Starklink satellites, Glowing Mars and Happy Beer Day

On 1:12 a.m. EDT today, SpaceX launched its tenth Starlink mission. The company used their Falcon 9 rocket which carried 57 Starlink satellites and 2 satellites from BlackSky. The rocket lifted off from the Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The booster used as the first stage of the Falcon 9 was successfully landed back at SpaceX's droneship in the Atlantic Ocean named "Of Course I Still Love You". This was the fifth time that same booster was used and landed back successfully.

SpaceX launched the first load of satellites back in February 2018. So far, 597 satellites have been launched successfully, out of which 5 have been deorbited due to technical issues. Starlink is targeting to roll out services in Northern U.S. and Canada by this year, and near global coverage by the end of 2021. Watch the launch here.

 

Green and white false colors represent the intensity of ultraviolet light, with white being the brightest. Credits: NASA/MAVEN/Goddard Space Flight Center/CU/LASP.

The pulsating Martian atmosphere

New data from NASA's Mars MAVEN orbiter revealed how the Martian atmosphere pulses during night in the ultraviolet light. The atmosphere pulses exactly three times per night, but only during the planet's spring and fall season. The data also showed unexpected waves and spirals over the winter poles, while  confirming that this night-glow was brightest over the winter polar regions.

The glow is generated when the vertical winds carry gases down to regions of higher density, subsequently speeding up the chemical reactions that create nitric oxide.

The pulsations reveal importance of planet-encircling waves in the Mars atmosphere. The number of waves and their speed indicates that the planet's middle atmosphere is influenced by the daily pattern of solar heating and disturbances from huge volcanic mountains. Read the full article here.

According to Sonal Jain of Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, “MAVEN’s main discoveries of atmosphere loss and climate change show the importance of these vast circulation patterns that transport atmospheric gases around the globe and from the surface to the edge of space.”.

 

Happy Beer Day 

Today is International Beer Day. Founded in 2007 in Santa Cruz, California by Jesse Avshalomov, the day was initially celebrated on August 5 from 2007 to 2012, but shifted to the first Friday of August after the founders took a poll of fans and decided to change the date.

Initially the day was just a celebration of the founders' local bar, but since has gained worldwide popularity and is now celebrated in more than 80 countries. People celebrate by gathering at their local pubs and bars and meet friends and family members. People worldwide responsible for brewing and serving beer are celebrated and there are several events organized like tapping new or rare beers, all day happy hours, binge drinking and beer pong.

Sports Updates -

Soccer - UEFA Champions League

• Manchester City vs Real Madrid - 19:00 GMT
• Juventus vs Lyon - 19:00 GMT

Cricket - Pakistan tour of England

• Test 1, day 3 - 10:00 GMT 

Basketball - NBA 2020

• Jazz vs Spurs - 17:00 GMT
• Thunder vs Grizzles - 20:00 GMT
• Kings vs Nets - 21:00 GMT
• Magic vs 76ers - 22:30 GMT
• Wizards vs Pelicans - 00:00 GMT, 8 August
• Celtics vs Raptors - 01:00 GMT, 8 August
  

Mars rover, Antitrust hearing, FDA warning and Corona sniffing dogs

United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

NASA has successfully launched its 2020 Mars Perseverance rover today. The launch took place on 30 July, 7:50 am EDT and was broadcasted live from NASA TV. Later in the day, the craft successful phoned home a signal to establish the connection and is now officially on the way to the Red Planet. Also on board is the Ingenuity helicopter which upon successful deployment after reaching target, would become the first ever man-made object to fly on Mars.

The rover has several upgrades this time when compared to the recent Curiosity rover. It contains a large robotic arm on the front side of the body which would help Perseverance collect rock core samples and save them for future studies by scientists. The arm is also capable of making drills and snapping close-up images for surface inspection and take selfies for engineering health checkups.

There is also an internal workspace inside the rover that can store sample tubes within a Sample Caching System. While on the move, the rover will benefit from the newly engineered wheels which are narrower and bigger to better absorb the wear and tear of the Martian surface and are made up of thicker aluminum the what was used in Curiosity's wheels.

Scientists claim the new Operating System board will also help manage the rover's daily activities more efficiently with greater independence. The rover would be able to cover more ground without consulting controllers on Earth so frequently and would be able to use its electrical power more autonomously for better speed and efficiency.

