Dominique Luchart's Blog, page 657
April 8, 2021
Space-based solar power getting key test aboard US military’s mysterious X-37B space plane, ,
A U.S. military space plane is being used to flight-validate the best ways to gather the sun’s energy for power beaming from Earth orbit.
In mid-March, the latest classified mission of the U.S. Space Force’s X-37B robotic space plane winged past 300 days in Earth orbit.
Most of the robotic space drone’s duties on this mission, known as Orbital Test Vehicle-6 (OTV-6), are a tightly held secret. However, one known bit of research that the craft carries is the Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module Flight Experiment, or PRAM-FX.
The US Military’s secretive X-37B space plane: 6 surprising facts
PRAM-FX is a Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) experiment that’s investigating transforming solar power into radio frequency (RF) microwave energy. PRAM-FX is a 12-inch (30.5 centimeters) square tile that collects solar energy and converts it to RF power.
Paul Jaffe, the innovation power beaming and space solar portfolio lead at NRL, said that PRAM-FX is not beaming microwave energy anywhere. Rather, the experiment is gauging the performance of sunlight-to-microwave conversion. To be measured is how the PRAM is performing from an efficiency standpoint and also from a thermal performance stance, he said.
Preliminary resultsThat in-space task is relatively simple. But PRAM-FX helps advance a more ambitious objective — soaking up the sun’s energy and broadcasting that power to an energy-hungry Earth.
The first preliminary results from PRAM-FX aboard OTV-6 were published in January as part of a review paper co-authored by Jaffe in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Journal of Microwaves.
“Though these results are preliminary, they compare favorably with the performance documented in ground testing, which also demonstrated 8% total module efficiency. As the experiment proceeds, a full picture of the module’s performance under different illumination and temperature conditions in the space environment will be uncovered,” the IEEE paper points out.
PRAM-FX is a key orbital test for space solar architectures. But what’s next?
Related: How the secretive X-37B space plane works (infographic)
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An artist’s rendering of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Arachne spacecraft, part of a multi-phased effort to develop a space-based solar power transmission system capable of providing usable power regardless of time of day, latitude or weather. (Image credit: AFRL/Melissa Grim, Partise)Step-by-step phasesThe Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has blueprinted a major demonstration project that aims to beam power collected in space to expeditionary forces on Earth. That project is called the Space Solar Power Incremental Demonstrations and Research (SSPIDR).
As outlined in the IEEE paper, SSPIDR’s demonstrations include experiments called Arachne, SPINDLE, and SPIRRAL.
“Arachne will be the world’s first space-to-ground power beaming demonstration of a solar-to-RF modular panel with in-situ surface-shape measurement to optimize beam formation. The solar-to-RF panel technology is designed to scale to very large apertures and to support high volume, low-cost manufacturing,” the paper reads.
Arache is scheduled to fly in 2024. AFRL received the first flight hardware component of the Arachne spacecraft from Northrop Grumman last December.
SPINDLE will test on-orbit deployment of a sub-scale version of the operational system. And SPIRRAL “will test thermal management approaches to ensure a long-lasting, high-performance system,” the paper reads.
If all goes according to plan, SPIRRAL will launch in 2023 as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISS-E) Flight Facility. MISS-E is an in-orbit platform from Alpha Space Test and Research Alliance that’s designed to be deployed externally on the International Space Station.
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A depiction of the Space Solar Power Incremental and Demonstrations Research (SSPIDR) project, which aims to beam solar power from space to Earth. SSPIDR consists of several small-scale flight experiments that will mature technology needed to build a prototype solar power distribution system. (Image credit: Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL))Limitless and sustainable energyJohn Mankins is a longtime advocate of space power beaming and author of “The Case for Space Solar Power” (Virginia Edition Publishing, 2014). He worked at NASA for 25 years and is now president of Artemis Innovation Management Solutions, LLC.
Space solar power has the potential to transform humankind’s future in space, and it might provide a new source of virtually limitless and sustainable energy to markets across the world. So, Mankins said, why wouldn’t we pursue such technology?
