How Sukoon Health aims to revolutionize psychiatric care with cashless insurance – ETHealthWorld

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As mental health awareness gains momentum globally, healthcare companies are emerging with progressive healthcare solutions. With a keen focus on breaking down barriers to accessing quality mental health services, Sukoon Health recently introduced cashless insurance coverage for psychiatric inpatient care. This initiative comes as a response to the pressing need to address mental health issues effectively.

To explore the intricacies of Sukoon Health's approach, ETHealthworld's Rashmi Mabiyan Kaur interacted with Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer Vidit Bahri on the company's vision, collaborative efforts, and the transformative impact they aim to achieve in the landscape of mental healthcare in India. Edited excerpts:

Q: What challenges around mental health can the insurance plan address? The persistent stigma surrounding mental health in Indian society often deters individuals from seeking assistance or openly discussing their mental health issues. Moreover, the prolonged treatment and support required for serious mental health disorders can impose significant financial strain on individuals and families. However, Sukoon Health's insurance plan, encompassing a wide array of treatment options such as therapy, medication, and rehabilitation services, facilitates seamless continuity of care. This comprehensive coverage not only supports individuals throughout their recovery journey but also alleviates the financial burden associated with long-term mental health treatment.

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How Sukoon Health aims to revolutionize psychiatric care with cashless insurance - ETHealthWorld

care.ai, Virtua Health partner to expand the hybrid care providers’ virtual care offerings – Mobihealth News

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AI-powered care facility automation platform care.ai announced an enterprise-wide partnership with New Jersey-based not-for-profit hybrid care provider Virtua Health, where Virtua will leverage care.ai's virtual care offerings, including its Smart Care Facility Platform and Always-Aware ambient sensors.

care.ai's Smart Care Facility Platform includes a network of sensors spread through a care facility that monitors patients using AI, allowing the facility to collect real-time behavior data for clinical and operational insights.

The Florida-based company's AI-powered offerings will initially be utilized at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, then eventually implemented in all of Virtua Health's acute care settings.

The announcement comes approximately two months after the partners launched a pilot Virtual Nurse program in a medical-surgical unit that allows remote and bedside nurses to work in tandem.

Patients could also communicate with a nurse via a two-way optical camera, and their family members could participate in the calls remotely.

"Our focus is not just on integrating cutting-edge technologies but on enhancing the human aspects of healthcare. By swiftly adopting optical cameras and ambient sensors, we're poised to markedly enhance the patient and care team experience, ensuring a safer, more efficient, and empathically connected healthcare experience," Michael Capriotti, senior vice president of integration and strategic operations at Virtua Health, said in a statement.

THE LARGER TREND

In 2022, care.ai scored $27 million in funding led by multi-asset investment firm Crescent Cove Advisors.

Last year, the company announced it was partnering with Colorado-based remote patient monitoring company BioIntelliSense to integrate BioIntelliSense's BioButton wearablea product used for continuous vital-sign monitoring for 60 days that captures temperature, respiratory rate and heart rate at rest into its Smart Care Facility Platform.

care.ai also announced a partnership with the Texas Hospital Association to create statewide adoption of AI-powered patient monitoring and a partnership with patient engagement platform Get Well, which allows patients to connect with care teams via the interactive TV platform already present in patient rooms.

In June, care.ai announced it was partnering with multinational electronics company Samsung to integrate its Smart Care Facility Platform into the tech giant's displays for use by health systems, allowing for AI-powered patient monitoring.

Clinical care teams could also attend virtual visits over care.ai devices paired with Samsung's displays.

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care.ai, Virtua Health partner to expand the hybrid care providers' virtual care offerings - Mobihealth News

VA’s money-squeezed free clinics offer a vital helping hand – Richmond Times-Dispatch

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It was only after the death of her husband in 2018, a year after their children sponsored their immigration to the U.S. from Venezuela, that Tatijana Kowalchuk began paying attention to the dizziness that made walking a challenge and shaking hands that made her writing a mess.

And so did the staff at Richmonds Health Brigade free clinic, who found a nearly quarter-inch tumor pressing on her brain.

The staff at Richmonds Health Brigade free clinic found a nearly quarter-inch tumor pressing on Tatijana Kowalchuk's brain. The clinic continues to offer her care and support.

She did not have the money to do anything about it and these days, Virginias free clinics are short of the resources they need to help people who, like the Kowalchuks, fall between the many cracks in the American health care system, which is why Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond, and state Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, are asking the General Assembly to lend a hand.

At the clinic, once staff found treatment for the usual explanation of dizziness middle ear problems was not helping Kowalchuk, they quickly arranged for a neurologist to examine her, free of charge, as well as for the MRI scan that found the tumor.

It was big; the surgery would cost a lot, Kowalchuk said. Health Brigade stepped in again, working long-nurtured connections with surgeons and hospitals to arrange the operation, again free of charge, and to negotiate a discount and payment plan for Kowalchuk to afford follow-up scans.

Tatijana Kowalchuk and medical case manager Robert Key talk at Health Brigade in Richmond on Feb. 13 about how much they mean to each other. Kowalchuk calls Key her guardian angel.

As new, if elderly immigrants, sponsored by their children, the Kowalchuks could not get Medicare and from what they had heard about the cost of health care here, doing something about Wladimiro Kowalchuks cancer scare was a frightening prospect.

Robert was my husbands angel. His guardian angel. He is my angel, said Kowalchuk, referring to the clinics veteran medical case manager, Robert Key, who took the lead helping the couple navigate his cancer treatment and later her surgery.

Virginias 60-plus free clinics provide care to some 75,000 people a year, amounting to some $114 million in 2022. It is a distinctive kind of care, too: focused on all of the needs a patient might have including some that do not always come to mind when people feel they need to see a doctor.

Kowalchuk saw the difference several months after her surgery. She had come back from a trip to her attic with a painful rash on both hands.

I called dermatologists and they said they could give me an appointment in two or three months, she said. The pain is really strong, Id say, but it didnt make any difference.

A visit to a hospital emergency room prompted a suggestion to see a dermatologist. She stumped three doctors at a local doc-in-a-box.

I finally came to Health Brigade, she said.

The nurse looked at my hands and said; Thats an infection the ER doctor said it wasnt that, Kowalchuk said. She said, Ill give you an antibiotic; if it is not better in two days come back and well figure it out. The first day I was a little better; the second day, a lot better.

It is paying attention, maybe even more than being able to offer free access to care, that is the key to what free clinics provide, said Karen Legato, Health Brigades executive director.

We look at the whole person," said Karen Legato, the executive director of the Health Brigade free clinic. "Its not the transactional model."

We look at the whole person ... its not the transactional model, she said.

