Reuters Science News Summary
Following is a summary of current science news briefs.
Fungi vital to life face growing risk of extinction, study shows
Nearly a third of species of fungi assessed by an international conservation group are at risk of extinction from threats like deforestation and agricultural expansion, the latest 'Red List' of threatened species showed on Thursday. Fungi - which comprise a scientific "kingdom" second only in size to the animal kingdom - play a critical role in a range of functions from decomposition, to mammalian digestion to forest regeneration. For human beings, they also play an important role in making several powerful medicines, including antibiotics, as well as bread and beer.
Tomb of unidentified ancient Egyptian pharaoh discovered
Archaeologists have discovered the large limestone burial chamber of an unidentified ancient Egyptian pharaoh near the city of Abydos dating to about 3,600 years ago during a chaotic period in Egypt's history. The discovery of the tomb seven meters (23 feet) underground at the ancient necropolis of Anubis Mountain was announced by University of Pennsylvania Museum and Egyptian archaeologists. It marked the second discovery announced this year of a tomb of an ancient Egyptian king.
NASA, Boeing to start testing Starliner for next flight aimed at early 2026
NASA said on Thursday it was moving toward certifying Boeing's CST-100 Starliner for crewed flights later this year or by early 2026 after its inaugural mission to the International Space Station was marred by a system fault, forcing an extended stay. The agency is working with Boeing to resolve the Starliner's faulty propulsion system, which caused its debut eight-day crewed mission to stretch into a nine-month stay in space for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
U.S. Space Force awards national security contracts to Rocket Lab, Stoke Space
The U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command said on Thursday it had awarded contracts to Rocket Lab USA and Stoke Space to expand its portfolio of launch systems for critical space capability. Shares of Rocket Lab USA rose 9.7% in extended trading after the announcement. The contract enables the company to compete for future U.S. national security launch missions.
European satellite firms in preliminary EU talks over merger plan -source
European aerospace companies Airbus, Thales and Leonardo have started preliminary talks with European Union antitrust regulators over a possible merger of their satellite businesses, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. The source said the companies have begun discussions with EU competition authorities in what is called a "pre-notification phase," and that this marked a very early process that would not be expected to lead to any material outcome until "well into next year." A pre-notification refers to preliminary talks with regulators before a formal request for approval. A second source said the national governments who would be involved in this - France and Italy - were broadly aligned over the project, and that the European Commission, which opposed previous attempts to forge a single satellite maker, had the single most decisive say on whether the consolidation efforts would succeed. Airbus declined comment on an earlier report on this in French paper La Tribune, while a Thales spokesperson declined to comment and referred back to a recent statement by Thales CEO Patrice Caine that discussions on this were preliminary and non-binding. Leonardo declined to comment. Last month, the CEO of Airbus had said he would be happy if satellite merger talks with Thales and Leonardo led to a venture like the MBDA European missile project, and he hoped EU antitrust regulators will take a looser stance than in the past.
