close to 700 parts out there that we're not using and not having to compete with the supply chain."</p><p>Though the officials did not offer an exact cost for producing the ventilator, Gallagher estimated that it would be roughly $2,000 to $3,000. For comparison, General Motors is <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/04/08/hhs-announces-ventilator-contract-with-gm-under-defense-production-act.html">producing</a> low-cost ventilators for the national stockpile at more than $16,000 apiece.</p><h2>Preventing ventilator shortages in the next waves of COVID-19</h2><p><div type="image" title="nasa ventilator coronavirus jpl hospital mount sinai covid 19" height="1351" width="1802" msid="75338073" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Though many cities, counties, and states across the US seem to have passed the peaks of their first waves of coronavirus cases, this is not the end of the battle. As local governments loosen restrictions, business open, and people start to mingle again, the virus will spread. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/social-distancing-might-be-necessary-into-2022-harvard-analysis-2020-4">Experts say that will bring new waves of infection</a>, which can get out of control if they aren't closely monitored and cut short with additional lockdowns.</p><p>Any place in which these subsequent waves of infection overwhelm local hospitals could see ventilator shortages. </p><p>That's what <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nyc-hospital-mount-sinai-turns-sleep-apnea-machines-into-ventilators-2020-4">almost happened</a> in New York City in late March and early April. In Italy, ventilator shortages have been so bad that doctors have reportedly had to decide which patients to prioritize for the treatment.</p><p>"The one horrific decision I never want to have to make is who gets a ventilator and who doesn't," Dr. Hooman Poor, a physician at Mount Sinai, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nyc-hospital-mount-sinai-turns-sleep-apnea-machines-into-ventilators-2020-4">previously told Business Insider</a>. "That's a horrifying situation."</p><p>If NASA's new device can be widely produced and distributed across the globe — still two big ifs — it could prevent that situation from arising again.</p><p>"It's a crazy project," Michelle Easter, an engineer on the JPL team that designed the ventilator, said in a NASA <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB7SdwkBqHU">video</a>. "We have the potential to save human lives, people that we might know, our neighbors, our families."</p><p><em>Yeji Jesse Lee contributed reporting.</em></p>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-designs-cheap-simple-coronavirus-ventilator-mass-production-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

NASA designed a cheap, simple ventilator to prevent shortages during a potential second wave of COVID-19 infections

Uncertainty continues to dog the flight of India's first Geo Imaging <keyword id="6358065" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="satellite">Satellite</keyword> (<keyword id="8831645" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gisat-1">GISAT-1</keyword>) this time due to coronavirus spread across the country, said an official of Indian space agency.<br /><br />The GISAT-1 will be the country's first sky eye or earth observation satellite to be placed in geostationary orbit.<br /><br />The satellite supposed to be put into orbit this month is all set to be delayed as employees at various centres of <keyword id="116095" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Space-Research-Organisation">Indian Space Research Organisation</keyword> (<keyword id="6358064" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="isro">ISRO</keyword>) including that of the rocket launch centre in <keyword id="6355143" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="sriharikota">Sriharikota</keyword> were affected by Covid-19.<br /><br />Further with the demand for oxygen shooting up from the hospitals to save Covid-19 patients, the Indian space agency's rocket may not be getting oxygen to power itself for some time to come thereby delaying its space missions.<br /><br />The ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu is supplying oxygen to hospitals to save Covid-19 patients.<br /><br />The satellite and the rocket (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle - F10 (GSLV-F10) are ready at the rocket launch centre in Sriharikota.<br /><br />Originally the GISAT-1 was slated for launch on March 5, 2020, but hours before the launch Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced postponement of the mission owing to some technical glitch.<br /><br />Soon after the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown delayed the mission. The rocket had to be dismantled and cleaned up.<br /><br />Subsequently, the GISAT-1 launch was slated for March 2021 but due to problems in the satellite's battery side, the flight got delayed.<br /><br />With the replacement of the battery the satellite and the rocket were being readied for their flight at Sriharikota when the second wave of Covid-19 swept in affecting many at the rocket launch centre.<br /><br />The Indian space agency had earlier said the 2,268 kg GISAT-1 would provide a real time image of a large area of region of interest at frequent intervals. It will also enable quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic events and any short-term events.<br /><br />The satellite will have payload imaging sensors of six band multi-spectral visible and near infra-red with 42 metres resolution; 158 bands hyper-spectral visible and near infra-red with 318 metres resolution and 256 bands hyper-spectral short wave infra-red with 191 metres resolution.<br /><br />A four metre diameter Ogive shaped payload fairing (heat shield) has been used in the rocket for the first time, ISRO had said.<br /><br /><b>SEE ALSO:</b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasa-isros-nisar-satellite-could-face-a-seven-month-delay-and-cost-36-million-more-bearing-the-impact-of-covid-19/articleshow/81841231.cms">NASA-ISRO joint radar satellite could face a seven-month delay and cost $36 million more bearing the impact of COVID-19</a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/isro-partners-with-france-to-launch-indias-first-human-spaceflight-mission-gaganyaan/articleshow/82082399.cms">ISRO partners with France to launch India's first human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan</a></b><br />

