Science News Roundup: Saturn's icy moon Enceladus harbors essential elements for life; Virgin Galactic plans first commercial spaceflight in June, shares jump and more

Following is a summary of current science news briefs. Spanish rocket company PLD Space signs deal with France's Arianespace Spanish startup PLD Space has signed a memorandum of understanding with France's Arianespace to develop joint services to launch small satellites into orbit, the Spanish company said on Wednesday. The spaceflight, called "Galactic 01", is planned for between June 27 and June 30, the company said.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Spanish rocket company PLD Space signs deal with France's Arianespace

Spanish startup PLD Space has signed a memorandum of understanding with France's Arianespace to develop joint services to launch small satellites into orbit, the Spanish company said on Wednesday. The agreement will allow PLD Space to offer its customisable services to Arianespace customers, it said in a statement.

Saturn's icy moon Enceladus harbors essential elements for life

High concentrations of phosphorus, an essential element for all biological processes on Earth, have been detected in ice crystals spewed from the interior ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus, adding to its potential to harbor life, researchers reported on Wednesday. The discovery was based on data collected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, the first to orbit Saturn, during its 13-year landmark exploration of the gaseous giant planet, its rings and its moons from 2004 to 2017.

Virgin Galactic plans first commercial spaceflight in June, shares jump

Virgin Galactic Holdings, the space tourism firm founded by Richard Branson, said on Thursday its first commercial spaceflight would launch later this month, sending its shares up 28% in trading after the bell. The spaceflight, called "Galactic 01", is planned for between June 27 and June 30, the company said.