( MENAFN - The Conversation) NASA's upcoming Artemis II mission is slated to return astronauts to the Moon no sooner than April 2026. Astronauts were last on the Moon in 1972 during the Apollo 17 mission . Artemis II will utilize NASA's Space Launch System , which is an extremely powerful rocket that will enable human space exploration beyond Earth's atmosphere. The crew of four will travel in an Orion spacecraft , which the agency launched around the Moon and successfully returned during the Artemis I mission . But before Artemis II, NASA will send two missions to scout the surface of the lunar south pole for resources that could sustain human space travel and enable new scientific discoveries. Planetary geologists like me are interested in data from Lunar Trailblazer, one of these two scouting missions. The data from this mission will help us understand how water forms and behaves on rocky planets and moons. PRIME-1 , or the Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment, will be mounted on a lunar lander. It's scheduled for launch in January 2025. Aboard the lander are two instruments: The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain , TRIDENT, and the Mass Spectrometer for Observing Lunar Operations , MSOLO. TRIDENT will dig down up to 3 feet (1 meter) and extract samples of lunar soil, and MSOLO will evaluate the soil's chemical composition and water content. Joining the lunar mining experiment is Lunar Trailblazer, a satellite launching on the same Falcon 9 rocket . Think of this setup as a multimillion-dollar satellite Uber pool , or a rideshare where multiple missions share a rocket and minimize fuel usage while escaping Earth's gravitational pull. Bethany Ehlmann, a planetary scientist , is the principal investigator of Lunar Trailblazer and is leading an operating team of scientists and students from Caltech's campus . Trailblazer is a NASA Small, Innovative Mission for PLanetary Exploration, or SIMPLEx . These missions intend to provide practical operations experience at a lower cost. Each SIMPLEx mission is capped at a budget of US$55 million – Trailblazer is slightly over budget at $80 million. Even over budget, this mission will cost around a quarter of a typical robotic mission from NASA's Discovery Program . Discovery Program missions typically cost around $300 million, with a maximum budget of $500 million. Decades of research and development into small satellites , or SmallSats , opened the possibility for Trailblazer. SmallSats take highly specific measurements and complement data sourced from other instruments. Multiple SmallSats working together in a constellation can take various measurements simultaneously for a high-resolution view of the Earth's or Moon's surface. SIMPLEx missions can use these SmallSats. Because they're small and more affordable, they allow researchers to study questions that come with a higher technical risk . Lunar Trailblazer, for example, uses commercial off-the-shelf parts to keep the cost down. These low-cost, high-risk experimental missions may help geologists further understand the origin of the solar system, as well as what it's made of and how it has changed over time. Lunar Trailblazer will focus specifically on mapping the Moon. Scientists have long been fascinated by the surface of our closest celestial neighbor, the Moon. As early as the mid-17th century, astronomers mischaracterized ancient volcanic eruptions as lunar mare , derived from the Latin word for“seas.” Nearly two centuries later, astronomer William Pickering's calculations suggested that the Moon had no atmosphere. This led him to conclude the Moon could not have water on its surface, as that water would vaporize. However, in the 1990s, NASA's Clementine mission detected water on the Moon. Clementine was the first mission to completely map the surface of the Moon, including the lunar poles. This data detected the presence of ice within permanently shadowed regions on the Moon in low resolution. Scientists' first water detection prompted further exploration. NASA launched the Lunar Prospector in 1998 and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2009. The India Space Research Organization launched its Chandrayaan-1 mission with the Moon Mineralogy Mapper , M3, instrument in 2008. M3, although not designed to detected liquid water, unexpectedly did find it in sunlit areas on the Moon. These missions collectively provided maps showing how hydrous minerals – minerals containing water molecules in their chemical makeup – and ice water are distributed on the lunar surface, particularly in the cold, dark, permanently shadowed regions. But how does the temperature and physical state of water on the Moon change from variations in sunlight and crater shadows? Lunar Trailblazer will host two instruments , the Lunar Thermal Mapper , LTM, and an evolution of the M3 instrument, the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper , HVM3. The LTM instrument will map surface temperature, while the HVM3 will measure how lunar rocks absorb light. These measurements will allow it to detect and distinguish between water in liquid and ice forms. In tandem, these instruments will provide thermal and chemical measurements of hydrous lunar rock. They'll measure water during various times of the lunar day , which is about 29.5 Earth days, to try to show how the chemical composition of water varies depending on the time of day and where it is on the Moon. These results will tell researchers what phase – solid or liquid – the water is found in. There are three leading theories for where lunar water came from. It could be water that's been stored inside the Moon since its formation, in its mantle layer . Some geologic processes may have allowed it to slowly escape to the surface over time. Or, the water may have arrived on asteroids and comets that collided with the lunar surface. It may even have been created by interactions with the solar wind , which is a stream of particles that comes from the Sun. Lunar Trailblazer may shed light on these theories and help researchers make progress on several other big science questions, including how water behaves on rocky bodies like the Moon and whether future astronauts will be able to use it. MENAFN29122024000199003603ID1109040019 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. 