How Elon Musk And A Mission To Mars Might Boost Internet Speeds In Rural Kansas – KCUR

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Danzig

GREAT BEND, Kansas Joey Bahr walks out to the front of his yard along a blacktop county road. He stops in a ditch and points to an orange-and-black sign that marks a buried fiber-optic cable.

But for Bahr, the cable running beneath his feet is off-limits. Its owned by a neighboring internet service provider and is merely passing through on its way to a nearby town.

Its just maddening, Bahr said. Were at the end of the line basically.

Bahrs story illustrates just how out-of-reach broadband remains for tens of millions of people in rural America. Nearly 9% of Kansas households roughly 130,000 still dont have access to high-speed internet.

Yet the promise of a future with broadband for all Kansans, no matter how remote, might rest in the wide-open skies over the Bahrs home and a plan to send Wi-Fi to a future Mars colony.

Beaming the internet down from satellites might leapfrog the logistical and financial barriers that leave so many rural homes and those just outside the city limits on the wrong side of the digital divide. But to do that, the next generation of satellite internet service will need to be better than the space-based stuff thats been around for a while.

Existing satellite internet is better than nothing, said Daniel Andresen, a computer science professor at Kansas State University, but thats about all you can say about it.

He said customers often have to deal with web pages that load slowly due to bottlenecked bandwidth and video calls that appear choppy because of high latency, or lag times. They sometimes lose service completely if there is rain or snow.

Left behind

Andresen said Kansans who live in towns even very small towns can generally skip satellite internet and connect their homes with fiber, cable or DSL.

But if somebody wants to live ... two miles outside of town, Andresen said, good luck getting any of the above.

David Condos

The basic problem is that its not usually worth it to internet providers to string broadband lines out to places where people dont live close to each other. Each mile of fiber costs more than $27,000 to install. That might pay off in Wichita, which has 2,300 potential users per square mile, but not so much in Great Bends Barton County, with only 31 people per square mile.

Andresen says that leaves rural Kansans behind, especially as the pandemic moves so much of Americans personal and professional lives online.

It used to be that, Internet access is kind of nice, but you go into town once a week and use the librarys and its fine, Andresen said. Now, its vital.

New 5G cellular technology might improve wireless internet speeds for some rural homes, but Andresen said its only likely to help someone who already has good 4G coverage. The high-frequency wavelengths that enable 5Gs fast speeds dont travel as far as 4G waves. And a tree or hill in the wrong place could block the signal.

5G could turn kind-of-haves into haves, but wont turn have-nots into haves, Andresen said. You end up with a situation where good connectivity tends to be pretty much no matter how much money youre willing to fling at it unavailable.

But the richest man on the planet, Elon Musk, has a plan to send humans to Mars. And almost accidentally, that plan might just open the door to getting a better YouTube feed to the ranches and farms of Kansas.

To the stars

For Elon Musks aerospace endeavor, SpaceX, the Starlink project is part fundraiser, part test run. The company needs money from internet customers to fund its ambitions in the heavens, like space tourism and colonizing the red planet. SpaceX also wants to deliver high-speed internet to those future Martians who, like the people of rural Kansas, will be spread across a sparsely populated landscape.

Unlike traditional satellites that sit roughly 22,000 miles out into space, Starlink satellites beam data from a mere 340 miles above the Earth. Theoretically, these low-Earth orbit satellites could provide even better speeds than wired internet because light travels 50% faster through the vacuum of space than it does through the glass of fiber-optic cables.

NOIRLAB/NSF/AURA/P. MARENFELD

So far, SpaceX has launched about 1,000 satellites floating above a thin strip of the U.S.-Canadian border. Kansans should be able to try Starlink for themselves later this year when SpaceX activates another belt of satellites over the Midwest.

But travel three states to the north of here, and that internet future already exists.

The speeds and the latency theyre advertising appear to be holding true, said North Dakota Chief Technology Officer Duane Schell. So, yeah, theres a lot of excitement about it.

Schell is talking with SpaceX about testing Starlink in state parks and wildlife management areas in North Dakota, where Starlink satellites already cover most of the state. But he also sees it as a way to shore up the future of the states rural economy, from telecommuting to high-tech farming.

Without that broadband, Schell said, youre simply not going to be able to compete.

The space rush

Starlink isnt alone on the mission to bring satellite broadband to remote places like western Kansas. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos hired a former SpaceX executive to lead his companys satellite internet venture, Project Kuiper. HughesNet, already a major satellite internet provider in rural America, partnered with OneWeb to power a network of 650 satellites by the end of this year.

Derek Smashey, a financial analyst with Scout Investments in Kansas City, said satellite internet could eventually serve 15-20% of the population. So, Starlinks $99 monthly fees could cover the projects estimated $10 billion price tag.

It looks to us like that could be a $20 billion-plus dollar market just in the United States alone, Smashey said. I wouldnt want to bet against people like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

Eventually, SpaceX plans to build a constellation of Starlink satellites that deliver broadband not only to rural America, but also to arctic research stations, tanker ships at sea and other remote locations around the globe. The company has federal approval to launch 12,000 satellites and has already filed paperwork for 30,000 more 10 times the number in the sky now.

CTIO/NOIRLAB/NSF/AURA/DECAM DELVE SURVEY

But that worries some people who like the sky the way it is.

It will be everywhere

The thought of having to see the stars through a grid of crawling satellites, thats pretty horrifying to me, said Samantha Lawler, an astronomy professor at the University of Regina in Canada. This isnt like light pollution from a city where you can go camping in the mountains and see the stars perfectly. ... It will be everywhere.

Lawler lives on a farm in rural Saskatchewan, where shes teaching classes via video using a home hotspot similar to what Joey Bahr uses in Kansas. But shes afraid that advancing our connection to the internet could come at the expense of losing our connection to the stars.

Humans have looked up at the stars since the dawn of humanity, Lawler said. Thats just such a huge part of being human that we are very much in danger of losing.

David Condos

In Barton County, Joey Bahr said living in a place where his three sons can gaze up at the night sky was one of the reasons he and his wife, Anita, moved out here seven years ago. But living here means they have to connect to the internet through a cell tower a few miles away and try to stay under their data cap of 15 gigabytes per month. It would take about six of those gigabytes to stream a single two-hour HD movie.

If they go over that limit, he said their internet speeds can slow down to 600 kilobytes per second roughly 2% of the minimum speed in the federal definition of broadband.

The family reached a breaking point when their son tested positive for COVID-19 in the fall. Bahr and his wife suddenly needed to work from home, and their son used an iPad from school to keep up with his lessons. They decided to spend $200 on a second mobile hotspot just to get through the four-week quarantine.

Its a beautiful place. I love it, Bahr said of their property. Unfortunately, we are in kind of an internet no-mans-land right now.

David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter @davidcondos.

The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org

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How Elon Musk And A Mission To Mars Might Boost Internet Speeds In Rural Kansas - KCUR

Team Behind Space Probe Headed To Mars Includes Staff From CU Boulder – Yahoo News

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Danzig

National Review

West Virginia governor Jim Justice, a Republican, called for a large-scale economic relief bill on Monday in comments to CNN. Justices remarks came after Senator Joe Manchin (D., W.V.) called for targeted economic relief to tackle the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Manchin has dismissed the idea of sending out $2,000 stimulus checks to all Americans making less than $75,000 a year, calling instead for infrastructure projects to put people back to work. On Monday, however, Governor Justice indicated that he would not be overly concerned about the price tag of a new relief bill. We need to understand that trying to be, per se, fiscally responsible at this point in time with what weve got going on in the countryif we actually throw away some money right now, so what? Justice told CNNs Poppy Harlow. We have really got to move and get people taken care of, and get people back on balance. Harlow pointed out that Senator Manchin has called for more targeted relief efforts, however Justice said he had not spoken to the senator regarding negotiations over the bill. I dont really know exactly what the thinking could possibly be there, Justice said. We got people who are really hurting, and thats all there is to it. **Republican** Governor of West Virginia @WVGovernor to me on Stimulus: Trying to be per se fiscally responsible at this point in time with what weve got going on in the country, if we actually throw away some money right now, so what? Has he talked to @Sen_JoeManchin? I ask. pic.twitter.com/s93QMWze3m Poppy Harlow (@PoppyHarlowCNN) February 1, 2021 Justices remarks come several hours before President Biden is set to meet with ten Senate Republicans to discuss a compromise coronavirus relief bill. Senator Rob Portman (R., Ohio) told CNN that the compromise bill includes more targeted relief, with $1,000 checks to individuals making $50,000 or less, and would be less costly than the current $1.9 trillion bill proposed by Democrats. While Democrats could attempt to pass their proposal via budget reconciliation, allowing for a simple majority vote and eliminating the possibility of a GOP filibuster, the party would need all 50 of its senators to vote in favor of the measure. This means Manchin would need to agree to the proposal, as well as fellow moderate Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

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Team Behind Space Probe Headed To Mars Includes Staff From CU Boulder - Yahoo News

Chimpanzees are important and accomplished tracing the path to space – Amico Hoops

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Danzig

Mankind ruled the Earth before us, and they certainly made our way into space. This feat, without which we wouldnt talk about human colonies today on the moon or on Mars, was achieved by a chimpanzee called Ham on January 31, 1961 60 years ago when he traveled through space aboard the Mercury Redstone spacecraft. Minutes. On his flight, Ham was ten weeks ahead of the first human to reach space, Yuri Gagarin. It was a feat that earned the historic chimpanzee an honorable sanctuary at the Washington Zoo.

But if Hamms historic journey, named after the laboratory that trained him (Holoman Aeromedical), lasted only 16 minutes, the training that led him to fulfill his promise lasted about two years. Through pure active conditioning, Hamm learned to control the basic but key aspects of the capsule that carried him into space.

The launch took place on Tuesday, January 31, 1961 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, which years later became an iconic platform. Despite its success, takeoff encountered a setback that added an unexpected level of difficulty to an important mission. A technical glitch drove it to altitude and speed of just over 30 percent than expected, with Hamm rising to 253,000 meters at 9,426 kilometers per hour. In space, Hamm experienced 6.6 minutes of weightlessness.

Upon his return, he sprinkled Ham in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. As now with the astronauts landing, a ship came to their rescue. He was alive, although he was dehydrated and tired, but above all, he was at that time the most human-like earthly creature to leave the earth.

Ham retired after two years after completing endless medical and scientific studies. His resting place was the Washington Zoo, where he was moved in 1963. By 1980, he was moved to the North Carolina Zoo in Ashiburu, where he died in January 1983.

Historic pork remains were found on the International Space Track of Fame in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Next to his remains is a plaque on it, in the name of humanity, Thanks for tracking the path Just a few months later, astronaut Yuri Gagarin and astronaut Alan Shepard will follow.

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Chimpanzees are important and accomplished tracing the path to space - Amico Hoops

How AI Will Help the U.S. to Mars and Beyond – Nextgov

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Danzig

Technology has evolved rapidly since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first walked on the moon in 1969. Even the technology that landed NASA's Pathfinder mission on Mars in 1997 wouldn't stand up to the smartphone computers we now carry in our pockets.

NASA's Artemis program plans to send more astronauts to the moon in 2024 and eventually progress to Mars. Engineers have spent years developing and refining technology to ensure that these missions safely and efficiently gather the information we need for further exploration.

The future of space exploration will heavily rely on software systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict conditions, object movements and make the technology we've spent so many years developing gather more information in less time.

Let's take a look at some of the ways AI and ML will play a role in the future of space exploration. More specifically, looking at how AI will enable humans to establish permanent colonies on Mars and beyond.

Space Weather Prediction

Mars is a very hazardous environment. It has no magnetic field, which means there's very little protection from solar flares and cosmic rays. This also means that it doesn't retain heat energy like Earth, causing extreme temperature changes from day to night. According to NASA, the average temperature on Mars is about minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In the wintertime, the poles can drop as low as minus 195 degrees Fahrenheit, while, in the summer, it can reach up to 70 degrees near the equator.

