Science News Roundup: Elbit Systems launches nanosatellite; Ethiopia's first satellite and more

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Elbit Systems launches nanosatellite for commercial communications

Israeli defense electronics firm Elbit Systems said on Wednesday its nanosatellite, called Nanova, was successfully launched into space. Nanova was developed in collaboration with an unnamed U.S. company and is planned to be a part of a nanosatellite constellation for commercial purposes.

Ethiopia launches first satellite into space

Ethiopia launched its first satellite into space on Friday, as more sub-Saharan African nations strive to develop space programs to advance their development goals and encourage scientific innovation. Before dawn on Friday, senior officials and citizens gathered at the Entoto Observatory and Research Centre just north of the capital Addis Ababa to watch a live broadcast of the satellite's launch from a space station in China.

China-Brazil satellite launched into space to monitor Amazon rainforest

An Earth observation satellite jointly developed by China and Brazil was launched into space on Friday under a bilateral programme seen as a template for broader cooperation among BRICS nations. The China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite-4A was launched on a Long March-4B rocket in the northern Chinese province of Shanxi, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Boeing launches astronaut capsule from Florida's Cape Canaveral

Boeing Co successfully launched its new astronaut capsule on Friday on an unmanned debut journey to the International Space Station, a milestone test for the U.S. aerospace firm that is vying with SpaceX to revive NASA's human spaceflight capabilities. Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, a cone-shaped pod with seven astronaut seats, blasted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral at 6:36 a.m. (1136 GMT) atop an Atlas V rocket from Boeing-Lockheed Martin Corp's United Launch Alliance.