Short Takes – 7-31-24

The Bird Flu Threat Keeps Growing. Wired.com article. Pull quote: “The CDC’s sequencing of the virus from the sixth human case reported from Colorado shows that it is related to the viruses detected in recent poultry outbreaks and infected dairy cattle herds. It contains a marker of mammalian adaptation that has been identified in more than 99 percent of dairy cow sequences, as well as in the first Michigan human case.”

Joint Counter-Small UAS Office conducts successful counter drone-swarm demonstration. Army.mil article. Pull quote: “Parent said that the JCO will look to begin prototyping specific C-sUAS proposals in 2025 based on specific capabilities and the needs of combatant commanders. The JCO scheduled its next C-sUAS demonstration between the second and third quarters of fiscal year 2025.” Long lead time for quickly changing tactical situation.

With a landmark launch, the Pentagon is finally free of Russian rocket engines. ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: “The launch Tuesday morning was the end of an era born in the 1990s when US government policy allowed Lockheed Martin, the original developer of the Atlas V, to use Russian rocket engines during its first stage. There was a widespread sentiment in the first decade after the fall of the Soviet Union that the United States and other Western nations should partner with Russia to keep the country's aerospace workers employed and prevent "rogue states" like Iran or North Korea from hiring them.”

Spacecraft travels to metal object orbiting Earth, snaps stunning views. Mashable.com article. Pull quote: “The discarded three-ton rocket, a robust piece of space junk some 36 feet (11 meters) long, is the type of problematic debris agencies seek to remove from our planet's orbit. A future collision could spawn thousands more objects, posing threats to satellites and potentially the International Space Station. The Japanese satellite technology company Astroscale plans to remove this spent rocket stage, but is first gathering more information on the rocket's condition and motion.”