#futur science aerospace

[jcmarchi]

Global MIT At-Risk Fellows Program expands to invite Palestinian scholars

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/global-mit-at-risk-fellows-program-expands-to-invite-palestinian-scholars/

Global MIT At-Risk Fellows Program expands to invite Palestinian scholars

When the Global MIT At-Risk Fellows (GMAF) initiative launched in February 2024 as a pilot program for Ukrainian researchers, its architects expressed hope that GMAF would eventually expand to include visiting scholars from other troubled areas of the globe. That time arrived this fall, when MIT launched GMAF-Palestine, a two-year pilot that will select up to five fellows each year currently either in Palestine or recently displaced to continue their work during a semester at MIT.

Designed to enhance the educational and research experiences of international faculty and researchers displaced by humanitarian crises, GMAF brings international scholars to MIT for semester-long study and research meant to benefit their regions of origin while simultaneously enriching the MIT community.

Referring to the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, GMAF-Palestine Director and MIT Professor Kamal Youcef-Toumi says that “investing in scientists is an important way to address this significant conflict going on in our world.” Youcef-Toumi says it’s hoped that this program “will give some space for getting to know the real people involved and a deeper understanding of the practical implications for people living through the conflict.”

Professor Duane Boning, vice provost for international activities, considers the GMAF program to be a practical way for MIT to contribute to solving the world’s most challenging problems. “Our vision is for the fellows to come to MIT for a hands-on, experiential joint learning and research experience that develops the tools necessary to support the redevelopment of their regions,” says Boning.

“Opening and sustaining connections among scholars around the world is an essential part of our work at MIT,” says MIT President Sally Kornbluth. “New collaborations so often spark new understanding and new ideas; that’s precisely what we aim to foster with this kind of program.”  

Crediting Program Manager Dorothy Hanna with much of the legwork that got the fellowship off the ground, Youcef-Toumi says fellows for the program’s inaugural year will be chosen from early- and mid-career scientists via an open application and nominations from the MIT community. Following submission of applications and interviews in January, five scholars will be selected to begin their fellowships at MIT in September 2025.

Eligible applicants must have held academic or research appointments at a Palestinian university within the past five years; hold a PhD or equivalent degree in a field represented at MIT; have been born in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, or refugee camps; have a reasonable expectation of receiving a U.S. visa, and be working in a research area represented at MIT. MIT will cover all fellowship expenses, including travel, accommodations, visas, health insurance, instructional materials, and living stipends.

To build strong relationships during their time at MIT, GMAF-Palestine will pair fellows with faculty mentors and keep them connected with other campus communities, including the Ibn Khaldun Fellowship for Saudi Arabian Women, an over 10-year-old program that Youcef-Toumi’s team also oversees. 

“MIT has a special environment and mindset that I think will be very useful. It’s a competitive environment, but also very supportive,” says Youcef-Toumi, a member of the Department of Mechanical Engineering faculty, director of the Mechatronics Research Laboratory, and co-director of the Center for Complex Engineering Systems. “In many other places, if a person is in math, they stay in math. If they are in architecture, they stay in architecture and they are not dealing with other departments or other colleges. In our case, because students’ work is often so interdisciplinary, a student in mechanical engineering can have an advisor in computer science or aerospace, and basically everything is open. There are no walls.”

Youcef-Toumi says he hopes MIT’s collegial environment among diverse departments and colleagues is a value fellows will retain and bring back to their own universities and communities.

“We are all here for scholarship. All of the people who come to MIT … they are coming for knowledge. The technical part is one thing, but there are other things here that are not available in many environments — you know, the sense of community, the values, and the excellence in academics,” Youcef-Toumi says. “These are things we will continue to emphasize, and hopefully these visiting scientists can absorb and benefit from some of that. And we will also learn from them, from their seminars and discussions with them.”

Referencing another new fellowship program launched by MIT, Kalaniyot for Israeli scholars, led by MIT professors Or Hen and Ernest Fraenkel, Youcef-Toumi says, “Getting to know the Kalaniyot team better has been great, and I’m sure we will be helping each other. To have people from that region be on campus and interacting with different people … hopefully that will add a more positive effect and unity to the campus. This is one of the things that we hope these programs will do.”

As with any first endeavor, GMAF-Palestine’s first round of fellowships and the experiences of the fellows, and the observations of the GMAF team, will inform future iterations of the program. In addition to Youcef-Toumi, leadership for the program is provided by a faculty committee representing the breadth of scholarship at MIT. The vision of the faculty committee is to establish a sustainable program connecting the Palestinian community and MIT.

“Longer term,” Youcef-Toumi says, “we hope to show the MIT community this is a really impactful program that is worth sustaining with continued fundraising and philanthropy. We plan to stay in touch with the fellows and collect feedback from them over the first five years on how their time at MIT has impacted them as researchers and educators. Hopefully, this will include ongoing collaborations with their MIT mentors or others they meet along the way at MIT.”

[hillbowman]

How To Harness An Asteroid

By

Hill Bowman

Multiple Environment Biologic Exo-Shell.

How to harness an asteroid.

let say a kilometer long by half a kilometer wide.

…

Primary propulsion will be solar sail, secondary propulsion will be particle accelerator, emergency propulsion will be chemical rocket.

Obviously, the parts and equipment for the solar sail as well as primary components for particle accelerator plus heavy equipment guide rails, Arc furnace, oxy- acetylene, hydrogen oxygen welding tank (just to make life easy) must be brought with you.

Also guide rails, epoxy, adhesive, ressens, plastic rivets Carbon fiber tubing, all kinds of fasteners, must be brought with you.

The materials for the conventional rocket will be harvested from the core of the asteroid via traditional mining processes.

Your most critical tools for this project will be arc furnace, heavy drilling equipment, welding torch’s, explosives, front loader, back hoe, reinforced Crain slings ( to bag and move rubble).

Human necessities;

For crew of 12

1 year – food , water rations, inflatable warehouse shelter, full ship board surgical and general hospital set up.

2,000 wats of solar panels, 4 deep cycle marine batteries and of course all necessary peripheral like cables hook up, attachments etcetera.

The space vessel must attain synchronous trajectory with the surface of the asteroid. land and or tether to the asteroid.

…

Once accomplished crew must unload, anchor down guide rail’s and safety cables.

Use explosives front loader reinforced crane slings and back hoe to level a building pad.

Bag And remove rubble and deploy inflatable warehouse for crew and equipment.

For a multitude of reasons this must all be done within 12 standard earth hours after arrival and synchronization with the asteroid. Human safety in the project being priority One.

First.

solar equipment, arc furnace, smelting equipment, earth moving equipment, mining tools and explosives, crew must be deployed to level a building pad from which to begin heavy construction.

Once a building pad is leveled inflatable habitats are anchored down and deployed for equipment storage and temporary crew quarters.

Next:. Bolt down parallel tracks to circumnavigate width of asteroid. This will be the foundation for gravity ring .

Next:

lay down two parallel tracks that circumnavigate the length of the asteroid Along with guide cables along all tracks safety harness connect lines for crew and equipment.

The parallel track work is to provide work area along the length and width of the asteroid giving access for crew and equipment to core out the center of the asteroid down it’s length.

Next:

Coor the center of the asteroid down the length by approximately 20 meters in diameter. Something like coring an apple.

Next: Utilize all resources derived from the coring process through the center of the asteroid to produce steel rods and gutters and 1/16th sheet metal as well as fasteners.

