Arizona governor negotiates pause in hauling of uranium ore across Navajo Nation


 Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren addresses a crowd at an indoor sports arena, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, in Fort Defiance, Ariz. Navajo President Buu Nygren vowed to carry out a plan to enact roadblocks to prevent the transportation of uranium ore through the reservation while the tribe develops regulations to cover what are the first major shipments of uranium through its land in years. 

AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca, File


FILE - , ore pile is the first to be mined at the Energy Fuels Inc. uranium Pinyon Plain Mine Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, near Tusayan, Ariz. Navajo President Buu Nygren vowed to carry out a plan to enact roadblocks to prevent the transportation of uranium ore through the reservation while the tribe develops regulations to cover what are the first major shipments of uranium through its land in years.

 (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

 The front entrance at the Energy Fuels Inc. uranium Pinyon Plain Mine is shown on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, near Tusayan, Ariz. Navajo President Buu Nygren vowed to carry out a plan to enact roadblocks to prevent the transportation of uranium ore through the reservation while the tribe develops regulations to cover what are the first major shipments of uranium through its land in years. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

August 2, 2024

PHOENIX (AP) — A uranium producer has agreed to temporarily pause the transport of the mineral through the Navajo Nation after the tribe raised concerns about the possible effects that it could have on the reservation.

Gov. Katie Hobbs said Friday that she intervened this week after talking with Navajo President Buu Nygren, who had come up with a plan to test a tribal law that bans uranium from being transported on its land.

Energy Fuels began hauling the ore Tuesday from its mine south of Grand Canyon National Park to a processing site in Blanding, Utah. When Nygren found out, he ordered tribal police to pull over the trucks and prevent them from traveling further. But by the time police arrived, the semi-trucks had left the reservation.

Energy Fuels said in a statement Friday that it agreed to a temporary pause “to address any reasonable concerns” held by Nygren. It recently started mining at the Pinyon Plain Mine in northern Arizona for the first time since the 1980s, driven by higher uranium prices and global instability. No other sites are actively mining uranium in Arizona.

“While Energy Fuels can legally restart transport at any time, pursuant to the current licenses, permits, and federal law, the company understands and respects President Nygren’s concern for his People, and wants to assure them that the company fully complies with all applicable laws and regulations,” the company said. “The U.S. has adopted the highest international standards for the transport of such materials, which are in place to protect human health and the environment.”

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Energy Fuels isn’t legally required to give advance notice. But the Navajo Nation, the U.S. Forest Service, county officials and others says the company verbally agreed to do so — and then reneged on the promise Tuesday.

The Navajo Nation said it wanted to ensure it had time to coordinate emergency preparedness plans and other notifications before hauling began. Energy Fuels said it notified federal, state county and tribal officials about two weeks ago that hauling was imminent and outlined legal requirements, safety and emergency response.

The tribe said it didn’t expect hauling to begin for at least another month, based on months of conversations with Energy Fuels.

Hobbs said the pause on transporting the ore will allow the company and the tribe “to engage in good faith negotiations.”

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes also said her office is looking into legal options “to protect the health and safety of all Arizonans.”

The tribe passed a law in 2012 to ban the transportation of uranium on the reservation that extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. But the law exempts state and federal highways that Energy Fuels has designated as hauling routes.

Mining during World War II and the Cold War left a legacy of death, disease and contamination on the Navajo Nation and in other communities across the country. The Havasupai tribe is among the tribes and environmentalists that have raised concerns about potential water contamination.

International Seabed Authority’s Assembly 
ISA Wraps With Election Of New Secretary-General And Growing Movement Of Countries

 Against Deep Sea Mining

Saturday, 3 August 2024, 

Press Release: Greenpeace

The International Seabed Authority’s Assembly has elected Brazilian oceanographer Leticia Carvalho to be the new Secretary General, replacing Michael Lodge.

Greenpeace International campaigner Louisa Casson says: "Leticia Carvalho has just been elected on a promise to deliver much-needed transparency and accountability to this organisation that is of vital importance for the future of the oceans.

"The new Secretary General must put the health of the oceans at the heart of the ISA. People around the world looking at what has happened here in the past week are seeing a growing wave of resistance to deep sea mining as well as companies discrediting scientific work and Indigenous peoples’ cultural heritage.

"We hope to see the new Secretary General take the helm and work with governments to change the ISA’s course to serve in the public interest, as it has been driven by the narrow corporate interests of the deep sea mining industry for far too long."

Greenpeace Aotearoa deep sea mining campaigner Juressa Lee (Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi, Rarotonga) says: "It is clear that an increasing number of governments, including many in the Pacific, are joining the growing movement against this nascent and destructive industry. This change of leadership must tip the balance in favour of protecting the ocean and all who depend upon it.

"In this election, member states have overwhelmingly supported a new president who articulated a pro-conservation stance. This further highlights the growing momentum against the destructive deep sea mining industry.

"Going forward, decisions at ISA must be well-informed by the best available, independent science and research and that must include the participation of Indigenous Peoples and their traditional knowledge systems, which will help protect our planet and our communities for generations to come.

"Aotearoa was one of the first countries to call for a moratorium in 2022. But the New Zealand Government now risks swimming against the tide with the Fast Track Approvals Bill potentially opening up the threat of Trans-Tasman Resources being allowed to mine the seabed off the coast of Taranaki.

"Allowing seabed mining here in Aotearoa would undermine global efforts to halt deep sea mining in its tracks in the Pacific," says Lee.

© Scoop Media

New head of UN deep-sea mining regulator vows to restore neutrality

Brazil’s Leticia Carvalho promises a return to “transparency, accountability” at organization perceived as aligned with mining interests.

Stephen Wright
2024.08.02
Kingston, Jamaica

International Seabed Authority secretary-general elect, Leticia Carvalho [center] of Brazil, is congratulated by an ISA delegate following her election on Aug. 2, 2024 in Kingston, Jamaica.