Such drastic temperatures demand an accurate weather model that can alert and prevent the crew from adverse exposure. Today it's relatively easy for anyone to predict weather patterns on Earth because we have centuries of meteorological experience to reference. We don't have that luxury at Mars. For several years, orbiting Martian probes and rovers have been collecting vast amounts of weather data. Still, there's no way for a human to analyze the data fast enough to understand how the weather patterns change confidently. That's why we need AI.

Similar to how we have a weather app on our phones with predictions about how the day will unfold, AI and ML programs can analyze the weather data and make accurate predictions about how the weather on Mars changes and where and when it will be safe for humans.

Launch Window Prediction

There is a need for more accurate launch windows on the same token as predicting weather patterns to create safer space exploration. Even today, this is an issue on Earth with a relatively stable and forgiving climate, but still, we witness a high frequency of scrubbed or delayed launches. To mitigate the chance of leaving supplies or humans stranded on Mars, we need a highly robust and reliable system. It should determine, many weeks in advance when we can or cannot launch on demand. Drones, rovers and satellites are already making consistent trips to space, and humans may be soon to follow as we learn more about where to travel and land.

Launch Window Prediction is a developing technology that uses AI in conjunction with a weather prediction model to safely determine critical launch conditions and give launch commands like GO/NOGO.

Years in the future, if rockets are traveling between the Earth and Mars, the same technology is even more important for return trips from the red planet. This is why it's so critical that AI and ML are busy analyzing weather data on and around Mars to accurately predict when it's safe for a rocket to be there.

Systems Control Automation

One of the driving factors to further space exploration is efficient communication with the rovers in space. Right now, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory is doing a lot of computer vision and autonomous driving with the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission. There's roughly a 20-minute communication time delay between the rover and NASA scientists, which slows down their research.

If the best a robot can do is 20 minutes, imagine the communication delay with people on Mars instead of a robot. Flight surgeons, mission directors and the entire support team will not have real-time instant communications with Martian astronauts like we do today with the Space Station.

To streamline research, all communication between Martian astronauts and NASA would require some kind of automation. The chance of failure amid uncertainty is so high; we can't risk letting a single person manage and maintain the crew's livelihood. Eventually, we can bring flight surgeons, mission directors and the entire support team to Mars, where they work with field researchers and astronauts. However, we cannot afford to bring 5 to 10 times the number of people that style of familiar collaboration would require in the near future. Instead, we must look to AI companions and support robots.

An example of this AI robot/human relationship can be found in 2001: A Space Odyssey film. HAL 9000 (perhaps SAL 9000, the friendly version) is a robot-human companion that monitors the crew and colony's health and activities. It manages food production, task and repair management, and science goals and directives.

Innovative technology is what landed us on the moon over 50 years ago. The same mindset will get us to Mars. Still, it requires a shift in how we employ technology to help us make missions safer and deliver faster results, focusing on developing programs to inform launches first and then hardware to house them.

Modern AI and ML technologies push the limits of what was previously thought possible for space exploration. These are just a few examples of concepts and programs in development today. It's not so much about embracing the unknown as it is teaching ourselves about it before we conquer it.

Michael Limotta is the co-founder and an AI Architect for Aerospace and Physics at Proximai.

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How AI Will Help the U.S. to Mars and Beyond - Nextgov

For NASA, It Should Be Mars or Bust – The Wall Street Journal

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Danzig

Since the Apollo program ended almost 50 years ago, every newly elected U.S. president has been vexed by the same question: Where next to send astronauts?

NASAs current target is the moon, but the moon belongs to a previous generation of American pioneers. A grander, more fitting ambition for the space program that first landed human beings on another heavenly body is Marsa destination that NASA has been preparing to reach since the days of its early visionaries. It is now time to realize their dream.

The Artemis program is NASAs centerpiece today for human spaceflight. Its aim is to put astronauts on the lunar surface by 2024, but the prospects for that date are dim. There is still no well-defined mission plan, and work on the Artemis rocket and capsule are behind schedule and over budget.

As for sending astronauts to Mars, NASA has somehow always been a couple of tantalizing decades away, thanks to the shifting priorities of successive presidents. Consider the switch-ups just since 1988, when George H.W. Bush pushed for a return to the moon, to be followed by a mission to Mars. Bill Clinton canceled the lunar plan (to say nothing of Mars) and embraced the International Space Station. George W. Bush revived the moon-Mars sequence. Barack Obama nixed the moon part of the program, saying that NASA had been there, done that, and opted instead for an asteroid mission and then Mars. Donald Trump rejected the Mars plan, choosing instead to reach the moon with Artemis, but NASA still says that Mars is on its agenda.

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For NASA, It Should Be Mars or Bust - The Wall Street Journal

The Midnight Sky ending explained – what happened to Earth? – digitalspy.com

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Danzig

The Midnight Sky ending spoilers follow.

It's the end of the world as we know it in Netflix's big Christmas release The Midnight Sky and George Clooney does not feel fine.

As well as directing, Clooney plays terminally ill scientist Augustine Lofthouse, who faces a race against time to stop Sully (Felicity Jones) and the rest of the crew on the Aether from returning to Earth following a mysterious global catastrophe.

And if that weren't enough of a challenge for Augustine, he also realises he's not alone at the Barbeau Observatory in the Arctic as a child (Caoilinn Springall) has been left behind but can he do anything to save her?

The two storylines come together as The Midnight Sky arrives at an emotional climax which solves one mystery, but leaves another major question about what happened to Earth mostly unanswered.

So we thought we'd delve into what happens, and what's revealed during The Midnight Sky to explain what's happened. Needless to say, major spoilers are ahead.

Philippe AntonelloNetflix

The movie is set in February 2049 and takes place three weeks after "the event", but it's never explicitly stated what this event was.

It's clear that life is over on Earth as an early flashback sees the other scientists leave the observatory to go back to their families to spend their final moments together. "Terminal patient outlives the rest of humanity. Someone should put you in a medical journal," Augustine is told when he decides to stay.

During the early parts of the movie, Augustine is seen monitoring the Air Quality Index of the area around the observatory for the rising radiation levels. It appears that by the time of The Midnight Sky, this radiation has taken over the entire planet, with the poles the last places to be affected.

It's definitely a worldwide event, as when Sully has trouble contacting Earth from Aether, she mentions that she's tried contacting the likes of China, Russia, Australia and India and hasn't received any reply.

The suggestion is that it was an environmental issue that caused the catastrophe. When Augustine does get in touch with Sully later on, he says: "I'm afraid we didn't do a very good job of looking after the place while you were away."

Good Morning, Midnight: SOON TO BE THE MAJOR NETFLIX FILM 'THE MIDNIGHT SKY'

While The Midnight Sky is based on a book called Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton, the catastrophic event isn't revealed in that book either, so we can't take any clues or answers from that.

It doesn't seem as though it was a surprise event, as the reason that Aether is in space was to confirm that K-23 (one of Jupiter's moons discovered by Augustine) is suitable for human life. Even with Aether on the way back from K-23, there was set to be a K-23 colony flight on the way there from Earth, as well as supplies.

It's unclear whether this colony flight got to K-23 or not, but anyone left on Earth wasn't going to survive as Augustine tells Sully: "All survivable areas are underground and those are temporary."

Philippe AntonelloNetflix

We don't want to be too bleak because it's Christmas, but we fear the colony flight didn't get to K-23 either as Sully says she "couldn't make contact" with it. Add that to Augustine later telling Sully that "I don't know all the details, I know it was a mistake" (which could refer to that flight) and things don't seem good.

Augustine is terminally ill with an unspecified illness, but Clooney explained in the press notes that he could have been suffering from radiation poisoning. "I wanted to be in the end stages of something, whether it was lung cancer or something caused by the environment," he noted.

All things considered, even though we don't know exactly what happened on Earth, it was definitely something that couldn't be reversed and that human life as we know it couldn't survive from. Merry Christmas!

But what about Iris, the girl that Augustine discovers is left behind at the observatory? Does this mean she's doomed to die alongside Augustine? Well, about that...

Now, this is the other major question of The Midnight Sky that we can actually answer, as all is revealed in the final moments of the movie.

While Augustine is trying to make his way to Lake Hazen weather station to contact Aether, Sully and the rest of the Aether crew are experiencing their own set of challenges. They can't contact Earth, but since they've been away two years, they're unaware this is because of the catastrophic global event.

Philippe AntonelloNetflix

After they're unexpectedly knocked off course, they have to travel through an unmapped area of space to get back to Earth. Bad idea. Shortly after Sully first makes contact with Augustine, the Aether encounters a meteor storm that knocks out their radar and communications.

Sully, Adewole (David Oyelowo) and Maya (Tiffany Boone) go on a spacewalk to fix everything, but it leads to Maya being fatally wounded after they're caught in a second meteor storm. They do manage to get communications back up and before Sully talks to Augustine, they get their first devastating look at Earth.

Augustine tells Sully that there's no safe entry point for them and suggests that they use Earth's gravity to slingshot back towards K-23. (It's a bit like that manoeuvre in The Martian, but they'd be starting a new Earth and not saving Matt Damon.)

After getting a heartbreaking message from his wife that says his sons are sick (sent 10 days earlier), Mitchell (Kyle Chandler) makes the decision to head back to Earth anyway to "keep a promise" to his family. Sanchez (Demin Bichir) decides to join him to take Maya's body back as she would have been the same age as his daughter, who died when she was four.

Philippe AntonelloNetflix

It's left to Sully and Adewole (and their unborn daughter) to head back to K-23, but not before one final message to Augustine. Sully tells him that it was Augustine who got her interested in space as he worked with her mother Jean (Sophie Rundle) who we've seen in flashbacks during the movie.

Sully is actually Iris Sullivan and she is Augustine's daughter who he never met as he was too focused on his work when he was younger. The Iris we've seen on Earth with Augustine is just a figment of his imagination, formed from the only glimpse he got at Iris when she was younger. It's the push he needs to make contact with Aether and save her.

"It's very nice to finally meet you," Augustine tearfully tells Sully, before asking Sully to explain what it's like on K-23. As she does, we see Augustine head outside of the Lake Hazen weather station and imagine what Sully saw, but it's likely just his dying fantasy as he's fulfilled his mission to save his daughter.

The final sequence of The Midnight Sky sees Sully and Adewole head back out to K-23: "I guess it's just us now."

For Clooney, he thinks the ending of the movie is hopeful, rather than downbeat. "If you finish the film without the last five minutes, in many ways, it's a film about regret because of the character that I play," he told Digital Spy and other press.

Philippe AntonelloNetflix

"He gets redemption and I think redemption is a really big, important thing that washes over us and gives us hope... That last moment, what makes that all so hopeful and so interesting is that there's David and Felicity and there's the moment of, 'Oh what are we going to do', but there's also the moment of 'OK, let's get to work'.

"When Felicity stands up and she's clearly pregnant, you get the sense of a continuum, that we're going to be OK. We may not get out of all of this alive, but we'll get out of it intact and I think that's what makes it hopeful."

Jones added: "I think it's a huge moment for her. I think she has a sense deep down of a search for that person and there's a sense that something in her life has become complete.

"It is, I feel, quite a profound moment for her that we see and that's what was such a beautiful part of the film, that dynamic between Augustine and Sully and that discovery of that relationship at the end is so incredibly moving."

The Midnight Sky is available to watch now on Netflix.

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Balkan mystic predicts world will see ‘cataclysms and disasters’ – Metro.co.uk

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Danzig

The mystic predicted 2021 will see a strong dragon seize humanity (Picture: Shutterstock)

The clairvoyant who supposedly foresaw 9/11 and Brexit has predicted that 2021 will be a year of suffering.

Vangelia Gushterova, known as Baba Vanga, lost her vision when she was 12 years old and claimed God gave her the gift of clairvoyance.

She died in 1996 after making predictions up until 5079, which are revealed each year.

Also known as the Nostradamus of the Balkans, she said 2021 will see the world suffer from a lot of cataclysms and great disasters.

