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Letters to the editor: Ignore the populist bait of an uneconomical manufacturing dream – The Australian Financial Review

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We need better performance from our politicians, and that requires us to ignore the populist bait on offer. And to reward the politicians who act against their own interests to benefit the country.

Graeme Bennett, Artarmon, NSW

Ed Shann would have us continue business as usual and go with our strengths (Forget Made in Australia, do what we already do well). But what of energy security, and the need to decarbonise?

We have recently witnessed Australias dependence on imports, whether in the 90 per cent of our imported oil supplies at risk due to conflicts elsewhere or a pandemic that isolated the very industries Mr Shann believes are our strengths: education and tourism.

As for subsidies, the Australia Institute reported that in 2022-23, Australian governments provided fossil fuel industries with $11.1billion in spending and tax breaks: This years figure represents a 5 per cent decline on last years, but subsidies in the forward estimates have increased from $55.3 billion to a record $57.1 billion.

The focus on returns to fossil fuel shareholders needs to shift to a focus on making renewables work for the environment and for an equitable transition to cheaper energy sources. This will require investment.

On a micro level, millions of Australians have worked this out already. New home battery installations rose 21 per cent last year. According to the Climate Council, rooftop solar is now providing 11.2 per cent of our nations total power supply after 314,507 households installed solar panels last year, bringing online 2.9GW of new generation.

Fiona Colin, Malvern East, Vic

It was pleasing to read rational commentary detailing criteria necessary to boost investment (Four ways we can lift investment in local manufacturing).

It was all about fundamentals: approvals; build times; competitive input costs; skilled workforce. The only mention of tax was the sensible suggestion for faster depreciation of manufacturing investments.

Improved depreciation rates can apply across all industries. Developing and purchasing computer software is part of everyday business and necessary to drive productivity and revenue. It is like employing people to achieve outcomes. All software expenditures should be able to be written off as incurred rather than depreciated.

Graeme Troy, Wagstaffe, NSW

I offer a counter to the self-serving views of the Minerals Council of Australia as presented by chief executive Tania Constable (Dont make stuff Australia has no edge in, says MCA).

Ms Constable seems to have no idea there is much more to a manufacturing sector than raw inputs and outputs. For a start, there is the whole can do mindset that a thriving manufacturing sector can engender. Ms Constable probably cant conceive that there might be thousands of young Australians who would much rather spend their work time actually making things and gaining practical skills than answering emails and moving numbers around on a screen all day.

Can I suggest she read Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment by Francis Fukuyama and pause for a moment to consider the lasting damage to society that can occur when considerations of individual dignity and respect are simply cast aside for the narrow economic benefit of the nation?

Fraser Faithfull, Caulfield South, Vic

The AFR View is right to say the tragedy at Bondi Junction at the weekend would be 10 times worse if the perpetrator had a gun (Bondi Junction tragedy brings out the best). The reason Australians rush to help is that we dont think a gun is involved; the first thing Americans do is run away for fear of being shot.

While it is comforting to see all politicians and media condemn this monstrous act and understand the publics need for full and continuous disclosure, this period will soon end. We will then want to see real change, and real action.

This is where our political leaders could easily let us down. Labor is often criticised for being soft on crime, and time will tell if NSW Premier Chris Minns and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese fall into this category.

As The AFR View rightly points out, drugs are pernicious and a scourge; we need tougher action on drug dealers (especially ice, which seems to be in every suburb, and destroys too many lives), greater focus on reducing male violence towards women, reducing domestic violence, and fast action on mental health. We must support the police use of firearms in these situations, look at technology (artificial intelligence and CCTV), the carrying of mace by women made legal, and stab vests and tasers for security guards (with appropriate training and checks).

It is time for our political leaders to realise that laying flowers and sharing updates is important to help unite people and to grieve, but its 1 per cent of the job; taking effective action is the other 99 per cent.

Glen Frost, Darlington, NSW

The news that KIA is marketing a super-sized diesel vehicle specifically for the Australian market says a lot about our mind set. The world is in a climate emergency yet we are partying like there is no tomorrow.

When I drive to the local shopping centre, my little Corolla is dwarfed by a sea of Rams, Rangers and Range Rovers. They are excessive for doing the weekly shopping and school run.

What does it take to shake Australians from their complacency? We are all in this together, folks.

Barry Lizmore, Ocean Grove, Vic

I had no idea CPI was running at 20 per cent until I bought a copy of AFR Weekend in Adelaide on Saturday with a new cover price of $6, up from $5. No doubt Rear Window will shortly do a forensic analysis. After all, the Fins preoccupation with transparency is legendary.

John Bridgland, Adelaide, SA

We are always interested to hear your views on current topics.

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Letters to the editor: Ignore the populist bait of an uneconomical manufacturing dream - The Australian Financial Review

SpaceX launches Space Force weather satellite designed to take over for a program with roots to the 1960s … – Spaceflight Now

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The Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) space vehicle was successfully encapsulated April 8, 2024, ahead of its scheduled launch as the U.S. Space Force (USSF)-62 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., marking a major milestone on its upcoming launch into low Earth orbit. Image: SpaceX

SpaceX launched a military weather satellite designed to replace aging satellites from a program dating back to the 1960s. The United States Space Force-62 (USSF-62) mission featured the launch of the first Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) spacecraft.

Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 7:25 a.m. PDT (10:25 a.m. EDT (1425 UTC), which was the opening of a 10-minute launch window.

The booster supporting this National Security Space Launch (NSSL) mission, B1082 in the SpaceX fleet, made its third flight after previously launching the Starlink 7-9 and 7-14 missions this year.

Were absolutely thrilled be out here on the Central Coast, with a superb team primed and ready to launch the USSF-62 satellite. It has an important mission ahead of it and were excited for flight-proven Falcon 9 to deliver the satellite to orbit, said Col. Jim Horne, senior materiel leader for the Space System Commands Launch Execution Delta, in a statement. And on this mission, were using a first-stage booster whose history is purely commercial.

About eight minutes after liftoff, B1082 touched down at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4). This was the 17th land landing in California and the 295th booster landing for SpaceX.

A significant milestone for the company on the USSF-62 mission was the use of flight-proven payload fairings, which will be a first for an NSSL mission. They previously flew on the USSF-52 mission, which featured the launch of the X-37B spaceplane from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in December 2023.

With each national security launch, we add to Americas capabilities and improve its deterrence in the face of growing threats, Horne stated.

USSF-62 was one of three missions granted to SpaceX in May 2022 as part of the NSSL Phase 2 Order Year 3 award, which collectively are valued at $309.7 million. SpaceX launched USSF-124 in February 2024 and will likely launch the SDA-Tranche 1 satellites later this year.

Ball Aerospace, the manufacturer of the WSF-M, said the spacecrafts primary payload is a passive microwave radiometer, which has been demonstrated on previous spacecraft. It also boasts a 1.8 meter antenna, which combined with the primary instrument allow the spacecraft to address so-called space-based environmental monitoring (SBEM) gaps.

Its capabilities will provide valuable information for protecting the assets of the United States and its allies, primarily in ocean settings.

The WSF-M satellite is a strategic solution tailored to address three high-priority Department of Defense SBEM gaps specifically, ocean surface vector winds, tropical cyclone intensity, and energetic charged particles in low Earth orbit, said David Betz, WSF-M program manager, SSC Space Sensing, in a statement. Beyond these primary capabilities, our instruments also provide vital data on sea ice characterization, soil moisture, and snow depth.

The spacecraft is based on the Ball Configurable Platform and includes a Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) sensor and an Energetic Charged Particle sensor. Ball Aerospace has been involved with other, similar spacecraft, including the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi-NPP) and the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1).

According to a public FY2024 Department of Defense budget document, the WSF-M system will consist of two spacecraft. Once the first is on orbit, it will assess the level of Ocean Surface Vector Wind (OSVW) measurement uncertainty and Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI) latency.

The first seeds of the program were planted back in October 2012 during whats called the Materiel Solution Analysis phase. That resulted in the Department of the Air Force issuing a request for proposals from companies in January 2017.

In November 2017, the Space and Missile Systems Center (now Space Systems Command) awarded a $93.7 million firm-fixed-price contract to Ball Aerospace for the WSF-M project with an expected completion date of Nov. 15, 2019.

This is an exciting win for us, and were looking forward to expanding our work with the Air Force and continuing to support warfighters and allies around the world, said Rob Strain, the then president, Ball Aerospace, in a 2017 statement. WSF-M extends Balls legacy of providing precise measurements from space to enable more accurate weather forecasting.

Roughly a year later, Ball received a $255.4 million contract modification, which provides for the exercise of an option for development and fabrication of the [WSF-M] Space Vehicle 1. This new contract also pushed out the expected completion date to Jan. 15, 2023.

In May 2020, the U.S. Space Forces SMSC noted the completion of the WSF-M systems critical design review that April, which opened the door to the beginning of fabrication.

Over the following year, the spacecraft went through a series of tests, running both the software and hardware through its paces. The primary bus structure was completed by August 2021 and by October 2022, the spacecraft entered its integration readiness review (IRR) and test readiness review (TRR).

Before that though, in May 2022, Ball was awarded a $16.6 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification, which was for the exercise of an option for integration, test and operational work of the spacecraft. That brought the cumulative face value of the contract to about $417.4 million.

Shortly before the end of that year, in November 2022, Ball received a $78.3 firm-fixed-price contract modification to develop the second WSF-M spacecraft. That work is expected to be completed by Nov. 15, 2027, which would set up a launch opportunity no earlier than January 2028.

It was finally delivered from Balls facilities in Boulder, Colorado, to Vandenberg Space Force Base for pre-launch processing in February 2024.

This delivery represents a major milestone for the WSF-M program and is a critical step towards putting the first WSF-M satellite on-orbit for the warfighter, said Col. Daniel Visosky, senior materiel leader, SSCs Space Sensing Environmental and Tactical Surveillance program office, in a statement.It represents a long-term collaboration and unity-of-effort between the Space Force and our combined teams at Ball Aerospace, support contractors and government personnel.

