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So with the drop in temps here back to sub 20°F the little Winlink Node that could decided it couldn’t.

Early tests with the sibling unit when we had single digit temps suffered similarly. The best I’ve come up with for trouble shooting is the USB ports. The older one had a USB sound card and Direwolf the software will quit the second it thinks there’s no sound card. This one uses a USB WiFi adapter and while my 2m radio would connect it couldn’t reach the internet… both scenarios involve the USB devices and cold temps. So while mountains of suggestions poured in I elected to embrace the moniker of not overthinking things.

Last night we dropped again to below 20° but with its pretty plastic bonnet thanks to Cascade dish pods, the forbidden ice cream sandwich seems to have maintained comms with the house.

While it’s no astro droid it’s hanging in there while hanging out there in some pretty adverse conditions.

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Jack Palance is Dracula tonite on Sven… believe it or not…

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7780khz 2300z 01MAR25

Welcome to program 391 of Shortwave Radiogram.

I'm Kim Andrew Elliott in Arlington, Virginia USA.

Here is the lineup for today's program, in MFSK modes as noted:

1:47 MFSK32: Program preview (now) 2:57 MFSK32: Most BBC radio will be unavailable internationally 5:32 MFSK64: Radiation at 21 cm key to search for aliens 8:13 MFSK64: This week's images 27:07 MFSK32: Closing announcements

Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net

And visit http://swradiogram.net

We're on Bluesky now: SWRadiogram.bsky.social

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From Radio Today (UK):

Most BBC radio stations to become unavailable for international users

Roy Martin February 25, 2025

A new BBC audio website and app will replace BBC Sounds for users outside the UK later this year.

This means only two radio stations will only be available via BBC.com, the commercial arm of the corporation, along with podcasts.

Only BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4 will be available to users abroad, as revealed by James Cridland earlier this month. (tinyurl.com/25v94rlr)

No other national or local radio stations will officially be available due to rights reasons.

The BBC issued a press release on the move today, saying: "Through this new user experience, listeners can explore deeper context and analysis on select topics, gaining a richer understanding of the issues that matter most—all without leaving the platform.

"As part of this launch, the BBC will also be making BBC Sounds available exclusively to UK audiences and ending access to the service for international users beginning Spring 2025. UK users who go on holiday (outside the UK) for a short period of time will still be able to use the BBC Sounds app abroad."

BBC Studios is responsible for the monetization of digital news and factual products including BBC.com, the BBC app, BBC Select and BBC Podcast Premium, whose profits help continue to fund the BBC's journalism and reporting.

See also: tinyurl.com/26drmt7k

Shortwave Radiogram now changes to MFSK64 …

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From Universe Today via Phys.org:

If you're going to call aliens, use this number

by Paul M. Sutter February 24. 2025

Let's dive into one of those cosmic curiosities that's bound to blow your mind: how we might chat with aliens. And no, I'm not talking about elaborate coded messages or flashy signals. We're talking about something incredibly fundamental—21 cm radiation.

If you're planning on having a conversation across the vastness of space, using light waves (electromagnetic radiation) is pretty much your go-to option. It's fast, reliable, and, well, it's the most practical way to shout out to other civilizations in the universe. But why specifically 21 centimeters? That's where things get juicy.

This 21 cm radiation isn't just some random frequency we picked out of a hat. It's tied to something very essential, known as the hydrogen spin flip. Hydrogen atoms consist of one proton and one electron, and these tiny particles have a propert e od0Keia"

Think of spin like a little arrow pointing up or down. Every so often, in the vast reaches of space, a hydrogen atom's electron can flip its spin, going from a state where its spin is aligned with the proton to one pointing in the opposite direction. This flip releases energy in the form of radiation atâ€Wfsed it—a wavelength of 21 centimeters.

So why does this matter? Well, any smart civilization, whether they have blue skin, tentacles, or something more bizarre, will eventually discover hydrogen, understand spin, dabble in quantum mechanics, and figure out this whole 21 cm radiation thing. They'll call it something different (they won't have "21" or "cm") but the concept remains universal. It's like the cosmic Rosetta Stone.