Note.

In organic materials can be harvested from the asteroid, however organic materials such as adhesive polymers, carbon fiber, nylon rivets, and assorted fasteners as well as carbon fiber structural components must be carried with you to make the structure error tight. The mineral substances used in the process can be collected from the asteroid itself.

The Guide rails And safety cables your crew laid down in the beginning for the heavy equipment will also become the footing and tension cable’s for the tower assembly that will support a gravity ring. Ultimately, the gravity ring will be the habitat for crew, research, navigation and propulsion.

Ideally the propulsion system is hybrid.

There are multiple methods of propelling the vessel.

once it is fully assembled primary thrust being generated by solar sails. Secondary propulsion generated by particle acceleration. Finally with third backup propulsion being chemical thrust such as hydrogen - oxygen rocket thrust.

Note:

As I'm sure you're aware; hydrogen and oxygen are in abundance throughout know space (as well as nitrogen) from ice and raw mining slag from the boring process. Collected ice can be melted down into water and further divided in the hydrogen and oxygen HHO.

Raw mineral slag once harvested from the core of the asteroid can be crushed and melted down for steel, iron, copper, nickel, zink etcetera.

The metallurgic processes necessary for the project will be accomplished through use of solar power supply providing electrolysis, Electric Ark furnace or chemical processes.

NOTE:

In the long term, raw material for construction of solar panels and batteries can also be harvested and constructed with raw materials as well.

Future science:

A new genre of literature.

…

What is the difference between future science and science fiction?

…

Future science differs from science fiction in that there is very little fiction involved in it.

The objective of future science literature is to take current technology extrapolating with fifty year projections on current technology advancement.

integrated with quality creative writing.

mixed with the true human element of psychological physical in material capabilities under adverse circumstances.

The end product; digestible, Bold written material to encourage, motivate and propel the human species out into the expansion of space.

To colonize to Explorer to discover and to challenge the human species to our inevitable destiny. To grow as a species, to support sustain and clean up the only planet in the universe that we know harboring intelligent life.

And perhaps even to discover intelligent life Beyond our own species.

…

future science writers in history such is Jules Verne and others technological visionary)Are the True founders of this generation of literature that I humbly pursue. it is (in my opinion a disservice to Jules Verne or writers like him that they be qualified under the same categories as folks that right for fiction / fantasy.

Riters such as Jules Verne, Robert Hinlone, Isaac Asimov and others deserve some credit for the hard research in science and technology this type of writing requires.

~ Future Science~

Has as an accepted and standardized new genre of writing (in my opinion) is the least that we can offer in recognition of their contributions to our advancement as a species and a civilization.

Hopefully the Library of Congress will take notice of this idea.

…

I welcome you to the amazing new future that we have already entered.

…

So until then this is Hill Bowman signing off I will catch you on the next fly by

…

Sincerely ~

Hill Bowman

.

[techtoio]

The Science Behind 3D Printing and Its Innovations

Introduction Alternative term for additive manufacturing: in this process, objects are conceptualized in another manner, changing how the objects are thought of by using 3D printing. One such technology is making creation from prototyping to final products more flexible and efficient. At TechtoIO, we deep dive into the science of 3D printing and the innovations that fuel this groundbreaking technology. Read to continue link

[the-ace-with-spades]

Bradley was a total loser in high school but in the way that he was still liked by everyone. He was all over the place, playing baseball, doing theater (mostly musicals...), and keeping up with all the 'nerds' in his year in maths and physics, a mathlete, all to make himself a good candidate for the USNA. He'd also go to youth military camps during summer and worked a part-time job since he was a sophomore.

Everyone at school knew of him, but he was so closed off that he was a mystery to many, which in turn made him have close to zero friends, but people liked him and he was never bullied. This was partially due to being too busy to have friends, partially due to him being afraid to bring friends home (because of Mav and Ice's secret relations...) and partially because Bradley had a hard time making friends in general — he's been moving around a lot as a kid and often had to swap schools mid-semester but also had more trauma and issues than your average kid.

And a lot of the kids who did try to befriend him were intimidated —Bradley was a chill, friendly, and nice guy on the surface, very talented as well, seemed not to care about other people's opinions and just did his thing, but then the minute you learned more about him, he was intense. He had his whole life planned already in a way most teenagers do not — chose his college, chose the job he wants, has been preparing for it for years already. Military camps, pilot licence, science on a level suitable for aerospace engineering, multiple side hobbies, all successful, deep knowledge of the military and political scene, all before he even finished high school. To the kids who learned more about him he was cool, but in the 'he seems like a future legend' way, almost too picture-perfect. It was very isolating for Bradley but also something he carried into adulthood out of haplessness — he can be the heart of the crowd, but he's never close with anyone, opposite of an open book, always trying to do his own thing while trying to not care about what others think (this has also been exaggerated by what Mav did to his USNA application...)

Jake was from the popular crowd but a lot of people only pretended to like him. He was the football star and had pretty good grades, took part in the debate club and also volunteered with their church — in their small town, he was the perfect golden child. Every parent wanted their kid to be like him. A lot of people only befriended him because they thought being friends with him would also put them on the same pedestal and were pretty fake, disliking him behind his back.

On the inside though, he was just the local farmers' boy who always gave all of himself to others, no matter what it was. His humility was genuine at the beginning but when everyone questioned him and called it fake, he started to have an attitude just to appease everyone's expectations and not be eaten alive. He didn't know what he wanted to do with his life but he tried to give his best whatever he wasn't doing — so a lot of the things he did were what he felt was expected of him. He's tall and athletic, their football team is good — he should join. His dad never finished high school and wanted his kids to have a good education — so he tried his best to make him proud. His mama ran the local book club and helped the church and their pastor almost every day — he should show that he inherited some of her leadership and good, god-lead heart. It even went to a point where he knew he wasn't interested in girls at all, but felt like he had to try because that's what teenage popular boys do — they date, they hook up, they have crushes.

Choosing to go USNA and deciding he wanted to be an aviator was the first thing he did for himself (after letting himself develop a fascination with flying and planes first) and so many people were disappointed with him — so many people said he was wasting his potential, a career in varsity football, any other potentially well-paying, respected jobs he could get if he went to a good college and not joined the military. Every single adult discouraged him from it, telling him how he's not going to do well and how he had more options than almost all of the kids in their town. Even his own parents were, well not unsupportive but also not very supportive. His dad who had been drafted, openly discouraged him from joining the military and often said he should not waste all his hard work.

(The above was brought to you by a fic idea: Bradley didn't go to his high school reunion but when Jake gets an invite for his, he feels like he needs to go to prove something to himself - that all the people who said he's wasting his potential and who pretended to like him to be in the right social circles were wrong and that he's happy and satisfied with his life.

He and Bradley are together at the time and he decides to take him as his plus one. This proves to be another challenge — taking his boyfriend to his small, kinda homophobic town, and trying to fight off the reality and judgment from all the people he's always wanted to please and prove something to.

Especially since Bradley doesn't completely understand why Jake wants to do it — he can see how badly it's affecting him and he just doesn't get the point of doing something or interacting with people who make Jake feel shitty about himself. He's conflicted between being supportive and calling Jake out on how self-destructive and pointless the whole reunion is for him.

Also: Jake's parents and Jake's ex-girlfriends. Disaster waiting to happen.)

