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Tag Archives: Deployment
Germany in talks with allies over Polish push for Patriot deployment to Ukraine
BERLIN/WARSAW, Nov 25 (Reuters) – Germany said on Friday it was discussing with allies Poland’s request that German Patriot air defence units be sent to Ukraine, after NATO’s chief suggested the military alliance might not oppose such a move.
“We are talking with our allies about how to handle Poland’s … suggestion,” a German government spokesperson told reporters in Berlin.
Berlin offered Warsaw the Patriot system to help secure its airspace after a stray missile crashed and killed two people in Poland last week. Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak later asked Germany to send the fire units to Ukraine instead.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said such deployments should be decisions for individual nations, taking into account rules around final users.
“The specific decisions on specific systems are national decisions,” he told reporters in Brussels.
“Sometimes there are end users agreements and other things so they need to consult with other allies. But at the end of the day, it (the decision) has to be taken by the national governments,” he added.
Stoltenberg’s comments came after German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht on Thursday said sharing Germany’s Patriot units outside NATO territory would require prior discussions with NATO and the allies.
Patriots are produced by the U.S. company Raytheon (RTX.N).
On Friday, the Polish president said it was Germany’s decision where its Patriot air defence units are stationed, adding that it would be better for Poland’s security if they were on Ukrainian territory near the border.
“From a military point of view, it would be best if they were located in Ukraine to also protect Polish territory, then they would protect both Ukraine and Poland most effectively,” Andrzej Duda told a news conference in Kaunas, Lithuania. “But the decision rests with the German side.”
Duda later said that Germany could send the Patriot units to Ukraine without NATO troops to operate them, something he says Kyiv has been asking for for a while.
“But if there is no consent to this, let them be here (in Poland) and protect us,” Duda wrote on Twitter.
On the sidelines of NATO drills in northeastern Poland, Blaszczak took a swipe at Berlin by saying he was surprised by the idea that the German Patriots might be too advanced to be transferred to Ukraine.
“These are the old patriots, the Polish version is the newest … the claim that the old German Patriots are very advanced is not true,” he said.
Reporting by Sabine Siebold, Bart Meijer and Miranda Murray; Additional reporting by Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk in Warsaw; editing by Frank Jack Daniel, Philippa Fletcher, William Maclean
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
NASA’s Successful Launch, Deployment, and Retrieval of LOFTID – An Innovative Inflatable Heat Shield
Illustration of Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID). Credit: NASA
On the morning of November 10, an Atlas V rocket launched JPSS-2, NOAA’s newest environmental satellite into orbit. Hitching a ride on the rocket was 
NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator, or LOFTID, is demonstrating a cross-cutting aeroshell — a type of heat shield — for atmospheric re-entry. This animation features mission highlights for the launch of NASA’s cutting-edge entry, descent, and landing technology: Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID). Credit: NASA
The atmosphere of Mars is much less dense than that of Earth and provides an extreme challenge for aerodynamic deceleration. The atmosphere is thick enough to provide some drag, but too thin to decelerate the spacecraft as quickly as it would in Earth’s atmosphere. LOFTID’s large deployable aeroshell — an inflatable structure protected by a flexible heat shield — acts as a giant brake as it traverses the Martian atmosphere. The large aeroshell creates more drag than a traditional, smaller rigid aeroshell. It begins slowing down in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, allowing the spacecraft to decelerate sooner, at higher altitude, while experiencing less intense heating.
LOFTID is demonstrating a large aeroshell — 6 meters in diameter or about 20 feet — entry from low-Earth orbit, to demonstrate this technology in conditions relevant to many potential applications. The benefits of using the inflatable decelerator design for a variety of space applications include:
- Low-Earth orbit return; free flyer, in-space manufactured materials [3 to 6-meter scale]
- International Space Station down mass greater than currently possible [8 to 12-meter scale]
- Lower cost access to space through launch vehicle asset recovery [12-meter scale]
The inflatable decelerator technology is scalable to both crewed and large robotic missions to Mars.
On November 10, the launch, deployment, and recovery of LOFTID and its data capsule were successful. Now scientists must evaluate the data captured during the test to learn about the results.
Here is the blow-by-blow recounting of the events on November 10, beginning with liftoff at 1:49 a.m. PST:
Credit: NASA TV
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite, with NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) technology demonstration along for the ride, lifted off from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California this morning, Nov. 10! Powered by 860,000 pounds of thrust from the United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket’s RD-180 engine, launch occurred at 1:49 a.m. PST.
