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Robotics Demonstration, Air and Water Quality Checks Aboard Orbital Lab
February 4, 2025
Free-flying robotics and science maintenance topped the work schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday.
The Expedition 72 crew also analyzed station air and water quality and set up a student-controlled camera for Earth observations.
NASA engineers are using the weightless environment of the orbital lab to study how robots might capture objects in space and remove debris and service satellites in low Earth orbit.
Station Commander Suni Williams contributed to that investigation on Tuesday by activating the Astrobee robotic free-flyer and outfitting it with tentacle-like arms containing gecko-like adhesive pads.
She monitored the toaster sized Astrobee, with the experimental grippers attached, as it demonstrated autonomously detecting and grappling a “capture cube”, like she did previously in December.
Results may expand the space infrastructure and extend the life of assets such as satellites.
NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit worked throughout the day on sample analysis and science maintenance.
Pettit first collected station water samples and analyzed them using the Total Organic Carbon Analyzer to assess the on-orbit water quality.
Next, he swapped fuel bottles inside the Combustion Integrated Rack that enables safe fuel and flame research in microgravity.
Finally, Pettit relocated an airborne particulate monitor to measure air quality in the Zvezda service module.
NASA Flight Engineer Nick Hague spent Tuesday primarily on lab upkeep.
Hague worked inside Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter transferring cargo in and out of the spacecraft that has been berthed to the station since Aug. 6, 2024.
Afterward, he installed new software on an EXPRESS rack laptop computer that supports research operations.
NASA Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore continued stowing tools inside the Quest airlock used during last week’s spacewalk then wrapped up his shift with orbital plumbing duties inside the Tranquility module.
Roscosmos Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov installed the EarthKAM Earth observation hardware inside the Harmony module, pointed the camera out a window toward Earth, and focused its lens.
The camera can be remotely controlled by students on Earth to target and photograph Earth landmarks.
Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner partnered together throughout Tuesday on maintenance activities inside the Zvezda service module.
Ovchinin also deployed gas analyzers monitoring carbon dioxide near crew work areas and crew quarters in the orbital outpost’s Roscosmos segment.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2025/02/04/robotics-demonstration-air-and-water-quality-checks-aboard-orbital-lab/
Scientists discover unusual California lake contains minerals found in space
Feb 4, 2025
In September 2023, a round, black capsule the size of a mini fridge fell from the sky, parachuting into a Department of Defense training site in the arid Utah desert.
The modest container was holding samples collected from Bennu, a diamond-shaped asteroid billions of miles away, and had been traveling through the dark corridors of space for years.
After it was airlifted to a hangar via helicopter, researchers connected the capsule to a steady stream of nitrogen to protect its otherworldly cargo from outside contamination.
Slowly, they began to study it under a microscope — and, to their surprise, they discovered that this ancient, extraterrestrial object has a similar mineral makeup to one of California’s most unusual lakes.
According to a January 2025 study published in Nature, the Bennu asteroid samples contain six of the same minerals observed at San Bernardino County’s Searles Lake: calcite, dolomite, gaylussite/pirssonite, thénardite, trona and halite.
Located in the sun-scorched Mojave Desert and named after a 19th-century prospector, the lake has been described as the “world’s richest chemical storehouse” because it contains half the natural elements that humanity has discovered, including borax, potash, and lithium.
As a result, its abundance of rare elements has attracted “rockhounds” for decades, who explore the muddy terrain with crowbars pickaxes in search of these elusive deposits.
In particular, the ethereal Trona Pinnacles rising from the lake’s basin have remarkable similarities to the Bennu asteroid samples, researchers found.
“The pinnacles look incredible and are made from calcium carbonate, a mineral we found on Bennu,” Tim McCoy, a co-author of the new report, told NASA.
Measuring up to 140 feet tall and varying dramatically in shape and size, the desert’s naturally formed spires have been featured in films and TV shows such as “Star Trek V,” “Lost in Space,” “Planet of the Apes” and “Battlestar Galactica,” according to the agency.
