Chinese scientists proposed building a magnetic launcher on the Moon, which could become an cost-effective way to deliver resources mined on the lunar surface to Earth, and, in addition, part of the Russian-Chinese lunar station project, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported on Sunday.
According to the publication, scientists from the Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering suggest that the magnetic levitation installation will work on the same principle as the hammer throw in athletics, but the rotation at increasing speed will be carried out before a cargo capsule is sent to Earth.
Scientists are convinced that, due to the unique environmental conditions on the Moon, such as high vacuum and low gravity, payloads can be sent twice a day, and the cost of such transportation will be about 10% of the cost of existing methods.
“The system’s technical readiness is relatively high. Since it consumes only electricity and does not require any propellant, it will be relatively small in scale and straightforward to implement,” the scientists said in their paper.
They also noted that the main task will be the extraction of helium-3 to help solve the problem of the energy crisis on Earth. The project, in their opinion, will also contribute to the development of space mining technologies, heavy launch vehicles and artificial intelligence.
The proposed launch system will use a 50-meter-long rotating arm and a high-temperature superconducting engine to launch capsules with mined resources. Ten minutes after launch, the rotation speed of the arm will reach the second cosmic velocity of the Moon of 2.4 kilometers per second and about one-sixth of the second cosmic velocity of Earth — and put it on the correct trajectory for returning to Earth.
The system is designed to last at least 20 years, but it will weigh about 80 tonnes, so before it can be delivered to the Moon, it will be necessary to wait for the start of operation of the Chinese super-heavy launch vehicle, the publication said.
The team working on the project suggested that it could be part of a proposed joint Russian-Chinese project to build a research station at the south pole of the Moon by 2035.
The intergovernmental Russian-Chinese agreement on the joint creation of the International Scientific Lunar Station (ISLS) was signed on November 25, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law ratifying the agreement on June 12, 2024, and it entered into force on July 18. The document was published on July 25. It indicates that the station will be created in three phases and will receive modules both on the surface of the Earth’s natural satellite and in its orbit. During the third phase, it is planned not only to study and develop the Moon, but also to assist other countries in landing on the Moon. The implementation dates for each of the phases are not yet mentioned.
Flooding caused by torrential rainfall in war-stricken Yemen has led to at least 60 deaths since July, with 13 others still missing and a total of 268,000 people affected, the United Nations said on Monday.
Yemen, already grappling with an almost decade-long war, suffers from severe floods on a near-annual basis that are triggered by torrential rainfall, while climate crisis is increasing the frequency and intensity of precipitation.
Since July, flash floods have caused 36 deaths in Hodeida province, nine in Ibb, eight in Marib and seven in Taiz, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in a report released on Monday.
“Public infrastructure, including schools, roads, and health facilities, have been affected. Livelihoods that were already hanging by a thread have been swept away,” OCHA said.
At least 600 people were injured due to flooding in Hodeida and Marib alone, it said, adding that a total of 13 people were still missing in Hodeida and Taiz.
It added that a total of 38,285 families — nearly 268,000 people — have been affected, saying that “severe weather is expected to persist into September, with additional alerts for heavy rainfall”.
The University of Notre Dame’s Global Adaptation Initiative ranks Yemen as one of the region’s most climate-vulnerable countries.
In recent years, it has experienced an increase in the frequency and intensity of rainfall due to climate crisis, stimulated by atmospheric circulation in the Indian Ocean, according to a 2023 report by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Norwegian Red Cross.
The country also suffered heavy flooding in 2019, 2020 and 2021, the report said.
Last week, the UN warned that $4.9 million was urgently needed to scale up the emergency response to Yemen’s extreme weather conditions.
A Russian Soyuz 2.1a rocket carrying the Progress MS-26 cargo spacecraft, which will deliver more than 2.5 tonnes worth of cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Thursday, according to a live broadcast by Russian state space corporation Roscosmos.
