Short Takes – 11-7-24

How Many Continents Are There? You May Not Like the Answers. NYTimes.com article. Pull quote: ““There are basically only two major continents,” Dr. Rime said. “Antarctica and everything else, since South America is connected to North America through Panama, North America is connected to Asia through the Bering Strait, and Asia is connected to Europe, Africa and Australia through the Urals, the Sinai and Indonesia, respectively.”” Definitions matter, but how much?

Waiver of Launch Collective Risk Limit for a Near-Orbital Trajectory. Federal Register FAA petition response notice.  Summary: “This notice concerns a petition for waiver submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) to waive the launch collective risk limit of 1 × 10−4 expected casualties (Ec) for Starship Super Heavy missions that utilize a near-orbital trajectory. The near-orbital Starship Super Heavy missions have been deemed suborbital such that a single launch collective risk limit of 1 × 10−4 Ec has been applied to cover the aggregate of the risks from the suborbital launch and suborbital reentry phases of each mission. The SpaceX petition requests an increase to the collective risk limit, to not exceed 2 × 10−4 Ec, with the condition that neither the suborbital launch nor suborbital reentry risks exceed 1 × 10−4 Ec individually. The FAA grants the petition for near-orbital Starship Super Heavy missions to allow a risk budget that parallels but remains consistent with an orbital mission profile that has a separate risk limit of 1 × 10−4 Ec for both the launch and reentry phases”

Interstellar Generation Ship Propulsion Technology by 2050. NextBigFuture.com article. A technology stretch. Pull quote: “A magnetic field powers currents that generate a huge shell of plasma to surround the spacecraft, potentially reaching tens of kilometers in size. This shell of magnetically driven plasma expands outward in a disc-like shape until its size is equalized by the pressure of the solar wind and then uses the principle of drag to essentially surf the solar wind like the dandelion on its summer breeze.”

CDC calls for expanded bird flu testing among farm workers. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: ““All eight were Spanish speakers … none wore respiratory protection, and less than half wore eye protection highlighting the need for better tools to support worker protection,” Demetre Daskalakis, head of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, said during a call with reporters.”

Trump has ‘intent’ to engage in transition and Biden will help, White House says. GovExec.com article. Pull quote: “She added that Zients laid out to the transition team the importance of the agreements with the White House and GSA. Engagement with agencies requires secure communication channels—typically through .gov email addresses—screenings before individuals can physically enter agencies and, in some cases, interim security clearances so team members can access classified information. Career federal employees designated to serve in transition roles cannot engage with Trump’s team members until those individuals sign those agreements and GSA facilitates their deployments.” Recurring story, with updates, on GovExec.gov.