This first WSF-M satellite, and eventually the second, will take the place of the legacy Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites, which have roots going back in the 1960s. The program features two primary satellites, which operate in sun-synchronous LEO polar orbits at about 450 nautical miles in altitude.

Originally known as the Defense Satellite Applications Program (DASP), the first of these legacy satellites launched in 1962 and they were classified under the purview of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) as part of the Corona Program. The DMSP was declassified in 1972 to allow data to be used by non-governmental scientists and civilians.

According to a Space Force historical accounting, a tri-agency organizational agreement was forged between the DoD, the Department of Commerce and NASA following President Bill Clintons directive for the DOC and the DoD to converge their separate polar-orbiting weather satellite programs. Funding responsibility stayed with the DoD, but by June 1998, the operational responsibility of the DMSP transferred to the Department of Commerce.

Satellite operations for the DMSP then became the responsibility of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO).

The program was not without issue over the years. In 2004, the DMSP-F11 satellite, launched in 1991 and retired in 1995, disintegrated and created dozens of pieces of orbital debris. In 2015, a faulty battery was blamed for a similar disintegration of DMSP-F13, which resulted in 147 pieces of debris.

That year, Congress ordered an end to the DMSP program and the yet-to-launch F20 satellite was to be scrapped.

In February 2016, the DMSP-F19 had its planned five-year mission cut short less than two years after launch. The satellite suffered a power anomaly that caused engineers to lose control of it. The spacecraft was declared lost in March.

The DMSP-F17 satellite, launched in 2006, was then relocated to the primary position vacated by F19. According to the Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review (OSCAR), a tool developed by the World Meteorological Organization, there are three DMSP satellites still in service: F16, F17 and F18. They launched in 2003, 2006 and 2009 respectively.

The latter two have expected end-of-life dates of 2025, with F16 intended to conclude its mission in December 2023, according to the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS). However, that expiration has been extended as the WSF-M replacements are still on the way.

Its unclear if F17 and F18 can hang on until the second WSF-M spacecraft is completed and launched in 2028.

Link:

SpaceX launches Space Force weather satellite designed to take over for a program with roots to the 1960s ... - Spaceflight Now

NASA will retire the ISS soon. Here’s what comes next. – NPR

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The International Space Station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a fly around of the orbiting lab on Nov. 8, 2021. NASA hide caption

The International Space Station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a fly around of the orbiting lab on Nov. 8, 2021.

Since its first modules launched at the end of 1998, the International Space Station has been orbiting 250 miles above Earth. But at the end of 2030, NASA plans to crash the ISS into the ocean after it is replaced with a new space station, a reminder that nothing within Earth's orbit can stay in space forever.

NASA is collaborating on developing a space station owned, built, and operated by a private company either Axiom Space, Voyager Space, or Blue Origin. NASA is giving each company hundreds of millions of dollars in funding and sharing their expertise with them.

Eventually, they will select one company to officially partner with and have them replace the ISS. NASA says this will help them focus on deep space exploration, which they consider a much more difficult task.

Progress photos showing the Axiom Space station being built. ENRICO SACCHETTI/Axiom Space hide caption

Progress photos showing the Axiom Space station being built.

But any company that is able to develop their own space station, get approval from the federal government and launch it into space will be able to pursue their own deep space missions even without the approval of NASA.

Phil McCalister, director of the Commercial Space Division of NASA, told NPR's Morning Edition that NASA does not want to own in perpetuity everything in low-Earth orbit which is up to 1,200 miles above Earth's surface.

"We want to turn those things over to other organizations that could potentially do it more cost-effectively, and then focus our research and activities on deep space exploration," said McCalister.

McCalister says the ISS could stay in space longer, but it's much more cost-effective for NASA to acquire a brand new station with new technology. NASA would then transition to purchasing services from commercial entities as opposed to the government building a next-generation commercial space station.

The ISS was designed in the 80s, so the technology when it was first built was very different from what is available today.

"I kind of see this as like an automobile. When we bought that automobile in 1999, it was state of the art. And it has been great. And it serves us well and continues to be safe. But it's getting older. It's getting harder to find spare parts. The maintenance for that is becoming a larger issue," McCalister said.

A new, private space station will have a lot of similarities and some differences from the current ISS.

Robyn Gatens, director of the International Space Station, says that despite it aging, not all the technology on the ISS is out of date.

"We've been evolving the technology on the International Space Station since it was first built. So some of these technologies will carry over to these private space stations," said Gatens. "We've upgraded the batteries, we've upgraded and added solar arrays that roll out and are flexible, we've been upgrading our life support systems."

The view from NASA spacewalker Thomas Marshburn's camera points downward toward the ISS on December 2, 2021. Thomas Marshburn/NASA hide caption

The view from NASA spacewalker Thomas Marshburn's camera points downward toward the ISS on December 2, 2021.

Paulo Lozano is the director of the Space Propulsion Laboratory at MIT and an aerospace engineer. He said, "NASA has already changed the solar panels at least once and switched them from these very large arrays that produce relatively little power, to these smaller arrays that produce much more power. All the computer power at the beginning is nothing compared to what can be done today."

Gatens says the structure of the space station which is the size of a football field is what can't be upgraded and replaced. And something of that size is costly for NASA to maintain.

