Science News Roundup: Rock-hunting NASA rover reveals Martian crater's surprising geology; Musk's SpaceX and T-Mobile plan to connect mobile phones to satellites, boost cell coverage and more

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Rock-hunting NASA rover reveals Martian crater's surprising geology

Core samples drilled by NASA's Perseverance rover on the Martian surface are revealing the geology of a gaping crater scientists suspect may have harbored microbial life billions of years ago, including surprises about the nature of the rock present there. The samples, obtained by the car-sized, six-wheeled robotic rover and stored for future transport to Earth for further study, showed that rock from four sites inside Jezero crater is igneous - formed by the cooling of molten material. The rocks also bore evidence of alteration through exposure to water, another sign that cold and arid Mars long ago was warm and wet.

Musk's SpaceX and T-Mobile plan to connect mobile phones to satellites, boost cell coverage

U.S wireless carrier T-Mobile US Inc will use Elon Musk-owned SpaceX's Starlink satellites to provide mobile users with network access in parts of the United States, the companies announced on Thursday, outlining plans to connect users' mobile phones directly to satellites in orbit. The new plans, which would exist alongside T-mobile's existing cellular services, would cut out the need for cell towers and offer service for sending texts and images where cell coverage does not currently exist, key for emergency situations in remote areas, Musk said at a flashy event on Thursday at his company's south Texas rocket facility.

Boeing targets early 2023 for first Starliner mission carrying astronauts

Boeing Co is targeting February 2023 to fly its first Starliner mission with astronauts aboard to the International Space Station, Boeing and NASA officials said on Thursday, as the aerospace company nears the final leg of a costly and much-delayed development timeline. Starliner's first crewed flight would come nearly a year after the spacecraft flew to the space station and back without any humans in March, completing a critical demonstration mission for NASA on its second try after software failures cut short a similar test flight in 2019.