[selencgraphy]

guys how crazy would it be to meld tyler owen's backstory into jake seresin's... 🫣

HEAR ME OUT:

since childhood, jake had made a living out of bull-riding at a rodeo—his family's rodeo. he was so sure that the seresin rodeo was gonna be his past, present, *and* future. it was the seresin legacy, after all. but when he ends up on the ground and gets hit in the head one too many times, he realizes that if he doesn't leave now, this rodeo may well be the death of him. with flying being a small passion of his besides the family business, he looks into naval aviation as a potential career path. he tries to apply for the naval academy but was, unfortunately, ineligible considering he had spent most of his time on the back of a bull and not with his nose in books. so instead, he takes the long road and goes to ut austin (glen is a proud longhorn, ofc jake goes to ut austin). four years later, he graduates having double majored in aerospace engineering and climate system science (aka meteorology). in his spare time (the little he had being a fucking academic weapon), he went storm chasing, which lowk built that cocky attitude of his. once graduated, he heads to pensacola and the rest is history!

my brain literally melded them together for a second and was like "maybe i should write this down and flesh it out a bit...?" so here we are! hope you liked it while i brainstorm more fics :)

[cc-nadama]

A Modern Retelling of Viktor

Author’s Note: This style of writing is not representative of my usual work. These are my notes for what I imagine is a modern portrayal of Viktor. In addition, it serves as an outline for future stories I may write that are set in this au. Below, you will find my thoughts and headcanons on the subject.

Expected Content: There are no sexual imagery depicted in this work. However, there are themes of obsession, unhealthy working habits, stalking, and quite possibly, a hint of yandere Viktor.

Pairing: There are multiple relationships mentioned/implied in this work. I will certainly explore my options, perhaps even create poly pairings. However, the main course includes: Viktor x reader, Jayce x Viktor, and Jayce x Mel.

———

Viktor Petrov

— AN OVERVIEW

When he received a scholarship and admittance to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Viktor traveled to the United States on a student visa. He is currently majoring in Engineering and Applied Science, with a minor in aerospace engineering.

Originally from the Czech Republic, Viktor is fluent in three languages: Czech, English, and Russian. He had never traveled outside Europe before, so his first months in the States were filled with homesickness. Luckily, there was a place a little ways away from campus that serves decent bramboráky and trdelník. It’s a bit overpriced, but it helped ease his heart when he missed home.

Everyone who knows Viktor swears he is a genius. One look at his GPA and any Asian mother would weep and wish her kid was like him (totally not based on personal experience).

Once he finishes his education at Caltech, Viktor will most likely look for a job at NASA. He aspires to specialize in robotics and work with other complicated machinery—especially if it is space-related.

Viktor lives a few miles away from campus. Jayce Talis, his charismatic roommate, is also a student at the university. He has the same major and classes as Viktor, so they are often together on and off campus.

— PERSONALITY

Viktor is an introvert, but he is not unfriendly. He will engage in class and interact with the other students, but he chooses to keep friendships minimal. It is his choice to be alone, not his lack of socialization. Well, at least that’s what he tells himself to sleep easier at night.

Naturally, Viktor has a rational and objective mind. When he speaks, it is very articulated and blunt, never withholding an ounce of sarcasm when allowed. Oftentimes, people view him as an insensitive or callous man—though it’s mainly because he keeps his emotions checked.

He has a strong work ethic. Viktor is the kind of student to work on a project five months earlier. Almost always, the man is seen in the library studying until midnight, replaying his recordings from the latest lecture to add to his notes.

Speaking of notes, Viktor is a stickler for notes. Even with his unreadable handwriting, it remains meticulous and detailed. He even draws diagrams! Because of this, many of his classmates would borrow his notes—only to learn that they could barely make out a word, let alone a phrase.

When Viktor feels especially sociable, he loves to engage others in spirited debates. He loves a good challenge, specifically if it tests his intellect and reasoning. Whatever the topic is—from scientific to philosophical—Viktor always has a stance. He has an aura of subtle confidence, self-assured in his ways but not to the point of egotism.

In simpler terms, Viktor has Type A tendencies with a 5w4 on the enneagram and an INTJ on the Myers-Briggs

— FLAWS

It is difficult for him to maintain a relationship—platonic or romantic. Oftentimes, Viktor believes it is implausible for someone to like him as a person. He has experienced rejection plenty of times before, so he feels it necessary to end a relationship before it blossoms, fearing that the other person already hates him or is only with him for undisclosed intentions. Although Viktor hates irrationality, he still has irrational fears based from past experiences.

If there is one flaw he is often in conflict with, it’s his discipline. He may be a genius, but Viktor still has trouble setting his limitations. It is an obsessive need that overtakes him—an inkling he cannot exactly ignore. If he feels compelled to work later into the night, he will. If he feels he needs ten shots of espresso, he will buy and drink it. If he feels he has a crush on a certain student, he most likely would… stalk them.

Oftentimes, if left unchecked, his ambitions would blind him. Due to his obsessive tendencies, Viktor would pour all his attention into work and research, neglecting his state of being. If he ever took a break, it was most likely because he was starving, parched, or needed to use the bathroom. Still, it could take days, even weeks, before he returns to sanity and society.

— RELATIONSHIPS

JAYCE TALIS: If they weren’t roommates, Viktor would have never befriended him. Everyone on campus knows Jayce—he is a literal social butterfly—always liked by most students and teachers. Still, Jayce remains a constant in his life. They have partnered on several projects and received stellar reviews. It is obvious that the two of them are great friends. Viktor would never admit it, but Jayce is one of the few people in his life that he actually likes and trusts.

PROFESSOR HEIMERDINGER: Even if the professor won’t say it, everyone knows that Viktor is his favorite. He goes out of his way to support him, always wanting to know what wonderful contraption he has built as of late.

MEL MEDARDA: Initially, only acquaintances, Viktor and Mel later became friends due to their relationship with Jayce. After hours, Mel would drop by the apartment and hang out with Jayce while also displaying an interest in Viktor and his studies. Their relationship is more akin to a sibling relationship, like an older sister and a kid brother.

READER: Another student in Caltech who takes the same classes as him. Within a matter of days, Viktor became infatuated with you. Every time you entered the lecture hall, you could see the man stiffen in his seat—blankly staring at you then embarrassingly looking away. It was sweet, knowing that you had caught his attention. Not many of your classmates could say the same thing. Viktor was quiet during class, only speaking unless spoken to or if he was keen on answering a question. Yet, it came as a surprise to you when you received a single rose on your doorstep—you never told anyone about your address.

— INTERESTS

Even as a kid, Viktor loved Star Trek. He dreamt about the plausibility of interstellar travel and the intricacies of warp drive. He spent nights imagining himself working in the engineering deck and tinkering with transporters. Almost single-handedly, the franchise inspired him to become an engineer—to work with the complexities of science and invent something anew. If he had to pick a character as his favorite, Viktor would select—without a doubt—Lieutenant Commander Data. His ongoing arc of seeking human connection in spite of his inability to understand human emotion—was what endeared Viktor. In many ways, he had the same troubles as the android. People viewed him differently because of his disability and brilliance. Like Data, their uniqueness was both a gift and a curse.

If he has no plans for the weekend, Viktor would spend his day playing chess against himself or Jayce. Naturally, they would take turns being white, often forgoing the use of a timer—unless they were feeling competitive that day—and play a few games while talking about life. If Viktor was playing white, he often opens with a pawn on e4 and then implements the first moves of the Spanish Opening (knight on f3 and bishop on b5). If Viktor was playing black, he would use the Tarrasch Variation of the French Defense, with 1. e4 e6, 2. d4 d5, 3. Nd2 c5. Although it is not exactly aggressive, Viktor focuses more on positional play.

