TYB!
https://www.newsweek.com/mysterious-help-markings-spotted-la-google-maps-what-we-know-2021429
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/lapd-responds-help-messages-seen-downtown-los-angeles/3616854/
https://x.com/LAPDCentral/status/1883893148965052661
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlqI1l1ly1k
Mysterious 'Help' Markings Spotted in LA on Google Maps: What We Know
Updated Jan 27, 2025 at 9:45 PM EST
Mysterious etchings at what appears to be a Los Angeles rail yard have captured the attention of internet sleuths.
Social media users recently noticed that Google Maps' satellite imagery shows the words "HELP" and "TRAFICO" written out with large pieces of debris in an empty yard off the San Bernardino Freeway.
A group of self-described adventurers from the FaZe Clan also claim to have seen the messages in person.
The Los Angeles Police Department told Newsweek the property belongs to the Union Pacific Railroad.
A spokesperson for the Union Pacific Police Department told Newsweek: "Photos circulating on Google maps that show the word 'help' on Union Pacific property were created about a year ago - no one was or is in danger.
A man trespassed on Union Pacific and other nearby properties to repeatedly create these misleading messages.
We want to remind the public that it is illegal - and more importantly unsafe - to trespass on Union Pacific property."
The images have raised concerns among users who fear the yard's location might be connected to human trafficking crimes.
'Tráfico' translates to 'Traffic' in English. A video of the livestream hosted by members of the FaZe Clan investigating the markings has also garnered over 1.3 million views on X, formerly Twitter.
Concerns about the "help" signs appear to stem from a tweet that Dom Lucre, an internet personality with 1.5 million X followers, posted on X Sunday.
The Union Pacific Police Department spokesperson told Newsweek the images shown on Google Maps are a year old.
After hearing about the markings, three of FaZe Clan's members visited the location and captured the word "help" spelled out with large pipes on video. The group also noticed a drone flying above the yard.
Another user by the handle @nmewrath interviewed one of the individuals living in the alley that the FaZe Clan was trying to enter, asking what those "help" signs were about.
The woman credited one man with always putting those up, saying, "It's just one guy. He always—he puts that," as she gestured to the signs.
She said his name was Jose, and he was based under the bridge on the other side of the yard.
She said she does not know if there are any real concerns about human trafficking but added that she believes it's the same man behind all the markings.
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Dom Lucre, an internet personality, wrote on X Sunday alongside screenshots of the yard from Google Maps:
"This disturbing message was spotted on Google Maps in Los Angeles, California, with the words 'Help' and 'Traffico' written in the debris, surrounded by shipping containers.
It has been confirmed that the lot next to this location is a shipping yard which has led users to fear that this is connected to human trafficking or worse."
The unidentified woman in @nmewrath's video said: "He is the one that puts it all the time, you know? But he puts it all the time.
He writes it everywhere. I don't know if you see it… They're supposed to be 'human trafficking'… We don't know, I mean, he just always, for some reason, it's been years that he's been doing it."
Josette Caruso, an X user with over 75,700 followers, posted Sunday: "Apparently they're doing a lot of construction in that area and people, both homeless and not and small businesses are being displaced.
It's mostly Hispanic people living there and many of them have lived and had businesses in the area for 30+ years and are being forced out in favour of this construction.
It may be a homeless man mad at being forced to move his encampment like some have said, it may be several locals coming together and trying to scare away the construction, it may even be a street artist like some L.A. residents have speculated.
"But looking at the pictures and the sheer size of some of the materials used to create these "signs" I'd be willing to bet it's not anyone being trafficked and legitimately looking for help… it's too obvious and would put them in too much danger.
I'd put my money more on some sort of protest from an angry inhabitant(s) of the area."
It is unclear whether officials are investigating the location or if the calls for "help" are of legitimate concern.
The internet personalities approached people in tents and cars in a nearby alley, asking for interviews. However, individuals in a truck that drove past allegedly told them to "get out."
It is unclear from the video what the people in the car said. As they continued to walk the fence around the yard, they said they saw a guard dog and began sprinting away.
Asked about the live stream, Union Pacific Police Department told Newsweek the matter is not an ongoing issue.