What makes 21 cm radiation perfect for long-distance interstellar chats is its ability to cut through interstellar dust. Space is filthy, with dust clouds that block out other forms of light. However, 21 cm waves are like the VIPs of the universe, slipping through the velvet ropes of cosmic debris to carry their message far and wide.

Here's a fun fact: NASA's Pioneer spacecraft, launched in the early 1970s, carries plaques. On these plaques there's a handy diagram of the hydrogen spin flip transition. All other measurements on the plaque, including the height of humans, are made in reference to this fundamental distance. So the hope is that aliens can recognize the hydrogen spin-flip transition and use that to unlock the rest of our message.

Now imagine this scenario: One day, astronomers on Earth detect an unusual surge of 21 cm radiation. It's not coming from a random hydrogen cloud; it's directional, purposeful. That could very well be an alien civilization sending us a "What's up?" across the cosmos—21 cm radiation makes for a great calling card.

Using 21 cm radiation to communicate with extraterrestrial beings leverages a basic, universal constant. And who knows? Maybe one day, when we finally hear that signal, we'll know that somewhere out there, another intelligent species figured out the same galactic hack we did.

[21 cm = 1.42 GHz]

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This week's images …

A male Pin-tailed Whydah at a fuel depot in Mandinari, Gambia. A winner of the 2025 World Nature Photography Awards. tinyurl.com/2bgqlc42 

Ukraine supporters mark the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, near Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. tinyurl.com/2y2hd2n2 …

A sailboat is silhouetted against the setting sun off the coast of Treasure Island, Florida, February 17. tinyurl.com/2am8jzey …

A flower praying mantis (the blue thing) perches on a mushroom. A winner of the 2025 World Nature Photography Awards. tinyurl.com/24jagtfv …

Edinburgh Trams at Ocean Terminal, Leith, Scotland. tinyurl.com/2365jhmk …

Winter sunrise over West Bay in North Berwick, Scotland. tinyurl.com/2365jhmk …

The beginnings of blossom buds on cherry trees at the Tidal Basin in Washington DC, February 25. tinyurl.com/2d5at7yr …

Sun rising behind The Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington DC, February 21. tinyurl.com/299bu28n …

Flowers at the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum. tinyurl.com/22c4lc72 …

The ruins of a textile factory destroyed during the Civil War at Sweetwater Creek State Park, Georgia. tinyurl.com/2yn7wmjk …

Our painting of the week is "Still Life with Amaryllis by the Window" (1939) by Barthel Gilles (German, 1891-1977). tinyurl.com/22mgty2k

Shortwave Radiogram returns to MFSK32 …

This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK32 …

Transmission of Shortwave Radiogram is provided by:

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X/Twitter (for now): @SWRadiogram

I'm Kim Elliott. Please join us for the next Shortwave Radiogram.

@swradiogram @swradiograms-blog

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He’s abused for illicit drugs, he’s wadded into stripper’s underwear, but there’s some bedrock disruption when you jerk around with the postal service and the weather.

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He was our Lex Luthor

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[n2qfd]

@swradiograms-blog @swradiogram

0000z Friday FEB 21 2025 9265 Khz AM

Not great and I missed a few for lack of signal but still hanging in there from FN12nb New York's Southern Tier.

Welcome to program 390 of Shortwave Radiogram.

I'm Kim Andrew Elliott in Arlington, Virginia USA.

Here is the lineup for today's program, in MFSK modes as noted:

1:44 MFSK32: Program preview (now) 2:55 MFSK32: Why we think planet Theia existed 6:31 MFSK64: Test of new geothermal technology in Germany* 12:56 MFSK64: This week's images* 28:23 MFSK32: Closing announcements

with image(s)

Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net

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From Universe Today via Phys.org:

Why we think Theia existed

by Paul M. Sutter February 18, 2025

The giant-impact hypothesis posits that billions of years ago a Mars-sized body named Theia collided with the early Earth.

The immense energy from this impact not only significantly altered Earth's rotational dynamics but also resulted in debris being ejected into space. Over time, this debris coalesced to form the Moon.

We do not know for sure if Theia existed and if it collided with the young proto-Earth, but the evidence is compelling.

For one, we are the only rocky planet with a substantial moon. Mercury and Venus have none, while Mars lays claim to only two small, captured asteroids. The very existence of our large moon demands explanation.

