Science News Roundup: Ariane 5 launches final mission as Europe faces space gap; UK denies report of ready deal to rejoin EU's Horizon science scheme

The 53-metre-tall, three-stage launcher left the launch pad in the French spaceport of Kourou on its 117th and final mission at 7 p.m. local time (2300 GMT), deploying two satellites on schedule roughly 30 minutes later, according to a live webcast. UK denies report of ready deal to rejoin EU's Horizon science scheme UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office denied a BBC report that a deal for Britain to rejoin the European Union's Horizon scientific research scheme had been negotiated and was awaiting approval.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Ariane 5 launches final mission as Europe faces space gap

Europe's Ariane 5 rocket on Wednesday blasted off from French Guiana for the final time, carrying two military communications satellites and leaving its nations with a vacuum in autonomous access to space for the first time in more than four decades. The 53-metre-tall, three-stage launcher left the launch pad in the French spaceport of Kourou on its 117th and final mission at 7 p.m. local time (2300 GMT), deploying two satellites on schedule roughly 30 minutes later, according to a live webcast.

UK denies report of ready deal to rejoin EU's Horizon science scheme

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office denied a BBC report that a deal for Britain to rejoin the European Union's Horizon scientific research scheme had been negotiated and was awaiting approval. No deal has been agreed upon and talks are ongoing, Britain's government said.

(With inputs from agencies.)