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a conversation on grief, communication, community > United States Space Force > Article Display

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Space Force

a conversation on grief, communication, community > United States Space Force > Article Display

PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE (AFNS) -- As an intensive care unit chaplain at Regions Hospital’s level 1 trauma center in St. Paul, Minnesota, then-ICU and palliative care Chaplain Conner Simms witnessed both inexplainable miracles and unimaginable losses. And while it was his job to comfort those suffering, patient or family member, Simms admits bringing the weight of others’ grief home with him was practically unavoidable.“It’s impossible to leave something on the shelf and go to another place pretending like nothing’s wrong,” Simms said. “If you don’t find a constructive way to process that heaviness, even if it’s not your weight to bear, you risk the chance of snapping on those who are trying to help.”Luckily for Simms, he and his wife, Mayme, had a s...

FAA, NASA seek public input on SpaceX Starship launches at the Kennedy Space Center – Spaceflight Now

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SpaceX

FAA, NASA seek public input on SpaceX Starship launches at the Kennedy Space Center – Spaceflight Now

The Ship 29 upper stage of the fully integrated Starship rocket as seen before its fourth flight test on June 6, 2024. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing to gather public input on SpaceX Starship launch operations at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The request for comments comes about a month after the conclusion of an environmental review of a 100-acre expansion for SpaceX at its Hangar X site. The pair of projects highlight an ongoing ramp up of activity for a company that aims to launch more than 140 Falcon launches by the end of 2024, most of them from Florida’s Space Coast. “SpaceX draws a lot of attention. There’s no question about it. They’re doing a lot of amazing things and they draw a lot of attention from the public, not just locall...

Liquid crystals could improve quantum communication devices

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Science

Liquid crystals could improve quantum communication devices

Hitting certain crystals with lasers makes them produce quantum lightJaka Korenjak Creating quantum light just became easier thanks to liquid crystals like the ones found in television screens. Light with quantum properties is crucial for many future technologies. Entangled particles within such light could help produce quantum communications networks to support an unhackable internet or quantum imaging techniques for biomedicine. Matjaž Humar at Jožef Stefan Institute in Slovenia says that despite these advanced applications, the methods for making quantum light have barely changed for six decades – until now. He and his colleagues devised a way to create it with liquid crystals. Team member Vitaliy Sultanov at the Max Planck Institute in Germany says traditional...

Blue Origin, SpaceX, ULA win $5.6 billion in Pentagon launch contracts

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NASA

Blue Origin, SpaceX, ULA win $5.6 billion in Pentagon launch contracts

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force has selected Blue Origin, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance for the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 launch services program. The three companies won contracts potentially worth $5.6 billion over five years, the Pentagon announced June 13. The three companies will compete for orders over the contract period starting in fiscal year 2025 through 2029. Under the NSSL program, the Space Force orders individual launch missions up to two years in advance. At least 30 NSSL Lane 1 missions are expected to be competed over the five years. The Phase 3 contract is a big win for Blue Origin, marking the first time the space company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos has been selected to launch sensitive national security satellites. Space...

SpaceX to launch 22 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 flight from Cape Canaveral – Spaceflight Now

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SpaceX

SpaceX to launch 22 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 flight from Cape Canaveral – Spaceflight Now

A Falcon 9 stands ready for a Starlink mission at Cape Canaveral’s pad 40. File photo: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now. SpaceX is preparing for a Falcon 9 launch as central and southern Florida is hammered by rounds of thunderstorms and heavy tropical downpours expected to last several days. The mission marks the 61st Falcon 9 flight for the company in 2024, which will tie the total number of orbital launches it achieved in all of 2022. Liftoff of the Starlink 10-2 mission is set for 4:46 p.m. EDT (2046 UTC) Thursday. The Falcon 9 rocket will carry 22 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit on the 44th dedicated Starlink mission of the year. Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about an hour prior to launch. Heading into the Thursday launch opportunity, the 45th Weather Squadro...