“There is an array of new players in wireless power transmission — both via radio frequency and laser — in the U.S. and internationally,” Mankins told Space.com. “China has just approved the formation of a national-level committee on space solar power and wireless power transmission, which will increase the prominence of their already strong research and development program.”
Mankins also points to the United Kingdom. That nation is now exploring the possibility of joining the international space solar power and wireless power transmission community, with a major assessment completed in January of this year.
Looking outward beyond Earth, new applications of wireless power transmission are emerging in lunar exploration planning, Mankins said, where the ice deposits are located exclusively in permanent shadowed regions at temperatures around minus 390 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 234 degrees Celsius).
“But hundreds of kilowatts of power will be needed to mine and process the water ice to make useful materials, such as propellants. Wireless power might be the answer to providing that power,” Mankins suggested.
Highly valued assetOverall, the prospects look encouraging that space power beaming may be a highly valued asset in the commercial sector.
The technology may have a future akin to that of the United States’ Global Positioning System, which started out as a military asset and transitioned to a globally utilized technology, experts say. Perhaps solar power beaming will become widely used down the road, providing plentiful solar energy everywhere regardless of the local weather, time of day or latitude.
By the way, for you techno-history buffs: Nikola Tesla originated the concept of large-scale power transfer via free space at the turn of the 20th century!
Leonard David is author of “Moon Rush: The New Space Race,” which was published by National Geographic in May 2019. A longtime writer for Space.com, David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. This version of the story published on Space.com.
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Yuri’s Night 2021: Celebrate human spaceflight’s 60th anniversary with Bill Nye, astronauts, OK Go and more, ,
Celebrate human spaceflight at Yuri’s Night this Saturday (April 10) with Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye (aka the Science Guy), former NASA astronaut and NFL player Leland Melvin, Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson, the band OK Go, Inspiration4 astronaut Sian Proctor among other special space guests.
Monday, April 12 marks two major space anniversaries: 60 years since the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space (April 12, 1961) and 40 years since the first space shuttle flight (April 12, 1981).
Yuri’s Night, an annual event co-created by author and spaceflight advocate Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides and Chief Space Officer of Virgin Galactic George Whitesides that celebrates human spaceflight, will also be celebrating its 20th anniversary with this year’s Global Livestream event.
Related: How the first human spaceflight worked (infographic)
This year, Yuri’s Night is virtual with a global event with the theme of “Earthseed,” a reference to the book “Parable of the Sower” by sci-fi writer Octavia E. Butler. NASA “Octavia E. Butler Landing” after the author.
“The book shares a powerful vision for a spiritual path that can bring communities together during hard times and inspire them with a vision of bringing life to the stars,” the Yuri’s Night team said in a statement emailed to Space.com. “That vision seemed fitting this year,” Loretta Whitesides said in the statement.
Yuri’s Night will feature a number of exciting events and performances throughout the evening. Of the activities you can expect, OK Go will be debuting a brand new collaborative music video project made with the help of fans from home during the pandemic.
This year, you can even show up a full day early to the Yuri’s Night celebration as on Friday (April 9), there will be a special event on Twitch featuring Everyday Astronaut, author and spaceflight historian Amy Shira Teitel and YouTube personality and astrophysicist Scott Manly.
How to attend the partyAs it’s a virtual event, Yuri’s Night 2021 will be available for all around the world to attend online. You can watch the event live here on Space.com and on YouTube and find more information about the event at the Yuri’s Night website. The event will begin at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT).
You can even host your own virtual watch party alongside the Livestream and enjoy the event with your friends over Zoom.
Yuri’s Night is a free event, but for those who want to get a bit closer to the action there are two paid experience options: a “Backstage Pass,” which includes a pre-show party, celebrity guest video chats and an after party, and a “VVIP package,” which additionally includes “swag,” drinks shipped to your home and a private online party with private astronaut Richard Garriott. You can learn more about these options on the Yuri’s Night website.