—
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket exceeded the speed of sound around a minute into the flight, and soon thereafter reached Max-Q – the moment of maximum dynamic pressure on the rocket. Next up is the booster engine cutoff, followed by the separation of the first and second stages of the rocket.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing containing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) is inside the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex-3 (SLC-3) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on October 28, 2022. Credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
—
Booster engine cutoff occurred on time, the first and second stages separated as planned, and the Centaur second stage main engine has started its burn. The payload fairing that protected the JPSS-2 satellite during the first minutes of ascent has jettisoned as expected. The second stage main engine will burn for just over 12 minutes, taking the spacecraft towards the Equator and to low-Earth orbit.
—
United Launch Alliance’s Centaur upper stage has successfully powered on the LOFTID re-entry vehicle, kicking off the LOFTID mission sequence. About two minutes after power on, Centaur released the payload adapter that had connected JPSS-2 to the rocket’s upper stage.
Limited data will be received real-time during the technology demonstration. Other milestones are notional given the mission timeline and sequence.
—
Aeroshell inflation has started. Once the aeroshell reaches four pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure, Centaur will begin positioning LOFTID for re-entry.
—
After orienting LOFTID to an acceptable separation angle, Centaur spun up and released the re-entry vehicle. Spinning at three rotations per minute keeps the LOFTID vehicle stable and pointed in the right throughout re-entry.
—
At this time, the aeroshell should have reached a full inflation pressure of 19 psi. LOFTID is only sending limited real-time data during the demonstration. Full data, including confirmation of the final inflation pressure, will be confirmed after landing and recovery.
LOFTID is now coasting toward the atmosphere and re-entry is expected to start in approximately 25 minutes.
—
LOFTID is fully inflated as it begins it re-entry. Credit: NASA TV
The team was able to visually confirm full inflation of the re-entry vehicle. LOFTID is now estimated to be at about 78 miles in altitude, the point the LOFTID team considers the start of atmospheric re-entry.
—
Over the past few minutes, LOFTID’s thermal protection system should have reached maximum re-entry heating, and the inflatable structure should have reached maximum re-entry pressure load.
LOFTID is only sending limited real-time data during the demonstration. Full data, including the maximum heating and pressure load experienced, will be confirmed after landing and recovery.
—
According to the team’s predictions, LOFTID should have slowed down to Mach 0.7 — from a maximum speed of Mach 29 — marking the end of the demonstration and data collection. As LOFTID approaches splashdown in approximately 16 minutes, the ejectable data module will jettison and the parachute will deploy.
—
Teams confirmed the ejectable data recorder was jettisoned and they have received GPS data on its location. LOFTID’s parachutes are expected to have deployed, preparing LOFTID for splashdown in less than 10 minutes.
—
LOFTID has splashed down in the Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles off the coast of Hawaii. Once the aeroshell’s location is determined, the recovery boat will head toward the aeroshell for attempted retrieval. Following retrieval, the team will recover the ejectable data recorder.
—
The LOFTID team has visually confirmed the heat shield’s splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Splashdown occurred a few minutes later than originally thought based on the expected mission timeline.
—
LOFTID landed close to the recovery ship. After assessing the situation, the crew aboard the Kahana-II have begun preparation for recovery operations, which will bring LOFTID aboard the vessel. NASA will post updates on the recovery process and the results of the demonstration as more information becomes available.
—
The LOFTID heat shield is lifted out of the water onto the deck of the recovery vessel. Credit: ULA
Team members successfully retrieved the LOFTID heat shield from the Pacific Ocean on Thursday morning. With the heat shield on board, the recovery vessel will next head to retrieve LOFTID’s ejectable data module, which contains a backup of the demonstration data that is also stored on the heat shield.
—
The LOFTID heat shield sits on the deck of the recovery vessel. After the heat shield was recovered, the team retrieved the small backup data recorder from the water. Credit: ULA
The LOFTID team successfully retrieved the mission’s ejectable data module from the Pacific Ocean on Thursday morning. The data module resembles a large lemon and holds a backup copy of the data recorded during LOFTID’s demonstration. Another copy of the data is stored aboard the heat shield itself, which was already recovered by the team.
The recovery vessel will now make its way back to port. The LOFTID team will analyze the recorded data and inspect the heat shield to assess how the technology performed. Additional updates will be provided as available.
