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US Company Says Its Moon Landing Attempt Is In Jeopardy Because Of A ‘Critical’ Fuel Leak

Published

12 months ago

2024-01-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – The first U.S. Moon landing in more than 50 years was put in peril Monday when a private company’s recently launched spacecraft discovered a “critical” fuel leak.

Astrobotic Technology, based in Pittsburgh, raced to orient its lander toward the sun so that the solar panel could collect sunlight as battery power ran low. Flight controllers’ efforts to charge the battery were successful, as a special crew assessed the status of “a failure in the propulsion system.”

However, it quickly became clear that “a critical loss of fuel” had lowered prospects even further.

“We are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time,” the corporation stated.

The malfunction was noticed roughly seven hours after Monday’s pre-dawn launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander was launched by United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, sending it on a long, winding trip to the Moon.

US Company Says Its Moon Landing Attempt Is In Jeopardy Because Of A ‘Critical’ Fuel Leak

According to the corporation, if the propulsion system fails, it “threatens the spacecraft’s ability to soft land on the moon” on February 23.

Astrobotic aimed to be the first private company to successfully land on the Moon, a feat only four countries had achieved. A second lander from a Houston startup is scheduled to launch next month. NASA awarded the two corporations millions to build and launch their lunar landers.

The space agency wants the privately owned landers to scout the area before astronauts arrive, carrying technology and science experiments for the space agency, other countries, and institutions and random items for other consumers. Astrobotic’s contract with NASA for the Peregrine lander cost $108 million.

Before the flight, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for exploration, Joel Kearns, stated that while employing private enterprises to make deliveries to the Moon will be less expensive and faster than traditional government methods, there will be an increased risk. On Monday, he emphasized that the space agency was willing to take that risk, stating that “each success and setback are opportunities to learn and grow.”

US Company Says Its Moon Landing Attempt Is In Jeopardy Because Of A ‘Critical’ Fuel Leak

The United States last launched a lunar landing mission in December 1972. Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt of Apollo 17 became the 11th and 12th men to walk on the Moon, marking the end of an era that has remained NASA’s apex.

The space agency’s new Artemis program, named after Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology, aims to return people to the lunar surface within the next few years. The first mission will be a lunar fly-around with four people, possibly before the end of this year.

The eagerly anticipated first test launch of the Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station made Monday’s moonshot stand out. The 202-foot (61-meter) rocket is essentially an enhanced version of ULA’s highly successful Atlas V, which is being phased out alongside the Delta IV. Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ rocket business, furnished the Vulcan with two primary engines.

ULA announced success when the lander was released from the rocket’s upper stage, over an hour into the mission, and before the spacecraft’s propulsion system failed, preventing the solar panel from properly facing toward the sun. The lander is outfitted with engines and thrusters for manoeuvring throughout the voyage to the Moon and during lunar descent.

US Company Says Its Moon Landing Attempt Is In Jeopardy Because Of A ‘Critical’ Fuel Leak

Landing on the Moon has historically been a series of successes and failures. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Soviet Union and the United States conducted a series of successful moon landings before pausing the program. China joined the elite group in 2013, and India in 2023. Last year, however, Russian and private Japanese landers slammed onto the Moon. In 2019, an Israeli nonprofit crashed.

Next month, SpaceX will launch Intuitive Machines’ lander. The Nova-C lander’s more direct one-week course may result in both spacecraft attempting to land within days or even hours of one other.

Aside from flying experiments for NASA, Astrobotic established its own freight business, packing the 6-foot-tall (1.9-meter-tall) Peregrine lander with everything from a chip of rock from Mount Everest and toy-size cars from Mexico that will catapult to the lunar surface and cruise around, to the ashes and DNA of deceased space enthusiasts such as “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke.

The Navajo Nation has asked to postpone the launch due to the human remains. Arguing that it would be a “profound desecration” of a celestial body treasured by Native Americans. Astrobotic CEO John Thornton acknowledged that the December objections arrived too late but offered to work with the Navajo to find “a good path forward” for future missions.

Celestis, one of the spaceflight memorial firms that purchased space on the lander, said that no single culture or faith owns the Moon and, therefore, does not have the authority to veto a trip. More remnants are aboard the rocket’s upper stage, launched into a constant orbit around the sun extending as far as Mars.

Peregrine cargo prices varied from a few hundred dollars to $1.2 million per kilogram (2.2 pounds), insufficient to cover Astrobotic’s costs. However, Thornton believes this is not the goal of the first flight.