India's geo imaging satellite launch delayed due to rising COVID-19 cases

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/rs-25-engines-powered-to-highest-level-ever-during-stennis-test">NASA Stennis Space Center</a></span></p><p class="caption"> NASA is modifying and testing space shuttle engines for use on its new Space Launch System mega-rocket. </p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>NASA is building the most powerful rocket in history, called Space Launch System (SLS).</strong></li><li><strong>The new rocket will use retrofitted space shuttle engines to send people to the moon, Mars, and beyond.</strong></li><li><strong>NASA recently test-fired one modified RS-25 space shuttle engine at "113% thrust" to observe its behavior for SLS.</strong></li><li><strong>The first SLS mission is supposed to fly a space capsule around the moon, but the program is behind schedule and ballooning in cost.</strong></li></ul><p><br />NASA fired up a rocket engine pulled from a space shuttle on Wednesday - then cranked the power up to 11.</p><p>But this hot fire, as such rocket engine tests are known, wasn't done out of nostalgia for the space shuttle program, which retired in July 2011.</p><p>The purpose was to see how the engine, known as an RS-25, behaved after NASA modified it to power a brand-new mega-rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS).</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/Rocketology/tag/rs-25-engine/">NASA</a></span></p><p class="caption">One of NASA's RS-25 rocket engines being trucked out to a test-firing mount in Mississippi.</p></div><p></p></div></div>SLS is a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/588413main_SLS_Fun_Facts.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">321-foot-tall</a> rocket that will outperform the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-vs-apollo-saturn-v-rocket-2016-7">Saturn V rockets</a> that sent Apollo astronauts on the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/earth-is-heaven-james-lovell-lunar-astronaut-2017-3">first lunar missions</a>. SLS may take astronauts to the moon, Mars, and beyond.</p><p>Four RS-25 engines - each 14 feet tall and weighing 3.9 tons - will line the base of the rocket's core boosters. Combined with two side boosters, the engines will help make SLS the most powerful rocket ever built.</p><p>For the Feb. 21 test at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, the engines were outfitted with new 3D-printed parts to reach "113 percent thrust level" - 13% beyond what the engines were designed to achieve some 40 years ago.</p><p>"Increased engine performance is crucial for enabling SLS missions to deep space as the rocket evolves to be larger and carry astronauts and heavy cargo on a single flight," NASA wrote in <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/rs-25-engines-powered-to-highest-level-ever-during-stennis-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a story</a> about the hot-fire test.</p><h2>Funding a maiden flight and astronaut-less lunar voyage</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/6753/">NASA/MSFC</a></span></p><p class="caption">An artist's depiction of NASA's Space Launch System rocketing a crew toward orbit.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>NASA is working toward a maiden flight with SLS called "Exploration Mission 1." While that test mission won't launch any people, it will rocket NASA's Orion space capsule around the moon and back to Earth on a roughly three-week voyage, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-ins-and-outs-of-nasa-s-first-launch-of-sls-and-orion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the space agency</a>.</p><p>The SLS rocket for the mission is designed to haul nearly 29 tons out to the moon, or about two school buses' worth of mass. The final version of SLS could lift as much as 50 tons on a lunar mission.</p><p>Exploration Mission 1 (also known as EM-1) was originally planned to lift off in December 2017, but NASA has delayed the mission multiple times. This is primarily due to the program's multi-billion-dollar cost and a flat NASA budget, according to <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-248T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Government Accountability Office report</a>.</p><p>The space agency faces a $200 million annual budget cut if President Donald Trump's proposed $19.1-billion request is enacted. However, a Senate-led NASA funding bill that Trump <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-law-budget-president-trump-2017-3">signed into law in March 2017</a> calls for $19.5 billion - a $200 million increase in space-agency funding. (Congressional appropriators will ultimately have to reconcile the difference.)</p><p>NASA recently said it expects to launch the rocket for the first time <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/11/20/nasa-expects-first-space-launch-system-flight-to-slip-into-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in 2020</a> at the earliest.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://davemosher.com">Dave Mosher/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launches toward space for the first time on February 6, 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div>By the end of 2018, NASA will have spent about $23 billion on the SLS program, according to <a href="https://oig.nasa.gov/audits/reports/FY17/IG-17-017.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an April 2017</a> report by NASA's Office of Inspector General. Part of that cost is sunk into retrofitting a mobile launch tower originally built for NASA's cancelled Ares rocket program.</p><p>By the time the tower gets used for EM-1, NASA will have spent eight years and $912 million on it. Even then, as Ars Technica reported, it will only be good for one launch <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/02/nasa-spends-1-billion-for-a-launch-tower-that-leans-may-only-be-used-once/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">because it's leaning</a>.</p><p>To <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-mars-crewed-exploration-plans-sls-2017-4">reach Mars</a>, NASA will need more than $210 billion in funding, according to the Office of Inspector General. And that's not even to set foot on the planet's surface - just orbit it. (Though the first Mars astronauts might explore the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spidersuit-mars-astronauts-lockheed-nasa-2017-5">moon Phobos</a>.)</p><p>Meanwhile, private companies like Elon Musk's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/falcon-heavy-spacex-epic-rocket-launch-in-person-2018-2">SpaceX</a>, Jeff Bezos' <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blue-origin-new-glenn-rockets-2016-9">Blue Origin</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-vulcan-rocket-works-united-launch-alliance-2018-2">ULA</a>, and others are working on colossal new launch systems that may come close to rivaling SLS. Their launch power may even exceed it, and for far <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-cost-industry-pricing-vs-ula-2018-2">less money</a>.</p><p>But rockets are not easy to design, build, and make safe to launch, so the major players are still emerging in what's quickly becoming a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/falcon-heavy-space-race-elon-musk-spacex-blue-origin-2018-2">new space race</a>.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacecraft-cemetery-pacific-ocean-dead-satellites-2017-10">There's a place at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean where hundreds of giant spacecraft go to die</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