The consciousness of people will change, she added.

Difficult times will come. People will be divided by their faith. We are witnessing devastating events that will change the fate and destiny of humanity.

She said Donald Trump would suffer from a mysterious disease that will leave him deaf, and cause brain trauma, someone in Russia will try to assassinate Vladimir Putin and Islamic extremists will use an arsenal of chemical weapons against Europeans.

She claimed a strong dragon will seize humanity. The three giants will unite. Some people will have red money. I see the numbers 100, 5, and many zeros.

Some interpreters think the dragon is a nod to Chinas rising power in the world.

Not everything was full of doom, as the woman claimed humans would find the cure to cancer next year and the production of petrol would stop because trains would fly using sunlight.

Baba Vanga is said to have predicted Brexit when she said Europe would cease to exist by 2016 and the UK voted to leave the EU in the same year.

But it is hardly the empty spaces and wasteland, nearly devoid of any form of life the fortune teller promised.

Believers also think she saw the 9/11 attacks before they happened in 2001 when she said: Horror, horror! The American brethren will fall after being attacked by the steel birds. The wolves will be howling in a bush, and innocent blood will be gushing.

But she also thought Barack Obama would be the last American president which was not true.

Many have doubted whether the predictions which come out every year were legitimately from her, as they were never written down.

Before the world ends in 5079, apparently humans will make contact with aliens within the next 200 years, there will be an end to world hunger in 2028, Mars colonies will be acquiring nuclear weapons by 2256 and Earth will become uninhabitable by 2341.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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Balkan mystic predicts world will see 'cataclysms and disasters' - Metro.co.uk

Civilization 6: How to Win as Babylon (Tips, Tricks, & Strategies) – Screen Rant

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Danzig

Babylon is a unique civilization added with the New Frontier pass that can instantly unlock technologies. Here's how to win with them in Civ 6.

Sid Meier'sCivilization 6 New Frontier Pass continues to deliver exciting new content with the release of Babylon as a playable civilization. One of the worlds first civilizations, it rose to power between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Theyre led by Hammurabi, their most influential leader that created the famous Hammurabis Code, considered one of the worlds first systems of law. Ever heard of "eye for an eye"?

Related: Civilization 6: How to Win as Gaul (Tips, Tricks, & Strategies)

These Mesopotamian people have a rather unique playstyle in Civ 6 that allows them to unlock technologies at blinding fast speeds, should they play their cards right. With their ability to set up infrastructure quickly early on, they are a force to reckon with that can succeed in any victory path they put their mind to. For new players that want to try out Babylon, heres a guide that explains all of their abilities, and how to use them.

This a civilization with a high skill ceiling, meaning more experienced players will have better chances of winning because they know the game's mechanics. This is becauseBabylon's ability, Enuma Anu Enlil, completely alters how players progress through the technology tree. Civ 6 has a game mechanic called eurekas, which shave time off research if a civilization completes a certain objective. For instance, settling a city on a coast grants the eureka for the sailing technology. Enuma Anu Enlil makes eurekas unlock the entire technology, instead of a portion. This is compensated by reducing their overall science yields by half. Using this mechanic, Babylon can reliably advance through the tech tree on eurekas, but has to rely on it. When settling cities, players should do so in ways to further their eurekas. Here are some of the possible combos that are possible thanks to this ability.

Early Seafaring

Industrialization Rush

Crossbow Dominance

Steel Fortification

The eureka strategies players can employ depending on the resources available in their starting location, making this civ one with high replay value. Many eurekas in the early game are activated by improving certain resources, so try to settle the starting city in a place that meets one of the above criteria. However, most players should prioritize settling on rivers. Their unique water mill, the Palgum, is a miniature canal system they used to control the flow of the rivers in their territory. In Civ, it will grant +2 production in the city, and +1 food for every tile adjacent to a river. This will let river cities populate quickly, so the more river tiles in their territory the better. Try not to place districts on rivers, as they will eliminate the bountiful yields of the tiles theyre placed on.

Speaking of districts, Hammurabis ability, Ninu Ilu Sirum, grants the first building of each district instantly. Though it only works the first time each type of district is built, it can save the player several turns of production that can be spent making something else. This is particularly useful for founding a religion because Hammurabis first holy site will come with a free shrine. The quicker players can build up their great prophet points, the sooner they can get their religion.

Players should train builders as soon as they found their city, as theyre needed to make the improvements necessary for many of the eureka boosts. Something else that should be trained early on are their unique Sabum Kibittum. These powerful spearmen are strong against cavalry and have additional movement. This lets them move quickly across the map and scout out the land, which is useful because many eurekas are earned through discovery. Astrology (needed for religion) is obtained after discovering a natural wonder, and Writing (needed for science) is unlocked after meeting another civilization.

While getting the Babylonian empire established, be sure to build campuses and theatre squares. Campuses are needed to gain great scientists, who can give eurekas whenever theyre used; or in Babylons case, full technologies! There are several eurekas that require different civics to obtain, so dont ignore culture. Also, be sure to build the intelligence agency in the government plaza. This will make spies complete their missions quicker, and because spies can steal the eurekas for technologies, Babylon completes new techs every time they spy on another civilization's campus district.

Though their ability lets them breeze through the science tree, theyre not forced to go for a science victory. The techs needed to send a colony to Mars have more challenging eurekas to fulfill. Instead, domination is a viable option because of the edge they have in warfare; more advanced technologies means more advanced military. Religious victories are doable, as Hammurabis ability can make founding a religion much quicker. Even cultural and diplomatic routes are possible, thanks to all the options their tech tree warping can accomplish. It all depends on the player's playstyle, and the environment they start the game in.

Next: Civilization 6: How to Win as Byzantium (Tips, Tricks, and Strategies)

Civilization 6 is available for PC, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and mobile devices.

Cyberpunk 2077 Speedrunners Race To Have Sex the Fastest

Elon Musks SpaceX will make its own laws on Mars – The Independent

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Danzig

SpaceX will not recognise international law on Mars, according to the Terms of Service of its Starlink internet project.

Elon Musks space company will instead reportedly adhere to a set of self-governing principles" that will be defined at the time of Martian settlement.

Any future colony created by SpaceX would likely use constellations of Starlink satellites orbiting the planet to provide internet connection to people and machines on the surface.

More than 800 of the internet satellites have already been launched into orbit around Earth, with tens of thousands more planned in the coming years.

A Starlink app launched in certain regions this week, following a successful beta test of the networks capabilities in parts of the US and Canada.

Users noted that the terms of service within the app state that Starlink services provided to Earth or Moon will be governed in accordance with the laws of the State of California.

Beyond our planet and its satellite, however, the laws and regulations by which it will abide are less clear.

For services provided on Mars, or in transit to Mars via Starship or other colonisation spacecraft, the parties recognise Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities, the governing law section states.

Accordingly, disputes will be settled through self-governing principles, established in good faith, at the time of Martian settlement.

Space systems engineer Erwan Beauvois said SpaceXs position was reminiscent of a declaration put forward by the Earthlight Foundation, a non-profit organisation committed to preparing for the expansion of humanity beyond Earth.

The Independent has contacted SpaceX.

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Elon Musks SpaceX will make its own laws on Mars - The Independent

The five biggest effects Trump has had on the US space program – MIT Technology Review

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Danzig

1. From Mars to the moon

On December 11, 2017, Trump signed Space Policy Directive 1, which officially called for NASA to begin work on a human exploration program that would return astronauts to the surface of the moon and lay the groundwork for a sustained presence (i.e., a lunar colony). This was a pivot from President Obamas directions for NASA to build a program that would take humans to Mars in the 2030s and establish a sustained presencethere. The plan was for the moon missions to utilize the architectures being developed for Mars, such as the next-generation Space Launch System and the Orion deep space crew capsule.

Early last year, the administration accelerated the timeline for the return to 2024. The common thread among many of the policy options, transition and industry officials said, is a focus on projects able to attract widespread voter support that realistically can be completed during Mr. Trumps current four-year presidential term,the Wall Street Journal reported in 2017. Though a 2024 landing would happen in a second term, should Trump win reelection it would be a defining achievement of his presidency. Most experts agree, however, that NASA is increasingly unlikely to meet that deadline.

But there are also arguments for why the moon makes sense. As current NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine likes to say, the moon is a proving ground for deep space missions to places like Mars. Its easier to get to, offers a low-gravity environment to test out life support systems and other technologies needed for long-term off-world living, and could be a site of fuel production for future spacecraft.

During Obama's presidency, many people in the space community felt that going directly to Mars was such a big problem, and the money was so inadequate for that, that it became almost worse than nothing, says Casey Dreier, a space policy expert with the Planetary Society. They said they were going to Mars but contributed almost nothing to that effort.

As Obamas term drew to a close, it became very clear that the moon was going to have to be the objective, says James Vedda, a policy analyst with the Aerospace Corporation. Trump just made it official.

This wont change, even if theres a new administration in the White House come January. The Democratic platform released this year says the party is on board with going to the moon, though the unreasonable 2024 deadline will likely get pushed back.

This was another trend continued from past administrations. The Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program (which contracted private companies to run resupply missions to the ISS) had its beginnings under George W. Bush and matured under Obama. The success of this program helped bolster support for the Commercial Crew Program (CCP) under Obama (when Joe Biden was vice president), which aimed to replace the space shuttle with commercial vehicles developed by SpaceX and Boeing to send astronauts to the space station. After numerous delays (some of which put NASA in the unenviable position of having to extend its reliance on Russia for access to the ISS), CCP finally realized its goals in May, when SpaceXs Crew Dragon vehicle took astronauts to the ISS.

Trump cant take credit for CRS or CCP, but he can take credit for applying its blueprint to the space program as a whole (even if CCPs success is still to be determined). Trump embraced commercialization of low Earth orbit. Seeing [CRS and CCP] pay off now with a sort of Midas touch about it, weve seen NASA now take that and put it almost everywhere it possibly can, says Dreier. NASA wants to buy moon rocks from private companies,buy Earth science imageryfrom commercial satellites, open the ISS up to private visitors, and bring private companies to the moon.

In Dreiers view, the big question is whether the success of sending people to the space station through commercial partners can be replicated elsewhere, for things that havent been tried before. A commercial company has never landed on the moonyet in less than four years a commercially built landeris expected to do exactly that, with human astronauts. The Trump administration has set things into turbo-drive, resulting in a flurry of new activities and opportunities for the commercial sector. But given how volatile spaceflight is, a new administration might prefer to slow down that approach to strengthen safety testing.

The rise of China and the deterioration of relations with Russia, the only other two space powers that could rival the US, have been a concern for US officials on both sides of the political aisle. The potentialfor conflicts in orbithas grown over time.

The Trump administration's big idea? Space Force. It sounds like something from a 1950s comic book, but it was essentially a catchy way of making sure enough attention and resources would be devoted to scanning Earths orbit for threats and fortifying national assets against interference. As space activity grew, that organization would grow as welland the Air Force could concentrate on things on the ground.

Not everyone thinks it is such a good idea. Amajor argument against Space Forceis that it doesnt do anything the Air Force didnt already handle. It reorganizes those operations under one roof, but it also adds new layers of hierarchy and bureaucracy. As the Brookings Institutions Michael O'Hanlon has argued, the creation of a smallUS Space Commandto oversee space operations across the military made sense; a bloated Space Force does not.

Both Democrats and Republicans had pondered creating such an organization for quite some time, says Vedda. He thinks Trumps real impact was to accelerate the timeline by a decade and make the venture permanent. There isnt really a path to disband the Space Force, even if a new administration wanted to (and the Biden campaign has made no suggestion it would try).More frequentantisatellite testing by Russia has made it clear that conflicts in space can and are likely to spring up in the future. Space Force might sound sillybut its probably here to stay.

Its hardly been a secret Trump has spent his entire termtrying to gut NASAs work in studying climate change. The administration tried to ax NASAs Carbon Monitoring Systemand the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 mission. It still wantsto cancel the ocean-observing PACE mission and the climate-studying CLARREO mission. NOAA hassuffered decreases in funding for its environmental satellite programs.

