Short Takes – 9-5-25

China launches experimental Shiyan-29 to GEO, commercial Ceres-1 carries 3 satellites. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Analysts believe Shiyan satellites are used to trial new systems such as sensors, communications subsystems and environmental instruments, forming part of China’s efforts to validate new space technologies in orbit. These satellites may act as precursors to operational platforms, verifying designs and payloads before wider deployment.”

Duffy pushes back against testimony that NASA is falling behind China in lunar exploration. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “He acknowledged, though, that NASA needs to cut the cost of exploration, citing estimates that each Artemis mission will cost $4 billion. “I would just say that it’s important that we bring the cost down,” he said, but offered no specifics. “At $4 billion a launch, it becomes very challenging to have a moon program. We have to do things more cost-effectively.””

PromptLock Ransomware Is Just a Research Project, But It's Still Disturbing. PCMag.com article.  Pull quote: “Researchers call the prototype “Ransomware 3.0,” and published a 21-page paper going over their project, including the disturbing implications. The ransomware itself works as an “orchestrator” that can connect to one of OpenAI’s open-source large language models, which anyone can download and run over a server, including from a cloud provider. ”

Earth observation firms are trying to solve a latency problem with ‘Dynamic Targeting’. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Clouds were the initial target for JPL’s Dynamic Targeting algorithm because they obscure roughly two-thirds of the surface at Earth’s mid-latitudes, making them a significant problem for optical sensors. Human analysis conducted after the recent tests confirmed that the CogniSat-6 sensor succeeded in gathering cloud-free imagery.”

Putin says organ transplants could grant immortality. Not quite. TechnologyReview.com article. Pull quote: “Lore says she started her research career studying aging at the molecular level, but she soon changed course. She now plans to focus her attention on replacement therapies. “I very quickly realized we’re decades away [from understanding the molecular processes that underlie aging],” she says. “Why don’t we just take what we already know—replacement—and try to understand and apply it better?””