Short Takes – 6-10-25

Caterpillars become ‘crazy option for synthetic chemists’ to make oxygen-doped nanocarbons. ChemistryWorld.com article. Chem-Geeky. Pull quote: “However, he says that if no one has proposed this synthetic route to make a product, then ‘conceptually maybe that’s an interesting point to make’. ‘In the end I don’t know why you want the whole organism … Because you could just take the enzyme; there’s lots of people doing amazing things with extracted enzymes, manipulated enzymes, redesigned enzymes that work on non-biological substrates of various kinds.’” This brings a whole new definition to the term ‘natural products’.

Quantum Space raises $40 million. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: ““Having the capability to be able to maneuver and refuel and host multiple payloads for different mission sets is really what I believe the U.S. and our allies need as we focus on space superiority,” Wisnosky said. “Having this capability for the commercial market is a game changer for them as well.”” In search of a paying mission.

Chinese spacecraft prepare for orbital refueling test as US surveillance sats lurk nearby. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 won’t, as it stands, be alone for their orbital conjunction. American surveillance satellites USA 270 and USA 271, part of the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP), are in the vicinity to observe the expected operations.”

Hurricane season is here, and that’s bad news for hospitals. ChiefHealthcareExecutive.com article. Pull quote: ““Their intentions are to maintain the same level of response capability, but with an expectation that they would only respond to really large disasters that very clearly overwhelm state local capacity,” he says. “And some of their involvement in deployments for smaller disasters there, they'll probably defer to states wholly on that. I think the big question is: where that line is drawn and who draws it? That's not known at this time.””

Why Trump turned against ‘gold standard’ mRNA vaccines. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “Myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, is of particular concern among mRNA vaccine opponents. An analysis published in 2022 found that myocarditis occurred in about 31.2 cases per 1 million second doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or 0.003 percent. Rates of myocarditis are significantly higher among people with COVID-19 infections than immunizations, however.”” TACO listening to whack doodles.

Trump’s immigration restrictions are pushing Corporate America into remote work faster. Thehill.com article. Pull quote: “An anti-immigration stance, therefore, becomes an unintended catalyst, pushing companies to aggressively explore and expand remote work as a primary means to access the global reservoir of skills. This strategic pivot allows them to transcend geographical limitations and tap into a broader spectrum of expertise, a necessity when local talent pools are strained.” The inevitable law of unintended consequences.

Introduction of "Known Not Affected Products" in Siemens Security Advisories. Siemens.com article. Pull quote: “Every Siemens security advisory addresses a specific set of vulnerabilities (CVE IDs) along with a specific set of Siemens products that are known as affected by one or more of the listed CVE IDs. Beyond that, there are various use cases where it is obvious to take selected additional - not affected - products into account.”

Ukraine’s Drone Attack Exposes Achilles’ Heel of Military Superpowers. WSJ.com article (free). Pull quote: “Among the first fighters to turn commercial drones into weapons were Islamic State forces in Iraq, roughly a decade ago. Early in its attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas sent slow, inexpensive drones to neutralize Israel’s sophisticated automated guard towers along its border with Gaza. Houthi rebels in Yemen have used relatively simple uncrewed systems to inflict costly damage on world shipping and Western navies.” Lengthy look at UAS and asymmetric warfare.

Pipeline Safety: Request for Special Permit. Federal Register PHMSA SP renewal notice. Summary: “On June 3, 2019, PHMSA granted special permit PHMSA-2018-0042 to Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC (GPLNG) for a six-year term, which will expire on June 2, 2025. PHMSA-2018-0042 waives compliance from certain regulations for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal (GPLNG Terminal) located in Jefferson County, Texas. PHMSA is publishing this notice to solicit public comments on a request from GPLNG to extend the term for special permit PHMSA-2018-0042 until June 2, 2028. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will review the comments received from this notice as part of its evaluation to grant or deny the special permit request.” Comments due July 10^th, 2025.

Rocket launches at sea? Florida-linked startups developing floating offshore launchpads. FloridaToday.com article. Pull quote: “But building new launch complexes is costly, subject to onerous environmental and regulatory permitting, and poses dangers to nearby populations. Space Florida is launching an infrastructure master plan examining the Cape Canaveral spaceport, noting "the valiant efforts to patch, tape, and repair are not sustainable in the face of record-breaking demand."”