Over 500 of them now loom over the California desert like alien landmarks, where they continue to be used as space-inspired backdrops.
The samples found on Bennu are significant because they indicate that they formed in liquid water, NASA said, but the asteroid’s parent body likely didn’t have surface lakes or rivers like Searles.
Researchers believe that Bennu broke off from a larger asteroid in a major collision billions of years ago, and it now passes close to Earth about every six years.
Because of its proximity, NASA was able to launch a mission to collect samples from Bennu in 2016 in an effort to understand whether asteroids could have played a key role in developing life on Earth, moons and other planets.
Overall, few places on Earth have combinations of natural elements similar to that of Bennu, the agency said — and it’s possible that unique destinations like Searles will help us decode some of our universe’s cosmic mysteries as time goes on.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/california-lake-bennu-asteroid-samples-20147113.php
Another state wants to be considered for Space Command headquarters
Updated: Feb 5, 2025 / 09:34 AM CST
Ohio General Assembly members threw the state’s hat into the ring for consideration to be the new location for Space Command’s headquarters, according to a congressional petition.
On Monday, the General Assembly of the State of Ohio sent a petition to the Senate Armed Services Committee “urging the federal government to select Ohio for the permanent headquarters of the United States Space Command.”
“Ohio’s history of support for national defense, along with its many space-related resources, would make a fitting host for new Space Force missions or the permanent headquarters of the United States Space Command.”
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PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS; Congressional Record Vol. 171, No. 22
The General Assembly of the State of Ohio states that the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton is “uniquely situated” to help Space Command for the following reasons:
The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is one of the largest and most complex bases in the United States Air Force, with a long history of flight tests spanning from the Wright Brothers into the Space Age
It is the headquarters of the Air Force Materiel Command
The base is the home of the 88th Air Base Wing consisting of more than 5,000 officers, enlisted Air Force, civilian and contractor employees and the 655th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing
Ohio’s federal resources include the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the 178th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group as well as the NASA Glenn Research Center
Because of this, the members of the 135th General Assembly of the State of Ohio are asking that the Senate pick Ohio as the new permanent home of Space Command since the government has not made a final decision on the final, permanent location.
In a 2023 plea to the federal government, Ohio State Representative Tom Patton said, “Ohio is proud to be known as the ‘birthplace of aviation.'”
“Not only are we the birthplace and state of aviation, but we are the home of aerospace pioneers. Ohio has been the home for 26 astronauts, who in total, have logged more than 22,000 hours in space.”
After President Trump was reelected, Alabama State Lawmakers were hopeful that Trump’s return to the Oval Office could end the Space Command Headquarters debate and complete the transition to Redstone Army Airfield.
Huntsville was named a finalist in early 2021. Then, in 2022, the Department of Defense named the city as the “preferred permanent location for U.S. Space Command headquarters” over Colorado Springs.
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., told Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5 that Trump would settle the dispute as one of his first moves in office. In the radio interview, Rogers claimed President Biden kept the command in Colorado for ‘political reasons.’
“But I knew he would because if you remember, not only did Alabama win two nationwide competitions, but President Trump’s secretary of the Air Force recommended Huntsville, President Biden’s secretary of the Air Force recommended Huntsville, and then Biden took it away for political reasons,” Rogers said.
The Rocket City finished first in both the Air Force’s evaluation phase and the selection phase, while Colorado Springs finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
According to the Air Force, the six candidate locations were:
Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico
Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska
Patrick Air Force Base in Florida
Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado
Port San Antonio in Texas
Redstone Army Airfield in Alabama
https://whnt.com/news/redstone-arsenal/another-state-wants-to-be-considered-for-space-command-headquarters/
ESA and Finland pave the way towards a supersite for Earth observation
04/02/2025
Today, ESA, the Finnish government and the Finnish Meteorological Institute took the initial steps towards establishing a ‘supersite’ for Earth observation calibration and validation in Sodankylä in Finnish Lapland.