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Five weeks after losing a national election, Gov. Tim Walz is keeping his options open both in Minnesota and nationally, gearing up for the 2025 legislative session and trying to understand why the ticket he joined with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t win over enough voters. “Somehow we decided that electing a billionaire who screwed the middle class his entire life was better for the middle class,” Walz said in an interview, referring to the Harris-Walz ticket’s loss to President-elect Donald Trump. “Who knew making housing affordable was not as strong a message as: ‘They’re eating dogs and they’re eating cats.’ ” On the prospect of another national run, Walz said, “It would be too early to say that. I do want to be part of the conversation, because I think we are delivering, I think we are making a difference in people’s lives.” Walz is still trying to figure out how the party failed to better connect with working-class voters, whether it was a policy or messaging failure. “I would argue, if you ask people, ‘Would you like to see better education and more money in the pockets of the middle class, or would you like to see Elon Musk get richer?’ I think that election would probably swing heavily to, ‘We’d like to help the middle class.’” Walz acknowledged that Democrats have to figure it out. “I think the Democratic Party lost that message to the middle class,” Walz said. “I don’t think we focused on that, that bread and butter piece.” In every speech during his vice presidential run, Walz said he touched on how labor unions created safe working conditions, fair wages, a 40-hour work week and the ability to afford a home. “For whatever reason, that doesn’t seem to be what people identify as a core of the party,” Walz said. “I’d like to spend the time, you know, being that voice and continuing to fight for” the message that the party wants to make life easier for the middle class. He sounded exasperated when he talked about Trump backtracking on campaign promises, as the Republican is now acknowledging the tariffs on imports he promised could lead to price increases and that the United States may have to go to war with Iran. “For whatever reason, people were going to vote for Trump,” Walz said. “They didn’t believe us. They thought we were elite. [Republicans] were masterful at dragging us down on some of those things.” Walz said the goals of the middle class remain the same: Safety, earning more, having health care and good public schools. “Obviously, Donald Trump probably knows that they want that, too,” he said. “He didn’t message a damn thing about that, and I don’t believe he’s going to deliver on it.” The governor said he’s focused on the upcoming legislative session and he’s holding open the prospect of a run for an unprecedented third, four-year term as governor in 2026. In coping with an incoming Trump administration, Walz said it will be a combination of fighting back and working with the president provided it doesn’t “compromise our values.” He noted that the GOP makes the case that states’ rights matter, and “we’re going to protect our states’ rights as much as we can,” he said. Walz said he worked with the Trump administration during COVID-19, but he recognized that Trump has expressed a desire to be vindictive. “I think we can expect that certain states will get hit harder than others,” Walz said. “My job will be here to make sure that none of that impacts negatively to people in Minnesota.” In other ways, he said Minnesota will be sheltered. “I’m not going to put women’s lives at risk when they need basic health care,” Walz said. “We’ll make the case that no matter what he thinks, he’s not a dictator. He needs to follow the law, and he needs to work with states.” His team already is looking into the possibility of dealing with selective federal funding cuts targeting Minnesota. He also openly wondered how voters will react as Trump’s policies play out. People “voted for it and they want mass deportations. I think now that’s going to become a little more realistic when federal agents come into your church during Mass, stop Mass and arrest the person sitting next to you worshiping, or they’re there when the child’s being dropped off at school, and they arrest the parents, and then we’ll have to figure out where the kids go after school.” After the legislative session, Walz said he expects to start thinking about 2026. Asked if he might step aside because other DFLers could be eager to run, Walz responded, “you could always have a primary.” He argued that life has improved in Minnesota under his tenure while Trump rescinded a basic American trait to not be cruel and voters endorsed that. “So I think for us as being a voice of more reason, maybe a little more kindness, a little more trying to find real solutions,” he said.
