Short Takes – 8-30-24

When Get-Out-The-Vote Efforts Look Like Phishing. KrebsOnSecurity.com article. Pull quote: “Multiple media reports this week warned Americans to be on guard against a new phishing scam that arrives in a text message informing recipients they are not yet registered to vote. A bit of digging reveals the missives were sent by a California political consulting firm as part of a well-meaning but potentially counterproductive get-out-the-vote effort that had all the hallmarks of a phishing campaign.”

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket grounded for 2nd time in 2 months following explosive landing failure. LiveScience.com article. Pull quote: “The Aug. 28 mishap not only ended that particular Falcon 9 rocket's record-breaking recovery streak but also cut short an even longer chain of successful SpaceX landings; before Wednesday's incident, the company had aced 267 consecutive Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy booster landings, according to Space.com.”

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket cleared to fly again with two high-profile missions ahead. CNN.com article. ““The SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle may return to flight operations while the overall investigation of the anomaly during (Wednesday’s) mission remains open, provided all other license requirements are met,” the agency said in an emailed statement. “SpaceX made the return to flight request on Aug. 29 and the FAA gave approval on Aug. 30.””

European drill and mini lab secure ride to the Moon. ESA.int article. Pull quote: ““Prospect joins a new wave of lunar science and exploration that could open the door to the use of lunar resources. For example, extracting oxygen directly from lunar rocks and dust could be an efficient way to supply oxygen for human habitats or spacecraft propulsion,” says Richard Fisackerly, Prospect project manager.”

Can Pulling Carbon from Thin Air Slow Climate Change? ScientificAmerican.com article. Pull quote: “For its goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, the Biden administration is trying to slash carbon pollution by building renewables, electrifying everything from cars to home heating, and encouraging carbon capture and sequestration at power plants. But emissions that are difficult to eliminate, such as those from long-distance air travel, shipping, agriculture, and cement and steel production, will probably have to be removed from the atmosphere, so the government is trying to ramp up DAC. Humans built machines that made a mess; now we’ll build more machines to clean it up. And if the world could start taking more emissions out than it’s putting in—so-called negative emissions—carbon removal could even begin lowering the global temperature slightly.”

Clearing the Air: Georgia Tech Takes Leading Role in Scrubbing the Atmosphere. D.NewsWise.com article. Pull quote: “Almost all of our policy around DAC is carrots,” said Thomas. “I like carrots, but there are so many, and the question becomes, when do we need sticks? Subsidizing technology and research to make things better is great. But were we more serious about limiting the emission of greenhouse gases, that would make it easier for the technology to take us where we want to go.””

NASA cuts 2 from next SpaceX flight to make room for astronauts stuck at space station. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian Aleksandr Gorbunov will launch in September aboard a SpaceX rocket for the orbiting laboratory. The duo will return with Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore in February. NASA decided it’s too risky for Williams and Wilmore to fly home in their Boeing Starliner capsule, marred by thruster troubles and helium leaks.”

Mpox outbreaks in Africa could be ended in 6 months, WHO chief says. TheHill.com article.  Pull quote: “Earlier this week, the head of Africa’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the continent was hoping to receive about 380,000 doses of mpox vaccines promised by donors, including the U.S. and the European Union. That’s less than 15% of the doses authorities have said are needed to end the mpox outbreaks in Congo.”