Second, there's spin. The Earth spins much faster than the other rocky planets, and the Moon orbits around us at a surprisingly swift pace. Something deep in our past must have provided all that energy, and a collision with another protoplanet explains it with ease.

Lastly, we have an unexpected piece of evidence from our human adventures to the Moon. The Apollo missions were more than pursuits of glory; they were scientific enterprises. Trained by expert geologists, the Apollo astronauts, beginning with Armstrong and Aldrin, where taught to search for and extract interesting findings.

What they returned to Earth revealed an enormous wealth of scientific knowledge of the Moon's composition, because for the first time we were able to acquire large amounts of regolith—the generic term for the loose material that makes up the lunar surface—and return it to Earth for further study. All told, the six successful Apollo missions brought back 2,200 samples totaling almost 400 kilograms of material.

The regolith returned by the Apollo missions displayed a remarkable property: the lunar surface is oddly similar in constitution to the Earth's crust, with similar ratios of elements. The only conclusion is that we must have a common origin.

So while we are never able to turn the clock back and witness the formation of the Earth and Moon, we can use the clues scattered around us to help us understand this cataclysmic event that took place over four billion years ago.

Shortwave Radiogram now changes to MFSK64 …

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From AP via TechXplore

Major test case for new geothermal technology launches in small German town

by Jennifer McDermott February 17, 2025

Residents in the German town of Geretsried have long wanted to run their buildings with clean heat and electricity from geothermal energy instead of fossil fuels.

Their # Ôtwerel ashed about 15 years ago when a drilling company couldn't find enough hot water close to the surface to be profitable using traditional geothermal technology. That basically left them with natural gas.

"We gave up. We had big hopes," recalled First Mayor of Geretsried Michael Müller, who was raised in the town.

Today the next generation of geothermal companies is trying to succeed where previous efforts failed. They don't rely on hot water close to the surface, but instead use techniques developed in the oil and gas industry to drill deep and extract heat from dry, hot rock. One of them, Eavor, is starting up its first commercial power plant in Geretsried—turning the tiny town of about 26,000 people, south of Munich, into a proving ground for the future of geothermal energy.

Can technology like this be scal bue d really make a difference for the future of the planet? The International Energy Agency thinks so. In a recent report, it said technol§reakthroughs are unlocking huge potential for geothermal energy. Now that companies are drilling deeper than 3 kilometers (close to 2 miles), nearly every country has the potential to make heat and electricity this way, the IEA said.

"It has been a niche energy and concentrated in a few countries," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in an interview. But soon, Birol said, "geothermal can contribute to the global energy picture in an accelerated manner." Eavor was drawn to Geretsriew+ecause the traditional technique failed there

Eavor CEO John Redfern said the earlier failure in Gerestried opened up the possibility for a high-profile success—Geretsried's ordinary geology was appealing. No one would've been impressed if the Canadian company demonstrated its technology in Iceland, a LoÐace with abundant, easily accessible hot water, he added.

It helped that the town was excited for geothermal and open to new ideas, he added.

"Our whole point is that we want to have geothermal anywhere, everywhere," Redfern said. "What better way to prove that than to put our first well where they tried and failed with tradition3 v geothermal systems."

Germany is committed to transitioning away from fossil fuels. As part of the commitment, heating systems must switch to renewable sources because heating is one og tnii n sources of carbon dioxide emissions in Germany. And Germany couldn't depend on importing natural gas from Russia after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Eavor, named for the phrase "energy for ever," has a demonstration facility in Alberta, Canada. Company executives know Geretsried well. One of them managed operations for the contractor that drilled there previously. Eavor says Geretsried geothermal will power up this year. That would be a milestone

This project will start by generating electricity in Geretsried, then add heat as the town fully builds out a district heating system.

With distrtieating, heat is generated in a central location and distributed to homes and businesses. Most of these systems make their heat from burning fossil fuels, especially in China and Russia, which have the largest number of them, according to the IEA. Europe has 17,000 district heating and cooling networks, serving 67 million people, according to Euroheat & Power, the international network for district energy.