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Hubble Spots a Supernova
Jan 31, 2025
The subject of this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image is a supernova-hosting galaxy located about 600 million light-years away in the constellation Gemini.
Hubble captured this image roughly two months after a supernova named SN 2022aajn was discovered.
The supernova is visible as a blue dot at the center of the image, brightening the hazy body of the galaxy.
Other than the announcement of its discovery in November 2022, SN 2022aajn has never been the subject of published research. Why then would Hubble observe this supernova?
SN 2022aajn is what’s known as a Type Ia supernova, which results from the explosion of the core of a dead star. Supernovae of this type help astronomers measure the distance to faraway galaxies.
This is possible because Type Ia supernovae have the same intrinsic luminosity — no matter how bright they seem from Earth, they put out the same amount of light as other Type Ia supernovae.
By comparing the observed brightness to the known intrinsic brightness, researchers can calculate the distance to the supernova and its host galaxy.
This seemingly simple way of measuring distances is complicated by cosmic dust. The farther away a supernova is, the fainter and redder it will appear — but intergalactic dust can make a supernova appear fainter and redder as well.
To understand this complication, researchers will use Hubble to survey a total of 100 Type Ia supernovae in seven wavelength bands from ultraviolet to near-infrared.
This image combines data taken at four infrared wavelengths. Infrared light passes through dust more easily than visible or ultraviolet light.
By comparing the brightness of the sampled supernovae across different wavelengths, researchers can disentangle the effects of dust and distance, helping to improve measurements of galaxies billions of light-years away.
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-spots-a-supernova/
Sols 4439-4440: A Lunar New Year on Mars
Jan 31, 2025
Earth planning date: Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025
We’re planning sols 4439 and 4440 on the first day of the Lunar New Year here on Earth, and I’m the Geology/Mineralogy Science Theme Lead for today.
The new year is a time for all kinds of abundance and good luck, and we are certainly lucky to be celebrating another new year on Mars with the Curiosity rover!
The rover’s current position is on the north side of the “Texoli” butte west of the “Rustic Canyon” crater, and we are on our way southwest through the layered sulfate unit toward a possible boxwork structure that we hope to study later this year.
Today’s workspace included a couple of representative bedrock blocks with contrasting textures, so we planned an APXS elemental chemistry measurement on one (“Deer Springs”) and a LIBS elemental measurement on another (“Taco Peak”).
For imaging, there were quite a few targets in view making it possible to advance a variety of science goals.
The ChemCam remote imager was used for a mosaic on “Wilkerson Butte” to observe the pattern of resistant and recessive layering.
Mastcam mosaics explored some distant landforms (“Sandstone Peak,” “Wella’s Peak”) as well as fractures, block shapes and textures, and aeolian ripples closer to the rover (“Tahquitz Peak,” “Mount Islip,” “Vasquez Rocks,” “Dawson Saddle”).
Our regular environmental science measurements were made as well, to track atmospheric opacity and dust activity. So our planning sols include an abundance of targets indeed.
Fun fact: Today’s name “Vasquez Rocks” comes from a site on Earth in Southern California that has been a popular spot for science fiction filming, appearing in several episodes of “Star Trek” going back to the original series!
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/sols-4439-4440-a-lunar-new-year-on-mars/
Spacewalkers Complete Radio Hardware Removal and Microbe Search
January 30, 2025
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore concluded their spacewalk at 1:09 p.m. EST Jan. 30.
It was the ninth spacewalk for Williams and the fifth for Wilmore, and it was the 274th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
Williams surpassed former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson’s record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut. Williams now has 62 hours, 6 minutes of total spacewalk time, fourth on NASA’s all-time list.
Williams and Wilmore completed their primary objectives, including removing a radio frequency group antenna assembly from the station’s truss and collecting samples of surface material for analysis from the Destiny laboratory and the Quest airlock.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2025/01/30/spacewalkers-complete-radio-hardware-removal-and-microbe-search/
ESA and European Commission to Build Quantum-Secure Space Communications Network
January 31, 2025
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission consolidated their cooperation on the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI), marking the successful conclusion of negotiations and clearing the way for development to begin.