Illustration of Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID). Credit: NASA
NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) is dedicated to the memory of Bernard Kutter – a manager of advanced programs at United Launch Alliance (ULA) who championed lower-cost access to space and technologies to make that a reality. LOFTID is a partnership between NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and ULA to demonstrate an inflatable aerodynamic decelerator, or aeroshell, technology that could one day help land humans on Mars.
Since NASA’s inception in 1958, the agency has relied heavily on rigid aeroshells (a protective shell composed of a heat shield and a back shell), parachutes, and retro-propulsion (rockets) to decelerate people, vehicles, and hardware during orbital entry, descent, and landing operations. The LOFTID demonstration is poised to revolutionize the way NASA and industry deliver payloads to planetary destinations with atmospheres.
After more than a decade of development of Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) technology, including two suborbital flight tests, the LOFTID orbital flight test is the next step. This return from orbit demonstration provides an entry environment relevant to many potential applications, paving the way for its use on future missions. The LOFTID re-entry vehicle, at 19.7 feet (6 meters) diameter, will be the largest blunt body aeroshell to ever go through atmospheric entry.
When a spacecraft enters an atmosphere, aerodynamic forces – like drag – act upon it, slowing it down and converting its kinetic energy into heat. Using atmospheric drag typically is the most mass-efficient method to slow down a spacecraft. Since HIAD technology is larger than traditional aeroshells, it creates more drag and starts the deceleration process in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, allowing not only heavier payloads, but also landing at higher altitudes. It could additionally be used to bring an unprecedented amount of mass back from low-Earth orbit, including items from the International Space Station. Another significant potential benefit is enabling the recovery of rocket assets for reuse which can reduce the overall cost of access to space.
The HIAD design consists of an inflatable structure that maintains its shape against the drag forces, and a protective flexible thermal protection system that withstands the heat of reentry. The inflatable structure is constructed with a stack of pressurized concentric rings, or tori, that are strapped together to form an exceptionally strong blunt cone-shaped structure.
The rings are made from braided synthetic fibers that are, by weight, 10 times stronger than steel. A flexible thermal protection system insulates the rings from the searing heat of atmospheric entry; LOFTID can withstand temperatures in excess of 2900°F (1600°C). It’s constructed with three layers: an exterior ceramic fiber cloth layer to maintain integrity of the surface, a middle layer of insulators to inhibit heat transmission, and an interior layer that prevents hot gas from reaching the inflatable structure. The flexible thermal protection system is also foldable, packable, deployable, and tailorable. Because it is flexible, it takes up less room in the rocket and allows the design to be scalable.
LOFTID is managed by the agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, with contributions from various NASA centers: Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California; Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; and Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, managed today’s launch.
NASA’s Successful Launch, Deployment, and Retrieval of LOFTID – An Innovative Inflatable Heat Shield
Illustration of Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID). Credit: NASA
On the morning of November 10, an Atlas V rocket launched JPSS-2, NOAA’s newest environmental satellite into orbit. Hitching a ride on the rocket was
When a spacecraft enters an atmosphere, aerodynamic forces act upon it. Specifically, aerodynamic drag helps to slow it down, converting its kinetic energy into heat. Utilizing atmospheric drag is the most mass-efficient method to slow down a spacecraft.
NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator, or LOFTID, is demonstrating a cross-cutting aeroshell — a type of heat shield — for atmospheric re-entry. This animation features mission highlights for the launch of NASA’s cutting-edge entry, descent, and landing technology: Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID). Credit: NASA
The atmosphere of Mars is much less dense than that of Earth and provides an extreme challenge for aerodynamic deceleration. The atmosphere is thick enough to provide some drag, but too thin to decelerate the spacecraft as quickly as it would in Earth’s atmosphere. LOFTID’s large deployable aeroshell — an inflatable structure protected by a flexible heat shield — acts as a giant brake as it traverses the Martian atmosphere. The large aeroshell creates more drag than a traditional, smaller rigid aeroshell. It begins slowing down in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, allowing the spacecraft to decelerate sooner, at higher altitude, while experiencing less intense heating.