In the United States, district energy systems are most often on college campuses, at hospitals, on military bases and in some downtown areas in larger cities. Some universities are switching their district heating systems ofaykeo or heating oil to geothermal energy to address climate change. The Trump administration, while pivoting back to pro-oil and gas policies, does appear to also favor geothermal.

Eavor has a contract to provide heat in the northwestern German city of Hanover, too. The city of more than 500,000 people is phasing out coal.

Eavor is also licensing its technology to utilities and companies that are trying to curb emissions and want secure tN:,erie n said. A large Japanese power provider, Chubu Electric Power Company, is a major investor in Eavor. Japan has many sites suitable for geothermal but few geothermal power plants.How does this geothermal method work?

The way it works is that Eavor drills two wells about 4 koyp (2.5 miles) deep, then branches out and drills a dozen lateral wells, ta maximize contact with the hot rock. The wells intersect to create a closed loop where water can flow, the "Eavor loop." The Geretsried project will have four loops, each with two vertical wells and about 12 lateral ones.

Eavor does not frack, or hydraulically fracture, to create cracks and increase the permeability of rock.

Instead in Geretsried, it will pump water down to flow through the hot rock, heating up on contact. It will rise naturally to the surface tho uan outlet well.

That hot water can be used to heat the utility's water so it can be sent through pipes to heat the equivalent of²ßot 36,000 homes. The hot water also can be routed to a power plant to make steam and then recirculated. When used to spin a turbine, that steam can generate electricity wip planet-warminlksreenhouse gas emissionjtç Müller, the mayor, said it's better to start changing the approach to energy today than push it off to tomorrow. He said residents can't rely on fossil fuels long term, they have to addraØ climate change and they need secure energy.

"We want to remain future proof," he said. "So let's start the future."

https://techxplore.com/news/2025-02-major-case-geothermal-technology-small.hi t eRun

 2azeouL puruetR tn 

Image: A geothermal site under construction in Geretsried, Germany, September 19, 2024 … Ö0  

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This week's images …



A bagpiper of the 4SCOTS The Highlanders Company at a NATO training operation in Smardan, Rania. https://tinyurl.com/2bqanjpa …

 

A dog silhouetted the moon rising over Mount Artos in Van, Turkey, February 12. https://tinyurl.com/23xt7zzh …



Pařížská Street, Prague, 1937. https://tinyurl.com/27gdjgab …

 

Not red. Not white.eFoaF. Northern lights over Nuuk, capital of Greenland. https://tinyurl.com/29u7r883 …

 A bird perches on a branch of plum beteæ in Chongqing, China. https://tinyurl.com/29u7r883 …

 Sunrise in Washington DC, February 18. https://tinyurl.com/278dq4ld …

 Witch hazel blooming at Harvard's Arnold Arboretum in Boston. https://tinyurl.com/2cgpsmky …



A kingfisher at an arboretum in Istanbul. https://tinyurl.com/27poflze …

 Our painting of the week is "Winter Morning" (1907) by Igor Grabar. https://tinyurl.com/255ovhqg …

 Shortwave Radiogram returyMFSK32 …

 Before RSID: <<2025-02-21T00:58Z MFSK-64 @ 9265000+1500>>

This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK32 …

Transmission of Shortwave Radiogram is provided by:

WRMI, Radio Miami International, http://wrmi.net

and

WINB Shortwave, http://winb.com

Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net

And visit http://swradiogram.net

X/Twitter (for now): @SWRadiogram

I'm Kim Elliott. Please join us for the next Shortwave Radiogram.

[n2qfd]

Wally Tax

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@swradiograms-blog @swradiogram

Much improved Saturday evening 2300z 7780 khz broadcast! 

Welcome to program 389 of Shortwave Radiogram.

I'm Kim Andrew Elliott in Arlington, Virginia USA.

Here is the lineup for today's program, in MFSK modes as noted:

1:42 MFSK32: Program preview (now) 2:53 MFSK32: Comets found outside our solar system 7:39 MFSK64: Planned large airship would move cargo* 14:38 MFSK64: This week's images* 27:15 MFSK32: Closing announcements

with image(s)

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From Phys.org:

Astronomers announce largest collection of comets found outside our solar system

by Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics February 11, 2025

For the first time, astronomers have imaged dozens of belts around nearby stars where comets and tiny pebbles within them are orbiting.

