TYB
SpaceX Making Life Multi-Planetary
November 18, 2024
SpaceX was founded to increase access to space and help make life multiplanetary.
In just this year, we’ve launched 114 successful Falcon missions and counting for our commercial and government customers, deployed ~1,700 @Starlink satellites to provide high-speed internet for millions of people all around the world, and made extraordinary strides developing Starship’s capability to return humanity to the Moon and ultimately send people to Mars.
If you want to join the team and help build a more exciting future, check out the latest job openings across the company → https://www.spacex.com/careers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T43sbhCKvBY
NSSA participates in World Space Leaders Summit held at COP29
Updated: 05:26 PM
The Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azercosmos) hosted the Summit of Space Leaders as part of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) and the "Science, Technology, and Innovation Day."
The summit, themed "Space Challenges in the Fight Against Climate Change: Summit of Space Leaders," focused on the critical role of space technology in addressing climate challenges and fostering collaboration between global and emerging space agencies.
The event brought together 80 representatives from the international space community, including senior officials from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, China, Turkey, Brazil, Norway, and Hungary.
Key participants included the heads of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO), the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the Commonwealth, and other relevant United Nations and international organisations.
Samaddin Asadov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Azercosmos, remarked: "At the Summit of Space Leaders, one of the high-level events under the umbrella of COP29, we are witnessing once again how space supports global ambitions, contributes to improved actions, and fosters international cooperation."
The National Space Science Agency (NSSA) was represented by its CEO, Dr. Mohammed Ebrahim Al Aseeri, and Amal Al Binali, Chief of Strategic Planning and Projects.
During his address, Dr. Al Aseeri outlined Bahrain's efforts to leverage space science and technology in combating climate change.
He highlighted initiatives to build national capacity and monitor environmental indicators, emphasising Bahrain's commitment to advancing international space cooperation.
The summit’s final statement underscored the importance of strengthening international partnerships, aligning with the objectives of the United Nations' 2030 Space Agenda, and advancing space-based solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
https://www.bna.bh/en/news?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2BDi3FYyL8K2h0OFwX6zzOl4Q%3D
Watch this stunning aurora unfold from 257 miles above Earth
November 18, 2024 4:59 PM
Stunning footage from the International Space Station (ISS) shows a glorious-looking aurora shimmering above our planet.
Captured last month and shared by the ISS on X over the weekend, the footage (below) begins with a faint green tinge on Earth’s horizon as seen from the space station some 257 miles up.
But as the video continues, the green tinge develops into something far more spectacular, all against a gorgeous star-filled backdrop.
“The International Space Station soars above an aurora blanketing the Earth underneath a starry sky before orbiting into a sunrise 257 miles above Quebec, Canada, on October 30, 2024,” NASA said in a message accompanying the 60-second video.
Aurora, which are caused by the interaction of solar wind with the Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere, are a common sight for astronauts aboard the ISS, especially during periods of heightened solar activity.
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, who recently departed the station after a six-month stay in orbit, referred to aurora as “insane,” and shared an incredible video showing one streaming behind Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft when it was docked at the ISS earlier this year.
After witnessing aurora from the orbital outpost, another NASA astronaut, Jasmin Moghbeli, commented, “Every single time I’m amazed at how alive and beautiful our planet is,” while current ISS astronaut Don Pettit described a recent experience as, “stunning. He added: “We were not flying above the aurora, we were flying in the aurora. And it was blood red.”
Just last month, Pettit, who at 69 is NASA’s oldest serving astronaut, expressed the phenomenon in his own unique way, saying: “The sun goes burp and the atmosphere turns red.”
https://www.digitaltrends.com/space/watch-this-stunning-aurora-captured-from-space/
https://x.com/Space_Station/status/1857827218686148992
A U.S. Senate subcommittee will hear from the Pentagon's UFO office tomorrow, and you can watch live.
November 19, 2024
Director Jon T. Kosloski of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO, will testify before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities on Tuesday (Nov. 19) starting at 4:30 p.m. ET (2130 GMT).
