Humanity could use a nuclear bomb to deflect a massive, life-threatening asteroid hurtling towards Earth in the future, according to scientists who tested the theory in the laboratory by blasting X-rays at a marble-sized ‘mock asteroid’
The system that produced this outburst is referred to as CXOU J005245.0–722844. It was recently identified by members of the Einstein Probe team and confirmed by the Swift team as the seventh-known example of a Be/White Dwarf X-ray binary. Be/White Dwarf binaries are binary systems in which a white dwarf star orbits a hot young star surrounded by a disk of stellar material. Astronomers expect these binaries to be commonly observed, Gaudin said, and the lack of known examples is a mystery.
“Novae are explosions that happen when material from a nearby star is deposited onto the surface of a white dwarf,” Gaudin said. “After enough material has been built up, the surface undergoes rapid thermonuclear fusion which creates the outburst. Most novae are events that reach moderate luminosities and decay over the course of several weeks. This nova is strange not just in its extremely luminous behavior but also in its short duration.”
The thermonuclear reaction during the nova is similar to a massive hydrogen bomb exploding—the explosion produces electromagnetic radiation that can be seen by telescopes on Earth and in orbit around Earth. According to the researchers, the nova was visible at optical wavelengths, or visible light, for just under a week and in X-rays for just under two weeks.
Nets wont do it, nets wont cut it, and to me, nets say: we dont know and we sorta give up. We need One System to be able to engage All Types and All Classes of drones, w/ EMF — RF jammers, Microwaves, Lasers, Projectiles, and Missiles. All acting simultaneously, to engage a So Called Drone Swarm.
U.S. Air Force officials at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia are looking at installing anti-drone nets to help protect F-22 Raptor stealth fighters on the flightline. This comes nearly a year after the base was subjected to waves of still-mysterious drone incursions, which The War Zone was first to report. It also underscores the U.S. military’s continued lag when it comes to responding to the very real threats posed by uncrewed aerial systems, at home and aboard, and particular hurdles to doing so domestically.
Langley’s 633rd Contracting Squadron put out a notice on October 4 asking for information about potential counter-drone netting that could be installed around up to 42 existing open-ended sunshade-type shelters at the base. Langley, now technically part of Joint Base Langley-Eustis, is one of a select few bases to host F-22s and is a key component of the Air Force’s posture to defend the U.S. homeland.
Continue reading “Protective Nets To Shield F-22s Eyed For Airbase Swarmed By Mystery Drones” »
Intelsat executive says pilot program shows benefits of outsourcing satcom, but defense procurement may be slow to shift.
France and Germany are joining the coalition at a time of heightened tension in space, with both China and Russia demonstrating their ability to disrupt or destroy satellites. Operation Olympic Defender aims to deter such actions through collective defense, shared intelligence, and the promotion of international norms for responsible space activity.
Germany’s official entry into Operation Olympic Defender was marked by a formal ceremony in Berlin, where Whiting joined Lt. Gen. Gunter Schneider, director-general for military strategy and operations at the German Ministry of Defence, and representatives from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
“Space is truly a team sport. The addition of Germany to our roster of growing like-minded partners contributes to our collective ability to address the growing threats in the domain,” said Whiting.
Medical Countermeasures For Exotic Viral Diseases — Dr. Jay Hooper, Ph.D. — Chief, Molecular Virology Branch, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases — USAMRIID.
Dr. Jay Hooper, Ph.D is Chief, Molecular Virology Branch, at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID — https://usamriid.health.mil/) where his research is aimed at the discovery and development of medical countermeasures targeting exotic viral diseases of military importance including hemorrhagic fever caused by hantaviruses, arenaviruses, filoviruses (e.g., Ebola virus), and diseases caused by poxviruses (e.g., smallpox and monkeypox).
Lone Wolf rifle, with infrared and thermal vision, detects aerial threats using cutting-edge targeting tech.
Possibly equipped with an AR-15/M16-pattern rifle, the robot dog appears to be a Ghost Robotics Vision 60 quadrupedal-unmanned ground vehicle (Q-UGV).
The testing was conducted at Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center in Saudi Arabia.
Continue reading “US military’s robot dogs with rifles can detect aerial threats at night” »
The Hunga Tonga underwater volcano was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, and now, two years later, new research from The Australian National University (ANU) has revealed its main trigger. The research is published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Only competition between countries will prevent progress from being stopped.
Beijing opted out of a pact to keep humans in control of decision-making on nuclear weapons, a move observers say underlines its dilemma.
Materials are crucial to modern technology, especially those used in extreme environments like nuclear energy systems and military applications. These materials need to withstand intense pressure, temperature and corrosion. Understanding their lattice-level behavior under such conditions is essential for developing next-generation materials that are more resilient, cheaper, lighter and sustainable.