An unlikely union of the tech giants

On June 29, Four of the world's most powerful CEOs faced the US House of Representatives' antitrust subcommittee. The hearing was conducted over their alleged predatory business practices, theft of digital content and aggressive acquisitions of competing businesses. The CEOs in question were Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Apple's Tim Cook and Alphabet's Sundar Pichai. The hearing lasted for five and a half hours and was a culmination of a 13-month long investigation. You can watch the complete hearing here.

Among many other things, Google's Sundar Pichai was questioned over the company's decision to withdraw from a Pentagon project after some of its employees protested the undertaking. Among other accusations, Mr. Pichai was questioned about whether Google was lifting content from other websites to keep users within its search engine in order to make more money from add revenue and its methodology behind suggesting real estate listings at the top of search results when asked about local businesses, flights and hotels.

Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook was questioned over the decision to buy Instagram and several emails were presented that suggested Mr. Zuckerberg saw Instagram as a potential threat that needed to be dealt with. In one of the emails Zuckerberg also talked about potentially buying Google which he dismissed as a mere Joke.

Apple CEO Tim Cook had to answer why Apple pulled some parental control apps from its app-store shortly after it launched its own version of such apps. Further Apple was accused of "pandemic profiteering" for charging commission from apps like Airbnb and ClassPass after the companies shifted to selling virtual classes due to the current circumstances.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos's hearing was initially delayed for some time due to a technical glitch. Mr. Bezos was later questioned over how Amazon was using user and seller's data and evidence that Amazon used sellers' data to develop and promote its own house brand products.

Dogs might be able to sniff out Covid-19

According to a report in Bloomberg, German armed forces have trained eight dogs for a week to identify coronavirus cases. When the dogs were made to sniff the saliva of 1000 people, the dogs were able to detect the coronavirus cases among them with an accuracy of 94%. 

A professor from a veterinary university which was involved in the research said that this could be due to the different metabolism of the coronavirus patients. The dogs were apparently selected for the study as they have a smelling capacity 1000 times than that of an average human. In the next stage of the study, the researchers will try to train the dogs to differentiate between Covid-19 and other diseases like influenza.

FDA's warning over hangover remedies

The US Food and Drug Administration in a recent statement has warned several companies that specialize in anti-hangover products over selling unapproved products which are being marketed as supplements that claim to cure or treat hangovers, as they stand in violation of the Federal food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Read the full statement here.

The director of the FDA's Office of Dietary Supplement Programs said, “Dietary supplements that claim to cure, treat, mitigate or prevent hangovers could potentially harm consumers, especially young adults. Consumers may get the false impression that using these products can prevent or mitigate health problems caused by excessive drinking. Dietary supplements are not a substitute for responsibly limiting one’s alcohol consumption.” .

China's mission to Mars, new COVID-19 service and Russia's anti-satellite weaponry

WHO launches COVID-19 law lab

Amidst the ongoing coronavirus crisis, WHO has launched a new service called the COVID-19 Law Lab. The step has been taken due to increased requirement for urgent legislative action to control and reduce the pandemic.  

The initiative would gather and share legal documents from over 190 countries across the world to help states establish and implement strong legal frameworks to manage the pandemic. The documents are accessible to anyone who visits the website and would be containing important information on things like - ways to access medicine, disease surveillance technologies, isolation and quarantine measures, movement restrictions and distancing, ways to access emergency, and public health services. You can visit the website at https://covidlawlab.org/

The Lab is a joint project of the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law and Georgetown University.

China joins the space race

This Thursday, China launched its own Mars probe designed to orbit, land and explore the planet in a single mission. The craft was carried by the Long March-5 rocket form Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site and carried a mass of about five tonnes.

Named Tianwen-1, this is China's first mission to Mars. The journey to the Red Planet will take about six to seven months and the probe is expected to reach Mars by somewhere around February 2021.

After entering the Martian orbit, the craft would spend two to three months circling the planet and looking for potential sites for landing the rover.

Upon landing, the rover will start the exploration and would be receiving communications from the orbiter above. The rover is expected to have a life span of about 90 Martian days, and the orbiter would be active for one complete Martian year (about 687 days on Earth).

The mission is set to study the planet's morphology and geological structure, soil characteristics and distribution of surface water ice, surface material composition, atmospheric ionosphere and surface climate and environment, as well as physical field and internal structure of Mars.