LOFTID is demonstrating a large aeroshell — 6 meters in diameter or about 20 feet — entry from low-Earth orbit, to demonstrate this technology in conditions relevant to many potential applications. The benefits of using the inflatable decelerator design for a variety of space applications include:
- Low-Earth orbit return; free flyer, in-space manufactured materials [3 to 6-meter scale]
- International Space Station down mass greater than currently possible [8 to 12-meter scale]
- Lower cost access to space through launch vehicle asset recovery [12-meter scale]
The inflatable decelerator technology is scalable to both crewed and large robotic missions to Mars.
On November 10, the launch, deployment, and recovery of LOFTID and its data capsule were successful. Now scientists must evaluate the data captured during the test to learn about the results.
Here is the blow-by-blow recounting of the events on November 10, beginning with liftoff at 1:49 a.m. PST:
Credit: NASA TV
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) satellite, with NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) technology demonstration along for the ride, lifted off from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California this morning, Nov. 10! Powered by 860,000 pounds of thrust from the United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket’s RD-180 engine, launch occurred at 1:49 a.m. PST.
—
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket exceeded the speed of sound around a minute into the flight, and soon thereafter reached Max-Q – the moment of maximum dynamic pressure on the rocket. Next up is the booster engine cutoff, followed by the separation of the first and second stages of the rocket.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V payload fairing containing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) and NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) is inside the mobile service tower at Space Launch Complex-3 (SLC-3) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on October 28, 2022. Credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin
—
Booster engine cutoff occurred on time, the first and second stages separated as planned, and the Centaur second stage main engine has started its burn. The payload fairing that protected the JPSS-2 satellite during the first minutes of ascent has jettisoned as expected. The second stage main engine will burn for just over 12 minutes, taking the spacecraft towards the Equator and to low-Earth orbit.
—
United Launch Alliance’s Centaur upper stage has successfully powered on the LOFTID re-entry vehicle, kicking off the LOFTID mission sequence. About two minutes after power on, Centaur released the payload adapter that had connected JPSS-2 to the rocket’s upper stage.
Limited data will be received real-time during the technology demonstration. Other milestones are notional given the mission timeline and sequence.
—
Aeroshell inflation has started. Once the aeroshell reaches four pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure, Centaur will begin positioning LOFTID for re-entry.
—
After orienting LOFTID to an acceptable separation angle, Centaur spun up and released the re-entry vehicle. Spinning at three rotations per minute keeps the LOFTID vehicle stable and pointed in the right throughout re-entry.
—
At this time, the aeroshell should have reached a full inflation pressure of 19 psi. LOFTID is only sending limited real-time data during the demonstration. Full data, including confirmation of the final inflation pressure, will be confirmed after landing and recovery.
LOFTID is now coasting toward the atmosphere and re-entry is expected to start in approximately 25 minutes.
—
LOFTID is fully inflated as it begins it re-entry. Credit: NASA TV
The team was able to visually confirm full inflation of the re-entry vehicle. LOFTID is now estimated to be at about 78 miles in altitude, the point the LOFTID team considers the start of atmospheric re-entry.
—
Over the past few minutes, LOFTID’s thermal protection system should have reached maximum re-entry heating, and the inflatable structure should have reached maximum re-entry pressure load.
LOFTID is only sending limited real-time data during the demonstration. Full data, including the maximum heating and pressure load experienced, will be confirmed after landing and recovery.
—
According to the team’s predictions, LOFTID should have slowed down to Mach 0.7 — from a maximum speed of Mach 29 — marking the end of the demonstration and data collection. As LOFTID approaches splashdown in approximately 16 minutes, the ejectable data module will jettison and the parachute will deploy.
—
Teams confirmed the ejectable data recorder was jettisoned and they have received GPS data on its location. LOFTID’s parachutes are expected to have deployed, preparing LOFTID for splashdown in less than 10 minutes.
—
LOFTID has splashed down in the Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles off the coast of Hawaii. Once the aeroshell’s location is determined, the recovery boat will head toward the aeroshell for attempted retrieval. Following retrieval, the team will recover the ejectable data recorder.
—
The LOFTID team has visually confirmed the heat shield’s splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Splashdown occurred a few minutes later than originally thought based on the expected mission timeline.
—
LOFTID landed close to the recovery ship. After assessing the situation, the crew aboard the Kahana-II have begun preparation for recovery operations, which will bring LOFTID aboard the vessel. NASA will post updates on the recovery process and the results of the demonstration as more information becomes available.