 Stephen Wright/BenarNews

Promises of “accountability and transparency” in deep-sea mining has seen a tsunami-size vote by nations on Friday for a Brazilian scientist to replace the incumbent British lawyer as head of an obscure U.N. organization that regulates the world’s seabed.

Mounting international opposition to prospects of the International Seabed Authority approving exploitation of the deep ocean’s vast mineral bounty by corporations before its environmental regulations were finalized fueled the mood for change.

A rare vote by member nations saw Brazil’s candidate, former oceanographer Leticia Carvalho, defeat two-term head Michael Lodge, who has been criticized for being aligned to seabed mining companies. Lodge wasn’t present when the result was announced. 

“The winning margin reflects the appetite for change,” Carvalho told BenarNews. “I see that transparency and accountability, broader participation, more focus on additional science, bridging knowledge gaps are the priority areas.” 

Lodge had support from only 34 nations compared with 79 for Carvahlo, who also campaigned on restoring neutrality to the secretary-general position. She is currently a senior official at the U.N. Environment Program and a former oil industry regulator in Brazil.

The change of leadership at the Kingston-based ISA is a possible setback to efforts to quickly finalize regulations for seabed mining, which would pave the way for exploitation to begin in the areas under its jurisdiction. Some countries, meanwhile, are exploring the possibility of nodule mining in their territorial waters, which are outside of ISA oversight. 

Mining of the golf ball-sized metallic nodules that litter swathes of the sea bed is touted as a source of rare earths and minerals needed for green technologies, such as electric vehicles, as the world reduces reliance on fossil fuels. Skeptics say such minerals are already abundant on land and warn that mining the sea bed could cause irreparable damage to an environment that is still poorly understood by science.

Lodge was nominated for a third term by Kiribati, which is one of three Pacific island nations working with Nasdaq-listed The Metals Company on plans to exploit seabed minerals. More than 30 nations were disqualified from voting in the secret ballot as their financial contributions to the ISA are in arrears. 

The hundreds of delegates and other attendees at the ISA assembly lined up to hug Carvalho following her election including Gerard Barron, chief executive of The Metals Company. 

International Seabed Authority secretary-general elect, Leticia Carvalho [left] of Brazil, is pictured with The Metals Company CEO Gerard Barron following her election on Aug. 2, 2024 in Kingston, Jamaica.
[Stephen Wright/BenarNews]

After the vote the company tweeted, “we appreciate her proactive engagement with us and share her belief that adopting regulations, not a moratorium, is the best way to fulfill the ISA’s mandate,” adding they still hope to become “the first commercial operator in this promising industry.” 

Greenpeace International campaigner Louisa Casson said she hopes Carvalho will work with governments “to change the ISA’s course to serve the public interest, as it has been driven by the narrow corporate interests of the deep sea mining industry for far too long.”

This week’s annual assembly of the ISA also witnessed more nations joining a call for a moratorium on mining until there is greater scientific and environmental understanding of its likely consequences. 

Members of the International Seabed Authority assembly at their week-long annual meeting at the headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica pictured on July 31, 2024
[IISD-ENB]

Tuvalu is one of the latest to join those calling for a moratorium, taking to 10 the members of the 18-nation Pacific Islands Forum, now opposed to any imminent start to deep-sea mining.

Nations such as Vanuatu and Chile also succeeded in forcing a general debate on establishing an environmental policy at the ISA.

Vanuatu’s Minister of Climate Change Ralph Regenvanu speaks at the annual meeting of the International Seabed Authority assembly in Kingston, Jamaica, pictured on July 29, 2024.
[IISD-ENB]

Pelenatita Petelo Kara, a Tongan activist who campaigns against deep-sea mining, said she is hopeful new leadership will mean “more time for science to confirm new developments” such as alternative minerals for green technologies as well as a more thorough dialogue on the proposed mining rules.

Deep-sea mineral extraction has been particularly contentious in the Pacific, where some economically lagging island nations see it as a possible financial windfall, but many other island states are strongly opposed.

International Seabed Authority secretary-general elect, Leticia Carvalho [left] of Brazil, is congratulated by a member of the Cook Islands delegation following her election on Aug. 2, 2024 in Kingston, Jamaica.
[Stephen Wright/BenarNews]

The island nation of Nauru in June 2021 notified the seabed authority of its intention to begin mining, which triggered the clock for the first time on a two-year period for the authority’s member nations to finalize regulations.

Its president David Adeang told the assembly earlier this week that its mining application currently being prepared in conjunction with The Metals Company will allow the ISA to make “an informed decision based on real scientific data and not emotion and conjecture.”

Secretive Guided Missile Submarine USS Florida’s Leadership Talks About Their 727-Day Deployment

Howard Altman
Wed, July 31, 2024 


The USS Florida nuclear powered guided missile submarine returned to its homepart in Kings Bay July 27, 2024 after 727 days at sea.


The Ohio class nuclear-powered guided missile submarine (SSGN) USS Florida returned to its homeport of Kings Bay, Georgia this morning after 727 days deployed traversing more than 60,000 miles “undetected” around the globe. The War Zone had the unique opportunity to interview the commanders of the Florida to get an inside look at the 41-year-old but still highly-prized and very secretive submarine’s long patrol.

Nearly all of its missions remain unknown to the public, but Florida launched an unknown quantity of Tomahawk land-attack missiles (TLAMS) at Houthi facilities in Yemen on Jan. 11. It was part of an international response to the Iranian-backed rebel’s campaign of attacks on Red Sea shipping. That is customary for this type of operation if an SSGN is in the area. We noted Florida’s presence in the region back in October for this exact type of application.

“This was an unprecedented deployment, the first-ever Atlantic Fleet SSGN, to go to the Pacific Fleet,” Cmdr. George Thompson, Executive Officer of one of the boat’s two crews told a small group of reporters, including from The War Zone. “The Florida circumnavigated the world. That’s a unique accomplishment, being able to prepare for not only the 5th and 6th Fleet, like we typically do, but the 5th, 6th and 7th fleets [the Middle East, Mediterranean Sea, and the Pacific respectively]. For both crews to be able to operate worldwide, undetected for over 700 days, was a unique challenge that required the entire enterprise to come to bear to get us ready to do that.”