Special guestsThis year, Yuri’s Night will feature a number of appearances by special guests including: Bill Nye, Sir Richard Branson, Sian Proctor, Leland Melvin, Richard Garriott, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, Star Trek Executive Producer Rod Roddenberry, National Geographic Explorer Wasfia Nazreen, the Everyday Astronaut Tim Dodd, Tesla Pickup builder Simone Giertz, former SpaceX Director of Design Hillary Coe, Kelvin Manning, Associate Director of Kennedy Space Center, Frank White, author of the Overview Effect and Virgin Galactic flight ticket-holder Trevor Beattie.
Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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Today I learned about Intel’s AI sliders that filter online gaming abuse, Jon Porter
Image: IntelLast month during its virtual GDC presentation Intel announced Bleep, a new AI-powered tool that it hopes will cut down on the amount of toxicity gamers have to experience in voice chat. According to Intel, the app “uses AI to detect and redact audio based on user preferences.” The filter works on incoming audio, acting as an additional user-controlled layer of moderation on top of what a platform or service already offers.
It’s a noble effort, but there’s something bleakly funny about Bleep’s interface, which lists in minute detail all of the different categories of abuse that people might encounter online, paired with sliders to control the quantity of mistreatment users want to hear. Categories range anywhere from “Aggression” to…
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Today I learned about Intel’s AI sliders that filter online gaming abuse,
Last month during its virtual GDC presentation Intel announced Bleep, a new AI-powered tool that it hopes will cut down on the amount of toxicity gamers have to experience in voice chat. According to Intel, the app “uses AI to detect and redact audio based on user preferences.” The filter works on incoming audio, acting as an additional user-controlled layer of moderation on top of what a platform or service already offers.
It’s a noble effort, but there’s something bleakly funny about Bleep’s interface, which lists in minute detail all of the different categories of abuse that people might encounter online, paired with sliders to control the quantity of mistreatment users want to hear. Categories range anywhere from “Aggression” to “LGBTQ+ Hate,” “Misogyny,” “Racism and Xenophobia,” and “White nationalism.” There’s even a toggle for the N-word. Bleep’s page notes that it’s yet to enter public beta, so all of this is subject to change.
Filters include “Aggression,” “Misogyny” …Credit: Intel
… and a toggle for the “N-word.”Image: IntelWith the majority of these categories, Bleep appears to give users a choice: would you like none, some, most, or all of this offensive language to be filtered out? Like choosing from a buffet of toxic internet slurry, Intel’s interface gives players the option of sprinkling in a light serving of aggression or name-calling into their online gaming.
Bleep has been in the works for a couple of years now — PCMag notes that Intel talked about this initiative way back at GDC 2019 — and it’s working with AI moderation specialists Spirit AI on the software. But moderating online spaces using artificial intelligence is no easy feat as platforms like Facebook and YouTube have shown. Although automated systems can identify straightforwardly offensive words, they often fail to consider the context and nuance of certain insults and threats. Online toxicity comes in many, constantly evolving forms that can be difficult for even the most advanced AI moderation systems to spot.
“While we recognize that solutions like Bleep don’t erase the problem, we believe it’s a step in the right direction, giving gamers a tool to control their experience,” Intel’s Roger Chandler said during its GDC demonstration. Intel says it hopes to release Bleep later this year, and adds that the technology relies on its hardware accelerated AI speech detection, suggesting that the software may rely on Intel hardware to run.
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Facebook hopes tiny labels on posts will stop users confusing satire with reality,
Facebook is adding additional labels to posts from Pages that appear in users’ News Feeds in a bid to reduce confusion about their origin. These labels will include “public official,” “fan page,” and “satire page.” The company says it’s already started testing the deployment of these labels in the US, and will gradually add them to more posts.
Facebook hasn’t offered any explanation as to why it’s adding these labels, but identifying satire seems particularly important. Take a look at the social shares for any news articles written by well-known satirical sites like The Onion or The Babylon Bee and you’ll find plenty of people taking these stories at face value. In such a context these posts are essentially a type of misinformation, even if their creators did not intend this. Even high profile figures like former president Donald Trump have mistaken these stories for real reports.