That means, for instance, making sure a patients electricity is on and that they have enough food. Health Brigade will arrange connection with food pantries, for instance, and can help people access emergency help with utilities to make sure they are warm enough in winter and not overheating in a summer hot spell. If transportation is a problem, case managers and social workers figure out ways to deal with that.

Health Brigades distinctive outreach efforts, like its syringe exchange program, take similar extra steps, when staffers offer COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, clothing in the winter, and assessments of other medical or dental needs as well as a path to getting them treated.

But that whole-person approach, especially in the wake of COVID-19, is swamping Virginias free clinic network.

Coverage through Medicaid was expanded, and all of a sudden, people who werent insured were coming in, Legato said. We had people who didnt know what they had, and we were finding complex, chronic conditions ... and now that Medicaid is going away for them, theyre on our rolls and were taking care of them.

The free clinics compete with hospitals and private practices for physicians, nurses and other medical staff. Staffing accounts for about 80% of Health Brigades budget, for instance free clinics do get a bit of a break on the biggest driver of medical cost increases in other parts of the health care system: prescription drugs.

It takes a big heart to do this, but people need to be paid, Legato said. Even so, a nurse practitioner here may be making 30% less than in private practice.

Theres been a squeeze, too, on the heart of the free clinic model: the volunteers.

COVID-19 kept many away, as clinics tried their best to make sure they did not become hotspots. Statewide shortages in some specialties behavioral health is a particular problem mean many volunteers who used to pitch in cannot find the time and relief from their own patients demand to spare.

That has meant larger paid staffs than had been the pre-pandemic pattern.

Rufus Phillips, CEO of the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, said budget amendments proposed by Carr and Favola would offer some relief.

Virginias free and charitable clinics are the backbone of our Commonwealths health care safety net, Carr said in a statement.

With Medicaid unwinding and the end of pandemic relief as well as increased economic pressures disproportionately affecting underserved communities, the need to sustain free clinics has never been greater, she said.

The amendments call for a $5 million-a-year bump in state funds for the clinics, for an annual total of $10.3 million. The current $5.3 million a year was set in 2016, with the idea of covering about 30% of the clinics costs. It currently accounts for about 18%, Phillips said. The clinics operating costs since then have climbed 170%.

If you look at clinics in 2016 and now, youll see big differences, too, Phillips said. Theyre adding dental care, wraparound supports for the social determinants of health; food pantries, even delivering food and showing people how to cook unfamiliar food.

Tatijana Kowalchuk relies on a free clinic Richmonds Health Brigade for care and for support.

And in the end, it is the staff paid and volunteer and the way they see the people who need their services, that make a difference.

So in spotting a concern in Kowalchuks once-every-six-month lab tests for a kidney issue last December, her nurse asked her to come in for another test last month, and with that suggested an every-three-month schedule just to be sure my kidneys are still OK, Kowalchuck said.

You know, they also have a mental health service, she said. Theyve been a real help after my husband died ... I can get down ... I have my daughter and her husband, my neighbor shes very nice but I really dont know many people here.

Brianne Chapman, center, holds up sign near members of the Kekoa Virginia Militia during a Second Amendment Rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League on Lobby Day at the state Capitol on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, speaks during a Second Amendment Rights rally on Lobby Day at the state Capitol on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

Demonstrators march toward the General Assembly building at the state Capitol in support of various bills on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. The march was organized by New Virginia Majority.

Demonstrators put down signs before entering the General Assembly building at the state Capitol in support of various bills on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. The march was organized by New Virginia Majority.

Demonstrators enter the General Assembly building at the state Capitol in support of various bills on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. The march was organized by New Virginia Majority.

Demonstrators enter the General Assembly building at the state Capitol in support of various bills on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. The march was organized by New Virginia Majority.

Demonstrators put down signs before entering the General Assembly building at the state Capitol in support of various bills on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. The march was organized by New Virginia Majority.

Demonstrators wait to enter the General Assembly building at the state Capitol in support of various bills on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. The march was organized by New Virginia Majority.

Assaddique Abdul-Rahman, and organizer with New Virginia Majority, leads a chant during a demonstration in support of various bills outside of the General Assembly building at the state Capitol on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.

Assaddique Abdul-Rahman, and organizer with New Virginia Majority, leads a chant during a demonstration in support of various bills outside of the General Assembly building at the state Capitol on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.

Demonstrators enter the General Assembly building at the state Capitol in support of various bills on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. The march was organized by New Virginia Majority.

Young demonstrators attend a gun safety rally at the state Capitol on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.

Demonstrators attend a gun safety rally at the state Capitol on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.

Speaker of the House Don Scott, D-Portsmith, speaks to a crowd during a gun safety rally at the state Capitol on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.

Demonstrators attend an afternoon gun safety rally at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square on Lobby Day on Monday.

Speaker of the House Don Scott, D-Portsmith, speaks to a crowd during a gun safety rally at the state Capitol on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.

Young demonstrators attend a gun safety rally at the state Capitol on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.

Demonstrators attend a gun safety rally at the state Capitol.

A demonstrator holds a sign at a gun safety rally at the state Capitol on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.

During the Omega Psi Phi Lobby Day session, Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, responds to questions from Fairfax County resident Robert Fairchild, right, about her priorities for the 2024 General Assembly.

Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, speaks during a Second Amendment Rights rally on Lobby Day at the state Capitol on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

A flag is waved during a Second Amendment Rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League on Lobby Day at the state Capitol on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

Virginians on both sides of the gun debate make their case during Lobby Day at the state Capitol on Monday. Brianne Chapman holds up a sign near members of the Kekoa Virginia Militia during a Second Amendment rights rally hosted by the Virginia Citizens Defense League.

A demonstrator, who goes by Rustpit, stands in front of the Supreme Court of Virginia during a Second Amendment Rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League on Lobby Day on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

Cam Edwards of Farmville speaks at the state Capitol during a Second Amendment rights rally hosted by the Virginia Citizens Defense League.

Del. Delores Oates, R-Warren, speaks during a Second Amendment Rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League on Lobby Day at the state Capitol on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

Brianne Chapman holds up sign near members of the Kekoa Virginia Militia during a Second Amendment Rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League on Lobby Day at the state Capitol on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

A demonstrator holds up a sign during a Second Amendment Rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League on Lobby Day at the state Capitol on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

Members of the Kekoa Virginia Militia hold guns during a Second Amendment Rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League on Lobby Day at the state Capitol on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

Demonstrators hold flags in front of the Supreme Court of Virginia during a Second Amendment Rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League on Lobby Day on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

Demonstrators stands in front of the Supreme Court of Virginia during a Second Amendment Rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League on Lobby Day on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

A demonstrator holds up a sign at the state Capitol on Lobby Day during a gun rights rally hosted by the Virginia Citizens Defense League.