Sailors assigned to Ohio class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) make preparations to moor after returning to homeport at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, following a 727-day deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Travis S. Alston/Released


Thompson, along with Commanding Officer Capt. Peter French, and Chief of the Boat, Jerry Struble offered a rare glimpse by an Ohio class submarine’s leadership triad into the operations of one of the most powerful, in-demand, and flexible weapons in the U.S. arsenal. Large and stealthy, it can carry up to 154 TLAMS and dozens of Navy SEALs into contested territory to ply their quiet trade. The Ohio SSGNs can also launch undersea and aerial uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs). You can read more about the four boats in this class and how they came to be in our deep dive here.

The triad offered few concrete operational details about the deployment, but they did provide insights into what the boat brings to the table and what life was like for its crews during the long patrol.

In the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas surprise attack on Israel, the U.S. beefed up its military presence in the region. That included moving the Florida. Last November, it arrived deployed to the 5th Fleet’s region covering the Middle East and crossed into the Red Sea, where it worked with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group

“The world event always can change,” French, the commanding officer said. “We were en route to go relieve our other crew when the world event happened over there in the Middle East. And we’re always ready to execute. We got some phone calls, got some official traffic, and that was it. The plan changed, and so then we just executed the new plan. That’s what we trained for, and that’s what we prepare for. It didn’t really bother us at all. We are ready to deploy to wherever they need us to deploy to.”

In addition to serving as a Tomahawk platform, Ohio class submarines can transport up to 66 Navy SEALS. They carry out a wide range of clandestine missions including Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) and Time Sensitive Strike. The Florida and other boats in the class have lockout chambers so combat divers and Navy SEALs can enter and exit the submarine underwater. A Dry Deck Shelter (DDS) can also be installed to the top of the hull linked to either one or both of two specially modified missile tubes if required. That can accommodate swimmer delivery vehicle (SDV) mini-submarines. You can see a picture of the DDS taken during this deployment below.

Guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) transits the Suez Canal en route to the Red Sea, April 7, 2023. The Dry Dock Shelter for Navy SEALs is visible behind the conning tower. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elliot Schaudt

The triad declined to offer many specifics about the special operations missions but did offer some insights into how they accommodate special operations forces. A full load of special operators increases the number of people on board by more than 40 percent.

“We had a full complement of special operations forces personnel to execute a mission set,” said Thompson, the executive officer. “We extended meal hours. We’re serving over 250 meals, kind of around the clock. In order to accommodate that, we establish special watch teams. It’s a critical mission that has a lot of safety implications. We train extensively to accomplish that, and when called upon, we can do it.”

During its deployment, “we did some interoperability missions with our allies and partners that involve special operations forces out of the dry deck shelter and also the lockout [chambers],” Thompson added. “I can’t get any other specifics about other missions.”

French offered scant details as well about how the boat works with uncrewed systems.

“We can’t talk specifics about the operations, but SSGNs have the capability to work with undersea UUVs and launch aerial UAVs as well,” he said. “There are multiple uses for that. I don’t have any specific example that I can give you from the recent deployment.” You can read about the SSGNs’ uncrewed vehicle mothership abilities here.

On July 2, Florida made a port call in Guam, where it underwent a preplanned expeditionary reload of its TLAMs alongside the Emory S. Land class submarine tender USS Frank Cable.

“That kind of demonstrates our ability to reload munitions and do repairs for deployment,” said French. That was done with work from other agencies, and that was in 7th Fleet. That’s all I can tell you about that.”


Even though the Florida was commissioned in 1983, it required minimal repairs during this deployment, said Thompson, the executive officer.

“Florida is an older ship. We had no issues maintaining a satisfactory, mature readiness for deployment. Our local partners at the Trident Refit Facility (TRF) in Kings Bay do a great job in fixing us. We do more deployed maintenance…all in conjunction with crew turnover, and saw no real challenges with that. We’ve learned these lessons over the last 15 years of deployed operations.”

While the boat didn’t require much maintenance, those onboard needed a degree of attention from the triad and themselves to maintain a “really high” morale during the long, often monotonous undersea deployment, the triad explained.

There are two crews of roughly 160, dubbed blue and gold, that rotate about every five months. For most, the journey that began in August 2022 “was the longest deployment cycle they’ve ever been part of,” said Struble, chief of the boat.

Master Chief Electronics Technician Submarine, Navigation Christopher L. Martell, chief of the boat aboard Ohio class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) (Gold), center right, make preparations to moor after returning to homeport at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, following a deployment to 5th, 6th and 7th fleet areas of operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Travis S. Alston/ReleasedMore

There was a lot of training to maintain that level of morale and resilience, he explained.

“Every day-to-day becomes monotonous, and the crew itself came together and celebrated Christmas underway. Thanksgiving underway. A lot of the major holidays that we have. We all did that.”

There were also several events celebrating particular junctures of the deployment.

One was a “halfway night” fest to mark the deployment’s midpoint. They also recognize crew shifts and crossing the equator.

Those festivities “helped build resiliency through the crew and the camaraderie… It gave them that purpose of being part of the command and to accomplish the mission at hand.”

The triad also broke down the crew schedules into smaller timeframes, said Thompson.

“To keep the crew engaged, we took the long schedule and we would chunk it down into small portions,” he said. “And then we would celebrate small wins, in order to always have the next thing to look forward to. So there was something that we were actually driving toward each day and each week, in order to get the mission accomplished.”

In addition, “we had packages from home that we pre-loaded on the ship, and we’re able to give out around halfway night,” French explained. “We’re able to send pictures and stuff home for Valentine’s Day and get stuff from the boat, from mail calls, stuff like that as well.”

This was not Florida’s longest deployment. In 2020 it returned to Kings Bay after more than 800 days covering nearly 100,000 miles.


