Thanks Bakes
https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/nasa-releases-powerful-lava-software-to-us-aerospace-industry
extra NASA
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/johnson-leaders-honored-by-national-space-club-foundation/
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/dragonfly/2026/04/23/nasas-dragonfly-rotorcraft-gets-decked-out-tested/
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-shares-spacex-crew-13-assignments-for-space-station-mission/
https://www.nasa.gov/event/nasas-spacex-crew-13/
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-astronauts-to-answer-questions-from-missouri-students/
NASA Releases Powerful LAVA Software to US Aerospace Industry
Apr 23, 2026
For years, NASA engineers have turned to a tool called the Launch, Ascent, and Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA) framework to solve airflow challenges that could mean the difference between mission success or failure.
When engineers need to know how a spacecraft will navigate re-entry or whether a new aircraft wing design will create enough lift, they turn to LAVA.
NASA recently released this tool to the aerospace community.
LAVA is a computational fluid dynamics software package NASA developed to advance critical aerospace missions, harnessing the agency’s collective expertise. It helps predict how air moves around rockets, aircraft, and spacecraft with stunning accuracy.
The same computational tools simulating Mars landers, predicting launch environments, and optimizing aircraft for efficiency is now available to U.S. researchers, companies, and innovators.
“This isn’t only about releasing software; it’s about accelerating innovation,” said Jared Duensing, LAVA team lead at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.
“When university researchers can run more complex simulations and when small companies can optimize designs with NASA-grade precision, we’re not only sharing tools, we’re unleashing potential.”
Big questions, fast answers
NASA has been using computational tools for years to predict how air will move around new aircraft or simulate the thunderous acoustic environment of a rocket launch.
Imagine watching your favorite show on a slow flip-phone versus loading it on a lightning-fast network in crystal-clear 4K high definition. That’s the kind of transformation LAVA brings to aerospace simulations.
Complex problems that once took days or weeks now run in hours.
The LAVA software also is compatible with computer hardware employing specialized microprocessors known as graphics processing units (GPUs), which can run many tasks at the same time and reduce power consumption when compared to systems using traditional, more general-purpose central processing units.
For traditionally costly simulation methods needed for NASA’s most complex aerospace applications, LAVA has yielded stand-out efficiency on NASA’s flagship GPU-based supercomputer, Cabeus.
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But the real breakthrough is how LAVA makes the seemingly impossible routine. Aerospace engineers rely on “scale-resolving simulations” to capture high-fidelity renderings of phenomena that can have profound effects on missions, including pressure waves, turbulent swirls, and acoustic signatures.
Those were once resource- and time-consuming. Now, LAVA runs them on modest computing resources, making them readily available and easy to produce, even for novice users.
At NASA, engineers have put those capabilities into action to help launch and land spacecraft on the Moon and Mars while driving innovation for the next-generation aircraft.
When NASA needed to understand supersonic parachute deployment for Mars missions – something you can’t easily test in Earth’s atmosphere – LAVA provided critical insights.
When engineers had to predict how ice formations would affect aircraft performance, LAVA delivered answers on conditions that are critical for flight safety.
To help astronauts launch safely on Artemis missions, LAVA simulated the launch of Artemis I, enabling engineers to understand the Space Launch System flight environment in detail.
Releasing the software means that industry will be able to harness those same capabilities, potentially applying them toward everything from large supersonic airliners to smaller delivery drones and air taxis.
Three approaches, one framework
Most computational fluid dynamics software forces engineers to pick one approach, like being handed a hammer when you need an entire toolbox.
The LAVA framework offers three options for generating meshes, or grids of connected dots used to predict the behavior of fluids (including air) in a simulation.
This allows users to switch between the meshes depending on a specific problem or use multiple mesh types to compare predictions. They also can use LAVA alongside other tools for analysis and optimization to improve designs.
Among many other NASA programs and projects, the work on LAVA was supported through NASA’s Transformational Tools and Technologies project, which works to develop new computational tools to help predict aircraft performance.
The project is part of NASA’s Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program under its Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
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NASA Employees Duped in Chinese Phishing Scheme Targeting U.S. Defense Software
Apr 24, 2026
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has revealed how a Chinese national posed as a U.S. researcher as part of a spear-phishing campaign to obtain sensitive information from the space agency, as well as from government entities, universities, and private companies, in violation of export control laws.
"For years, NASA employees and research collaborators thought they were simply sharing software with colleagues," the OIG said in a Thursday release. "Instead, they were emailing sensitive defense technology to a Chinese national who was impersonating U.S. engineers."
The individual linked to the campaign was outed as Chinese national Song Wu in September 2024, when the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced charges against him for orchestrating a multi-year campaign that stretched from January 2017 to December 2021 and involved targeting dozens of U.S. professors, researchers, and engineers.