Jason Hazelwood holds a flag in front of the Supreme Court of Virginia during a Second Amendment Rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League on Lobby Day on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

Eddir Garcia, a Republican Senate candidate, speaks to demonstrators in front of the Supreme Court of Virginia during a Second Amendment Rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League on Lobby Day on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

A demonstrator, who goes by Rustpit, stands in front of the Supreme Court of Virginia on Monday during a Second Amendment rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League.

Jason Hazelwood holds a flag in front of the Supreme Court of Virginia during a Second Amendment Rights rally hosted by Virginia Citizens Defense League on Lobby Day on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

Jess Bookout, left, and Leslie Floyd attend Lobby Day to talk about early childhood education.

Virginians stand in the lobby of the General Assembly Building on Monday.

Virginians gathered for Lobby Day at the Virginia General Assembly include People wearing Guns Save Lives stickers in the lobby of the General Assembly Building.

On Lobby Day, Madison Brumbaugh, second from left, vice president of the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia, speaks with lawmakers, including Del. Michael Jones, D-Richmond, left; Del. Chris Obenshain, R-Montgomery; and Del. Wendell Walker, R-Lynchburg.

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VA's money-squeezed free clinics offer a vital helping hand - Richmond Times-Dispatch

Spillover effects from private equity acquisitions in the health care sector – Brown University

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The health care sector is witnessing a significant transformation as private equity (PE) firms step up their acquisition of physician practices. This trend reflects a broader shift within the health care industry of corporate investors acquiring health care providers, driven by the allure of short-term profitability and efficiency gains. It also raises questions about the implications for health care quality, accessibility and the overall impact on the U.S. health care system.

A new study led by Yashaswini Singh, assistant professor of health services, policy, and practice and a member of Browns Center for Advancing Health Policy Through Research, will explore this phenomenon and the effects of PE acquisitions on health care accessibility. Funded by the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation, the study, Spillover Effects of Private Equity Acquisitions of Physician Practices on Local Market Competitors: Implications for Access to Care, represents a pioneering investigation into a critically under-examined area.

Singhs prior research shows that PE acquisitions of physician practices often lead to increased health care spending and utilization, changes in workforce composition and a reshaping of services based on profitability. Yet the extended impact of these changes, especially the spillover effects on competing practices within the same locale, remains largely unexplored.

Singhs new study will consider a core concern: the propensity of PE firms to prioritize short-term financial gains, potentially at the expense of offering comprehensive care. This strategy may lead to the curtailment or discontinuation of less lucrative services, disproportionately burdening independent medical practices, as they may have to accommodate an increased demand from patients turned away from PE-owned offices.

Singh and her study co-author, Durgar Borkar, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Duke University, are focusing on the field of ophthalmology, merging hand-collected data on PE ownership with longitudinal medical claims data. Their work is set to make a significant contribution to the field, providing the first policy-relevant empirical evidence on the market-wide effects of PE acquisitions.

We spoke to Professor Singh about her upcoming study.

Over the last decade, theres been a rapid increase in institutional investors, such as private equity funds, acquiring physician practices, primarily through consolidation. Private equity aims to generate approximately 20% annual returns over short investment periods of three to seven years. This raises concerns about whether private equitys financial incentives can coexist with physician incentives to deliver affordable, accessible, high-value care for patients.

In the past five years, acquisitions have occurred in several specialties, including dermatology and ophthalmology, and more recently, primary care. A growing body of literature is examining the impact of these acquisitions on health care spending, quality and access outcomes, which is the focus of my research and this grant.

Thats in the ballpark, indicating a rapid trend in corporate consolidation in the last five to ten years. However, specific numbers are hard to confirm due to the private nature of these transactions. Private equity companies are exempt from Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure requirements, and most physician practice acquisitions go unreported to antitrust authorities like the Federal Trade Commission.This lack of transparency is a key policy issue, making it hard for researchers, policymakers, physicians and patients to understand the real magnitude of these trends.

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HHS Expands TEFCA by Adding Two Additional QHINs – HHS.gov

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Seven QHINs will now safely and securely exchange critical health information for patient care

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), announced today that two additional organizationsCommonWell Health Alliance and Kno2have been designated as Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs) capable of nationwide health data exchange governed by the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common AgreementSM (TEFCASM). ONC has led a multi-year, public-private process alongside its Recognized Coordinating Entity, The Sequoia Project, Inc., to implement TEFCA, which was envisioned by the 21st Century Cures Act to support nationwide interoperability. TEFCA became operational in December 2023 with the designation of the first five QHINseHealth Exchange, Epic Nexus, Health Gorilla, KONZA, and MedAllies.

CommonWell Health Alliance and Kno2 can immediately begin supporting the exchange of data under the Common Agreement's policies and technical requirements along with the other designated QHINs. QHINs are the pillars of TEFCA network-to-network exchange, providing shared services and governance to securely route queries, responses, and messages across networks for health care stakeholders including patients, providers, hospitals, health systems, payers, and public health agencies.

"These additional QHINs expand TEFCA's reach and provide additional connectivity choices for patients, health care providers, hospitals, public health agencies, health insurers, and other authorized health care professionals," said Micky Tripathi, Ph.D., national coordinator for health information technology. "On behalf of ONC, I want to congratulate CommonWell Health Alliance and Kno2 for their achievement."

"The designation of these two QHINs, which brings the total number of QHINs to seven, highlights the rapid expansion of TEFCA exchange and the support of more and more leaders around TEFCA exchange," said Mariann Yeager, CEO of The Sequoia Project and RCE lead.

Common Agreement Version 2.0, which is anticipated to include enhancements and updates to require support for Health Level Seven (HL7) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) based transactions, is actively under development and scheduled to be adopted by QHINs within the first quarter of 2024.

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HHS Expands TEFCA by Adding Two Additional QHINs - HHS.gov

Lawmakers loo at Health Care and Voter Transparency-pkg- Cheyenne News Now at 5:30 pm – VOD – clipped version – Wyoming News Now

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The Salvation Army of Cheyenne needs help. The freezers and refrigerators used to be full, but now, the Salvation Army says its cupboards are running bare due to increased need. So we find that the increase in our clients has drained the pond basically, " said Lt. Col. Helen Starrett, Asst. Corp. Officer Salvation Army Cheyenne.

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Lawmakers loo at Health Care and Voter Transparency-pkg- Cheyenne News Now at 5:30 pm - VOD - clipped version - Wyoming News Now

‘Behind the Times’: Washington Tries to Catch Up With AI’s Use in Health Care – KFF Health News – Kaiser Health News

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By Darius Tahir February 13, 2024

Lawmakers and regulators in Washington are starting to puzzle over how to regulate artificial intelligence in health care and the AI industry thinks theres a good chance theyll mess it up.