Still, there were lessons learned this time worthy of sharing. Especially since Florida took part in the fight against the Houthis, one of the Navy’s most challenging efforts in decades.

“I think one of the big parts of the submarine culture is gathering the lessons learned and passing that on to the next team and always improving, being critical of how we do business to make sure we catch all that,” French said. “And I can tell you from the operations we did out there, we developed lots of lessons learned and passed those on. There were several very long messages, detailing all the things that we learned from what we did.”

Those lessons, French said, are placed “on the database for other crews to use for their future planning.”

Despite what they bring to the table, the Navy is planning to decommission Florida, along with sister SSGNs USS Ohio, USS Michigan, and USS Georgia by 2028. You can read more about those plans here.

Back from its long mission, Florida will now stay at Kings Bay for an unspecified maintenance period. The crews will stay on the boat, working at the Trident Training Facility on qualifications and training exercises.

It is unknown how many more deployments Florida might have left. This recent trip proved once again what it can bring to the table should it depart yet again.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

SPACE

Signal Buried in Biggest Explosion Ever Seen Hints at Total Annihilation

HINTS, NOTHING, IT SCREAMS ANNIHILATION

Michelle Starr
Thu, August 1, 2024 




Every now and again, the night sky lights up with a spectacular explosion that blazes with the most energetic light our Universe can produce. Known as gamma-ray bursts, they can release in a few seconds what our Sun will emit over its lifetime.

Now scientists have found a never-before-seen signal buried in the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation delivered by the brightest gamma ray burst ever recorded.

That signal is an emission light – a bright region in the gamma-ray spectrum produced by something emitting light in that specific wavelength range. And that something, scientists have determined, is complete and utter destruction: the mutual annihilation of electron-positron pairs, matter and its antimatter counterpart.

Nicknamed 'the BOAT' (short for the Brightest Of All Time), the burst was detected back in October of 2022. It was the result of a huge star exploding as its core collapsed into a black hole, spilling out so many energetic photons we had a hard time taking accurate measurements.

But measurements were, indeed, taken, and scientists knew from very early on that they were looking at something special.

"A few minutes after the BOAT erupted, Fermi's Gamma-ray Burst Monitor recorded an unusual energy peak that caught our attention," says astrophysicist Maria Edvige Ravasio of Radboud University in the Netherlands.

"When I first saw that signal, it gave me goosebumps. Our analysis since then shows it to be the first high-confidence emission line ever seen in 50 years of studying gamma-ray bursts."

An example of emission lines on a spectrum. This particular series is the emission signature of beryllium. (McZusatz/Wikimedia Commons/CC 1.0 Universal)

Appearing as brightened bars on the spectrum of light emitted from a source, emission lines indicate something is causing light of particular wavelengths to shine more brightly – a source of extra emission. Similarly, darker bars known as absorption lines can appear where wavelengths of light are absorbed.

Emission and absorption features can tell us a lot about the constituent chemistry of various astrophysical processes, from the metallicity of stars to molecules in the makeup of distant planetary atmospheres.

There are different scenarios that can produce a gamma-ray burst, an explosion of the most energetic light on the electromagnetic spectrum, but the one that produced the BOAT – officially named GRB 221009A – was the birth of a black hole. The outer material of the star was violently ejected out into space, while the core collapsed under gravity to form the densest kind of object in the Universe.

An artist's impression of an astrophysical jet erupting from an object. (NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab)

This explosion was accompanied by jets or particles bursting outwards in opposite directions. This is what we see in a gamma-ray burst, with the jet angled towards our line of sight.

When GRB 221009A first exploded, the brightness was so extreme it obscured any detail. Over 80 seconds, the burst evolved from a peak energy of 12 million electron volts down to around 6 million electron volts. Just five minutes later, the brightness had subsided enough for the Fermi gamma-ray telescope to discern an emission line that lasted for at least 40 seconds.

The researchers believe a phenomenon called annihilation was responsible for the enhanced glow. When an electron and its antimatter counterpart, a positron, collide, they produce a photon with an energy of 0.511 million electron volts.

The emission feature observed in the BOAT reflects a much higher energy, but the researchers have an explanation for that. The annihilation occurred in a jet that was moving towards us at roughly 99.9 percent of the speed of light. This made the energy appear much higher than it was, an illusion based on our viewing angle that can be seen in other astrophysical jets.

"Because we're looking into the jet, where matter is moving at near light speed, this emission becomes greatly blueshifted and pushed toward much higher energies," explains astrophysicist Gor Oganesyan of Gran Sasso Science Institute in Italy.

Although it seems like GRB 221009A was an extreme example of a gamma ray burst, subsequent observations and analysis have since revealed that the BOAT was actually quite normal – its brightness was merely the result of its orientation, erupting right in our direction.

This is actually good news. It means we can use the BOAT to understand how gamma-ray bursts typically evolve over time, and the processes that take place within them.

"After decades of studying these incredible cosmic explosions, we still don't understand the details of how these jets work," says astrophysicist Elizabeth Hays of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

"Finding clues like this remarkable emission line will help scientists investigate this extreme environment more deeply."

The findings have been published in Science.

NASA reveals game-changing material that could alter the future of construction: 'Benefiting industry, our agency, and humanity'

Jon Turi
Fri, August 2, 2024



NASA research has spawned myriad life-improving technologies over the years, including water purification, home insulation, and freeze-drying processes for food.

Now, the space agency is investing in innovative synthetic biology research that aims to use threaded fungal root systems, or mycelia, to build off-world habitats, as reported by Archinect. As before, this myco-architecture project could even inform eco-friendly building designs on Earth.

A team of engineers at NASA Ames Research Center has received $2 million in funding through the agency's Innovative Advanced Concepts program to continue developing their Mycotecture Off Planet project.

"Right now, traditional habitat designs for Mars are like a turtle — carrying our homes with us on our backs — a reliable plan, but with huge energy costs," said Lynn Rothschild, the principal investigator on the early-stage project, in a press release.

