Science News Roundup: Climate tech firm to launch scaled-up plant-sucking CO2 from air; For pandas, it's been two 'thumbs' up for millions of years and more

Wuhan-based ExPace, a subsidiary of state-owned spacecraft and missile manufacturer China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC), announced on Monday the conclusion of its Series B funding round, which began in early 2021. U.S. approves SpaceX's Starlink internet for use with ships, boats, planes The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Thursday authorized Elon Musk's SpaceX to use its Starlink satellite internet network with moving vehicles, green-lighting the company's plan to expand broadband offerings to commercial airlines, shipping vessels and trucks.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Climate tech firm to launch scaled-up plant-sucking CO2 from air

Construction is due to begin on Wednesday on what could become the world's biggest plant to capture carbon dioxide from the air and deposit it underground, the company behind the nascent green technology said. Swiss start-up Climeworks AG said its second large-scale direct air capture (DAC) plant will be built in Iceland in 18-24 months, and have the capacity to suck 36,000 tonnes of CO2 per year from the air.

For pandas, it's been two 'thumbs' up for millions of years

Fossils unearthed in China are helping scientists get a better grasp on one of the marvels of evolution: the giant panda's false thumb, which helps this veggie-loving bear munch the bamboo that makes up most of its diet. Researchers said on Thursday they discovered near the city of Zhaotong in northern Yunnan Province fossils about 6 million years old of an extinct panda called Ailurarctos that bore the oldest-known evidence of this improvised extra digit - actually a greatly enlarged wrist bone called the radial sesamoid.

Chinese spacecraft acquires images of the entire planet of Mars

An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft has acquired imagery data covering all of Mars, including visuals of its south pole, after circling the planet more than 1,300 times since early last year, state media reported on Wednesday. China's Tianwen-1 successfully reached the Red Planet in February 2021 on the country's inaugural mission there. A robotic rover has since been deployed on the surface as an orbiter surveyed the planet from space.

Chinese commercial rocket company reaches new heights with the latest funding round

Chinese commercial rocket launch company ExPace has raised 1.59 billion yuan ($237 million), the largest funding round for such a company in recent years. Wuhan-based ExPace, a subsidiary of state-owned spacecraft and missile manufacturer China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC), announced on Monday the conclusion of its Series B funding round, which began in early 2021.

U.S. approves SpaceX's Starlink internet for use with ships, boats, planes

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Thursday authorized Elon Musk's SpaceX to use its Starlink satellite internet network with moving vehicles, green-lighting the company's plan to expand broadband offerings to commercial airlines, shipping vessels and trucks. Starlink, a fast-growing constellation of internet-beaming satellites in orbit, has long sought to grow its customer base from individual broadband users in rural, internet-poor locations to enterprise customers in the potentially lucrative automotive, shipping and airline sectors.

(With inputs from agencies.)