Its an incredibly daunting problem, said Bob Wachter, the chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California-San Francisco. Theres a risk we come in with guns blazing and overregulate.

Already, AIs impact on health care is widespread. The Food and Drug Administration has approved some 692 AI products. Algorithms are helping to schedule patients, determine staffing levels in emergency rooms, and even transcribe and summarize clinical visits to save physicians time. Theyre starting to help radiologists read MRIs and X-rays. Wachter said he sometimes informally consults a version of GPT-4, a large language model from the company OpenAI, for complex cases.

The scope of AIs impact and the potential for future changes means government is already playing catch-up.

Policymakers are terribly behind the times, Michael Yang, senior managing partner at OMERS Ventures, a venture capital firm, said in an email. Yangs peers have made vast investments in the sector. Rock Health, a venture capital firm, says financiers have put nearly $28 billion into digital health firms specializing in artificial intelligence.

One issue regulators are grappling with, Wachter said, is that, unlike drugs, which will have the same chemistry five years from now as they do today, AI changes over time. But governance is forming, with the White House and multiple health-focused agencies developing rules to ensure transparency and privacy. Congress is also flashing interest. The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing Feb. 8 on AI in health care.

Along with regulation and legislation comes increased lobbying. CNBC counted a 185% surge in the number of organizations disclosing AI lobbying activities in 2023. The trade group TechNet has launched a $25 million initiative, including TV ad buys, to educate viewers on the benefits of artificial intelligence.

It is very hard to know how to smartly regulate AI since we are so early in the invention phase of the technology, Bob Kocher, a partner with venture capital firm Venrock who previously served in the Obama administration, said in an email.

Kocher has spoken to senators about AI regulation. He emphasizes some of the difficulties the health care system will face in adopting the products. Doctors facing malpractice risks might be leery of using technology they dont understand to make clinical decisions.

An analysis of Census Bureau data from January by the consultancy Capital Economics found 6.1% of health care businesses were planning to use AI in the next six months, roughly in the middle of the 14 sectors surveyed.

Like any medical product, AI systems can pose risks to patients, sometimes in a novel way. One example: They may make things up.

Wachter recalled a colleague, as a test, assigning OpenAIs GPT-3 to write a prior authorization letter to an insurer for a purposefully wacky prescription: a blood thinner to treat a patients insomnia.

But the AI wrote a beautiful note, he said. The system so convincingly cited recent literature that Wachters colleague briefly wondered whether shed missed a new line of research. It turned out the chatbot had made it up.

Theres a risk of AI magnifying bias already present in the health care system. Historically, people of color have received less care than white patients. Studies show, for example, that Black patients with fractures are less likely to get pain medication than white ones. This bias might get set in stone when artificial intelligence is trained on that data and subsequently acts.

Research into AI deployed by large insurers has confirmed that has happened. But the problem is more widespread. Wachter said UCSF tested a product to predict no-shows for clinical appointments. Patients who are deemed unlikely to show up for a visit are more likely to be double-booked.

The test showed that people of color were more likely not to show. Whether or not the finding was accurate, the ethical response is to ask, why is that, and is there something you can do, Wachter said.

Hype aside, those risks will likely continue to grab attention over time. AI experts and FDA officials have emphasized the need for transparent algorithms, monitored over the long term by human beings regulators and outside researchers. AI products adapt and change as new data is incorporated. And scientists will develop new products.

Policymakers will need to invest in new systems to track AI over time, said University of Chicago Provost Katherine Baicker, who testified at the Finance Committee hearing. The biggest advance is something we havent thought of yet, she said in an interview.

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‘There was a lot of anxiety’: Florida’s immigration crackdown is causing patients to skip care – POLITICO

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One pregnant patient experiencing alarming pain nearly refused to go to an emergency room out of fear that shed be arrested and deported, she said. A staffer at the clinic had to personally escort the patient to the hospital.

There has definitely been an uptick in the nervousness and apprehension that a lot of immigrants already had when they had to think about getting treatment, Thomas said. But I have faith that we will get through this.

DeSantis law is even affecting clinics and organizations that dont receive federal dollars, and the law applies to migrants even though they dont receive Medicaid assistance.

Officials with the Consulate of Mexico in Orlando, which for years has operated a program offering free health care to migrants from all over the world, said fewer migrant women have shown up for free medical check-ups and prenatal care since the law took effect in May. The number of patients accessing free mammograms services, for example, has dropped 18 percent, according to the consulate.

This fear of anything health related has negatively affected the prevention of diseases within our migrant community, the consulate said in a statement.

The consulate does not receive Medicaid reimbursements.

While several states have cracked down on immigration in recent years including a law in Texas that makes it a crime to enter the state illegally from a foreign country Floridas law is believed to be the only one in the nation that requires hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status.

Undocumented immigrants in general arent eligible for federal health benefits, but some states access Medicaid dollars to help undocumented immigrants. Last year, California became the first state in the country to offer health insurance to undocumented immigrants through its Medi-Cal program, which is supported through state and federal taxes..

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'There was a lot of anxiety': Florida's immigration crackdown is causing patients to skip care - POLITICO

Two more Petersen Health Care facilities in Illinois have been placed in receivership – Peoria Journal Star

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‘Wonder’ nanotech material that will change the world declared safe Earth.com – Earth.com

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In an era where technological advancements are rapidly transforming lives, scientists have made a significant stride in nanotechnology, focusing on graphene a material renowned for its exceptional properties and vast potential in various applications.

This revolutionary nanomaterial, celebrated for being the thinnest, strongest, and most flexible material known, is now being developed with a keen eye on human health safety.

Recent research reveals that controlled inhalation of a specific form of graphene, known as graphene oxide, does not present short-term health risks to lung or cardiovascular functions.

This finding comes from the first-ever controlled exposure clinical trial involving human participants, emphasizing the materials safety under specific conditions.

Graphene oxide, a water-compatible form of graphene, was used in this pioneering study to ensure ultra-purity and compatibility for potential medical applications.

The study, a collaborative effort by researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Manchester, signifies a critical step in understanding graphenes interaction with the human body.

Despite the promising results, the researchers advocate for further investigations to explore the effects of higher doses or prolonged exposure to graphene, considering its incredibly fine structure.

Graphenes allure as a wonder material stems from its discovery in 2004 and its potential to revolutionize industries ranging from electronics to water purification.

Its application in developing targeted therapies for cancer and other health conditions, as well as its use in implantable devices and sensors, underscores the need for rigorous safety assessments before clinical use.

The research involved 14 volunteers who were exposed to graphene oxide under meticulously controlled conditions.

Participants breathed in the material through a mask while cycling within a mobile exposure chamber, ensuring precise monitoring of any health effects.

