Science News Roundup: Scientists expand search for signs of intelligent alien life; Why North Korea's satellite launch attempt may be 'first of many and more

“To pursue the government’s national security objectives, the New Zealand government will also aim to develop and retain its own domestic space capabilities." Analysis-Why North Korea's satellite launch attempt may be 'first of many' North Korea is unlikely to be deterred from its quest to place cargoes in space, analysts said, even though a malfunction sent a new launch vehicle and the country's first spy satellite crashing into the ocean on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

North Korea satellite plunges in sea in 'rushed' failure; more launches expected

A North Korean satellite launch on Wednesday ended in failure, sending the booster and payload plunging into the sea, North Korean state media said, and the South's military said it had recovered parts of the launch vehicle. The new "Chollima-1" satellite launch rocket failed because of instability in the engine and fuel system, state news agency KCNA reported.

Scientists expand search for signs of intelligent alien life

Scientists have expanded the search for technologically advanced extraterrestrial civilizations by monitoring a star-dense region toward the core of our galaxy for a type of signal that could be produced by potential intelligent aliens that until now has been ignored. Efforts to detect alien technological signatures previously have focused on a narrowband radio signal type concentrated in a limited frequency range or on single unusual transmissions. The new initiative, scientists said on Wednesday, focuses on a different signal type that perhaps could enable advanced civilizations to communicate across the vast distances of interstellar space.

New Zealand launches space policy, notes growing strategic competition

New Zealand on Wednesday launched a space policy for the country, outlining the growing geopolitical risks associated with space and the need to work with like-minded partners to protect the country’s national security. “Strategic competition on Earth is increasingly replicated in space, endangering the security and stability of this critical domain,” the policy said. “To pursue the government’s national security objectives, the New Zealand government will also aim to develop and retain its own domestic space capabilities."

Analysis-Why North Korea's satellite launch attempt may be 'first of many'

North Korea is unlikely to be deterred from its quest to place cargoes in space, analysts said, even though a malfunction sent a new launch vehicle and the country's first spy satellite crashing into the ocean on Wednesday. The secretive country considers its space and military rocket programmes a sovereign right, and analysts say spy satellites are crucial to improving the effectiveness of its weapons. Focusing on satellites also shows a shift toward practical rather than political goals, they say.

China launches Shenzhou-16 mission to Chinese space station - state media

China sent three astronauts to its now fully operational space station as part of crew rotation on Tuesday in the fifth manned mission to the Chinese space outpost since 2021, state media reported. The spacecraft, Shenzhou-16, or "Divine Vessel", and its three passengers lifted off atop a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert in northwest China at 9:31 a.m. (0131 GMT).

Spain's PLD Space calls off test rocket launch citing high altitude winds

Spanish startup PLD Space called off the test launch of its first suborbital reusable rocket scheduled for Wednesday morning, citing strong high-altitude winds. The company said it intended to try again in the coming days.

Italy bets on quietest of places to host world-leading telescope

Italy is proposing a disused mineral mine in a remote corner of Sardinia to house one of the world's most advanced telescopes, hoping that the uncommon stillness of the spot will clinch European Union approval and funds. The Sos Enathos lead and zinc mine, extending 300 metres underground below lush vegetation, has been picked by the Rome government as its candidate to host the so-called Einstein Telescope (ET).

Private astronaut crew, including first Arab woman in orbit, returns from space station

An all-private astronaut team of two Americans and two Saudis, including the first Arab woman sent into orbit, splashed down safely off Florida on Tuesday night, capping an eight-day research mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying them parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, after a 12-hour return flight and blazing re-entry plunge through Earth's atmosphere.

NASA UFO panel in first public meeting says better data needed

The first public meeting of a NASA panel studying what the government calls "unidentified aerial phenomena," commonly known as UFOs, kicked off on Wednesday to discuss findings since its formation last year. The 16-member body, assembling experts from fields ranging from physics to astrobiology, was formed last June to examine unclassified UFO sightings, which it refers to as UAPs, and other data collected from civilian government and commercial sectors.

(With inputs from agencies.)