"The big structure, even though it's doing very well, has a finite lifetime. It won't last forever. It is affected by the environment that it's in. And every time we dock a vehicle and undock a vehicle, the thermal environment puts stresses and loads on that primary structure that will eventually make it wear out," said Gatens.

Gatens says we can expect a new space station to be designed a little more efficiently and right sized for the amount of research that NASA and its partners are going to want to do in low-Earth orbit.

NASA astronaut Megan McArthur doing an experiment on the ISS on May 26, 2021. NASA hide caption

NASA astronaut Megan McArthur doing an experiment on the ISS on May 26, 2021.

The structure of the ship is also extremely important to the people who work there.

The ISS carries scientists who perform research that can only be done in the weak gravity of space, like medical research. In space, cells age more quickly and conditions progress more rapidly, helping researchers understand the progression of things like heart disease or cancer more quickly.

Researchers on the ISS also work to understand what happens to the human body when it's exposed to microgravity. This research is aimed at helping develop ways to counteract the negative effects of being in space and let astronauts stay there longer something essential to getting a human on Mars.

Gatens says a new space station will have updated research facilities.

"I'm looking forward to seeing very modern laboratory equipment on these space stations. We say the International Space Station has a lot of capability, but it's more like a test kitchen. I'm looking forward to seeing the future commercial space stations take these laboratory capabilities and really develop them into state-of-the-art space laboratories," said Gatens.

Expedition 60 crewmembers Luca Parmitano, Christina Koch, Andrew Morgan, and Nick Hague in the ISS cupola photographing Hurricane Dorian on August 30, 2019. NASA hide caption

Expedition 60 crewmembers Luca Parmitano, Christina Koch, Andrew Morgan, and Nick Hague in the ISS cupola photographing Hurricane Dorian on August 30, 2019.

On top of having modern research facilities, new space stations will likely be designed to provide a cleaner environment for researchers.

"If you see pictures of the station, you'll think 'how can they work there?' It looks cluttered, it looks messy," Astronaut Peggy Whitson told NPR. She's spent more time in space than any other woman and is the first woman to command the ISS. Whitson is now Director of Human Spaceflight and an astronaut at Axiom Space, one of the companies funded by NASA to develop a space station.

Whitson said the reason there are cables all over the place is because the structure of the station wasn't designed for some of the systems it has now. She thinks having a method for making a station even more adaptable to new technology will be important in terms of user experience.

Whitson doesn't know what technology will be available five years from now. But she said Axiom Space will want to take advantage of whatever they can get their hands on, ideally without wires everywhere.

Peggy Whitson in the ISS's cupola. AXIOM SPACE/Axiom Space hide caption

Peggy Whitson in the ISS's cupola.

"I would like all that cabling and networking to be behind the panels so that it's easier for folks to move around in space," Whitson said. "Having and building in that adaptability is one of the most critical parts, I think, of building a station for low-Earth orbit."

Paulo Lozano says many of the electronic components on the ISS are bulky. But now that electronics are smaller, she expects the interior of future stations might be a bit different.

At the current ISS, there is one small inflatable module. That structure flies up, collapsed, and then expands as it gets filled with air once it's attached to the primary structure of the station with it literally blowing up kind of like a balloon. Gatens says they are looking at multiple elements of a new space station being inflatable.

Whitson told NPR that on the space station Axiom Space is developing, they will have windows in the crew quarters and a huge cupola, what she describes as an astronaut's window to the world. On the ISS, they have a cupola you can pop your head and shoulders into and see 360-degree views of space and look down at the Earth.

On the proposed Axiom space station, Whitson said the cupola is so large that astronauts will be able to float their whole body in there and have it be an experience of basically almost flying in space.

NASA hopes that by handing responsibility of an ISS replacement over to private companies, it will allow the agency to develop technology more quickly and focus on their next goal of putting a station beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time. Current proposed low-Earth orbit stations include the Lunar Gateway, which is NASA's planned space station on the moon.

"What the space stations of today are doing is just paving the way for humans to actually explore deeper into space, which is going to be a significantly harder challenge to accomplish. The space stations of today are essential stepping stones towards that goal," said Lozano.

Gatens says one piece of technology that is being developed at Blue Origin is a big rotating space station that, when finished, would have artificial gravity.

For long trips in space, the lack of gravity is a main issue for the human body, causing bone-loss and other health issues. "If you could recreate that in space, that will be very beneficial," Gatens said.

Lozano says that a space station beyond low-Earth orbit would need new technology that is radically different from what's been used in the ISS. And both NASA and Lozano don't think it is possible to venture deeper into space, and eventually get a human on Mars, with U.S. government funding alone.

"I don't think we're very far away in terms of technology development. I think we're a little bit far away in terms of investment, because space technology is quite expensive and sometimes a single nation cannot really make it work by itself. So you need international cooperation." Lozano said.

Treye Green edited the digital version of this story.

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NASA will retire the ISS soon. Here's what comes next. - NPR

Russia launches a Valentine’s Day Progress supply ship to the ISS – Space.com

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A fresh load of supplies is headed for the International Space Station.

