International space development conference

A recent piece in Space News noted that NASA has signed an agreement with Italy for that country to participate in the Artemis return-to-the-moon program. While the details of that participation are yet to be formalized, one story in an Italian publication suggested that Italy will invest a billion euros in the undertaking. Italy joins Japan, Australia, Canada and the European Union in what is shaping up to be a NASA-led Artemis Alliance to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972 to build a “lunar base camp” at the moon’s south pole. Astronauts will conduct science and enable commerce on Earth’s nearest neighbor as well as test technologies and practice techniques for a human mission to Mars. The international partners are providing a great deal of value to the Artemis program. Japan, for example, will develop a pressurized rover that astronauts will use for long-distance excursions. Australia may include “adapting technologies in remote operations and mining for … [Read more...] about The International Artemis Alliance to return to the moon takes shape

The recent peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, brokered by President Donald Trump Donald Trump Graham: 'I could not disagree more' with Trump support of Afghanistan troop withdrawal GOP believes Democrats handing them winning 2022 campaign Former GOP operative installed as NSA top lawyer resigns MORE , could be compared to the 1977 Camp David Accords , except that it simply formalizes a growing relationship between the Jewish state and one of the Gulf nations that has been ongoing for some time. Both Israel and the UAE have Iran as a common enemy. Both countries are also technologically advanced and will benefit from closer commercial ties. Israel and the UAE are also emerging space powers. The UAE recently launched a probe called Hope to Mars. After a private Israeli group made an unsuccessful attempt to land a robotic probe called the Beresheet on the lunar surface, German company OHB joined forces with Israeli Aerospace … [Read more...] about Peace between Israel and the UAE could spark joint Israeli-Arab space exploration

The Chinese drug company Fosun Pharma filed for approval to distribute the Chinese coronavirus vaccine developed by American company Pfizer and European partners BioNTech in China, state media noted on Sunday, a sign that Beijing increasingly distrusts its homemade products. Fosun is a formal partner with Pfizer and BioNTech and invested in the initial stages of developing a coronavirus vaccine with the two. Fosun and Pfizer initially tested rival versions of the trio’s products, leading to studies that found the Pfizer product to be superior. The version of the vaccine currently approved in the United States and used around the world is the Pfizer version of the test product, believed to be 95 percent effective in preventing coronavirus infections. Fosun reportedly contracted to buy 100 million doses of the vaccine in December, despite being a co-owner of Sinopharm, a Chinese company that developed its own homemade vaccine candidate currently in international distribution. … [Read more...] about China Moves to Approve Pfizer Vaccine After Admitting Chinese Product Doesn’t Work

The road to the 2024 GOP presidential nomination appears to have a new stop along the way: an influential group of House conservatives. Sen. Tom Cotton Tom Bryant Cotton Hillicon Valley: Biden administration sanctions Russia for SolarWinds hack, election interference The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Tax March - CDC in limbo on J&J vax verdict; Rep. Brady retiring Republican lawmakers reintroduce bill to ban TikTok on federal devices MORE (R-Ark.) has addressed the Republican Study Committee  (RSC) about the surge of migrants at the border. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie Chris Christie Energy secretary: 'We don't want to use past definitions of infrastructure' Christie: Biden lying about Georgia voting bill Experts take pro-vaccine message to right-wing skeptics MORE (R) told the conservative group last week they need to get tougher on President Biden Joe Biden Graham: 'I could not disagree more' with Trump … [Read more...] about Parade of 2024 GOP hopefuls court House conservatives

The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) documented the first successful flight of an aircraft over another planet as the Ingenuity helicopter flew 10 feet above the surface of Mars for 39 seconds on Monday. “Ingenuity is the latest in a long and storied tradition of NASA projects achieving a space exploration goal once thought impossible,” acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk said in the NASA report. “The X-15 was a pathfinder for the space shuttle. Mars Pathfinder and its Sojourner rover did the same for three generations of Mars rovers. We don’t know exactly where Ingenuity will lead us, but today’s results indicate the sky – at least on Mars – may not be the limit.” In this image from NASA, NASA’s experimental Mars helicopter Ingenuity hovers above the surface of Mars Monday, April 19, 2021. The little 4-pound helicopter rose from the dusty red surface into the thin Martian air Monday, achieving the first powered, controlled flight on another … [Read more...] about NASA Success: Milestone Flight of First Aircraft over Another Planet as Helicopter Hovers Above Mars