Science News Roundup: The U.S. warns SpaceX its new Texas launch site tower not yet approved; Over 10,000 species risk extinction in Amazon, says landmark report and more

An FAA spokesman said on Wednesday that the agency's environmental review underway of SpaceX’s proposed rocket assembly "integration tower" is "underway," and added that "the company is building the tower at its own risk." Over 10,000 species risk extinction in Amazon, says landmark report More than 10,000 species of plants and animals are at high risk of extinction due to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest - 35% of which has already been deforested or degraded, according to the draft of a landmark scientific report published on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

The U.S. warns SpaceX its new Texas launch site tower not yet approved

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned Elon Musk's space company SpaceX that its environmental review of a new tower at its Boca Chica launch site in Texas is incomplete and the agency could order SpaceX to take down the tower. An FAA spokesman said on Wednesday that the agency's environmental review underway of SpaceX’s proposed rocket assembly "integration tower" is "underway," and added that "the company is building the tower at its own risk."

Over 10,000 species risk extinction in Amazon, says landmark report

More than 10,000 species of plants and animals are at high risk of extinction due to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest - 35% of which has already been deforested or degraded, according to the draft of a landmark scientific report published on Wednesday. Produced by the Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA), the 33-chapter report brings together research on the world's largest rainforest from 200 scientists from across the globe. It is the most detailed assessment of the state of the forest to date and both make clear the vital role the Amazon plays in global climate and the profound risks it is facing.

Bezos' Blue Origin to make history with unpiloted civilian space flight

Jeff Bezos may have been beaten to space by rival Richard Branson, but the billionaire American businessman is poised to make history next week aboard what would be the world's first unpiloted suborbital flight with an all-civilian crew. Bezos, the former CEO of Amazon.com Inc, is due to be part of a four-person crew for a planned 11-minute ride to the edge of space on Tuesday inside his company Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft, another milestone in the nascent and potentially lucrative space tourism sector.

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