Trump hasnt eliminated the Earth science observation thats done from space, but hes blunted its impact by limiting how the data can be used. At a time when climate change is getting worse and we should be augmenting these programs, the administration has chosen instead to leave the Paris accords and deregulate greenhouse-gas emissions.

Lastly, an achievement for Trump that has rather slipped under the radar: the resurrection of the National Space Council, a body (defunct since 1993) that brings together officials from many different parts of the government (such as national security, energy, commerce, and transportation) to discuss the US space program. Space encompasses a lot of different areas, but Vedda argues that people tend to specialize in only one, which makes it harder for them to think about considerations outside their own field. Issues can very easily fall through the cracks, he says. The National Space Council makes sure none of these things fall through the cracks.

The Trump administrations decision to resurrect the council was unusual, helped by the fact that Vice President Mike Pence (who chairs the council) took a big interest in space. It has been a surprising force in shaping the direction of US space policy, bringing together discussions on everything from how the military and NASA could collaborate to satellite regulation and communications standards to future technology and energy experiments.Its unclear whether Biden would keep the council going. Space officials from around the country recently came together to war game a hypothetical council operating under Biden, but if his running mate, Kamala Harris, shows no interest, it could very well be on its way out once again.

The rest is here:

The five biggest effects Trump has had on the US space program - MIT Technology Review

There’s water on the moon’s sunlit surface. Colonization could be on the horizon. – News@Northeastern

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Danzig

The next group of astronauts to make a lunar landing might not need to bring their own beverages. Theres water on the moon.

This discovery, which was published in Nature Astronomy earlier this week, is an important first step toward one day sustaining human life on the moon and beyond, says Taskin Padir, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern.

In February, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration selected a Northeastern student group co-advised by Padir to develop a new robotic system that could be part of a lunar mission in 2023. The mission intends to use the moon as a pit stop before reaching Mars.

This weeks discovery is encouraging for Padir, who develops autonomous robots for space exploration. The idea is to use the moon as a stepping stone and a testing ground for future missions to Mars and deep space, he says. A base on the moon would be a game-changing capability for manned missions to Mars.

Having a water source on the moon could eliminate the need for astronauts to bring their own drinking supplies, oxygen, and fuel. The hydrogen atoms in water could be repurposed for rocket propellant, and the oxygen atoms could be used for breathable air.

This multipurpose resource is crucial for future permanent settlements. Were not talking about going to the moon, touching the ground, and coming back, Padir says. Were talking about sustaining the presence of humans.

Taskin Padir is an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

If colonies are ever established in outer space, robots will play a major role in creating habitable structures for humans to occupy. Before we can send astronauts up there, someone has to build the infrastructure, he says. Thats the robots job.

Part of Padirs research focuses on bipedal, humanoid robots with the expectation that if human-like robots can operate machines, navigate certain terrains, and successfully exist in these celestial colonies, eventually humans can too.

The discovery of water brings that possibility a step closer. Scientists have speculated for years that water ice exists in the shadowy craters of the moons south pole, a region that receives no sunlight because of the angle. With temperatures reaching -400 degrees Fahrenheit, this section of the moon is impossible to access with modern technology.

But these most recent findings prove, for the first time, that water exists elsewhere in the moons soil, most notably in sunlit places that would be more conducive to human settlement.

Its a surprising find because, unlike Earth, the moon has a relatively thin atmosphere, and the unabated solar glare usually destroys water molecules.

According to the report,the recently discovered water molecules are most likely trapped in lunar dust or glass, which could explain how those molecules persist despite the inhospitable environment.

The data from this location reveals that water concentrations in the soil are about 12 ounces per cubic meter. For reference, the Sahara desert has 100 times that amount of water.

We face so many problems here on Earth, Padir says. And NASA discoveries like this inspire us to innovate, so that we can embark on these challenging missions and find new ways to help humanity.

For media inquiries, please contact Mike Woeste at m.woeste@northeastern.edu or 617-373-5718.

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There's water on the moon's sunlit surface. Colonization could be on the horizon. - News@Northeastern

Mohammed bin Rashid announces second satellite to be built by an all-Emirati team – WAM EN

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Danzig

DUBAI, 28th October, 2020 (WAM) -- His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has announced today a new satellite project called the MBZ-SAT, which will become the second Emirati satellite to be fully developed and built by a team of Emirati engineers after the KhalifaSat.

To be developed at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, MBRSC, in Dubai, the MBZ-SAT is expected to be launched in 2023, making it the most advanced commercial satellite in the region in the field of high-resolution satellite imagery.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said, "The space sector is a key strategic sector that we strongly support, due to its role in improving the quality of life for people and providing humanity with innovative solutions for a better future. With the help of our national talent, we can raise the level of our ambitions and continue to support international efforts in the field of space science to serve the interests of both the region and the world."

His Highness added, "We have chosen the name MBZ-SAT for the new satellite, which will be designed and developed by Emirati competencies and bear the initials of my brother Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

"The name was chosen in honour of the achievements he has contributed to, of which we are proud of among nations. Our goal is to fully benefit from space science and find new opportunities to support the development of our country and the region, and also help societies overcome environmental and developmental challenges so they can prosper and progress."

The name of the previous satellite, KhalifaSat, was chosen by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in honour of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. Launched into space in October 2018, KhalifaSat was the first satellite to be designed and completely developed in the UAE by a 100 percent Emirati team. Work on the KhalifaSat started in 2013 and it was the first satellite to be developed in the Arab world, ushering a new era in the field of space science and advanced technology for the region.

Fourth Earth Observation Satellite

MBZ-SAT will be equipped with an automated system for arranging images round-the-clock, ensuring that it provides the highest quality standards of satellite images intended for commercial use globally. This project will strengthen the UAE's partnerships in the space industry between the public and private sectors.

As the fourth Earth observation satellite to be developed and launched by MBRSC, the project will strengthen the Centre's efforts to expand its portfolio of imaging technologies and products for government agencies and commercial entities worldwide. MBZ-SAT will contribute to meeting the growing commercial demand for high-resolution satellite images that will show details within an area of less than one square meter, which will be one of the most advanced features ever.

Due to the strategic plan of MBRSC and the approach it has taken over the years to qualify and train Emirati engineers, experts and technicians, a 100 percent Emirati team will work on developing the new satellite at the Centre's laboratories. The Centre will also collaborate with local companies within the space sector, to manufacture and supply the components necessary for the development of MBZ-SAT. This strategic cooperation will enhance the sustainability of the national space sector in the UAE. After launching the satellite into low earth orbit, the ground station team at MBRSC, will analyse the data received from it, provide recommendations, high-resolution data and images to local and international entities.

The Centre will offer rapid turnaround of captured data, sharing it to users through an advanced system. This imagery solution can support a wide variety of uses within mapping and analysis, environmental monitoring, navigation, infrastructure management and disaster relief efforts, to name a few. The utility of satellite imagery in aiding and tackling natural disasters is in particular very important as they can help gauge the severity of the calamity, help plan relief efforts and aid in rebuilding efforts.

Features of MBZ-SAT

The 3m x 5m satellite, weighing in at around 700 kg, will improve image capture resolution by more than double what is capable in the previously launched system. It will also increase the downlink data transmission speed by thrice the current capacity. The fully automated image scheduling and processing system of MBZ-SAT will also be able to produce more than 10 times the images the Centre produces currently.

Pre-approvals will be set in place to facilitate the automation process. Commercial and government entities will be able to place an order online for high-res imaging round the clock. The image processing and downloads can be completed in less than two hours from receiving the request, depending on the satellites location. The MBZ-SAT will also utilise a global processing network by leveraging leading service providers suite of machine learning capabilities to shorten the time between request and delivery of high-res images.

The MBZ-SAT will be the first satellite capable of detecting a larger number of man-made as well as natural elements with a higher rate of precision and resolution, as compared to the current range of Earth observation satellites. Furthermore, the raw data gathered by the new satellites system will be able to process better AI functionality that can assist in quicker analysis and processing of satellite imagery.

Building a sustainable space sector

Since its establishment, MBRSC has been dedicated to achieving positive benefits for societies by sharing innovations and valuable knowledge with companies and institutions around the world to achieve sustainable development. This focus is consistent with UAEs National Space Programmes strategy to "build a strong and sustainable UAE space sector that supports and protects national interests and vital industries, contributes to the diversification and growth of the economy, boosts UAE specialised competencies, develops scientific and technological capabilities, engrains the culture of innovation and national pride, and strengthens UAEs status and role regionally and globally."

An effective way to transfer technology and support the development of MBRSCs commercial activity through partnership activities is a core component of Centres strategy to develop innovative new space technologies. The development of MBZ-SAT will enhance the UAEs space sector by focussing on a sustainable ecosystem comprising of local players in the field of manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, electronic boards, specialised testing facilities, data analysis and more.

MBRSC has over the years partnered with private companies in space technology and plans to further improve on this partnership to create a sustainable space sector in the UAE, thereby encouraging more space ready technology manufacturing, data studies as well as testing centres within the country.

Exceptional Leadership

Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Chairman, MBRSC, said, "We believe that sustainable partnerships and collaborative efforts between public and private players is the need of the hour. The wise leadership of the UAE has always believed in the exceptional possibilities provided by a constructive and future-oriented approach that enables the nation to advance through scientific and technological advancements. The announcement of the launch of the new satellite MBZ-SAT and its services is just a glimpse into what the future holds for the UAE. It is incumbent upon us, along with our partners, to work together to foster opportunities that contribute to the sustainable and inclusive growth of our nation."

Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani, Director-General, MBRSC, said, "Our highly capable team at MBRSC has always been at the forefront of taking on big challenges from building the UAEs first satellite, to working on the first Arab interplanetary mission and now the MBZ-SAT. The new mission will further extend the position of MBRSC as a pioneer in the regions space sector and expand our abilities to serve a more global client base. It is also key to further cementing the UAEs position as a competitive player in the global space industry."

Engineer Amer AlGhafri, Senior Director of the Space Engineering Department and Project Manager of MBZ-SAT, MBRSC, said, "The image capture enhancements planned for the MBZ-SAT will help to set a whole new standard for commercial satellite imagery. MBRSC will be in the unique position to become one of the few countries worldwide capable of developing such advanced technologies. In addition to providing a comprehensive source of high-resolution satellite images, we will also have a dedicated team within the Centre who can analyse the collected data."

For more than a decade, MBRSC has been providing detailed, high resolution satellite images that have been captured through satellites DubaiSat-1, DubaiSat-2 and KhalifaSat, according to the requirements and needs of government institutions and private sector companies around the world for more than a decade. The Centre is also part of the International Disaster Charter and Sentinel Asia, playing a crucial role in disaster relief and management globally.

Successful journey

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, founded in 2006, is home to the UAE National Space Programme. The Centre builds and operates earth observation satellites, offering imaging and data analysis services to clients around the world. The Centre launched DubaiSat-1, DubaiSat-2, and recently launched KhalifaSat on 29 October 2018 from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. KhalifaSat was developed 100 percent in the UAE by a team of highly qualified Emirati engineers.

The Centre is responsible for the Emirates Mars Mission "Hope Probe", the first Arab interplanetary mission, which was launched on 20th July 2020. The Probe is expected to reach the Martian orbit by 2021 and gather key scientific data about Mars atmosphere. The Centre also manages the UAE Astronaut Programme, which saw the launch of Hazzaa AlMansoori, the first Emirati Astronaut, to the International Space Station on a scientific mission on 25th September 2019, and the development of the Mars 2117 Programme to build a human colony on Mars.