The study meticulously measured impacts on lung function, blood pressure, blood clotting, and inflammation markers, with follow-up tests conducted to compare responses to different sizes of graphene oxide and clean air.

Remarkably, the study found no significant adverse effects on lung function or blood pressure, with only a minimal suggestion of impact on blood clotting a finding that underscores the need for careful material design in nanotechnology applications.

Dr. Mark Miller, from the University of Edinburgh, emphasized the importance of ensuring the safe manufacture of nanomaterials like graphene to harness their full potential safely.

Nanomaterials such as graphene hold such great promise, but we must ensure they are manufactured in a way that is safe before they can be used more widely in our lives, explained Dr. Miller.

Being able to explore the safety of this unique material in human volunteers is a huge step forward in our understanding of how graphene could affect the body. With careful design we can safely make the most of nanotechnology.

Similarly, Professor Kostas Kostarelos of the University of Manchester and the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) in Barcelona highlighted the decade-long journey to this research milestone.

He reflected on the comprehensive approach combining materials science, biology, and clinical expertise.

This is the first-ever controlled study involving healthy people to demonstrate that very pure forms of graphene oxide of a specific size distribution and surface character can be further developed in a way that would minimize the risk to human health, said Kostarelos.

It has taken us more than 10 years to develop the knowledge to carry out this research, from a materials and biological science point of view, but also from the clinical capacity to carry out such controlled studies safely by assembling some of the worlds leading experts in this field.

The British Heart Foundations Professor Bryan Williams lauded the studys implications for the development of new medical devices and treatments, expressing anticipation for future studies that could pave the way for the safe use of nanomaterials in life-saving applications.

The discovery that this type of graphene can be developed safely, with minimal short term side effects, could open the door to the development of new devices, treatment innovations and monitoring techniques, Williams said.

We look forward to seeing larger studies over a longer timeframe to better understand how we can safely use nanomaterials like graphene to make leaps in delivering lifesaving drugs to patients.

In summary, this exciting and long overdue study on graphene, particularly its oxide form, marks a significant milestone in the journey towards harnessing nanotechnologys full potential while prioritizing human health.

Researchers have demonstrated that controlled exposure to graphene oxide poses no immediate threat to lung or cardiovascular health, laying a foundation for future innovations in various fields, from medicine to environmental technologies.

This research reassures the public and scientific community about the safety of emerging nanomaterials and encourages continued exploration and development, ensuring that the incredible promise of graphene can be realized safely and effectively.

As we venture further into the realm of nanotechnology, this study serves as a pivotal reminder of the importance of meticulous research and responsible application in unlocking the transformative power of materials like graphene.

The full study was published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

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'Wonder' nanotech material that will change the world declared safe Earth.com - Earth.com

Developing a new tool using A.I. and nanotech to detect ovarian cancer – NBC New York

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L.L. Bean has just added a third shift at its factory in Brunswick, Maine, in an attempt to keep up with demand for its iconic boot.

Orders have quadrupled in the past few years as the boots have become more popular among a younger, more urban crowd.

The company says it saw the trend coming and tried to prepare, but orders outpaced projections. They expect to sell 450,000 pairs of boots in 2014.

People hoping to have the boots in time for Christmas are likely going to be disappointed. The bootsare back ordered through February and even March.

"I've been told it's a good problem to have but I"m disappointed that customers not getting what they want as quickly as they want," said Senior Manufacturing Manager Royce Haines.

Customers like, Mary Clifford, tried to order boots on line, but they were back ordered until January.

"I was very surprised this is what they are known for and at Christmas time you can't get them when you need them," said Clifford.

People who do have boots are trying to capitalize on the shortage and are selling them on Ebay at a much higher cost.

L.L. Bean says it has hired dozens of new boot makers, but it takes up to six months to train someone to make a boot.

The company has also spent a million dollars on new equipment to try and keep pace with demand.

Some customers are having luck at the retail stores. They have a separate inventory, and while sizes are limited, those stores have boots on the shelves.

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Spacegoods secures 2.5m to supercharge functional mushrooms and nootropics blends – The Grocer

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Wellness startup Spacegoods has closed a 2.5m seed round to accelerate growth of its functional mushrooms and nootropics range.

Matthew Kelly launched the London-based brand in 2022 and has since attracted more than 75,000 customers.

The business makes all-in-one powder blends aimed at enhancing energy, relaxation, mood and general wellbeing, which are marketed as being similar to coffee but without crashes or jitters.

It will use the funding to expand its product portfolio and broaden its customer base, with the seed round led by food tech fund Five Seasons Ventures, alongside backing from Redrice Ventures, Slingshot Ventures and G Fund.

In addition to product development and research, the cash will support team expansion in London, with Spacegoods hiring across growth, marketing and product teams.

The functional mushroom space is relatively untapped in Europe, said Kelly. With this investment, and the support of our investors, Spacegoods has a huge opportunity to be the European market leader.

Produced in the UK, Spacegoods blends are claimed to be 100% natural and made with a combination of adaptogen mushrooms and nootropics, such as ashwagandha and lions mane.

Both its flagship Rainbow Dust day blend which claims to enhance focus and energy and the Astro Dust night blend which promotes relaxation and restful sleep come in a range of flavours.

The business, which also has a presence in Europe, said it had gained significant momentum since launching, with an impressive growth rate primarily through DTC sales online.

Five Seasons Ventures principal Saskia Hoebe added: Spacegoods is a first mover in a novel category of mushroom-based energy and supplements, and has the vision to become a category leader in the space.

The company operates at the crossroads of three trendy markets: supplements, functional drinks and coffee replacements, all in which high growth is expected in the coming years due to increased consumer demand for clean energy and broader wellness.

The adaptogenic mushroom market was valued at approximately $10.9bn in 2022 and is expected to grow 10% annually, reaching a projected value of $30bn by 2032, according to Global Market Insights data.

Spacegoods previously raised 500k in a pre-seed round from angel investors.

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Watch Japan launch its H3 rocket on return-to-flight mission tonight – Space.com

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Japan's new H3 rocket will attempt to bounce back from an explosive failure tonight (Feb. 16), and you can watch the action live.

The H3 is scheduled to lift off from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center tonight during a nearly four-hour window that opens at 7:22 p.m. EST (0022 GMT and 9:22 a.m. Japan Standard Time on Feb. 17).The launch was originally planned for Wednesday (Feb. 14), but bad weather forced a two-day delay.

You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or directly via JAXA. Coverage will begin around 6:20 p.m. EST (2320 GMT).

Related: Japan's new H3 rocket fails on 1st test flight, advanced Earth observation satellite lost

The H3 has flown just once before, on a test flight in March 2023 that attempted to send the DAICHI-3 Earth-observation satellite to orbit. The rocket's second-stage engine failed to ignite on that mission, however, resulting in loss of the satellite.

