Regal return
Monarch butterflies are bouncing back in style after an alarming slump in their fortunes (New Scientist, 12 March, p 4). Mexico’s Federal Ministry for Environmental Protection announced last week that around 200 million are migrating south from North America, 10 times as many as made the 5000-kilometre trip last year.
Ariane-5 delayed
Europe’s most powerful heavy-lift rocket, the Ariane-5 ECA, failed to blast off as scheduled last Saturday because of problems with equipment on the ground. The rocket, on its third flight, is due to launch two satellites weighing about 9.6 tonnes in total – its heaviest payload yet. On its maiden flight…
