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India Today
3 days ago
- Science
- India Today
Europe conducts critical drop tests on reusable spacecraft
The European Space Agency's reusable spacecraft Space Rider has successfully completed a crucial series of drop tests, bringing it closer to becoming Europe's versatile orbital laboratory for a wide range of the size of two minivans, Space Rider is designed to stay in low Earth orbit for up to three months, enabling scientific research, in-orbit manufacturing, and visits to orbital platforms before returning safely to recent drop-test campaign took place at the Salto di Quirra testing range in Sardinia, Italy, where models of Space Rider's reentry module were released from an Italian Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter at altitudes between 1 and 2.5 kilometers. These tests focused on two critical systems: the parachutes that slow the spacecraft during descent and the flight-control software that autonomously guides Space Rider to a precise landing Space Rider reenters Earth's atmosphere, it faces extreme conditions—traveling over six times the speed of sound and enduring temperatures exceeding ensure a safe landing, a sequence of parachutes deploys: first a drogue chute just below the speed of sound for initial braking, followed by a pilot chute that pulls out a large parafoil at around 5 km altitude. This parafoil then steers the spacecraft to a targeted landing with remarkable tests confirmed the parachutes' reliable deployment and speed reduction capabilities, as well as the effectiveness of the autonomous guidance test model, equipped with sensors and control avionics, descended without any ground intervention, landing within 150 meters of the target—a world-first achievement for precision landing under parafoil. pace Rider represents a major step forward for reusable European spaceflight. (Photo: ESA) This campaign was led by Thales Alenia Space Italia, with support from industrial partners and the Italian Defence sector, which provided essential logistics and access to the test ahead, Space Rider will undergo further full-system drop tests, including simulations of worst-case landing scenarios to ensure payload safety. The spacecraft is designed for quick turnaround, undergoing six months of maintenance before returning to orbit for subsequent Rider represents a major step forward for reusable European spaceflight, promising to advance research in pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, materials science, and space technology while offering routine, affordable access to and return from orbit.- Ends
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Army is planning a parade for its anniversary — and Trump's birthday
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump might finally get his parade. The U.S. Army is planning a big celebration to recognize not only the 250th anniversary of its founding, but also President Trump's 79th birthday, both of which fall on June 14. That celebration will potentially bring tanks and hundreds of other military vehicles and aircraft onto and over the streets of the nation's capital in June, according to three defense officials familiar with the planning. During Trump's first term, the president sought to have a big military parade, but the plans were shelved over cost and concerns that some of the military vehicles, particularly tracked vehicles like tanks, could significantly damage the streets of Washington, D.C. and incur a huge price tag for repairs. The estimate for the parade being planned now is 'tens of millions of dollars,' according to two of the defense officials. Trump didn't forget and now is considering a military parade to honor both birthdays. Current plans call for more than 150 military vehicles and 50 aircraft to rumble through a parade route through Washington on June 10, the three defense officials said. That could include Army wheeled vehicles, like Humvees and trucks, and so-called tracked vehicles, like tanks, two of the officials said. The aircraft will include CH-47 Chinook helicopters and UH 60 Black Hawk helicopters, two of the officials said. And the famed Golden Knights are expected to jump from above, land near the viewing stands, and deliver a flag to the VIPs, most likely Trump, two of the officials said. The Army is celebrating its 250th birthday with a number of events, including a fireworks display, a festival and a parade, Army spokesman Steve Warren said in a statement. "Parade planning is actively underway, and we anticipate approximately 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and 6,600 Soldiers to highlight the Army's 250 years of service to the nation," Warren said. The plan for the tanks is not yet final. One option under consideration is to put the tanks on trailers, which would mitigate some of the damage to the streets, but that could also impact the aesthetics of the parade, officials said. They also plan to have a separate staging area for the heavy vehicles so they do not have to cross any of D.C.'s bridges, two of the officials said. The vehicles would roll down the streets of Washington in columns, the officials said, in a way that some critics of the planned parade in his first term compared to what is more typically seen in places like North Korea and Russia. For now, the plan is to have Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Stryker Armored Fighting Vehicles, the Army's new Infantry Squad Vehicles and more, the officials said. All the Army vehicles would be drawn from the Army's 10 divisions, brought in mostly via train from bases like Fort Bliss, Texas to Fort Drum, New York. Each division will dedicate between 200 and 400 people to the parade, the officials said. Under the current plan, some of the troops would sleep in government buildings, including the Department of Agriculture and U.S. General Services Administration buildings, according to two of the defense officials. Asked about the parade last month, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed that planning was in the early stages and that the Trump administration had reached out about it, but said she had not been directly involved yet. The parade theme will include U.S. wars throughout the Army's history and include soldiers marching in period uniforms, the officials explained. The plans are still evolving but the current early estimate is the parade and static displays in D.C. will cost as much as $45 million, according to two of the defense officials, who said that could change as planning continues. The final estimates from inside the Army are not yet complete as plans for the parade have not yet been fully approved by the White House and the Army, two of the officials said. Individual Army units will bear the ultimate cost of the parade, three of the officials said. In some cases, units would have to spend more than $1 million to participate. That could impact funds used for training, officials said. 'Could the parade potentially impact training? Absolutely,' said one of the defense officials. 'Will it impact training? That's unclear.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
U.S. Army is planning a parade for its anniversary — and Trump's birthday
