Reuters Science News Summary

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

California ladybug swarm dozens of miles wide shows up on the radar

A swarm of many millions of ladybugs taking to the sky in Southern California this week to hunt for aphids has been captured on a radar screen as a massive blob, officials said on Thursday. The insect swarm spanned 80 miles by 80 miles (130 km by 130 km), centred around the town of Hesperia, more than 70 miles (110 km) east of Los Angeles, said National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Adam Roser.

Richard Branson takes satellite launch business to Japan with airline ANA

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit said on Thursday it plans to bring its satellite launch system to Japan in partnership with airline operator ANA Holdings Inc, which will provide maintenance and possibly aircraft. Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne system is undergoing testing with the aim of launching rockets bearing small satellites into space from a modified jumbo jet. The company said it will conduct its first orbital test flight later this year.

Solar eclipse frenzy fuels astronomical tourism in Chile

The total solar eclipse expected in northern Chile early next month is already drawing flocks of visitors eager to glimpse a rare view of the phenomenon through the region's clear skies. In Coquimbo, a region spanning the Pacific coast and the Andes, tourism demand has already eclipsed offerings of some services, forcing hotels there to put up signs warning they have no rooms left by the July 2 event.

Trump criticizes NASA moon mission after promoting it earlier

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday criticized NASA for aiming to put astronauts back on the moon by 2024 and urged the space agency to focus instead on "much bigger" initiatives like going to Mars, undercutting his previous support for the lunar initiative. "For all of the money we are spending, NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon - We did that 50 years ago," the president wrote on Twitter. "They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defense and Science!" Got $50 million for a vacation?

NASA to open space station to private citizens

NASA will allow private citizens to stay at the International Space Station (ISS) for month-long getaways at a cost of about $35,000 per night, the U.S. space agency said on Friday. The shift reverses a long-standing prohibition against tourists and private interests at the orbiting research lab and reflects a broader push to expand commercial activities at the ISS and in space more generally.