Short Takes – 7-21-25

Tendeg secures repeat order for twelve large deployable antennas from Capella Space. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Tendeg’s antennas are manufactured in-house with key elements of the supply chain being vertically integrated. This includes the investment of capital equipment to knit mesh, braid cord and perform end-to-end environmental testing in-house, allowing for tighter control over quality, cost, and delivery timelines. With key raw materials sourced domestically, Tendeg’s supply chain is built for resilience in the face of tariffs, export controls, and shifting geopolitical landscapes.”

NOTE: A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the SpaceNews.com paywall. The article above is not paywalled. Most are, some are not, I have not figured out what the difference is. The site is an important source of Space Geek news, but a subscription is just not in the budget. So it will continue to be catch as catch can.

Republicans fear Washington headed for shutdown after bruising spending fights. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “Senate Republicans familiar with Thune’s plans say he hopes to bring a package of appropriations bills to the Senate floor the week before the August recess. That package would likely consist of the agriculture appropriations bill, the military construction and veterans affairs appropriations bill and possibly the legislative branch appropriations bill and the commerce, justice, science appropriations measure.”

Epstein furor upends House for second week in row. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “Rather than face those [Rules Committee] votes, Republicans are opting to simply not tee up any votes at all, according to multiple members of the panel — leaving the House with no floor business in the days ahead of August recess beyond noncontroversial suspension bills, fast-track measures that need two-thirds support to pass.”

What a Wandering Mind Learns. ScientificAmerican.com article. Pull quote: “Simor, who studies sleep, was interested in whether participants’ mind wandering displayed any neural hallmarks of dozing off. Using electroencephalogram recordings, the team showed that in those test periods, participants’ brains produced more of the slow waves that are dominant during sleep. Perhaps, the researchers say, mind wandering is like a form of light sleep that provides some of that state’s learning benefits. To better understand whether mind wandering might compensate for lost sleep, Simor and his colleagues next plan to study narcolepsy and sleep deprivation.”