A closed-door session off-limits to the public will be held prior to the open session, beginning at 3:15 p.m. ET (2015 GMT).
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/to-receive-testimony-on-the-activities-of-the-all-domain-anomaly-resolution-office
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/pentagon-ufo-office-testifies-to-us-senate-on-tuesday-watch-it-live-here-video
Green auroras and a SpaceX Dragon glow in new astronaut photos from the ISS
November 19, 2024
There's a fire in the sky, and it's not because of the Dragon in sight.
NASA astronaut Don Pettit captured both an aurora and a docked SpaceX Dragon spacecraft at the International Space Station (ISS) recently.
In the timelapse photo, city lights appear as glowing streaks on Earth, some 250 miles (400 kilometers) below the orbiting complex.
Meanwhile, high activity from the sun sparked green northern lights visible on the horizon. (Auroras happen when charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's upper atmosphere.)
As shown in his other photos, however, Pettit sometimes crops his images so the outline of the ISS window is not visible.
But the four-time spaceflyer added that he's conscientious about such framing.
"When observing Earth, I like the effect of an oval window," Pettit wrote Sunday (Nov. 12) on X, formerly Twitter, of his view from the ISS.
"It adds a certain measure of aesthetics over that of a round window," Pettit noted of photographing through the oval.
"However," he joked, "when you are living in a metal can for six months at a time, I will be happy with any shape of window."
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/green-auroras-and-a-spacex-dragon-glow-in-new-astronaut-photos-from-the-iss
Senators ask Pentagon and DOJ to investigate Putin-Musk calls
November 19, 2024
wo key senators are asking the Department of Justice and the Defense Department to investigate alleged calls between SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
In a pair of letters dated Nov. 15, Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) raised concerns about risks to national security about the calls, reported Oct. 25 by the Wall Street Journal, between Musk and Putin over the last two years.
“These relationships between a well-known U.S. adversary and Mr. Musk, a beneficiary of billions of dollars in U.S. government funding, pose serious questions regarding Mr. Musk’s reliability as a government contractor and a clearance holder,” they wrote in one letter, to the inspector general of the Defense Department and Attorney General Merrick Garland, referencing Musk’s own statements that he holds a top secret clearance.
Such an investigation is warranted, they said, “to determine whether this behavior should force a review of Mr. Musk’s continued involvement in SpaceX’s varying contracts with the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community.”
It is unclear if the Pentagon and the Justice Department will act on the request. Garland will leave office no later than Jan. 20 at the end of the Biden administration, and the incoming Trump administration may be less willing to pursue such claims.
A second letter, to Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, raised concerns about relying on SpaceX for space access and communications.
That extended beyond the reports of the Musk-Putin calls to dependence on the company as a sole supplier of some capabilities.
“We are also concerned that SpaceX’s Starlink is the only commercial service available to offer global broadband connectivity in low-Earth orbit,” the senators wrote.
“A robust and competitive space industrial base with multiple providers is the only way the Department can ensure there are options to maintain access to this critical capability in the event of a crisis or conflict.”
Reed and Shaheen asked Kendall to provide a briefing on this particular case “and on your efforts to increase competition among commercial space capability providers” no later than Dec. 1.
While some claim that SpaceX has a monopoly on areas like launch, the company argues that it is simply executing where others are not.
“It’s not a planned monopoly if our competitors could get it together,” Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX, said Nov. 15 at the 31st Annual Baron Investment Conference.
“We have $22 billion worth of government contracts. We earned that. We bid it. We were the lowest price, best bidder.
We won, and we execute,” she said. “It’s not a bad thing to serve the U.S. government with great capability and products.”
Reed is the current chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, while Shaheen serves on that committee and also chairs the commerce, justice and science subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which funds NASA.
NASA was not included in the letters, and its reliance on SpaceX did not come up. However, the day of the Wall Street Journal report, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his concerns about the potential conversations.
“I think it should be investigated,” he said at a Semafor conference. “If the story is true that there have been multiple conversations between Elon Musk and the president of Russia, then I think that would be concerning, particularly for NASA, for the Department of Defense, for some of the intelligence agencies.”