Russia launched its robotic Progress 87 cargo ship on a Valentine's Day delivery mission toward the International Space Station tonight (Feb. 14).

The freighter lifted off atop a Soyuz rocket from the Russian-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:25 p.m. EST (0325 GMT and 8:25 a.m. on Feb. 15 local time in Baikonur).

Related: Facts about Roscosmos, Russia's space agency

Progress 87 is carrying about 3 tons of food, propellant and other supplies.

If all goes according to plan, the freighter will reach the orbiting lab early Saturday (Feb. 17), docking with the Russian Zvezda service module at 1:12 a.m. EST (0612 GMT). You can watch that rendezvous live here at Space.com, via NASA; coverage will begin at 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 GMT) on Saturday.

Progress is one of three robotic spacecraft that currently fly resupply missions to the ISS, along with Northrop Grumman's Cygnus vehicle and SpaceX's Cargo Dragon capsule.

Progress and Cygnus are expendable spacecraft, burning up in Earth's atmosphere when their time in orbit is done. But Dragon is designed to be reusable; it splashes down safely in the ocean under parachutes, which means it can bring science samples back down to Earth.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 10:45 p.m. EST on Feb. 14 with news of a successful liftoff.

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Russia launches a Valentine's Day Progress supply ship to the ISS - Space.com

10 U.S. National Parks With Beaches – TheTravel

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Summary

There are 63 national parks in the US, and over 400 national park units are managed by the National Park Service. With so many millions of protected miles to explore, these national parks manage to protect every type of environment.

This is good news for those struggling to decide if they want a beach-side vacation getaway or a full-blown national park road trip through the US; some parks make it possible to enjoy both. Located off the coast of some of the most popular ocean-side cities or along the miles of shore along the Great Lakes, there are hundreds of miles of beaches to explore in the US.

These 10 national parks in the US have some truly exquisite beaches, with a variety of wildlife, sandy space, and surrounding natural beauty to enjoy.

Sand Beach in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA, one of Maine's most beautiful beaches

Acadia National Park in Maine has been ranked as one of the most beautiful places in the US, and its scenic New England beaches are just one more thing to love.

Acadia National Park features both beautiful ocean beaches like Little Hunters Beach, and scenic lakeside shores, such as Echo Lake Beach. Visitors to the park often find themselves struggling to decide whether to set up at the beach or enjoy the ocean and lake views from one of the best hiking trails in Acadia National Park.

The variety of shorelines to explore means that guests can enjoy everything from sunbathing to kayaking to swimming (although guests should remember that this is the northern corner of the US, even in the summer, the water is brisk at best).

Sandy beach onSan Miguel Island in Channel Islands National Park, California, USA

For those looking for some truly untainted beaches in US national parks, it's hard to imagine a better destination than Channel Islands National Park.

Accessible only by ferry, the beaches and rocky shores of the Channel Islands have been spared the wear and tear of motorized vehicles. Additionally, because the Channel Islands are one of the most difficult national parks in the US to visit, the shores here are perfect for a quieter day at the beach.

A beach in Olympic National Park, Washington, USA

Olympic National Park is the most visited of Washington State's three national parks, and for good reason. In addition to the temperate rainforests and miles of incredible hiking trails in Olympic National Park, this scenic area just two hours from Seattle protects some of Washington's most beautiful beaches.

There are over a dozen beaches to choose from in Olympic National Park, including Ruby Beach, Sand Point, and Rialto Beach. Unlike the white sand beaches of the more southern national parks, visitors to Olympic National Parks beaches are likely to see dramatic rock formations and red-tinted sand on their beach excursions.

View from Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas, Florida

Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the least visited National Parks in the US, thanks to its inaccessibility off the coast of the Florida Keys. While the beaches of the seven islands that make up Dry Tortugas National Park require months of planning to get to, there is no doubt that these sandy shores are worth the work.

The Fort Jefferson Dry Tortugas Beach Section is the most isolated beach in the Florida Keys, which manages to further emphasize its beauty. Since the seaplanes only carry 10 passengers at a time, with limited flights to the park, guests will have these white sand beaches practically to themselves.

Scenic coastline inRedwood National Park, California, USA

Giant redwoods and beautiful California coastline? Redwoods National and State Parks may just be the perfect combination of land and sea. While the northern shores of California are a little chilly for full-blown swimming excursions, there are plenty of black sand, striking rock formations, and rolling sand dunes to explore.

While all of the beaches at Redwoods National and State Parks are beautiful, Enderts Beach and False Klamath Cove are two of the best beaches for those looking for some coastal wildlife. With thriving tidepools and unusual rock formations, these beaches highlight the beauty of the California coast and are some of the best US National Park beaches overall.

Boca Chita Beach and Lighthouse,Biscayne National Park, Florida, USA

Biscayne National Park is one of the most unique national parks in the US. Nearly 95% of Biscayne National Park is underwater, featuring protected coral reefs and coastal formations. The other 5% are some of the best national park beaches in the US.

The Boca Chita Key Beach, which also features the Boca Chita lighthouse, is perhaps the most photographed beach in Biscayne National Park. However, the entire Sands Key and Elliott Key, both of which frame the underwater portion of Biscayne, are lined with beautiful shorelines. Each one of these sandy stretches is perfect for a relaxing day on a US National Park beach.