Nine minutes after the liftoff, the rocket will put the spacecraft into Earth orbit, and the Progress spacecraft will separate from the rocket’s third stage and begin its independent flight to the ISS.
Russia’s new space freighter will fly the traditional two-day route and is scheduled to dock the station on February 17 at 9:12 a.m. Moscow time (06:12 GMT). The spacecraft will spend a total of 180 days in space.
The spacecraft will deliver to the station more than 2.5 tonnes of cargo, including nearly 1.5 tonnes worth of hardware and equipment for the station’s systems and scientific experiments, clothing, food, medical and sanitary supplies for the ISS crew, 580 kilograms of fuel, 420 kilograms of drinking water and 40 kilograms of nitrogen.
The space freighter also carries consumables for the new scientific experiment dubbed “Fullerene” to grow fullerite crystals in the Nauka module — the third crystalline form of carbon, which is a new class of semiconductors. Progress MS-26 will also carry equipment for the new scientific experiment Orbita-MG to create a monitoring system that will find cracks and other leaks in the station’s hull.
TikTok has agreed to withdraw a rewards feature that raised concerns about its potential to encourage excessive screen time, particularly among children, sevral media outlets reported Monday, citing the European Union’s executive commission.
It is the first resolution of an investigation under the 27-country EU’s sweeping Digital Services Act (DSA), which went into effect in February and aims to ensure a “safe and accountable online environment” by regulating large digital platforms.
TikTok made the commitment without conceding the feature violated the Digital Services Act, officials said.
The commission has however ruled that the withdrawal is legally binding, which “sends a clear message to the entire social media industry”, said Margrethe Vestager, European commissioner for digital affairs.
“Design features on platforms with addictive effects put the well-being of their users at risk,” she said in a statement.
“That’s why we have made TikTok’s commitments under the DSA legally binding.”
The case involves TikTok Lite, a low-bandwidth version of the app released in Spain and France. It allowed users to earn points for things like following creators, liking content, or inviting friends to join TikTok.
The points could be exchanged for Amazon vouchers and gift cards on PayPal.
TikTok said rewards were restricted to users 18 years and older, who had to verify their age. Users could watch up to one hour a day of videos to earn rewards, which were capped at the equivalent of one euro a day.
The commission opened an investigation in April due to concerns that TikTok has not done a diligent assessment required under the act of the feature’s potential “addictive effect”, especially for children, “given suspected absence of effective age verification mechanisms on TikTok”.
The resolution of the TikTok Lite investigation does not affect an earlier probe launched against TikTok focusing on concerns about protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, and mitigating risks of “behavioural addiction” and harmful content.
the primitive civilizations practiced the custom of burying their dead in a fetal position. 'He is being born again, in another life, and we must place him in the same position he was in when he came into this world,' they said. For those civilizations, death was only another step along the way of the universe. Little by little, the world has lost its calm acceptance of death. But it's not important what we think, or what we do or what we believe in: each of us will die one day. Better to do as the old Yaqui indians did: regard death as an advisor. Always ask: 'Since I'm going to die, what should I be doing now?'” Life is not about giving or receiving advice. If we need assistance, it is better to see how others solve — or fail to solve -their problems. Our angel is always present, and often uses someone else's lips to tell us something. But it usually reaches us in a casual way, generally at a moment in which -although we are attentive -our preoccupations prevent us from seeing the miracle of life. We must allow our angel to speak to us in the way he knows best -when he thinks it is needed. The master says: “Advice is a theory about life -and the practice of life is generally quite different.” A padre in the Charismatic Renewal movement inRio de Janeiro was riding on a bus when he suddenly heard a voice saying that he should stand up and preach the word of Christ right there. The padre began to converse with the voice: “They'll think I'm ridiculous! This is no place for a sermon.” But the voice insisted that he had to speak out. “I'm a timid man, please don't ask this of me,” he implored. The internal impulse persisted. Then he remembered his promise -to accept all of Christ's designs. He stood up -consumed with embarrassment -and began to speak of the Evangelist. The riders listened to him in silence. He looked at each of the passengers, and all were staring directly at him. He said everything