NASA just fired an old space shuttle engine at '113% thrust' - and plans to use it on a new mega-rocket

<ul class="summary-list"><li>As the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1">coronavirus has spread around the globe</a>, millions of people are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-on-lockdown-coronavirus-italy-2020-3">under lockdown orders</a> that could stretch deep into 2020.</li><li>NASA astronauts routinely live and work in confined spaces for months, and in some cases more than a year.</li><li>Given the new and potentially difficult circumstances for those unaccustomed to home confinement, astronauts have weighed in with scores of tips.</li><li>Most say good communication is vital, as is controlling the amount of time you work and respecting the roles and differences of others. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>Space may be the final frontier, but living off of Earth can be extremely challenging. Due to a long and fussy list of survival needs, plus the expense of traveling to and from orbit, residing and working in space means eeking it out in very cramped accommodations for long periods of time.</p><p>In recent weeks, an increasing share of humans on Earth are being asked or forced to stay inside for weeks and months to help slow the coronavirus' spread and keep healthcare systems from being overwhelmed.</p><p>Knowing that millions of people face similar struggles to astronauts' long-lasting confinement in space, a handful of have stepped forward to offer their hard-won advice, especially for coexisting with others in isolated spaces.</p><p>Here are some of the most sage and sensible tips from NASA's and other space agencies' finest.</p><p>Get the latest <a href="/coronavirus-covid19">coronavirus analysis and research</a> from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses.</p>

4 astronauts reveal their secrets to surviving months of isolation with other people