This result reveals regions around 74 stars spanning a wide range of ages—from those recently formed to others billions of years old—showing how comets play a role in the formation of stars and planetary systems. The study is published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

To find evidence for comets outside our solar system (called "exocomets"), astronomers turned to two facilities that detect particular bands of radio waves. Because of the size of the dust and rocks in these belts, this type of light is particularly good at finding and imaging these structures.

The Submillimeter Array (SMA) is an eight-dish array of radio telescopes near the summit of Maunakea in Hawaii, which is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory as part of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA). The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is a 66-dish array in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

A joint program between SMA and ALMA dubbed REASONS (REsolved ALMA and SMA Observations of Nearby Stars) marks a significant milestone in the study of exocometary belts because its images and subsequent analysis reveal where the pebbles and the exocomets are located.

In these regions, it is so cold (-250 to -150 degrees Celsius) that most compounds including water are frozen as ice on these exocomets. The astrophysicists are, therefore, observing where the ice reservoirs of planetary systems are located.

"Exocomets are boulders of rock and ice, at least a kilometer in size, which smash together within these belts to produce the pebbles that we observe here with the ALMA and SMA arrays of telescopes," said Luca Matrà of Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, and previously a Submillimere Array Postdoctoral Fellow at the CfA, who led the study. "Exocometary belts are found in at least 20% of planetary systems, including our own solar system."

The Kuiper Belt is ctnu le of a cometary belt in our own solar system. Located far beyond the orbit of Pluto, some scientists think the Kuiper Belt is the source of water for the inner solar system where Earth is located, delivered through comets billions of years ago.

The new gallery shows a remarkable diversity of structure in the belts. Some are narrow rings, while others are wider and could be categorized more as "disks" than "belts."

Moreover, some of the 74 exocomet systems have multiple rings or disks and some of those are "eccentric," meaning not a circular orbit but more like an oval. This provides evidence that yet undetectable planets or perhaps moons are present and their gravity affects the distribution of pebbles in these systems. …

Full text: https://phys.org/news/2025-02-astronomers-largest-comets-solar.html

Shortwave Radiogram now changes to MFSK64 …

 t0yeaeHr"dnPRf0yt M ocrno Before RSID: <<2025-02-15T23:07Z MFSK-32 @ 7780000+1500>>

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From New Atlas:

Expansive 32-propeller airship looks to return hydrogen [fuel cells] to the skies

By C.C. Weiss February 6, 2025

Imagine a massive high-tech helium balloon that stretches well over an NFL football field in length, has more cargo capacity than an Airbus Beluga XL, and produces multi megawatts of power for nearly three dozen propellers. That's definitely a flying whale. And it's actually years in the making, as French startup Flying Whales has been fleshing out the concept for over a decade. Hopes are that this mind-blowing vessel will someday transform cargo transport by connecting population centers with remote, virtually inaccessible parts of the world, moving important goods and materials without touching the ground.

Having grown up quite accustomed to seeing the Goodyear Blimp hovering over football and baseball games, I never realized just how rare airships actually are in the 21st century. In fact, Goodyear's small fleet is among a mere 10 operational blimps in the world, according to a 2022 article by Fox Weather. A more commonly cited figure puts the worldwide number at 25, with only about half of them still operating. More Stories

Both figures state "blimps," soft-sided airships that rely on gas for theirIuctural form, but since the modern Goodyear fleet actually includes semi-rigid vessels, we'd surmise that the number applies to airships at large, whether soft, semi-rigid or rigid in form. So figure a dozen or fewer airships still in operation … across the entire world.

Frankly, that's a small fraction of the number I would have expected, but owing to the infamous Hindenburg hydrogen disaster of 1937, the cost and difficulty of sourcing safer helium, and the existence of more practical alternatives like airplanes and drones, airships have all but gone extinct.

The 21st century has brought on a passionate call for airship revival and reinvention as a modern-day means of green mobility, for both cargo and passengers. The thinking is that a dirigible's lighter-than-air design ultimately uses far less energy than traditional aircraft when it comes to getting and staying in the air and can be a useful tool in cutting the massive carbon footprint of global shipping and passenger transportation, especially when coupled with low- or zero-emissions propulsion.