(I am not a chess player, but I watched a few videos from GothamChess and live feeds from Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura for research)

His taste in music varies on his mood. However, Viktor favors the classical and contemporary genres the most. He is especially fond of composers such as Tchaikovsky and Chopin, and jazz musicians such as Stan Getz and David Benoit. He does experiment with other genres, but faithfully, he returns to his favorites after a long day in the laboratory.

———

[seros-girl]

MOODBOARDS FOR SOMETHING IN THE ORANGE SERIES:

Y/N L/N

- dance major, soft girl, loves her friends, coffee, picnics, sunsets, dresses, fun colors, flowers, in love with katsuki bakugo

🎶- bags by clairo

KATSUKI BAKUGO

- computer science major, UA University track and field rookie, frat boy, parties, loves the color black, in love with y/n l/n

🎶- apocalypse by cigarettes after sex

MINA ASHIDO

- journalism major, loves interviewing her friends, beach, friends are life, parties, great friend, tea, in love with eijiro kirishima

🎶- 6 inch by beyoncé ft. the weeknd

EIJIRO KIRISHIMA

- aerospace engineering major, gym, track and field rookie, frat boy, the boys>>>, parties, lives for drama, great friend, in love with mina ashido

🎶- beggin’ by maneskin

KYOKA JIRO

- music major, loves her friends, the color purple, parties, denki kaminari is her safe space, her girls>>>, denki kaminari <3

🎶- no one noticed by the marias

TENYA IIDA

- biomedical sciences major, track and field rookie, frat boy, focuses on his studies, loves his friends, future doctor iida, self diagnosis’ , flustered around momo

🎶- good old-fashioned lover boy by queen

JUZO HONENUKI

- communications major, party boy, track and field rookie, frat boy, the boys>>, still gets flustered around reader

🎶- teenage dirtbag by wheatus

DENKI KAMINARI

- communications major, loves his kyoka jiro, will listen to her sing and play guitar all day, the color yellow, track and field rookie, frat boy, kyoka jiro <3

🎶- lovers rock- TV girl

SHOTO TODOROKI

- business major, best friends with reader, parties, rich boy, oblivious, shy, flustered around a girl from his business class

🎶- the greatest by billie eilish

HANTA SERO

- architecture major, friends are life, latino, mullet man, gym, reader is like his little sister, big family man, protective over friends, goofball

🎶- spit in my face! by thxsomch

pt. 2

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA payload aims to probe moon's depths to study heat flow

Earth's nearest neighboring body in the solar system is its moon, yet to date, humans have physically explored just 5% of its surface. It wasn't until 2023—building on Apollo-era data and more detailed studies made in 2011–2012 by NASA's automated GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) mission—that researchers conclusively determined that the moon has a liquid outer core surrounding a solid inner core.

As NASA and its industry partners plan for continued exploration of the moon under Artemis in preparation for future long-duration missions to Mars, improving our understanding of Earth's 4.5-billion-year-old moon will help teams of researchers and astronauts find the safest ways to study and live and work on the lunar surface.

That improved understanding is the primary goal of a state-of-the-art science instrument called LISTER (Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity), 1 of 10 NASA payloads flying aboard the next delivery for the agency's CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and set to be carried to the surface by Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander.

Developed jointly by Texas Tech University in Lubbock and Honeybee Robotics of Altadena, California, LISTER will measure the flow of heat from the moon's interior. Its sophisticated pneumatic drill will penetrate to a depth of 3 meters into the dusty lunar regolith.

Every half-meter it descends, the drilling system will pause and extend a custom-built thermal probe into the lunar regolith. LISTER will measure two different aspects of heat flow: thermal gradient, or the changes in temperature at various depths, and thermal conductivity, or the subsurface material's ability to let heat pass through it.

"By making similar measurements at multiple locations on the lunar surface, we can reconstruct the thermal evolution of the moon," said Dr. Seiichi Nagihara, principal investigator for the mission and a geophysics professor at Texas Tech. "That will permit scientists to retrace the geological processes that shaped the moon from its start as a ball of molten rock, which gradually cooled off by releasing its internal heat into space."

Demonstrating the drill's effectiveness could lead to more innovative drilling capabilities, enabling future exploration of the moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies. The science collected by LISTER aims to contribute to our knowledge of lunar geology, improving our ability to establish a long-term presence on the moon under the Artemis campaign.

Under the CLPS model, NASA is investing in commercial delivery services to the moon to enable industry growth and support long-term lunar exploration. As a primary customer for CLPS deliveries, NASA aims to be one of many customers on future flights. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the development of 7 of the 10 CLPS payloads carried on Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander.

IMAGE: LISTER (Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity) is 1 of 10 payloads flying aboard the next delivery for NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. The instrument is equipped with a drilling system and thermal probe designed to dig into the lunar surface. Credit: Firefly Aerospace

[hello-galad]

No one asked for this but here i am shoving my Cid age-related headcanons down y’all’s throat.

This all started because I saw @renegadeem ‘s comment on a post about Valenwind and Cid’s age and the Curious Case of Square Enix Not Giving Us Characters That Are Canonically Over 40 (then you take a look at some of them and you know in your heart they are 62, twice divorced and currently screaming at some kids to get off their lawn).

Alright, buckle up. I’m about to monologue, ladies, gents, non-binary peeps and everybody else in between:

Note: Have in mind I headcanon Shera to be two years younger than Cid and to have also been part of the Shinra Youth Science Program but at different years. Note note: this might change in the future because I’m like a sponge and i absorb hcs.

At 16 years-old Cid Highwind Gets into the Shinra Youth Science Program at Midgar.

I’m sure Shinra has programs like these to catch brilliant minds that help them build their empires (labor force that already know how to do the job you want them to) like most transnational companies do in our world.

There, all students must take military training, they even share some classes with the Cadets for SOLDIER.

On a side note, given his stats in the game and his weapon of choice I say he comes from a family of dragoons and Heidegger takes an interest in him but Cid is focused on becoming an engineer and that is more useful to Shinra.

There is a fic i really love that sorta touches the topic of Cid’s family as dragoons by one of my favorite authors Vinvalen right here (Valenwind: Crusader rain) .

At 20 years-old Cid graduates top of his class as Mechanical engineer. He starts working on building aircraft and flight hardware for Shinra as he starts his career to become an Aerospace Engineer.

At 24 years-old he graduates top of his class as Aerospace Engineer at Shinra.

At 26 years-old Cid gets his pilot’s license with more than 500 hours of flight. Starts the prototype for what he started calling THE SHINRA I. He would later develop the blueprints further to build what will be THE HIGHWIND.

At 28 years of age Cid and Shera present the initiative for the Space Program to Shinra with the initial project and blueprints for a rocket and satellite. The Satellite should have been deployed first and left to circle around The Planet in the upper orbit a year before the rocket launch.

Shinra approves of the project eight months later and Cid Highwind becomes Chief Engineer of it with Shera as Chief scientist and his second in command. The base is settled in a small town outside Midgard that will later be known as Rocket Town.

At 32 years old, Shera (30) and Cid get married. They never really dated, but they spent so much time together and everyone already assumed they are together and it just seemed like the next thing to do so they both decided “why not?”.