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Travel: Colorado’s winter huts blend adventure, luxury, and scenic beautyDrones for commercial and recreational use have grown rapidly in popularity, despite restrictions on who can operate them and where they can be flown. No-fly zones are enforced around airports, military installations, nuclear plants, certain landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, and sports stadiums during games. Not everybody follows the rules. Sightings at airports have shut down flights in a few instances. Reported sightings of what appear to be drones flying over New Jersey at night in recent weeks have created anxiety among some residents, in part because it is not clear who is operating them or why. Some state and local officials have called for stricter rules to govern drones. After receiving reports of drone activity last month near Morris County, New Jersey, the Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary bans on drone flights over a golf course in Bedminster , New Jersey, that is owned by President-elect Donald Trump, and over Picatinny Arsenal Military Base . The FAA says the bans are in response to requests from “federal security partners.” The FAA is responsible for the regulations governing their use , and Congress has written some requirements into law. With a 2018 law, the Preventing Emerging Threats Act, Congress gave certain agencies in the Homeland Security and Justice departments authority to counter threats from unmanned aircraft to protect the safety of certain facilities. New drones must be outfitted with equipment allowing law enforcement to identify the operator, and Congress gave the agencies the power to detect and take down unmanned aircraft that they consider dangerous. The law spells out where the counter-drone measures can be used, including “national special security events” such as presidential inaugurations and other large gatherings of people. To get a “remote pilot certificate,” you must be at least 16 years old, be proficient in English, pass an aeronautics exam, and not suffer from a ”mental condition that would interfere with the safe operation of a small unmanned aircraft system.” Yes, but the FAA imposes restrictions on nighttime operations. Most drones are not allowed to fly at night unless they are equipped with anti-collision lights that are visible for at least 3 miles (4.8 kilometers). Over the past decade, pilots have reported hundreds of close calls between drones and airplanes including airline jets. In some cases, airplane pilots have had to take evasive action to avoid collisions. Drones buzzing over a runway caused flights to be stopped at London’s Gatwick Airport during the Christmas travel rush in 2018 and again in May 2023 . Police dismissed the idea of shooting down the drones, fearing that stray bullets could kill someone. Advances in drone technology have made it harder for law enforcement to find rogue drone operators — bigger drones in particular have more range and power. Some state and local officials in New Jersey are calling for stronger restrictions because of the recent sightings, and that has the drone industry worried. Scott Shtofman, director of government affairs at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, said putting more limits on drones could have a “chilling effect” on “a growing economic engine for the United States.” “We would definitely oppose anything that is blindly pushing for new regulation of what are right now legal drone operations,” he said. AirSight, a company that sells software against “drone threats,” says more than 20 states have enacted laws against privacy invasion by drones, including Peeping Toms. Will Austin, president of Warren County Community College in New Jersey, and founder of its drone program, says it's up to users to reduce public concern about the machines. He said operators must explain why they are flying when confronted by people worried about privacy or safety. “It's a brand new technology that's not really understood real well, so it will raise fear and anxiety in a lot of people,” Austin said. “We want to be good professional aviators and alleviate that.” ___ Associated Press reporter Rebecca Santana in Washington, D.C., contributed.