Some of the victims of the campaign were employed at NASA, the Air Force, the Navy, the Army, and the Federal Aviation Administration, while the others worked at major universities and private sector firms.
According to the 2024 indictment, Song was an engineer at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a Chinese state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate founded in 2008.
In an attempt to obtain modeling software used for aerospace design and weapons development, Song and his co-conspirators are alleged to have conducted extensive research on their targets by masquerading as friends and colleagues to gain access to proprietary software and source code.
The OIG said the scheme was successful in a handful of cases where victims shared the sensitive information with the imposter accounts managed by Song et al without realizing they were violating U.S. export control laws.
Song has been indicted on counts of wire fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. He also faces a two-year consecutive sentence if convicted of aggravated identity theft. The 40-year-old remains at large.
Adding Song to the U.S. Most Wanted List, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said the specialized software could be used for industrial and military applications, including the development of advanced tactical missiles and aerodynamic design and assessment of weapons.
"As phishing campaigns continue to become more sophisticated, there are common clues that can betray scammers and expose their export fraud schemes," the OIG said. "In Song's case, he made multiple requests for the same software and did not justify why he needed it."
"Export control scammers also often suggest unusual payment methods (such as suspicious wire transfers); abruptly change the terms or source of payment; and use unconventional transfer methods to mask their identity and evade shipping restrictions."
https://thehackernews.com/2026/04/nasa-employees-duped-in-chinese.html
extra extra NASA
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260423031528.htm
https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/cmwl-xnhz
https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/university-innovation-uli-at-10/
https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/news/worldview-image-archive/wildland-fires-georgia
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/human-dimensions/agriculture/an-agricultural-mosaic-in-taiwan/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMGl8lF2gcM (Kennedy Space Center: 2.04 Space for the Ages ft. the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum)
ICYMI
https://www.nasa.gov/organizations/oiir/nasa-welcomes-jordan-as-63rd-artemis-accords-signatory/
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/the-day-of-the-trifid-nebula/
11th Moon mineral discovered in China’s first lunar meteorite sample study
Apr 23, 2026 11:50 AM EST
Scientists in China have discovered and identified the 11th new lunar mineral, according to findings reported by the China Geological Survey.
The newly discovered mineral, named Cerium-Magnesium Changesite, exhibits a distinctive fluorescence effect, and grain size ranges from roughly three to 25 micrometers—smaller than the diameter of a human hair.
The glassy mineral is transparent and brittle, and it could reshape lighting technology on Earth.
Fluorescent mineral discovered in lunar meteorite sample
Cerium-Magnesium Changesite was isolated from the first lunar meteorite sample retrieved from the ground in China.
The sample is a single spherical meteorite weighing 44 grams, with a dark molten outer shell.
As reported by CGTN, scientists have described Cerium-Magnesium Changesite colourless, transparent, and structurally fragile.
Though its grains measure less than 10 micrometers, placing it within the microscopic scale, its physical behavior may have tangible technological implications.
What distinguishes the material is its pronounced fluorescence.
According to a report from The Times of India, scientists claim this property could make it particularly valuable in the development of more efficient light-emitting diodes, or LEDs.
Fluorescent materials are central to LED performance, influencing brightness, color quality, and energy efficiency.
The newly identified compound may enable lighting systems that are both more powerful and less energy-intensive than current designs.
The discovery adds momentum to a growing field of lunar mineralogy.
Every new lunar mineral discovered broadens scientific understanding of the Moon’s geological history while also providing the possibility of practical applications on Earth. “Why it is new is that when it was formed, it experienced two different conditions.
The physical condition was temperature and pressure, while the chemical condition was its element content,” said Che Xiaochao, associate researcher of the Institute of Geology of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, as per CGTN.
“The discovery of a new mineral in extraterrestrial space would indicate that conditions once existed beyond Earth that have never occurred on our planet,” they continued.
“If the same mineral is later found on Earth, it would suggest our planet once experienced similar conditions, allowing us to use it to infer and compare broader geological and celestial activities.”
China’s lunar learnings
The new discovery and analysis builds on earlier work linked to China’s lunar exploration efforts. The Chang’e-5 lunar sample return mission, for example, revealed a new phosphate mineral called Changesite-(Y) in 2022.
This contained an unusual elemental composition not commonly found on Earth.
While the newly reported mineral is distinct, it reflects a broader pattern: lunar materials often exhibit unique chemical and optical properties shaped by the Moon’s extreme environment.
Researchers believe these differences could be harnessed in multiple industries.
Beyond lighting, advanced materials derived from lunar minerals may eventually influence electronics, energy systems, and manufacturing processes.
However, large-scale applications remain speculative, given the technical and economic challenges of sourcing material from space.
For now, the focus remains on analysis and replication. Scientists will attempt to reproduce the mineral’s properties in laboratory conditions, a necessary step before any commercial use can be considered.
