Antares Rocket Explodes On Launch Pad

Posted on by

Orbital Sciences Antares rocket exploded shortly after launch. (Credit: NASA TV)

An Orbital Sciences Antares rocket exploded at 6:22 EDT today, six seconds after its launch. The cause of the launch failure is still being determined. It does not appear that anybody was injured by the accident.

The Antares rocket was to carry a Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station, loaded with cargo and supplies for the crew. Orbital Sciences has a $1.9 billion contract with NASA to make at least 8 cargo runs to the International Space Station. The company has already made two successful flights, this was to be the third.

Another cargo ship is currently scheduled to liftoff from Kazakhstan on October 29. So far, theres been no indication that this flight will be delayed. SpaceX is also scheduled to deliver a cargo ship to the station in December. Theres currently no danger to the crew of the ISS from this failure.

More information will be added to this story as its released.

Update 7:24pm EDT: The NTSB will be active, but in monitor mode for this investigation. This means that Orbital and NASA will be able to interview their people. Had NTSB decided to take a lead role in investigating, nobody could be interviewed until an NTSB investigator began their work.

Update 7:35pm EDT: The failure of this launch shouldnt impact Space Station operations. However, a number of science experiments were lost. You can see a complete list of those here. Also notably lost was asteroid mining company Planetary Resources first space telescope and a flock of 26 Cubesats from Planet Labs. These were all going to be launched from the Space Stations cubesat launcher.

The two companies took this in good spirits, though. Planet Labs noted in a blog post that While this will not have a huge impact on at Planet Labs because our agile aerospace approach, space is hard and our hearts go out to our fellow space innovators.

Planetary Resources simply tweeted:

Update 7:57pm EDT: Orbital Sciences issued the following statement:

Original post:

Antares Rocket Explodes On Launch Pad

Freedom fighter Boinapalli Venkata Rama Rao passes away – 6TV Telangana – Video

Posted on by


Freedom fighter Boinapalli Venkata Rama Rao passes away - 6TV Telangana
Watch 6TV Telangana, the 24/7 Telugu news channel. dedicated for breaking news, live reports, exclusive interviews, sport, weather, entertainment, business updates, current affairs and dedicated...

By: 6TV Telangana

More here:

Freedom fighter Boinapalli Venkata Rama Rao passes away - 6TV Telangana - Video

Rice presented Freedom Federal's Core Values Award

Posted on by

Joshua Rice is Freedom Federal Credit Union's winner of the "Core Values Award" for the third quarter of 2014.

The award, based on employee nominations and chosen by a volunteer committee of employees, recognizes Freedom employees who continuously demonstrate support of the Credit Union's core values.

Rice has been with Freedom for two years, joining the team in 2012 as a contact center representative. In this short time, he has made a great name for himself, and recently advanced to a position in operations support, where he has quickly made an impact.

As expressed in multiple employee nominations received for the third quarter, Rice was recognized and chosen for his outstanding work ethic, his willingness in helping others and consistently going the extra mile to get things done. Fellow employee nominations said Rice expresses an eagerness to learn and take on new responsibilities, while ensuring he is available to help members and fellow co-workers whenever needed. He displays a willingness to jump in and help whenever needed without hesitation, they said, and he does so with an outgoing and friendly personality.

Rose Ann Lambert, Freedom's president and chief executive officer, said "Employees like Josh are a great asset to Freedom, and it's great to see him receive this well-deserved peer recognition. Josh is a team player, knowing the importance and value that teamwork has on the success of the credit union."

Employees are encouraged to recognize and nominate each other for their actions related to the demonstration of Freedom's core values, with the quarterly winner being awarded two days of paid time off.

Freedom Federal Credit Union, established in 1953, is a community-chartered credit union offering consumer financial services to those who live, work, volunteer, worship, attend school or have family in Harford County. Additionally, Freedom offers a full-line of banking services for all businesses, associations and other organizations that are based in Harford County. Freedom has five convenient locations throughout Harford County. Visit http://www.freedomfcu.org to learn more.

