Reuters Science News Summary
Following is a summary of current science news briefs.
Space firms plot new European satellite venture to take on Starlink as job cuts loom
Europe's Airbus, Thales and Leonardo are exploring plans to set up a new joint space company as they look to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink. "Project Bromo", named after an Indonesian volcano, envisages a standalone European satellite champion modelled on missile maker MBDA, which is owned by Airbus, Leonardo and BAE Systems, three people familiar with the matter said.
Mammoths topped the menu for North American Ice Age people
The first humans who spread across North America during the last Ice Age put mammoths at the top of their menu, according to scientists who secured the first direct evidence of the diet of these ancient people. The researchers deciphered the diet of a woman who lived roughly 12,800 years ago based on chemical clues in the bones of her son, whose remains were found in southern Montana. Because the 18-month-old was still nursing at the time of death, his bones bore the chemical fingerprints of his mother's diet, passed along through her milk.
Falling asteroid lights up sky in Russia's remote Yakutia
An asteroid lit up the sky in Russia's remote far eastern region of Yakutia early on Wednesday, producing a fireball before likely burning up in the atmosphere, officials and scientists said. The emergencies ministry in Yakutia said all official bodies had been placed on alert as the asteroid approached but that no damage had been reported after its descent.
European Space Agency's sun-studying Proba-3 mission lifts off on ISRO rocket
The European Space Agency on Thursday launched Proba-3, a cutting-edge Sun-observing mission, aboard the Indian Space Research Organisation's flagship rocket. The launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, originally scheduled for Wednesday, had been delayed because of a technical snag. The mission is intended to advance global efforts to understand economic and technological risks of space weather.
