Science News Roundup: Hungarian parliament passes bill tightening state grip over scientists; NASA tests abort system

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Hungarian parliament passes bill tightening state grip over scientists

Hungarian lawmakers passed legislation on Tuesday to tighten state control of research bodies run by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), overriding protests against the latest step to expand the government's role in public life. Since taking power in 2010, right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban has brought about a politicization of the courts, media and universities, putting his government at odds with the European Union over rule of law standards.

Scientists conclude cigar-shaped interstellar object not an alien spaceship

After investigating the nature of a mysterious and apparently cigar-shaped object called 'Oumuamua spotted in 2017 speeding through our solar system, astronomers remain uncertain over how to classify it, but are confident it is not an alien spaceship. Its odd shape and motion had prompted some scientists to wonder whether 'Oumuamua - the first object from another star system found passing through our solar system - was some sort of alien technology perhaps exploring the cosmos. But after poring over the data, an international team of researchers wrote that "we find no compelling evidence to favor an alien explanation."

NASA tests abort system on astronaut capsule built for moon missions

An unmanned full-scale NASA crew capsule blasted off from a Florida launchpad on Tuesday in a successful test of the spacecraft's abort thrusters, an astronaut safety device that will be key as the agency works to return humans to the moon by 2024. The Orion crew capsule, nearly identical to the model slated to carry astronauts as soon as 2022 atop NASA's Space Launch System, was lofted more than eight miles (13 km) atop a ballistic missile test booster from an Air Force station in Florida at 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT) before firing its three abort thrusters, which would be used to jettison astronauts to safety in the event of a rocket failure.