Original post:

Rice presented Freedom Federal's Core Values Award

2014 AAAS Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award goes to Omid Kokabee

Posted on by

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

28-Oct-2014

Contact: Kat Zambon kzambon@gmail.com 202-326-6434 American Association for the Advancement of Science @AAAS_News

Omid Kokabee, an Iranian graduate student in physics at the University of Texas at Austin who was imprisoned for refusing to contribute to weapons research in his home country, has been awarded the 2014 Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Kokabee, the first doctoral student to win the award, was honored by AAAS "for his courageous stand and willingness to endure imprisonment rather than violate his moral stance that his scientific expertise not be used for destructive purposes and for his efforts to provide hope and education to fellow prisoners."

"It is uncommon that scientists risk their freedom in defense of the principle of scientific freedom for all scientists, and yet this 32-year old physicist, at the beginning of a promising career, has done just that," the award's selection panel said.

From a young age, Kokabee demonstrated an aptitude for science. He ranked 29th on the Iranian college admission exam and earned a degree in applied physics and mechanics from Iran's Sharif University of Technology. Next, he completed a master's degree in photonics at the University of Catalonia in Barcelona. After studying at the Institute of Photonic Sciences, ICFO, Kokabee enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Texas at Austin in 2010 to study optics and photonics.

Kokabee's work caught the attention of authorities from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, who started asking for his assistance with military and intelligence projects as early as 2005. Kokabee repeatedly refused the offers, including a request for help developing a high-powered carbon dioxide laser used for isotope separation and a promise for a full scholarship for his doctoral program in exchange for his services.

While visiting his family in Tehran in January 2011, Kokabee declined another request to help with research related to weapons development. He was arrested at the airport the next day and held in solitary confinement for more than a month. Denied legal representation, Kokabee was repeatedly questioned and pressured to "confess." The requests for his research assistance continued after his arrest, now with the offers of release from prison as well as threats that his family would be harmed if Kokabee did not cooperate.

After 15 months of pre-trial detention, Kokabee was convicted of conspiring with enemies of Iran and receiving "illegitimate" funds, in a televised trial in May 2012. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, a sentence that was upheld by the Tehran Court of Appeals, which added 91 days for receiving "illicit" scholarship funds while studying in Texas.

Read more:

2014 AAAS Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award goes to Omid Kokabee

3-D radar installed on Freedom variant LCS

Posted on by

HERNDON, Va., Oct. 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. subsidiary of Europe's Airbus Defense and Space has installed and put into operation a TRS-3D naval radar for the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship.

The radar was installed and integrated aboard the Milwaukee (LCS 5), the third Freedom variant LCS, under a contract from Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the vessel.

"The TRS-3D is the choice for ships with multi-mode radar requirements, as evidenced by it being a global market leader in its class," said Aaron Johnson, director of Sales and Marketing, at Airbus Defense and Space Inc.'s Communications, Intelligence, Security & Electronics division. "We're proud to support Lockheed Martin and the LCS program with our products."

The TRS-3D is a three-dimensional, multi-mode naval radar for surveillance, self-defense, gunfire support, and helicopter control. It automatically locates and tracks both air and sea targets.

Airbus Defense and Space Inc. said eight TRS-3D radars, are now in various stages of installation aboard Freedom variant ships.

The Milwaukee is still under construction and is expected to be delivered to the U.S. Navy next year.

2014 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

See the article here:

3-D radar installed on Freedom variant LCS

Freedom Wars out today in North America, Friday in Europe

Posted on by

Catch the launch trailer and a message from the producer.

Freedom Wars is out today for PS Vita in North America and this Friday in Europe.

The SCE Japan Studio, Shift, and Dimps-developed action RPG sentences players to one million years of imprisonment, which must be worked off by rescuing civilians.

Patch 1.20 will be available later today, which adds an eight-player PvP mode, eliminates the online pass requirement, tweaks and balances the game difficulty, and more.

