Science News Roundup: China to restructure sci-tech ministry to achieve self-reliance faster; Boeing sees Space Launch System rocket fit for Pentagon missions and more
Updated: 09-03-2023 10:36 IST | Created: 09-03-2023 10:30 IST
Representative Image. Image Credit: ANI
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Following is a summary of current science news briefs.
China to restructure sci-tech ministry to achieve self-reliance faster
China will restructure its science and technology ministry to channel more resources to achieving important breakthroughs, with the goal of moving faster towards self-reliance, according to a State Council plan submitted to parliament on Tuesday. The restructuring of the central government ministry was included in a reform plan of state institutions that the State Council, China's cabinet, submitted to the National People's Congress (NPC), which is meeting this week.
Boeing sees Space Launch System rocket fit for Pentagon missions
Boeing is interested in offering its gigantic Space Launch System rocket for an upcoming U.S. military launch procurement program potentially worth billions of dollars, the company said Wednesday, signaling a new strategy for a rocket once exclusive to NASA missions. "The Space Launch System's deep space capability enables the national security, science and space community missions," a Boeing spokesman said, responding to a Reuters inquiry.
Relativity postpones Florida launch of 3D-printed Terran rocket
California-based startup Relativity Space called off the planned debut launch of its 3D-printed rocket in Florida on Wednesday over fuel temperature concerns, delaying a key test of the company's novel strategy for cutting manufacturing costs. The 110-foot-tall (35-meter) Terran 1 rocket, 85% of which was fabricated from a 3D-printer, had been scheduled to lift off from a U.S. Space Force Base launch pad in Cape Canaveral on Wednesday afternoon. Dwindling "propellant thermal conditions" in the rocket's second stage during a three-hour launch window ultimately forced a scrub, the company said on Twitter.
Brazilian agency to expand GMO wheat tests, Embrapa official says
The Brazilian government's agriculture research agency plans to expand testing of a variety of drought-resistant, genetically modified wheat as Brazil aims to become self-sufficient in the staple crop and later a relevant exporter. In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Embrapa Chief of Wheat Research Jorge Lemainski said that in addition to testing the transgenic materials in the Cerrado region of Brazil, the agency also aims to plant them in Minas Gerais state as part of efforts to observe the adaptability to tropical conditions of the GMO wheat seeds developed by Argentina's Bioceres.
Japan's new rocket fails after engine issue, in blow to space ambitions
Japan's new medium-lift rocket failed on its debut flight in space on Tuesday after the launcher's second-stage engine did not ignite as planned, in a blow to its efforts to cut the cost of accessing space and compete against Elon Musk's SpaceX. The 57-metre (187 ft) tall H3 rocket, Japan's first new model in three decades, lifted off without a hitch from the Tanegashima space port, a live-streamed broadcast by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) showed.
Spain bolsters space ambitions with statute for new agency
Spain has approved a statute regulating the functions of its recently launched state space agency amid a push by European countries to keep pace with global rivals, Science Minister Diana Morant said on Tuesday. "Space is considered a space for opportunities, and it is a national priority for us," Morant told reporters. "That is why we're creating this agency."
(With inputs from agencies.)
Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 5:00 am