Science News Roundup: NorthStar and Thales Alenia Space begin work on satellites to combat space collisions; Miniature organs help test potential coronavirus drugs; GI symptoms linked to severe COVID-19

Miniature lungs, colons help test COVID-19 treatments Saudi Arabia plans $2 billion boost for space programme by 2030 Saudi Arabia is planning an 8 billion riyals ($2.1 billion) boost for its space programme by 2030 under an economic diversification plan that aims to attract foreign investment and create thousands of jobs for young Saudis.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

NorthStar and Thales Alenia Space begin work on satellites to combat space collisions

Canada's NorthStar Earth & Space and Thales Alenia Space said on Tuesday they will begin work on a commercial satellite system to combat the threat of collisions in space. NorthStar, an information service company, said it has contracted Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between France's Thales and Italy's Leonardo, to build the first three satellites of its "Skylark" constellation.

Miniature organs help test potential coronavirus drugs; GI symptoms linked to severe COVID-19

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Miniature lungs, colons help test COVID-19 treatments Saudi Arabia plans $2 billion boost for space programme by 2030

Saudi Arabia is planning an 8 billion riyals ($2.1 billion) boost for its space programme by 2030 under an economic diversification plan that aims to attract foreign investment and create thousands of jobs for young Saudis. The Saudi Space Commission (SSC), set up by a royal decree in late 2018 to stimulate space-related research and industrial activities, has finalised a plan for the government, expected to be revealed later this year, under which the sector's budget would receive an initial boost of 2 billion riyals.

Also Read: Saudis launch national artificial intelligence strategy

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)