Evidently, that goes downhill from there because tHAT IS NOT HOW HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS ARE BUILT.

When Cid is 33 years old, the first satellite gets deployed earlier. The mission is a complete success and Shinra has plans to put a couple more in orbit except instead of using them for research, Scarlet and Heidegger wish to weaponize them with Mako Canons. Cid is against this at first but understands that he can’t really say no to Shinra when they are the ones funding the Space Program.

Him and Shera don’t really talk to each other outside of work, they do fuck occasionally to let out steam but that keeps happening less and less.

When Cid is 36 years old Shera almost dies and Cid stops the launch to save her.

Cid is downgraded from Chief engineer four months later, Shinra cancels the Space Program taking away every single blueprint and infrastructure project Cid ever created when working for Shinra and they basically try to alienate him when Cid tries to fight back. Shera keeps working for them in charge of space communications. Cid is devastated.

As a side project, Cid starts the blueprint and building of the BRONCO I (Later known as the Tiny Bronco. Later known as a) the plane Cloud almost stole and b) The “ARE WE SERIOUSLY USING MY FUCKIN’ PLANE AS A BOAT DAMMIT FINE WHATEVER IT TAKES TO FUCK SHINRA OVER”).

When Cid is 37 years old, him and Shera get divorced, the divorce documentation was initiated by Shera. Despite the fact that they haven’t even slept together in the same room in literal years, Cid was willing to live unhappily for her sake. She decides to stop that, but her mental health is still not the best and she has developed an attachment to him so she stays in Rocket Town “Taking care of him” as Cid goes in what Shera is afraid is a sort of self-destructive path.

Cid works on personal projects, flying people and cargo across The Planet and fixing and building things for other people. Shinra sends a Turk sometimes to spy on what he’s doing to make sure that whatever he’s building isn’t something that goes against Shinra. After all, they know he’s capable of building a ship with the right tools and Cid is quite crafty.

At 38 years old Cid is angry at Shinra, Shera, the planet, everyone really, and specially himself. He loathes Rocket Town but can’t bring himself to actually leave. He thinks he has to deal with what he thinks was the failure of his lifetime (“To atone for his sins” in a way *cough cough*). He starts flying people around and killing the Mako infected beasts that attack Rocket Town occasionally. He’s kept himself in shape all this time because habits are hard to break and he’s mildly paranoid of Turks (with good reason) and other shit he knows Shinra has been developing.

In the year he reaches 39 years of age he meets a group of eco-terrorist weirdos that seem to travel with the daughter of Ilfana, a scientist he once had the hots for back at Shinra.

Said group is made of a rogue traumatized SOLDIER, a girl who could kick his ass with her fists, Ilfana’s daughter who is actually a part of a now extinct ancient human race, what appears to be a talking lion, a robot cat that rides a mog, a teenage ninja girl that gets a kick out of calling him old, a mother hen in the shape of a very ripped man with a gun for an arm and a gunslinger vampire.

Then Cid Highwind goes to space, Vincent is next to him on the Rocket, Shera is Chief Mission Control working along with his old team who also decided to say “fuck you” to Shinra and have taken over a building. This is the start of a new chapter for him, finally.

By this point Cid had been telling himself he is not in love with Vincent for almost a year, you know, like a liar. He has never loved anyone like he loves Vincent. He used to love Shera, of course, but not like this. He still cares for her, but when he married Shera they were both 30 and it seemed like the right next thing they had to do. He never bothered to learn about Shera’s favorite books outside the ones related to their work or which desserts would make her close her eyes in delight. They would fuck when they were horny and sleep on the same bed but never did Cid whispered bad poetry against her collarbone and slept better when he could feel her hair against his shoulder.

When Sephiroth is defeated, Meteor is stopped by Holy and everyone goes home for a while to rest, him and Vincent talk and Vincent knows that he wants to stay with Cid but he is still so scared. Years of torture and trauma are slow to heal, sometimes they don’t heal ever, and Cid is okay with that. Whatever Vincent needs, Cid will give him. Vincent loves Cid so much he is willing to try.

Shera and Cid talk and she stays at the house for one more year before she finally decides to go over everything that happened and starts living her own life for herself.

When Cid is 41 years of age, him and Shera create HIGHWIND Corp as co-owners with Shera as CEO and Cid as Chief engineer. They work alongside the WRO to rebuilt the planet using sustainable energy and building sustainable hardware and software. Cid knows Shinra is involved, with Rufus re-building Shinra with an eco-perspective now. This time though, HIGHWIND Corp is negotiating through the WRO and Cid and Shera are not afraid to say “fuck you, no”.

Vincent comes and goes from Rocket Town. Cid buys some land almost in the middle of nowhere and stablishes his house, hangar and workshop there, Vincent follows. He has his own room at the house even if Cid and him sleep in the same bed most of the time and Vincent spends a lot of time perched somewhere on a crate looming over Cid at the workshop, usually reading and listening to Cid work.

Yuffie is also a common guest and she has her own room there as well.

Vincent receives a call from Reeve, there’s been a couple of disappearances and an organization that calls itself “the underground” seem to be responsible. Cid flies Vincent around on his mission to destroy the underground and happily blows some shit up.

After literal decades, Vincent finally faces the fact that he was a victim, that Lucretia was just as guilty as Hojo. He discovers what happened to Grimoire, visits his mother’s grave and is finally on the path to believing that he was not responsible for the awful things done to him.

Turns out that Vincent’s past demons are worst than his actual very real demons. He gets into common ground with them and they recognize him not only as their host but as their link to the Planet and are willing to fight for him.

Chaos decides to go against their nature as a demigod of death and destruction and they defeat Omega.

Chaos doesn’t go back to the planet, he stays with Vincent, although their relationship changes from “I was trapped inside in this vessel against my will and I’m angry” to “you are my host and we take care of the host, thank you for being our link to The Planet”.

The others agree. Vincent receives them not because he has to, but because he wants to.

[Vincent goes to Lucretia’s cave after that and he tells her about what he found in her and Hojo’s archives, tells her that he’s sorry he couldn’t protect her and that he knows and remembers what she did to him. For the first time he is not seeing her as perfect, just as she was: a scientist who wanted results, a human who was moved by the power of knowledge, imperfect, responsible for some of the scars on his body and his mind. She was not responsible for the perfect imagine of her he made up in his head. For his own unresolved trauma that lead him to believe he had to love her and she could have loved him.

Vincent tells her that Grimoire’s death was not her fault. How Vincent’s love for her sprouted out of a promise to Grimoire to keep her safe before he disappeared mixed with the guilt that he couldn’t keep his promise and her own obsession with Vincent, the last thing to remind her of Grimoire.

Then, Vincent tells Lucretia about Cid. About how he loves him and the way he loudly snores. About how Cid loves going star-watching. About how he’s been painting, The Planet and Vincent being his favorite subjects.

Vincent tells her about how he was so scared of falling in love again but then in those moments after defeating Omega and realizing he might die for real this time, he was more scared of Cid not knowing he loved him.

He tells her about how, when he fell to the ground, Chaos in distress inside of him, Vincent too tired, too many bones broken and internal bleeding to move, the realization that he was not healing settling in; he thought about his life, about his parents and Veld, about his new friends and Aerith, who he knew was watching over them from the livestream, about the letter Tifa would carry with her everywhere, the beautiful strokes of Aerith’s handwriting unmistakeable, even when a couple of years ago, tears had soaked the paper. About Cloud crying every night after he managed to remember who he was before he was experimented on by Hojo, about him carefully cradling the dog tags Tseng gave him after Meteor was gone, the same name on them that Cloud used to whisper on those long nights when he thought everyone in the party was already asleep: “Zack”.

