Science News Roundup: What makes us human? Primate genome study offers some clues; Scientists expand search for signs of intelligent alien life and more

The new "Chollima-1" satellite launch rocket failed because of instability in the engine and fuel system, state news agency KCNA reported. US poet laureate dedicates ode to Europa for NASA mission to Jupiter's icy moon When U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limon was asked to write a poem for inscription on a NASA spacecraft headed to Jupiter's icy moon Europa, she felt a rush of excitement at the honor, followed by bewilderment at the seeming enormity of the task.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

What makes us human? Primate genome study offers some clues

The most comprehensive genomic study ever on primates - a group whose membership includes lemurs, monkeys, apes and people - has revealed pivotal genetic traits that are uniquely human while refining the timeline for our evolutionary lineage's split from our closest cousins, the chimpanzees and bonobos. Researchers said on Thursday they sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 233 primate species, comprising nearly half of those alive today, and surprisingly discovered that most boast greater genetic diversity - variation within a species that is vital for adaptation to changing environments and other challenges - than humans.

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.

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.

US poet laureate dedicates ode to Europa for NASA mission to Jupiter's icy moon

When U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limon was asked to write a poem for inscription on a NASA spacecraft headed to Jupiter's icy moon Europa, she felt a rush of excitement at the honor, followed by bewilderment at the seeming enormity of the task. "Where do you start a poem like that?" she recalled thinking just after receiving the invitation in a call at the Library of Congress, where the 47-year-old poet is serving a two-year second term as the nation's top bard.

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."

New North Korean space rocket features engine from ICBMs, analysts say

North Korea's latest space launcher appears to be a new design and most likely uses engines developed for the nuclear-armed country's intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), analysts said on Thursday. The rocket, dubbed the Chollima-1, failed during its first launch attempt on Wednesday. It lifted off successfully but its second stage failed to start as expected, state media reported, and it crashed into the Yellow Sea.

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.

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

Members of an independent NASA panel studying UFOs, or what the U.S. government now terms UAP for "unidentified anomalous phenomena," said in their first public meeting on Wednesday that scant high-quality data and a lingering stigma pose the greatest barriers to unraveling such mysteries. The 16-member body, formed last year among leading experts from scientific fields ranging from physics to astrobiology, held a four-hour session streamed live on a NASA webcast to deliberate their preliminary findings ahead of issuing a report expected later this summer.

(With inputs from agencies.)