Envisaged as a joint investment, this world-class site would bring benefits to both ESA, by helping to further ensure satellites deliver accurate data over high latitude environments, and to Finland by providing Finnish businesses with new opportunities to develop and test environmental sensors and technology.
Finland became ESA’s 14th Member State in January 1995 and has participated in a wide range of ESA programmes and activities over the past 30 years, including Earth observation, space science, navigation and satellite communications.
Without a national space agency of its own, Finland relies on ESA as the foundation for its space activities.
In recent years, Finland has also seen a surge in commercial companies in the space sector.
This growing interest is evident in the Philab Finland innovation scheme launched by ESA in January 2025 – which focuses on commercialising space technology and funding new startup projects.
The Chairman of ESA’s Programme Board on Earth Observation (PBEO) is also Finnish: Jarkko Koskinen, Deputy Director General of the National Land Survey of Finland.
Today, Prof. Koskinen chaired the PBEO meeting, held exceptionally in Saariselkä.
At the meeting, ESA unveiled that, through its research and development FutureEO programme, it would work with the Finnish Meteorological Institute and invest in a supersite for Earth observation calibration and validation in Sodankylä.
ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, said, “Over the next three years we will work closely with the Finnish Meteorological Institute to turn their Arctic Space Centre into an Earth science and calibration and validation supersite.
“The centre’s high-latitude position and being surrounded by boreal forest, which is representative of the wider circum-polar forest and tundra ecosystem, make it ideal to validate and calibrate data from our satellites as they orbit above.
The new supersite will help improve the quality of satellite-based information and stimulate new services and applications relevant to the Arctic.
“This will not only bring benefits to ESA and our understanding of the forest-tundra environment, but will also provide opportunities for Finnish and European industry to develop and test new environmental sensors and technology in an Arctic setting.”
Petteri Taalas, Director General of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, added, “The new centre will significantly enhance the impact of Finland's space activities internationally and creates growth opportunities for Finnish space activities and industry while improving scientific knowledge.”
Calibration and validation may not sound that exciting but it is critical to ensuring that satellites deliver accurate and reliable data, and that potential margins of error are understood and accounted for before such data are used to understand how the Earth system works and if and how changes are occurring.
This usually means taking independent measurements from on the ground, from towers and from aircraft to compare with data gathered by satellites in orbit.
The Finnish Arctic Space Centre is already being used for such purposes – and ESA has benefited from this infrastructure many times over the last 15 years for satellite missions such as SMOS and for many mission and instrument concepts in pre-development phases.
ESA’s Head of ESA’s Earth Observation Campaigns section, Malcolm Davidson, said, “With plans to introduce capacities to calibrate and validate microwave, multispectral and hyperspectral, and greenhouse gas observations, the expansion of the centre to a supersite would enables it to take up a major role for numerous upcoming missions.
“Such missions include the Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring mission, the Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer mission, the Copernicus Hyperspectral Imaging Mission, the Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow Topography Altimeter mission, the Radar Observing System for Europe at L-band, and the Earth Explorer FLEX mission.”
With ESA and Finland now on board with this ambitious undertaking, this will significantly enhance our understanding of the sub-Arctic and Arctic environment.
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/ESA_and_Finland_pave_the_way_towards_a_supersite_for_Earth_observation
Space Forces Korea holds first POLARIS HAMMER - KOREA
Feb. 5, 2025
U.S. Space Forces Korea held the first phase of POLARIS HAMMER – KOREA, a space warfighter inclusive command-and-control exercise, in coordination with the U.S. Space Force 392nd Combat Training Squadron located in Colorado Springs, at Osan Air Base, South Korea, Jan. 21-24.