He thought about Sephiroth believing Jenova was his mother instead of knowing of Lucretia, of having his own father treat him like an experiment. He thought of that young SOLDIER, Genesis, half broken and willing to sleep forever, just like Vincent once did.

He thought of Marlene and a distressed Barret wondering if his daughter was still alive, of Nanaki, still young and a guardian now. He thought of Shera and her husband and how their daughter liked frogs and helping Uncle Cid build rockets made of cardboard.

Thought of dumbapple pie from the dumbapple tree that randomly started growing in Cid’s land, about spring and Cid and Vincent building their garden.

He thought about home.

Finally in what would become the moment Vincent begins to let go he thanks her, forgives her, says goodbye and he means it. Then, the Planet finally lets Lucretia go, the cristal she was trapped in atoning for her own sins breaks, Jenova no longer existing, and she finally joins the Lifestream. ]

When Cid turns 45 years old, AVALANCHE celebrates at the Seventh Heaven, there are old and new faces alike, almost all of them familiar. Shera and her husband and kid are there too, with an older gentleman with a scar on his face that Vincent calls “partner”. The Turks had the nerve to turn up but Cid stops giving them the evil eye when Tseng walks straight to Vincent’s “Partner”, eyes red and upper lip trembling and hugs him. All this in seconds before the Turk is back to his serene almost stoic face.

Rufus Shinra sends a present with them, of fucking course. Reeve takes it from Cid’s hands before he rips it apart. Funnily enough, its a bottle of his favorite whiskey and an actual damn letter reading “My gift to you is not having to see my face for the whole day, you are welcome. No, the whiskey is not poisoned. Stop being so paranoid Captain Highwind” in it. “Yah, I’ll stop being paranoid of damn Shinra when that fuckin’ brat stops wearin’ suits with more belts than the ones that’re supposed to keep yer pants up and yer gun in place, dammit!”

When Cid is 55 years of age, him and Vincent attend Yuffie’s wedding (They care for her. She didnt imprint on them, they imprinted on her. Vincent still calls her to remind her to eat enough vegetables every week even when she’s over 30, Cid still calls her ‘brat’).

Vincent wears a suit, Cerberus rests in its holster on his right thigh and if he appears behind Cid with an actual shovel, eyes glowing Mako red and Chaos golden as Cid’s having a “friendly talk” with the groom…thats between him, Cid and the poor bastard. Cid wears his Captain uniform. Both look hot as hell. Both rail each other after the reception. Life is good.

(Check out @mamoru-chiba-ua ‘s art for the reference of Cid and Vincent at Yuffie’s wedding)

[fear-is-truth]

hey girl currently deciding between subjects for school it’s either aircraft engineering or defence law any tips ??

1. what are you into ?

aircraft engineering: mainly focused on science, math, & getting your hands on tech. do you like figuring out how things work, solving technical problems, and working on projects that have real-world applications?

defence law: this path is more abt critical thinking, communication, understanding legal systems. are you interested in debates, policies, and the idea of working in areas like military law, advising/ representing clients?

2. think about job opportunities !

aircraft engineering: you could work with aerospace companies, defense contractors, or even projects focused on space exploration <3 . jobs usually pay well but can mean long hours and relocation.

defence law: roles could be in government, private firms, or military legal systems. it could involve more paperwork, policy work, or litigation etc. just consider if you’re okay with the time and cost of going through law school if that’s what’s needed.

3. do some research + ask ppl online !

search reddit or quora to find people in each field talking about their experiences. for aircraft engineering, i’ve already found a reddit thread here. as for defense law, it might vary depending on your country, so it’s tricky to give specific advice, but you’ll likely find some useful perspectives on these platforms. hearing firsthand experiences can help you get a better sense of what each job involves.

4. practical stuff to consider !!

how long will education take?

what are the costs like?

are there more opportunities for one career in places where you’d wanna live or work?

5. interest is key ! super important !!!!

you don’t have to be super passionate about either choice, but you should at least have some curiosity or interest. otherwise, it’ll be hard to stay motivated if you end up in a career you don’t care about… and that’s hell.

if you’re still a lil unsure (completely understandable btw), perhaps you could look into areas where the two overlap; e.g. legal compliance in aerospace or defense policy work. ultimately, choose the path that best matches where you see yourself in the future.

disclaimer: this is just my silly advice, and i hope it helps in some way. you know yourself best, so take your time, do some research, and chat with family or anyone you trust. i’m already so proud of you & wishing you the absolute best of luck with whatever path you choose—you’ve got this pooks !!! 🤍🤍

[jcmarchi]

“No one can work in civil engineering alone”

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/no-one-can-work-in-civil-engineering-alone/

“No one can work in civil engineering alone”

Growing up in Colorado Springs, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Mikayla Britsch was encouraged to care deeply about the area’s natural resources and the people who lived there. She followed the news from a young age, as did her parents, who were vocal about current events and worked in “people-centric” positions that served members of the public.

Britsch knew that she, too, wanted her work to be socially driven. Living in an extremely car-oriented city, she became interested in public transportation. At MIT, she decided to follow the path of her grandfather, a civil engineer, and majored in civil and environmental engineering, with a minor in Spanish.

“Being a civil engineer is a career but also a vocation, a calling to use math and science to solve societal problems and help or improve communities,” Britsch says. “It calls on you to be in constant dialogue with others. No one can work in civil engineering alone; you work with colleagues, transportation planners, architects, clients, and the public for even the most basic project.”

At MIT, Britsch has studied ways to improve transportation systems and engage with the public, through several research and extracurricular opportunities. She has worked in the Department of Urban Studies for two Undergraduate Research Opportunities, or UROPs, which involved researching different public transit agencies to study their responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Her capstone project looks at how to deliver packages more efficiently, something Britsch says will make structural systems better for individuals, our environment, and our society.

This research, along with tutoring jobs, teaching and researching abroad, and participating in the mock trial team, has given Britsch a sense of the work she hopes to do in the future. “It would be nice to work in a combination of transportation engineering and public policy, using what I’ve learned at MIT and from the people I’ve met to improve transportation,” she says.

After graduation, Britsch plans to work as a transportation engineer in Colorado before going to graduate school.

Thriving on social interaction

Britsch has an affinity for communication, and considers “talking a lot,” to be one of the most integral aspects of her identity.

Her interest in the Spanish language began in high school, and carried into college, “I fell in love with Spanish. It really clicked in my mind in a way, and I got invested in learning about it,” she says. Britsch is fluent in the language and continues to immerse her studies in the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries.

She values communication in her on-campus jobs as well. She works as a tutor and a tour guide and delights in engaging with new groups of people weekly. Britsch also enjoys socializing with the members of her living community, McCormick Hall, MIT’s all-female dormitory, “It’s very homey. There’s also a lot of safety and community in this space,” she says.

Britsch cites her communities on campus — her close-knit civil engineering major, the mock trial team, and the Lutheran Episcopal Ministry — as other important social outlets. She says she has gained some of her closest friends from these groups, “When you spend so much time in practices and competitions, it becomes a community.”