EuroQCI is an advanced network that aims to protect everything from personal data to Europe’s critical infrastructure, using proven principles of quantum physics.
EuroQCI will enhance the security of critical government data by leveraging quantum key distribution (QKD), a technology that uses the principles of quantum physics to detect any attempt at interception.
The system will also protect Europe’s vital infrastructure – from power grids that supply our electricity to emergency services that protect our communities in times of crises.
This marks a significant step toward meeting the EU’s Digital Decade target of being at the forefront of quantum capabilities by 2030.
The technology works through two complementary systems. On Earth, it leverages existing fibre-optic internet cables enhanced with quantum security features.
In space, ESA is leading the development of a satellite constellation through its Optical and Quantum Communications – Scylight programme to expand the reach of the QKD secure network across Europe and beyond.
This effort is being advanced through ESA’s Security And cryptoGrAphic mission (SAGA), which will demonstrate and validate space-based quantum technologies in orbit.
In partnership with an industrial consortium led by SES Techcom and the European Commission, ESA is also supporting the development of Eagle-1, the first satellite for this space-based QKD system, scheduled for launch in 2026.
The project has received strong backing from all 27 EU Member States, demonstrating its importance for Europe’s future.
The European Commission launched its first implementation phase for EuroQCI in 2023, with the next milestone focused on its gradual integration into IRIS², Europe’s new secure satellite constellation.
“Today, we celebrate the successful conclusion of negotiations and the signing of this Agreement, a pivotal step forward that highlights the power of partnership in achieving ambitious goals,” said Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s Director General.
“Through our collaboration with the European Commission and Member States, we will ensure EuroQCI sets the global standard for secure and innovative quantum communication.
ESA will lead the Contracting, Design, and Qualification authority, developing EuroQCI to protect critical information and assets, and spearheading R&D activities in space-based quantum technologies.”
Laurent Jaffart, ESA’s Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications, said:
“By integrating quantum-based systems into existing infrastructures, EuroQCI will create a secure communication layer resistant to emerging cyber threats, advancing Europe’s cybersecurity strategy and strengthening our leadership in quantum technologies.”
Roberto Viola, the European Commission’s Director-General of Communications Networks, Content and Technology, said:
“Yesterday, the Commission had announced the Competitiveness Compass, the key policy agenda for the coming years, which includes maintaining a leading position in quantum technologies.
I therefore welcome the agreement with ESA under the EuroQCI, which brings us one step closer to realising our vision in quantum and more specifically of a quantum safe communication network for Europe based on terrestrial and satellite technologies.
This agreement builds on our long-standing partnership with ESA in key space technologies and applications such as Copernicus, Galileo and IRIS² initiative.”
https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/01/31/esa-and-european-commission-to-build-quantum-secure-space-communications-network/
Egypt and Kenya Strengthen Space Collaboration with High-Level Delegation Visit
January 31, 2025
In a move that strengthens African collaboration in the space sector, Professor Dr. Sherif Sedky, CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency, received a high-level delegation headed by Brigadier Hilary Kipkosgei, CEO of the Kenya Space Agency, during an official visit aimed at enhancing the strategic partnership between the two countries and advancing Africa’s space agenda to new horizons.
The visit began with a bilateral meeting in the VIP hall at the Egyptian Space Agency headquarters, attended by senior management officials.
The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the fields of satellite technology, technology localization, and human capacity building. During the meeting, Dr. Sedky emphasized that
"This visit represents an opportunity to integrate Kenyan and Egyptian expertise in support of the continent’s goals, particularly as Egypt hosts the permanent headquarters of the African Space Agency, which will serve as a platform for launching unified space initiatives."
– Professor Dr. Sherif Sedky, CEO, Egyptian Space Agency
https://techafricanews.com/2025/01/31/egypt-and-kenya-strengthen-space-collaboration-with-high-level-delegation-visit/
Earth from Space: São Francisco River, Brazil
31/01/2025
This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image highlights part of the São Francisco River in eastern Brazil.
With a course of 2914 km, the São Francisco is the fourth largest river system in South America and the largest river located wholly in Brazil.
It is also sometimes called the “river of national unity” because its basin extends across several Brazilian states.