On tonight's flight, the H3 will carry two small Earth-observation satellites, called CE-SAT-IE and TIRSAT, to sun-synchronous orbit. The main payload, however, is a 5,900-pound (2,600-kilogram) mass simulator, which is standing in for a big-ticket spacecraft.

"The primary purpose of this mission is to evaluate the performance of the H3 rocket and its payload deployment mechanism," EverydayAstronaut.com wrote in a mission description.

JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have been developing the H3 for the past decade. The rocket which stands either 187 feet or 207 feet (57 or 63 meters) tall depending on the choice of payload fairing will eventually replace Japan's venerable H-2A rocket, which debuted in 2001.

The H-2A hasn't been put out to pasture yet, however. It lofted the IGS Optical 8 spy satellite for the Japanese government last month, for example. And, in September 2023, it sent Japan's SLIM lander on its way to the moon. SLIM touched down on the lunar surface on Jan. 19, making Japan just the fifth nation to land softly on Earth's nearest neighbor.

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Watch Japan launch its H3 rocket on return-to-flight mission tonight - Space.com

Rocket Lab Electron rocket lifts off with space debris removal mission Spaceflight Now – Spaceflight Now

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An Electron rocket lifts off from Rocket Labs launch site on New Zealands Mahia Peninsula carrying the ADRAS-J satellite for Astroscale. Image: Rocket Lab.

A small satellite that will inspect a discarded rocket body in orbit lifted off Sunday/Monday on a mission to develop techniques for removing space debris. The satellite built by Japan-based Astroscale launched atop a Rocket Lab Electron from the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand at 3:52 a.m. NZDT (9:52 a.m. EST / 1452 UTC).

The Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan satellite or ADRAS-J will approach and monitor the spent upper-stage rocket of an H-2A rocket that launched in January 2009. It is part of the Japanese space agencys (JAXA) Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration program and is designed to lay the ground work for a future mission to deobit the rocket stage, tentatively scheduled for 2026. A contract has yet to be awarded for this second phase of the program.

ADRAS-J was deployed 64 minutes into flight after two firings of the Electrons Curie kick stage to precisely place the spacecraft on course for its rendezvous in space.

100% mission success, Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck wrote in a social media post. Big day for the GNC [Guidance Navigation and Control] team with perfect argument of perigee targeting.

The mission, nick named On Closer Inspection, was the 44th Electron launch to date and Rocket Labs second mission of 2024.

The ADRAS-J spacecraft will initially close in on the derelict rocket body using ground-based observation data but will then switch to on-board sensors to complete the rendezvous. It is equipped with visual and infrared cameras and LiDAR sensors. Once in close proximity, it will assess the rocket bodys condition and gauge the extent to which it might be tumbling. It will circle the upper-stage and make a close approach, but will not attempt to latch on to the rocket.

The H-2A upper stage is currently in a 622 x 557 km orbit, inclined at 98.2 degrees to the equator, has a mass of three tonnes, is 11 meters long and a diameter of four meters.

Taking images in space might sound easy, but doing it with an unprepared object that does not provide any location data on its own and its moving at approximately 7.5 kilometers per second is extremely hard, said Nobu Okada, founder and CEO of Astroscale. In fact, this kind of operation is one of the most challenging capabilities necessary for on orbit services.

Astroscale was founded in 2013 with the goal of offering on-orbit servicing and space debris removal services. It is headquarted in Japan and has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and Israel.

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NASA Artemis Science, First Intuitive Machines Flight Head to Moon – NASA

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A suite of NASA science instruments and technology demonstrations is on the way to our nearest celestial neighbor for the benefit of humanity. Through this flight to the Moon, they will provide insights into the lunar surface environment and test technologies for future landers and Artemis astronauts.

At 1:05 a.m. EST on Thursday, Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At approximately 1:53 a.m., the lander deployed from the Falcon 9 second stage. Teams confirmed it made communications contact with the companys mission operations center in Houston. The spacecraft is stable and receiving solar power.

These deliveries are part of NASAs CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, which includes new solar system science to better understand planetary processes and evolution, search for evidence of water and other resources, and support long-term human exploration.

NASA scientific instruments are on their way to the Moon a giant leap for humanity as we prepare to return to the lunar surface for the first time in more than half a century, said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. These daring Moon deliveries will not only conduct new science at the Moon, but they are supporting a growing commercial space economy while showing the strength of American technology and innovation. We have so much to learn through CLPS flights that will help us shape the future of human exploration for the Artemis Generation.

While enroute to the Moon, NASA instruments will measure the quantity of cryogenic engine fuel as it is used, and during descent toward the lunar surface, they will collect data on plume-surface interactions and test precision landing technologies.

Once on the Moon, NASA instruments will focus on investigating space weather/lunar surface interactions and radio astronomy. The Nova-C lander also will carry retroreflectors contributing to a network of location markers on the Moon for communication and navigation for future autonomous navigation technologies.

NASA science aboard the lander includes:

Intuitive Machines Nova-C-class lunar lander, named Odysseus, is scheduled to land on the Moons South Pole region near the lunar feature known as Malapert A on Thursday, Feb. 22. This relatively flat and safe region is within the otherwise heavily cratered southern highlands on the side of the Moon visible from Earth. Landing near Malapert A will also help mission planners understand how to communicate and send data back to Earth from a location where Earth is low on the lunar horizon.

The NASA science aboard will spend approximately seven days gathering valuable scientific data about Earths nearest neighbor, helping pave the way for the first woman and first person of color to explore the Moon under Artemis.

Learn more about NASAs CLPS initiative at:

https://www.nasa.gov/clps

-end-

Karen Fox / Alise Fisher Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 / 202-358-2546 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov

Nilufar Ramji Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov

Antonia Jaramillo Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-501-8425 antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov

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News from the Press Site: A roundup of the week’s space news Spaceflight Now – Spaceflight Now

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Join us for a roundup of the weeks space news with reporters covering the big stories. Spaceflight Nows Will Robinson-Smith is joined by Chris Davenport of The Washington Post and Gina Sunseri of ABC News. The show goes live at 4 p.m. EST (2100 UTC).

The discussion will include stories like the launch and process of Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander, which is making its way towards the Moon; the warnings on Capitol Hill about Russias potential development of an anti-satellite weapon and SpaceX achieving the 300th launch of its Falcon 9 rocket with its latest Starlink mission.

Chris Davenport, The Washington Post: Possible Russian aggression in space Launch of commercial lunar lander

Gina Sunseri Intuitive Machines Moon-bound lander launches Warning of national security threat from Russian space activity

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News from the Press Site: A roundup of the week's space news Spaceflight Now - Spaceflight Now

SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites on 3rd leg of spaceflight tripleheader (video) – Space.com

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SpaceX launched 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites on Thursday (Feb. 15), the third mission in less than 24 hours for the company.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday at 4:34 p.m. EST (1:34 p.m. local California time, or 2134 GMT).

