WGA Tells Writers to Be Ready to Picket if No Deal Is Reached

Story by Gene Maddaus • Yesterday 
Variety


The Writers Guild of America told members Sunday to be ready to hit the picket lines if no agreement is reached by midnight on Monday.

In an email, the guild asked members to fill out a “picketing survey,” providing their preferred time and location to join in, by noon on Monday.

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“The greatest amount of leverage we collectively bring to a strike action is the withdrawal of our labor,” the guild wrote. “Picketing is a key tactic to demonstrate that we are all in this together, and that until a strike is resolved, it’s not business as usual.”

Negotiators for the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers worked on Saturday and Sunday at AMPTP headquarters in Sherman Oaks. The email provided no update on the talks, other than to say that the negotiating committee “continues to bargain with the AMPTP with the goal of reaching a fair deal by tomorrow’s May 1st contract deadline.”

They are set to return to the table on Monday, and negotiations are expected to go right up to the midnight deadline.

The union is seeking an increase in compensation, a minimum staffing level for TV writers rooms, and a total overhaul of the formula for calculating residuals in streaming. The negotiations have been underway since March 20.

Last week, the guild sent out a detailed set of strike rules, advising members not to perform “writing services” or negotiate for work with struck companies if a strike is called.

Production has slowed noticeably over the last few weeks, as shows wrap ahead of the strike deadline. According to FilmLA, no scripted shows have yet pulled permits to shoot on location after Monday. The studios have long known that a strike was a distinct possibility, and have been bracing themselves and preparing as if a strike is imminent.

If a strike were called, late-night talk shows would shut down, along with “Saturday Night Live.” The scripted TV production pipeline would also largely halt, though it might take weeks or months for viewers to notice an interruption in programming.

Matt Donnelly contributed to this story.

Factbox-Why are Hollywood writers threatening to strike?

Story by Reuters • 

Hollywood film and TV writers in position to strike over negotiations

© Thomson Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood writers and the film and television studios are racing to agree to a new contract to replace the one that expires at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time Monday. If they fail to reach a deal, a strike could begin as soon as Tuesday.

Why is the Writers Guild of America threatening a strike?

The writers argue that they have been negatively impacted by streaming, saying they are working more for less money. They're seeking better compensation for their work on film, television and streaming shows, and residual payments that reward writers when a show becomes a hit.

What does this mean for my favorite TV shows?

Striking writers are prohibited from doing work on any television or film project. Late-night shows such as "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon," "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" and "Saturday Night Live," which use teams of writers to craft topical jokes, are expected to immediately stop production. Soap opera production and shows such as "The View" also are likely to be disrupted.

Streaming services such as Netflix may avoid any initial impact because they have access to foreign-language shows and production outside the United States.

If the strike drags on, it could delay the start of the fall television season. A protracted walkout could result in more unscripted reality shows and news magazines filling out the nightly programming schedule.

What do the studios say?

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the trade group negotiating the union contract on behalf of the major studios and representing the major studios and producers, says it is seeking a fair and equitable contract. Sources close to studios say budgets are tight as Wall Street wants to see profits from multi-billion dollar streaming investments that are draining balance sheets.

How is artificial intelligence a factor?

With the emergence of artificial intelligence software, the WGA wants safeguards to prevent studios from using AI to generate new scripts from writers' previous work. Writers also want to ensure they are not asked to rewrite draft scripts created by AI.

When was the last time the writers put pencils down?

The last WGA strike in 2007 and 2008 lasted 100 days. TV networks broadcast reruns and more reality shows, while the cost to the California economy was estimated at $2.1 billion, according to the Milken Institute.

(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Melanie Lynskey, Seth Meyers, and More Support WGA Amid Negotiations

Story by Zoe Guy • Vulture.com

Melanie Lynskey Vulture. Photos: Getty Images; NBC© Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

As members of the Writers Guild of America vote to authorize a strike amid contract negotiations, many TV makers are urging their colleagues to vote yes. Melanie Lynskey, Daniel Kwan, and the creators of Yellowjackets are among the many industry professionals advocating for a strike to expand the WGA’s negotiating power in an environment where writers say streaming has sharply reduced their pay. “I stand with the WGA members voting to strike!” Lynskey tweeted. “There is no industry without writers. They deserve to be able to make a living!” Even Seth Meyers, whose show, Late Night With Seth Meyers, would be — given the quick pace of late-night TV production — one of the first shows to go down in the event of a strike, showed support for a potential strike. “I’m incredibly grateful that there are negotiators for both sides sitting and talking,” Meyers said in his “Corrections” segment on April 24. “I’m incredibly hopeful that they can come to an agreement. I also feel very strongly that what the writers are asking for is not unreasonable. As a proud member of the guild, I’m very grateful that there is an organization that looks out for the best interests of writers.”

New industry standards have left writers underpaid and overworked, the guild says. The WGA asked members to vote between April 11 and 17 (after talks with the studios stalled following two weeks at the bargaining table), saying the union’s corporate counterpart has “shown no sign that they intend to address the problems our members are determined to fix in this negotiation.”

