Reuters Science News Summary

SpaceX is in discussions to merge with Musk's AI startup, xAI, ahead of a blockbuster public offering planned for this year, Reuters reported on Thursday.

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.

Baby long-necked dinosaurs were a 'perfect snack' for predators

It may have been suicidal for a predator to go after a healthy adult Brachiosaurus, a behemoth weighing perhaps 60 tons that was ⁠a member of the long-necked group of dinosaurs called sauropods that included the largest land animals ever on Earth. But, as new research shows, Brachiosaurus and other sauropod babies appear to have been regular dinner fare for meat-eating dinosaurs 150 million years ago. Using multiple lines of evidence, scientists reconstructed the food web for a Jurassic Period ecosystem represented by the numerous fossils unearthed at the Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry in southwestern Colorado, mapping out who ate what and who ate whom.

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.

Exclusive-SpaceX generated about $8 billion in profit last year ahead of IPO, sources say

SpaceX generated about $8 billion in profit on $15 billion to $16 billion of revenue last year, two people familiar with the company's results said, providing fresh insight into the financial health of Elon Musk's space company that is expected to go public later this year. SpaceX's most recent financials, which have not been previously reported, led some banks to estimate that the company could raise more than $50 billion at a valuation exceeding $1.5 trillion, said the people, who asked not to be named to ⁠discuss private ‌conversations.

Galaxy cluster observed forming surprisingly early in universe's history

Observations by NASA's James ⁠Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory are providing fresh evidence that the universe grew up a lot more quickly than previously known, with observations of a galaxy cluster forming sooner after the Big Bang than once thought possible. Researchers said these observations show an emerging galaxy cluster containing at least 66 potential member galaxies, ‍with a total cluster mass of about 20 trillion stars the size of our sun, dating to about one billion years after the Big Bang event that initiated the universe roughly 13.8 billion years ago.

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.

Tesla climbs as SpaceX merger talks fuel Musk empire consolidation hopes

Shares of Tesla jumped nearly 5% on ⁠Friday after reports that SpaceX was in deal talks with Elon Musk's other companies stoked investor hopes that the billionaire's tech empire could be unified further. SpaceX is in discussions to merge with Musk's AI startup, xAI, ahead of a blockbuster public offering planned for this year, Reuters reported on Thursday. Separately, Bloomberg News reported that SpaceX is considering a merger with Tesla.

Blue Origin shutters New Shepard rocket program to focus on moon lander development

The space tourism rocket that blasted celebrities like Katy Perry and William Shatner to space ⁠is shuttering operations, at least for two years, Blue Origin said on Friday, winding down the company's centerpiece space tourism program to sharpen its focus on building a moon lander for NASA. Blue Origin, owned by billionaire Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, will "pause its ⁠New Shepard flights and shift resources to further accelerate development of the ‌company's human lunar capabilities," the company said in a statement.

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.)