"Instead, we can harness mycelia to grow these habitats ourselves when we get there."

Given the right conditions, the fungus can form complex structures ranging from a leather-like material to building blocks for a future Mars habitat.
Watch now: High-speed rail can cut an hour commute to 15 minutes — so why isn't it more prevalent?

The sustainable off-world plan starts with dormant fungi, which are capable of surviving long space journeys. Using simple, lightweight structures and adding water to the mycelia, it will grow around the framework and provide a fully functional human dwelling.

"We invest in these technologies throughout their lifecycle, recognizing their potential to help us accomplish our goals — benefiting industry, our agency, and humanity," as Walt Engelund from the Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters shared, per the article.

The overall design is a three-layer dome structure, with the outer section consisting of frozen water ice, perhaps using resources found on the Moon or Mars. While that helps protect from radiation, a layer of cyanobacteria would use that water and sunlight to photosynthesize oxygen and nutrients, feeding the final layer of mycelia.

That fungal structure would then be baked to kill the lifeform, resulting in structural integrity and keeping other worlds free from biological contamination.

Companies have worked with mycelium bricks before, using the microscopic fungi fibers mixed with agricultural waste. Natural materials like these could help replace concrete and cement, which pose a significant environmental threat. Around 40% of planet-warming carbon pollution stems from construction processes alone.

Fungus has become an unlikely champion in other places as well. It's been used as a flame retardant, to improve soil's carbon capture ability, and to eat plastics.

Rothschild's lab is working with mycelia in a variety of other projects that make their way toward improving life on Earth, including water filtration, bioluminescent lighting, and self-healing habitats that could mimic the inherent properties of cork.

"NASA's space technology team and the NIAC program unlock visionary ideas – ideas that make the impossible, possible," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.

"This new research is a stepping stone to our Artemis campaign as we prepare to go back to the Moon to live, to learn, to invent, to create — then venture to Mars and beyond."

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.

It's Sounding Like Boeing's Starliner May Have Completely Failed

Sharon Adarlo
Fri, August 2, 2024 



Orbit Error

It looks like NASA officials might be seeing the writing on the wall for the very troubled Boeing Starliner, which has marooned two astronauts up in space for almost two months due to technical issues.

An unnamed "informed" source told Ars Technica that there's a greater than 50 percent probability that the stranded astronauts will end up leaving the International Space Station on a SpaceX Dragon capsule, with another unnamed person telling the news outlet that the scenario is highly likely.

NASA officials are more cagey about what's happening on the record, a marked contrast from previous weeks when they expressed confidence in the Starliner's ability to safely bring back the astronauts.


"NASA is evaluating all options for the return of agency astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station as safely as possible," NASA spokesperson Josh Finch told Ars. "No decisions have been made and the agency will continue to provide updates on its planning."

The Starliner project has been cursed from the beginning, with delays and hardware issues during the development and production of the capsule, which has seen Boeing eating something like $1.6 billion in losses.

Despite technical troubles before the launch, NASA went ahead with Starliner's first crewed mission in June. While on approach towards the space station, Starliner experienced helium leaks and issues with its thrusters, forcing NASA and Boeing to delay its return back home with the astronauts so that engineers back on the ground could troubleshoot the problems.
Fess Up

Many signs are now pointing towards SpaceX rescuing the stranded astronauts, according to Ars. These signs include the space agency giving more than a quarter million dollars to SpaceX for a "SPECIAL STUDY FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE," and SpaceX actively training for the likely situation of the company sending a Dragon capsule to the space station to bring the astronauts home.

If SpaceX does get the green light, expect the Starliner project to be shoved into the proverbial dumpster, according to Ars' analysis.

It would be a bad look all around, because it would mean the American government had funneled a total of $5.8 billion into malfunctioning junk.

If this scenario happens, with Starliner not deemed safe enough for human travel, we hope politicians and others investigate what went wrong, given that SpaceX has managed to build the immensely more reliable Dragon capsule at 50 percent less cost than Boeing's spacecraft.

What kind of oversight did NASA bring to the Starliner program during its development and production process?

That's just one hard question among many.

More on Boeing Starliner: Retired Astronaut Admits Boeing's Starliner Has Trapped Crew in Space


Boeing's Spacecraft That's Stuck in Space Cost Twice as Much as SpaceX's Version That Does the Same Thing and Works Perfectly

Sharon Adarlo
Fri, August 2, 2024 

Star Burst

The Boeing Starliner — which has marooned two NASA astronauts in space after it ran into trouble on its first crewed voyage — has cost nearly double what SpaceX spent on its rival Crew Dragon, with Starliner plagued by far more technical problems.

The Starliner's budget woes came to the fore this week when Boeing admitted in a quarterly statement, flagged by Ars Technica, that the company lost another $125 million on the Starliner, adding up to around $5.8 billion in total cost.

NASA had originally awarded $4.2 billion to Boeing to build Starliner, resulting in an almost $1.6 billion loss for the company.

Meanwhile, NASA had given only around $3.1 billion to SpaceX, headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk, for the Dragon capsule, which has now been successfully ferrying astronauts to space since 2020. In contrast, this is the maiden crewed mission for Starliner, a project marred overall with years of delays,

Starliner's current problems were evident even before its launch into space in June. The capsule experienced a helium leak in one of its thrusters, but NASA went ahead with the mission.

And then on its journey towards the International Space Station in June, the Starliner had more helium leaks and issues with its thrusters, which has indefinitely delayed the return of the two astronauts it brought to the space outpost as teams on the ground scramble to understand its technical woes.

Course Correct

NASA had wanted two options for ferrying astronauts into space, which is why it awarded Boeing and SpaceX deals to build reusable capsules. But SpaceX has come on top in the race, with NASA awarding it a $1.4 billion extension in 2022 due to Starliner delays.

