Reuters Science News Summary

A Ukrainian official has posted pictures this week on social media of the wreckage of long-range Russian drones with Starlink terminals attached, and said Russia may have used Musk's system to guide drones that hit a Ukrainian passenger train on Tuesday. EU space agency ⁠signs contract to launch Galileo satellites with Ariane 6 The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has announced the signing of a new contract to launch second-generation Galileo satellites with Europe's Ariane 6 rocket launcher.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Ukraine working with SpaceX to stop Russia from using Starlink to guide drones

Ukraine is working with Elon Musk's SpaceX to stop Russia from guiding drones using the firm's Starlink internet system, the defence minister said on Thursday, after Kyiv said it ‌had found Starlinks on long-range drones used in Russian attacks. A Ukrainian official has posted pictures this week on social media of the wreckage of long-range Russian drones with Starlink terminals attached, and said Russia may have used Musk's system to guide drones that hit a Ukrainian passenger train on Tuesday.

EU space agency ⁠signs contract to launch Galileo satellites with Ariane 6

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has announced the signing of a new contract to launch second-generation Galileo satellites with Europe's Ariane 6 rocket launcher. Under the contract, announced on Tuesday, the Ariane 6 system - which completed its first mission last year - will be used to launch two Galileo L18 satellites.

China plans space-based AI data centres, challenging Musk's SpaceX ambitions

China plans to ​launch space-based artificial intelligence data centres over the next five years, state media reported on Thursday, a challenge to Elon Musk's plan to deploy SpaceX data centres to the heavens. China's main space contractor, China ‍Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), vowed to "construct gigawatt-class space digital-intelligence infrastructure," according to a five-year development plan that was cited by state broadcaster CCTV.

Hong Kong scientists launch AI model to better predict extreme weather

A team of Hong Kong scientists has developed an artificial intelligence weather-forecasting system to predict thunderstorms and heavy downpours up to four hours ahead, compared with the range of 20 minutes to two hours now. The system will help governments and emergency services respond more effectively to increasingly frequent extremes of weather linked to climate ⁠change, the ‌team from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology said ⁠on Wednesday.

York Space valued at $4.75 billion in NYSE debut on Pentagon spending bets

York Space Systems clinched a valuation of $4.75 billion in its market debut on Thursday, as investors bet on sustained Pentagon spending on space and defense to drive growth. The Denver, Colorado-based ‍company's stock opened 11.8% higher at $38 on the New York Stock Exchange. It raised $629 million in an upsized U.S. initial public offering on Wednesday after selling 18.5 million shares.

Study finds greater role for genetics in driving human lifespan

Many ​factors influence how long you live, such as diet, exercise, smoking, drinking, environment and other variables. It also helps not to get hit by a dump truck. But what about ⁠your genes? That has been a contentious question for decades. A new study points to a larger role for genetics than previous research had indicated, estimating the contribution of genes to determining human lifespan at about 50%. That is roughly double what prior research concluded, and it ⁠mirrors the findings of lifespan studies in laboratory animals.

Chinese fossils show marine animals thriving half a billion years ago

Scientists have unearthed in southern China fossils of a multitude of marine creatures dating to more than a half billion years ago, showing a deep-water ecosystem thriving in the aftermath of the first mass extinction of the animal world. The Cambrian Period fossils, about 512 million years old, are of invertebrates ⁠of various shapes and sizes, including an apex predator with menacing grasping appendages. They are exceptionally well-preserved sometimes down to the cellular level, revealing legs, gills, guts, eyes and even nerves.

SpaceX in merger ⁠talks with other Musk companies ahead of IPO

SpaceX is ‌exploring deals with other companies helmed by serial entrepreneur Elon Musk, leaving investors working through permutations between space, autonomous driving and artificial intelligence to analyze which combination makes the most sense. The rocket maker is in discussions to merge with xAI ahead of a blockbuster public offering planned for this year, Reuters reported ⁠on Thursday. The combination would bring Musk's rockets, Starlink satellites, X social media platform and Grok chatbot under one roof, according to a ‍person briefed on the matter and two regulatory filings.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)