Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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WASHINGTON — SpiderOak Mission Systems announced March 29 it won a contract from Lockheed Martin Space for its cybersecurity software.

The contract allows Lockheed Martin to use SpiderOak’s OrbitSecure software. “This is commercial technology that was developed for terrestrial applications and has been repurposed for the space business, specifically for low Earth orbit,” SpiderOak chairman Charles Beames told SpaceNews.

Beames said he could not disclose the value of the contract with Lockheed Martin. “The goal is to make OrbitSecure available to Lockheed Martin customers as part of an offering to provide an extra level of cybersecurity,” he said.

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TAMPA, Fla. — Indian startup Pixxel said March 28 it has raised $25 million for a hyperspectral imaging constellation that plans to deploy its first satellite this week.

Canadian early-stage investor Radical Ventures led the Series A round, bringing Pixxel’s total funding to $33 million to date.

Awais Ahmed, Pixxel’s CEO and co-founder, said proceeds will support plans to launch two satellites this year and six in early 2023 for the constellation.

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Oscilloscopes were once commonly called CROs, for the fact that they relied on cathode ray tubes for display. Since then, technology has moved quickly, and oscilloscopes these days almost entirely rely on modern screens like LCDs. However, [lonesoulsurfer] went a different route with this fun DIY build, creating an oscilloscope with a low-resolution LED display.

Yes, the signals are shown on a 10×10 matrix made up of red LEDs. The individual pixels look nicely diffused and chunky thanks to the fact that [lonesoulsurfer] was able to source square 5mm LEDs for the build. The whole project only uses four ICs – a decade counter and a LM3914 LED driver to run the display, a 555 timer for clock input, and an LM386 op-amp for amplifying incoming signals.

With a mic fitted onboard, the oscilloscope can act as a simple music visualizer, or be used with a probe to investigate actual circuits. It may not be of great enough resolution or precision for fine work, but it’ll at least tell you if your microcontroller’s clock is running properly if you’re scratching your head about the function of a simple project.

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Researchers lay out a framework explaining how methane could be a biosignature rather than a false alarm.

If an exoplanet’s atmosphere contains methane, that could be a sign of life — as long as planetary conditions meet certain criteria. The framework for those conditions has now been established in a new study by researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

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A group of crypto enthusiasts bought a 1.1-square-mile private island between Australia and Fiji which is part of the republic of Vanuatu — to be renamed Satoshi Island. Parcels on Satoshi Island will be sold as NFTs.

Over 50,000 people have applied to live there so far.

1. No capital gains tax.
2. No withholding tax.
3. No death tax.

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My science fiction short story has been reprinted by Metastellar. The piece previously appeared in Theme of Absence magazine. It’s a quick read, but it packs a punch, so I encourage you to check it out!

An unusual rendezvous takes place in outer space. The synthetic creature known as Honeybee brings a young man’s soul to her lover, an entity called the Blot. Yet Honeybee begins to question her rel…

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