<br /><br /><br /><ul class="summary-list"><li>NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine announced Tuesday that all staff are now under a mandatory order to work from home "until further notice" due to the ongoing spread of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1">coronavirus</a> in the US.</li><li>NASA employs about 17,000 people, and only "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-nasa-limits-commercial-crew-astronaut-contact-covid-19-outbreak-2020-3">mission-essential personnel</a>" will be permitted on-site at space agency centers and facilities.</li><li>The decision is known as a "Stage 3" response and is part of a new NASA plan to <a href="https://nasapeople.nasa.gov/coronavirus/" target="_blank">respond</a> to the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>, which has infected people at some of its facilities.</li><li>"This is the first time NASA has been in this situation," a spokesperson told Business Insider.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>NASA has sent all but an essential cluster of its <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/offices/odeo/workforce-data" target="_blank">17,000-person</a> workforce home in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.<br /><br />Jim Bridenstine, the US space agency's administrator, made the announcement Tuesday evening.<br /><br />"Effective immediately, all employees and contractors will move to mandatory telework until further notice," Bridenstine said in a statement emailed by NASA's public affairs office. "Mission-essential personnel will continue to be granted access onsite."<br /><br />Bridenstine noted that "a limited amount of employees have tested positive for COVID-19," as the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html" target="_blank">respiratory illness</a> caused by coronavirus is called. As of Tuesday evening, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-administrator-statement-on-agency-coronavirus-status" target="_blank">confirmed</a> cases at NASA included its <keyword id="8924461" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ames-research">Ames Research</keyword> Center in Mountain View, California, and Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.<br /><br />"[I]t is imperative that we take this pre-emptive step to thwart further spreading of the virus among the workforce and our communities," Bridenstine added.<br /><br />NASA's agency-wide move follows a phase called "Stage 3" from a recently unveiled "<a href="https://slack-redir.net/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnasapeople.nasa.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2Fnasa_response_framework.pdf" target="_blank">Response Framework</a>" document, which it created to rapidly mitigate the spread of the coronavirus among workers, if necessary.<br /><br />Stage 1 applies to mostly functional access to centers and facilities, with an emphasis on social distancing, reduction in non-essential travel, and other activities to reduce the spread of the virus. The last phase, called Stage 4 - which only Ames is currently subject to, per a <a href="https://nasapeople.nasa.gov/coronavirus/" target="_blank">NASA coronavirus page</a> - is a near-total closure of all facilities, "except to protect life and critical infrastructure."<br /><br />"This is the first time NASA has been in this situation," a spokesperson told Business Insider.<br /><br />Coronavirus is confirmed to have infected about 200,000 people around the world and killed 8,000, <a href="https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6" target="_blank">according</a> to Johns Hopkins University, and approximately half of all cases have not yet resolved. The overall mortality rate of the novel coronavirus is reported to be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-death-rate-by-age-countries-2020-3">as high as 3.4%</a> or, more recently, <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/16/lower-coronavirus-death-rate-estimates/" target="_blank">approximately 1.4%</a>, according to STAT.<br /><br />However, many cases are still going undetected due to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-south-korea-better-handling-coronavirus-testing-than-the-us-2020-3">testing shortfalls</a> and the fact that some people with COVID-19 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-asymptomatic-transmission-chinese-woman-relatives-2020-2">show no obvious symptoms</a>. Deaths are also weighted heavily toward those people who are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-death-age-older-people-higher-risk-2020-2">older</a> or have what appear to be underlying risk factors such as heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, or cancer, according to a March 11 <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30558-4/fulltext" target="_blank">study</a> published The Lancet.<br /><br />NASA previously <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-nasa-limits-commercial-crew-astronaut-contact-covid-19-outbreak-2020-3">tightened access to its astronauts</a>, including those slated to fly SpaceX's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-crew-dragon-astronaut-launch-animated-video-2019-12">new Crew Dragon spaceship</a> for the first time this spring - and return the US to flight since the retirement of the space shuttle program in July 2011. NASA is also working to develop the Space Launch System and Orion spaceship to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-become-nasa-astronaut-application-requirements-advice-tips-2020-3">send astronauts</a> back to the moon mid-decade, and possibly on to Mars in the 2030s.<br /><br />Business Insider asked the NASA spokesperson which missions and projects would be affected by the agency-wide escalation in its response plan, but they did not immediately provide a response.<br /><br />

'This is the first time NASA has been in this situation:' NASA is forcing nearly all 17,000 of its staff to work from home after coronavirus cases appear at 2 space centers