Shotwell, at the investment conference, was not asked and did not discuss the alleged calls between Putin and Musk. “Our relationship with NASA is really extraordinary,” she said.
https://spacenews.com/senators-ask-pentagon-and-doj-to-investigate-putin-musk-calls/
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3967734/ssc-perigee-commanders-conference-focuses-on-connection-culture-hybrid-workforce/
SSC Perigee Commander’s Conference focuses on connection, culture, hybrid workforce
Nov. 18, 2024
Senior-level leaders from across Space Systems Command came together this week to discuss building better connections, Guardian culture, and the future of the hybrid workforce at the “SSC Perigee Commander’s Conference.”
About 120 SSC leaders, many joined by their spouses, attended the event Nov. 13-14, at SSC headquarters located at Los Angeles Air Force Base.
The conference, led by facilitators from the Arbinger Institute and SSC’s Atlas X organization, was designed to foster the SSC leadership community.
“This year’s SSC Perigee Commander’s Conference is unlike any others you’ve attended in the past,” said Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, SSC commander.
“Instead of typical organization updates, we’re focusing on connecting the command and actively working on implementation of our Command Plan.
We’re focusing on culture and, specifically, developing a command-wide hybrid workforce policy informed by leaders across the command.
Col. Michelle Idle, SSC deputy commander, said the goal of the conference was to “get all members of leadership on the same page, with a common understanding of where we want to go as an organization, and how they’re being empowered to lead.”
“Culture is very amorphous,” Idle said. “I can’t bring everybody in and say, ‘This is culture – execute.’ Commander’s conferences typically talk about specific strategies of how to execute a mission.
What we’ve done instead, is to share our vision for how we’re going to build SSC’s workforce and instill the pride and ownership of that mission.”
Measuring whether and how the culture has improved will be tricky, Idle said, but a strong culture will help drive outcomes.
“It’s about creating a shared consciousness across our leaders,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jacqueline Sauvé, SSC senior enlisted leader.
“When we establish and create that, it enables our leaders to demonstrate that consciousness and permeate it across their formations, so we’re all saying the same thing and showing up for our teams as one, shared voice.”
The conference also gives leaders a voice, Sauvé said, and to bring their individual perspectives to the field command level.
She noted the conference’s approach was similar to how SSC’s Command Plan was drafted, with considerable input and feedback from all levels.
Jason “JW” Womack, Leader Development for Operational Readiness strategist, led the introductory session Nov. 13 on “Building Connection.”
People crave connection, but fear connecting because there’s risk involved. He challenged the leaders to think about and practice making authentic connections with others and to determine where there is a lack of connection in their units.
“What are your Guardians and Airmen not connected to?” Womack asked.
Womack said his research had identified seven weak connections to be strengthened: 1. Connection to self – people who may not like or trust themselves or see themselves in the mission;
-
Connection to the mission; 3. Connection to one another; 4. Connection to the current context; 5. Connection to the unit/service heritage; 6. Connection to stakeholders and partners; and 7. Connection to the future.
“It’s November and soon December,” Womack said. “Traditionally, these can be tough times for many of our members. What can you do, and how can you hold one another accountable to creating those connections?”
Tommy McInnis, SSC Integrated Resilience and Prevention chief, and Christine Hayes, Sexual Assault Response coordinator, next gave an overview of personnel resources and led participants in discussions of how they, as leaders, would handle fictional scenarios involving suicide and sexual assault and who the leaders could contact if they needed more advice.
1/2
“We have evidence that sexual assault is very underreported,” McInnis said. “Don’t be alarmed if your numbers go up. Look at it as your Airmen, Guardians receiving care. That’s the goal.”
Mike Merchant, senior consultant with Arbinger, started the discussion on “Building a Guardian Culture” by outlining how mindset can drive behaviors which in turn drive results.
He also outlined the difference between an inward mindset – focused on the self, “What’s in it for me?” – and an outward mindset – with a focus on mission and treating other people as though they matter.
