Important Innovations

Trump Administration Writing the Rules Source:  NASA Artemis Accords The Trump Administration is drafting a legal blueprint for mining of valuable minerals on the Moon and safety  zones to protect lunar bases. This is part of a new US sponsored international agreement called the Artemis Accords.  The Accords would bypass the United Nations.  It's an attempt to rally allies behind NASA's plan to put humans and space  stations on the Moon in 2024 in the Artemis Mission. "Planet Snatching" The Russians for one are not pleased with the Trump Administration's initiative.  The Artemis Accords have  been called "planet snatching" by the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos.  Yesterday, the Kremlin toned down the rhetoric but said the proposed legal blueprint would need to be thoroughly analyzed to see if it complies with international law. Moon's Strategic Value The Moon has tremendous strategic value. 

Asteroid 2020 HS7 Discovered Source:  NASA Tracking Mysterious Group of Asteroids UFO Sighting A relatively small asteroid, 13x26 feet flew close to the Earth and close to satellites.  The nearest satellite was just 750 miles away and the asteroid passed within 26,554 miles of Earth.  The discovery of Asteroid 2020 HS7 was just made by NASA's Pan-STARRS project.  This is one of the closest flybys by an asteroid ever recorded. The asteroid actually passed under the nearest satellite and came close to the geostationary orbit ring for satellites. Global Coordinated Tracking On April 26, 2020 NASA's Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii spotted what scientists thought was a UFO flying through space. They found it to be extremely close to the Earth with a 10% chance of colliding with the Earth.  Word went out to observatories around the world from China to Germany about the unidentified flying object.  Astronomers tracked the UFO's position, speed, motion and brightness.  Through thei

NASA Working with Actor Tom Cruise Source:  NASA view from ISS International Space Station & a Big Star This is innovative film making at its best.  NASA is working with actor Tom Cruise to shoot a movie in space.  Specifically, NASA has just disclosed that it will fly Tom Cruise to the International Space Station (ISS). Cruise will stay aboard and shoot a movie there.  And NASA Director Jim Bridenstine says this isn't science fiction.  It's going to happen! Apparently, Tom Cruise is about to become an astronaut. ISS The ISS is a multibillion science lab that orbits 250 miles above the Earth.  Rotating crews of astronauts have been onboard since 2000.  The US and Russia are the primary operators.  According to Director Bridenstine,  NASA's top priority is to find new forms of life in space.  He is putting billions of dollars of new technology, missions and telescopes behind the effort in the 2020's.  It will be interesting to see if the Cruise movie plays into the U

NASA'S SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE Source::  NASA NASA Leadership and Famous Astronauts NASA had made the search for extraterrestrial life in space a primary goal and mission. Here are the expert perspectives on the prospects from several famous astronauts and NASA's current Chief: NASA Chief Jim Bridenstein On NASA’s objective of discovering aliens Bridenstein said: “The goal is to discover life on another world; that’s what we’re trying to achieve. And because of so many great people in this room, friends, we are well on our way to doing that.”  Astonaut Buzz Aldrin After three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission, and as the lunar module pilot on the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, and as one of the first two humans to land on the moon , he said the following: "There was something out there that was close enough to be observed... sort of L-shaped."   "There may be aliens in our Milky Way galaxy, and there are billions of other galaxies. The

Launches Next-G Spacecraft Source:  Long March 5-B Launch Exploring Space for Signs of Life China just launched its largest rocket, carrying a next generation spacecraft onboard.  The Long March-5B rocket carrier took off this morning from the Wenchang Space Center in the southern island province of Hainan.  The rocket is massive:  54 meters long and has a takeoff weight of 849 tons. Life in Outer Space China has big space ambitions and plans. It wants to equal the US and Russia as a space power by 2030.  The experimental spacecraft is part of China's efforts to shuttle astronauts to its future space station for manned space exploration.  A big component of the exploration is searching for life in outer space.  Chinese space officials have explicitly stated that they are deploying massive technologies to find what they call "new civilizations with superior technology" in space.  China expects to have a multi-module space station for astronauts/space explorers by 2022

New Augmented Reality Based APP for Smartphones Source:  AR Cut & Paste Your Phone and Augmented Reality A just invented new APP called  AR Cut & Paste lets you point your smartphone camera at a real life object and cut & paste it to your computer.  The process takes about 2.5 seconds. And you can use the image in your digital documents. New Invention This is a research prototype invented by Cyril Diagne. He's the Director  of Media at the Lausanne University of Art and Design.  He's also associated with Google's Cultural Research Lab.  The app he designed uses augmented reality and machine learning to make this real-world "cut & paste" happen.  The process is so easy.  Once your phone captures the image, you point the camera to your computer screen and paste it where you want it to go. Bringing the Physical World to the Digital World What's intriguing about Diagne's invention is that AR Cut & Paste brings the physical i

Tesla Seeks Approval to Be Electricity Provider in UK Source:  Tesla Autobidder The Intriguing Question is Why? Tesla CEO Elon Musk has another potentially brilliant ace up his sleeve.  Tesla has applied to UK energy regulators to become an electricity provider in the UK. This, according to the UK newspaper, The Telegraph. The Tesla application didn't disclose why they are applying for the license.  But, the most likely purpose is to introduce Tesla's Autobidder energy platform. The mission and goal for Tesla is much bigger than the UK. Tesla seeks to be a global electricity provider. Automated Energy Trading Autobidder is a platform for automated energy trading.  Tesla has been operating the system in South Australia at Tesla's Hornsdale Power Reserve. It has generated lower electricity prices for homes there.  Musk likely is looking  to do the same type of disruptive innovation in the UK and then move it globally. He is building his marketing base right now in