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump might finally get his parade. The U.S. Army is planning a big celebration to recognize not only the 250th anniversary of its founding, but also President Trump's 79th birthday, both of which fall on June 14. That celebration will potentially bring tanks and hundreds of other military vehicles and aircraft onto and over the streets of the nation's capital in June, according to three defense officials familiar with the planning. During Trump's first term, the president sought to have a big military parade, but the plans were shelved over cost and concerns that some of the military vehicles, particularly tracked vehicles like tanks, could significantly damage the streets of Washington, D.C. and incur a huge price tag for repairs. The estimate for the parade being planned now is 'tens of millions of dollars,' according to two of the defense officials. Trump didn't forget and now is considering a military parade to honor both birthdays. Current plans call for more than 150 military vehicles and 50 aircraft to rumble through a parade route through Washington on June 10, the three defense officials said. That could include Army wheeled vehicles, like Humvees and trucks, and so-called tracked vehicles, like tanks, two of the officials said. The aircraft will include CH-47 Chinook helicopters and UH 60 Black Hawk helicopters, two of the officials said. And the famed Golden Knights are expected to jump from above, land near the viewing stands, and deliver a flag to the VIPs, most likely Trump, two of the officials said. The Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The plan for the tanks is not yet final. One option under consideration is to put the tanks on trailers, which would mitigate some of the damage to the streets, but that could also impact the aesthetics of the parade, officials said. They also plan to have a separate staging area for the heavy vehicles so they do not have to cross any of D.C.'s bridges, two of the officials said. The vehicles would roll down the streets of Washington in columns, the officials said, in a way that some critics of the planned parade in his first term compared to what is more typically seen in places like North Korea and Russia. For now, the plan is to have Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Stryker Armored Fighting Vehicles, the Army's new Infantry Squad Vehicles and more, the officials said. All the Army vehicles would be drawn from the Army's 10 divisions, brought in mostly via train from bases like Fort Bliss, Texas to Fort Drum, New York. Each division will dedicate between 200 and 400 people to the parade, the officials said. Under the current plan, some of the troops would sleep in government buildings, including the Department of Agriculture and U.S. General Services Administration buildings, according to two of the defense officials. Asked about the parade last month, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed that planning was in the early stages and that the Trump administration had reached out about it, but said she had not been directly involved yet. The parade theme will include U.S. wars throughout the Army's history and include soldiers marching in period uniforms, the officials explained. The plans are still evolving but the current early estimate is the parade and static displays in D.C. will cost as much as $45 million, according to two of the defense officials, who said that could change as planning continues. The final estimates from inside the Army are not yet complete as plans for the parade have not yet been fully approved by the White House and the Army, two of the officials said. Individual Army units will bear the ultimate cost of the parade, three of the officials said. In some cases, units would have to spend more than $1 million to participate. That could impact funds used for training, officials said. 'Could the parade potentially impact training? Absolutely,' said one of the defense officials. 'Will it impact training? That's unclear.'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Several agencies practice wildland firefighting from the sky
LONGMONT, Colo. (KDVR) — Several state agencies got a bird's eye view Thursday morning to practice skills on fighting wildfires from above. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control does the training annually, and teams up with the Colorado National Guard and a couple of local fire departments to make it happen. This year's training will have a variety of helicopters, including Single Engine Air Tankers: UH-72 Lakota helicopters and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. One of the main activities will be targeted aerial water delivery practice at Chatfield State Park in Littleton, Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City and Button Rock Reservoir in Longmont. Rabbit suspected in wildlife strike that forced United flight to divert back to DIA The goal is for crews to be prepared for the real thing when the time comes. The training, organizers and officials said, is increasingly necessary. All the agencies involved were the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Colorado National Guard, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Boulder Fire-Rescue, City of Longmont and Longmont Fire Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
U.S. Navy dive team joins international recovery effort in Lithuania
March 29 (UPI) -- A specialized U.S. Navy dive team and a Polish engineering team joined the search for four missing U.S. Army soldiers whose armored vehicle sank in a Lithuanian peat bog on Tuesday. The underwater construction dive team with U.S. Navy Commander Task Force 68 traveled by air overnight to Rota, Spain, and proceeded to the search location near Pabrade, Lithuania, on Saturday, U.S. Army Europe and Africa announced. The soldiers last were known to be inside the M88A2 Hercules heavy-equipment recovery vehicle that was located on Wednesday and remains submerged under at least 15 feet of water, clay-like mud and silt, USAEA officials said. "We've touched base with the Lithuanian divers who have gone in already," U.S. Navy Senior Chief Master Diver Carlos Hernandez said. "We have a good site picture from them and the other boots on the ground." The dive team will deploy a remotely operated submersible vehicle and use handheld sonar to get a "clear picture of what we can expect down there," Hernandez said. The dive team's mission is to locate lift points on the sunken vehicle to it can be recovered from the peat bog and is being helped by the arrival of 55 Polish engineers, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineering team on Friday and ongoing support from Lithuania. "We are going to use every resource available from all our countries to find our missing soldiers," 1st Armored Division Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor said. "We are stronger together as a joint and multinational team, and we will not rest until our soldiers are found." The Polish engineers are recovery experts and brought 13 vehicles, including three tracked recovery vehicles that are similar to the sunken Hercules, to remove it from the bog. "We are on standby with armored recovery vehicles, one engineering machine, a water pump and so on," Polish Armed Forced Maj. Mikhail Bebark said. "If there is a need for us, we can bring our equipment and assist with this work here." The U.S. Army's Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division, has several helicopters on site, including three CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, two UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for medical evacuation, two UH-60M and one UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters for medium-lift capability and command and control. A recovery team has continued removing water from the site and shoring up the nearby ground to support the heavy equipment needed to remove the sunken armored recovery vehicle from the peat bog. Lithuanian geologists also arrived Saturday and brought a portable sub-bottom profiler to help map the recovery area. The search area is located within a military training area near Pabrade and about 6 miles west of the Belarus border with Lithuania. The U.S. military has not identified the four missing soldiers, NBC News reported. The families of the missing soldiers have been notified, and 3rd Infantry Division is keeping them informed as the recovery effort continues.
