Science News Roundup: SpaceX prepares to send first all-civilian crew into orbit; 'Flying Dragon' roamed the southern skies too, scientists say and more

Late last year, German-born chemist Margit Schwikowski and a team of international scientists attempted to gather ice cores from the Grand Combin glacier, high on the Swiss-Italian border, for a United Nations-backed climate monitoring effort. Exclusive-Lab-grown fish fingers anyone?

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Scientists scramble to harvest ice cores as glaciers melt

Scientists are racing to collect ice cores – along with long-frozen records they hold of climate cycles – as global warming melts glaciers and ice sheets. Some say they are running out of time. And, in some cases, it’s already too late. Late last year, German-born chemist Margit Schwikowski and a team of international scientists attempted to gather ice cores from the Grand Combin glacier, high on the Swiss-Italian border, for a United Nations-backed climate monitoring effort.

Exclusive-Lab-grown fish fingers anyone? Birds Eye owner explores cell-cultured seafood

Europe's largest frozen food group and the maker of Birds Eye fish fingers has teamed-up with U.S. company BlueNalu to develop seafood products grown from cells in a laboratory rather than harvested from the oceans. Nomad Foods, which also owns the Findus, Iglo, La Cocinera and Green Cuisine brands, told Reuters on Monday it aimed to commercialise cell-cultured seafood to help meet rising demand and to support efforts to safeguard the long-term sustainability of the planet's fish stocks.

SpaceX prepares to send first all-civilian crew into orbit

Yet another billionaire entrepreneur is set to ride into space this week, strapped inside the capsule of a SpaceX rocketship as part of an astro-tourist team poised to make history as the first all-civilian crew launched into Earth orbit. Jared Isaacman, the American founder and chief executive of e-commerce firm Shift4 Payments, will lead three fellow spaceflight novices on a three-day trip from blastoff at Cape Canaveral, Florida, to splashdown in the Atlantic.

Virgin Galactic sees delay to space mission with Italian Air Force (Sept. 10)

Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc on Friday flagged a delay to its first commercial research mission with the Italian Air Force to mid-October due to a potential manufacturing defect. The company said the delay in the mission, named "Unity 23" was unrelated to the pending resolution of a probe by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

mRNA vaccines not linked to miscarriage; COVID-19 shots in U.S. still protect against severe disease

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that have yet to be certified by peer review. mRNA vaccines not linked with pregnancy loss

'Flying Dragon' roamed the southern skies too, scientists say

Scientists in Chile's Atacama Desert have unearthed the fossil remains of a so-called "flying dragon," a Jurassic-era pterosaur previously known only to the northern hemisphere. The flying reptile belonged to a group of early pterosaurs that roamed the earth 160 million years ago. It had a long, pointed tail, wings and sharp, outward pointing teeth.

(With inputs from agencies.)