“A lot of people’s dreams and hopes are riding on this,” Thornton explained days before the journey.

SOURCE- (AP)

News

Cases Of The US Flu Season Are Rising, While Vaccinations Are Behind Schedule.

Published

23 hours ago

2024-12-21

Salman Ahmad

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

(VOR News) – The U.S. flu season has begun, according to health experts, who also noted a sharp rise in cases countrywide on Friday.

Significant increases were noted by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in a number of indicators, such as laboratory tests and ED visits. “For the past few weeks, it has been increasing steadily.” “Yes, we are in flu season right now,” CDC’s Alicia Budd said.

Last week, flu-like sickness was reported at elevated or very elevated levels in 13 states, roughly twice as many as the week before. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University, says Tennessee is seeing a spike in sickness in the Nashville area.

Schaffner said, “Influenza cases have been increasing, but they have increased significantly in the last week.” He noted that up to 25% of patients in a nearby clinic, which is a gauge of illness trends, have flu-like symptoms.

An early focal point was Louisiana.

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Centre, the largest private hospital in the state, in Baton Rouge, has infectious diseases specialist Dr. Catherine O’Neal, who said, “This week is a significant turning point as individuals are affected by the flu.” “Parents frequently say, ‘I have the flu and can’t go to work,’ and ‘Where can I get a flu test?'”

Fever, cough, sore throat, and other influenza-like symptoms are caused by a variety of viruses. COVID-19 is one of them. Another flu season common disease that causes cold-like symptoms but poses serious hazards to infants and the elderly is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Recent CDC numbers indicate a decline in COVID-19 hospitalisations since the summer. According to CDC wastewater data, COVID-19 activity is modest nationwide but elevated in the Midwest.

Although RSV hospitalisations are still marginally more common than flu admissions, they started to rise before flu season cases and currently show signs of perhaps stabilising. RSV activity is low nationwide, but wastewater data shows that it is high in the South.

Based on a number of indicators, such as laboratory results from hospitalised patients and outpatient clinics, as well as the percentage of ED visits that resulted in an influenza diagnosis at discharge, the CDC declared the start of the flu season.

According to Budd, it is too early in the season to determine the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine, and no type of virus seems to be more common.

The flu season last winter was classified as “moderate” overall, but it continued for 21 weeks, and the CDC estimates that 28,000 people died from the virus. With 205 paediatric deaths reported, the situation was particularly dangerous for kids. It was the largest number ever recorded for a conventional influenza season.

The prolonged flu season was probably one of the reasons, Budd added.

The lack of influenza vaccinations was one of the contributing factors. The CDC reports that 80% of children who passed away and had verified vaccination status and were of the right age for flu shots were not completely immunised.

Children’s immunisation rates are drastically lower this year. About 41% of people had a flu shot as of December 7, which is similar to the percentage at the same time last year. For youngsters, the figure is steady, although it is lower than in the previous year, when 44% received an influenza vaccination, according to CDC data.

About 21% of adults and 11% of children are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, which is still a poor vaccination rate.

Influenza experts advise everyone to get vaccinated, especially as people get ready for holiday gatherings where respiratory diseases could spread widely.

“This virus also has the potential to spread from person to person at all those happy, pleasant, and heartwarming events,” Schaffner said. “flu season Vaccination remains a viable option.”

However, Louisiana’s health department announced on Friday that it was rescinding its COVID-19 and flu vaccination recommendations. According to an official, the department’s current position is that people should speak with their doctors about whether the immunisations are suitable for their situation.

The department’s spokesperson, Emma Herrock, did not respond to follow-up questions regarding the policy. Dr. Ralph Abraham, the state’s surgeon general, has expressed concerns in the past regarding the COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness and safety.

SOURCE: AP

News

Social Security Change Approved By Senate Despite Fiscal Concerns

Published

1 day ago

2024-12-21

Salman Ahmad

(VOR News) – On Saturday, the U.S. Congress passed a plan to increase Social Security retirement payouts for some retirees who receive public pensions, a move that critics say will further erode the program’s financial stability. Among these pensioners are former firefighters and police officers.

The Social Security Fairness Act was passed by the Senate on a bipartisan vote of 76-20 just after midnight. The act may lower payments for those receiving pensions and aims to repeal provisions that have existed for 20 years.

The House of Representatives passed the bill last month by a vote of 327-75, meaning that if the Senate also approves it, it would be delivered to Democratic President Joe Biden to become law.