Sure, this means things are great for SpaceX and okay for NASA, which hasn't had to eat the losses from the Starliner. But it's terrible news for Boeing, which has also been dealing with a storm of controversy since a door plug blew out from one of its planes earlier this year.

But NASA doesn't have redundancy for space capsules in the eventuality that SpaceX has any issues.

And there's another wrinkle: NASA has become increasingly reliant on Musk and SpaceX over the years, which may explain why NASA has not come out to publicly spank Musk for sexual misconduct and sometimes fatal safety concerns at SpaceX.

And that's bad for taxpayers, who should demand better from people receiving government money.

More on Boeing Starliner: Retired Astronaut Admits Boeing's Starliner Has Trapped Crew in Space

56 days and counting: Two NASA astronauts are still in space as tests on Boeing capsule continue

Denise Chow
Updated Thu, August 1, 2024 

Their high-stakes mission was supposed to last about a week — but 56 days later, two NASA astronauts are still aboard the International Space Station, waiting as teams on the ground try to figure out how to bring them home safely in the Boeing spaceship they rode to orbit.

The beleaguered Starliner capsule has two problems: its propulsion system is leaking helium and five of its thrusters malfunctioned as it was docking with the space station. Mission managers were aware of the leaks before the vehicle lifted off but had said they were unlikely to affect the flight or the astronauts’ safety.

Over the weekend, NASA and Boeing engineers conducted a key test of the Starliner, which launched veteran astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore on the vehicle’s first crewed flight on June 5.

The “hot fire test,” as it is known, was the second such test of the Starliner’s thrusters while it has been docked at the space station. It involved firing 27 of the capsule’s 28 jets for bursts of no longer than 1.2 seconds. Engineers on the ground evaluated the thrusters’ performance one at a time and also checked the status of the helium leaks.

In a blog post published Tuesday, NASA said preliminary results were encouraging, with all of the tested thrusters performing well.

“Both teams were very happy with the results,” Chloe Mehring, NASA’s flight director for the Starliner mission, said in a statement.

The agency also said it had verified that the Starliner’s propulsion system was stable and that helium leak rates had not increased in a way that might jeopardize a return trip to Earth. The helium system will be checked again before the Starliner capsule undocks from the space station, according to NASA.Wilmore and Williams were seated inside the Starliner capsule during the hot fire test as part of their return preparations, NASA said.

The thrusters are crucial for maneuvering the spacecraft in orbit, such as when the capsule approaches the space station and when it backs away from the outpost during the undocking process.

The capsule's reaction control thrusters are also used to guide it into proper position before a different set of engines is fired to begin the journey out of orbit.

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore (John Raoux / AP file)

The in-orbit Starliner tests came after weeks of work on the ground using a test engine at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. Teams subjected that engine and thrusters — which were developed for future Starliner flights — to conditions similar to those that the capsule experienced on its way to the space station. Engineers also replicated conditions that the Starliner will experience as it undocks and prepares to re-enter the atmosphere.In the coming days, NASA and Boeing officials will assess data from all the tests to date and may conduct a formal review to discuss when to bring the capsule and its astronaut crew home.

NASA has not set a target landing date for the mission, but has said there are opportunities throughout August.

Image: Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts (NASA via AP)

Initially, NASA had set a 45-day time limit for Wilmore and Williams to stay at the space station because of constraints with the Starliner capsule’s batteries. But agency officials said this month that the batteries were being recharged while the spacecraft is docked, thus lowering the risk of extending the capsule's time in orbit.With this mission, Boeing was hoping to prove that its Starliner capsule could safely ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station — a key step before NASA can authorize the company to conduct routine flights to the orbiting outpost. Rival company SpaceX has been transporting NASA astronauts since 2020.

Starliner’s first uncrewed test flight, in 2019, also encountered problems and was cut short after software glitches prevented the capsule from attempting to dock at the space station. Subsequent fuel valve issues caused several delays before the vehicle succeeded in docking at the space station without a crew in 2022.

Then in the spring, the NASA astronauts’ launch was delayed twice before they finally lifted off.

Wilmore and Williams’ lengthy stay on the space station makes the orbiting outpost more crowded, but mission managers have said there are enough supplies and resources aboard to accommodate them.

As they await their return to Earth, Williams and Wilmore have been conducting science experiments and assisting with various space station duties alongside the seven crew members — four NASA astronauts and three Russian cosmonauts — who were already stationed there.

“This is a tough business that we’re in,” Wilmore said this month in a news briefing from the space station. “Human spaceflight is not easy in any regime, and there have been multiple issues with any spacecraft that’s ever been designed, and that’s the nature of what we do.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

NASA pushes Boeing Starliner return meeting to at least next week

Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel
Thu, August 1, 2024 



Despite NASA officials last week stating a return readiness review might happen this week for Boeing’s Starliner, teams instead continue to go over data for the spacecraft before any decision on its departure from the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams await the decision of whether or not they will be able to climb back aboard the spacecraft for its return to Earth to complete the Crew Flight Test mission. That readiness review was pushed to next week at the earliest, according to an update from NASA.

The duo launched aboard Starliner atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station back on June 5 for what was originally planned to be about an eight-day mission to the ISS. On their way to a June 6 docking, though, the spacecraft suffered failures on five of its 28 reaction control thrusters as well as several helium leaks in the service module that houses the thrusters.

NASA and Boeing decided to perform ground tests on a similar thruster to mimic conditions on the flight up and what the thrusters would face on the way back down to Earth as well as using a former service module that was never launched to figure out the likely reason behind the helium leaks.

Teams also performed a second hot fire test of 27 of the 28 thrusters this past weekend to test their capability and recheck helium leaks. Boeing said that hot fire test went well.

NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said in a press conference ahead of the test last week that teams would go over that test’s data before setting up the higher-level return readiness review meeting after which they would declare a return date. He had expected that review to come late this week, but that’s now been pushed back.

In an update Thursday on NASA’s website, the agency announced teams need more time to go over the hot-fire testing, to finalize flight rationale for use of the affected propulsion system and confirm its reliability for the flight home.