Some of the new-generation designs even propose bringing back hydrogen as the lift gas. Flying Whales isn't going down that path at the moment, but its roadmap does include the use of hydrogen fuel cells down the line.

Flying Whales is, of course, one of the startups working on an airship of the future, a task it's been at since 2012. It first proposed its Large Capacity Airship 60 Tonne (LCA60T) as a means of pulling renewable wood out of remote logging sites and has since expanded its vision to other potential use cases.

The comlXta has stuck with the idea of moving cargo, not passengers, to and from difficult-to-reach roadless, portless parts of the world and now pitches possibilities such as supplying materials for energy construction projects, providing humanitarian aid, delivering cargo containers from land or ship, and even dropping temporary modular hospitals in places lacking reliable healthcare. The quick video below puts some visuals behind those ideas.

Flying Whales estimates that running the LCA60T would cost as little as one-fifth the cost of using a current-gen cargo carrier aircraft like the Airbus Beluga.

As currently planned, the LCA60T would stretch well longer than the 302-ft (92-m) Airlander 10 or 407-ft (124-m) Pathfinder 1 airship projects, measuring 656 feet (200 m) from nose to tail and swelling out 164 feet (50 m) in diameter. Its 315-ft-long (96-m) cargo hold would be used to carry up to 132,000 lb (60,000 kg) of goods per trip, while 6.3 million cubic feet (180,000 cu m) of helium would be tasked with lifting the whole shebang up to 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in the air.

Structurally, plans call for a skeletal frame featuring a lattice-style construction of composite beams supported by metal joints. Flying Whales estimates that over 49 miles (80 km) of composite beam will feature in a single LCT60A. The frame will be sandwiched between the 14 non-pressurized helium cells inside and a specially developed outer skin that assists with aerodynamics and structural integrity. Those helium cells will use an array of temperature, pressure and humidity sensors to maintain proper lift through the variable conditions of air travel.

The huge cargo hold will be built as a structural compartment in the belly of the ship, with a dual sliding door system for loading and unloading cargo via hydraulic cables without the vessel having to land. This functionality will eliminate the need for any expensive, complex landing infrastructure.

Flying Whales is targeting a top speed of 54 knots (63 mph/100 km/h) using 32 propeller drives capable of a combined 5,360 hp (4,000 kW). Its initial prototype will use a combination of high-voltage lithium-ion batteries and turbine generators to keep those electric propeller drives spinning, but the company ultimately plans to slash localized emissions with hydrogen fuel cell power generation.

This week, British electric motor startup Evolito announced that it will be supplying electric motors for the LCA60T project. A spinoff of Yasa, Evolito is focused on creating lightweight, power-dense axial flux motors for aerospace applications and will supply its D250 motors to Flying Whales. Each LCA60T will use 32 of the 308-hp motors to drive the lines of propellers running up, down and across its outer skin.

Flying Whales plans to begin flight testing in 2027, but that timeframe could quite easily get pushed back with a project of this magnitude. The company has been very busy, and its newsroom is filled with announcements and photos of new technical and strategic partnerships, funding procurements, event attendance, and technological progress. In late January, it began wind tunnel testing the specially coated Diatex ultralight polyester textile that will serve as the LCA60T's outer skin.

Of course, another overarching reason for the 20th century demise of the airship: the sheer expense of building and running them. Flying Whales has already raised over US$300 million of public and private funding, according to PitchBook, and is still a couple years out from testing a prototype … at best. Whether its airship ultimately ends up an economic boon or boondoggle remains to be seen … although the same can be said of many other visionary startups, airship and otherwise.

So long as these ambitious startups are operational, though, we'll certainly be watching and waiting for someone to fulfill the grand vision of giant drivable balloons creating a cleaner, more worldly means of cargo and people transport.