—
The LOFTID heat shield is lifted out of the water onto the deck of the recovery vessel. Credit: ULA
Team members successfully retrieved the LOFTID heat shield from the Pacific Ocean on Thursday morning. With the heat shield on board, the recovery vessel will next head to retrieve LOFTID’s ejectable data module, which contains a backup of the demonstration data that is also stored on the heat shield.
—
The LOFTID heat shield sits on the deck of the recovery vessel. After the heat shield was recovered, the team retrieved the small backup data recorder from the water. Credit: ULA
The LOFTID team successfully retrieved the mission’s ejectable data module from the Pacific Ocean on Thursday morning. The data module resembles a large lemon and holds a backup copy of the data recorded during LOFTID’s demonstration. Another copy of the data is stored aboard the heat shield itself, which was already recovered by the team.
The recovery vessel will now make its way back to port. The LOFTID team will analyze the recorded data and inspect the heat shield to assess how the technology performed. Additional updates will be provided as available.
Illustration of Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID). Credit: NASA
NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) is dedicated to the memory of Bernard Kutter – a manager of advanced programs at United Launch Alliance (ULA) who championed lower-cost access to space and technologies to make that a reality. LOFTID is a partnership between NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and ULA to demonstrate an inflatable aerodynamic decelerator, or aeroshell, technology that could one day help land humans on Mars.
Since NASA’s inception in 1958, the agency has relied heavily on rigid aeroshells (a protective shell composed of a heat shield and a back shell), parachutes, and retro-propulsion (rockets) to decelerate people, vehicles, and hardware during orbital entry, descent, and landing operations. The LOFTID demonstration is poised to revolutionize the way NASA and industry deliver payloads to planetary destinations with atmospheres.
After more than a decade of development of Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) technology, including two suborbital flight tests, the LOFTID orbital flight test is the next step. This return from orbit demonstration provides an entry environment relevant to many potential applications, paving the way for its use on future missions. The LOFTID re-entry vehicle, at 19.7 feet (6 meters) diameter, will be the largest blunt body aeroshell to ever go through atmospheric entry.
When a spacecraft enters an atmosphere, aerodynamic forces – like drag – act upon it, slowing it down and converting its kinetic energy into heat. Using atmospheric drag typically is the most mass-efficient method to slow down a spacecraft. Since HIAD technology is larger than traditional aeroshells, it creates more drag and starts the deceleration process in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, allowing not only heavier payloads, but also landing at higher altitudes. It could additionally be used to bring an unprecedented amount of mass back from low-Earth orbit, including items from the International Space Station. Another significant potential benefit is enabling the recovery of rocket assets for reuse which can reduce the overall cost of access to space.
The HIAD design consists of an inflatable structure that maintains its shape against the drag forces, and a protective flexible thermal protection system that withstands the heat of reentry. The inflatable structure is constructed with a stack of pressurized concentric rings, or tori, that are strapped together to form an exceptionally strong blunt cone-shaped structure.
The rings are made from braided synthetic fibers that are, by weight, 10 times stronger than steel. A flexible thermal protection system insulates the rings from the searing heat of atmospheric entry; LOFTID can withstand temperatures in excess of 2900°F (1600°C). It’s constructed with three layers: an exterior ceramic fiber cloth layer to maintain integrity of the surface, a middle layer of insulators to inhibit heat transmission, and an interior layer that prevents hot gas from reaching the inflatable structure. The flexible thermal protection system is also foldable, packable, deployable, and tailorable. Because it is flexible, it takes up less room in the rocket and allows the design to be scalable.
LOFTID is managed by the agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, with contributions from various NASA centers: Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California; Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; and Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, managed today’s launch.
SpaceX satellite deployment plan upheld in appeal court
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A plan by Elon Musk’s SpaceX to deploy some Starlink satellites at a lower Earth orbit was upheld by an appeals court on Friday.
The original approval came from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2021.
The SpaceX plan was part of a push to offer space-based broadband internet for people who currently lack access to internet service.
The plan to fly 2,824 satellites at a lower orbit was opposed by competitors Viasat Inc. and DISH Network Corp.
SPACEX LAUNCHED 46 MORE STARLINK SATELLITES INTO ORBIT
Elon Musk, Founder and Chief Engineer of SpaceX. ( (Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
Viasat said it believes the “decision is a setback for both space safety and environmental protection.”
The company added if the court had forced the FCC to address “complicated issues surrounding deployment of mega-constellations in (low-earth orbit), we believe harmful impacts that otherwise may persist for decades or even centuries to come could have been avoided.”