Ted Lasso and A Black Lady Sketch Show writer Ashley Nicole Black tweeted that the guild is “simply asking for a living wage, and the ability of the middle class writer to make a living and career. Meanwhile the studios are making huge profits, and CEOs making mega bonuses. They’re just refusing to share the wealth that workers are generating.”

Below are the actors, writers, and showrunners tweeting their support for a WGA strike authorization.

TO SEE ALL TWITTER COMMENTS GO TO VULTURE.COM

Kelly Lynne D’Angelo (Writer, Miracle Workers)

Tim Barnes (Creator, Maurice on Mars)

Noah Garfinkel (Single Parents, New Girl)

This is a developing story.

Ashley Lyle (Creator, Yellowjackets)

Daniel Kwan (Director and Writer, Everything Everywhere All at Once)

Boots Riley (Writer and Director, Sorry to Bother You, I’m a Virgo)

Kay Cannon (Writer, Blockers, Pitch Perfect)

Alanna Bennett (Writer, Roswell, New Mexico)

Ashley Nicole Black (Ted Lasso, A Black Lady Sketch Show)

Brittani Nichols (Writer, Abbott Elementary)

Justin Halpern (Showrunner, Harley Quinn; EP, Abbott Elementary)

Adele Lim (Writer, Crazy Rich Asians)

Rachel Shukert (Showrunner, The Baby-Sitters Club)

Michael Mohan (Writer, Everything Sucks!)

Adam Conover (Creator, The G Word)

Christina Strain (Writer, Shadow and Bone)

Charles Ray Hamilton (Writer, Queen Sugar)

Kyra Jones (Writer, Queens)

Kirk J. Rudell (Writer, Voice of the Game, American Dad!)

Alex Blagg (Writer, Fairfax, Trinkets)

Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Writer, From, Cowboy Bebop)

Morgan Evans (Writer, Teen Titans Go!)

CANADA

SAG-AFTRA Advises Members To “Continue To Work” In Event Of A WGA Strike

Story by David Robb • Yesterday

SAG-AFTRA Advises Members To “Continue To Work” In Event Of A WGA Strike© Provided by Deadline

On the eve of a threatened writers’ strike, SAG-AFTRA is advising its members that they should “continue to work” in the event of a writers’ strike, which could come as soon as Monday night at midnight.

Contract talks between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have wrapped for the night, but they’ll resume tomorrow.

A statement SAG-AFTRA put out to its members tonight asks: “If the WGA goes on strike and I am required to show up to work, should I refuse to cross a picket line as a SAG-AFTRA member?”

The answer, SAG-AFTRA says, is: “If you are contracted to work on a project that continues production while the WGA is on strike, you are legally obligated to continue working by your personal services agreement and the ‘no strike’ clause in our collective bargaining agreements.” Actors can also “continue to audition for work” if they choose to.

The guild went on to say that “like most unions, SAG-AFTRA has a no-strike clause in our Codified Basic Agreement,” which states: “The Union agrees that, during the effective term hereof, it will not call or engage in a strike affecting motion picture production against any Producer signatory hereto.”

The contract also says that “The Union agrees that it will take such affirmative action as may be necessary and lawful in order to require its members to perform their respective obligations under the provisions of this Section.”

“SAG-AFTRA therefore advises its members to continue to work,” the statement says, adding that “the WGA is aware of the requirements of our no strike clause and our members’ individual personal service agreements, and the fact that the labor law protections that apply to striking workers do not apply to other workers whose contracts are still in effect.”

The actors’ union also advised its members that “if you as an individual decide not to report to work as required, you may be subject to breach of contract claims or be subject to termination by the Producer.”

IATSE and the Teamsters also have “no strike” clauses in their contracts, but their leaders have told their members that their contract give their members “the legal right” to honor the WGA’s picket lines, if it comes to that.

The Directors Guild, meanwhile, has told its members that while its “no-strike clauses are clear … as an individual, you cannot be forced to work. If you, as an individual, refuse to cross a picket line and perform your DGA-covered services, then your employer has the right to replace you; if you have a personal services agreement, you may be subject to claims for breach of contract.”

SAG-AFTRA, whose own contract expires June 30, is scheduled to start its negotiations with the AMPTP on June 7. “If a WGA strike is called before that date, we will inform members of any change in the timing of our negotiations,” the guild said tonight, noting that it “will do everything in our power to reach an agreement with the AMPTP and we regard a strike as a last resort.

In a message to their members tonight, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said that “Just as unity and solidarity among our members is the ultimate source of our power as a union, standing together with our sister unions multiplies our power and gives us all the strongest position to ensure our large corporate employers step up and treat fairly and justly the people who are the creative source of the industry’s success. SAG-AFTRA’s National Board has adopted a resolution of strong support for the Writers Guild of America in their negotiations with the AMPTP. If the WGA finds it necessary to strike in order to achieve a fair deal for their members, although SAG-AFTRA cannot presently go on strike with them, we will be there to support and stand beside them.

“We continue to hope that the AMPTP will step up and make a fair deal with the WGA and avoid the necessity of a strike.”