Continued here:

Mohammed bin Rashid announces second satellite to be built by an all-Emirati team - WAM EN

#SpaceWatchGL Column: The hell of humans in heaven – Debating the risks of space technology and habitation – SpaceWatch.Global

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Danzig

by Dr. Bleddyn Bowen

Space technology and the potential habitation of the Solar System is lengthening the list of catastrophic threats posed to humanity, claims Daniel Deudney in his new book Dark Skies: Space Expansionism, Planetary Geopolitics, and the Ends of Humanity. It follows on from his prior arguments about nuclear weapons and a world government in Bounding Power: the threat of nuclear extinction requires systemic political and social change in the way humans govern the world. According to Deudney, many visions of the human future in space dangerously discount the potential for violence and totalitarianism and showcase a frightening potential of evil that dovetails space enthusiasms potential for fanaticism, inviting disaster for the future of human society.

A Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, Deudney argues that what has already happened and may happen in space is far less positive than many people think. The track record of space technology as a positive force in world politics and the human condition is highly debatable on political, ethical, normative, and moral grounds. The key negative outcome of the Space Age to date is that space technologies mainly rockets, missiles and military space infrastructure make nuclear war more likely. Furthermore, if humanity develops habitats across the solar system, nuclear weapons will continue to be a reliable method of waging war which could extinguish life on Earth. The Solar System will not escape the condition of Mutually Assured Destruction or the Thermonuclear Revolution.

For Deudney, future crewed space ventures are likely to have darker and more troubling socio-political consequences than their advocates nonchalantly presume. The expansion of humanity into space should join the long list of the catastrophic threats that risk the future of human society and life on Earth as we know it. Its proponents the Space Expansionists are cheerleading a future that is hopelessly utopian and devoid of political understanding, experience, and historical reality. Humanitys habitation of the Solar System beyond Earth is a potential existential threat to humanity, and as such, any aggressive expansion across the system should be relinquished. The political naivet, ignorance, and flawed assertions of the Space Expansionists must be scrutinised.

Deudney is quick to point out that he is not against the utilisation of outer space for the benefit of Earth and managing a more sustainable techno-ecological system here. Economic development and robotic space science are not the targets of Deudneys arguments to defund space. Rather, he argues that the political and military potential of a system-spanning human civilisation only increases the chances of totalitarianism and the deliberate or accidental extinction of human society.

The risk of totalitarianism and dictatorship increases in space because space habitats will need strict population command and controls in order to function, let alone thrive. A small number of specific humans will control the fundamental elements of life: air, water, light, hydroponic systems. The citizens of space habitats including in the wilder fantasies of the ONeill habitats will need to subordinate their individual freedoms to the pure needs of the technologys ability to sustain life and the ship-like hierarchy that such technologically fragile and closed communities require to function. The power and control vested in the leaders of off-world human habitats on Mars or near the Jovian moons will tend towards despotism and totalitarianism because there will not be alternatives to life outside that highly controlled and controllable environment.

The risk of extinction comes from the military applications of the envisioned technologies needed to engineer space habitats or to terraform worlds. The control of asteroids and comets in particular pose a significant threat to life on Earth as even a relatively small asteroid can be deflected intentionally or accidentally and be set on a collision course that can easily destroy cities, alter the climate, or trigger a major extinction event.

Whilst I do not agree with all of Deudneys arguments in Dark Skies, space enthusiasts and advocates should definitely grapple with them. As an academic specialising in astropolitics and space warfare, I know only too well the prevalent areas of the international but mostly American space communities that have wedded themselves to the technological dimensions of the possible futures of humanity in outer space whilst neglecting the political, ethical, legal, and moral dimensions of the techno-geographic conditions human societies beyond Earth will find themselves in. In part, human society is shaped by physical reality, and we simply cannot and should not impose a cardboard cut-out vision of Utopia onto a preferred space habitat future.

Who will control what resources are old questions in the political universe, as Deudney rightly points out. Who gets to go to space in the first place, let alone benefit from it, is a thorny political and socioeconomic question. Human habitats on Mars will not escape that pressing political and material reality. Those questions in public discussion and commentary rarely feature on the latest round of navel-gazing about Martian colonies from billionaires or dramatic visualisations of crewed space exploration from civil space agencies. The continuation of the term colonies in describing the potential human future in space should raise political and moral alarm bells immediately given the last 500 years of international relations. Will billionaires run their colonies the way they run their factory floors, and treat their citizens like they treat their lowest paid employees? Will executive boards on a Martian capital curb the authoritarian powers of CEOs as well or as poorly as they do in terrestrial corporate power struggles? It is these sorts of questions and how they remain unasked, let alone answered, that drives much of Deudneys opposition to the Space Expansionists and their vision of the human future in space and on other worlds.

Beyond a small number of space-oriented scholars in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, as well as some writers of science fiction, Space Expansionist ideals from the likes of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky to Carl Sagan, from Gerard K. ONeill to Michio Kaku, continue unchallenged by the more grounded perspectives of astropolitics from the geopolitical universe. To challenge the political excesses of STEM-derived (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fantasies of Space Expansion, Deudneys work should join the likes of Walter McDougall, Alice Gorman, Asif Siddiqi, Alexander Geppert, Michael Sheehan, and Deganit Paikowsky (to name only a few!) in any essential reading list. Anyone wishing to promote their preferred space technologies and habitat methods cannot in good conscience ignore their socio-political ramifications and the required structures of governance.

Despite the necessity of Deudneys critique, there are criticisms to be made of this valuable book. Claims about the suitability of authoritarian states to run space programmes better than more democratic ones are somewhat superficial given the track record of democracies in space to date and the academic debate over what makes a successful space power. Further, he makes the case that space cooperation can spill over into other areas of terrestrial cooperation but in reality, space cooperation tends to reflect prevailing geopolitical trends rather than shape them. Apollo-Soyuz for example was the arguably the high point for dtente which came about partly as a result of the Cuban Missile Crisis it was not the cause of dtente. Similarly, US-Chinese cooperation in space in the 1970s and 1980s was the consequence of the Chinese-American rapprochement following the Nixon-Mao summits, and the rupture of the Sino-Soviet split. Then US-Chinese cooperation collapsed after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.

Some space historians and military space experts will take several issues with Deudneys claims about the role of space exploration in American military space development. Deudneys views on space technologys role in nuclear war and international stability is somewhat reductionist the arguments overlook the role of satellites contributions to strategic stability through monitoring, verification, and missile launch early warning systems. Space technology is neither inherently stabilising nor destabilising. It has resulted in both effects and does not do so independently of subjective interpretation of brute material technological forces. In my view, Deudneys arguments tends to overplay the negative aspects of space surveillance and military monitoring with regard to nuclear stability.

Deudneys characterisation of intercontinental ballistic missiles as space weapons does not sit well with most definitions and practical understanding of space weapons. This is also the cornerstone of the argument that space technology has been on the whole bad for humanity to date because it enables nuclear war. Logically, the definition makes sense. Practically, not so much. This undermines the negative view of space technology as a whole that Deudney possesses. Logically, an arrow can be called an air weapon as it travels through the air but is launched from the ground, and lands on the ground. Yet we do not call arrows an expression of airpower or air weapons. A more serious critique of this argument is that ICBMs are not needed to wage all forms of nuclear war there are alternatives for delivery with both positive and negative effects for nuclear stability. Finally, in terms of the books structure, it was overly long and repetitious on a few occasions, which sometimes got in the way of the flow of the critique of Space Expansionism.

Despite these issues however, I hope Deudneys book reaches a wide audience within the international space community, and especially finds its way into American Space Expansionist circles. It is an important contribution to the political study of outer space, an extremely necessary, and at times a scathing critique of the geopolitical naivet and historical ignorance of space enthusiasts and leading scientists. If Space Expansionists do not engage with and respond to Deudneys critique and refuse to look in the political mirror, the chances of Deudneys worst fears being realised will likely increase.

Why does any of this matter? Unlike my own work which is occupied with the here and now, Deudneys work looks far into the future many centuries perhaps. These questions and debates about the very long-term political and societal future in space are reflected in the way affairs in outer space are being governed and debated right now. Look no further than the debate and discussion about the rights and wrongs of the US Artemis Accords in managing a busier lunar environment, or the International Telecommunications Unions rules for allocating precious radiofrequency spectrum slots. Who gets to do what, where, and how, and more importantly who gets to benefit from doing so, are visceral and core political questions that make outer space as much the home of the humanities, arts, and social sciences as for the scientists and engineers.

These questions are derived from the inherently anarchic international system and the inability of humans to form a powerful world government. For better and worse. There are no simple technological fixes, game-changing technologies, or an escape from Terran geopolitics into the cosmos that we can rely on to solve these problems for us. In many ways, Deudneys book is an attack on the potential for technocracy which any reader of McDougalls classic work on space history will be familiar with. Deudney is not afraid of a small base on Mars he is afraid of what it might become; its political and military consequences if we do not think ahead in political as well as techno-scientific terms.

In fairness to the Space Expansionists, they often reflect their training, education, and knowledge which is usually from a STEM universe, and they do not know when they make bold assertions on fundamental issues of debate and contention within the political universe. Too often prominent space scientists drop clangers in discussions of space politics and history, just as space strategists such as myself may get a fundamental aspect of orbital physics wrong. It is up to the humanities and social sciences to push back in a public, constructive, and conciliatory manner when political clangers are dropped by STEM colleagues. The people who can confidently and competently straddle both worlds of STEM and the arts/humanities are very rare indeed therefore both worlds need to work together and speak to each other.

In the final analysis, I find Deudneys overall argument logically sound, but ultimately too pessimistic with regard to the threat of extinction. For me, space habitation in the long term does not change the potential of humanity to end itself by design or accident. However, the potential for tyranny in the polities of outer space is all too plausible. There is a chance a totalitarian hellscape may be brought about on Earth as a result of human expansion across the solar system it is a possibility that Space Expansionists must be wary of. If a big if humanity is to develop as a system-spanning species, I expect political and social efforts to govern the system to follow when it becomes feasible. But there is no iron law as to what shape or form that governance will take. It will be a socio-political not scientific process. Whether those forms will improve the quality of life, liberty, security, and freedom for all, or only specific groups, classes, or peoples, remains an open and extremely important question.

Space is not just for the rocket scientists and dreaming billionaires. Space colonies and the development of outer space are not inherently positive things. They will have negative political, economic, and social implications that will require significant imagination and thought to mitigate from the social world and not the sciences. It is a relief then that humans have not resolved the question of whether they could live beyond Earth. There is still time therefore to ponder whether humans should try to do so in the first place. Is the prospect that hell on Earth could become hell in heaven enough to make people try hard to avoid such a fate?

Deudney joins a recent wave of research, thinking and discussions about the politics of outer space and makes a very valuable contribution in itself, but beyond that he delivers a much-needed broadside against the techno-scientific utopianism of space enthusiasts. Provocatively, his argument that a particular strand of Space Expansionism is an expensive suicide cult is not as absurd as it first sounds. If humans do not stop and think politically about the consequences of their designs for outer space, humanity increases its risk of self-destruction through totalitarianism and the use of extinction level event-triggering weapon systems. Though many will disagree with Deudney, all will no doubt be better off for having engaged in the discussion. Contrary to what many Space Expansionists and the inspirational popular science communicators chant, they are reckless to assume that living in space will save us from ourselves.

Dr Bleddyn Bowen is Lecturer in International Relations at the School of History, Politics, and International Relations at the University of Leicester, UK. He is the author of War in Space: Strategy, Spacepower, Geopolitics published by Edinburgh University Press. Bleddyn has published research in several peer-reviewed journals, and is a regular columnist for SpaceWatch.Global. He frequently presents to and advises practitioners including civilian and military personnel and agencies in the UK and internationally on military, intelligence and strategic space policy issues. He frequently appears in media reports and news items on space policy and the politics of outer space as an expert source. You can find his professional profile here and his personal website here. He can be found on Twitter via the handle @bleddb

#SpaceWatchGL Column: The hell of humans in heaven - Debating the risks of space technology and habitation - SpaceWatch.Global

Is now the time to explore the final frontier of investing? – The National

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Danzig

Its been impossible to ignore the major strides that have taken place in space exploration in 2020, including the launch of the UAEs Hope probe and the first launch of astronauts from US soil to space in more than a decade. The number of satellites deployed in space is increasing quickly, as rockets become cheaper and more reliable, while space tourism operators are set to begin regular operations in the near future.