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a payload of 53 Starlink satellites lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in April 2022. (REUTERS/Steve Nesius / Reuters Photos)
In a court filing, Viasat noted the SpaceX deployment plan was massive, noting “by way of comparison, approximately 10,000 satellites, total, have been launched in all of human history.”
“We will remain vigilant in ensuring that SpaceX operations do not harm our millions of satellite customers,” DISH said.
MUSK’S SPACEX PARTNERING WITH T-MOBILE TO ELIMINATE ‘DEAD ZONES’
SpaceX did not immediately comment.
Spacex founder Elon Musk and T-Mobile CEO and President Mike Sievert talking about satellite cellphone plan. (SPACEX HANDOUT)
This past week, T-Mobile US and SpaceX announced they are teaming up to boost cell phone service to remote areas via Starlink satellites.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VSAT | VIASAT INC. | 38.58 | -1.70 | -4.22% |
| DISH | DISH NETWORK CORP. | 17.61 | -0.95 | -5.12% |
The companies said the service would cut out the need for cell towers and would extend cell service to areas where it currently doesn’t exist.
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The new service is expected to begin with texting in a beta phase beginning by the end of next year.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Significant Progress in NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Solar Array Deployment Fix
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft deploying its solar arrays. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Beginning on May 6 and continuing through June 16,
For now, further deployment attempts will be paused as the Lucy spacecraft enters a planned period of limited communications. Due to thermal constraints caused by the relative positions of the Earth, spacecraft, and Sun, the spacecraft will be unable to communicate with the Earth via its high-gain antenna for several months. Throughout this period, the spacecraft will use its low-gain antenna remain in contact with Lucy’s ground team.
After its Earth gravity assist maneuver on October 16, the spacecraft will emerge from this partial communications blackout. At that time, the mission team will have more opportunities to attempt further deployment efforts if deemed necessary.
On June 21, the spacecraft successfully carried out a trajectory correction maneuver, which is the second in a series of maneuvers to prepare the spacecraft for its Earth flyby.
Launched on October 16, 2021, Lucy will be the first space mission to explore the Trojan asteroids, a population of small bodies that are left over from the formation of the solar system. In their orbit around the Sun, they lead or follow
UK troops barred from NATO deployment after video of orgy
Hundreds of British paratroopers were banned from a NATO deployment after videos surfaced of an orgy with a civilian woman in the barracks that had some soldiers watching on, according to reports.
Eight paratroopers serving in the UK’s 16 Air Assault Brigade were under police investigation over a video of them having sex with a civilian woman who had been snuck into the Merville barracks in Colchester, it was revealed earlier this month.
The woman had been snuck into the barracks as many as 31 times over the past five months, according to The Times of London.
The UK’s new head of the Army, Gen. Sir Patrick Sanders, told his generals and commanding officers in a letter he would not “risk the mission or the reputation of the British army” by sending the troops abroad, The Times reported.
Although military police ultimately determined that no crime was committed, Sanders reportedly said in the letter that the incident could have appeared to “denigrate women” and was against the army’s values.
“My message to the army is clear – our license to operate is founded on trust and confidence and we must hold ourselves to the highest standards,” Sanders wrote. He added that “such behavior is unacceptable, corrosive and detrimental to the army’s reputation,” according to The Times.
“I am not prepared to risk the Nato mission or the reputation of the British army by deploying 3 Para at this time.”
The news of the orgy follows a series of incidents during an exercise in North Macedonia in May, when several soldiers were accused “unprofessional behavior” during the drill.
Russia warns of nuclear deployment if Sweden and Finland join NATO
Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev delivers a speech during a meeting with members of the Security Council in Moscow, Russia February 21, 2022. Sputnik/Alexey Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS
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LONDON, April 14 (Reuters) – One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies warned NATO on Thursday that if Sweden and Finland joined the U.S.-led military alliance then Russia would have to bolster its defences in the region, including by deploying nuclear weapons.
Finland, which shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border with Russia, and Sweden are considering joining the NATO alliance. Finland will make a decision in the next few weeks, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday. read more
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said that should Sweden and Finland join NATO then Russia would have to strengthen its land, naval and air forces in the Baltic Sea.
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Medvedev also explicitly raised the nuclear threat by saying that there could be no more talk of a “nuclear free” Baltic – where Russia has its Kaliningrad exclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.