The WGA, meanwhile, is ready for a strike but would prefer a good deal. Picket signs are at the ready, and the WGA West has amassed a whopping $20 million strike fund to provide loans or grants to members “adversely affected by a strike.” That’s more than double the $9.2 million it had going into the 100-day strike of 2007-08, when more than $3 million in strike loans was distributed to members during and after the walkout.

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WGA Strike Explained: The Issues, The Stakes, Movies & TV Shows Affected — And How Long It Might Last

Screen Actors Guild Votes to Back Upcoming Writer's Strike | Watch (msn.com

 

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OPINION
GUEST ESSAY

The Hollywood Writers’ Strike Isn’t About Money, It’s About Survival

April 30, 2023

Credit...John Lamb/The Image Bank, via Getty Images

By Zack Stentz
Mr. Stentz is a screenwriter and the co-writer of “X-Men: First Class,” “Agent Cody Banks” and “Thor.”

An old Klingon proverb tells us, “Only a fool fights in a burning house.” In light of that bit of wisdom from “Star Trek,” it might seem surprising that the Writers Guild of America West and East, the sister unions that represent the country’s film and television writers, are engaged in a fraught labor negotiation with the studios and streaming companies that could lead, after their contract expires on May 1, to Hollywood’s biggest strike in 15 years.

Looking at the current state of the entertainment industry, we see a theatrical business still struggling to recover from Covid-era disruptions and a television landscape of consolidation and cutbacks in the wake of an unsustainable boom in streaming content.

Surely this must be the absolute worst possible time for writers to strike and shut down scripted programming, right?

Well, yes. Unfortunately, the current negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (an organization that represents the old Hollywood studios and upstart streaming companies alike) are absolutely make or break for writers. At stake is nothing less than the survival of film and television writing as a viable middle-class career for the majority of our membership


To be fair, screenwriting has always been a precarious, feast-or-famine way to make a living. With untold thousands drawn by the real and perceived glamour and wealth of Hollywood, the odds of selling a script or getting hired onto a show are long — like, high school football star making it in the N.F.L. long. Continuing to succeed consistently over the course of a career can often seem next to impossible.

I only made it into the W.G.A. after eight years of rejection, working as a journalist by day and tapping out screenplays every evening until eventually getting hired onto a since-forgotten syndicated action hour, “Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda.” It was the absolute lowest rung of scripted entertainment, but at the time it felt like heaven, and even paid enough for my little family to buy a home in an unglamorous corner of the San Fernando Valley.

But after three seasons of steady television work and a screenplay credit on the hit movie “Agent Cody Banks,” my luck finally ran out. It took nearly three more years of meetings, pitches that went nowhere and buying groceries on credit cards before I got regular work again.

Luckily, the W.G.A.’s health insurance plan is structured so writers bank points that let us keep coverage between jobs, or else my family’s financial solvency would have been in serious doubt. The W.G.A.’s members make on average around $250,000 a year — and that’s before taxes, union dues and commissions to agents, managers and lawyers. The reality is that the seemingly big paychecks of Hollywood have to last through the lean periods that nearly every writer experiences.

Traditionally, one of the biggest buffers against that volatility is residuals: the money that writers earn from the reuse of our work, encompassing everything from cable and syndicated reruns of old television episodes to airlines licensing movies for in-flight viewing. The formulas used to calculate the money owed for various forms of reuse are complicated and vary widely across platforms. As a result, the payments can be relatively tiny or very large — and one of the more delightful parts of being a working screenwriter is opening your mailbox and seeing the distinctive green envelope that residuals come in, not knowing if the check inside will cover an In-N-Out burger or your mortgage payment.

But the odds of a big check that bails out a writer in dire financial straights are growing ever longer. Programming is moving increasingly away from theatrical, broadcast and cable to streaming platforms, which typically pay residuals at a far lower rate. This is why one of the major areas in our current negotiation is bringing streaming residuals more in line with broadcast and cable rates.

The issues being hashed out at the bargaining table include increasing the minimum compensation for writers and strengthening so-called span protection, which ensures that writers are paid fairly if the time spent creating a TV episode extends beyond two and a half weeks, as the industry shifts from the 22-episodes-a-year world of network television to the eight-episodes-every-18-months-if-you’re-lucky model embraced by streaming companies. The W.G.A. is also pushing to address the proliferation in streaming television of so-called mini rooms — writing staffs that are smaller in size and active for a shorter duration than a traditional writers’ room.

The studios and streamers are, of course, loath to part with any more money than they need to. They point to their battered stock prices, reduced box office revenue and round after round of layoffs as evidence that things are tough all over.

But allowing screenwriters to sustain a stable career is absolutely the smartest investment that the industry can make. After all, writers’ imaginations are the ultimate source of the movies and shows that generate billions of dollars for their parent companies. One of my biggest thrills is walking onto a soundstage where grips are banging together a set and realizing that hundreds of people and millions of dollars have been marshaled to bring to life a scenario that once existed only in my brain.