There are still barriers that are preventing fathers from taking up , even with progressive changes to legislation that was set to improve men’s access. Monash University’s Business School recently a study in the , exploring and analysing barriers to gender-equal access to paid parental leave. Led by Dr Amanda Selvarajah, the study drew up data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), interviews with human resources professionals and analysis of legislation. Dr Selvarajah found that while some progress has been made, fathers and partners are still running into obstacles when it comes to accessing paid parental leave. “Despite a professed intention to improve fathers’ parental leave usage, the PPL Act maintains several barriers that may compromise its gender equal utilisation,” Dr Selvarajah said. “This is largely because the PPL Act continues to require parents in coupled households to share their payments between them to have an equal entitlement.” In July 2023, changes to the Paid Parental Leave Act (PPL Act) came into effect that removed gendered assumptions on who, in a parenting couple, is the primary and the secondary carer of a child, which therefore determines the amount of paid parental leave they are eligible for. Before those changes took effect, it was usually the birth mother who was automatically assigned the primary carer, who received 18 weeks of payments at the national minimum wage, and the father or partner that was the secondary carer, who received two weeks of payments. The legislation changes in 2023 scrapped this practice. However, the study found parents are still expected to share all but two weeks of payments, as just two weeks of parental leave is non-transferrable. This finding reveals a disregard of the social, financial and biological reasons that birth parents take parental leave first and for longer periods. Further, in practice, there is still a “primary carer” requirement for parents in workplaces, even with the changes to legislation. And with payments only set to minimum wage, it discourages fathers from taking parental leave, and instead almost incentivises them to go back to work. According to data from WGEA, only about 68 per cent of organisations with more than 100 employees offer their own paid parental leave policies, meaning they receive full compensation, as opposed to minimum wage. What’s more, in workplaces that do offer their own policies, only 17 per cent of parental leave use was taken up by men, the WGEA data shows. The Monash Business School study also interviewed HR professionals, and these interviews found that organisations still define primary and secondary carers in their own workplace policies. Time limits on the use of parental leave were commonly at a maximum of 12 months, and the average length of employer-provided paid parental leave for primary carers was 12 weeks. The interviews revealed that there was rarely any flexibility from workplaces on how paid parental leave was used, and there is still a strong, cultural resistance from fathers and partners from taking up leave. “In the short term,” Dr Selvarajah said, “these findings emphasise the need for organisations to consider the structural and cultural barriers that may be preventing fathers from taking on more caregiving responsibilities. “If left unaddressed, these barriers will continue to perpetuate gender inequality in the workplace and at home. “The study reveals how the industry relies on legislation to take the lead in parental leave policy design. Further legislative reforms are crucial to help normalise equal caregiving by both parents, reducing the gender divide in unpaid labor. “This could lead to broader societal benefits, including improved gender equality in career opportunities and economic outcomes for women.”