So, its no surprise that investors are taking notice. Many of the biggest names in tech including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are active in the field with their own companies. And in the UAE, Mubadala Investment Company is a prominent investor, including ownership of Yahsat, a UAE satellite operator, stakes in Virgin Galactic and major investments in venture capital funds that have a focus on space.

But we could be on the cusp of even greater opportunity, with Morgan Stanley estimating that by 2040, the global space economy could generate revenues worth $1 trillion (Dh3.67tn) by 2040, up from $350bn currently.

Experts in space investment point to a number of technical catalysts that are helping to turbocharge the sector. The invention of the CubeSat small satellites weighing as little as 1.33 kilograms that are placed in low Earth orbit and the increasing power of off-the-shelf electronics have lowered the barriers, says Tess Hatch, vice president at Bessemer Venture Partners, which has made major investments in space companies, including Rocket Lab.

As governments ramp up their spending on space exploration and defence, including the establishment of the United States Space Command, it is creating an additional flow of money to private contractors, says Andrew Chanin, chief executive of ProcureAM, which offers a space-focused exchange-traded fund (ETF).

Overall, the scale and ambition of some private companies are breathtaking, from space tourism and supersonic point-to-point travel to plans to colonise planets, mine asteroids for precious metals, produce lunar rovers or print 3D rockets.

As people become more aware of how much space plays a role in our everyday lives, they might start considering the importance of having space exposure in their own investment portfolios

Andrew Chanin, CEO of ProcureAM

Still, a large segment of space technology is focused on providing services to Earth dwellers including GPS, satellite television, high-speed internet and other communications services, or gathering data on weather, agriculture and other applications using sensors on satellites.

People havent fully grasped the importance of how space technologies are already affecting our everyday lives today and how it may affect them in the future, says Mr Chanin. We believe that as people become more aware of how much space plays a role in our everyday lives, they might start considering the importance of having space exposure in their own investment portfolios.

GPS is the best example of a transformational space technology that has been put to good use by tech companies. Developed by the US military and made available for civilian applications, GPS is today used to provide location-based services on our smartphones and wearable devices powering everything from Google Maps to ride-sharing services such as Uber to Pokmon Go.

The goal for investors is to identify the next set of space technologies that can deliver value creation on the same scale as GPS, says Chad Anderson, managing partner at Space Capital.

The greater number of satellites in space and more available sensors are creating new opportunities in Earth observation, with demand coming from fields including agriculture or insurance, he says.

Meanwhile, demand for geospatial intelligence, which uses satellite and other sensors to gather data about the world, such as counting the number of ships in a major port to predicting trade volumes, is growing rapidly.

This is especially true as Covid-19 creates a more uncertain outlook, according to Mr Anderson. We think that the opportunity in geospatial intelligence is going to be as big if not bigger than GPS or location-based services, he says.

Supplying high-speed internet via satellites is also expected to be a major growth market, especially in countries where internet services are slow or non-competitive.

Mr Musks SpaceX has launched about 600 low Earth orbit satellites, but has approval to launch as many as 12,000, each weighing approximately 260kg. It is aiming for near-global coverage of the populated world by 2021, according to the StarLink website.

Technologies developed for space exploration can also have applications on Earth. The UAE has already announced plans for a Mars colony by 2117.

While that goal may seem distant, many of the challenges around science and technology that will need to be overcome to establish a habitable human settlement on the Red Planet, such as securing food and water, are linked to challenges that the UAE faces today.

This is a point made by Elodie Robin-Guillerm, a partner at Gothams, an aerospace and defence accelerator that has a partnership with Hub 71 in Abu Dhabi to invest in early stage space companies and bring them to the UAE.

Thats why there is a lot of cross-sector development, and why you need partnerships between the government and the private sector to make this happen, she says.

The UAE is also rapidly developing as a hub for the space industry. This year, it passed a Space Law intended to bolster investment in the sector. The law not only provides a stable regulatory environment for investors, but also signals the seriousness of the countrys intent to develop the space sector, says Anna Hazlett, founder at AzurX, a space and technology consultancy in Dubai.

The Space Law is giving the UAE international recognition within the space sector. Space companies can start to operate here, and investors see this as a sensible, secure environment in which they can invest and they know that the regulatory framework is there, says Ms Hazlett.

So, if youre convinced space is the next big thing, how can you get exposure in your investment portfolio? The simplest way would be to include a specialised ETF tracking the aerospace industry, such as SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF. Its major holdings include Virgin Galactic, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Howmet Aerospace.

A more specialised choice is the ProcureAM Space ETF (its ticker is UFO). Eighty per cent of its index weight is allocated to companies that derive a majority of their revenue from space-related industries, including those utilising satellite technology, with names such as Trimble, Iridium Communications and Dish Network.

The fund tracks an index developed by space expert Micah Walter-Range, and includes two tranches of companies pure play space companies, such as Virgin Galactic, and diversified companies that receive some revenue from space.

Mr Chanin says the ETF can appeal to investors who want long-term exposure to the space sector, or those who are looking for short-term catalysts such as major government contracts.

But given the rapid pace of development, many of the investment opportunities are only available in private markets, whether to angel investors or investors in venture capital funds though successful companies are expected to eventually list on public exchanges.

When it comes to evaluating a potential investment in an early stage space start-up, Ms Guillerm says key considerations include the strength of its team and the commercial viability of its project, including time to market.

One thing that newcomers to the space investment sector can lack is a network to draw on, both for technical advice and assessing whether a company will be disruptive in the market they are targeting, she says. Space is a very large field, from upstream to downstream, and no one can be an expert in all of the sub-fields and sub-segments, she says.

That view is echoed by Ms Hatch, herself an aerospace engineer who has worked for Boeing and SpaceX, where she worked on integrating payloads with the Falcon9 rocket. Even with all our expertise at Bessemer, we hire independent consultants who have PhDs and deep expertise in the field, who dig in and understand every part [of a companys technology] before we invest, she says.

Investors may also need to be prepared to invest early, so look for founders who have a strong vision for their company as well as the technical expertise and intelligence to execute it, she adds.

If a company is involved in space exploration, theres definitely more risk attached to it. But thats where the opportunity is

Anna Hazlett, founder at AzurX

Other investment decisions include whether to target companies in the upstream space exploration activities or downstream, which are space technology companies providing services to Earth. Downstream companies that can generate recurring revenue quicker may be a safer bet, and especially those whose potential customers are in multibillion or multitrillion-dollar industries such as agriculture or the Internet of Things (IoT).

Companies that are focused on analytics or other services will likely also have a quicker route to market than a company that is trying to build its own hardware, and may require less capital to get their idea off the ground. Hardware at the end of the day is black and white it either works or it doesn't, says Ms Guillerm.

Companies involved in space exploration will likely be more risky, but the flip side is that if a company is successful in trying to do something that hasnt been done before, it can produce unique gains, says Ms Hazlett. If a company is involved in space exploration, theres definitely more risk attached to it. But thats where the opportunity is: if someone wants to take a risk as an investor, and it goes well, its going to be a great story.

One feature or risk of the industry is that despite the large amounts of venture capital invested to date, there have been relatively few exits whether initial public offerings or acquisitions. Space Capitals Mr Anderson puts this down to the relative newness of many companies in the sector, and the rule of thumb that it typically takes six to eight years for a company to be ready for an IPO.

Were right in the sweet spot now, where we [should] start to see one or two IPOs soon, he says.

Mr Anderson believes investments in space technology companies are no more risky than investing in general tech companies at a similar stage of development. I would say space might be even less risky than a more crowded area of tech given that theres so much wide open market opportunity here, he says.

Updated: September 7, 2020 05:00 PM

Continued here:

Is now the time to explore the final frontier of investing? - The National

Forget Mars, humans should head to Venus and live in the clouds – scientist – Daily Express

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Danzig

Venus was once thought to be similar in conditions to Earth and is a similar size. But over the course of its 4.6 billion year history, greenhouse gasses have taken its toll on the boiling hot planet which is now even hotter than Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun.

Temperatures on Venus exceed 460 degrees Celsius thanks to volcanic activity and a thick, heavy atmosphere that is full of carbon dioxide.

However, above the toxic atmosphere is part of an atmosphere which is similar to ours, full of carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen.

This is why humanity could live aboard "floating habitats" above Venus, according to one scientist.

It would make sense for several reasons; firstly because Venus has been described as once being Earth's twin, and secondly because it is much closer to Earth than Mars is.

At its closest point, Mars is 34.6 million miles from Earth, while Venus on the other hand can be just 23.7 million miles from our planet.

Speaking in the documentary Venus: Death of a Planet, Geoffrey Landis, engineer and scientist at NASA's Glenn Research Center, said: "You could float habitats in the atmosphere of Venus.

"And the habitats could be very large. They could be kilometres in scale.

"You wouldn't even need hydrogen or helium. Because the atmosphere of Venus is mostly carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen ordinary breathable air would float.

READ MORE:Venus discovery: Major finding reveals planet is not as dead as though

"The air that's holding you up is also the air that you can breathe. The lifting gas is your environment."

Others, however, see the idea as a bit fanciful.

Jonathan Sauder, senior mechatronics engineer at JPL, said: "I love the idea of a human crewed mission to a cloud city on Venus.

"You would just need to wear some type of suit that would provide you with oxygen to breathe as well as protection from the chemical air.

DON'T MISSVenus at night: How to see the RARE alignment of Venus in PleiadesNASA news: Space agency wants YOU to design the next Venus roverRussia plots Mars conquest as it sets sights on Red Planet colony

"But you wouldn't necessarily need a pressure suit. Humans tend to not like the idea of not being able to be on firm ground.

"And the idea that you have to stay floating above this furnace essentially, in some ways is a hard sell!"

There are other issues concerning humanity living on Venus.

Temperatures on Venus exceed 460 degrees Celsius thanks to the thick, poisonous atmosphere that is full of carbon dioxide leading to an extreme greenhouse gas effect.

At that temperature, which is hotter than Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, there is no liquid on Venus of any kind, making the prospect of life impossible by current scientific understanding.

See the article here:

Forget Mars, humans should head to Venus and live in the clouds - scientist - Daily Express

Elon Musk and SpaceX’s Mars mission may be difficult – Somag News

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Danzig

According to Musk, SpaceXs Mars mission will only work when one million people have settled on the planet.

On September 3 of this year, the plan of Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, was made public for humans to colonize and live on Mars and that would be achieved in 2050; Musk believes that around a million people must be sent to Mars for the mission to work.

In addition, the CEO of SpaceX indicated that this is a very difficult and dangerous mission, so it is not suitable for the faint of heart, but if it works, it will be a great victory for humanity.

In the same speech, the CEO of SpaceX indicated that he will offer a large number of jobs for those who decide to participate in the project, in addition to the fact that the company will also provide everything necessary during that trip and will cover all the needs of the colonists of Mars. .

Faced with this situation, a program launched by Netflix appeared that is related to the future mission to Mars, under the title Away, where the challenges and sacrifices faced by an astronaut played by actress Hillary Swank are shown.

Taking into account Musks warning data, the chances of survival to reach Mars are approximately 50/50, starting the mission complications with the participants farewell to their families and loved ones, as it could be the last. occasion in which they are contacted.

Without a doubt, Musks project is very ambitious, and it may have something mystical and to a certain extent be possible, however, they would also be the first steps of humanity in a completely unknown situation.

Only time will tell if it is possible that humanity can achieve such a feat, because Mars, although it has been studied, is still a great mystery to us, because the SpaceX mission could be much more complicated than previously thought.

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Elon Musk and SpaceX's Mars mission may be difficult - Somag News

Expanse: The Real-Life Inspirations Behind The Belters – Screen Rant

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Danzig

The Expanse is not just scientifically accurate, but it also uses real-life as inspiration to create its cultures, including the Belters.