Rising 730 m above sea level in the southwestern state of Minas Gerais, the river flows northerly to the state of Bahia.
It then flows to the Atlantic Ocean, where it empties between the states of Alagoas and Sergipe. Several hydroelectric plants along the river’s course provide power throughout northeastern Brazil.
The image shows in light blue the course of the river in northern Bahia, where it forms the extensive Sobradinho Reservoir.
A combination of sediment, decomposing plants and the presence of algae and microorganisms give the water its bright hue.
Covering an area of about 4200 sq km, Sobradinho is one of the largest artificial lakes in the world, and can hold more than 34 billion cubic metres of water, although its water level varies with seasonal changes.
This false-colour image has been processed using Sentinel-2’s near-infrared channel, which highlights vegetation in red and helps us better distinguish between areas with vegetation and areas without.
We can see where vegetation has been cleared away for logging, farming and land cultivation. Cities, roads and agricultural fields appear in different shades of brown.
A distinctive feature in this image is the area of circles at the bottom centre.
These were created by a central-pivot irrigation system, where a long water pipe rotates around a well at the centre of each plot.
The varying colours show different types of crop, or different stages of growth.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 is designed to monitor changing lands, including crop type and health.
The mission’s frequent revisits over the same area and high spatial resolution also enable close monitoring of changes in inland water bodies.
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/01/Earth_from_Space_Sao_Francisco_River_Brazil
NORAD Sends Fighter Patrols to Monitor Russian Military Flights in the Arctic
Jan. 30, 2025
U.S. Air Force F-35s and Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18s conducted combat air patrols in response to Russian military aircraft operating in the Arctic early this week, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a news release Jan. 30.
NORAD also said it sent two U.S. Air Force F-16s from Alaska to Greenland, “exercising its standard agreement with Greenland to forward posture NORAD presence in the Arctic.”
The Russian aircraft were operating in international airspace and did not enter the Alaskan or Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones or sovereign airspace, NORAD said in its release.
The command did not identify the type of Russian planes, with a spokesperson citing “operational security” concerns, but NORAD indicated they were not seen as a threat.
“Under its mission of maintaining comprehensive domain awareness in the Arctic, NORAD launched a combat air patrol from its Canadian NORAD Region (CANR) to the northern region of Canada, and an air patrol from its Alaskan NORAD Region (ANR) off the coast of the Alaska/Yukon border, to further track the activity,” NORAD said of the Russian aircraft.
The patrols occurred Jan. 28, a NORAD spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The Canadian patrol comprised two Canadian CF-18s and one KC-135 refueling aircraft, and the U.S. patrol consisted of two U.S. F-35s, one E-3 Sentry AWACS airborne warning and command and control aircraft, and two KC-135s.
On Jan. 28, an F-35 crashed at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The pilot ejected from the F-35, was taken to a local military hospital, and has been released.
The incident was unrelated to the NORAD activity that occurred on the same day, a spokesperson for the command said.
NORAD did not specify where in Greenland its F-16s deployed, but the territory does host the northernmost U.S. military installation, Pituffik Space Base, a Space Force missile warning and satellite control site.
Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, dates back to the 1950s when it was established as a Strategic Air Command base during the Cold War before transitioning to its early warning missile mission.
Four Air Force F-35s deployed to Greenland in January 2023.
President Donald Trump has said he wants to buy Greenland from Denmark because of its strategic importance in the Arctic. Denmark has rebuffed that request.
“NORAD employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars, and fighter aircraft to detect and track aircraft and inform appropriate actions.
NORAD remains ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America,” the command added in his latest statement.
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/norad-fighter-patrols-russian-arctic-greenland/
Space mining company AstroForge identifies asteroid target for Odin launch next month
January 31, 2025
A U.S. asteroid-mining company has announced the target space rock for its upcoming test mission.
California-based AstroForge has identified asteroid 2022 OB5 as the destination for its Mission 2 spacecraft, named Odin, which is set to launch next month, SpaceNews reports.
The Odin spacecraft will be flying as a secondary payload aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which will send Intuitive Machines' IM-2 lander toward the moon.