The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth about 8.5 minutes after liftoff as planned. It made a vertical landing on the SpaceX droneship Of Course I Still Love You, which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the night sky

It was the second launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description. Its previous flight was also a Starlink mission.

The rocket's upper stage, meanwhile, continued powering its way skyward, eventually deploying the satellites into low Earth orbit.

The Starlink launch was the final leg of a spaceflight tripleheader for SpaceX. On Wednesday evening (Feb. 14), the company launched the classified USSF-124 mission for the U.S. Space Force.

Then, at 1:05 a.m. EST (0605 GMT) on Thursday, SpaceX launched the private IM-1 moon-landing mission from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

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SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites on 3rd leg of spaceflight tripleheader (video) - Space.com

H3 reaches orbit on second launch – SpaceNews

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Updated Feb. 17 with additional details from JAXA.

WASHINGTON Japans H3 rocket successfully reached orbit on its second launch Feb. 16, nearly a year after its inaugural launch failed.

The H3 rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center at 7:22 p.m. Eastern after a two-day delay caused by weather. There were no issues reported during the countdown, with liftoff occurring at the beginning of a window lasting more than two and a half hours.

A key point in the launch was the separation of the upper stage and ignition of its LE-5B-3 engine. On the vehicles inaugural launch in March 2023, that engine failed to ignite, forcing controllers to issue a destruct command to destroy the stage and its payload, the ALOS-3 Earth observation satellite.

On this launch, designated H3 Test Flight 2 (H3TF2) by the Japanese space agency JAXA, the engine did ignite. The stage reached a preliminary orbit of about 674 kilometers 16 and a half minutes after liftoff, and moments later deployed one of its payloads, the CE-SAT-1E imaging satellite built by Canon Electronics.

It was scheduled to be followed about nine minutes later by the other secondary payload, a cubesat called TIRSAT. JAXA said in a later statement that the separation signal for tIRSAT was sent, but did not explicitly state that the cubesat had deployed.

A second burn of the upper stage took place one hour and 47 minutes after liftoff, lasting 26 seconds. After that, the upper stage deployed its primary payload, a mass simulator called Vehicle Evaluation Payload (VEP) 4. VEP-4 is a metallic column with the same mass and center of gravity as ALOS-3. JAXA flew the inert payload after criticism about flying ALOS-3, a $200 million satellite, on the rockets first launch.

That second burn was designed to demonstrate the ability to perform a controlled reentry of both the upper stage and VEP-4, said Yasuo Ishii, JAXA vice president, during a session of the Space Debris Conference organized by the Saudi Space Agency Feb. 11.

JAXA and the vehicles prime contractor, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, spent months investigating the inaugural launch failure. Engineers concluded that while the rocket received the signal to ignite the engine, an electrical failure prevented the ignition system from starting up.

While the investigation did not identify a single root cause, it did find three scenarios that most likely explained what happened: a short-circuit in wiring in the ignition system, a failed transistor in the ignition system and a failure in one computer in the stages control system that sent electrical current to a redundant computer that caused it to fail. JAXA made changes to prevent any of those scenarios from reoccurring.

The potential problems with the ignition system also affected the older H-2A rocket, which uses a version of the same upper-stage engine. That grounded the H-2A for half a year, with the rocket returning to flight in September.

The H3 is key to Japans future space plans. The rocket will succeed the H-2A and launch civil and military missions, including the new HTV-X spacecraft that will transport cargo to the International Space Station. The H3 is also designed to operate at far lower costs than the H-2A, making the vehicle more competitive in the commercial launch market.

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Undiscovered ‘minimoons’ may orbit Earth. Could they help us become an interplanetary species? – Livescience.com

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In 2006, astronomers with the NASA-backed Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona discovered a peculiar body floating amid the sea of thousands of human-made satellites orbiting our planet. After taking a closer look, they determined that the object wasn't just another piece of space junk. Rather, it was a natural satellite that had been temporarily yanked into a tagalong orbit with the Earth, similar to the moon.

This "minimoon," designated 2006 RH120, was just a few meters in diameter. But unlike the actual moon, this cosmic body was a transient Earth companion, traveling around the planet for only a year before being ejected from our planet's orbit. More than a decade later, scientists with the Catalina Sky Survey spotted another minimoon (2020 CD3) this one about the size of a small car roaming through Earth's orbit, before it was flung out of the Earth-moon system's influence in March 2020.

Because of their proximity to Earth, these minimoons have warranted close scientific scrutiny. But more recently, some experts have eyed minimoons and other near-Earth asteroids for a different reason: They have the potential to act as stepping stones in our exploration of the cosmos.

"We have yet to become an interplanetary species," Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Live Science. Minimoons could become milestones "to achieve as you're learning how humans can operate in interplanetary space, and ultimately reach Mars."

In September 2016, NASA launched the uncrewed OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on a mission to collect a sample from the potentially hazardous asteroid Bennu, which has a 1-in-2,700 chance of slamming into Earth in 2182. Seven years later, OSIRIS REx returned to Earth with a tiny chunk of the 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid.

The success of the OSIRIS-ReX mission has inspired scientists planning the next phases of near-Earth exploration. One idea is to use close asteroids as stepping stones for missions to Mars, Binzel said.

Retrieving Bennu was a step in the right direction, he said, but there might be a better target when it comes to testing our technology to expand further into the cosmos. At its closest, Bennu is around 186,000 miles (300,000 km) away from Earth and only crosses the planet's orbit around the sun every few years. As a result, the mission took seven years and cost an estimated $1.16 billion.

Minimoons, on the other hand, are some of the easiest asteroids to reach from Earth, Binzel said.

"To go anywhere in space, you have to change your velocity," Binzel said. Minimoons are small bodies with very little gravity, and have a low required change in velocity, or delta-V, which means that it doesn't take much propulsion to transport a spacecraft from low Earth orbit to a rendezvous with the asteroid.

Given these properties, minimoon missions would require less fuel than journeys to many other cosmic bodies. "It only takes a puff of fuel to leave the Mini-Moon and head back towards Earth," Binzel told Live Science in an email.

Journeys to minimoons would take about 100 days to get there and back, research suggests. (Our permanent moon is about a three-days' journey away, but it took NASA's Saturn V rocket 203,400 gallons (770,000 liters) of kerosene fuel and 318,000 gallons (1.2 million liters) of liquid oxygen just to get off the ground.

While minimoon missions are promising, the flaw with this strategy goes back to their ephemeral nature, which could make it difficult to plan and execute a mission before the natural satellite is ejected from its short-term journey around Earth.