The rocky volcanic coast ofHawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, USA

While the volcanoes and frozen lava flows may be the most famous part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, this popular destination on the Big Island also has some of the best national park beaches in the US.

While some of the scenic shoreline, namely the region that is part of the Kahuku-Phue parcel, is closed to the public for the time being, other beaches like Halape Cove can be enjoyed by adventurous travelers. After backpacking through the rugged jungle formed by the rich volcanic soil, the beaches of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are a truly one-of-a-kind sight.

View of Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska

While the beaches in Alaska may not be full of white sand and warm ocean water, there is something inherently beautiful about these northern shores. Lined with wildlife, from river otters to sea lions, the beaches of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve are some of the most enchanting places to see the region's spectacular beauty.

The namesake Glacier Bay is the crowning jewel of the park's beaches. With wildflowers in the spring, floating glaciers in the bay, and a variety of Alaska's iconic animals, a beach visit to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve may just be the seaside getaway travelers didn't know they needed.

Canoers on the shore of Lake Superior in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

When travelers think of beaches, they often think about crashing ocean waves along the coast. The US is home to thousands of lakes, however, and some of those lakes hide the best national park beaches in America.

One such example is Isle Royale National Park, a conglomeration of islands on the Great Lakes that features miles of lake beaches. Another national park that cannot be reached by car, the beaches of Isle Royale National Park are pristine. Despite being a lake beach, the depth of the Great Lakes means that not only is swimming, paddleboarding, and kayaking available, but snorkeling can be enjoyed as well.

Aerial view of Trunk Bay on St John Island, US Virgin Islands National Park, USA

While not part of the 50 states, the Virgin Islands are a territory of the United States, and the idyllic Virgin Islands National Park has some of the most beautiful national park beaches in the US.

Nearly half of the land protected by Virgin Islands National Park is underwater, so beachgoers often find themselves snorkeling off the shore to make the most of their visit. A tropical destination near the Caribbean, there is no doubt that the beaches of Virgin Islands National Park, including Salomon/Honeymoon Bay and Hawksnest Bay are perfect for casual visitors and avid ocean explorers alike.

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10 U.S. National Parks With Beaches - TheTravel

SpaceX launches private Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the ISS (video) – Space.com

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SpaceX launched Northrop Grumman's robotic Cygnus spacecraft today (Jan. 30), sending the freighter and its 4 tons of cargo toward the International Space Station.

The Cygnus lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida today at 12:07 p.m. EST (1707 GMT).

The launch kicked off the 20th operational cargo mission for Cygnus. SpaceX was not involved in the previous 19; they all lifted off atop Antares or Atlas V rockets.

Related: Facts about Cygnus, Northrop Grumman's cargo ship

The Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth as planned today, acing its touchdown at Cape Canaveral about 8 minutes and 20 seconds after launch. It was the 10th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description.

The Cygnus, meanwhile, deployed from the Falcon 9's upper stage in low Earth orbit around 14 minutes and 45 seconds after launch. The freighter then began making its own way to the International Space Station (ISS).

If all goes according to plan, Cygnus will arrive at the orbiting lab at 4:20 a.m. EST (0920 GMT) on Thursday (Feb. 1). You can watch its rendezvous and docking activities live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA.

Northrop Grumman named this Cygnus vehicle after Patty Hilliard Robertson, a NASA astronaut who died in a private plane crash in 2001. She was selected to the astronaut corps in 1998 and was supposed to fly to the ISS in 2002.

The freighter is packed with more than 8,200 pounds (3,720 kilograms) of supplies and scientific hardware. Among the research gear is a cartilage-growing experiment that could help address joint damage and disease here on Earth and a European Space Agency project that will test the 3D printing of metals in microgravity.

You can learn more about this cargo mission, called NG-20,via NASA's overview.

Cygnus will spend about six months docked to the ISS, then head back down for a fiery destruction in Earth's atmosphere.

One experiment aboard Cygnus, called the Kentucky Re-entry Probe Experiment-2, will gather data during this death dive, taking "measurements to demonstrate a thermal protection system for spacecraft and their contents during re-entry in Earth's atmosphere, which can be difficult to replicate in ground simulations," NASA officials wrote in their NG-20 mission overview.

Cygnus is one of three robotic cargo craft that currently service the ISS, along with SpaceX's Dragon capsule and Russia's Progress vehicle. Progress, like Cygnus, is an expendable spacecraft, but Dragon is reusable, surviving the trip through Earth's atmosphere and splashing down softly under parachutes in the ocean.

Editor's note: This story was corrected at 4:40 p.m. EST on Jan. 30 to state that Patty Hilliard Robertson was supposed to fly to the ISS in 2002 (rather than 2022, as originally written).

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SpaceX launches private Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the ISS (video) - Space.com

A week into 2024 and Big Tech has earned enough to pay off all 2023 fines – TechRadar

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2023 surely was an eventful year in tech. To cite just a few key moments, generative AI became mainstream thanks to software like ChatGPT; we had to say goodbye to the iconic blue bird while welcoming Twitter's new name (I know very well the pain of writing 'X, formerly known as Twitter' over the past six months); and big tech companies got fined the most under GDPR's data abuses for a total of more than $3 billion.