SSC Atlas X organization provided five sentence prompts on culture covering teamwork, high standards, accountability, innovation, and clarity and openness to generate discussions, then the participants broke into small groups for discussion.
Among the points raised by participants: SSC culture is bigger than just Los Angeles; the need to consider that SSC includes both acquisition and operations personnel; ownership of outcomes, including failures; how to incorporate stretch goals and encourage people to be ambitious; and how to ensure Guardian culture is translated to the lowest levels.
Day two of the conference focused on discussing how SSC can maximize the opportunities stemming from establishing and improving a Hybrid Workforce (Action 2.2 in SSC’s Command Plan) while also building a Guardian Culture (Action 2.4) and Deepening Connection with our Workforce (Line of Effort 3).
While the federal Office of Personnel Management has specific guidance on telework and remote work, “hybrid work” or “hybrid workforce” is not specifically defined.
Participants discussed what the transition might look like, moving from a pandemic-necessitated maximum telework posture to new hybrid work arrangements that balance remote work, telework and in-person work to best advance organizational health and performance.
Participants broke into small groups to discuss what the “guardrails” and minimum expectations would be in establishing and improving a hybrid workforce, including what the minimum attendance/participation standards could be, what tools and training supervisors would need, how the command could provide a quality hybrid “user experience,” and what resources are needed.
The conference concluded with a presentation on building resilience by Mark Brennan, holistic health integrator and members of the Patrick/Cape Guardian Resilience Team, focusing on the USSF Holistic Health approach.
Participants went through a series of exercises and small group sessions designed to evaluate their values and goals, and how they measured up across the eight interrelated domains that make up the Total Force Fitness framework: physical, financial, spiritual, preventive care, environmental, nutritional, and psychological.
Spouses who participated in the conference took part in several of the opening day discussions, followed by tours of Millennium Space Systems, SpaceX and SSC’s Space Den on the conference’s second day.
Providing spouses with an inside look at some of the work their significant others are performing, helps create greater connectivity – and that’s what the conference was all about.
2/2
USecAF underscores Vandenberg SFB’s role in national security
Nov. 18, 2024
Under Secretary of the Air Force Melissa Dalton visited Vandenberg Space Force Base, Nov. 14, to meet with Guardians and Airmen and gain a better understanding of the base’s diverse missions.
This marked Dalton’s first immersion at a Space Force base in her current role, providing an important opportunity to highlight the operations and capabilities of the Space Force’s West Coast Spaceport and Test Range.
Vandenberg SFB is home to Space Launch Delta 30 and more than 20 mission partners to include Space Force and Air Force training squadrons and America’s only dedicated Intercontinental Ballistic Missile test squadron.
Dalton toured Space Delta 1s 533rd Training Squadron, which facilitates various space training and readiness courses for Guardians.
“The training provided here directly contributes to the Space Force’s ability to secure our nation’s interests in, from and to space,” Dalton said.
“The 533rd ensures our Guardians are prepared to operate in an increasingly congested and contested domain.”
Additionally, Dalton visited the 532nd Training Squadron, which conducts specialized training for the nation's ICBM operations.
She also engaged with personnel from the 377th Test and Evaluation Group to learn more about Minuteman III ICBM tests and how the unit measures the current and future capabilities of the ICBM force.
“The Minuteman III is an essential element of our nation’s nuclear triad,” Dalton said. “I could not be more impressed with the airmen who ensure the Minuteman III remains safe, secure, effective and credible every day.”
As the Department of the Air Force continues to posture itself to prevail in an era of great power competition, Vandenberg’s role in training, ICBM testing, and assured access to space will remain critical.
Reflecting on her visit, Dalton noted how Guardians and Airmen at Vandenberg SFB safeguard national security and advance the United States' interests.
"The dedication and expertise of Guardians and Airmen at Team V are vital to maintaining our strategic advantage and ensuring our readiness for any future challenge," she said.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3971043/usecaf-underscores-vandenberg-sfbs-role-in-national-security/
There was a mistake in the headline, can you please change it to "A U.S. Senate subcommittee will hear from the Pentagon's UFO office today, and you can watch live"