Also still needed before the meeting is the finalizing of undocking procedures and “operational mitigations that could be used in flight, if needed, to build further confidence in the system,” according to the NASA update.

Boeing posted this week that its teams on Tuesday spent time on the ground and in space prepping for Starliner’s return procedures.

The simulated undocking involved Mission Control in Houston and Boeing’s Mission Control Center at Kennedy Space Center as both Wilmore and Williams monitored the simulation from the ISS. Future Starliner mission NASA astronauts Scott Tingle and Mike Fincke took part in the Boeing Mission Simulator while Canadian Space Agency astronaut Josh Kutryk was monitored from Houston.

Also this week, Williams and Wilmore performed pressure checks on their spacesuits and performed an exterior inspection of the Starliner spacecraft, named Calypso, by using the Canadarm outside the ISS.

Boeing has also supplied data to NASA for potential return dates throughout August.

NASA said return planning will continue into next week before the return readiness review can take place.

NASA has the upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 launch targeting as early as Aug. 18 to launch from KSC, but will need Starliner to depart the ISS for a place to park unless NASA opts to send the Crew-8 astronauts home in their Crew Dragon spacecraft before Crew-9’s arrival. The ISS has only two parking spaces for the likes of Starliner and Dragon.

Boeing is trying to play catchup to SpaceX to perform rotational astronaut flights from the U.S. for NASA. SpaceX performed its crewed flight test mission, Demo-2, back in May 2020. SpaceX has since flown its fleet of four Crew Dragon spacecraft 12 more times with three more potential launches before the end of the year.

Starliner’s CFT marks its first human spaceflight, launching more than four years after SpaceX’s Demo-2. It needs to complete the mission in order for NASA to consider certification of the spacecraft so Boeing can then share crew missions with SpaceX.

Starliner-1 would be that first mission, but it won’t fly until at least August 2025, and would be the first of six contracted flights for Boeing flying a once-a-year rate trading off duties every six months with SpaceX until the ISS is shut down after 2030.

SpaceX, meanwhile, was given the go to prep for its 10th crew exchange flight as early as next February with the Crew-10 mission while also prepping Crew-11 in case Starliner-1 delays beyond next August.

Boeing says it'll lose at least $125 million more as its Starliner aircraft remains stuck in space with no return date

Aditi Bharade
Fri, August 2, 2024

Boeing says it'll lose at least $125 million more as its Starliner aircraft remains stuck in space with no return date


The Boeing Starliner's return to Earth is delayed indefinitely, adding $125 million in losses.


NASA astronauts have been stuck on the ISS for 57 days due to issues with its propulsion system.


Boeing burned through $4.3 billion in cash and reported a $1.44 billion net loss in Q2.

As the Boeing Starliner's return to Earth is delayed indefinitely, the aerospace company expects to lose $125 million more.

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore reached the International Space Station (ISS) via the Starliner on June 6, and were supposed to stay in space for eight days.

However, due to thruster issues and helium leaks on the spaceship, they have been stuck there for 57 days and counting, with their return delayed indefinitely.

In a Wednesday SEC filing, Boeing said that because of the delays, it has "increased the reach-forward loss on the program by $125 (million)."

This was on top of the $288 million additional loss that the company had projected in 2023, per the filing. This was when it first delayed the Starliner's launch after identifying problems with the aircraft's tests.

From the get go, the Starliner launch has been plagued by delays due to technical issues.

On May 6, a pressure relief valve in the Atlas 5 rocket led to the first delay. Then, on June 1, there was an issue with the ground computers that orchestrated the final countdown, which led to a second delay.

While the eventual launch on June 5 was successful, one of Starliner's 28 Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters unexpectedly shut down, and another went offline as it approached the ISS.

Later, NASA discovered five leaks in Starliner's helium supply, which is used to pressurize its propulsion system. Its ground crew has been troubleshooting the issues since.

In a statement on July 31, Boeing said: "The Starliner team is proceeding through checklists to be ready for return when a date is chosen."

It added: "They spent Tuesday practicing for undocking during an integrated simulation with the International Space Station."

NASA has also floated the idea of using a SpaceX spacecraft to bring the astronauts down to Earth.

"We have two different systems that we're flying," Steve Stich, the manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said in a press briefing on July 25. He was referring to the Boeing Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

"Obviously, the backup option is to use a different system," he added. "I would rather not go into all those details until we get to that time, if we ever get to that time."
Adding to Boeing's financial troubles

The Starliner's new projected loss adds to Boeing's increasing financial woes.

The company burned $4.3 billion in cash and reported a net loss of $1.44 billion for the second quarter of 2024.

The financial troubles come amidst a series of investigations into Boeing's manufacturing quality and safety regulations.

It agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge linked to two crashes of its 737 Max jetliners that killed 346 people, according to a court filing by the Justice Department on July 7.

Under the plea deal, Boeing will pay an additional fine of $243.6 million. This is on top of the $243.6 million Boeing paid in 2021 as part of the settlement it breached.

It will also be required to invest at least $455 million in its compliance and safety programs and appoint an independent monitor to oversee the company.

Representatives for Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Boeing bleeds another $125M on Starliner program, bringing total losses to $1.6B

Aria Alamalhodaei
Updated Thu, August 1, 2024 



Boeing has lost another $125 million on its Starliner astronaut capsule program due to delays in its first crewed flight test, which was supposed to last just eight days — and has now been on orbit for almost two months.

The aerospace giant has lost $1.6 billion on Starliner, including the $125 million, which was reported to regulators in a quarterly filing. While the company was awarded a massive $4.2 billion contract to accelerate Starliner development in 2014, it was structured as a “fixed-price” model. That means any cost overruns are solely the contractor’s responsibility.

SpaceX was also awarded a fixed-price contract for astronaut transportation services for $2.6 billion at the same time and has been fulfilling its contracted obligations for the space agency with the Crew Dragon capsule since 2020.

