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WATCH: SpaceX launches Intelsat-40E mission with NASA

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2 years ago

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SpaceX’s commercial communications satellite Falcon 9 blasted off on Friday into the orbit with a NASA Earth science instrument aboard, reported space.com.

The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Florida that carried Intelsat 40e satellite toward geostationary transfer orbit.

The Falcon 9 first-stage booster supporting this mission previously launched CRS-26, said SpaceX.

The launch occurred Friday is SpaceX’s 23rd of the year, and the Falcon 9’s touchdown was the company’s 184th orbital rocket landing overall, according to SpaceX.

The booster successfully landed on the “A Shortfall of Gravitas” drone ship within nine minutes.

Intelsat was deployed on the upper stage of the rocket after 32.5 minutes after the launch.

Intelsat-40E is a modern geostationary satellite which aims to give access to the company and its customers all across North and Central America.

The geostationary satellite — carried by rocket — is developed by Maxar Technologies which also hosts NASA’s Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) as a payload.

The satellite will be stationed in a geostationary orbit — 22,000 miles above the Earth — performing its tasks as other geostationary satellites do.

Additionally, it will also be capturing aerial photos on an hourly basis of air pollution over North America.

Those spacecrafts positioned in geostationary orbit over Earth appear in a fixed position while low Earth orbiting objects see the completion of 16 rounds every 24 hours.

In a press briefing on April 5, Karen St Germain, Earth Science Division director at NASA’s headquarters said: “We have several other missions that make observations of atmospheric constituents and atmospheric composition.”

“The real unique difference here with TEMPO is going to be that geostationary look”, Karen told journalists adding that “it will also provide much higher resolution data than other missions.”

TEMPO has the capability to carry out the mission for 20 months however, it can exceed the limit.

On the other hand, Intelsat-40E is solar powered consisting of two arrays which can operate for 15 years.

Aaron Abell, TEMPO project manager at Maxar said: “The TEMPO program really is a win-win-win for the major entities involved.”

“It allows unused capacity on Maxar’s heritage satellite design to be leveraged for government missions. This reduces the cost of access to space for the government as well as reduces the cost for Intelsat, as they’re compensated for their support of the TEMPO mission.”

Kevin Daugherty, TEMPO project manager at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia was of the view that “The total cost to NASA is approximately $210 million and of that, just over $90 million was for the instrument development itself. And the remainder has been for both paying our contractors for hosting TEMPO and then integration, but as well as some support engineering and management that’s been going on.”

NASA is working on a “lessons learned session” to look at how best to implement and approach such partnerships with commercial actors in the future, Daugherty added.

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Balochistani Graduates Selected for NUTECH Islamabad’s Mining Program

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6 days ago

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For 18 graduates of the Reko Diq Mining Project, the National University of Technology, Islamabad, has started a training program. These graduates will complete an 18-month on-the-job training program at Barrick’s International Mining Sites after completing a two-month course at NUTECH.

The graduates will acquire proficiency in mining and associated technical domains during the training program. The chosen graduates will also get specific instruction on environmental protection, safety, exploration, and geology.

Along with the development of communication skills, the curriculum will also emphasise the most recent advancements in the mining industry. Barrick’s International Graduate Development Program for 2024 includes the Balochistani graduates.

Additionally, nine Baloch graduates were selected in 2023 and transported to Barrick’s facility in Argentina for on-the-job training.

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WhatsApp will improve the updates tab by introducing new shortcuts and a revamped interface.

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7 days ago

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WhatsApp is implementing a new upgrade to refine the Updates tab interface, hence boosting accessibility for status and channel updates.

WABetaInfo reports that the upgrade introduces expedited shortcuts that streamline the updating of statuses and channels. Users can now select and upload photos and videos directly from the interface, reducing the steps involved in choosing media from the gallery.

The Meta-owned messaging application has also revamped the button for generating text-based status updates and introduced a feature for recording and sharing voice status updates. This offers customers a more expedient method to disseminate text and speech updates without depending on the floating action button.

The revisions correspond with recent modifications to other tabs, ensuring a modernised interface that improves navigation and update creation. WhatsApp is modifying the floating action button to facilitate content sharing within channels.

When selecting the floating action button, users will see several options, including creating status updates, starting new channels, or sharing photos, videos, voice, and text in existing channels. This revamp integrates all content-generating options into a singular section.

The new shortcuts are anticipated to be accessible to a broader user base in the forthcoming weeks. Beta testers can currently access them in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android, version 2.24.26.13, available on the Google Play Store.

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China and Pakistan Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Launch AI-Powered Agricultural Equipment

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1 week ago

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Through Chinese expertise, the arrangement, which was made possible by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), intends to increase Pakistan’s agricultural output.

The Punjab government and China’s “AI Force Tech” company have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to introduce advanced agricultural machinery during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s visit to China.

Through the use of advanced robotic technology, the MoU seeks to transform Pakistan’s agricultural industry, guarantee economic growth, and boost farmers’ wealth with China’s assistance.

Through the partnership, Pakistan would also have the chance to absorb knowledge about China’s sophisticated farming methods.

In the meantime, plans have been revealed by the Federal Minister of Planning to send 1,000 agricultural experts to China to study contemporary farming methods.

A Chinese business and the Punjab government previously inked an agreement to introduce cutting-edge cancer treatment technologies to Punjab.

Maryam Nawaz signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hygea Medical Technologies while she was in China in order to introduce cutting-edge cancer treatment equipment and techniques to Punjab.

This equipment will make it feasible to treat cancer without the need for chemotherapy or surgery.

Following a meeting with Hygea Medical Technologies President Dr. Luo Fuliang, Maryam Nawaz said the organization has promised expert assistance for the establishment of the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital.

She went on to say that the hospital will work with China to treat cancer patients utilizing the newest equipment and techniques following the agreement.

Maryam Nawaz and a high-level delegation are present. From December 8 to December 15, the chief minister will go to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou.

CM Maryam Nawaz is expected to attend a number of conferences, events, and meetings with the goal of enhancing bilateral relations and looking into potential joint ventures in the areas of infrastructure development, technology, agriculture, and governance.

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