The White House dodged enquiries regarding Social Security’s objectives.

In order to limit government benefits for certain higher-paid employees who are also getting pensions, the measure will reverse a long-standing change to the program. It has become increasingly common in recent years for municipal employees, such as postal workers and firefighters, to face pay limitations.

The vast majority of Americans do not take part in pension plans that provide a fixed return on investment, instead relying on their own savings and Social Security. According to data from the Department of Labour, only 10% of private sector employees in the US are covered by pension plans.

The new rules apply to about 3 percent of Social Security users, or more than 2.5 million people in the United States. Legislators are heavily influenced by the workers and retirees impacted by these rules, and the powerful advocacy organisations that speak for them have been using the legislative process to push for a legislative cure.

According to retirement experts, some retirees may be able to earn hundreds of dollars more in government benefits each month as a result of the move.

According to a Congressional Budget Office analysis, the bill is expected to cost approximately $196 billion over the next 10 years. As a result, federal budget experts are worried that the change could negatively affect the program’s already fragile financial status.

In an interview with the Bipartisan Policy Centre, Emerson Sprick, associate director of economic policy, said he was frustrated by “the overwhelming support in Congress for the contrary of what policy researchers concur on is quite frustrating.”

Instead of eliminating current formulas, we could improve them.

Among these changes is the Social Security Administration’s increased disclosure of the anticipated monetary benefits for these public sector workers.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal think tank, has voiced concerns that the additional cost will impact the program’s ability to continue.

Maya MacGuineas, the organization’s leader, made the declaration, saying, “We are hastening towards our own fiscal ruin.”

“It is noteworthy that lawmakers are in a position to shorten the timeframe by six months, as there are just nine years left before the trust fund for the biggest program in the country runs out.”

Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, said on the Senate floor on Wednesday that the bill in its current form would “throw granny over the cliff.”

According to what he stated, “every senator who votes to impose a burden of $200 billion on the Social Security Trust Fund is opting to put the interests of senior citizens who have contributed to Social Security and earned those benefits in jeopardy.”

Those who favoured the legislation said that the question of what would happen to Social Security could be settled later.

“Those are significantly longer-term concerns that we must collaboratively address,” a supporter of the idea Senator Michael Bennett told Reuters when asked if the move would affect the government’s capacity to be viable.

SOURCE: BR

News

King Charles Could Millions Annually from Renting His Properties

Published

2 days ago

2024-12-21

Geoff Brown

Estimated Annual Rental Income of £1.4 Million

A recent analysis suggests that King Charles might earn over £1 million each year by renting out royal properties to holidaymakers.

The Royal Family’s historic houses and mansions are popular holiday rentals, contributing significantly to the Palace’s revenue.

Pikl Insurance estimates that the royals may earn up to £118,775.85 per month, or around £1,425,310.20 per year, from their holiday rental portfolio. Even after accounting for cancellations, the monarchy is anticipated to generate a net annual income of somewhat more over £1.4 million.

Estimated Annual Rental Income of £1.4 Million

The four primary royal properties accepting public bookings are Balmoral Castle, Castle of Mey’s Captain House, Restormel Manor, and Dumfries House, according to Express.co.uk. Cottages at Balmoral Castle in Scotland are expected to generate £36,798.30 per month after accounting for cancellations.

According to the numbers, the 500-year-old Restormel Manor in Cornwall is the most profitable of them all, earning a solid £47,082 every month. The resort, located in the Fowey Valley, has four booking spaces and six converted barns.

Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, adds an estimated £31,185.63 and offers 25 rooms for booking. The Castle of Mey’s Captain House in the Scottish Highlands is estimated to generate a more modest £3,709.92 per month, despite the fact that the entire property is available for booking.

The analysts stated, “While the Royal Family’s primary role is undoubtedly to serve the nation, it is clear that their properties are also a valuable asset.” These estimates highlight the royal estate’s considerable financial potential and provide an intriguing peek into the monarchy’s corporate operations.”

Royal Family received £86.3 million from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant in the previous fiscal year, according to official numbers released in July.

All revenues from the Crown Estate, which includes royal households, forestry, agriculture, and offshore wind, are paid directly to the Treasury, with a portion of this money, now 12%, returned to the Royal Family to finance their tasks.

The records also cover a period of jubilation, including the coronation and festivities surrounding the King and Queen’s crowning in May of last year.