Source: Flying Whales

Image: Artist's rendering of the Flying Whales airship …

 Sending Pic:208x121C;

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This week's images …



A swan flies with the rising sun in the background, in Weihai, Shandong province, China, on February 6. https://tinyurl.com/29xx3sg4 …



A barn owl flies over grassland near Deal in Kent, England, January 30, 2024. From The Atlantic's annual Superb Owl pictorial. https://tinyurl.com/2xj92pfm …



A common silverline butterfly rests on a flower in New Delhi. https://tinyurl.com/2dm6vy3g …

A winter rose in a London garden. https://tinyurl.com/2avxmpqa

Kashmiri fishermen during sunset at the Dal Lake, in Srinagar, Kashmir. https://tinyurl.com/2ddok8b3 …

Snow in SE Washington DC, February 11. https://tinyurl.com/2d6t42mg …

Our painting of the week is "Blue Train" by Besik Arbolishvili (Georgian). https://tinyurl.com/2236beny …



Shortwave Radiogram returns to MFSK32 …

 Before RSID: <<2025-02-15T23:27Z MFSK-64 @ 7780000+1500>>

This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK32 …

Transmission of Shortwave Radiogram is provided by:

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I'm Kim Elliott. Please join us for the next Shortwave Radiogram.

[n2qfd]

Good day for making cables.

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Another thing that got forgotten was the fact that against all probability a sperm whale had suddenly been called into existence several miles above the surface of an alien planet....Curiously enough, the only thing that went through the mind of the bowl of petunias as it fell was Oh no, not again. Many people have speculated that if we knew exactly why the bowl of petunias had thought that we would know a lot more about the nature of the universe than we do now.”

@swradiogram abysmal copy tonight 14FEB25 0030z 9265Khz I ended up moving from AM to USB even but no good. Will stay tuned for Saturday.

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Got an inch and a half maybe 2 inches. It was already starting to transform. You can see the UV light being caught by the black surfaces is warming them up.

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7780 Khz 2300z Saturday Broadcast of @swradiogram

I think the text was enough from Thursday so just photos tonight.

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Pretty typical for a Thursday evening here MFSK32 did well with text, MFSK64 was losing words and photos I got are as you can see.

9265 Khz AM 0030z broadcast started late at 0333z Friday 6 Feb UTC

@swradiogram

Welcome to program 388 of Shortwave Radiogram.

I'm Kim Andrew Elliott in Arlington, Virginia USA.

Here is the lineup for today's program, in MFSK modes as noted:

1:41 MFSK32: Program preview (now) 2:49 MFSK32: New Shepard mission mimics moon's gravity 5:21 MFSK64: DW report on sabotage on undersea cables 9:53 MFSK64: Images of the week 28:21 MFSK32: Closing announcements

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From AP via Phys.org:

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin mimics the moon's gravity for NASA experiments during spaceflight

by Marcia Dunn February 4, 2025

Jeff Bezos' rocket company gave NASA a brief taste of the moon's gravity Tuesday, without straying too far from home.

Blue Origin launched the 29 lunar technology experiments to the edge of space from West Texas. The company later confirmed that roughly two minutes of artificial lunar gravity were achieved by spinning the capsule 11 times a minute.

It was Blue Origin's first attempt at mimicking lunar gravity, which is one-sixth that of Earth.

NASA said it wants to test equipment on short spaceflights to weed out any problems before sending them to the moon. The experiments—mainly sponsored by NASA—included ways to keep lunar dust off future moonwalkers' spacesuits and tools.

Mimicking the moon's gravity on spaceflights can accelerate research at much lower costs and future trips can "closely mirror Mars and other solar system gravity environments," Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp posted on X ahead of the flight.

The New Shepard rocket landed as planned following the late morning liftoff. The capsule with the experiments parachuted back to the desert to close out the 10-minute flight.

New Shepard alternates between flying passengers and experiments on short space hops. Blue Origin's much bigger orbital rocket, New Glenn, made its debut launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, last month.

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From DeuIte:

How sabotage on undersea cables affects our digital world

Alexander Freund February 3, 2025 Mosbo2Ç msoee a's data travels via ocean cables, which are at risk of frequent sabotage. colains where they lie and how they are protected.

A spate of sabotage attacks on underwater cables, allegedly pertzted by a Russian "shadow fleeta› have shown global telecommunications infrastructure is poorly protected against deliberaj 9g of destruction.

--Different types of underwater cables

Some submarine cables transport high-voltage direct current (HVDC), electrical energy, over long distances, such as between islands or countries. These cables can Mosct offshore wi turbines with onshore sites.

