Science News Roundup: 'Learning period' for US commercial space regulations should be extended -US Sen. Cruz; NASA names chief of UFO research; panel sees no alien evidence and more

The fast-growing sector since 2004 has been shielded from federal safety regulations by what is widely called a "learning period." India plans crucial test in crewed space mission by October India is set to conduct a key test in its ambitious crewed space mission Gaganyaan as early as next month, the project director of the mission R.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

'Learning period' for US commercial space regulations should be extended -US Sen. Cruz

A federal moratorium on commercial spaceflight safety regulations should be extended to support more innovation in the space sector, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz said on Wednesday, ahead of the scheduled expiration of a years-old ban on Oct. 1. There are currently no regulations on the safety of privately built space vehicles. The fast-growing sector since 2004 has been shielded from federal safety regulations by what is widely called a "learning period."

India plans crucial test in crewed space mission by October

India is set to conduct a key test in its ambitious crewed space mission Gaganyaan as early as next month, the project director of the mission R. Hutton told Reuters. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is currently training four astronauts and looking to expand the cohort as it aims for more future manned missions, Hutton said.

NASA names chief of UFO research; panel sees no alien evidence

NASA on Thursday said it has named a new director of research into what the government calls "unidentified anomalous phenomenon," or UAP, while the U.S. space agency's chief said an expert panel that urged deeper fact-finding on the matter found no evidence of an extraterrestrial origin for these objects. Administrator Bill Nelson made the announcement about the new research chief - without disclosing the person's identity - after the independent panel of experts recommended in a new report that NASA increase its efforts to gather information on UAP and play a larger role in helping the Pentagon detect them.

In San Francisco Bay, ecologists work to protect sevengill sharks

Meghan Holst studies the broadnose sevengill shark, so she was naturally concerned when record-setting rain this year altered the shark's nursery grounds in San Francisco Bay. But the species appears to have withstood the challenge, based on initial observations from a recent outing on the water by Holst, a 31-year-old doctoral student in conservation ecology at the University of California, Davis.

Germany signs U.S.-led space norms pact Artemis Accords

Germany on Thursday became the 29th country to sign the Artemis Accords, a U.S.-led multilateral agreement meant to establish norms of behavior in space and on the lunar surface. The signing marks a key addition to a growing slate of countries aligning their space policies and standards of cooperation with the United States, as nations including China and India eye the moon as stage for technological advances and national prestige.