Short Takes – 11-9-26 - Federal Register Edition

NESHAP 

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Polyvinyl Chloride and Copolymer Production Reconsideration; New Major Source Process Wastewater Standards. EPA final rule. Summary: “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing amendments to the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for the Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Copolymer Production source category (“PVC NESHAP”) under Clean Air Act (CAA) section 112. For new major sources, the EPA is finalizing the removal of the total non-vinyl chloride organic hazardous air pollutant (HAP) process wastewater emission limit and the associated testing, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements. The EPA is also finalizing that the new major source vinyl chloride emission limit acts as a surrogate for non-vinyl chloride organic HAP emissions from process wastewater. The EPA is not taking final action on other aspects of the reconsideration proposal at this time.” 

Space Geek  

Modernizing Spectrum Sharing for Satellite Broadband. FCC final rule. Summary: “In this document, the Space Bureau (Bureau or we) within the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) updates the initial set of geostationary (GSO) satellite network reference links adopted in the Modernizing Spectrum Sharing for Satellite Broadband Report and Order (Order). Ensuring the GSO reference links appropriately reflect typical and widespread GSO satellite operations in the United States will promote efficient spectrum sharing among today's broadband satellite systems.” 

Technical Corrections of Commercial Space Transportation Regulations. FAA  final rule technical correction. Summary: “FAA is amending the authority citations in parts 413, 414, and 450 to include 51 U.S.C. 50924. In addition, FAA has identified six technical corrections to parts 413, 414, 450, and 460. These technical corrections are non-substantive in nature and are intended to correct typographical errors, clarify regulatory text, and ensure consistency. The changes correct mistakes and omissions and clarify the regulations published in the part 450 final rule.” 

Conditional Expected Casualty Exception for Failures Resulting in an Uncontrolled Atmospheric Return. FAA notice of proposed rulemaking. Summary: “FAA proposes to amend its commercial space launch and reentry licensing regulations to streamline the licensing process and reduce regulatory burden for license applicants. Specifically, FAA proposes to allow a launch and reentry vehicle operator to protect against high consequence events during an uncontrolled atmospheric return by showing that there would be sufficient breakup of the vehicle to ensure protection against a single event expected to produce multiple casualties.” 

Flight Abort Burden Reducing Clarification on End of Flight Safety Limits. FAA notice of proposed rulemaking. Summary: “FAA proposes to amend its commercial space launch and reentry licensing regulations to streamline the licensing process and reduce regulatory burden for license applicants. Specifically, FAA proposes to clarify the conditions under which a vehicle operator is not required to abort a flight.” 

Flight Safety Limits Objectives Burden Reducing Clarification. FAA notice of proposed rulemaking. Summary: “FAA proposes to amend its commercial space launch and reentry licensing regulations to streamline the licensing process and reduce regulatory burden for license applicants. Specifically, FAA proposes to clarify the requirements for establishing flight safety limits that define when a vehicle operator must initiate flight abort.” 

Hot Box Explosion

There were news reports (here, here, and here) of an explosion at a chemical facility in Mississippi involving a herbicide being heated in a hot box. As is typical for such news reports, there were few details involved and the authorities (public and private) only provided the vaguest of information. So, let’s take a general look at ‘hot box’ operations. 

Hot Box Basics  

Chemicals are frequently stored in portable containers in solidified form or in a very viscous state that are difficult to remove from containers. Thus, there is a need for facilities to heat those containers to empty them. Typically, a ‘hot box’ is used. 

Now I have used ‘hot boxes’ that were nothing more than a heavy tarp and a steam hose. If there is a frequent need for such container heating, there are more sophisticated options available. They will typically include a closeable metal box (with or without insulation), heat source (steam or electric), and some sort of temperature control system. 

Allow for container venting, place in the hot box, apply heat and wait. When the container is heated through, it is removed from the hot box, and the contents can be poured or pumped out. More sophisticated systems will include temperature probes to put into the container to monitor the heating. 