Following her final mock trial competition last month, Britsch and her team came together for a movie night to celebrate their hard work. Britsch has an ongoing list of her favorite childhood movies she believes “are important for other people to watch,” that she is currently working through with her friends.

Travel, and motivating others

One of Britsch’s goals before starting MIT was to implement her language education abroad in South America, which she did through the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI). Her first MISTI experience was in the summer of 2022 when she traveled to Santiago, Chile, where she worked at the University of Chile researching optimal placements for public electric-vehicle charging stations in the city.

Although she had to overcome the challenges of a different culture, climate, and language dialect, Britsch says the experience was rewarding: “I learned a lot about Chile in my Spanish classes, and it’s a really interesting country.”

Britsch also lived in Mexico in January 2023 and Spain in January 2024 for MIT’s Global Teaching Labs program. She taught statistics, calculus, and algebra to students ranging from preschool to 12th grade. Working in multiple schools and grade levels was a “cool” way to learn about how education varies in other countries, as well as a nostalgic reminder of her time as a grade-school student, she says.

Britsch reflects on her MISTI experiences fondly and claims, “If I could have, I would’ve done it every year.” She hopes to continue visiting Spanish-speaking countries after college and is considering pursuing temporary teaching abroad opportunities in the future.

In her work as a tutor on campus, Britsch finds joy in motivating others in their academic pursuits. She has tutored friends and her dorm members and is employed through the Talented Scholars Resource Room. She is a teaching assistant for an aerospace computer science course as well.

About mentoring, Britsch reflects, “I always relied on myself to do things but when I came to MIT, I realized it’s impossible to rely on just yourself. You can’t be successful without help from other people. A lot of the reason that I like tutoring is because I want to show people that asking for help isn’t a bad thing.”

[lboogie1906]

Richard A. Collins (1939) was an Engineering Executive and Chief Design Engineer at the Boeing Company. Born in Ft. Lauderdale to Marcellus Sterling and Anita Collins. He received his BS degree in Mathematics and Chemistry from Morehouse College and received his MBA from Seattle University.

He began his engineering career at the US Weather Service. He began working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Boeing Company recruited him as a software engineer in the Space and Defense Division. He led the Boeing software design and development team for the nation’s first personal rapid transit system in Morgantown, West Virginia.

He served as the Chief Design Engineer for the National and International Aerospace Systems. He was the Chief Design engineer of the Air Force’s Weapon Control System. He led the Millimeter Wave Radar Target Acquisition and Terminal Guidance System technology development, upgraded the Command and Control system for the Navy’s Mercury Communication Control Aircraft, and led the multi-billion-dollar Army Future Combat Systems program.

He completed advanced management programs at the Defense System Management College, Carnegie Mellon University’s Graduate School of Industrial Administration, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the Center for Creative Leadership.

Among his recognitions are the Colorado Outward Bound Competition; Boeing Sustained Quality Performance Award; Outstanding Leadership of Millimeter Wave Terminal Guidance Technology Development; National Black Engineer Nominee of the Year; and First Flight of Red Rover Aerostat-Hot-Air Balloon.

He was President of Morehouse College Club of Seattle; Sire Archon of Alpha Omicron Boule of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity; Board of Directors for Seattle Big Brothers, Seattle Monorail Expansion, and Seattle First Tee. Memberships include NAACP Life Member; Omega Psi Fraternity; Association of Computing Machinery; Strathmore’s Who’s Who in American Science and Engineering; and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

He and his wife, Minnie have two children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #sigmapiphi #omegapsiphi

[world-of-wales]

THE PRINCESS DIARIES ♚

14 JULY 2023 || RAIT Techno Zone, RAF FAIRFORD

During her visit to the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) with Prince William and their children, Catherine connected with cadets and stopped by the Techno Zone.

The Techno Zone at the RAIT aims to inspire young people to learn more about science, technology, engineering and math and consider careers in engineering, aviation and aerospace.

She also met winners of Road to RIAT, a year-long competition that challenged students from 300 schools across the U.K. to design a sustainable aircraft for the future of the RAF.

[anumberofhobbies]

Just ordered this after having added it to wish list last year. Insomnia, pain, it was the perfect time to order a book with money I really needed to save for the upcoming heating bill. ;D But, hey, book was about 20% off, got free shipping, and there was a seven dollar gift card balance I didn't know I had that amazon applied to it. I'm going to call it a wise order. ;D

Nuclear Rockets: To the Moon and Mars Paperback – April 16, 2023 by Manfred "Dutch" von Ehrenfried (Author) 4.0 out of 5 stars   (2) See all formats and editions So why is NASA refocusing its efforts on Nuclear Thermal Propulsion now, when chemical propulsion is so well established for human spaceflight? The reason is that future proposed flights are getting much longer and studies have shown that long-duration, weightless spaceflight has a lot of deleterious effects on the human body. When considering a flight to Mars takes a minimum of 2-3 years roundtrip, anything we can do to shorten the total mission time is highly desirable; if not mandatory. The longer the mission, the more exposure to galactic cosmic radiation, solar particles and coronal mass ejections, medical problems, and potential emergencies. A first-generation nuclear cryogenic propulsion system could propel human explorers to Mars more efficiently than conventional spacecraft, reducing the crews' exposure to harmful space radiation and other effects of long-term space missions. It could also transport heavy cargo and science payloads. A nuclear rocket engine uses a nuclear reactor to heat hydrogen to very high temperatures, which expands through a nozzle to generate thrust. Nuclear rocket engines generate higher thrust and are more than twice as efficient as conventional chemical rocket engines; just what’s needed for the crew to better survive the long-duration missions to Mars. In 1959, NASA replaced the Air Force in the development of the nuclear rocket and the mission changed from a nuclear missile to a nuclear rocket for long-duration space flight.  Working with the DOE National Laboratories they worked on various research projects for 17 years including the Rover, NERVA, Kiwi, Pewee, and Phoebus rockets. In the late 1960s, the rising cost of the Vietnam War put increased pressure on budgets. It was determined that the Apollo program did not need nuclear rockets. Over the years, Congress support for the nuclear thermal propulsion projects including the Saturn upper stage, lunar and Mars missions, and the "Grand Tour" of the Solar System waned; nuclear rocket efforts were canceled in 1973. Now, there is renewed interest in picking up from those early efforts to produce nuclear rockets using state-of-the-art technology for deep space missions. NASA, DOD, and DARPA have teamed up to let contracts to many aerospace companies in order to define the best designs for nuclear thermal propulsion and nuclear fission power for surface energy applications. This book covers the past and present efforts that will lead to supporting near future cis-lunar and Mars missions. " Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (April 16, 2023) Language ‏ : ‎ English Paperback ‏ : ‎ 270 pages ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8377421252 Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.22 pounds Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.69 x 0.64 x 9.61 inches

[welcome-to-green-hills]

So what do you think happened in between the time that Shadow was ejected from the ark and to earth after the ark raid fifty years ago? I really hope that is explored a bit more in the third film. On top of that, I think that you should treat yourself and go all sciencey with this post well. Mainly because I want to know your thoughts on the matter and I love reading your science posts and whatnot

Hello, my dear!❤️✨

I completely agree. I do hope that this is explored a bit more in the film. It wasn't entirely clear as to what happened within that time-frame in the games. I'm sure that many of us have an idea as to what happened with Shadow as he crashed to Earth from the ARK in Sonic Adventure 2. From my perspective, it seemed like Shadow had a bit of time on Earth before GUN Soldiers came to retrieve him from the escape pod.

