Reuters Science News Summary

Following is a summary of current science news briefs. Blue Origin launch pad repairs could take 'serious time', NASA chief ​tells CNBC Damage to a Blue Origin launch pad from the spectacular explosion ​of the company's giant New Glenn rocket during ‌a ​test firing of its engines last week will "take some serious time" to repair, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told CNBC on Monday.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Blue Origin launch pad repairs could take 'serious time', NASA chief ​tells CNBC

Damage to a Blue Origin launch pad from the spectacular explosion ​of the company's giant New Glenn rocket during ‌a ​test firing of its engines last week will "take some serious time" to repair, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told CNBC on Monday. A 2028 time frame was "within the realm" of possibility, he said in an interview at CNBC's CEO Council Summit, ‌the network reported.

A bachelor's in rare earths? In China, there are schools for that

Every year, several hundred young adults head to the steppes of northern China to learn about rare earths at schools like the Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology. After completing undergraduate study, they may venture a few kilometers up the six-lane Rare Earths Street in Baotou, ‌where they can work for state-owned refiners that convert the critical minerals into magnets that power jet engines, electric vehicles and wind turbines. Or, the graduates may ‌pursue further studies at the nearby Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute – roughly 150 km (93 miles) from the world’s largest rare earths mine.

Norway recovers porcelain, chandeliers from 18th century shipwreck

Archaeologists have recovered a trove of Chinese porcelain and European-made goods from a recently discovered 18th-century shipwreck off the coast of Norway, government and museum officials said on Monday. Among the goods found in the remains of the unnamed sailing ship ⁠were tightly ​stacked white and blue porcelain bowls as well ⁠as goblets, textiles, grain and parts of chandeliers, the Norwegian Maritime Museum said.

Blue Origin faces months of delays after rocket explosion damages launch pad

Blue Origin faces a months-long setback after the explosion of ⁠a rocket damaged its launch pad, company and industry sources said, scrambling schedules for Amazon satellite launches and bolstering SpaceX's dominance in the commercial launch market. The mishap, which occurred during a ​test fire of the engines for the New Glenn rocket's launch next week, comes at a critical time for Jeff Bezos' business empire. His ⁠companies Blue Origin and Amazon are seeking to establish themselves as viable challengers in the heavy-lift and global satellite internet network industries, competing with Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Astronomers discover exoplanets with magnetic fields

Based on the behavior ⁠of ​winds on seven large and hot gas exoplanets, astronomers have obtained the strongest evidence to date that planets beyond our solar system possess magnetic fields, like Earth and five other planets in our solar system. The finding, based on observations by telescopes in Chile and Hawaii, deepens the understanding of exoplanets by showing that at ⁠least some share an important characteristic present in all but two of the solar system's eight planets. A magnetic field is an invisible force field generated by ⁠the movement of electrically conducting material deep ⁠inside a planet - a molten metal core - combined with the planet's rotation.

Impulse Space raises $500 million at $4.26 billion valuation as space investing surges

Impulse Space, a startup building spacecraft that can ferry satellites and other payloads around in orbit after launch, said on Tuesday ‌it has raised $500 million ‌in a Series D funding round. The funding round values the company at $4.26 billion, according to ​a person familiar with the matter.