Keeping that spigot of creativity open is only possible if writers don’t have to scramble for day jobs or contemplate a career switch every time the phone stops ringing. Marc Cherry created the hit show “Desperate Housewives” while living on his “Golden Girls” residuals. And I wouldn’t be able to spin my stories of rival wolf dynasties, cursed mountain climbers and quests for immortality were it not for the financial buffer provided by my good friends Thor and the X-Men.

The last thing we need is for film and television to become like the music industry, another creative field disrupted by the internet and tech money, where the middle class has been hollowed out while risk has been pushed from the companies onto the artists themselves. The W.G.A.’s fight isn’t just about keeping writers employed but about maintaining the health of the entire ecosystem that makes our industry run and keeps the supply of quality film and television flowing for viewers around the world.

I do worry that some of my fellow writers — especially younger ones who joined during the streaming-driven boom years, when the number of writers in the W.G.A. reporting earnings grew from 4,500 to more than 6,000 — have unrealistic ideas about what a successful negotiation can accomplish. No contract can bring back the 1990s model of shows that ran 22-episode seasons for eight years, or fully reinflate the 2010s streaming bubble. Whether we win concessions from the studios at the bargaining table or even through a strike, the brutal reality remains that, going forward, there will likely be fewer well-paying jobs in a volatile industry that may force us to hustle for work more than ever.

So can the W.G.A., the studios and the streamers come to terms without a strike? Or are our positions irreconcilable?

Conventional wisdom in Hollywood right now is that a strike — possibly a long one — is inevitable. But I’m still hopeful that the two sides can reach a compromise that keeps the industry working, because regardless of whether they realize it, doing right by the writers is an investment that will benefit the companies that employ us, as well. Like my hero Captain James T. Kirk, I don’t believe in a no-win scenario.

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Ding becomes China's first male world chess champion



China's Ding Liren, 30 is the country's first winner of the World Chess Championship© EPA

Ding Liren has become China's first men's world chess champion, after defeating Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Ding, 30, won a rapid-play tiebreaker after 14 first-stage games at the World Chess Championship in Kazakhstan.

He succeeds Norway's Magnus Carlsen, the five-time champion who said he was "not motivated" to defend his title.

Carlsen accused a US opponent of cheating last year in a row that rocked the chess world. He remains number one in the rankings.

Ding's victory makes him the 17th winner of the world chess tournament, while Nepomniachtchi, who had previously made a grand final, fell at the final hurdle for a second time.

Ding said he was "quite relieved" after his victory, according to comments shared by FIDE, the International Chess Federation.

"The moment Ian resigned the game was a very emotional moment. I couldn't control my feelings. I know myself, I will cry and burst into tears. It was a tough tournament for me."

His victory was celebrated by chess fans and patriots in China, which is a growing chess power.

"One Ding to rule em all," tweeted fellow grandmaster Anish Giri after Ding's victory.

China's General Administration of Sport, a government department, also posted a warm congratulatory message, praising Ding for "winning glory for the motherland and its people".

A native of Wenzhou, China's "chess city", Ding triumphed in dramatic circumstances in Astana, the Kazakh capital.

The opening 14 games were played over three weeks. Ding and Nepomniachtchi each won three, with eight draws.

For the tiebreaker, each player had only 25 minutes to make their moves, plus an additional 10 seconds for each move played. Ding clinched victory in winning the fourth quick-fire game.

The 2m euro (£1.8m; $2.2m) prize money will be split 55-45 between the two players.

Ding was able to compete against Nepomniachtchi due to Carlsen's abstention. Ding had finished second at the Candidates Tournament, which players must win to challenge the world champion.

In 2009, he became China's youngest chess champion at national level.

Within 12 years, he had become the highest-ranked Chinese player in the world rankings, reaching second place.

Ding was undefeated in classical chess for 100 games from August 2017 to November 2018. This was the longest unbeaten streak in top-level chess history until Carlsen surpassed it in 2019.

His triumph reflects China's growth in the global chess scene.

China has dominated women's chess tournaments since the 1990s, when Xie Jun became the first Chinese person to claim a world title in 1991 in the women's game.

No Chinese player had ever previously won the World Chess Championship, in which both men and women can compete.

Falcon Heavy launches after series of weather delays

BY AMY THOMPSON - 05/01/23 

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket after takeoff from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. (SpaceX)


A Falcon Heavy rocket lit up the skies over the space coast Sunday evening as it launched from Kennedy Space Center, carrying a communications satellite into space for ViaSat.

Heavy rain and winds have plagued the area all week, with teams having to stand down from two different attempts earlier in the week — one for weather and one for a last-minute abort that SpaceX has not explained. But the weather cleared this afternoon, paving the way for a spectacular nighttime launch.

Smoke and fire billowed from the rocket as it took to the skies, marking Falcon Heavy’s second flight this year following a multi-year hiatus. Tucked inside the rocket’s nose cone was a trio of satellites: a broadband communications satellite for ViaSat, a small communications craft for Astranis, and cubesat for Gravity Space.