The Ukrainian Armed Forces hit the radar station of the Russian occupiers' S-400 air defense systemDonations for the legal defense of Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, topped $55,000 Thursday, amid a wave of online support for the suspect that’s shown no signs of cresting. Started on the , the fundraiser was created by a group calling itself “The December 4th Legal Committee,” an apparent reference to the day that Thompson was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan. “We are not here to celebrate violence, but we do believe in the constitutional right of fair legal representation,” text on the site reads. The campaign has a goal of raising $200,000, and as of Thursday afternoon it had brought in over $56,000. Judging from the flood of comments praising Mangione that have been left on social media sites, his emergence as a folk hero boils down to two main factors: anger at the American health care system and Mangione’s good looks. “Luigi’s actions represent a fierce rejection of a system that profits massively yet doesn’t care about the American people,” an anonymous donor wrote on the crowdfunding site. “Our deaths, our pain, our cries for help are constantly silenced and ignored, as we work multiple jobs just to afford to live. This isn’t about political parties. It’s about CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS. FREE LUIGI.” "Admiration for the brave and revolutionary Luigi Mangione, who dared to challenge the healthcare system's injustices and became a voice for the oppressed,” a person identifying themselves as Emiliano GC wrote. Another message left accompanying a $6 donation by a person who did not leave their real name stated, “Thank you for being brave. Someone had to give the wake up call. Health care should be free and fair, not a financial trap designed to make us sick with stress! Free Luigi! Free universal healthcare for all!” After New York police circulated a photo of Mangione smiling with his mask lowered, and other photos were circulated of him hiking shirtless in Hawaii, social media was flooded with messages left by users Some donors to Mangione’s legal defense fund have also identified with the pain he suffered to do a back condition known as . “As a fellow sufferer of Spondylolisthesis who also has United Healthcare insurance, I empathize with what you've gone through that brought you to your current situation,” an anonymous donor who left $20 wrote. “I've been denied surgery for almost 2 years. I even had to pay out of pocket for my diagnostic MRI because they said it wasn't ‘necessary’. Thank you for your courage and sacrifice, which has brought these atrocities to light.” Mangione reportedly aggravated his back condition when he went surfing in Hawaii in 2022, and underwent surgery in early 2023. Initially, he described in a thread on Reddit how the surgery had left him pain free, but by May of that year, he complained that most doctors were “basically worthless” in a now deleted post on X. On Thursday, however, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said that Mangione . “We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. So that’s possibly why he targeted that company,” Kenny said in an interview with NBC New York. On Tuesday, Mangione’s lawyer Thomas Dickey said that he offering to help pay him for defending his client but that he was not inclined to accept them. “To be honest with you, I probably wouldn’t,” Dickey told . “I just don't feel comfortable about that. So, I don't know. I haven't given that much thought.” While Mangione comes from a wealthy Maryland family, it is unclear whether they will step forward to pay his legal bills. On the crowdfunding site, the organizers say they will redirect the money raised for Mangione’s defense if he refuses it. “All proceeds will be sent directly to Luigi or, if he chooses to reject the funds, they will instead be donated to legal funds for other U.S. political prisoners,” the website states without specifying who those other recipients might be.
NEW YORK, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Light & Wonder, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNW) resulting from allegations that Light & Wonder may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. SO WHAT: If you purchased Light & Wonder securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=29678 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On September 24, 2024, the Las Vegas Review-Journal published an article entitled “Slot manufacturer scores major win against Las Vegas-based rival.” It stated that “Aristocrat Technologies Inc.’s request for a preliminary injunction in its trade-secret and copyright infringement lawsuit against Light & Wonder” had been granted, and that the “order prohibits [Light & Wonder] from the ‘continued or planned sale, leasing, or other commercialization of Dragon Train,’ which Aristocrat claims uses intellectual property developed for its Dragon Link and Lightning Link games.” On this news, the price of Light & Wonder common stock fell 19.49% on September 24, 2024. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.comLanzaTech Appoints TechnipFMC’s Former Executive Chairman Thierry Pilenko to Board of Directors
2025 guidance reflects growth in key Aerospace and Industrial markets FORT COLLINS, Colo., Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ: WWD) today reported financial results for its fiscal year 2024 and fourth quarter ending September 30, 2024. All amounts are presented on an as reported (U.S. GAAP) basis unless otherwise indicated. All per share amounts are presented on a fully diluted basis. All comparisons are made to the same period of the prior year unless otherwise stated. All references to years are references to the Company's fiscal year unless otherwise stated. We enter fiscal 2025 with strong momentum. In Aerospace, we anticipate increasing revenue and margin expansion driven by continued strength in commercial markets and increased defense activity. In Industrial, we expect broad-based market strength in power generation and marine transportation, offset by a significant decline in sales related to China on-highway natural gas trucks. We remain focused on growth, operational excellence and innovation to drive shareholder value.” Fiscal 2024 Key Highlights Year Year Year Year
