NASA Wallops to Support Sounding Rocket Launch

JUN 10, 2024

A suborbital rocket is scheduled for launch the week of June 10-17 from NASA’s launch range at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. This launch is supporting the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Port Hueneme Division’s White Sands Detachment, other Department of Defense organizations, industry, and academia.

No real-time launch status updates will be available. The launch will not be livestreamed nor will launch status updates be provided during the countdown.

The rocket launch may be visible from the Chesapeake Bay region.

https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/wallops/nasa-wallops-to-support-sounding-rocket-launch/

“Earthrise” by NASA Astronaut Bill Anders

JUN 10, 2024

NASA astronaut Bill Anders took this iconic image of Earth rising over the Moon’s horizon on Dec. 24, 1968. Anders, lunar module pilot on the Apollo 8 mission, and fellow astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell became the first humans to orbit the Moon and the first to witness the sight pictured.

After becoming a fighter pilot in the Air Force, Anders was selected as an astronaut by NASA. He was backup pilot for the Gemini XI and Apollo 11 flights, and he was lunar module pilot for Apollo 8 – the first lunar orbit mission in December 1968. Anders passed away on June 7, 2024.

https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/earthrise-by-nasa-astronaut-bill-anders/

Food Safety Program for Space Has Taken Over on Earth

JUN 10, 2024

Countless NASA technologies turn up in our everyday lives, but one of the space agency’s most important contributions to modern society isn’t a technology at all – it’s the methodology that ensures the safety of the food we eat. Today the safety procedures and regulations for most of the food produced around the world are based on a system NASA created to guarantee safe food for Apollo astronauts journeying to the Moon.

For the Gemini missions, NASA and partner Pillsbury tested the food they were producing at the Manned Spacecraft Center, now Johnson Space Center in Houston, and destroyed entire batches when irregularities were found, a process similar to industry practices of the day. In response to agencywide guidelines from the Apollo Program Office aimed at ensuring the reliability of all critical systems, they altered that method for the Apollo missions.

They focused on identifying any points in the production process where hazards could be introduced, establishing procedures to eliminate or control each of those hazards, and then monitoring each of those points regularly. And they required extensive documentation of all this work. This became the foundation for the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system.

Howard Bauman, the microbiologist leading Pillsbury’s Apollo work, convinced his company to adopt the approach, and he became the leading advocate for its adoption across the food industry. That gradual process took decades, starting with the regulation of certain canned foods in the 1970s and culminating in the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, which mandated HACCP-like requirements across all food producers regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. By then, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was managing HACCP requirements for meat and poultry, while Canada and much of Europe had also put similar rules in place.

The standards also apply to any outside producers who want to export food into a country that requires HACCP, effectively spreading them across the globe.

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/tech-transfer/spinoffs/food-safety-program-for-space-has-taken-over-on-earth/

NASA’s next ISS spacewalk has an unusual objective

June 10, 2024 10:55PM

While most NASA spacewalks at the International Space Station (ISS) are for upgrade or maintenance work, the one taking place on Thursday, June 13, has a rather different objective — to find out if there are any living organisms on the exterior of the orbital outpost.

It sounds like a pretty exciting premise for an Alien-like movie, but it’s highly unlikely anything quite so horrific will result from the upcoming research.

NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Matt Dominick will spend some of their time during this week’s spacewalk collecting samples for analysis in a bid to better understand the ability of microorganisms to survive and reproduce on the outside of the ISS.

The pair will also complete the removal of a faulty electronics box, called a radio frequency group, from a communications antenna on the starboard truss of the space station, NASA said.

U.S. spacewalk 90 at the space station will be the fourth for Dyson and the first for Dominick.

Dyson arrived in orbit aboard a Soyuz spacecraft in March, while Dominick traveled aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon as part of Crew-8 and also arrived in March.

NASA will offer a live stream of the preparations for the spacewalk, as well as the spacewalk itself.

The coverage will begin at 6:30 a.m. ET , with the spacewalk set to start at 8 a.m.

The space agency will stream the spacewalk on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and NASA’s website. You can also watch it via the player embedded at the top of this page.

Viewers will be able to identify Dyson by the red strips on her spacesuit, while Dominick will wear an unmarked suit.

The work is expected to take about six-and-a-half hours, so there will be plenty of opportunities to dip in and out of the spacewalk coverage on Thursday.

If you miss it, there are two more coming up on Monday, June 24, and Tuesday, July 2.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/space/nasas-next-iss-spacewalk-has-an-unusual-objective/

Space discovery shows that the pyramids were built using water

June 11, 2024

A landmark discovery on an ancient branch of the River Nile may have solved the mystery of how the pyramids in Egypt were built centuries ago.