Sunday’s Falcon Heavy mission was different from the previous missions before it as all three of the Falcon Heavy’s boosters were expended. That’s because the mission required more of the rocket’s fuel, leaving no leftovers for a propulsive landing back on land at the Cape or at sea on one of the company’s floating landing platforms.

Falcon Heavy first debuted in 2018, when it launched a bright red Tesla Roadster into orbit as part of a test mission. It consists of three Falcon 9 rocket boosters strapped together, with the center core carrying the cargo into space. Once its mission is complete, that core either gets expended or lands on one of SpaceX’s floating landing platforms in the Atlantic, while the two side boosters typically land in sync back at the Cape.

With its successful first flight, Falcon Heavy earned its title of most powerful rocket in SpaceX’s fleet, that is, until Starship came on the scene. Powered by 33 methane-fueled engines that generated 16.7 million pounds of thrust, Starship is three times as powerful as Falcon Heavy. Unfortunately, its first test flight didn’t go as well as Falcon Heavy’s.

On April 20, SpaceX’s first fully integrated Starship blasted off from South Texas, climbing to an altitude of 24 miles (39 kilometers) before its flight ended in an explosion as the team commanded the rocket to blow itself up above the Gulf of Mexico as a safety precaution. Teams are still investigating what went wrong in that test flight, which is considered a partial success due to the fact that it got off the ground. 

Like SpaceX’s other rockets, Starship is designed to be reusable. Reusability is a key goal of SpaceX, which helps drive down costs and helps the company keep up a rapid launch schedule.

Sunday’s mission marks the 28th flight this year for SpaceX and the 100th flight that the company has flown reused payload fairings (also known as the rocket’s nose cone). It is also the 226th Falcon family launch and the 7th flight this month.

The mission was longer than usual, with all three payloads deploying over a 13-minute period approximately 4.5-hours after liftoff.

SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches first ViaSat-3 satellite

Jason Rainbow

May 1, 2023

A Falcon Heavy launches ViaSat-3 Americas April 30 in the rocket’s sixth flight since its debut in 2018. Credit: Viasat / SpaceX

TAMPA, Fla. — SpaceX launched the Americas-focused ViaSat-3 broadband satellite on a Falcon Heavy rocket April 30 following delays partly caused by severe weather that included lightning and tornado warnings.

The Falcon Heavy lifted off 8:26 p.m. Eastern from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, toward geostationary orbit (GEO) in the rocket’s sixth flight since its debut in 2018.

Both side boosters separated from the core stage just over three minutes after lift-off. The boosters had previously supported nine earlier missions in total, however, SpaceX decided not to attempt to recover them this time to improve the rocket’s performance.

The primary 6,400-kilogram ViaSat-3 Americas payload was deployed around four hours and 32 minutes after lift-off, followed by two rideshare payloads: Arcturus, the first broadband satellite built by Californian venture Astranis at under 400 kilograms, and a cubesat from Washington-based Gravity Space with a communications payload.

The mission had at one point been scheduled for April 18 but was delayed for undisclosed reasons to April 26 following a static-fire test. SpaceX then delayed the April 26 launch by a day to complete data reviews.

However, severe weather April 27 disrupted that mission. Lightning struck the tower at the Falcon Heavy’s LC-39A launchpad during the storm, prompting SpaceX engineers to conduct checks on the rocket, its payloads, and ground systems.

SpaceX aborted another launch attempt April 28 at T-minus 59 seconds for reasons it did not disclose. With severe weather conditions forecast again for April 29, the mission was bumped to April 30.

Long time coming

The delays were part of a long-running series of setbacks for Viasat, which had originally planned to deploy the first of three ViaSat-3 satellites in 2019 — before being caught up in production and supply chain issues compounded by the pandemic.

There were payload, satellite integration, and launch delays, Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg told SpaceNews in an interview, “but the single biggest contributor was COVID-19,” which also led to a shortage of skilled workers.

Contact was established with ViaSat-3 Americas about 15 minutes after lift-off, Viasat announced, and the satellite will attempt to deploy its solar arrays over the coming days.

Dankberg said it will take close to three weeks for ViaSat-3 Americas to reach its final GEO position at 88.9 degrees West using onboard propulsion, and then another two to three months to complete health checks ahead of entering commercial service.

Viasat developed the payload for each ViaSat-3 internally and is using a chassis from Boeing based on the manufacturer’s 702 satellite platform. 

Each Viasat-3 is designed to provide more than 1,000 gigabits per second (Gbps) of capacity, roughly three times more than Viasat provides over the Americas with the ViaSat-2 satellite launched in 2017.

The second ViaSat-3 is being designed for coverage over Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The third and final ViaSat-3 would cover Asia.

Dankberg said the second ViaSat-3 is currently undergoing final integration and tests at Boeing’s facilities ahead of a launch this fall on an Atlas 5 from United Launch Alliance.

“The third one is just about to be shipped to Boeing for integration,” he added, “and we expect that to launch a little over a year from now.”

Viasat had a contract to launch its third ViaSat-3 on Ariane 6, Arianespace’s next-generation launch vehicle. 

However, Dankberg said the operator is seeking to order a different launch vehicle following delays to get Ariane 6 into service.