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-spacex-astronaut-launch-nasa-is-important-2020-5">SpaceX is preparing to launch</a> two <keyword id="6360409" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nasa">NASA</keyword> <keyword id="73998" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="astronauts">astronauts</keyword> on its Crew Dragon spaceship for the first time.</li><li>The launch was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon but delayed until Saturday due to bad weather. </li><li>The two astronauts are headed to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/international-space-station">International Space Station (ISS)</a>, which has orbited Earth for more than 21 years and hosted people from 19 countries.</li><li>The two astronauts will stay on the <keyword id="6416825" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ISS">ISS</keyword> for one to four months before returning to Earth on the Crew Dragon.</li></ul><p><keyword id="6360701" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="spacex">SpaceX</keyword> stands to make history this weekend.</p><p>If weather, hardware, and other factors cooperate, the company's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronaut-suni-williams-on-spacex-boeing-spaceships-2018-6">Crew Dragon spaceship</a> will launch NASA astronauts <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronauts-doug-hurley-bob-behnken-biography-spacex-demo2-2020-5">Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley</a> into <keyword id="41531" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="space">space</keyword> on a mission called Demo-2.</p><p>Their destination: the <keyword id="6382020" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="international-space-station">International Space Station</keyword> (ISS), a floating laboratory that orbits 250 miles above the Earth.</p><p>SpaceX had planned the launch for Wednesday afternoon, but bad weather forced mission commanders to postpone it to Saturday.</p><p>The mission plan calls for Crew Dragon to reach orbit in 8 to 12 minutes. But <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-does-it-take-so-long-to-reach-the-international-space-station-2015-3">catching up to and docking with the ISS</a> — which whizzes around the planet at 17,150 miles per hour — will take another 19 hours or so.</p><p>So Behnken and Hurley won't step aboard the ISS until midday ET on Sunday.</p><p>The two will then spend between one and four months there, depending on the Crew Dragon's performance during the mission, before returning to Earth in the same spaceship.</p><h2>NASA's Commercial Crew Program and the ISS</h2><p><div type="image" title="aboard crew dragon" height="1152" width="2048" msid="76092209" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Saturday's launch is part of a years-long NASA effort to restore the US's ability to launch and ferry its own astronauts to the ISS and back. Since 2011, the agency has been buying astronauts seats on Russian Soyuz rockets.</p><p>But that has become increasingly expensive — one seat costs upwards of $90 million — and has limited US access to the station. A seat on SpaceX's Crew Dragon, meanwhile, is projected to cost $55 million, <a href="https://oig.nasa.gov/docs/IG-20-005.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to NASA's inspector general</a>. The Crew Dragon ship can also carry more than twice as many astronauts to the ISS at a time than the Soyuz.</p><p>Having unfettered access to the ISS is critical: The space station houses labs in which astronauts can do research that cannot be done on Earth. </p><p>That's why NASA began funding SpaceX and its competitor, Boeing, to develop human-ready spacecraft in 2010. The larger project, called the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-boeing-nasa-commercial-crew-program-launch-astronauts-2020-1">Commercial Crew Program</a>, is three years past its original deadline, but Demo-2 could finally mark the first crewed commercial spaceflight ever.</p><p>Once NASA can launch more astronauts into space at a lower cost, it will be able to use the space station's microgravity environment to conduct more <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> experiments — in pharmaceuticals, materials science, astronomy, medicine, and more.</p><p><div type="image" title="International Space Station astronauts" height="1402" width="2100" msid="76092214" hostid="261"></div></p><p>"The International Space Station is a critical capability for the United States of America. Having access to it is also critical," Jim Bridenstine, NASA's administrator, said during a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-nasa-astronauts-demo2-mission-press-briefings-video-youtube-2011-2020-5">televised briefing</a> on May 1.</p><h2>The ISS is more than 20 years old</h2><p>The first module of the ISS launched into orbit on November 20, 1998, and the first crew of astronauts arrived two years later. Humans have lived onboard the station continuously ever since — it's the longest-lasting human presence in space. To date, 239 astronauts from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/visitors-to-the-station-by-country/">19 countries</a> have visited the ISS.</p><p>It took astronauts from five space agencies representing 15 countries a decade and more than 30 missions to fully assemble the station. The final piece was added in 2011. </p><p><div type="image" title="astronauts spacewalk international space station iss" height="1524" width="2032" msid="76092220" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Astronaut's time and research focus aboard the ISS is divvied up based on how much money or equipment respective space agencies contribute.</p><p>Although SpaceX's upcoming launch will be its first with a crew, its spaceships have been sending cargo to the space station since 2012. NASA previously awarded SpaceX a multi-billion contract to fly 20 supply missions, which have used a capsule called Dragon 1.</p><h2>As big as a five-bedroom house</h2><p>The entire space station weighs almost 1 million pounds, and it's big enough to cover a football field, including the end zones. It circles the Earth every 90 minutes.</p><p><div type="image" title="international space station, iss" height="675" width="900" msid="76092222" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Inside, the ISS is as big as <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-the-iss-k4.html">a five-bedroom house</a>, according NASA. It has two bathrooms, a gymnasium, and a big bay window. Typically, six astronauts live there at a time, though that number can double during the overlap period between missions as crew members change over.</p>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/where-spacex-is-launching-nasa-astronauts-international-space-station-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

