Science News Roundup: Relativity postpones Florida launch of 3D-printed Terran rocket; Boeing sees Space Launch System rocket fit for Pentagon missions and more

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Relativity postpones Florida launch of 3D-printed Terran rocket

California-based startup Relativity Space called off the planned debut launch of its 3D-printed rocket in Florida on Wednesday over fuel temperature concerns, delaying a key test of the company's novel strategy for cutting manufacturing costs. The 110-foot-tall (35-meter) Terran 1 rocket, 85% of which was fabricated from a 3D-printer, had been scheduled to lift off from a U.S. Space Force Base launch pad in Cape Canaveral on Wednesday afternoon. Dwindling "propellant thermal conditions" in the rocket's second stage during a three-hour launch window ultimately forced a scrub, the company said on Twitter.

Boeing sees Space Launch System rocket fit for Pentagon missions

Boeing is interested in offering its gigantic Space Launch System rocket for an upcoming U.S. military launch procurement program potentially worth billions of dollars, the company said Wednesday, signaling a new strategy for a rocket once exclusive to NASA missions. "The Space Launch System's deep space capability enables the national security, science and space community missions," a Boeing spokesman said, responding to a Reuters inquiry.

Brazilian agency to expand GMO wheat tests, Embrapa official says

The Brazilian government's agriculture research agency plans to expand testing of a variety of drought-resistant, genetically modified wheat as Brazil aims to become self-sufficient in the staple crop and later a relevant exporter. In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Embrapa Chief of Wheat Research Jorge Lemainski said that in addition to testing the transgenic materials in the Cerrado region of Brazil, the agency also aims to plant them in Minas Gerais state as part of efforts to observe the adaptability to tropical conditions of the GMO wheat seeds developed by Argentina's Bioceres.

Spain bolsters space ambitions with statute for new agency

Spain has approved a statute regulating the functions of its recently launched state space agency amid a push by European countries to keep pace with global rivals, Science Minister Diana Morant said on Tuesday. "Space is considered a space for opportunities, and it is a national priority for us," Morant told reporters. "That is why we're creating this agency."

(With inputs from agencies.)