In addition to adding a significant amount of capacity, the first ViaSat-3 satellite would enable the company to extend its reach over the Americas.

“One of the really striking, immediate advantages with ViaSat-3, once we bring that into service, will be covering air routes to Hawaii,” Dankberg said.

He said the satellite would also enable Viasat to expand services out of Brazil to cover all of South America for the first time. 

Hitching a ride

Astranis has secured a deal to lease the 10 Gbps of capacity on Arcturus to Pacific Dataport Inc. (PDI), a U.S.-based telco planning to use it for internet services across Alaska over the satellite’s seven-year lifetime.

The Californian venture plans to launch a batch of four more satellites on a dedicated Falcon 9 mission in late summer. 

Mobile satellite connectivity specialist Anuvu is leasing capacity on two of these satellites, Peru-based cellular backhaul provider Andesat has an agreement for another, and Astranis said the fourth satellite has a customer that it will announce later.

Mexican telco Apco Networks said March 14 it has ordered two satellites from Astranis for a third batch of spacecraft that the manufacturer aims to launch on an undisclosed rocket next year.

Astranis recently raised more than $200 million for its expansion plans in an equity and debt deal led by the growth fund of U.S. venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.

NASA found a novel way to keep Voyager 2 spacecraft going

BY LAUREN SFORZA - 04/30/23 



NASA’s long-running spacecraft Voyager 2 will be able to continue its operations for years longer than anticipated with a new power strategy.

NASA launched the Voyager 2 in 1977 to orbit the outer edge of the solar system 12 billion miles away from Earth, using five different instruments to study space. As the spacecraft’s power source has started to dwindle, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has found a solution by using the spacecraft’s backup reservoir of power, which NASA says will keep Voyager 2 in space until at least 2026 instead of this year.

According to NASA, Voyager 2 and its twin Voyager 1 are the only spacecraft that have ever operated outside of the Earth’s heliosphere, which is a bubble of particles generated by the Sun around itself and its planets.

“The science data that the Voyagers are returning gets more valuable the farther away from the Sun they go, so we are definitely interested in keeping as many science instruments operating as long as possible,” Linda Spilker, Voyager’s project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, said in a statement.

Scientists turned off the heaters and other non-essential systems on both of the spacecrafts to also preserve power, according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Scientists were considering shutting down one of the five instruments on Voyager 2 to conserve power, but instead were able to tap into the backup power reservoir.

According to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Voyager’s electrical systems and voltages have remained stable for the last 45 years, which minimizes the need for a “safety net” that the backup power supply provided. If the new solution works with Voyager 2, the scientists may try to apply to same method to Voyager 1, which has only four instruments.

“Variable voltages pose a risk to the instruments, but we’ve determined that it’s a small risk, and the alternative offers a big reward of being able to keep the science instruments turned on longer,” Suzanne Dodd, Voyager’s project manager at the laboratory, said in a statement. “We’ve been monitoring the spacecraft for a few weeks, and it seems like this new approach is working.”

 

Mars May Have Seen Snow As Recently As 400,000 Years Ago, Zhurong Rover Suggests

Cracks in the Red Planet's dunes hint at liquid water far more recent than we thought.

DR. KATIE SPALDING
Freelance Writer
April 30, 2023

Mars as viewed by the Zhurong rover, July 2021. 

 China National Space Administration

Liquid water may have been widespread on Mars as recently as 400,000 years ago, perhaps in the form of snowmelt in the planet’s iconic sandy dunes, according to new data from China’s Zhurong rover.

Zhurong has already transformed our understanding of Mars since the rover landed on the Red Planet back in early 2021. While we’ve known about the existence of ancient rivers and floods on Mars for decades now, it was long thought that the last of the liquid dried up some three billion years ago – to put that into some context, that’s around the same time as the very first single-celled organisms were figuring out photosynthesis down here on Earth.

Just last year, though, that estimate was blown out of the water – so to speak – when Zhurong discovered tentative evidence that liquid water may have been present on the planet as recently as 700 million years ago.

Even that revision, however, is nothing compared to how much the potential timeline of liquid water on Mars has now been moved up. Zhurong has spent the last couple of years investigating Utopia Planitia – a vast plain on the Martian surface which, at 3,300 kilometers across, forms the largest impact basin in the solar system – collecting data on the composition of the windswept dunes that litter the landscape.

What it has found “provides critical clues to future exploration missions searching for signs of extant life,” according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences team working on the mission. These dunes, it turns out, are coated with thin, cracked crusts and clumps of particles – features which can only be explained by the recent presence of liquid water, the scientists say.

“Sand dunes are a more modern landform,” Xiaoguang Qin, a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and one of the authors of a new paper published Friday on the findings, told New Scientist. “These crusts on the dunes’ surfaces have solidified the sand dunes and stopped them moving.”

Rather than billions or hundreds of millions of years without liquid water, this new evidence suggests that the Red Planet may have been home to pockets of frost or snow between 1.4 million and 400,000 years ago – a strikingly recent time period, corresponding to a time at which archaic humans had already started roaming Europe.

