Reuters Science News Summary

Following is a summary of current science news briefs. Japan extends participation in International Space Station to 2030 Japan will extend its participation in the International Space Station (ISS) programme to 2030, education and science minister Keiko Nagaoka said on Friday, following the footsteps of ally the United States.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Japan extends participation in International Space Station to 2030

Japan will extend its participation in the International Space Station (ISS) programme to 2030, education and science minister Keiko Nagaoka said on Friday, following the footsteps of ally the United States. The United States pledged in December to keep the ISS operational through to 2030. Among Washington's programme partners, which are Russia, Canada, Japan and the 11-nation European Space Agency, Tokyo is the first to join the United States in extending participation.

India successfully launches first privately made rocket

India successfully launched its first privately developed rocket, the Vikram-S, on Friday, a milestone in the country's effort to create a commercial space industry and to compete on cost. The 545-kg rocket, developed by space startup Skyroot, took off from the Indian space agency's launch site near Chennai and hit a peak altitude of 89.5 kilometers (km).