SpaceX's big launch aims to send NASA astronauts to the International Space Station — a 21-year-old laboratory orbiting 250 miles above the Earth

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/2018/03/26/dragon-set-to-deliver-supplies-to-international-space-station/">NASA</a></span></p><p class="caption">SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft pulls up to the International Space Station with 2.75 tons of cargo on Feb. 23, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Government auditors published a new report about <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/nasa">NASA</a>'s commercial spaceflight program that focuses in part on SpaceX, the rocket company founded by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>.</strong></li><li><strong>The report says sending cargo to and from the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/international-space-station">International Space Station</a> may soon cost NASA about 14% more per kilogram.</strong></li><li><strong>It also said that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/spacex">SpaceX</a> will increase its price about 50%, due to new NASA requirements that forced the company to redesign its Dragon cargo spaceship.</strong></li><li><strong>But SpaceX missions will still be cheaper than its competitors' and do things other companies can't.</strong></li><li><strong>The report pins most of the blame on NASA for the cost increase.</strong></li></ul><p>A new NASA report has revealed that SpaceX, the rocket company founded by Elon Musk, is raising the price it charges the agency to launch cargo into space by roughly 50%.</p><p>Auditors at NASA's Office of Inspector General have posted a <a href="https://oig.nasa.gov/docs/IG-18-016.pdf#bi">55-page report</a> about a program that pays private companies like SpaceX to ship supplies to the International Space Station. As <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/04/nasa-to-pay-more-for-less-cargo-delivery-to-the-space-station/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ars Technica</a> reported, the analysis focuses on the costs and risks of a second round of contracted missions for NASA's Commercial Resupply Services program, known as CRS.</p><p>Its conclusion is blunt: NASA may pay 14% more per pound to launch food, water, and experiments on commercial spaceships for this second round of missions (from 2020 through 2024) than it did for the first round of CRS missions that occurred between 2012 and 2019. It ascribes most of that increase to SpaceX's price hike.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacex/26326005987/">SpaceX/Flickr (public domain)</a></span></p><p class="caption">SpaceX's CRS-14 mission launches cargo toward the International Space Station on April 2, 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div>But Musk isn't reneging on his promise to lower the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-rocket-cargo-price-by-weight-2016-6">crushing cost of access</a> to space. Instead, the auditors pinned much of the blame on NASA for the increase. They also emphasized that the program still seems like a good deal for lowering launch costs.</p><h2>NASA's rising costs</h2><p>Auditors cited NASA for missing opportunities to cut redundancies and bargain on pricing, and noted that the agency forced SpaceX to (expensively) redesign its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-moon-mission-falcon-heavy-rocket-experience-2018-1">Dragon spaceship</a> from the bottom up.</p><p>The report did hint, however, that SpaceX has done some reckoning as the startup has matured.</p><p>"[SpaceX] also indicated that their CRS-2 pricing reflected a better understanding of the costs involved after several years of experience with cargo resupply missions," the auditors wrote. (A SpaceX representative declined to comment on the report.)</p><p>Despite the cost increases, the report ultimately called the CRS contracts with private companies "positive steps" for NASA - especially since the agency could find discounts by launching cargo on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-reusable-rocket-launch-costs-profits-2017-6">used SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket boosters</a>.</p><p>"NASA's continued commitment to the commercial space industry also helps spur innovations in the commercial launch vehicle market," the auditors said.</p><h2>Why NASA pays companies billions for cargo and taxi services</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://davemosher.com">Dave Mosher</a></span></p><p class="caption">Space shuttle Atlantis sits at Launchpad 39A in Cape Canaveral, Fla., before its final flight in July 2011.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>When the government decided to retire NASA's space shuttles, the agency had to figure out a way to continue sending astronauts to the space station.</p><p>So NASA's administrators started funding independent aerospace research and development. Getting private companies to design, build, and launch new rockets and spaceships, the thinking went, would be faster and cheaper than any bureaucratic government program.