Reuters Science News Summary

The Volocopter test aircraft, which resembles a large drone with eight rotors, took off with a passenger on board from the Pontoise-Cormeilles airfield outside Paris and briefly circled around while other aircraft were in the vicinity. COP27: U.N. to hunt sources of climate-warming methane from space The U.N.’s environment watchdog said on Friday it will launch a public database of global methane leaks detected by space satellites - part of a new program to encourage companies and governments to curb emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

NASA's new moon rocket tested by hurricane-force winds at Florida launchpad

NASA's new $4 billion moon rocket endured fierce winds and heavy rains early Thursday as it rode out Hurricane Nicole on its Florida launchpad, apparently with only minor damage, according to an early NASA inspection in the storm's aftermath. Sustained winds of 85 miles per hour (136.8 km per hour) were measured by launch-site sensors hundreds of feet above the ground, with gusts topping 100 mph, testing the design limits of the 32-story-tall rocket and posing added risks to a spacecraft already beset by technical glitches that have delayed its debut launch.

Divers find Challenger space shuttle wreckage off Florida coast

Divers from a documentary crew looking for the wreckage of a World War Two aircraft off the coast of Florida found a 20-foot section of the space shuttle Challenger, which exploded and broke apart shortly after its launch in 1986, NASA said on Thursday. The divers contacted NASA after spotting a large, clearly modern object mostly covered in sand at the bottom of the ocean and bearing the shuttle's distinctive tiles, the space agency said in a written statement.

Drone taxi take first spin in air traffic near Paris

An electric helicopter with multiple rotors took its first flight in conventional air traffic near Paris on Thursday as it prepares for commercial flights from 2024. The Volocopter test aircraft, which resembles a large drone with eight rotors, took off with a passenger on board from the Pontoise-Cormeilles airfield outside Paris and briefly circled around while other aircraft were in the vicinity.

COP27: U.N. to hunt sources of climate-warming methane from space

The U.N.’s environment watchdog said on Friday it will launch a public database of global methane leaks detected by space satellites - part of a new program to encourage companies and governments to curb emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas. The system, dubbed MARS or Methane Alert and Response System, will build on a pledge signed by 119 countries since last year to cut methane emissions by 30% this decade, a goal scientists say is crucial to averting extreme climate change.