“There can be no more talk of any nuclear–free status for the Baltic – the balance must be restored,” said Medvedev, who was president from 2008 to 2012.
“Until today, Russia has not taken such measures and was not going to,” Medvedev said. “If our hand is forced well… take note it wasn’t us who proposed this,” he added.
Lithuania said Russia’s threats were nothing new and that Moscow had deployed nuclear weapons to Kaliningrad long before the war in Ukraine. read more
The possible accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO – founded in 1949 to provide collective Western security against the Soviet Union – would be one of the biggest European strategic consequences of the war in Ukraine.
Finland gained independence from Russia in 1917 and fought two wars against it during World War Two during which it lost some territory to Moscow. On Thursday, Finland announced a military exercise in Western Finland with the participation of forces from Britain, the United States, Latvia and Estonia.
Sweden has not fought a war for 200 years and post-war foreign policy has focused on supporting democracy internationally, multilateral dialogue and nuclear disarmament.
KALININGRAD
Kaliningrad is of particular importance in the northern European theatre. Formerly the Prussian port of Koenigsberg, capital of East Prussia, it lies less than 1400 km from London and Paris and 500 km from Berlin.
Russia said in 2018 it had deployed Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad, which was captured by the Red Army in April 1945 and ceded to the Soviet Union at the Potsdam conference.
The Iskander, known as SS-26 Stone by NATO, is a short-range tactical ballistic missile system that can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.
Its official range is 500 km but some Western military sources suspect its range may be much greater.
“No sane person wants higher prices and higher taxes, increased tensions along borders, Iskanders, hypersonics and ships with nuclear weapons literally at arm’s length from their own home,” Medvedev said.
“Let’s hope that the common sense of our northern neighbors will win,” said Medvedev.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said Russia had deployed nuclear weapons to Kaliningrad even before the war.
“Nuclear weapons have always been kept in Kaliningrad … the international community, the countries in the region, are perfectly aware of this,” Anusauskas was quoted as saying by BNS. “They use it as a threat.”
Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine has killed thousands of people, displaced millions and raised fears of a wider confrontation between Russia and the United States – by far the world’s two biggest nuclear powers.
Putin says the “special military operation” in Ukraine is necessary because the United States was using Ukraine to threaten Russia and Moscow had to defend against the persecution of Russian-speaking people by Ukraine.
Ukraine says it is fighting against an imperial-style land grab and that Putin’s claims of genocide are nonsense. U.S. President Joe Biden says Putin is a war criminal and a dictator.
Putin says the conflict in Ukraine as part of a much broader confrontation with the United States which he says is trying to enforce its hegemony even as its dominance over the international order declines.
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Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Hugh Lawson
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
NASA raises concerns about SpaceX satellite deployment plan
By David Shepardson and Steve Gorman
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) raised concerns about SpaceX’s plan to deploy about 30,000 satellites for its Starlink, as have some major companies.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX previously received authorization for about 12,000 satellites to offer broadband internet and has requested authorization for a second-generation constellation of 30,000 satellites.
“NASA has concerns with the potential for a significant increase in the frequency of conjunction events and possible impacts to NASA’s science and human spaceflight missions,” the agency wrote the Federal Communications Commission.
NASA noted there are currently 25,000 total objects tracked on-orbit – and about 6,100 below 600 km. SpaceX’s Gen2 expansion “would more than double the number of tracked objects in orbit and increase the number of objects below 600 km over five-fold,” it added.
Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, part of the American Astronomical Society panel examining the impacts of satellites on astronomy said: “We’ve been concerned with having these large numbers of satellites that interfere with astronomical observations… I think we need a little more experience with the several thousand operating satellites before we can ramp up to the tens of thousands.”
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Musk tweeted on Jan. 15 SpaceX had 1,469 Starlink satellites active and 272 moving to operational orbits soon.
Amazon.com, which has pledged to spend at least $10 billion to build 3,236 such satellites through its Project Kuiper program, separately raised concerns with the FCC about SpaceX’s plan as did Dish Network.
Amazon said under SpaceX’s application “at least hundreds—and potentially more than ten thousand—SpaceX satellites could operate at the same altitudes as the Kuiper System.”
It warned “the effect of this orbital overlap would
be a dramatic increase in risks and other burdens on the Kuiper System” and asked the FCC to impose “reasonable conditions.”