If successful, extraterrestrial geology could have a direct impact on everyday technology.
https://interestingengineering.com/space/11th-moon-mineral-discovered-china-sample
extra Chyna
https://universemagazine.com/en/pakistan-prepares-to-storm-space-with-chinas-support/
https://english.news.cn/20260424/6ebe9055cd784405b5f05932923438ae/c.html
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202604/1359709.shtml
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scq9AB8Z0sg (China Launches Test Satellite for Satellite Internet Technology)
U.S. Space Command Commander Gen. Stephen N. Whiting to Host Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Redstone Arsenal
April 24, 2026
The commander of U.S. Space Command, Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, will host a ribbon cutting event at Redstone Arsenal on April 29, 2026, to mark the occasion of U.S. Space Command taking ownership of its first dedicated operational facility on the Garrison.
Within 24 hours of the President’s announcement to move the command on Sept. 2, 2025, a small team was on the ground in Huntsville.
Since then, U.S. Space Command has been expeditiously carrying out the President’s direction, led by its Redstone Transition Team, located full-time in Alabama.
The April 29th ribbon cutting ceremony represents the significant milestone achieved as personnel from U.S. Space Command’s intelligence directorate begin to execute their operational missions from Redstone.
U.S. Space Command, working with allies and partners, plans, executes, and integrates military spacepower into multi-domain global operations in order to deter aggression, defend national interests, and when necessary, defeat threats.
There will be a brief period of media availability immediately following the ceremony with USSPACECOM and Redstone Arsenal leaders.
Media interested in attending the ceremony must RSVP by 3:00 pm Mountain Daylight Time (4:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time) on April 27, 2026, to usarmy.redstone.imcom.list.garrison-pao@army.mil.
https://www.spacecom.mil/Newsroom/News/Article-Display/Article/4469960/us-space-command-commander-gen-stephen-n-whiting-to-host-ribbon-cutting-ceremon/
extra Space Force
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4468596/vandenberg-space-force-base-takes-mission-update-speakers-series-to-carpinteria/
https://www.kvrr.com/2026/04/24/space-force-to-expand-at-grand-forks-air-force-base-with-new-facility/
https://www.ssc.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/Article-Display/Article/4468640/year-of-readiness-developing-guardians-fluent-in-the-joint-force-language
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4468662/vandenberg-hosts-annual-earth-day-festival-2026/
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4468626/vandenberg-launches-starlink-mission-aboard-falcon-9-rocket/
Zelensky likely ‘directly involved in corruption’ – EU-funded anti-graft NGO
24 Apr, 2026 10:06 | Updated 24 Apr, 2026 11:10
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has likely participated in embezzlement involving the country’s top officials, Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC), has claimed.
Kiev has been rocked by several corruption scandals in the last few years, with the most notable occurring in November 2025 when anti-graft agencies uncovered a $100 million kickback scheme at the state nuclear operator Energoatom.
The investigation implicated Timur Mindich, a close associate of Zelensky, as the mastermind of the criminal operation.
The scandal led to the resignations of several high-ranking officials, including the Ukrainian leader’s influential chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, and Energy Minister German Galushchenko, who was later arrested.
In her interview with Ukrainska Pravda last week, Kaleniuk said that there is “a high probability” that Zelensky was “directly involved” in corruption, despite him repeatedly denying any knowledge of any schemes by members of his government.
“All of his closest friends and most likely he himself built homes for themselves” since he came to power, the head of the Ukrainian NGO, which has been around since 2012 and receives funding from the EU and US, stressed.
She also warned that Zelensky could be planning another attack on the Western-backed National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) in an attempt to shield himself from a possible investigation.
“The anti-corruption bodies that are doing their job can stop doing their job at any moment,” Kaleniuk warned.
The Ukrainian leader already tried putting NABU and SAPO under his control last summer, but was forced to reverse course after backlash from Kiev’s foreign backers and protests in the streets.
Despite the ongoing corruption scandals, the EU approved another €90 billion ($106 billion) for Ukraine on Thursday, with the European Council saying that it would begin disbursements “as soon as possible” in the second quarter of 2026.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharov insisted previously that the US and EU, which “coddled” Zelensky, should share the responsibility for the corruption in Ukraine.
She suggested separately that the Ukrainian leader uses the “corrupt deal” that he has with Western politicians to “blackmail” them into continuing support for Kiev in the conflict with Moscow.
https://www.rt.com/russia/639001-zelensky-corruption-ukraine-eu/
extra RT
https://www.rt.com/russia/639023-russia-ukraine-pow-swap/
https://www.rt.com/russia/639008-draft-officers-hit-mother-car/
https://www.rt.com/russia/638995-rkn-bomb-conspiracy-fsb/
https://www.rt.com/news/638993-iran-envoy-talks-war/