The now dried-out waterway, which once ran through Giza might have been used to transport the materials that were used to construct the pyramids.

The proximity to the waterway might also suggest why there is such a cluster of pyramids in that particular area of Cairo, as the large amount of water would have been able to support the various building blocks needed for the colossal structures.

The discovery was made by Dr Eman Ghoneim who used radar satellite data from space to study the Nile Valley which showed an "invisible world of information beneath the surface." Ghoneim presented her research to the 13th Congress of Egyptologists earlier this year.

Speaking to IFLScience Ghoneim said: "The length probably was really, really long, but also the width of this branch in some areas was huge.

We're talking about half a kilometer or more in terms of width, which is something that is equivalent to today's Nile course width. So it wasn't a small branch. It was a major branch.”

The defunct waterway has been dubbed the Ahramat Branch and ran from Giza to Faiyum and amazingly passed through 38 different pyramid sites.

However, without confirmation of whether the river was active during the Old and Middle Kingdoms, around 4,700 years ago, cannot fully determine if water was used to help build the pyramids.

One indication that it could have been used is that according to Ghoneim these pyramids were "located exactly at the bank of the branch that we found" which could mean that they were "valley temples" which acted like ancient ports.

The research might not just unlock the secrets of the pyramids but it could also uncover parts of ancient Egypt that have long been lost as towns disappeared when the Nile naturally migrated.

Ghoneim added: "As branches disappeared, Ancient Egyptian cities and towns also silted up and disappeared, and we have no clue actually where to find them."

https://www.indy100.com/science-tech/pyramids-built-water-river-nile-2668499629

10th FDS activates, enhances Delta 10 mission

June 10, 2024

Space Delta 10 activated the 10th Force Development Squadron during an assumption of command ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on June 6, 2024.

U.S. Space Force Col. Jack D. Fulmer II, Delta 10 commander, officiated the ceremony with U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Amber Dawson taking command of the squadron.

The 10th FDS is one of four units that constitute Delta 10, and focuses on providing warfighters with the necessary doctrine to conduct the “fight tonight.”

The 10th FDS not only produces Space Force doctrine, but it also codifies service tactics and plays a pivotal role in Space Force concept development to posture Space Force forces and designated joint and allied partners to prevail in a Contested, Degraded, Operationally Limited (CDO), all-domain environment.

“Today, as we prepare to formally activate the 10th Force Development Squadron and instill our inaugural commander, we celebrate the remarkable journey of this unit,” Fulmer said during his remarks.

“It has grown from an operating location to becoming a squadron, recognized as being the Space Force’s central hub for tactics, concepts, and doctrine development.”

According to Fulmer, the 10th FDS traces its lineage to Air Force Space Command’s S5R Doctrine Shop.

Upon the establishment of the Space Force, the unit was initially assigned to Space Operations Command and later transferred to Space Training and Readiness Command.

Following the stand-up of Delta 10 in August 2021, Delta 10 Operation Location-Alpha commenced its formal mission.

“The 10th FDS is an organization that punches far above its weight class,” Fulmer said, “ensuring that Guardians are prepared and optimized for great power competition.

I’m inspired by your dedication, professionalism, and world-class production, and I look forward to seeing you prepare Guardians for this future fight.”

Following Fulmer’s remarks, U.S. Space Force Master Sgt. Andrew Arostegui, the 10th FDS senior enlisted leader, revealed the colors and raised the guidon, initiating the assumption-of-command ceremony for the newly activated squadron.

Service members watched as Fulmer passed the colors to Dawson, entrusting her to lead as the first commander of the 10th FDS.

Prior to assuming command of the 10th FDS, Dawson served as the Deputy Director for Joint and National Security Matters, Office of the Chief Operations Officer, Headquarters, Space Force at the Pentagon.

In her inaugural address as the commander, Dawson emphasized the critical nature of the 10th FDS mission to prepare to heed the message called for by U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance B. Saltzman.

“Nothing is more critical right now as we navigate this period of major change for our service and the nation, rising to meet the challenges of great power competition,” Dawson said.

“Without the discipline to conceptualize, codify, validate, and adapt, we would drift in the winds of change without rudder or oar. Personally, I hear the CSO's message as a direct call to all of us.”

She continued, "Through doctrine, tactics, and concepts, the 10th FDS, are in the business of bottling lightning—to prepare the Joint Force and our nation to prevail in Great Power Competition and conflict, no matter what challenge may come our way.”

https://www.starcom.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3801734/10th-fds-activates-enhances-delta-10-mission/

>>21005685

>turn on the Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky while watching the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2d_vv2w–8

>>21005799

Next in my lineup

Department of the Air Force launches NIPRGPT

June 10, 2024

As part of its ongoing modernization efforts, the Department of the Air Force chief information officer, in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory, is accelerating initiatives to provide Guardians, Airmen, civilian employees, and contractors the ability to responsibly experiment with Generative AI, with adequate safeguards in place.