Russia is reportedly working on space-based anti-satellite weaponry

ROSCOSMOS, the agency responsible for space related activities of the Russian government, has recently been conducting some activities which the officials are calling close up examination of own satellites via the use of specialized equipment of small space craft. 

But in a recent statement released on July 23 by the USSPACECOM,  Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond has said -  "The Russian satellite system used to conduct this on-orbit weapons test is the same satellite system that we raised concerns about earlier this year, when Russia maneuvered near a U.S. government satellite."

Gen Raymond, who is the Commander of U.S. Space Command and the U.S. Space Chief of Space Operations also added, "This is further evidence of Russia's continuing efforts to develop and test space-based systems, and consistent with the Kremlin's published military doctrine to employ weapons that hold U.S. and allied space assets at risk."

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Dr. Christopher Ford also added, "This event highlights Russia's hypocritical advocacy of outer space arms control, with which Moscow aims to restrict the capabilities of the United States while clearly having no intention of halting its own counter-space program — both ground-based anti-satellite capabilities and what would appear to be actual in-orbit anti-satellite weaponry."

Former SS guard on trial, Oxford's shot at vaccine and UAE's Mars probe

A guard from Nazi Germany's concentration camp on trial

A 93-year-old former Nazi concentration camp guard going by the name Bruno Dey is in the middle of a high-profile trial over his complicity in World War II atrocities.

"Today I would like to apologize to those who went through the hell of this madness, as well as to their relatives. Something like this must never happen again," said Bruno Dey from the dock.

Dey is accused of complicity in the murder of more than of 5,200 people from the time when he worked as an SS tower guard at the Stutthof camp near Gdansk, in Poland.

The court is expected to issue its verdict on Thursday and the prosecutors have sought a prison sentence of three years. Though Dey's defence lawyer Stefan Waterkamp asked the court for an acquittal or a suspended sentence, saying his client "would not survive" jail.

In his final statement before the court delivers the verdict, Dey said - "I would like to stress again that I would never have voluntarily signed up to the SS or any other unit -- especially not in a concentration camp," , "If I had seen an opportunity to remove myself from service, I would have done so.".

Ironically, Dey is standing trial at a juvenile court because he was aged between 17 and 18 at the time. His lawyer, Mr Waterkamp, pointed out that a man of that age could hardly have been expected to break ranks, and that the teenage Dey "saw no escape". Dey, who now lives in Hamburg, worked as a baker after the war. Married with two daughters, he also worked as a truck driver to make ends meet, and later got a job in building maintenance.

Oxford publishes positive results of their own coronavirus vaccine

Oxford University’s Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group is moving forward with next steps towards finding a vaccine against COVID 19.

The results of the Phase I/II trial they published in the scientific journal, The Lancet, indicate no early safety concerns and induces strong immune responses in both parts of the immune system.

According to the reports, the vaccine provokes a T cell response within 14 days of vaccination, and an antibody response within 28 days.

In the study, participants who received vaccine had developed neutralizing antibodies, which the researchers suggest are important for protection, and the responses were even stronger after a booster dose, with 100% of participants' blood showing neutralizing activity against the coronavirus. In the next steps, the vaccine would be tested to confirm if it can effectively protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

During Phase I/II trial, the vaccine has been evaluated in more than 1,000 healthy adult volunteers aged between 18 and 55 years in a randomized controlled trial. Also, a subset of 10 people from the volunteers received two doses of the vaccine. Between April 23 and May 21, 1077 volunteers have received either the vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 or a placebo MenACWY vaccine. So far there have been no adverse health events related to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19.

The Phase III trials are already underway in middle income countries like Brazil and South Africa as Oxford along with UK based bio-pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, are collaborating with numerous clinical partners from around the world as part of a global clinical programme to trial the Oxford vaccine.

UAE's mission to mars

UAE's Hope Probe, has lifted off from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center. The probe will reach the Martian orbit in about 200 days from now and is designed to study the planet's atmosphere.

The probe is set on a 306 million miles journey and upon entering the Martian orbit, the probe will circle around for one full Martian year of 687 days to gather global pictures of the Martian atmosphere.

The probe will be examining the interaction between the upper and lower layers of the planet's atmosphere to find out more about its  surface corrosion, and the reason why Mars is losing its upper atmosphere.

