Reuters Science News Summary

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

US, China arm for ​space warfare: hunter satellites and orbital weapons

In June, a ​secretive unmanned Chinese spaceplane closely monitored by U.S. ‌military ​analysts released a small satellite hundreds of miles above Earth in an orbital region crowded with commercial and military satellites. The object then looped around another Chinese satellite before ‌returning towards the spaceplane, according to U.S. space-tracking firm LeoLabs. Little is known about the satellite or the mission. But the U.S. military operates a similarly secretive spaceplane resembling a small shuttle, also with no crew. Both programs reflect the rapidly evolving field ‌of military space operations as Beijing and Washington prepare for the possibility of conflict extending into space, according to a ‌Reuters review of documents, space-tracking data and interviews with current and former military officials.

White House pressures US space firms to skip Paris space summit, sources say

The Trump administration pressured U.S. space companies not to attend a high-profile space summit in Paris organized by French President Emmanuel Macron, triggering a last-minute reshuffle ⁠and ​the cancellation of some announcements, ⁠according to people familiar with the matter on Thursday. The White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy hosted a call a week ago with several U.S. ⁠space companies planning to attend the September 9 to 10 event and said their attendance could suggest support for European policy positions ​with which the U.S. disagrees, four of the sources said.

Europe may accelerate space launches to meet satellite demand

The European ⁠Space Agency is considering increasing the launch rate of its Ariane 6 and Vega-C rockets in the coming years to overcome a potential bottleneck in ⁠satellite deployments, ​the agency's chief said on Wednesday. Director General Josef Aschbacher told reporters that a decision would be needed soon if forecasts of a sharp rise in demand, expected to peak around 2030, prove accurate.

Can sheep save the glaciers? Swiss scientists ⁠put wool to the test

As Switzerland struggles to contain the shrinking of its glaciers, researchers are conducting an unusual experiment ⁠in the Alps to see whether ⁠one of its less valued natural resources can help: sheep's wool. For years now, synthetic tarpaulins have been laid in summer over areas of ice and snow to reflect sunlight and reduce ‌heat absorption as ‌global warming melts away the ice sheets that have defined ​the high Alpine landscape for millennia.