Short Takes – 6-14-25

Most energetic molecule ever made is stable – in liquid nitrogen. ChemistryWorld.com article. Pull quote: “When hexanitrogen does break down, it releases double the energy per unit mass of HMX – currently the most powerful chemical explosive known. Unlike some explosives that can leave residual pollutants such as nitrates, the only product is dinitrogen. Schreiner suggests ‘it would be the most useful rocket fuel on the planet’. ‘N6 would not burn with a flame: it’s just a burst of energy that generates a large volume [of gas] – so a lot of thrust, and it is non-corrosive,’ he explains. ‘One of the big problems [for rockets] right now is corrosion with hydrazine and other fuels.’” At what x does N_x become polynitrogen?

CAS Space performs Kinetica-2 first stage hot fire test ahead of first launch and cargo demo. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “It is one of two low-cost space station resupply spacecraft being developed under a program initiated by China’s human spaceflight agency, CMSEO, to support the Tiangong space station. CAS Space itself is a commercial spinoff from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).”

Homeland Security Advisory Council; Notice of Meeting. Federal Register, DHS meeting notice. Newly reconstituted HSAC. Summary: “The Office of Partnership and Engagement is publishing this notice to announce that the Homeland Security Advisory Council will meet in person on Monday, June 30, 2025. This meeting will be open to the public via livestream. This meeting will be led by senior leadership of Homeland Security. Senior Leadership will introduce the new Chair and Vice Chair of the Council, and the Council will discuss the Council's purpose, focus, and potential taskings.” Brief agenda here.

AI is Critical Infrastructure: Securing the Foundation of the Global Future. Eclypsium.com blog post. Pull quote: “And that’s just the parts NVIDIA builds. Complex supply chains are an appealing target for cyberattackers, and there are other supply chains involved in bringing data centers to fruition. The firewalls, load balancers, and other network gear that is deployed throughout the enterprise that delivers AI data center services all represent additional supply chain risk. Nation state advanced persistent threat actors such as Silk Typhoon have already proven they can and will use IT infrastructure supply chains as a means of compromising high value targets. As AI data centers become ever more integral to critical infrastructure worldwide, they will be targeted, and the supply chain offers a potent attack surface.”