Reuters Science News Summary

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Cellular atlas created ​for the basal ganglia, a key ​brain region

Scientists have assembled a cellular atlas ‌of ​a crucial brain region called the basal ganglia involved in functions such as movement, decision making, emotions and habit formation — an accomplishment that could help ‌guide new treatments for several devastating diseases. The researchers mapped the cell types and cellular gene activity in the basal ganglia, an interconnected set of structures deep within the brain, in humans as well as in mice and ‌in macaque and marmoset monkeys. Basal ganglia dysfunction is associated with conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's ‌disease, schizophrenia, Tourette's syndrome, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction.

NASA's Voyager 1 probe poised to achieve mega-distance milestone

NASA's Voyager 1 has already traveled farther than any other spacecraft from Earth since its launch in 1977. The probe, which exited our solar system years ⁠ago and ​is journeying through interstellar space, ⁠is now on the cusp of a remarkable milestone — traversing a light-day, the distance light travels in 24 hours. A light-day ⁠is about 16 billion miles (26 billion km). The US space agency said Voyager 1, flying at almost 38,000 miles per ​hour (61,000 kph) through the virtual vacuum of space, will reach that distance from Earth on ⁠Wednesday at 5:16 a.m. ET (1016 GMT). The robotic spacecraft has the distinction of being the most distant human-made object.

SpaceX launches 15th ⁠Starship ​flight with hopes of achieving first round trip

SpaceX launched the 15th flight of its Starship spacecraft from Texas on Friday on a mission the company hopes will be the first round-trip rocket voyage ⁠into orbit and back to the very spot where it left Earth, a key test of Elon ⁠Musk's bid to build a ⁠fully reusable rocket system. Plans call for Starship's uncrewed upper-stage vessel to re-enter the atmosphere after nearly a day in orbit and return to its launch tower ‌on Saturday for an ‌engine-controlled touchdown assisted by the giant mechanical arms of ​a pioneering catch-landing mechanism.