DAF senior leaders are focused on maximizing competitive advantage, recognizing that Airmen and Guardians need advanced technologies at the speed of relevance. To that end, the DAF is launching NIPRGPT, an experimental bridge to leverage GenAI on the Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network while continuing to explore maturing industry solutions.

“Our recent GenAI Roundtables with industry and academia have shown us this is an actively growing field,” said Venice Goodwine, DAF chief information officer. “Now is the time to give our Airmen and Guardians the flexibility to develop the necessary skills in parallel. There are multiple modernization efforts going on right now across the federal government and within the DAF to get tools in the hands of the workforce. This tool is another one of those efforts.”

NIPRGPT is part of the Dark Saber software platform developed at the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate in Rome, New York. Dark Saber is an ecosystem of Airmen and Guardians from across the DAF that brings together innovators and developers and equips them to create next-generation software and operational capabilities deployable to the Force at a rapid pace.

At no additional cost to the unit or the users, NIPRGPT is an AI chatbot that allows users to have human-like conversations to complete various tasks. The CAC-enabled GenAI tool can answer questions and assist with tasks such as correspondence, background papers and code, all within a secure computing environment.

"Technology is learned by doing," said Chandra Donelson, DAF acting chief data and artificial intelligence officer. "As our warfighters, who are closest to the problems, are learning the technology, we are leveraging their insight to inform future policy, acquisition and investment solutions."

The experiment is an opportunity to facilitate real-world testing, focusing on key metrics such as computational efficiency, resource utilization, security compliance, etc., to understand GenAI's practical applications and challenges and ensure that future implementation is effective and efficient. The platform includes user feedback opportunities to help develop governing policies and enable informed conversations with vendors as the DAF works to incorporate these tools into its operations.

"NIPRGPT is a critical bridge to ensure we get the best tools we have into our team's hands while larger commercial tools are navigating our intense security parameters and other processes,” said Alexis Bonnell, AFRL chief information officer. “Changing how we interact with unstructured knowledge is not instant perfection; we each must learn to use the tools, query, and get the best results. NIPRGPT will allow Airmen and Guardians to explore and build skills and familiarity as more powerful tools become available."

Civilian and uniformed Airmen and Guardians, as well as contractors who are CAC holders, can register for NIPRGPT access here: https://niprgpt.mil.

>>21005815

https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3800824/department-of-the-air-force-launches-niprgpt/

US Government 'signed treaty with aliens who are in cahoots with Google'

June 10, 2024

According to a UFO expert and filmmaker, the US Government has allegedly signed a secret treaty with extraterrestrial beings for mutual benefit.

Mark Christopher Lee, a researcher, exclusively told the Daily Star about this supposed agreement, which some believe was inked by the US military under President Dwight Eisenhower and concealed within the notorious Majestic 12 UFO files.

Lee boldly suggested that the notion of the government collaborating with alien life isn't as far-fetched as it sounds, even going so far as to say he believes it's a real possibility.

He also shed light on unidentified submerged objects (USOs), in addition to the more well-known UFOs.

"In a mutually beneficial way the aliens need something that we've got, hence abductions and also cattle mutilations, and in return the military gets to back engineer their technology," he explained.

He went on to discuss rumors and legends about the lost continent of Atlantis now serving as an underwater alien USO base, linking this to recent USO sightings off the coast of Malibu, California, and the alleged location of an underground USO base identified by Google Earth.

A YouTube conspiracy theorist claimed in 2017 that a photo showed the sunken "perimeter wall" of Atlantis, noting that such walls were a common method of protecting cities in the past, including Rome in 275AD.

The "city" discovered on Google Earth, which measures nearly a mile long and half a mile wide, has been blurred out by Google, according to expert Lee. He pondered,

"If it is an alien base does that mean that the aliens are in cahoots with Google? Or is it more likely that it is some secret US naval base they want to keep secret?', reports the Daily Star.

He speculated, "Maybe they have developed some USO technology. I suspect there is a base there as there have been hundreds of USO sightings further up the coast at Catalina Island in California, and I also suspect the US Government and the aliens are operating this jointly."

Lee suggested that communication between humans and aliens would most likely occur through telepathy.

"Considering that we as humans only use a small part of the brain I guess this where we will end up evolving to," he stated. "Which is why some believe the grey aliens that people have reported seeing are actually us in the future."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/us-government-signed-treaty-with-aliens-who-are-in-cahoots-with-google/ar-BB1nX3qt?