The exercise validates SPACEFOR-KOR’s ability to plan, coordinate, synchronize and execute space effects in support of Korean theater campaign objectives and will be held in three stages to enable a deliberate focus on the planning, execution and assessment of the space component at the operational level.
“Last week’s event was the first time U.S. Space Forces Korea, with six [U.S. Space Force] and South Korean command organizations, executed an operational level combined and joint command and control exercise,” said Col. John Patrick, SPACEFOR-KOR commander.
“The POLARIS HAMMER exercise series was designed to provide component field commands an environment to develop and execute their planning capability, command relationships and authorities.”
SPACEFOR-KOR was selected as the first component field command to exercise a full-scale POLARIS HAMMER exercise, demonstrating the unit’s rapid progress since its establishment two years ago.
“It already had an established force flow plan and combined command joint targeting cycle, plus a processing system and operational plan which is easily shared between Korean and U.S. units,” said Capt. Lane Murphy, 392nd CTS exercise director for POLARIS HAMMER – KOREA.
“No other [U.S. Space Force] service component has those all as developed as the Guardians in Korea.”
During this first phase, SPACEFOR-KOR members were joined by personnel from U.S. units across the Korean peninsula, including 8th Army and 5th Space Warning Squadron Det. 3, as well as South Korean Air Force’s Space Group and Second Operational Command.
Members of the U.S. Air Force Reserves 9th Combat Operations Squadron, 310th Space Wing, Vandenberg Space Force Base, also participated in the event.
“A wide variety of space expertise is crucial to account for all space mission areas in the joint planning process,” said Maj. Dillon Hagerty, SPACEFOR-KOR director of force development.
“Furthermore, collaborating on how to apply that expertise to a multi-domain theater builds the foundation for integration now and in the future.”
Participants spent the four days applying the joint planning process to a complex problem set, replicating a specific threat to the theater.
Members used a space domain perspective, identifying key joint integration opportunities and ensuring relevant space operations were postured and prepared to support theater campaign objectives.
“Each person in that room brought a unique perfective,” Hagerty said.
“Stepping through each stage of the joint planning process allowed us to consider an array of challenges and limitations, which we could then plan for – allocating the personnel, resources and processes needed to posture the space component to meet combatant commander objectives.”
During the event, the group produced a multi-domain space plan, which will then be executed in the next stage of the exercise.
Phase II of POLARIS HAMMER - KOREA is scheduled to occur in conjunction with combined exercise FREEDOM SHIELD 25, held by the U.S. and South Korea, in a few months.
The third phase will facilitate an assessment of that execution later this year.
“Completing this exercise with our Korean partners demonstrates SPACEFOR-KOR’s ability to plan for and integrate space effects for the theater combatant commander,” Patrick said.
“Validating this progress further illustrates the increased integration of space within all domain operations.”
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4054548/space-forces-korea-holds-first-polaris-hammer-korea/
Ukraine-Russia latest: Kyiv launches drone strike at Russian oil depots as Zelensky ready to speak with Putin
Wednesday 05 February 2025 17:00 GMT
A Russian oil depot was set ablaze overnight after Ukraine launched a drone attack on the site, according to Russian officials.
Up to 55 people were fighting to extinguish the fire in Krasnodar, southern Russia, on Wednesday morning, the region’s governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.
Kyiv has launched a series of drone attacks on Russian energy facilities over recent days, including at a major oil refinery in Volgograd.
It comes as Volodymyr Zelensky signalled he was ready to negotiate the end of the Ukraine war with Russian president Vladimir Putin if it was the only method to bring peace to Ukraine.
"If that is the only set-up in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely, we will go for this set-up for the meeting,” he said.
"I will not be kind to him. I consider him an enemy. And to be honest, I believe he considers me an enemy as well," Zelensky said.
Zelensky also revealed Ukraine has lost more than 45,000 soldiers on the battlefield since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
updates cont.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-casualties-live-putin-trump-rare-earth-metals-b2692397.html
New Years drone operator who flew too close to Sky Tower was an ‘international visitor’
February 05, 2025 •08:00am
A review by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) into a drone that flew close to the top of Auckland’s Sky Tower to record an impressive view of the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks has found its operator violated several rules.