</p><p>NASA set up its first competitions for contracts in 2006 - years before the shuttle program's retirement in 2011. The agency wanted companies to essentially build space taxis and trucks. Industry titans like Boeing and Lockheed Martin balked over the relatively small pool of money ($500 million over 5 years), giving SpaceX an opening to develop its Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets, as well as its <a href="http://www.spacex.com/dragon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dragon</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-moon-mission-falcon-heavy-rocket-experience-2018-1">Crew Dragon spaceships</a>.</p><p>The millions of dollars in contract awards helped fuel the rise of Musk's company, which now increasingly <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-elon-musk-competition-companies-rockets-2018-3">out-competes</a> familiar aerospace industry players on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-reusable-rocket-launch-costs-profits-2017-6">price</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-cost-industry-pricing-vs-ula-2018-2">capacity</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-rocket-record-50-launches-reliability-2018-3">frequency</a>, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-mars-rocket-facility-approved-la-mayor-2018-4">capability</a>.</p><p>SpaceX has rocketed 14 cargo missions since 2012. And in a related program, SpaceX and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-spacesuit-nasa-photos-2017-1">Boeing</a> plan to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-commercial-crew-spacex-boeing-delays-russia-space-station-2018-1">launch astronauts</a> within a year - potentially ending NASA's increasingly <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-buying-russian-soyuz-seats-2019-2017-1">costly reliance on Russia</a> for space taxi service.</p><p>So far, the average costs of launching cargo remain on par with the space shuttle at about $30,000 per lb. (The space shuttle cost about $1.5 billion per mission, including development, and could carry up to 50,000 lbs of cargo.)</p><h2>The issues NASA auditors found</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider/Julie Bort</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>NASA awarded CRS2 contracts to three companies in 2016: SpaceX, Orbital ATK, and Sierra Nevada Corp. Each had a minimum of six launches.</p><p>Together, the awards are worth up to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-awards-international-space-station-cargo-transport-contracts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$14 billion through 2024</a>, depending on how many milestones each company hits and the missions they successfully launch. </p><p>To see if NASA was on the right track, auditors dug into the mistakes of CRS1 and the potential problems with CRS2.</p><p>The report found that CRS2 will cost $400 million more than CRS1, even though it'll deliver 13,200 lbs less cargo to space. Part of the reason for the price increase, auditors said, was NASA's decision to pick three contractors. Although the move protects NASA if any one system fails, the policy increases the overall cost of the program. (Fewer companies doing more missions would make launches more efficient and lower-cost.)</p><h2>How the three NASA contractors stack up</h2><p>The auditors noted that one company, Sierra Nevada, only has one of its Dream Chaser spaceplanes so far, and that it's not even a flight-proven spacecraft yet.</p><p>Orbital ATK, it said, has essentially cut its per-pound launch costs with Cygnus by about 15%, though primarily in response to launch-price competition from SpaceX.</p><p>The audit had the most to say about SpaceX.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/cygnus-packed-with-experiments-to-support-future-exploration">NASA</a></span></p><p class="caption">Orbital ATK's Cygnus cargo resupply spacecraft approaches the International Space Station.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The company's per-pound launch costs may rise by 50%, it said, primarily because NASA wanted more cargo space and capability from SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft.</p><p>Though more pricey, SpaceX's new-and-improved Dragon 2 cargo spaceship has 30% more volume for cargo, can pull off much longer missions in space, and will help scientists get their experiments back to Earth and into a lab for analysis more quickly.</p><p>SpaceX is currently the only company able to bring things back from space - Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft burns up on reentry to Earth, and the Dream Chaser has yet to prove it can safely fly to and from space. But the auditors didn't consider that added value in their analysis.</p><p>They did, however, recommend that NASA look into booking launches with SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 boosters, which could earn the government a discount of millions of dollars.</p><p>The next NASA-funded mission to resupply the space station is a SpaceX launch that's <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently scheduled for June 28</a>. It's the company's 17th Dragon launch and its 15th resupply mission, and is expected to deliver 7,310 lbs of cargo to astronauts.</p>      <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacecraft-cemetery-pacific-ocean-dead-satellites-2017-10">There's a place at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean where hundreds of giant spacecraft go to die</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

