Short Takes – 7-22-25

ADEPTATION IN ACTION: Why Counter UAS is Now EOD Business. LinkedIn.com article. Pull quote: “Counter UAS technology gives us new tools, but more importantly, it gives us new awareness. RF spectrum analyzers can detect active drone control signals, but as we see, this has started to evolve as fiber is now being used. Acoustic sensors can identify the unique signatures of different rotor configurations. Visual detection systems can track small moving objects against complex backgrounds. These are no longer air defense tools; they're EOD/Bomb Squad tools.”

Starship Will Put an Entire Space Station in Orbit in One Go, They Call It Starlab. AutoEvolution.com article. Pull quote: “The Starlab is, for all intents and purposes, less glamorous than, say, the Orbital Reef or the two Havens. It is only meant to comprise a service module to hold the power and propulsion elements and a habitat to hold humans and their activities, both of which will be launched into orbit in a single flight – one that will probably take place in 2028 on board a SpaceX Starship.”

In a race to replace the International Space Station, Vast unveils new headquarters in Long Beach. LBPost.com article. Pull quote: “So far, they’re on schedule. The company began construction of the Haven-1 at its Long Beach headquarters in July 2024 and has its primary structure welded together. Further tests — for the craft’s avionics, visual dome, air locks and more — will need to be conducted in Long Beach or at the company’s test stand in Mojave, Calif. Some tests, such as the simulated g-force of a launch, will be conducted at a NASA facility in Ohio.”

Collapse of key Atlantic currents may be held off by newly-discovered back-up system, study finds. LiveScience.com article. Pull quote: “More research is needed to figure out whether this back-up system will last in a warming world. There is also a question mark over how well the Arctic Ocean can really replace the Nordic Seas by forming extremely dense water, said Nicholas Foukal, a physical oceanographer and assistant professor at the University of Georgia who was not involved in the study.”

Experts issue warning on ocean phenomenon that could impact hurricane season: 'It's been notable over the month'. Yahoo.com article. Pull quote: “"An Atlantic Niña is cooler than normal sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Guinea, which tends to weaken the monsoon and easterly waves over West Africa," Schreck told the Cayman Compass. "The strength of that monsoon is a key predictor of hurricane activity, so an Atlantic Niña could reduce activity."”

After a partly successful test flight, European firm eyes space station mission.  Pull quote: “One reason Huby was in the United States this week was to work with NASA on requirements. That's because the company aspires to fly Nyx to the International Space Station as early as 2028, two years before the orbiting laboratory is due to be retired. At this point, in talking to Huby, the company seems likely to move directly into Nyx development and flying to the space station on its first mission.”

'Doghouse' days of summer — Boeing's Starliner won't fly again until 2026, and without astronauts aboard. Space.com article. Pull quote: “The last update provided about the stalled but stalwart space capsule announced a suite of tests set for this summer at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. NASA and Boeing had hoped to have those tests completed and fixes determined to ready Starliner for another flight by the end of this year, but that timeline seems to have slipped. NASA officials say they are now working toward the goal of launching Starliner again no sooner than early 2026.”