Starting today in the US, we’re testing a way to give people more context about the Pages they see. We’ll gradually start applying labels including ‘public official,’ ‘fan page’ or ‘satire page’ to posts in News Feed, so people can better understand who they’re coming from. pic.twitter.com/Bloc3b2ycb
— Facebook Newsroom (@fbnewsroom)
This isn’t the first time the social network giant has tried to make the context of posts in the News Feed clearer. In June last year it began labeling media outlets which are “wholly or partially under the editorial control of their government.” Such outlets need labels, argued Facebook, because “they combine the influence of a media organization with the strategic backing of a state, and we believe people should know if the news they read is coming from a publication that may be under the influence of a government.”
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Facebook hopes tiny labels on posts will stop users confusing satire with reality, James Vincent
Satire pages will now be labelled as such, along with public officials, fan pages, and government news outlets. | Image: FacebookFacebook is adding additional labels to posts from Pages that appear in users’ News Feeds in a bid to reduce confusion about their origin. These labels will include “public official,” “fan page,” and “satire page.” The company says it’s already started testing the deployment of these labels in the US, and will gradually add them to more posts.
Facebook hasn’t offered any explanation as to why it’s adding these labels, but identifying satire seems particularly important. Take a look at the social shares for any news articles written by well-known satirical sites like The Onion or The Babylon Bee and you’ll find plenty of people taking these stories at face value. In such a context these posts are essentially a type of misinformation, even…
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Global chip shortage hits iPad and MacBook production, says report,
Apple has not been spared the effects of the ongoing global component shortage, according to a new report in Nikkei. The publication says that some production of MacBooks and iPads has been delayed, with “a portion of component orders” pushed back to the second half of 2021.
The issue with MacBooks is said to be related to the ability to mount certain components on circuit boards ahead of the device’s assembly. Delayed iPad production, meanwhile, is apparently because of a shortage of displays and display components. Bloomberg reported earlier this week on how the squeezed supply of display drivers is causing a bottleneck across the entire tech industry.
Nikkei didn’t state which MacBook or iPad models would be affected, nor whether the postponed production was for existing devices or yet-to-be-announced updates. Apple is widely expected to launch new versions of the iPad Pro this year, as well as continuing the transition to deploying its own processors across the entire Mac line. Analyst Ming-chi Kuo recently said that a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a Mini LED display would go into mass production this month.
iPhone production is said to be unaffected so far, though two sources described component supply as “quite tight.” Nikkei says the shortage “remains a supply chain issue for Apple and has not yet had an impact on product availability.”
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Global chip shortage hits iPad and MacBook production, says report, Sam Byford
Photo by Dieter Bohn / The VergeApple has not been spared the effects of the ongoing global component shortage, according to a new report in Nikkei. The publication says that some production of MacBooks and iPads has been delayed, with “a portion of component orders” pushed back to the second half of 2021.
The issue with MacBooks is said to be related to the ability to mount certain components on circuit boards ahead of the device’s assembly. Delayed iPad production, meanwhile, is apparently because of a shortage of displays and display components. Bloomberg reported earlier this week on how the squeezed supply of display drivers is causing a bottleneck across the entire tech industry.
Nikkei didn’t state which MacBook or iPad models would be affected, nor whether the…
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April 7, 2021
Blue dot, which helps companies manage their tax accounting, raises $32M led by Ibex Investors and Lutetia Technology Partners (Ingrid Lunden/TechCrunch)
The post Blue dot, which helps companies manage their tax accounting, raises $32M led by Ibex Investors and Lutetia Technology Partners (Ingrid Lunden/TechCrunch) appeared first on NEWDAWN Blog.
The long-lost Lord of the Rings adaptation from Soviet Russia is a glorious fever dream,
You may think you’re familiar with The Lord of the Rings, but nothing can quite prepare you for an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy text made in the Soviet Union.
The made-for-TV film first aired on Leningrad Television in 1991 and was thought to be lost to time, as first reported by The Guardian. But the station’s successor, 5TV, recently unearthed a copy from its archives, and uploaded the entire work to YouTube in two parts.