The Expanse is not only a scientifically accurate sci-fi show, but it also uses real-life as inspiration for its societies and cultures, including the Belters. For Belters to sound and feel real, the creators of the show had to look for real-world examples that would fit with their history and culture, while making their language sound natural and rich when spoken by the shows cast. And so, when adapting the books into a TV show, linguist Nick Farmer and accent-coach Eric Armstrong worked together to develop the Belter language based on existing cultures.

The world of The Expanse is divided into three main factions: Earth, Mars, and the OPA (Outer Planets Alliance). Those born in the outer belts, not only have never seen the horizon but have lived their entire lives in a low gravity environment. They work and mine in horrible conditions to bring goods to Earth and Mars. Due to a lack of military power and representation, Belters are constantly oppressed by the planets. These were people from different nations and places who ventured into outer space in hopes of a better future but found only gruesome life conditions. Essentially, Belters are an oppressed working class that developed an entirely separate culture and language from Mars and Earth.

Related: The Expanse's Book Time Jump Could End The Show Early

Because Belters have roots in different nations, their language needed to reflect their multiculturalism. In an interview with Wired, Farmer explained he looked for real-life creole languages as inspiration, especially Haitian Creole. Haiti was a French colony, but the contact between French settlers and African slaves created a mixture between French, West African languages, and even Spanish and Portuguese. Since people from all over came to the island to work, the interchange between these different cultures merged languages into a new one. Like the slaves in Haiti, who learned and transformed the French of their colonizers, Belters mixed the English of Earthers with their native tongues.

Thus, the Belter language uses words from English, Chinese, Japanese, Slavic, Germanic, and romance languages, which Framer believed would remain Earths most common tongues in the future. Each term from a different language represents a culture that was assimilated into Belter society. If theres a Japanese word being used, it means there have been Japanese Belters at some point, and thus, Japanese culture influenced the Belt. Another layer of depth added to the Belter language is their use of gestures. Because they go on spacewalks as part of their work, Belters developed specific gestures to communicate quickly in space, and these gestures eventually were absorbed into everyday conversations.

By taking inspiration from Haiti and other Earth colonies, The Expanse managed to create a society that feels real and developed, making it easier for audiences to connect with the Belters and understand their history and motivations. How a culture communicates, what words are used, what expressions are popular, all of these details are essential to world-building.

Next:What To Expect From The Expanse Season 5

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Pri Rosa is an avid TV and movie fan. She covers entertainment news.

Per Aspera is Massive and Its Depiction of Mars is Fantastic – COGconnected

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Danzig

Per Aspera Hands-On Preview

Punch Make Mars Habitable into the Google Search bar, and youll see no shortage of studies, articles and think pieces exploring the possibilities for transforming the Red Planet into a liveable place for future colonies of the human race. For many, the final frontier holds hope, optimism and even the key to eminent success for the long-term survival of humanity. Weve watched dozens of movies and television shows themed around colonizing Mars or other foreign planets. Weve seen Elon Musks face in the media more in the past few years than weve seen our own mothers. Weve also played our fair share of games representing this same conquest, with titles like Surviving Mars, Planetbase, and Oxygen Not Included, to name a few. Tln Industries Per Aspera plans to be the next addition to the world of space colonization games, marrying heavy narrative focus to the likes of Firewatch with classic base building simulation. In an exclusive preview with the developers and a chunk of hands-on time with the demo, I caught a glimpse of what Per Aspera could be in the future.

Per Aspera positions you as the artificial consciousness of AMI, the AI responsible for leading the difficult mission to terraform Mars and prepare it for humanity. In the demo version I received, I was only able to experience an abridged version of the in-game building and simulation elements. I cannot speak to the narrative that will be tied into the full version, nor did I play through any dialogue or story setup whatsoever. I currently have very little concept of the supposed crossover between narrative and simulation genres, but hopefully we will have more to report soon.

Much of the base building is standard practice for games in the genre: You build solar farms to power your facilities, mines to extract natural resources, and factories to refine goods or create worker drones. Additionally, you must place essential buildings and structures such as water extractors, food factories and living quarters to support the humans that will eventually arrive to help research technology and carry out other tasks. None of this will be new to anyone who has played a colony sim before, and Per Asperas humble, top-down resource management formula seems content not to reinvent the wheel. Based on my hands-on experience, I am expecting the narrative component to be the secret spice in the games otherwise conventional sauce.

Because the demo did not feature a tutorial or many helpful explanations outside of an in-menu codex, I found myself confused at many points about managing my resources. On top of the typical and expected struggles of producing enough energy and acquiring enough manpower or, in this case, droidpower to carry out construction projects, I was challenged in simply figuring out where my resources were going and why they were not being applied to my pending buildings. I spent months in the game trying to operate my Maintenance Factory, which relied on Polymer as an input resource. After confirming that my Polymer production was at 100 percent efficiency, clicking around to discover that I had 36 units stockpiled and only my Maintenance Factory creating the demand for Polymer, I was perplexed as to where my Polymer was going and why it was not filtering into the factory. Even after raising the priority of the building, which seemed to be one of the only ways to get anything done in the game, I could not figure out why this was the only resource not automatically transporting to where it was needed. Perhaps this was a bug in the demo, an oversight on my part, or something that would have been explained in a version with a tutorial, but it was far from being the only confusion I encountered when trying to manage my resources and progress with building projects in the game.

While most base building games support the establishment of up to a few hundred buildings, Per Aspera scales up to allow for thousands. Rather than zeroing in on one section of a map, you truly have the entirety of Mars at your disposal. At any point, the camera can be zoomed out far enough to see the planet as a mere globe in the middle of the screen and spun around to view any area on its surface.

One standout thing worth noting is that the games representation of Mars is not an artistic rendition the topology is actually based on real maps generated by NASA, and has been replicated with impressive detail. During the game, you will also encounter rovers and other spacecraft launched in real life that will have landed on the planet by the time the game takes place, such as the Perseverance rover. I applaud the developers ambition to make the players perspective feel as if you are truly looking down on Mars through the window of a space station, and the real-life touches are extremely neat.

Visually, Per Aspera seems polished in its performance. Building placement and camera movement is smooth, scrolling is fast, and there seemed to be no issue with overall choppiness or staggering. The game was developed fully in 4K and the graphics are crisp and clear, though the modest art style leaves little detail to be admired.

Though my gameplay experience was a bit restricted, I was able to ask developer Damin Hernaez about other simulation elements we can expect to see in the final version. Regarding the games humans, we will not see a huge human interest in ways similar to Surviving Mars or Rimworld, where we care about their personalities, needs, happiness or desires. It doesnt seem as though we will be concerned with keeping them entertained or decorating their surroundings to beautify their living spaces. Per Aspera takes a much more macro approach, where the focus is on large scale production and managing supply lines. Though we will interact with the humans throughout the narrative, they will be treated more like resources at least in the beginning.

Based on the games most significant trailer and confirmation from Hernaez, its apparent that conflict will be tied into the gameplay somehow. It doesnt seem as though well see any combat mechanics such as turn-based strategy or horde systems, per se, but it was confirmed that conflict will be a main part of the narrative that will eventually reflect in the gameplay itself. Im curious to see how this will manifest, and look forward to exploring this when the developers feel comfortable releasing more information.

Its difficult to form any definitive expectations or opinions based on the limited look I had at the game, but upon first glance, I am both excited and intrigued to see more. It seems worthy of keeping an eye on for players who love large-scale games with a focus on managing resources and supply chains, but it may be a bit dry for gamers who enjoy giving more of their attention to the wants and needs of the humans in the colony. Simply put, its just not that kind of game. I am interested to see how the narrative will be woven into the game, and am curious about how deep the story will be. Though the artwork doesnt particularly stand out and the building mechanics are pretty cut-and-dried, the scale of the map and the realistic depiction of Mars is impressive. When the time comes, I look forward to continuing my expedition to terraform the Red Planet.

Per Aspera is slated for release later this year.

The rest is here:

Per Aspera is Massive and Its Depiction of Mars is Fantastic - COGconnected

VIDEO: Stray Cats Spotted at EPCOT – Inside the Magic

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Danzig

Walt Disney World Resort Guests got an extra adorable experience this week at EPCOT. Whether they were brave enough to take on a mission to Mars, Guests standing in Future World were greeted with the rare sight of some of Disney Worlds feral cats.

Videos from Twitter user @TPUJosh show at least three cats walking across the top of the Mission: SPACE Cargo Bay in Future World.

Check them out:

Outside of a Character Meet and Greet with Marie, it is very uncommon to come across such adorable creatures of the feline variety at the Walt Disney World Resort. Most of the time, Guests will be greeted by very polite Disney World ducks, overly courageous squirrels, shy bunnies, and of course plenty of birds.

It appears that these kitties are sticking together as one group and using the roof of the Mission: SPACE gift shop to go from one point to another. Where they came from or where they are going remains a mystery.

From their behavior, the three cats appear to be a more confident, watchful mama (the white and brown one) and her two understandably-skittish kittens: one thats black and white, and another thats all-black and is giving off major Berlioz vibes.

Perhaps, like the ducks, these cats have become ever more courageous in their theme park strolls during the multi-month park closure. Lets just hope they dont scare away Remy! His ride is not even done yet!

But at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, it is a different story. A feral colony of over 200 are known to inhabit the property. First being discovered by Walt Disney himself inside Sleeping Beauty Castle they cats were adopted by Disney, they are watched over constantly by Cast Member and Guest alike and are employed Cast Members to tend to the pest control.

Read More: Disneyland, The Happiest Place on Earth For.. Cats?

Disneyland cats enjoy a level of celebrity fitting a true Aristocat. But there is no such popular love for their Central Florida cousins. One can only hope that these videos spark a new interest in these new-found Disney cats.

After all,

Everybody wants to be a cat,

because a cats the only cat

who knows where its at.

Everybodys pickin up on that feline beat,

cause everything else is obsolete.

Have you ever seen feral cats while you were visiting the Walt Disney World Resort? Please feel free to share your pictures and stories in the comments for the chance to be featured in a follow-up story!

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VIDEO: Stray Cats Spotted at EPCOT - Inside the Magic

How Do We Colonize Mars? – Universe Today

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Danzig

Welcome back to our series on Colonizing the Solar System! Today, we take a look at that cold and dry world known as Earths Twin. Im talking about Mars. Enjoy!

Mars. Its a pretty unforgiving place. On this dry, desiccated world, the average surface temperature is -55 C (-67 F). And at the poles, temperatures can reach as low as -153C (243 F). Much of that has to do with its thin atmosphere, which is too thin to retain heat (not to mention breathe). So why then is the idea of colonizing Mars so intriguing to us?

Well, there are a number of reasons, which include the similarities between our two planets, the availability of water, the prospects for generating food, oxygen, and building materials on-site. And there are even long-term benefits to using Mars as a source of raw materials and terraforming it into a liveable environment. Lets go over them one by one

The idea of exploring and settling Mars has been explored in fiction for over a century. Most of the earliest depiction of Mars in fiction involved a planet with canals, vegetation, and indigenous life owing to the observations of the astronomers like Giovanni Schiaparelli and Percival Lowell.

However, by the latter half of the 20th century (thanks in large part to the Mariner 4 missions and scientists learning of the true conditions on Mars) fictional accounts moved away from the idea of a Martian civilization and began to deal with humans eventually colonizing and transforming the environment to suit their needs.

This shift is perhaps best illustrated by Ray Bradburys The Martian Chronicles(published in 1950). A series of short stories that take place predominantly on Mars, the collection begins with stories about a Martian civilization that begins to encounter human explorers. The stories then transition to ones that deal with human settlements on the planet, the genocide of the Martians, and Earth eventually experiencing nuclear war.

During the 1950s, many classic science fiction authors wrote about colonizing Mars. These included Arthur C. Clarke and his 1951 story The Sands of Mars, which is told from the point of view of a human reporter who travels to Mars to write about human colonists. While attempting to make a life for themselves on a desert planet, they discover that Mars has native life forms.

