Reuters Science News Summary

Starship V3, uncrewed and featuring dozens of upgrades tailored for rapid Starlink satellite launches and NASA moon missions, was to be ⁠a key test for the vehicle following months of ⁠testing delays. SpaceX IPO filing lifts European space stocks European space stocks jumped on Thursday after Elon Musk's SpaceX filed for a stock market listing, raising hopes that a landmark debut could lift valuations across the sector.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

SpaceX's Starship flight hits most targets in pre-IPO test

SpaceX completed a largely successful ​test flight of its next-generation Starship rocket on Friday, deploying a clutch of mock satellites ​and executing a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean in a ‌high-stakes ​debut of the newly upgraded vehicle as Elon Musk's company prepares to go public. The latest uncrewed launch of Starship - designed to enable more frequent Starlink satellite launches and to send future NASA missions to the moon - achieved a key milestone for the vehicle following months of testing delays. The outcome ‌could also boost investor confidence ahead of SpaceX's initial public offering next month, expected to be the largest in history.

Factbox-Starship test flights, from explosions to mock satellite deployments

SpaceX is set to launch the 12th uncrewed test flight of its Starship rocket on Thursday, the debut of a redesigned vehicle central to Elon Musk's plans for the moon, Mars and the company's looming U.S. listing. The Starship system, made up of SpaceX's Super ‌Heavy booster and Starship upper-stage vehicle, is designed to be fully reusable and is built to carry crew and cargo.

Chicks hatch from artificial egg as US company aims to revive extinct species

A ‌U.S. company said more than two dozen healthy baby chickens have hatched from an artificial egg platform it has developed in what it calls a pivotal step in its plan to bring back the South Island Giant Moa, a large flightless bird from New Zealand that went extinct centuries ago. The announcement was made this week by Colossal Biosciences, a company dedicated to "de-extinction" - resurrecting vanished species. The moa is one of two birds - the dodo being the other - among the six species in ⁠its portfolio ​to revive, guided by ancient DNA. The company said last ⁠year that it had genetically engineered the dire wolf, an extinct Ice Age predator.

Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza built with sophisticated quake resistance

If ever there were a structure built to stand the test of time, it surely would be the ⁠Great Pyramid of Giza, a transcendent monument to human imagination and ambition. Since being erected during the Old Kingdom period of ancient Egypt, it has stood impassively as time marched on and civilizations rose and fell. Researchers now have ​discovered one of the reasons for its astonishing durability - it was designed and built with structural features that have helped it withstand the destructive energy of earthquakes since its construction about 4,600 ⁠years ago as the tomb of the pharaoh Khufu.

Analysis-SpaceX IPO bets $2 trillion on Musk's ambitious rockets-to-AI vision

Investors buying into SpaceX's nearly $2 trillion IPO are making a high-stakes wager that CEO Elon Musk can turn a fast-growing satellite business into something far bigger, ⁠using an ​unproven rocket to unlock an ambitious push into AI. Musk has grown SpaceX into the world's largest rocket business by launching thousands of Starlink internet satellites and pioneering reusable rockets that have transformed the economics of space.

SpaceX scrubs launch of upgraded Starship from Texas, to retry Friday

SpaceX on Thursday scrubbed the launch of its 12th Starship rocket from Texas and said it will attempt the high-stakes test flight ⁠again on Friday, as Elon Musk's space company nears a record-breaking public listing. Starship V3, uncrewed and featuring dozens of upgrades tailored for rapid Starlink satellite launches and NASA moon missions, was to be ⁠a key test for the vehicle following months of ⁠testing delays.

SpaceX IPO filing lifts European space stocks

European space stocks jumped on Thursday after Elon Musk's SpaceX filed for a stock market listing, raising hopes that a landmark debut could lift valuations across the sector. French satellite operator Eutelsat rose 20% to its highest in more than a year. German ‌satellite maker OHB gained 15% ‌while Luxembourg-based SES added 3.7%. If completed at the reported valuation, SpaceX's listing would be the first ​U.S. market debut initial public offering worth above $1 trillion.