Well, on the latter point, data protection regulators' efforts turned out to be not as effective as it was hoped they'd be.

Swiss privacy firm behind popular email and VPN service, Proton reported that only after a week into 2024 the likes of Meta, Google, Apple and Microsoft earned enough to pay off all last year's fines. Let's take a look at what needs to change and, most importantly, what you can do in the meantime to truly protect your privacy.

"Whats clear is that these fines, though they appear to be a huge amount of money, in reality are just a drop in the ocean when it comes to the revenues that the tech giants are making. In other words, they arent a deterrent at all," Jurgita Miseviciute, Head of Public Policy & Government Affairs at Proton, told me.

Researchers at Proton have calculated that Alphabet (Google's parent company) needs only a bit more than a day to pay off its $941 million fines. Amazon and Apple's earnings of just a few hours are then enough to repay their data protection's sanctions of $111.7 and $186.4 million respectively.

While biggest data abuse perpetrator Meta, which got a record $1.3bn fine for its (mis)handling of EU user data in May last year, managed to accumulate all the necessary money in just about five working days.

These findings make it clear that data regulators' fines, as founder and CEO of Proton Andy Yen put it, are "little more than pocket change for these companies" instead of a mean to stop them abusing users' data. Not only that, he said, as "these minuscule fines essentially give the green light to tech giants to run riot in a marketplace skewed in their favor."

It's also quite common that big tech firms might appeal to these sanctions or simply refuse to pay, delaying the repayment for years. Take how Google contested India's fine, for instance, about the Android-related inquiry for abusing its dominant position in the market which started in 2019.

On this point, Yen said: "Its the average consumer that's losing outfacing higher prices, less choice, and no privacy. It has to stop and we need real, tangible change that puts people first, not profits."

According to Miseviciute, there are two main things that must happen for things to really change.

Did you know?

Fully enforced in May 2023, the EU Digital Market Act (DMA) brought new obligations for tech companies to ensure fair competition and protect people's digital rights. A similar bill, so-called Digital Markets, Consumer and Competition Bill (DMCC) is currently passing through the UK Parliament, too.

For starters, she believes that governments have to issue fines with a real financial effect in order to fight back against big monopolies.

"Thats why fines up to even 20% of global revenues for breaches of laws such as the EUs DMA [Digital Market Act] and up to 10% in case of the proposed DMCC [Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers] Bill in the UK are a step in the right direction," she told me.

If heavier sanctions are important, they are not everything. Miseviciute explained that regulators need to combine these with practical measures such as enforced behavioral and structural changes, for example.

Again, she sees the EU quite well-placed to do so due to the new powers gained with the DMA. However, elsewhere there are also some small steps in this direction.

"We hope Googles antitrust trial in the US serves as a catalyst for comprehensive antitrust regulation on the other side of the Atlantic. We also see promising potential regulatory developments in South Korea, Japan, Australia and other major jurisdictions," she told me.

"If you open up the marketplace, and you give innovators like Proton a chance to succeed, youll get solutions that are more private and more secure for consumers."

As we have seen, 2023 was yet another hard year for our online privacy.

The US, for instance, still lacks a federal data protection law with the proposed ADPPA being stalled at the time of writing. Enforced in August last year, India's new privacy law was strongly criticized for favoring government and big tech instead of citizens. Well, where allegedly strong legislations are in place like in the EU, these seem to have not enough teeth just yet.

Commenting on this point, Miseviciute told me: "Until laws like the DMA in the EU and the proposed DMCC in the UK are effectively put into practice we are living in a world where big tech rules the internetand all our privacy is at the mercy of their surveillance capitalism business model."

Did you know?

Two thirds of people in the UK would rather lose their passport than access to their email account. Yet, despite these concerns, most of them lack the necessary knowledge and tools to protect their digital privacy. Big Tech knows that, researchers revealed.

The glimpse of light in this gloomy scenario is that it's ultimately our choice if we want to keep using data-hungry products. Luckily, there are some smaller companies offering privacy-first alternatives you can switch to.

On its part, Proton appear to have been working hard to cut Google out of our digital life. Likewise the popular service, the Swiss-based provider offers an encrypted email service Proton Mail (which even beat the big tech giant by landing with a standalone desktop app in December), secure calendar and its own cloud storage Proton Drive, too.

Proton's product offering also includes one of the best virtual private network apps on the market (Proton VPN) to help you boosting your anonymity while browsing among other things, as well as a password manager tool (Proton Pass) to secure all your login details. Even better as all the provider's services come both with free and paid plans.

However, Proton is just one of the many companies developing privacy-first alternatives to big tech software. Worth a mention there are also encrypted messaging app Signal if you wish to replace WhatsApp with a more secure application and Mullvad browser to make the switch from Safari and Chrome.

