Science News Roundup: SpaceX postpones debut flight of Starship rocket, citing frozen valve; Argentina battles major dengue outbreak with atomic radiation and more

The South American country has this year recorded over 41,000 cases of the disease transmitted by mosquitoes, far above the equivalent level in previous years of major outbreaks in 2020 and 2016, government data showed. Dead birds get new life: New Mexico researchers develop taxidermy bird drones Scientists in New Mexico are giving dead birds a new life with an unconventional approach to wildlife research.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Argentina battles major dengue outbreak with atomic radiation

Argentine, fighting one of its worst outbreaks of dengue in recent years, is sterilizing mosquitoes using radiation that alters their DNA before releasing them into the wild. The South American country has this year recorded over 41,000 cases of the disease transmitted by mosquitoes, far above the equivalent level in previous years of major outbreaks in 2020 and 2016, government data showed.

Dead birds get new life: New Mexico researchers develop taxidermy bird drones

Scientists in New Mexico are giving dead birds a new life with an unconventional approach to wildlife research. A team at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro is taking birds that have been preserved through taxidermy and converting them into drones in order to study flight.

SpaceX postpones debut flight of Starship rocket, citing frozen valve

Elon Musk's SpaceX called off the highly anticipated debut launch of its newly-combined Starship cruise vessel and Super Heavy rocket in the final minutes of countdown due to a frozen valve, delaying the uncrewed test flight for at least two days. The two-stage rocketship, standing taller than the Statue of Liberty at 394 feet (120 m) high, was originally slated for blast-off from the SpaceX "Starbase" facility at Boca Chica, Texas, during a two-hour launch window that began at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT).

(With inputs from agencies.)