The government agency, which has authority for the rules around flying with unmanned aircraft, said the drone operator who filmed the footage hovered dangerously close to the top of the Sky Tower.
That flight, conducted at night, violated several civil aviation rules, including “flying over people and property without consent, operating within 4km of an aerodrome and flying at an altitude higher than the 120m legal limit,” the CAA said.
The video, shot at night on New Year’s Eve, showed the drone flying over properties, gathered crowds and it appeared to be higher than the legal limit from the ground.
The Civil Aviation Authority said it has been in contact with the drone operator.
“The operator was an international visitor and unaware of New Zealand’s rules and regulations regarding drone operation.
They have been provided some educational material and have since left the country,” a CAA spokesperson told Stuff.
The CAA said it urged all drone operators to know, understand and comply with the Civil Aviation Rules and to fly responsibly.
It said recent drone usage had raised “serious concerns“ and warned that any reports of unsafe drone operations near Auckland Airport in particular have the potential to delay flights.
“Unauthorised drone activity is careless and can present a danger to both aviation and public safety,” said Dean Winter of the CAA.
People who need to fly drones in controlled airspace must get clearance to do so from Air Traffic Control.
That can be done by filing a flight request through the Airshare phone app or online through the Airshare website.
Penalties for breaking civil aviation rules can include fines, criminal prosecution, and confiscation of the aircraft.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360571187/new-years-drone-operator-who-flew-too-close-sky-tower-was-international-visitor
ParaZero’s Safety Systems Enable FAA Waiver for Advanced Drone Operations Over People and Moving Vehicles
February 5, 2025
ParaZero Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: PRZO) (the "Company or “ParaZero”), an aerospace company focused on safety systems for commercial unmanned aircrafts and defense Counter UAS systems, announced a significant milestone in the advancement of drone operations.
A leading drone solutions provider, utilizing ParaZero’s advanced safety technology, has secured a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waiver to conduct Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations.
This achievement illustrates the critical role of ParaZero’s safety systems in enabling complex drone missions that push the boundaries of traditional operational limits.
The FAA waiver represents a major step forward in the integration of drones into national airspace, unlocking new possibilities for commercial, public safety, and humanitarian applications.
ParaZero’s innovative safety solutions, including its autonomous parachute recovery systems and real-time risk mitigation technologies, have been instrumental in meeting the stringent safety requirements necessary for FAA approval.
These systems ensure that drones can operate safely in challenging environments, such as BVLOS missions, by providing fail-safe mechanisms in the event of system failures or emergencies.
“This milestone is a testament to the importance of safety in advancing the drone industry,” said Boaz Shetzer, CEO of ParaZero.
“Our technology is designed to empower drone operators to safely expand their capabilities, and we are proud to play a key role in enabling this groundbreaking achievement.”
The FAA waiver opens the door to a wide range of applications that were previously limited by regulatory constraints.
From infrastructure inspection and emergency response to logistics and delivery, the ability to operate drones in BVLOS operations significantly enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of these missions.
ParaZero’s safety systems are at the forefront of this evolution, providing the reliability and compliance needed to meet the highest standards of operational safety.
As the drone industry continues to grow, ParaZero remains committed to driving innovation and enabling safer, more accessible drone operations worldwide.
https://uasmagazine.com/articles/parazeros-safety-systems-enable-faa-waiver-for-advanced-drone-operations-over-people-and-moving-vehicles
https://parazero.com/home/
Gas Odor Spreads Over Astrakhan After Drone Strike on Processing Plant
February 5, 2025
A strong natural gas odor spread across the southern Russian city of Astrakhan following a drone strike on a gas processing facility earlier in the week, local authorities and media reported Wednesday.