It’s the presence of certain mineral deposits in the dunes which hint at the wintery origin of the water: analysis of the particles revealed substances such as sulfates, silica, iron oxide and chlorides. The most likely model for the creation of the cracks and crusts in the dunes, the team suggests in their paper, is, therefore, one in which “water vapor condensed as frost/snow on the dune surfaces when the temperature dropped below the frost point. Then, the frost/snow on salts in between the sand grains would thaw to eventually form saline water.”

After that, they explain, “the saline water would vaporize, and salts precipitate… thus agglomerating particles and forming crust. Then, continued drying or freezing would develop cracks within the crust.”

This was only possible due to Mars’s changing axial tilt, Qin explained: a few million years ago, the planet’s poles were pointed more directly at the sun, causing the ice caps to release high amounts of water vapor which condensed as snow closer to the equator. While “no water ice was detected by any instrument on the Zhurong rover,” Qin told Space.com, this model nevertheless “offers a replenishing mechanism for vapor in the atmosphere to form frost or snow at low latitudes where the Zhurong rover has landed,” he said.

While there’s still the possibility that these dunes were created by some other, unknown geological processes, other researchers have found the team’s arguments convincing. If correct, it means not just a massive rethink of the Martian geological timeline, but also its geography – as, since sand dunes are so ubiquitous across the planet, there may be far more evidence of modern water on Mars than previously known.

“The phenomenon was documented at one site,” Manasvi Lingam, an assistant professor of astrobiology at the Florida Institute of Technology who was not involved in the research, told Space.com. “But it should be applicable to a fairly large fraction of Mars' surface at similar latitudes.”

The discovery is detailed in the journal Science Advances.

Cleaner, Safer, and Sustainable: Decarbonizing Pakistan’s Energy Future

April 30, 2023
By Nadir Ali


Pakistan’s energy progress is a complicated and diverse issue that requires a far-reaching decarbonization system to accomplish maintainable improvement objectives. Decarbonization alludes to the decrease of fossil fuel byproducts from different sources, including the energy sector, to moderate the antagonistic effects of environmental change. Lately, Pakistan has made some headway towards decreasing its carbon footprint by expanding the portion of sustainable power in its energy blend. Nonetheless, the country’s heavy reliance on petroleum derivatives, especially coal, keeps on representing a critical test for decarbonization endeavors.

Regarding the urgent issues of environmental sustainability and public health, Pakistan’s decarbonization of its energy future is an admirable endeavor. Through the use of greener and safer energy technologies, the initiative recognizes the need to lessen the nation’s carbon footprint, increase the security of its energy supply, and foster economic growth. The capacity to send state-of-the-art innovations at scale, the accessibility of subsidizing, and the political will to institute complete strategy changes are only a couple of the factors that will decide if this try is fruitful or not.

Knowing how intensely politicized the energy industry is, political players frequently put short-term advantages ahead of long-term sustainability. This has led to inconsistent policy, which deters investment in renewable energy through frequent changes in energy rates and subsidies. Political will and commitment to a sustainable energy transition are required to address this issue. Combining policy and technology solutions is necessary for creative decarbonization strategies for Pakistan’s energy industry. Adopting distributed renewable energy systems, such as micro-grids and solar home systems, is one such strategy that can give remote and off-grid communities reliable and affordable energy access. Similarly, the change to a low-carbon energy framework might come at a huge social and monetary cost, like the deficiency of occupations in the traditional energy industry and the necessity for sizable foundation ventures.

To address these difficulties, policymakers ought to embrace a multi-pronged methodology that consolidates aggressive focuses on sustainable power transmission, vigorous administrative structures, and inventive supporting systems. Similarly, more prominent consideration ought to be paid to the job of energy proficiency in diminishing fossil fuel byproducts, as well as the potential for decentralized energy frameworks to upgrade energy security and advance social value. Especially flammable gas and oil, which account for more than 70% of the nation’s energy production, are heavily reliant on petroleum derivatives in Pakistan’s energy mix. This dependence on petroleum products isn’t economical, given the limited value of these assets and the unfavorable impacts of fossil fuel byproducts on the climate. Hence, the decarbonization of Pakistan’s energy area requires a shift towards environmentally friendly power sources, for example, solar, wind, and hydropower.

By 2030, the government wants to have 30% of the nation’s electricity come from renewable sources. The lack of infrastructure investment in renewable energy sources and the high cost of renewable energy technologies are two obstacles that must still be overcome before this goal can be met. By doing so, a stable and dependable power supply can be ensured, and the intermittent nature of renewable energy can be overcome. Additionally, by providing tax breaks and other financial incentives, the government must encourage the private sector to invest in renewable energy projects. This will speed up the decarbonization process and increase investment in the renewable energy sector.

Pakistan must implement a sophisticated decarbonization strategy that combines financial, administrative, and innovative interventions in order to address this challenge. The administrative measures could incorporate setting emanation norms for different ventures and forcing punishments for resistance. This approach would encourage businesses to move towards cleaner advancements, diminishing their carbon footprint. Also, the monetary measures could incorporate giving sponsorships and duty incentives to ventures that embrace clean advancements and practices. This would work with the reception of sustainable power sources and speed up the change towards a low-carbon economy.