Odin will separate shortly after the Falcon 9 upper stage fires its engines to head for the moon.
The launch window for the mission opens no earlier than Feb. 26.
2022 OB5 is a near-Earth asteroid that is up to 328 feet (100 meters) in diameter and could be metallic.
It will take Odin around 300 days to reach the small celestial body, when the small spacecraft will make a flyby to gather information about the asteroid and its suitability for mining.
This is preparation for more daring missions in the future.
"Odin's role is to gather critical imagery of the target asteroid, preparing the way for our next mission, Vestri, which will aim to land on the asteroid and begin extraction," according to AstroForge.
Vestri will also be on a rideshare mission with Intuitive Machines' IM-3 lunar lander, potentially later in 2025.
AstroForge was founded in January 2022 with plans to extract resources from asteroids and provide a sustainable solution for mining precious metals.
Its first mission, Brokkr-1, reached orbit in April 2023, but the company was unable to activate the cubesat's prototype refinery technology.
SpaceNews states that AstroForge has signed a contract with Stoke Space for several launches on the in-development Nova rocket for future, ambitious mining missions.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/tech/space-mining-company-astroforge-identifies-asteroid-target-for-odin-launch-next-month
Safety panel reports progress in Starliner investigation
January 30, 2025
Boeing and NASA are making “significant progress” on addressing issues seen on a test flight of the company’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft last year, an independent NASA safety panel says, although key problems with the spacecraft’s thrusters remain unresolved.
Paul Hill, a member of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), said at a Jan. 30 public meeting that the committee was briefed on the status of the investigation into Starliner’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission recently.
That mission launched in June with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board, but the spacecraft returned to Earth three months later uncrewed because of agency concerns about the performance of spacecraft thrusters.
“NASA reported that significant progress is being made regarding Starliner CFT’s post-flight activities,” he said. “Integrated NASA-Boeing teams have begun closing out flight observations and in-flight anomalies.”
He didn’t elaborate on the specific issues that the teams had closed out but stated that it did not include the thrusters, several of which shut down during the spacecraft’s approach to the station.
The propulsion system also suffered several helium leaks.
“The program anticipates the propulsive system anomalies will remain open,” he said, “pending ongoing test campaigns.”
He added there are teams studying the root cause of the thruster problems, developing recommendations for changes to future missions and assessing “technical and organizational factors” that may have played a role.
Hill said ASAP was satisfied with the progress and course of action by Boeing and NASA.
“The details shared by NASA gave us confidence that they are focusing on the right core issues and the related path to safely flying Starliner.”
While the ASAP meeting did not provide many technical details about the Starliner investigation, it was perhaps the most detailed public update into the investigation since Starliner’s return nearly five months ago.
Neither NASA nor Boeing have provided much information about the investigation since the landing.
The ASAP briefing did not discuss when Starliner might fly again, and whether it would be another test flight with or without crew on board or as a long-duration crew-rotation mission.
“The timing and configuration of Starliner’s next flight will be determined once a better understanding of Boeing’s path to system certification is established,” NASA stated in October.
“NASA is keeping options on the table for how best to achieve system certification, including windows of opportunity for a potential Starliner flight in 2025,” the agency stated then, but has not offered an update since then on where Starliner might fit into the station manifest.
Boeing announced Jan. 23 that it expected to take another charge against earnings in the fourth quarter of 2024 because of Starliner that could be in hundreds of millions of dollars.
The company didn’t give more details during a Jan. 28 earnings release and analyst call, and hasn’t yet submitted its 10-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that would include that information.
Mark Nappi, the Boeing vice president who was Starliner program manager during the CFT mission, is no longer in that position.
Nappi appeared on a panel Jan. 30 at the SpaceCom conference here in the role of senior program advisor for space exploration initiatives at Boeing, noting the change was part of longstanding plans by him to retire from the company in February.
The panel, on public private partnerships, only briefly touched on Starliner.
Asked what he would have changed about the structure of the commercial crew program to improve the spacecraft’s cost and schedule performance, he pointed to requirements.
“I think we would go back and revisit those requirements and make them more efficient.”
https://spacenews.com/safety-panel-reports-progress-in-starliner-investigation/