With a running time of around 1 hour and 50 minutes, this adaptation focuses only on the first book of Tolkein’s trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, and is a riot of low-budget special effects, bizarre camera work, and Soviet mood music.
Rather than the epic Hollywood fantasy captured so well by Peter Jackson, this adaptation feels like a weird fairy tale told by a pipe-smoking madman in the woods. In other words: it captures a completely legitimate aspect of The Lord of the Rings, just not one we’re necessarily used to.
If you’ve not got time to watch the whole thing, here are a few choice moments, as helpfully identified and time-stamped by YouTube user Chris Staecker in two comments:
The opening sequence . Featuring music composed by Andrei Romanov of Russian rock group Akvarium, an incredibly bleary shot of the One Ring, and snippets of the Nazgul riding through the snow.
Gandalf’s arrival at Bilbo’s birthday party and a fireworks display
. Look, when we said the special effects weren’t up to much, we meant it. Gandalf is missing his familiar staff and wizard’s hat, but otherwise looks perfectly wise and / or smug. 
Smeagol fights Deagol, claims the One Ring and turns into Gollum
. For the Soviet adaptation there’s none of that “slow transformation into a hideous shadow of his former self” for Smeagol. Nope: he puts on the ring and suddenly he’s mister green skin sneaky hands. And why exactly is the chorus going “rrrrrrr” over and over in the background? That, my friend, is a little thing called ambience. 
The hobbits set out on their adventure
. If this bit looks like behind the scenes footage from a 1990s theater troupe that’s because it is. Where did the sleigh come from? Why is that one hobbit arguing with a mouthful of food? Who gives a damn. Skip forward also to see them trapped in the Old Forest. 
It’s old Tom Bombadil, that merry fellow!
Here he is: one of the oddest of Tolkien’s characters, a mysterious figure who might be god, and who was left out of Peter Jackson’s adaptation for being extraneous to the plot. He can certainly be removed from the story without much damage but it’s still a joy to see him here with his wife Goldberry. 
Frodo meets Aragorn at The Prancing Pony
. As Staecker notes, the creators have, by this point, given up on trying to make the hobbits look smaller than the other characters. Soviet Aragorn has decidedly less sexy mystique than Viggo Mortensen, but really who doesn’t. 
The council of Elrond
. It feels more like a scene from one of Shakespeare’s history plays than the lush elegance of Jackson’s Rivendell but it does the job. Skip forward to see Saruman warn Gandalf of the coming orc army, beautifully rendered as little dudes in horned helmets swiping at nothing at the bottom of the screen. 
Gandalf makes his escape with the help of the eagles
. Could they have picked a less bug-eyed bird toy to depict the eagle? Maybe. But why don’t you go make an adaptation of The Lord of the Rings with a budget of $50 and see if you can do any better. 
Battling orcs in Moria
. Orcs here are less monstrous creatures and more just “some dudes I guess.” What’s lacking in special effects is more than made up for with shaky camera work. Skip forward to see them traversing The Bridge of Khazad-dum, and Gandalf is dead I guess?? 
Enter Galadriel and the magic … of dance
. This is pretty much how I remember this scene from the books. Elves are immortal and live forever in weird enclaves. That means you’re basically a cult. The hobbits, meanwhile, are stunned by how good they are at dancing and then get drugged. Skip forward a few minutes and you can see Galadriel get tempted by the One Ring. 
Frodo breaks an apple in two with his hands!
No, I know this scene is otherwise a bit boring and is mainly about Boromir getting weird and clingy but the apple thing is still cool. Have you ever tried to do this? It’s damn hard. 
Frodo and Sam are doing it for themselves
. Everyone else is corrupted by power: only friendship remains! I absolutely love the ending here, particularly the music choice. This is really what The Lord of the Rings is about at heart: just guys being dudes. 
And that’s it! What’s really amazing to consider is that this adaptation also aired only a decade before the first of Peter Jackson’s blockbuster trilogy. If only the Soviet Union had survived a little longer we could have seen similar renditions of The Two Towers and The Return of the King.
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