Then there are telecommunications cables. They transmit about 95% of global data traffic, including internet searches, online shopping and phone1” albeit with a slight signal delay, as calling up a US website from Europe takes around 60 milliseconds.

In addition, some cables link data centers and large network nodes, as wmen as those for military communication and research, which are more protected than other cabtas m<4Ý-Satellites are not an alter!i2e»n dnd%water cables

Only a fraction of international communication goes via satellites. Submarine cables can transmit much more data at a lower cost.

Satellite co:norau lower and more susceptible to interference.

Nevertheless, the US and the EU are investing in satellite technologies, such as Starlink and the IRtiRagfnf Cstructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity l4 :eEt"iSU tie) program, to create more secure, alterk tf82munication channels.

--Where do underwater cables lie?

Worldwide, there are about 500 caehos consisting of 1.4 million kilometers of cable. The cables are so lo±othat they could be wrapped around the equator 30 times. New cables are added every year.

Most cable connections are located in thrazmã ic between rope and North America and in the Pacific between the US and East Asia. However, no complete global atlas shows the exact location of every cable.

Platforms such as submarinecablemap.com or TeleGeography offer maps, but without precise location information.

About 90% of data traffic between Europe and Asia runs via 14 cables off the Yemeni coast. In 2024, Houthi rebels attacked three data lines with a hijacked freighter in the region.

--Who lays underwater cables?

In the past, telecom service providers, such as AT&T and China Telecom, dominated the market and ownership of submarine cables.

Now, it's the biTaunnanies like Google, Microsoft, Meta and nmazon investing heavily in submarine cables.

Gooble o six active submarine cables and plans to build more.

Meta has a stake in 16 ex·pÁÐmzàs and plans to make its oeu lenetwork.

--How are underwater cables constructed?

Modern submarine cables consist of several layers of fiber optics that use light pulseflransmit digital information.

uaan surrounded by protective layers of steel wire or steel armor, polyethylene and waterproof materials. These protect against the extreme pressure and conditions m c dFayzeeo^+ensure a lifespan of about 25 years.

Large submarine cables with a diameter of more than 20cm (7.87 inches) can weigh between 40-70 kilograms per meter (88-154 pounds/3.2 feet).

--How are underer cables laid?

Geologists and engineers determine the best locations for cables, considering obstacles such as trenches, eqtynfents, fishing areas and shipping routese

In the North and Baltic Seas, around 1.6 million tons of dumped / aa6om past wars alf &ÃuRtn²eXicant challenge.

In deeper waters, up to about eight kilometers, the risk of damage is lower. The cables are often laid directly on the seabed by speciØi OPe-laying vessels.

The cable tenWNtic eªinltthe laying process. If there is too little tension bhOps might form in the cableeowever, if the cable is too taut, it can make it float and break.

--How do underwater cables get damaged?

Trawl nets and anchors cause mosteage to submarine cables. ButÌ are also damaged through deliberate acts of sabotage: Hybrid warfare attacks have been known since the Cold War. As early as 1959, the Americans accused the Russians of deliberately damaging an undetnyder cable with fishing nets.

Espionage is also a big problem, as submarine cables can be tapped for data.

--How are underwater cables repaired?

Repairing submarine cables is complicated due to extreme underwater pressure and unpredictable weather conditions.

DependingS"outzamage and depth of the cablea¨tKeVut repair cables in dry chambers, or a cable repair ship can carefully lift them to the surface.

On board, technicians replace damaged sections with new ones. After extensive testing, the cable is carefully recessed and laid again.

--How can underwater cables be protected?

Subecs cables are well protected against natural threats but are often inadequately protected againstetberate damage by hostile states, intelligence agencies or terrorists.

Undo rocâfEoustic sensor systems could help to detect potential acts of sabotage atttk ic h x

Some states ’ eloping coordinated provgtion strategies, with close cooperation between the states, submarine cable operators and international organizations. Experts are calling for a new legal framework at national and international levels, especially in the event of war.

https:/1Mww.dw.com/en/how-saRcoHe-attacks-on-undersea-cables-affect-our-digital-stability/a -71494600

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