Onto to your last bit, are you asking me what would happen to Shadow as he crashed to Earth? Like... in a real world perspective? Something realistic? Uh, I can try and go all science-y like you've asked. Please keep in mind that my background in science is anthropological rather than astronomy and such.

The first thing that I should address is that most of my comparisons are in a modern-day setting. Yes, we can see that everything in the Sonic universe is technologically advanced, but we can't begin to fathom HOW advance they really are. We're only going on the notion that they're incredibly advanced. My logic and retelling of the situation is hypothetical. It should not be taken as a hard fact.

Let’s establish Shadow’s setting before diving into the intensity of the situation. Applying logic of modern day technology to the situation, we know that a shuttle from the earth to the moon is roughly three days (Dobrijevic, 2023). This is made with the assumption of using 21st century aerospace engineering/dynamics. We, as the audience, see that science and technology in Sonic's universe is highly advanced. The problem with this is that we don't necessarily have a strong understanding of how advanced it truly is. We can assume that it's drastically different from ours, but can't place a marker in time how how many years into the future it truly is. The best that we can say is that it's highly advanced. For the sake of my sanity and yours, we'll say that the escape pod's projection from the ARK to earth is in three days or less. (This is based upon the assumption that the escape pod cannot be piloted on Shadow's end).

What we need to realize is that Shadow is in a state of shock. Everything that happened on the ARK is still fresh in mind. That moment replays over and over again. When someone is in a state of shock, your entire body in sensory overload. Blood flow drops and resorts in a plethora of symptoms. Symptoms like irregular and labored breathing, cold and clammy skin, enlarged pupils, changes in mental behavior, and so forth (Mayo Clinic, 2023). These symptoms can vary depending on the intensity of the situation. And if anything, the ability to think rationally dwindles. The popular thought that the fandom has was why Shadow couldn’t teleport back to the ARK when ejected into space. While this may have seen like a logical idea, even if he bypasses his mental state of shock, there is a problem with canon rule. Before the rule change, Shadow could only use chaos control to teleport unless he possessed an emerald (Takashi lizuka, 2013). Chaos Control is different than a Chaos Snap, meaning that distance is a factor. This was the canon rule for when SA2 was released in 2001. Even if he were to rationally think and formulate a plan, he wouldn't get very far. He’s completely trapped in the escape pod.

Other than going through a state of shock, he learns how to quickly adapt to the void of space. These are physical changes. A few queries that are stressed from astronauts is how they must relearn to adjustment to earth's gravity, natural lighting, and sound after space travel. These assumptions could be implied with Shadow as well.

In space, Shadow learns to adjust to the light intake that's around him. There isn’t a lot of light, but there's enough for him to see stars, planets, and the ARK. Since the ARK functions as a space station, we can conclude that he exposed to select adaptations of light cycles is present (Guo et. al, 2014). This means that he's adapted a circadian (biological) clock and sleep cycles. His natural habitat is space; his circadian clock matches space time. Entering into a new habitat with a different volume of light intake may mess with him completely. Other than affecting his sleep cycle, it will affect how he's able to see in a brighter setting. This could potentially result in temporary blindness. So even landing on earth, he wouldn't be able to get very far due to lack of vision problems.

Another factor to mention is his adaptation to earth's gravity. We must assume that the ARK has his own gravitation field and one similar to earth. I stress the word "similar" because it's not a complete replica. It's artificial. We cannot make the assumption that the escape pod possesses a gravitational field like the ARK—we lack that detail in SA2. Therefore, we must conclude that Shadow is subjected to weightlessness. We've learned from physiological study that extended periods of time in space will result a change in how the body adapts to earth's atmosphere (Cranford & Turner, 2021). Since Shadow is isolated in an enclosed environment for a specific amount of time, his perception of spacial orientation, head-eye/hand-eye coordination, general locomotion, and balance might be minimal. There would still be difficulties of adjusting to earth, but he wouldn't spend countless years of his lift trying to adapt.

Finally, there's the adjustment to sound. The unit of sound is measured in a decibel. The decibel value can increase and decrease depending on the environment. Typically, we hear a sound frequency at a decibel of 70 in every day activity (Editor, 2018). This is the equivalent of hearing car horns or a crowd of people talking in a store. Compared to everyday life on the ARK, Shadow is thrown into the void of space. The lack of sound—other than his own breathing (which can be measured at a decibel of 10 in sound frequency)—will be what he’s used to hearing. Once welcomed to earth, the frequency of sound that he’s used to is quickly forgotten. The natural and human sounds that come from earth may be too loud for him to comprehend at first. This could result in ringing of the ears and muffled noises. Since he was not trapped in space for a prolonged period of time in the escape pod, he will adjust eventually.

If Shadow was able to land on earth safely before GUN Soldiers came to retrieve him, then realistically he'd spend some time recovering from his escape. He wouldn't be moving around a lot. Then again, I'm not entirely sure of his recovery rate in order to say this with confidence. It would only be a matter of time before he was found and imprisoned with his creator by the United Federation. As I've said before, this is all hypothetical.

Jesus Christ this turned really dark... I hope this answers your question.

[dailybugle-blr]

For Immediate Release New York City, July 12

New York Celebrates Avengers' Environmental Initiative

NEW YORK CITY - In an unexpected but widely celebrated move, the Avengers have announced a groundbreaking initiative aimed at tackling climate change and promoting sustainability across the globe. Spearheaded by Tony Stark, the project seeks to leverage advanced technology and the Avengers' considerable resources to combat environmental degradation.

"This isn't just about fighting villains anymore," said Stark at a press conference held at Avengers Tower. "We're facing an existential threat, and it's time for us to step up and protect the planet we call home."

The initiative, dubbed "Green Horizon," focuses on several key areas: renewable energy development, ocean cleanup efforts, reforestation projects, and the reduction of carbon emissions. Stark Industries has committed to transitioning all its facilities to run on 100% renewable energy within the next five years.

Joining Stark in this ambitious endeavor are Bruce Banner, also known as the Hulk, who will lend his expertise in scientific research, and Thor, who plans to utilize Asgardian technology to aid in environmental restoration efforts. Banner emphasized the importance of using science and innovation to address the crisis, stating, "We have the tools and the knowledge to make a significant impact. Now, it's about putting them to use for the greater good."

Public response to the Avengers' new mission has been overwhelmingly positive. Environmental groups have lauded the initiative as a major step forward, while citizens are inspired by their heroes' commitment to a sustainable future.

"This is exactly what we need," said Lorraine Simmons, a climate activist based in New York. "The Avengers have always protected us from threats. It's incredible to see them take on the fight against climate change."

However, not everyone is on board. Critics argue that the Avengers should stick to their traditional role of battling supervillains and leave environmental issues to established organizations. Despite this, Stark remains undeterred.

"Protecting the planet is the ultimate mission," Stark declared. "We're in this for the long haul."

As the Avengers embark on this new chapter, the world watches with hopeful eyes. Their efforts may not only save the planet but also inspire a global movement towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

Contact:

Mark Johnson Director of Public Relations Stark Industries (555) 987-6543 mark.johnson@si.com

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About Stark Industries: Stark Industries is a global leader in innovation and technology, specializing in aerospace, defense, and sustainable energy solutions. With a commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible, Stark Industries is dedicated to making the world a better place through innovation and ingenuity.