Science News Summary: SpaceX signs first passenger to moon; Brazil to launch commercial rockets

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

SpaceX signs first private passenger to fly around the moon

Elon Musk's space transportation company SpaceX said it has signed the world's first private passenger to fly around the moon aboard its BFR launch vehicle. "Find out who's flying and why on Monday, September 17," SpaceX said in a tweet on Thursday.

Scientists investigate icy streams for survival clues

A team of scientists has embarked on a four-year quest to discover what beyond water the world loses when glaciers melt. By poring over microorganisms they find in glacier-fed streams, researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) hope to better understand how these creatures have adapted to their extreme environments.

Roche boss says Brexit and curbs on drug use pose threat to UK science

Uncertainty over drug regulation and a reluctance by Britain's health service to use certain pricey modern medicines pose a threat to the country's respected life sciences sector, the head Swiss drugmaker Roche said on Thursday. With only six months to go until the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union, the highly regulated pharmaceuticals industry still does not know exactly how medicines oversight will function.

Brazil space station open for small satellite business

Brazil is ready to launch small commercial rockets from its space base near the equator as soon as it agrees to safeguard U.S. technology that is dominant in the industry, the Brazilian Air Force officer managing the space program said on Friday. Brig. Major Luiz Fernando Aguiar said Brazil wants to get a piece of the $300 billion-a-year space launch business by drawing U.S. companies interested in launching small satellites at a lower cost from the Alcantara base on its north coast.