In 1952, Isaac Asimov released The Martian Way, a story that deals with the conflict between Earth and Mars colonists. The latter manage to survive by salvaging space junk and are forced to travel to Saturn to harvest ice when Earth enforces an embargo on their planet.

Robert A. Heinleins seminal novel Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) tells the story of a human who was raised on Mars by the native Martians and then travels to Earth as a young adult. His contact with humans proves to have a profound effect on Earths culture, and calls into questions many of the social mores and accepted norms of Heinleins time.

Philip K. Dicks fiction also features Mars often, in every case being a dry, empty land with no native inhabitants. In his works Martian Time Slip (1964), and The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (1965), life on Mars is presented as difficult, consisting of isolated communities who do not want to live there.

In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968), most of humanity has left Earth after a nuclear war and now live in the colonies on Mars. Androids (Replicants) escaping illegally to come back to Earth claim that they have left because nobody should have to live there. It wasnt conceived for habitation, at least not within the last billion years. Its so old. You feel it in the stones, the terrible old age.

Kim Stanley Robinsons Mars trilogy (published between 19921996), Mars is colonized and then terraformed over the course of many centuries. Ben Bovas Grand Tour series which deals with the colonization of the Solar System also includes a novel titled Mars (1992). In this novel, explorers travel to Mars locations including Mt. Olympus and Valles Marineris to determine is Mars is worth colonizing.

Alastair Reynolds short story The Great Wall of Mars (2000) takes place in a future where the most technologically advanced humans are based on Mars and embroiled in an interplanetary war with a faction that takes issue with their experiments in human neurology.

In Hannu Rajaniemis The Quantum Thief (2010), we get a glimpse of Mars in the far future. The story centers on the city of Oubliette, which moves across the face of the planet. Andry Weirs The Martian (2011) takes place in the near future, where an astronaut is stranded on Mars and forced to survive until a rescue party arrives.

Kim Stanley Robinsons 2312(2012) takes place in a future where humanity has colonized much of the Solar System. Mars is mentioned in the course of the story as a world that has been settled and terraformed (which involved lasers cutting canals similar to whatSchiaparelli described) and now has oceans covering much of its surface.

NASAs proposed manned mission to Mars which is slated to take place during the 2030s using the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and the Space Launch System (SLS) is not the only proposal to send humans to the Red Planet. In addition to other federal space agencies, there are also plans by private corporations and non-profits, some of which are far more ambitious than mere exploration.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has long-term plans to send humans, though they have yet to build a manned spacecraft. Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, is also planning a manned Mars mission, with simulations (called Mars-500) having been completed in Russia back in 2011. The ESA is currently participating in these simulations as well.

In 2012, a group of Dutch entrepreneurs revealed plans for a crowdfunded campaign to establish a human Mars base, beginning in 2023. Known as Mars One, the plan calls for a series of one-way missions to establish a permanent and expanding colony on Mars, which would be financed with the help of media participation.

Other details of the MarsOne plan include sending a telecom orbiter by 2018, a rover in 2020, and the base components and its settlers by 2023. The base would be powered by 3,000 square meters of solar panels and the SpaceX Falcon 9 Heavy rocket would be used to launch the hardware. The first crew of 4 astronauts would land on Mars in 2025; then, every two years, a new crew of 4 astronauts would arrive.

On December 2nd, 2014, NASAs Advanced Human Exploration Systems and Operations Mission Director Jason Crusan and Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs James Reuther announced tentative support for the Boeing Affordable Mars Mission Design. Currently planned for the 2030s, the mission profile includes plans for radiation shielding, centrifugal artificial gravity, in-transit consumable resupply, and a return-lander.

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has also announced plans to establish a colony on Mars with a population of 80,000 people. Intrinsic to this plan is the development of the Mars Colonial Transporter (MCT), a spaceflight system that would rely on reusable rocket engines, launch vehicles and space capsules to transport humans to Mars and return to Earth.

As of 2014, SpaceX has begun developing the large Raptor rocket engine for the Mars Colonial Transporter, and a successful test was announced in September of 2016. In January 2015, Musk said that he hoped to release details of the completely new architecture for the Mars transport system in late 2015.

In June 2016, Musk stated in the first unmanned flight of the Mars transport spacecraft would take place in 2022, followed by the first manned MCT Mars flight departing in 2024. In September 2016, during the 2016 International Astronautical Congress, Musk revealed further details of his plan, which included the design for an Interplanetary Transport System (ITS) and estimated costs.

There may come a day when, after generations of terraforming and numerous waves of colonists, that Mars will begin to have a viable economy as well. This could take the form of mineral deposits being discovered and then sent back to Earth for sale. Launching precious metals, like platinum, off the surface of Mars would be relatively inexpensive thanks to its lower gravity.

But according to Musk, the most likely scenario (at least for the foreseeable future) would involve an economy based on real estate. With human populations exploding all over Earth, a new destination that offers plenty of room to expand is going to look like a good investment.

And once transportation issues are worked out, savvy investors are likely to start buying up land. Plus, there is likely to be a market for scientific research on Mars for centuries to come. Who knows what we might find once planetary surveys really start to open up!

Over time, many or all of the difficulties in living on Mars could be overcome through the application of geoengineering (aka. terraforming). Using organisms like cyanobacteria and phytoplankton, colonists could gradually convert much of the CO in the atmosphere into breathable oxygen.

In addition, it is estimated that there is a significant amount of carbon dioxide (CO) in the form of dry ice at the Martian south pole, not to mention absorbed by in the planets regolith (soil). If the temperature of the planet were raised, this ice would sublimate into gas and increase atmospheric pressure. Although it would still not be breathable by humans, it would be sufficient enough to eliminate the need for pressure suits.

A possible way of doing this is by deliberately triggering a greenhouse effect on the planet. This could be done by importing ammonia ice from the atmospheres of other planets in our Solar System. Because ammonia (NH) is mostly nitrogen by weight, it could also supply the buffer gas needed for a breathable atmosphere much as it does here on Earth.

Similarly, it would be possible to trigger a greenhouse effect by importing hydrocarbons like methane which is common in Titans atmosphere and on its surface. This methane could be vented into the atmosphere where it would act to compound the greenhouse effect.

Zubrin and Chris McKay, an astrobiologist with NASAs Ames Research center, have also suggested creating facilities on the surface that could pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, thus triggering global warming (much as they do here on Earth).

Other possibilities exist as well, ranging from orbital mirrors that would heat the surface to deliberately impacting the surface with comets. But regardless of the method, possibilities exist for transforming Mars environment that could make it more suitable for humans in the long run many of which we are currently doing right here on Earth (with less positive results).

Another proposed solution is building habitats underground. By building a series of tunnels that connect between subterranean habitats, settlers could forgo the need for oxygen tanks and pressure suits when they are away from home.

Additionally, it would provide protection against radiation exposure. Based on data obtained by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, it is also speculated that habitable environments exist underground, making it an even more attractive option.

As already mentioned, there are many interesting similarities between Earth and Mars that make it a viable option for colonization. For starters, Mars and Earth have very similar lengths of days. A Martian day is 24 hours and 39 minutes, which means that plants and animals not to mention human colonists would find that familiar.

Mars also has an axial tilt that is very similar to Earths, which means it has the same basic seasonal patterns as our planet (albeit for longer periods of time). Basically, when one hemisphere is pointed towards the Sun, it experiences summer while the other experiences winter complete with warmer temperatures and longer days.

This too would work well when it comes to growing seasons and would provide colonists with a comforting sense of familiarity and a way of measuring out the year. Much like farmers here on Earth, native Martians would experience a growing season, a harvest, and would be able to hold annual festivities to mark the changing of the seasons.

Also, much like Earth, Mars exists within our Suns habitable zone (aka. Goldilocks zone), though it is slightly towards its outer edge. Venus is similarly located within this zone, but its location on the inner edge (combined with its thick atmosphere) has led to it becoming the hottest planet in the Solar System. That, combined with its sulfuric acid rains makes Mars a much more attractive option.

Additionally, Mars is closer to Earth than the other Solar planets except for Venus, but we already covered why its not a very good option! This would make the process of colonizing it easier. In fact, every few years when the Earth and Mars are at opposition i.e. when they are closest to each other the distance varies, making certain launch windows ideal for sending colonists.

For example, on April 8th, 2014, Earth and Mars were 92.4 million km (57.4 million miles) apart at opposition. On May 22nd, 2016, they will be 75.3 million km (46.8 million miles) apart, and by July 27th of 2018, a meager 57.6 million km (35.8 million miles) will separate our two worlds. During these windows, getting to Mars would be a matter of months rather than years.

Also, Mars has vast reserves of water in the form of ice. Most of this water ice is located in the polar regions, but surveys of Martian meteorites have suggested that much of it may also be locked away beneath the surface. This water could be extracted and purified for human consumption easily enough.

In his book, The Case for Mars, Robert Zubrin also explains how future human colonists might be able to live off the land when traveling to Mars, and eventually colonize it. Instead of bringing all their supplies from Earth like the inhabitants of the International Space Station future colonists would be able to make their own air, water, and even fuel by splitting Martian water into oxygen and hydrogen.

Preliminary experiments have shown that Mars soil could be baked into bricks to create protective structures, which would reduce the amount of material that needs to be shipped to the surface. Earth plants could eventually be grown in Martian soil too, assuming they get enough sunlight and carbon dioxide. Over time, planting on the native soil could also help to create a breathable atmosphere.

Despite the aforementioned benefits, there are also some rather monumental challenges to colonizing the Red Planet. For starters, there is the matter of the average surface temperature, which is anything but hospitable. While temperatures around the equator at midday can reach a balmy 20 C, at the Curiosity site the Gale Crater, which is close to the equator typical nighttime temperatures are as low as -70 C.

The gravity on Mars is also only about 40% of what we experience on Earths, which would make adjusting to it quite difficult. According to a NASA report, the effects of zero-gravity on the human body are quite profound, with a loss of up to 5% muscle mass a week and 1% of bone density a month.

Naturally, these losses would be lower on the surface of Mars, where there is at least some gravity. But permanent settlers would still have to contend with the problems of muscle degeneration and osteoporosis in the long run.

And then theres the atmosphere, which is unbreathable. About 95% of the planets atmosphere is carbon dioxide, which means that in addition to producing breathable air for their habitats, settlers would also not be able to go outside without a pressure suit and bottled oxygen.

Mars also has no global magnetic field comparable to Earths geomagnetic field. Combined with a thin atmosphere, this means that a significant amount of ionizing radiation is able to reach the Martian surface.

Thanks to measurements taken by the Mars Odyssey spacecrafts Mars Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE), scientists learned that radiation levels in orbit above Mars are 2.5 times higher than at the International Space Station. Levels on the surface would be lower, but would still be higher than human beings are accustomed to.

In fact, a recent paper submitted by a group of MIT researchers which analyzed the Mars One plan to colonize the planet beginning in 2020 concluded that the first astronaut would suffocate after 68 days, while the others would die from a combination of starvation, dehydration, or incinerationin an oxygen-rich atmosphere.

In short, the challenges to creating a permanent settlement on Mars are numerous, but not necessarily insurmountable. And if we do decide, as individuals and as a species, that Mars is to become a second home for humanity, we will no doubt find creative ways to address them all.

Who knows? Someday, perhaps even within our own lifetimes, there could be real Martians. And they would be us!

Universe Today has many interesting articles about the possibility of humans living on Mars. Heres a great article by Nancy Atkinson about the possibility of a one-way, one-person trip to Mars

What about using microbes to help colonize mars? And if you want to know the distances between Earth and Mars, check it out here.

For more information, check out Mars colonies coming soon, Hubblesites News Releases about Mars, and NASAs Quick Facts

The Mars Society is working to try and colonize Mars. And Red Colony is a great resource of articles about colonizing Mars.

Finally, if youd like to learn more about Mars in general, we have done several podcast episodes about the Red Planet at Astronomy Cast. Episode 52: Mars, Episode 91: The Search for Water on Mars, and Episode 94: Humans to Mars Part 1, Scientists.

Reference:NASA Quest: Possibility of colonizing Mars

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