Safety Issues  

The most obvious safety issue is pressure buildup. Heating any gas will increase the pressure in a closed system. A properly designed hot box will have some sort of safety venting, frequently just an opening to the atmosphere. Portable containers do not have such venting designed in. Pressure relief valves are, however, available that can be screwed into bung holes on the container. Or the top can be simply loosened. 

Another potential safety issue is the rise of a flammable atmosphere. While most people have a tendency to ignore flashpoints over 100°F, if the temperature in the hot box is above the flashpoint of any of the materials being heated in the hot box, there may be a flammable atmosphere in the box. The question that needs to be answered in that case is if the hot box has been designed for operation in a classified atmosphere so that the heating system or the box electronic controls cannot ignite that atmosphere. 

Another issue that must be considered is chemical compatibility when multiple products are put into the hot box at the same time. Potential gas phase interactions need to be considered at the operating temperature to be found in the box when the containers are vented inside the box. 

The final issue has only recently become a more public concern; the security of the electronic control systems (if present) on the box. Recent attacks on controllers for commercial freezers have shown that temperature controllers are potentially subject to electronic attacks. Since it is becoming obvious that anything can be hacked, safety considerations need to take into account the maximum temperature that can be reached within the hot box. 

Review – Public ICS Disclosures – Week of 10-31-26

This week we have 19 vendor disclosures from ABB, Core Temp, Hitachi, Johnson Controls (2), Pheonix Contact (3), Sick, WAGO (2), WatchGuard (5), Welotec, and Zyxel (2). There were five updated advisories from Moxa (2) and Siemens (3). Finally, we had six researcher reports from Bitsight, Claroty, Cydome, SEC Consult, and ZDI (3). 

The list of disclosures was published over at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/public-ics-disclosures-10-31-26 - and was emailed to paid subscribers today. Free subscribers will receive copies on Monday. Subscribe today.  

Short Takes – 11-7-26 - Space Geek Edition

Is the south pole the right place for a lunar base? TheSpaceReview.com article. Pull quote: “” However, the south pole of the Moon still has the rugged terrain and challenging lighting conditions that make landings difficult. At some point, NASA may need to weigh those technical risks with the political risks of seeing a Chinese crew land first. 

Cosmic rays could scar the heart, raising risks for Mars-bound astronauts, rat study hints. LiveScience.com article. Pull quote: “The research, published Sept. 30 in the journal PLOS One, found that rats exposed to levels of radiation similar to what an astronaut might experience on a long-term trip to Mars developed more scar tissue around the small blood vessels of their hearts than rats that were not exposed to this radiation. This scar tissue is indicative of a condition known as cardiac fibrosis, which is known to increase the risk of heart failure.” 

Starfish Space’s first Otter servicing spacecraft fails. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Starfish Space continues to operate its Otter Pup 2 spacecraft, launched in June 2025. That spacecraft was originally intended to rendezvous and dock with an ION orbital transfer vehicle from D-Orbit, but that company backed out of those plans. Otter Pup 2 would instead approach ElaraSat MMS-1, a spacecraft built by Australian company Gilmour Space and launched last year.” 

NASA telescope reenters Earth’s atmosphere. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “The Swift Observatory, an aging NASA telescope barely clinging to space after a failed rescue effort, reentered Earth’s atmosphere Wednesday morning over the North Sumatra region of Indonesia at 7:39 a.m. EST, according to the space agency.” 

Do we know how many Starship launches SpaceX will need to get NASA astronauts to the moon? Space.com article. Pull quote: “But keep in mind: None of this is set in stone. If SpaceX can't demonstrate that its orbital refueling strategy works, or if it can't pull off an uncrewed lunar landing mission by the end of next year, NASA could still select Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander for Artemis IV — assuming Blue Moon is able to check its required boxes in time.” 

James Webb Space Telescope uncovers new clues about the origins of 'interstellar invader' comet 3I/ATLAS. Space.com article. Pull quote: “On the other hand, the results imply that 3I/ATLAS was formed around its star of origin from similar icy material to that which produced some of the TNOs in our solar system, showing that the building blocks of planets around other stars share a common range of properties with the building blocks that formed our solar system. Indeed, 3I/ATLAS could even be a fragment of a TNO-like body that was shattered in a collision.”