that he was feeling, completed his sermon and sat down. Even today, he has no idea what task he was performing there on the bus. But that he was performing a mission, he has no doubt whatsoever. An African witch doctor is leading his novice through the jungle. Although he is quite elderly, he makes his way with agility, while his young novice slips a falls many times. The novice picks himself up, swears, spits on the traitorous ground and continues to follow his master. After a long hike, they reach a sacred place. Without pausing, the witch doctor turns around and begins to walk back to where they had started. “You have taught me nothing today,” says the novice, after falling again. “I have been teaching you something, but you have failed to learn it,” says the witch doctor. “I'm trying to teach you how to deal with life's mistakes.” “And how should I deal with them?” “The same way as you should deal with the falls you have taken,” answers the witch doctor. “Instead of cursing the place where you fall, you should try to find out what made you slip in the first place.” The father superior of the monastery at Sceta was visited one afternoon by a hermit. “My spiritual advisor does not know how to direct me,” the hermit said. “Should I leave him?” The father superior said not a word, and the hermit returned to the desert. A week later, he returned to visit the father superior. “My spiritual advisor does not know how to direct me,” he said. “I have decided to leave him.” “That is wise,” said the father superior. “When a man perceives that his soul is discontented, he cannot ask for advice. Make the decisions needed to preserve your passage through this life.” A young woman comes to see the wanderer. “I want to tell you something,” she says. “I have always believed that I had the gift of curing. But I never had the courage to try it with anyone. Until one day, my husband was having great pain in his left leg, and there was no one available to help him. I decided -with some embarrassment -to place my hands on his leg and ask that the pain disappear. “I did this without really believing I would be able to help him, and as I did so, I heard him praying. 'Please, Lord, make my wife capable of being the Messenger of Your light and your strength,' he said. My hand began to become hot, and the pain disappeared. “Afterwards, I ask him why he had prayed that way. He answered that it was in order to give me confidence. Today, I am able to cure, thanks to those words.” The philosopher, Aristipus, was enjoying his power at the court of Dionysus, the tyrant of Syracuse . One afternoon, he came upon Diogenes preparing a meal of lentils for himself. “If you were willing to be courteous to Dionysus, you would not have to eat lentils,” Aristipus said. “If you knew how to enjoy lentils, you would not have to be courteous to Dionysus,” Diogenes answered. The master says: “It is true that everything has its price, but the price is always relative. When we follow our dreams, we may give the impression to others that we are miserable and unhappy. But what others think is not important. What is important is the joy in our heart.” A man who lived in Turkey was told of a great master who lived inPersia . Without hesitation, he sold all of his belongings, said good-bye to his family and went off in search of wisdom. After several years of wandering, he found the hut where the great master lived. With fear and respect, he knocked on his door. The great master appeared. “I am fromTurkey ,” the man said. “I have come all this way to ask you just one question.” The old man was surprised, but said, “Fine. You may ask me one question.” “I want to be clear about what it is that I am asking. May I say it in Turkish?” “Yes,” said the wise man. “And I have already answered your only question. If there is anything else you want to know, ask your heart. It will provide you with the answer.” And he closed the door. The master says: “The word is power. Words transform the world, and man as well. “We have all heard it said: 'We should not talk about the good things that have happened to us, because the envy of others will ruin our happiness. ' Nothing of the sort. Those who are winners speak with pride of the miracles in their lives. If you release positive energy into the air, it attracts more positive energy, and makes those who really wish you well happy. As for the envious and defeated, they can only do damage to you if you give them this power. Have no fear. Speak out about the good things in your life to whoever will listen. The Soul of the World has a great need for your happiness.” There was a Spanish king who was very proud of his lineage. He was also know to be cruel to those who were weak. He was walking one day with his senior people through a field inAragon , where, years before, his father had fallen in battle. They came upon a holy man there, picking through an enormous pile of bones. “What are you doing there?” asked the king. “All honor to Your Majesty,” said the holy man. “When I learned that the king ofSpain was coming here, I decided to recover the bones of your father