Short Takes – 2-13-24

Space startup plans to beam ‘hyperspectral insights’ to US government. TheNextWeb.com article. Pull quote: “It [hyperspectral camera] can also be tuned in orbit for specific use cases.  The agricultural sector, for instance, can optimise the sensors to monitor crops. Defence ministries can tap the data for surveillance. Industrial sites can deploy the imagery to detect chemical leaks. In marine ecosystems, the tech can track aquatic species, water quality, and illegal fishing vessels.”

Meteor that exploded over Germany confirmed to be rare 'aubrite' as old as the solar system itself. LiveScience.com article. Pull quote: “"Here we have a chance to see how a small asteroid behaves when it comes into the Earth's atmosphere," Jenniskens. said. "We can see how it how it fragmented in a very interesting way that deserves a lot more study. That, then may be able to guide forecasts on what altitude a larger object may fragment over Earth."”

China’s Shipyards Are Ready for a Protracted War. America’s Aren’t. WSJ.com article (free) Pull quote: ““History demonstrates a clear pattern: No great naval power has ever existed without also being a dominant commercial maritime power, encompassing both shipbuilding and global shipping,” Del Toro said late last year.”

Elon Musk Spills The Beans On SpaceX’s Third Starship Test Flight. WCCFTech.com article. Pull quote: “Now, after the brief lull on the Starship front, SpaceX chief Elon Musk is back on X with a fresh timeline for the third Starship test flight. This test was initially expected to take place in February, but the FAA's revelation that SpaceX is yet to submit documents related to the second test flight last week hinted that perhaps IFT-3 would take longer than initially expected.”

Democrat Tom Suozzi edges out GOP in closely watched New York House race. Politico.com article. Pull quote: “The special election was a nail-biter heading into Tuesday, underscoring just how much the district has shifted to the right since Suozzi was last elected in 2020.”