"They are in tagalong orbits with the Earth, so they're like a pet," Binzel said. "Temporary pets that you keep for a while and then they wander off."

By conducting missions to minimoons and other near-Earth asteroids in their vicinity, NASA and other space agencies can test their technologies' effectiveness in deep space, including life support systems, engines and propulsion systems, Paul Abell, chief scientist for small body exploration at NASA, told Live Science.

"Going to Mars is a big, big step," he said. "There's a lot of things that have to happen, so why don't we look at some of these near-Earth asteroids that are in between the Earth-moon system and Mars."

Related: Just 22 people are needed to colonize Mars as long as they are the right personality type, study claims

These minimoon journeys could also help scientists who are dedicated to a different pursuit that could be just as crucial for getting to Mars: mining for water.

Water is vital not only for hydration but also for the creation of additional rocket fuel, which is typically liquid hydrogen. This will be required to get as far as Mars, which is, on average, more than 140 million miles (225 million km) from Earth.

Currently, spacecraft have to carry all of the water and fuel they will need from Earth. The massive weight added by the liquid drives the "tyranny of the rocket equation," which states that as payload mass increases, so must the amount of propellant required to break free from Earth's gravitational pull.

Essentially, if NASA increases the payload mass of a spacecraft even slightly, they have to add much more fuel to get it off the ground and into orbit and the fuel itself adds even more weight to lift, creating a vicious cycle. The key to breaking this cycle is finding a way to refuel in space, Abell said.

"When you go on vacation, when you fly or drive anywhere, you're not taking all your oxygen, all your food, everything with you for the entire round trip," Abell said. "Well, it's the same type of thing. We want to get away from having to take everything with us from Earth, all the way out and then come back, because that's super expensive."

The good news? Near-Earth asteroids may be ideal candidates for space gas stations. A growing body of research shows that many near-Earth asteroids are rich in minerals and water that's locked inside the rock. If this water can be accessed, it could be split into hydrogen and oxygen, both key elements for creating rocket fuel.

"If you can access that water and leverage it, all of a sudden you have water to drink, you have oxygen to breathe and, more importantly, you have rocket fuel," Abell said.

Currently, most of NASA's efforts are focused on harvesting water from the moon, but many commercial companies including Karman+, TransAstra and AstroForge have their sights set on asteroids for water and metal mining.

These operations haven't gotten off the ground yet, largely due to the cost and technology required to get to these floating rocks, experts say. But minimoon missions could help streamline operations by providing companies a training ground to test "feasibility of asteroid mining technologies for future commercial applications," according to a 2018 study.

However, minimoons themselves may not be the best option for fueling up spacecrafts because they are small, with surfaces dried out from "sitting in the sun, cooking for a long time," said Binzel.

Robert Jedicke, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii and lead author of the 2018 study, suspects that many minimoons aren't water-bearing, because they may have either broken off from the moon or were pulled in from the edge of main asteroid belt, both of which suggest a low potential for water.However, other scientists, including Abell, think it could be possible. Binzel, for his part, is more optimistic, saying there's lots of uncertainty in the modeling. "You don't know til you look!" he suggests.

Even if minimoons lack water, they could enable companies "to test their ability to maneuver spacecraft near an asteroid," said Jedicke, who is currently working with TransAstra to develop techniques for mining water from asteroids.

Related: 'Stepping stone to Mars': Minimoons may help us become an interplanetary species, says MIT astrophysicist Richard Binzel

Minimoons' small size and rapid motion make them incredibly difficult to detect with existing ground-based telescopes. However, a new telescope could soon change that. High in the Chilean Andes, construction is almost complete on the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which will hold the world's largest digital camera.

Starting in 2025, the camera, known as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, will snap 700 pictures each night for 10 years to catalog the solar system at a high-precision 6-terapixel level. This thorough exploration of the universe will help scientists understand mysterious substances such as dark matter and dark energy. And with a tailored approach, it could also help astronomers detect a minimoon as often as every three months, according to a 2020 simulation.

And in 2027, another NASA instrument, dubbed the NEO Surveyor, will detect asteroids from space. The surveyor will complete a full scan of the sky every two weeks to characterize potentially hazardous asteroids and comets near Earth's orbit. While the primary focus of this infrared space telescope is to keep humanity safe from "planet-killer asteroids," it has the potential to uncover tiny minimoons in the process.

It's too soon to tell whether minimoon missions will play a key role in spacecraft technology or mining operations, experts told Live Science. But no matter what, studying these temporary Earth companions and other near-Earth asteroids could provide crucial clues to the mysteries of our solar system, Binzel said. Many scientists think near-Earth asteroids, like Bennu, probably brought the seeds of life to Earth early in our planet's history.

For tracing the chemical origins of the solar system and finding the ingredients that made life on Earth, minimoons are a great place to go, he said.

"But the reason we haven't gone to them before is there aren't very many of them," Binzel said. "We're just now discovering them. But they will come to the forefront because we have new telescopes coming online."

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SpaceX stacks giant Starship rocket ahead of 3rd test flight (video, photos) – Space.com

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SpaceX's third Starship megarocket is standing tall ahead of its upcoming test flight.

SpaceX recently stacked the enormous vehicle on the orbital launch mount at its Starbase site in South Texas, placing the Ship 28 upper-stage prototype atop its Booster 10 first-stage partner.

"Starship team is preparing for a full launch rehearsal ahead of Flight 3," SpaceX wrote in a post on X today (Feb. 13) that shared photos of the milestone. In another post, the company published a short video of the stacking, which was performed by the "chopstick" arms of Starbase's launch tower.

Related:See stunning photos and video of Starship's 2nd launch

Flight 3 will likely occur about three weeks from now, according to SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, provided the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration awards a launch license in time.

The first two test flights of Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, occurred in April and November of last year.

Both missions ended in the explosive death of Starship, though the vehicle notched some important milestones on Flight 2.

For example, the 33 Raptor engines of Starship's first stage aced their initial burn on the November missions, and the booster separated seamlessly from the upper-stage spacecraft.

Both of Starship's stainless-steel stages are designed to be fully and rapidly reusable. SpaceX is developing the 400-foot-tall (122 meters) megarocket to take people and payloads to the moon and Mars, as well as conduct other operations closer to home including, potentially, carrying people on superfast trips here Earth.

SpaceX has already signed NASA up as a customer: The space agency picked Starship to be the first crewed lander for its Artemis program of moon exploration. If all goes according to plan, Starship will put NASA astronauts down near the lunar south pole for the first time in September 2026, on the Artemis 3 mission.

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SpaceX stacks giant Starship rocket ahead of 3rd test flight (video, photos) - Space.com