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Aug 1, 2022

Space Force plans launch this week for final SBIRS missile warning sat

Posted by in category: satellites

“This launch represents the conclusion of the production and launch phase, and the commencement of the satellites’ critical missile detection and early warning mission,” Maj. Matt Blystone, program manager at the Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC), told reporters today at a pre-launch briefing.

SBIRS, conceived in 1996, was designed to replace the elderly Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites, the first of which was launched in 1970. The operational constellation comprises three satellites in Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) and two hosted payloads on classified satellites in Highly Elliptical Orbits over the poles. Lockheed Martin is the SBIRS prime contractor and Northrop Grumman the payload integrator.

Assuming the Thursday launch goes as planned, the last of the satellites, SBIRS GEO-6, is expected to be up and running by “late spring, early summer” next year, Blystone said. The time between now and then will be filled with various tests of the satellite and its subsystems.

Aug 1, 2022

Google-backed chip startup Lightmatter just poached a 20-year veteran of Intel to help bring a faster and more energy-efficient computer processor to the mainstream

Posted by in categories: computing, engineering, space travel

The startup is hiring Ritesh Jain, VP of engineering at Intel, to help it move from the prototype phase of its chip development to mass production.


ESA is prepping to send a spacecraft to Venus — a feat which will require state-of-the-art methods to get through the planet’s grueling atmosphere.

Aug 1, 2022

ESA Unveils Plan to Send Spacecraft Through Venus’ “Hot, Thick” Atmosphere

Posted by in category: space travel

ESA is prepping to send a spacecraft to Venus — a feat which will require state-of-the-art methods to get through the planet’s grueling atmosphere.

Aug 1, 2022

Power Companies Enter Peak Hurricane Season Lacking Enough Transformers

Posted by in category: climatology

Lengthy outages loom after storms, as surging electricity demand and global supply-chain issues quadruple wait times for the vital equipment.

Aug 1, 2022

This Paper Battery Is as Powerful as a AA, And Is Activated by Water

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, computing

A newly developed, water-activated disposable paper battery promises to make a big impact on single-use electronics – those temporary gadgets used in medical and industrial fields where electronic waste can quickly start piling up.

The battery that has been demonstrated by researchers is biodegradable, made from sustainable materials, and cheap to put together. What’s more, it can be produced in a variety of shapes and sizes as needed.

To give an idea of the power, a two-cell battery made using the technology was enough to power an LCD alarm clock. While it won’t be charging up your laptop anytime soon, there’s lots of potential for low-powered sensors and trackers.

Aug 1, 2022

The Age of Brain-Computer Interfaces Is on the Horizon

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, computing, neuroscience

Synchron has implanted its BCI in a US patient for the first time—bringing it a big step closer to distribution.

Aug 1, 2022

A transhuman biohacker implanted over 50 chips and magnets in her body

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, biotech/medical, computing, transhumanism

‘Tis all in the senses.

On her blog, Lepht Anonym describes herself as “a faceless, genderless British biohacker. It lacks both gods and money and likes people, science, and practical transhumanism.” Anonym practices, sometimes referred to as grinding — a subculture of biohacking — DIY surgery to insert electronic hardware under the skin.

At the Grinderfest in 2019, Anonym inserted a little “pirate box” device in her upper right arm.

Continue reading “A transhuman biohacker implanted over 50 chips and magnets in her body” »

Aug 1, 2022

The Basics of Prosthetic Limbs and How They Work

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, cyborgs

Aug 1, 2022

Rocket Lab will help the U.S. Space Force build missile warning satellites

Posted by in categories: military, satellites

Aug 1, 2022

A breakthrough technology shoots laser beams at trees from ISS

Posted by in categories: climatology, space, sustainability

‘May the forest be with you.’The GEDI system aboard the ISS shoots laser beams down at Earth to fight deforestation.


The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is building new digital tools to help fight deforestation and climate change. One of these is the FAO’s Framework for Ecosystem Monitoring (FERM) website, which uses satellite images to highlight the negative impact on forests worldwide.

Continue reading “A breakthrough technology shoots laser beams at trees from ISS” »