From here on, Sony is planning several weeks of downloadable content, including free content until the end of November. This includes everything from weapon packs and hairstyle additions to battle music and sticker packs.

Find the launch trailer and a message from the games producer below.

Hello everyone,

This is Junichi Yoshizawa, producer on Freedom Wars.

Weve finally reached the launch of Freedom Wars for North America and Europe thank you very much for all of your patience! Im so happy that were finally able to get Freedom Wars into your hands!

More:

Freedom Wars out today in North America, Friday in Europe

Press Freedom in the 21st Century

Posted on by

Ahead of a special Newseum Institute event with Spiked magazines Free Speech NOW!, Nick Gillespie of Reason argues for the importance of press freedom in an interview with the magazine.

Gillespie, who will speak at Press Freedom in the 21st century Nov. 5 at the Newseum (RSVP here), defends press freedom on the grounds that all speech should be free. People have a right to free expression, and they have a right to free speech and free assembly. And that is what undergirds our press freedom. The press should have no rights that the average citizen does not have.

Gillespie has no time for those who blame the media for brainwashing people. Liberals will say Fox News, or Faux News as they call it, is programming people and inflaming passions among Tea Party wingnuts who bring their guns to church and shoot people on the way home from church before they watch the football. On the flipside, right-wingers will say that places like CNN stand for the Clinton News Network, or they used to in the 1990s. Or theyll say that NPR is a state-funded bastion of liberal and left-wing ideology.

So there is a common widespread transpartisan complaint, Gillespie continues, that the other side did not win whatever position they have fairly, but that they did it through mass brainwashing. And I guess, for me, the big takeaway is that the whole idea that the culture industry and the media brainwashes people is not only offensive its also deeply, deeply wrong and dismissive of the way that people actually make decisions about their politics and their ideology and about their everyday life.

Here is the original post:

Press Freedom in the 21st Century

Living history events celebrate Jubilee 1864

Posted on by

Events mark 150 years of freedom from slavery in Md.

Freedom came to Maryland 150 years ago this week and in the coming days, the state will celebrate Jubilee 1864.

Mobile users tap here to watch video

People can explore the living history marking Marylanders' release from slavery.

"Man ignorant of history runs the risk of repeating it again," a Frederick Douglass reenactor said.

Words of Frederick Douglas echo through the Reginald Lewis Museum. Its a poignant message as Maryland prepares to celebrate freedom Jubilee 1864.

"As a border state, Maryland was not affected by the Emancipation Proclamation like many other border states," said Lisa Crawley, with the Reginald Lewis Museum.

On Nov. 1, 1864, slavery in Maryland would become history. Enticed by Washington, D.C.'s emancipation, men joining the Union Army, the old line state, turned to change.

"Slowly, but surely, the institution of slavery began losing its power," Crawley said.

It's a living celebration 150 years later, as Frederick Douglass comes alive at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Meyers Maritime Park. Will Henry "Box" Brown will also come alive at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture.

View original post here:

Living history events celebrate Jubilee 1864

Sarah Palin compared climate change to eugenics

Posted on by

Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Sarah Palin has spoken out against the science behind man-made climate change since she was a vice presidential hopeful in 2008, and now she's comparing the science behind it to eugenics.

"I'm not a denier. I don't doubt that climate change exists," Palin says in the video she posted to the Sarah Palin Channel. "No one has proven that these changes are caused by anything done by human beings via greenhouse gases. There's no convincing scientific evidence for man-made climate change."

"Climate change is to this century what eugenics was to the last century. It's hysteria and a lot of it's junk science. And when it's as discredited as eugenics, you know a lot of people are going to look very foolish and heartless," Palin said.

Palin may not believe climate change was caused by humans, but she has a record of fighting climate change in the past. As a governor, she created a special group to combat climate change issues like sea level rise, loss of sea ice and erosion.

Though some disagree with the science behind it, the Pentagon says climate change is a serious threat to national security.