SpaceX cargo launches may soon cost 50% more - but it's still an offer NASA can't refuse

By Yoshita Singh <p>United Nations, Jun 20 () The holistic approach to health, well-being provided by the practice of yoga is critical now as the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives, created loneliness and has led to increased anxiety, UN General Assembly President has said during the virtual commemoration of the 6th International Day of Yoga. </p><p>This year, the International Day of Yoga, marked on June 21, will be commemorated virtually due to the COVID-19-related restrictions in place and requirements of social distancing. </p><p>"The COVID-19 pandemic has created a new reality for many of us. It has disrupted lives, created loneliness caused by social distancing as it has also led to increased anxiety caused by economic difficulties, fear of illness and worry about loved ones. This is only natural. This year's celebration comes amidst this critical context," UNGA President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande said in a virtual message. </p><p>In commemorating the International Day of Yoga this year, he said "we recognise the important benefits of practicing yoga and its potential in helping people deal with increased anxiety due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic." </p><p>In previous years, India's Permanent Mission commemorated the day at a grand scale in the UN premises. However, this time the mission hosted a virtual 'Yoga for Health - Yoga at Home' session on Friday to mark the International Yoga Day at a time when the global outbreak of COVID-19 has upended lives and disrupted lifestyles of people across the world. </p><p>India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said the global outbreak of COVID-19 has "upended lives and disrupted lifestyles" of people across the world. </p><p>"Studies indicate a rise in depression and anxiety among people due to the difficulty in adapting to such lifestyle changes," he said, adding that there is a growing trend of people from many parts of the world embracing yoga to fight social isolation and depression during the pandemic. </p><p>Tirumurti said to commemorate Yoga Day this year under the theme of 'Yoga for Health, Yoga for Home', the endeavour has been to put together simple yoga modules, carefully designed by experienced yoga gurus, that can be practiced from home by all age groups. </p><p>Muhammad-Bande said celebration of the International Day of Yoga is a "unique opportunity" to recognise the holistic approach to health and well being provided by the practice of yoga especially in times like this. </p><p>"Global health is a long term objective that requires close international cooperation and exchange of best practices. Health no longer only implies the condition of not being sick. It's also about being actively well," he said, adding that multiple studies have confirmed the interdependent mental and physical benefits of yoga. </p><p>"The meaning of yoga is most commonly interpreted as a union - the union of the mind and the body - but it also signifies the interconnectedness of the human body and spirit to all the elements of the world that surrounds us." </p><p>The specially-designed module included a session by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev on 'Yoga for Respiratory Health' where the spiritual leader spoke about the need and importance of maintaining an inner balance during these challenging times. </p><p> In a 15 minute session 'Yoga for Soothing the Heart', Yoga Guru Kishor Chandra from the Bhakti Center led followers through asanas and pranayama that will help balance and soothe the heart. A meditation session from Sahaj Yoga on a guided meditation exercise aimed to relax the mind was also part of the module. </p><p>Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev said the coronavirus pandemic is "one of the biggest challenges that we as a generation have faced." </p><p>"It is most important that we as human beings function at our best. Our physical self, our intellect, our emotional balance everything should be at its best, our innate wisdom must function now because now there is a crisis outside. You cannot afford to create a crisis within you," he said. </p><p>The spiritual leader underscored that during this moment of pandemic and in the post-pandemic world, "one of the biggest challenges will be psychological crisis that human beings will face. When a problem is thrown at us, we should not become a problem. This is very important. There is no better way to approach life than through the yogic system." </p><p>Tirumurti said the celebration of the International Day of Yoga is a testimony to Yoga's global appeal and the substantial medical and scientific evidence that acknowledges the efficacy of yoga in promoting healthy and sustainable lifestyles. </p><p> Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Tirumurti said the very nature of yoga techniques, combined with proper breathing techniques and meditation, have been found to reduce the impact of stress, help with anxiety and depression, boost energy and provide equanimity to one's existence. </p>At least 8.6 million people have been confirmed to have the coronavirus around the world, 458,000 have died due to the deadly virus and more than 4.2 million have recovered, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. YAS AMS AKJ AMS

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