Science News Roundup: Delta rockets retired with launch of US reconnaissance satellite; UK Nobel Prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs dies aged 94 and more

Russia's space chief, Yuri Borisov, quoted by Russian news agencies, said the launch had been rescheduled for noon on Thursday (0900 GMT) at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, located in the forests of the Amur region in Russia's Far East.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Delta rockets retired with launch of US reconnaissance satellite

The U.S. Space Force and a Boeing-Lockheed joint venture sent a secret reconnaissance payload to orbit on Tuesday atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket, the last flight of a workhorse launch vehicle brand that has logged nearly 400 missions dating back to 1960. The United Launch Alliance-owned rocket, standing roughly 23 stories tall, blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida around 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT), 12 days after a previous launch attempt was scrubbed at the last minute due to a technical glitch.

UK Nobel Prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs dies aged 94

Physicist Peter Higgs, whose theory of an undetected particle in the universe changed science and was vindicated by a Nobel prize-winning discovery half a century later, has died aged 94, the University of Edinburgh said on Tuesday. The discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012 at the CERN research centre near Geneva was widely hailed as the biggest advance in knowledge about the cosmos for over 30 years, and pointed physics towards ideas that were once science fiction.

Russia aborts Angara-A5 space rocket launch for second time

Russia on Wednesday aborted the test launch of its Angara-A5 space rocket due to a malfunction of the engine launch control system, the second time in two days that the rocket's blast-off was cancelled at the very last minute. The launch of the Angara was supposed to showcase Russia's post-Soviet space ambitions and the growing clout of the Vostochny Cosmodrome, located in the forests of the Amur region in Russia's Far East.

US, Japan announce partnership to accelerate nuclear fusion

The United States and Japan on Wednesday announced a joint partnership to accelerate the development and commercialization of nuclear fusion. The partnership was unveiled as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was in Washington for a summit with President Joe Biden.

Third launch try for Russia's Angara rocket on Thursday

Russia will embark on a third attempt on Thursday to proceed with a test launch of its Angara-A5 space rocket after technical glitches prompted officials to abort missions at the very last minute for two days in a row. Russia's space chief, Yuri Borisov, quoted by Russian news agencies, said the launch had been rescheduled for noon on Thursday (0900 GMT) at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, located in the forests of the Amur region in Russia's Far East.

(With inputs from agencies.)