While extremely costly to deploy, satellite technology can provide high-speed internet for people who live in rural or hard-to-serve places where fiber optic cables and cell towers do not reach. The technology could also be a critical backstop when hurricanes or other natural disasters disrupt communication.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Stephen Coates)
Russia Condemns U.S. Troop Deployment to Eastern Europe: Live Updates
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transcript
transcript
U.S. to Send Troops to Poland and Romania
The Pentagon said 3,000 additional American troops would aid in the defense of NATO allies in Eastern Europe, as Russia’s amassment of forces at Ukraine’s border threatens the region’s stability.
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The United States will soon move additional forces to Romania, Poland and Germany. I want to be very clear about something. These are not permanent moves. They are moves designed to respond to the current security environment. Moreover, these forces are not going to fight in Ukraine. They are going to ensure the robust defense of our NATO allies. First, 1,000 soldiers that are currently based in Germany will reposition to Romania in the coming days. This is a Stryker squadron, a mounted cavalry unit that’s designed to deploy in short order and to move quickly once in place. And they will augment the some 900 U.S. forces that are currently in Romania. Second, we are moving an additional force of about approximately 2,000 troops from the United States to Europe in the next few days. The 82nd Airborne Division is deploying components of an infantry brigade combat team and key enablers to Poland, and the 18th Airborne Corps is moving a joint task force-capable headquarters to Germany. Third and finally, all of these forces are separate and in addition to the 8,500 personnel in the United States on heightened alert posture that I announced last week. Those 8,500 are not currently being deployed but remain ready to move if called for the NATO response force or as needed for other contingencies as directed by the secretary or by President Biden.
President Biden has approved the deployment of about 3,000 additional American troops to Eastern Europe, administration officials said on Wednesday.
The troops, including 1,000 already in Germany, will head to Poland and Romania, said the Pentagon spokesman, John F. Kirby. Their purpose will be to reassure NATO allies that while the United States has no intention of sending troops into Ukraine, where President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has been threatening an invasion, Mr. Biden would protect America’s NATO allies from any Russian aggression.
“Its important that we send a strong signal to Mr. Putin and the world that NATO matters,” Mr. Kirby told reporters at a news conference. “We are making it clear that we are going to be prepared to defend our NATO allies if it comes to that.”
At the moment, Russia is threatening Ukraine, not Romania or Poland. But Mr. Putin has made clear his distaste for both NATO and the post-Cold War redrawing of the map of Europe, which put former Soviet republics and satellite countries in the West’s foremost military alliance at his doorstep.
The president’s decision comes days after Pentagon leaders said that Mr. Putin had deployed the necessary troops and military hardware to conduct an invasion of Ukraine. Senior Defense Department officials also said that the tense standoff was leading the United States, its NATO allies and Russia into uncharted territory.
The number of Russian troops assembled at Ukraine’s borders has reached well north of 100,000, the officials said, publicly confirming for the first time what intelligence analysts have described for weeks.
Close to 2,000 of the troops — most of them coming from the 82nd Airborne in Fort Bragg, N.C. — will be going to Poland, Mr. Kirby said. While many of those troops are paratroopers, Mr. Kirby said he did not expect the Airborne troops to deploy to Poland in a “tactical operation,” which would raise the ire of Russia even more.
The troops being moved to Romania will complement French troops being deployed there, Mr. Kirby said.
The Biden administration has not ruled out sending additional troops to Europe, and still has 8,500 American troops on “high alert” for possible deployment to a NATO rapid response force.
Asked why Mr. Biden decided to move troops unilaterally, Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, said the move had been under discussion “for some time” with NATO partners and there was no specific event in recent days that pushed Mr. Biden to deploy the troops.
“There’s no question that Russia and President Putin has continued to take escalatory, not de-escalatory steps,” Ms. Psaki said. “So it is not that it is one moment, it is we are looking at events over the course of time.”
Mr. Kirby also said there would be no change in the status of the small number of American troops in Ukraine. More than 150 U.S. military advisers are in Ukraine, trainers who have for years worked near Lviv, in the country’s west, far from the front lines. The current group includes Special Operations forces, mostly Army Green Berets, as well as National Guard trainers from Florida’s 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
“It’s a big, unambiguous signal,” said Jim Townsend, a former top Pentagon official for Europe and NATO policy. “It’s also significant that they are going to the Black Sea. Finally, the Black Sea region is being recognized as a major theater. It’s not just the Baltics.”
Zolan Kanno-Youngs contributed reporting.