Two new discoveries, Perseverance rover and Russia getting close to vaccine

Credit: Karen Osborn, Smithsonian Institution

Ultra-black fish discovered deep in the oceans

A new ultra-black fish going by the name Pacific Black-dragon has been discovered in the waters of Monterey Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Marine scientist Karen Osborn and her team recently published the story in their research paper.

According to studies, the fish lives in the lower parts of the oceans which are impenetrable to light. As a result, many organisms in such environments produce bioluminescence from their bodies to navigate. But the ultra-black fish exploits this technique to lure in its prey while their body remains hidden due to the presence of dark pigments. The Black-dragon absorbs more than 99.5 percent of light that falls on it, making it almost impossible to be detected.

NASA to give an update on the Perseverance rover

Artist's depiction of the Perseverance rover collecting samples on Mars. Credit : NASA

On July 20, 1 p.m. EDT, NASA's leadership group is going to participate in what is being called a virtual discussion with the Space Foundation on the upcoming Mars Perseverance rover launch. The event, called Roving the Red Planet, will be live streamed on the agency's website and NASA Television.

The Space Foundation will be moderating the discussion, which also features NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. Mr Bridenstine will be talking about how NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover mission will help prepare humanity for its next giant leap – human exploration of Mars. 

The Mars 2020 mission is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 7:50 a.m. EDT Thursday, July 30. It will land at Jezero Crater on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021.

A giant cockroach species discovered

At 20 inches, it is the second largest isopod ever discovered

A new species of cockroach has been found at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. The isopod was discovered during a project led by Peter Ng of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum of the National University of Singapore (NUS).

The cockroach has 14 legs and has been named 'Bathynomus Raksasa', where Raksasa is referred to as evil by the locals of the area. At 20 inches in length, it is now the second-largest isopod ever discovered.

The research was focused near the coast of Banten for two weeks, covering 63 areas using high-tech coring and dredging devices. Thousands of samples were extracted from the ocean at a depth of between 800 meters to 2100 meters below sea level. Incredibly, 12 other unidentified species were also found.

Bathynomus Raksasa has been identified as a 'giant isopod'. While it looks more like a land cockroach, it is actually more closely related to crabs and shrimp. Also much like land cockroaches, Raksasa can go on for extended periods of time without eating.

Russia might just do it

The Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Russia, is reportedly claiming to have developed a Coronavirus vaccine candidate good enough to be out for the general public during the third phase of its clinical trials. Earlier, there were reports that the vaccine had cleared its first stage of clinical trials which started on June 18 and is now in the second stage. Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko has also said that even before the completion of third phase trial of the vaccine, it will be made available in the market, according to reports from a Russian news channel.

According to Murashko, additional clinical research on the approved vaccine will be carried on simultaneously. This approach is expected to test a new format of vaccine safety and efficacy, the report quoted Murashko as saying. The Russian government could also be planning to amplify the new approach once it has some substantial data on the vaccinated patients which could help paint a better picture of the immunity status among patients.

A historic picture, Google joins the party and a federal execution after 17 years

An artist's depiction of the Solar Orbiter approaching the Sun

During an online news briefing at 8 a.m. EDT Thursday, July 16, NASA and the ESA will release the first images and data recorded by the Solar Orbiter, a joint mission to study the Sun. You can watch the streaming live here.

The images would be from mid-June, when the Solar Orbiter made its first close pass of the Sun at 47 million miles (the distance between Earth and the Sun is 91 million miles). The images to be released are the closest any man made object has ever taken.

The mixed reality glasses from India

Reliance launched the Jio Glass during its Annual General Meeting 2020

In it's recently concluded annual general meeting, India's telecom giant Reliance Jio launched the "Jio Glass". The glass weighs just 75 grams and features functionalities like holograms and 3D virtual rooms. No price or launch date has been revealed as of now. Among other major announcements were Google's $4.5 billion investment in Reliance Jio, Joi's own 5g technology and Jio TV+.

Daniel Lewis Lee: First man to receive federal execution in 17 years

Lee was also a member of APR, a white supremacist organization

Back in January 1996 in Tilly Arkansas, Lee with his accomplice Chevie Kehoe, robbed and killed the gun dealer William Frederick Mueller along with his wife Nancy Ann Mueller and their 8-year-old daughter Sarah Elizabeth Powell. After a long fought battle, Lee was finally put to death on July 14, 2020, by the use of a single lethal injection. His partner in crime Chevie Kehoe is serving life sentence.