Debris from a falling drone struck the Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant early Monday, sparking a fire and halting operations.
By Wednesday morning, city residents reported a strong gas smell and breathing difficulties.
“Dear citizens, this morning, a cloud of natural gas with a distinct odor… spread over the city,” Astrakhan region Governor Igor Babushkin said.
“The cause of the gas smell is the restarting of production at the Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant.”
Babushkin said that technicians at the plant had released and then ignited gas as they tried to bring the plant back online following Monday’s drone attack.
“Natural gas is not harmful in open spaces, and air quality will return to normal soon,” the governor said, warning that similar releases of gas may occur in the “coming days” as work continues to restore operations at the plant.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/02/05/gas-odor-spreads-over-astrakhan-after-drone-strike-on-processing-plant-a87871
Authorities use helicopter and drone in search for driver who fled on foot in wooded area
Updated Tue, February 4th 2025 at 4:45 PM
4:00 p.m. update: Martin, Onslow and Nash County sheriff's offices have also joined the operation, along with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
1 p.m. update: Law enforcement officers on the scene have confirmed that are searching for a suspect in the area.
A helicopter, a drone, and dogs are being used to search a wooded area, along with law enforcement officials.
North Carolina State Highway Patrol officials tell us that they were chasing a vehicle. The chase ended when the driver fled on foot and authorities are now searching for the driver.
News 12 crews on the scene could identify Pamlico County Sheriff's Office, Craven County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and Craven County Emergency Services all present on Neuse Rd. in Pamlico County.
A North Carolina State Highway Patrol helicopter could be seen in the area as well.
Authorities have not been able to confirm if this response is related to the search for escaped Craven County inmate John Matthew Nigh.
Some schools in Pamlico County are taking precautions Tuesday morning amid a police investigation in the county.
Pamlico Community College released the following:
Pamlico Community College officials received information this morning (Tuesday) about an ongoing investigation in Pamlico County.
Out of an abundance of caution, college administrators have taken proactive steps to secure the campus and to notify students, employees and visitors about this situation.
PCC leaders will continue to work to keep everyone safe. Further information will be shared, as warranted.
Arapahoe Charter School released the following:
After School Activities are Cancelled
At this time, the police incident in the community is still ongoing.
However, in consultation with local law enforcement we will dismiss school at normal time.
We are working to ensure that this dismissal can occur as safely and swiftly as possible.
No school bus will be entering the area of the incident. We have personally worked with those families to ensure the safe pick up of their students.
Carpool will occur as normal with Officer Wilkinson’s supervision.
We will be dismissing classes to the busses a few at a time to ensure we can properly supervise the transition.
We aim to dismiss as close to our normal 3:15 time as possible, but please expect delays.
We cannot thank you enough for your patience throughout the day. While this situation is unfortunate, we are grateful that all of our students and staff have remained safe.
We are grateful to our teachers for remaining calm in the face of uncertainty and we are grateful to our law enforcement for their quick action and clear communications.
https://wcti12.com/news/local/some-pamlico-co-schools-taking-precautions-tuesday-morning-amid-area-police-investigation
Law enforcement use drone to capture fleeing suspect in Upper Peninsula woods
Updated Tue, February 4th 2025 at 1:11 PM
DELTA COUNTY, Mich,. (WPBN/WGTU) - - Michigan State Police and the Delta County Sheriff’s Department located and arrested a suspect on the run, using a drone.
On January 31, MSP said the suspect led a deputy on a chase and then fled from his vehicle into the woods after it came to a stop in the Round Lake area.
An MSP drone was sent and detected where the suspect was hiding in the woods using thermal imagery according to troopers.
MSP said that aerial observations were to law enforcement members on the ground and assisted in directing them to the suspect.
As law enforcement was closing in, deputies said the suspect surrendered himself and was taken into custody.
https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/police-in-delta-county-use-drone-to-capture-fleeing-suspect-in-upper-peninsula-woods