Simultaneously, the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies to capture and store the byproducts of fossil fuels from coal-fired power plants could also be incorporated into the creative solutions. Byproducts of coal-based energy production, one of the main contributors to Pakistan’s carbon footprint, could be reduced with the help of this strategy. The effective execution of these actions requires will, powerful institutional instruments, and satisfactory monetary assets. Consequently, it is basic for the public authority, confidential area, and common society to team up and pursue a shared objective of accomplishing economic improvement through decarbonization.

States are trying to erase black history in schools — it’s up to students to stop them

BY TARIAH HYLAND, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR - 04/30/23 

Emmitt Glynn teaches AP African American studies to a group of Baton Rouge Magnet High School students on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023 in Baton Rouge, La. Baton Rouge Magnet High School in Louisiana is one of 60 schools around the country testing the new course, which has gained national attention since it was banned in Florida. 

(AP Photo/Stephen Smith)

There I was, sitting at my desk in front of my computer, heart racing and palms sweating, staring into Zoom. I knew I would never forget this moment. This was the moment that would change not only my life but the lives of thousands of students across Delaware. And this wasn’t just any Zoom call: this was the legislative hearing where I defended the bill that would require schools statewide to teach Black history — my history.

At the time, our bill requiring district and charter schools to teach Black history and culture was one of the most comprehensive in the country, and the momentum was on our side. Yet in two short years, the tide has turned. Now, dozens of states are moving to restrict teaching Black history. Even the College Board is backpedaling on its plans for an African-American Studies course.

This confluence of cowardice is a disgrace, and it’s up to young people like me to stop it.

I didn’t always fancy myself an activist. If you asked me at the beginning of 2020 what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have answered “a trauma surgeon.” But after the murder of George Floyd, I could no longer pretend Black bodies and Black voices were valued the same as White bodies and voices. As one of only a few Black girls in my Middletown high school, I had quietly accepted the microaggressions and cultural erasing because I believed my voice was too small to make a difference. But as the voices of thousands of Black activists rose in defiance around me, I decided it was time to join them.

Founding the Delaware Black Student Coalition was my first step. My school initially told me starting a club for Black students would be too divisive, so I started a group not for students at my school but for all Delaware students. Once we found our community, we found our power. Together, we began pushing back on the systems that had oppressed us our entire lives.

Then, when a fellow student, Tyler Busch, and I connected with State Rep. Sherry Dorsey Walker to push for a statewide Black history requirement, the true fight began.

Over the course of several months, we participated in and led calls with education experts and experienced legislative writers. We had to learn how to craft the language in a way that gave teachers creative freedom but also didn’t give schools loopholes or workarounds. After several discussions, we helped write the bill that would require school districts and charter schools serving K-12 students to teach subjects like the history and culture of Black people prior to the African and Black Diaspora, the significance of enslavement in the development of the American economy, and the contributions of Black people to American life, history, literature, economy, politics and culture.

Then we coached students and supporters on how to effectively speak to the committee of state legislators. We sat at that wooden table as expert witnesses and answered the committee’s questions, defending our bill. And we listened to hours of public comment about the bill, including significant opposition. It was terrifying. I wondered what I was even doing there.

Though I had always known this bill was important, it wasn’t until June 17, 2021, when House Bill 198 was signed into law, that I realized the historical significance of my actions. Seeing the pride, happiness and hope in my peers’ eyes, I realized I didn’t want to be a trauma surgeon when I grew up anymore — I wanted to pursue a career in policy building and law. Today, I am pre-law, studying political science at Howard University.

Like me, the youth of today are realizing our power. After living through school shootings, increasing climate change and a pandemic, we are saying, “Enough is enough!!” Across the nation, we are rising to fight for our rights. Florida students are walking out for equal education, Kentucky students are fighting for nondiscriminatory hair policies, and Texas students are protesting anti-trans policies. These are just a few cases of students realizing their power. Like me, they have realized that their small voices can become powerful when joined together. How to end Texas’s dismantling of the administrative stateTo compete with China, the US must embrace multilateral diplomacy

So to all the students who are having their right to knowledge restricted: I know it seems hopeless sometimes and the fight seems too big to win. I have been in your shoes, I have fought the same battles, and I have won. You can, too. Your voice is powerful. Don’t be afraid to voice your concerns to your legislators and representatives. Be consistent, keep going back and bothering people. Make them hear you. And lean on your communities. There is power in numbers. Don’t stop fighting, because when you lose hope, that’s when they win.

And to the legislators, representatives and elected officials who claim to be the voice of the people: listen. We’re making good trouble, and justifiably so. Youth are qualified to speak on the issues that affect their past, present and future. Don’t just give us a seat at the table — give us a microphone.

Tariah Hyland is co-founder of the Delaware Black Student Coalition. She worked with State Rep. Sherry Dorsey Walker and her fellow students to draft what would become House Bill 198, to mandating Black history education in Delaware.