Compare today's best overall VPNs

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

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A week into 2024 and Big Tech has earned enough to pay off all 2023 fines - TechRadar

From Jamaica to the Dominican Republic, the Best Golf and Spa Resorts – Caribbean Journal

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A majority of luxury resorts in the Caribbean offer spa services; far fewer have golf courses, and the list of resorts with both great golf and top-notch spas is shorter still. For many couples, though, these kinds of resorts can be the perfect blend of indulgence and wellness, activity and relaxation.

Couples looking to work on their golf stroke as well as getting some relaxing strokes in at the spa would do well to pack their clubs for these great Caribbean resorts. Here are our favorite golf-and-spa resorts in the Caribbean.

Casa de Campo, La Romana, Dominican Republic

The Teeth of the Dog and Dye Fore golf courses at Casa de Campo are perhaps the most famous names in Caribbean golf. Both are Pete Dye designs but with very different aspects: the 18-hole Teeth of the Dog plays along the edge of the Caribbean Sea, whereas Dye Fore has 27 holes in total, including five with drops over 300-foot cliffs. The Links, another Dye design, offers a challenging yet eminently playable layout. The 18,000-square-foot resort spa offers exotic services like JetPeel facials and binaural acoustic and dynamic stimulation a form of guided meditation employing music and vibration alongside a more typical menu of massages and other body treatments.

Half Moon, Jamaica

A favorite of visiting royalty, the Half Moon resort in Montego Bay has been challenging and charming golfers since 1962. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., the course plays over the grounds of a former sugarcane estate; the Sugar Mill restaurant testifies to the history while offering both a romantic setting and fine dining. Fern Tree, a Salamander Spa has a spa garden with a pool and waterfall, aromatherapy steam and sauna rooms, body treatments incorporating local herbs, spices, and fruit, and a Rastafarian inspired Ital Cafe serving vegetarian food and natural fruit juices.

Baha Mar, Bahamas

Why gamble at the casino when you can try your luck (and skill) at the Baha Mar resorts Royal Blue golf course? A Jack Nicklaus Signature course, Royal Blues 18 holes are laid out in the shadow of the resorts hotel towers and amid sand dunes and natural limestone formations. At the end of the day, Baha Mar has two spas standing ready to ease any accumulated aches: the only ESPA in the Caribbean overlooks the ocean, while treatments at the Sense spa at the Rosewood resort include exclusive scalp treatments designed by Miriam Quevedo.

Sanctuary Cap Cana, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The par 72, Jack Nicklaus designed Punta Espada Golf Course is a centerpiece of the Cap Cana resort community; the oceanfront course, site of PGA tournaments, is often ranked as tops in the Caribbean. Among the seven resorts at Cap Cana, the Sanctuary Spa at the Sanctuary Cap Cana is the best retreat for couples relaxation with its village-like setting and extensive treatment menus.

Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Puerto Rico

Originally opened as a hotel by Laurence Rockefeller, Dorado Beach oozes luxury, and the golf here is no exception. The Sugarcane Course is the more challenging of the resorts two golf courses, but the Robert Trent Jones designed East Course is no slouch, either, as the ball marks on the trunks of trees lining the fairways will attest. The Spa Botanico lives up to its name with lush grounds including a pineapple garden surrounding treatment rooms and a very private waterfall plunge pool.

Four Seasons Nevis

Your foursome may become a more some if you get paid a visit by the green monkeys who inhabit the golf course at this beachfront resort in Nevis. Designed by Robert Trent Jones II, the 18-hole, par-71 course slopes gently downhill towards the ocean. The signature Nevisian Massage is thankfully monkey-free but does employ a variety of soothing local spices.

Puntacana Resort and Club, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The Corales Golf Course at the Puntancana Club only reinforces the notion that the Dominican Republic is the golf capital of the Caribbean. Designed by Tom Fazio, the course has six oceanside holes among its 18. The La Cana Course is, if anything, even more scenic, with 14 ocean-view holes on a 27-hole layout designed by P.B. Dye. The club is home to the only Six Senses Spa in the Caribbean and offers treatments that blend traditional touch and wellness science. You can stay at either the Tortuga Bay resort or the Westin Puntacana.

Sandy Lane, Barbados

Rocky cliffs undulate among the greens and fairways of the Green Monkey, one of three golf courses gracing this icon of Caribbean luxury accommodations in Barbados. The course is about as exclusive as golf gets: just 10 tee times are available each day. If you dont snare one, theres ample consolation to be had at the lake-dotted, Tom Fazio designed Country Club at Sandy Lane championship course and the venerable Old Nine, which weaves among groves of mahogany trees. The exquisite Spa at Sandy Lane has 47,000 square feet devoted to treatment rooms, fitness facilities, and indoor and outdoor relaxation areas.

Aurora Anguilla

This luxury resort has Anguillas only golf course two of them, in fact. The Aurora International Golf Club features 18 holes that run alongside beaches, challenge golfers to make a par 5 on a 600-yard layout, and ends with a mandatory shot over a salt pond. The Greg Norman designed Avalon Links short course, with nine compact holes, is designed for quick play and makes for a nice warmup for a day on the main course. The Sorana Spa augments treatment rooms and a fitness center with a steam room, sauna, and hydrotherapy course.

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From Jamaica to the Dominican Republic, the Best Golf and Spa Resorts - Caribbean Journal