But while SpaceX’s crewed services have soared — to include missions for both NASA and private customers — Boeing has struggled. Under the two contracts, NASA said it would buy six crewed launches each from Boeing and SpaceX, but due to Starliner delays, NASA has purchased an additional eight missions from SpaceX. The Elon Musk-led company is now the only provider of astronaut transportation services for the space agency.

Serious issues discovered during an uncrewed test flight in 2019 pushed back the date of another test by two years. The company had a moment of brief victory in 2022, when that uncrewed mission was finally successful, but additional problems discovered afterward pushed the crewed flight test to this June.

That mission, which launched on June 5, delivered NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS. But it didn’t go entirely smoothly; a number of issues, including malfunctioning thrusters, have led Boeing and NASA officials to delay the return of the two astronauts for weeks.

This loss and others has made Boeing executives reticent to take on more fixed-price contracts in the future: “Based on the lessons that we’ve learned in taking on these fixed-price development programs, we have maintained contracting discipline for all future opportunities,” outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun said on an earnings call.

It’s likely that Boeing will incur further losses in the program. NASA has already said it would push back the first Starliner mission to no earlier than August 2025, yet another delay for the program. In an absolute worst-case scenario, major modifications to Starliner’s propulsion system could be very costly.

As of right now, Starliner does not have a return date to Earth. The agency said it was aiming to wrap up a final readiness review in the first week of August and make a decision on the return date at that point. A thruster test conducted on orbit was promising, however, with NASA saying in a July 30 update that the preliminary results showed that the thrusters are back to “preflight levels” of performance.

Boeing eats another $125 million loss over Starliner woes

The Starliner doesn't have a return date from the ISS yet.

Mariella Moon
·Contributing Reporter
Thu, August 1, 2024 


Boeing


Boeig has revealed that it has taken another $125 million in losses as a result of its Starliner spacecraft's delayed return from the ISS. As SpaceNews reports, the company has revealed the losses in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, along with more details about its earnings for the second quarter of the year. The company already posted $288 million in losses "primarily as a result of delaying" the Crew Flight Test mission in 2023.

The first crewed Starliner flight took off in June with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams on board. Boeing's spacecraft was only supposed to stay docked to the ISS for eight days before ferrying the astronauts back to Earth, but issues with its hardware prevented the mission from sticking to its original timeline.


The company had to examine and find what caused the Starliner's degraded maneuvering thrusters while it was approaching the ISS. In addition, the helium leak that caused several delays to the spacecraft's launch seemed to have worsened, as well. Since June, the company has been putting the spacecraft through a series of tests. Just a few days ago, on July 27, it completed a hot fire test of the Starliner's reaction control system jets and made sure that the vehicle's helium leak rates remain within the acceptable margin. The tests were conducted with Williams and Wilmore onboard, because they're part of the preparations for the spacecraft's flight back home.

NASA said the tests' results are still being reviewed. But once Boeing and the agency ensure that the Starliner is ready, they will set a date for the Starliner and the astronauts' return flight.

Four reasons to take a breath after the U.S. jobs report


An employee hiring sign with a QR code is seen in a window of a business in Arlington·Reuters
Dan Burns
Fri, Aug 2, 2024, 1:10 PM MDT3 min read
36


By Dan Burns

(Reuters) - The disappointing U.S. employment report for July unleashed a "Freakout Friday" moment in financial markets and triggered a wholesale resetting of expectations for how much the Federal Reserve might cut interest rates next month.

There was much to grimace about in the Bureau of Labor Statistics report card on the job market, including a jump in the unemployment rate to a post-pandemic high and the weakest pace of private-sector hiring in 16 months.


That said, the report was not without its bright spots like a second straight month of hefty workforce growth and came with some fat caveats, including a big debate underway about the weather.

Here are four reasons to take a breath and accept that the report may not signal the end is near.

BIG BAD BERYL

The BLS added a big footnote to the first page of Friday's release to say Hurricane Beryl - which slammed into Texas during the employment report survey week and left some 2.7 million homes and businesses in the Houston area without power for days - "had no discernible effect" on the month's data.

A number of economists said: "Whoa!"

For one thing, they said, just look at the number of people who reported not being at work due to bad weather: 436,000 nonfarm workers and 461,000 with agriculture workers included.

That is not just a record for the month of July, it was more than 10 times the July average dating back to 1976 when BLS started tracking the metric. And more than 1 million others could only work part time due to the weather, also a record for the month.

"We are not sure that we absolve Beryl of any responsibility for the weakness in this data," Jefferies U.S. economist Thomas Simons wrote.


TEMPORARY LAYOFFS

The number of people who said their job loss was temporary was the highest in about three years last month and accounted for more than half of the overall increase in the number of unemployed of 352,000.

If their temporary layoffs last only a few weeks or don't become permanent, economists expect most of those people will report as employed in the report for August that will come out next month.

Again, Beryl may be a culprit here.

"We think some of those layoffs may have been related to Hurricane Beryl," Oxford Economics Lead U.S. Economist Nancy Vanden Houten wrote.

CONSTRUCTION JOBS STILL HUMMING

Construction work, often a leading indicator of coming shifts in the economy, especially for sectors like home building, continued growing last month at roughly the pace of the last year.

The 25,000 new jobs was also somewhat above the roughly 20,000 construction jobs added on average each month of the five years prior to the pandemic, a period Fed officials often reminisce about.

That could augur for a recovery in housing starts, which have been sluggish for months.

PRIME-AGED PRIME TIME

Economists keep close track of so-called "prime-aged workers" - those between 25 and 54 years old - because they account for such a big chunk of the U.S. workforce.

And those prime-agers are trundling back to the labor force in sizeable numbers.

The prime-aged labor force participation rate rose in July to 84%, the highest since 2001.

For prime-aged men, their rate ticked up to 90% - the first nine-handle since the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

And for prime-aged women, it was back to record territory. At 78.1% last month, the rate matched a record high first set in May.

(Reporting By Dan Burns; Editing by Andrea Ricci)