Evolutionary Insights and Space Ventures: A Week in Science

The largest genomic study conducted on African elephants reveals that while overall genetic health remains stable, some isolated populations are exhibiting dangerous levels of inbreeding. Analyzing 232 elephants across 17 countries, the findings raise concerns about genetic diversity preservation in Earth's largest land animals.

In aerospace, Blue Origin's upcoming New Glenn flight is crucial for the company's competition with SpaceX. The mission features the launch of AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite and underscores the need to prove New Glenn's reusable booster capabilities against SpaceX's Falcon 9 dominance.

NASA's Artemis II mission concludes with astronauts reporting minor issues on the Orion capsule's heat shield, while China's Shenzhou-21 crew extends their mission by a month. Boeing, meanwhile, aims to increase satellite deliveries, and a new study updates the geological narrative of the Grand Canyon, deepening understanding of its formation over millions of years.