2014 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Continue reading here:

Sarah Palin compared climate change to eugenics

Sarah Palin: Climate change is this centurys eugenics

Posted on by

More people are waking up to the global warming con, saysSarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and your current crazy friend spreading conspiracy theories on Facebook.

The claim comes in a new video, which Palin posted to her Facebook page Monday. It begins with blah, standard-fare climate denial (and denial of being a climate denier): No convincing scientific evidence, the climate has always been changing, etc., etc. Not even worth mentioning. Still probably better off ignored, were it not for Palins outrageous claim that the man-made climate change con job is comparable to eugenics. In her words:

Climate change is to this century what eugenics was to the last century. Its hysteria and a lot of its junk science. And when its as discredited as eugenics, you know a lot of people are going to look very foolish and heartless.

Thats right. Climate change, which 97 percent of climate scientists agree is happening as the result of human activity, is just like eugenics, the racist, Nazi-affiliated, pseudo-scientific 20th century movement that even in its day, many people saw [as] a dubious discipline, riddled with inconsistencies.

The latest voice of reason Palin cites on all this isWeather Channel co-founder John Coleman, who, in fact, has been using his perceived prestige (the man is not a climate scientist) to spread the idea that climate change is a scam since 2007. Like Palin, presumably, Coleman hasbemoaned the difficulty of getting the media to pay attention to his fringe claims (although last night he got Fox News Megyn Kelly to take the bait).

The tragedy with this kind of thinking, of course, is that while in Palins world, it will be great fun to see discredited latte liberals looking all foolish and heartless, no ones going to be gloating when climate change wreaks (even more) havoc in Alaska. But Palin, who despite all evidence to the contrary, really should know better, will bear responsibility for impeding the action needed to protect against that eventuality.

h/t Huffington Post

Originally posted here:

Sarah Palin: Climate change is this centurys eugenics

Eco Friendly

Posted on by

Eco Friendly

Eco Expo Asia, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, is co-organised by the Environment Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government. Eco Expo Asia is comprised of four themed days: "Global Green Initiatives", "Waste Management & Recycling", "Green Building, Energy Efficiency & Energy" and "Green Living" with a variety of special events and conferences related to the theme of each day. This concept is designed to tie in with the global trend towards recycling, energy conservation and low carbon living. The fair includes the Eco Asia Conference (29-31 October) with over 30 expert speakers from around the world, including Australia, Chinese mainland, Malaysia, Switzerland and the United States.

Green Wheels

Three types of environmentally friendly vehicles are presented during the Expo. German carmaker BMW is showcasing its BMW i3 electric car which promises sheer driving pleasure with zero emissions. The innovative design features lightweight carbon fibre reinforced plastic and an advanced electric drive system. An electric bus, produced by Green Dynamic Electric Vehicle Ltd in collaboration with the Hong Kong Productivity Council using home-grown technologies, is also showcased, as is the Hino 300 Hybrid Series truck by Crown Motors Ltd.

Eco Innovation

Among the creative solutions for green living at the fair is the Household Foodwaste Processing System which can be installed under a sink and decomposes food and discharges food waste through the sewage system. Also on show is Enevo ONe, which is a wireless sensor to detect capacity levels of waste containers and generate smart collection plans automatically.

Building Fair Expansion

This year, the Hong Kong International Building and Hardware Fair has extended to cover four days (29 October-1 November). The fair includes new exhibitors from Portugal and Turkey while 14 exhibitors from Huzhou in the Chinese mainland province of Zhejiang, are participating in the Huzhou Pavilion to showcase the latest green building materials and decorations.

Visitors can check out new innovations such as the Dyson Airblade Tap, which enables users to wash and dry hands over a sink in just 12 seconds, and a revolutionary new design of clear roofing tiles (LRT Tiles) which allow both light and shade to create comfortable environments in covered outdoor areas such as patios and gazebos.

BIM Day

View post:

Eco Friendly