to give them to you. But no matter how hard I look, I cannot find them. They are the same as the bones of the farmers, the poor, the beggars and the slaves.” “Who is the best swordsman?” asked a warrior of his master. “Go to the field near the monastery,” his master answered. “There is a rock there. I want you to insult the rock.” “But why would I do that?” the disciple asked. “The rock will not respond.” “Well, then attack it with your sword,” the master said. “I won't do that, either,” the disciple answered. “My sword would break. And if I attack the rock with my hands, I'll injure my fingers and have no impact on it. That wasn't what I asked. Who is the best swordsman?” “The best is the one who is like the rock,” said his master. “Without unsheathing a sword, it demonstrates that no one can conquer it.” The wanderer arrives at the village of San Martin de Unx, in Navarra, and is able to find the woman who keeps the key to the Roman church in the ruined place. With great kindness, she climbs the narrow stairs and opens the door. The darkness and the silence of the medieval temple have an emotional impact on the wanderer. He falls into conversation with the woman, and as they talk, mentions that, although it is mid-day, little can be seen of the beautiful works of art there in the church. “The detail can be seen only at
The release of treated water from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station remains in line with international safety standards, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Thursday.
“The discharge of treated water from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) continues to comply with international safety standards, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Task Force confirmed today,” the IAEA said in a statement.
This was confirmed in its second report since the water release started in August 2023.
Approximately 55,000 cubic meters of water have been discharged up to now, with the seventh batch completed on July 16, according to the statement.
“IAEA expert analysis of the seven batches released have confirmed the tritium concentration in each batch of ALPS treated water released to date is far below Japan’s operational limit,” the statement read.
Japan started releasing part of the estimated 1.34 million tonnes of Fukushima nuclear power plant treated water into the ocean in August 2023. Treated water is cleared of radioactive substances aside from tritium, so the water is diluted to a lower concentration before being discharged. The entire water release process is expected to take at least 30 years.
Addis Ababa-based Boeing’s Africa office will begin operations in October, Boeing Africa Managing Director Henok Teferra announced.
Recall that the aerospace company revealed it was in the process of opening its African headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Following the announcement, the Managing Director told ENA that the company’s office will officially start its operation in October 2024.
Henok stated that the American aerospace company decided to open its African headquarters in Addis Ababa considering the successful work Ethiopia is achieving in the aviation sector and its African hub status.
The opening of Boeing Company’s African office in Addis Ababa will enable Boeing to further strengthen and expand its cooperation with Ethiopian Airlines in various sectors, he explained.
The opening of the office will also create more opportunities for Ethiopia to strengthen and maintain its status as Africa’s aviation center, the Managing Director added.
Boeing will cooperate with Ethiopian Airlines, especially to strengthen cooperation for joint production of aircraft components, he pointed out.
Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines have formed a strategic partnership to manufacture critical aircraft components in two sectors, he stated, pointing out that Ethiopian Airlines has been manufacturing and supplying wire harnesses for Boeing and Boeing is supporting Ethiopian to produce insulation blankets at the Kilinto Industrial Park in Ethiopia.
As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems
Ethiopian Airlines, the largest African carrier, today announced it will increase its weekly passenger flight to Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
In a statement published on its social media pages, the Airline reminded that it will add one more additional flight to Chennai, serving its fourth passenger flight destination city in India four times a week.
The latest schedule, according to the airline, will be effective as of October 27, 2024.
On the 30th of July 2024, Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) and Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to increase the number of destinations of Ethiopian Airlines in India.
The newly signed MoU between both sides will enable Ethiopian Airlines to add three flights to and from Hyderabad, India.
According to the Ethiopian Embassy in New Delhi, the MoU will enhance the capacity entitlement of Ethiopian Airlines from 35 to 38 services per week in each direction.