Boca Chica to be Much More Than a Launch Site to SpaceX. (Speculation.)

SpaceX contemplates Mars rocket factory on the South Texas coast

In statements provided to the Brownsville Herald, a Texan paper dedicated to a South Texas region that includes SpaceX's Boca Chica launch site, state representative René Oliveira hinted that SpaceX's plans for the region could go "well beyond conducting launches." SpaceX and South Texas The Herald's Steve Clark provided a great summary of the history between ...

From article, (State Rep. Oliveira’s statements can be seen in full below.

“About a year ago, SpaceX came to me with their concept of a new, larger, expanded plan for Boca Chica Beach,” Oliveira said. “The concept went well beyond conducting launches, and would require new commitments for construction, investment and jobs to support the new operations.”

“We looked at the original plan for the launch site, and the chain of work that would be done inside and outside on the rockets that would take off from Boca Chica. The concept SpaceX is examining would bring a lot of that work to Boca Chica, going well beyond the original plan.”

He [State Rep. René Oliveira, D-Brownsville] declined to reveal the details of the new concept for Boca Chica, saying it’s up to SpaceX to detail its plans and associated costs when it makes a request to CCSDC to apply for funding.

The timing of SpaceX concept, reportedly presented to Oliveira in late 2016 or early 2017, strongly indicate that the rocket company is considering a considerable expansion of their aspirations for the South Texas facilities under construction. Partly based on Oliveira’s suggestion that SpaceX and Brownsville “looked at…the chain of work” necessary for rockets to launch Boca Chica, the most obvious conclusion available is that SpaceX is thinking about developing Boca Chica into a veritable rocket city.

A major problem facing SpaceX’s Mars rocket (BFR) program is dealing with the vehicle’s sheer size, 9m (30 feet) in diameter and at least as tall as Falcon 9. This size would make transporting the vehicle cross-country by road all but impossible, potentially forcing the company to abandon a bulwark of their current Falcon manufacturing strategy. The most obvious solution, as discussed briefly by CEO Elon Musk and President Gwynne Shotwell, would be to build a rocket factory where the launch pad is located. Boca Chica is thus almost certainly a prime location under SpaceX’s consideration for both the launch complex and factory needed to build and operate BFR. And this argument has been strengthened in recent months by statements from both executives hinting that prototype BFR spaceship (BFS) tests could begin in South Texas as soon as early 2019.

To say that the creation of such a manufacturing and launch infrastructure would transform the region would be an understatement. The sheer shock value of a small city being able to lay claim to the only private orbital launch complex in the US would be valuable in its own right, not to mention the distinct possibility that such a facility might one day launch the first humans to Mars. If the educated speculation above is, in fact, the truth of the matter, SpaceX can be expected to begin earnestly petitioning the local and state governments for additional public funds to partially support the major undertaking.)

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A Chinese Company has started an Autonomous Taxi Service In China. Its American Headquarters is in Fremont California, also home to Tesla. And, Tesla is Not Blinking its Eyes.

China's First Autonomous Car Ride Service Just Hit the Roads

Pony.ai has just announced that it's the first to offer fully autonomous car rides to the public in China. On Tuesday, the company revealed that it held a launch event this month where attendees took a 1.7 mile ride around Nansha, near the company's headquarters.

From article, (Pony.ai has just announced that it’s the first to offer fully autonomous car rides to the public in China. On Tuesday, the company revealed that it held a launch event this month where attendees took a 1.7 mile ride around Nansha, near the company’s headquarters. From here, Pony.ai plans to establish an autonomous pilot zone in Guangzhou to allow more people to try the vehicles.

“Starting today, we are thrilled to give Guangzhou citizens their first opportunity to experience self-driving cars,” said Tiancheng Lou, co-founder and chief technology officer of Pony.ai. “We hope that this moment marks a pivotal point towards a safer and more efficient mobility future.”

The fleet consisted of six cars, four Lincoln MKZ four-door sedans and two GAC Chuanqis sports utility vehicles, taking to the streets on a Friday morning. The route challenged the technology by moving through sloped bridge ramps, lane changes and large intersections, ending at Nansha’s civic square. Over a three-month period, the company was able to modify and test the vehicles ready for rollout.

 Pony.ai has moved from strength to strength since its late 2016 founding. In January, the company announced the largest single funding round for a Chinese autonomous car company yet, valued at $112 million and including seed investors like IDG Capital

However, it may not be long before Pony.ai faces some stiff competition. Its American headquarters are located in Fremont, California, the same city where Tesla is producing its $35,000 Model 3 electric car. CEO Elon Musk hopes to enable autonomous driving in these cars through a software update, switching on a widespread taxi fleet at the blink of an eye. If Musk can pull it off, it could pose a challenge to companies like Pony.ai working to get a foothold in the market.)

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Senator Ted Cruz Realizes the Potential of S.D.I. (Reagan's Star Wars) as a Peaceful Deterrent Against Countries that are Unafraid of Nuclear War.

Sen Ted Cruz proposes space based missile defenses

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas has sent a letter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis advocating for the development of space-based missile defense systems. He cites the nuclear threat from North Korea, the pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in Iran, and the increasing superpower competition with China and Russia, which includes the development of hypersonic missiles that would evade sea and land-based missile defenses.

From article, (Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas has sent a letter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis advocating for the development of space-based missile defense systems. He cites the nuclear threat from North Korea, the pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in Iran, and the increasing superpower competition with China and Russia, which includes the development of hypersonic missiles that would evade sea and land-based missile defenses. Space-based missile defense systems would provide a boost phase opportunity to shoot down enemy missiles.

Cruz’s proposal constitutes a revival of the Reagan-era Strategic Defense Initiative program.

When President Reagan proposed a system of space-based missile defenses to render nuclear weapons obsolete, he upended the nuclear confrontation between the United States and the #Soviet Union. While American Democrats were opposed to SDI, the Soviet leadership was terrorized by the idea that it might succeed, rendering their vast and expensive nuclear arsenal impotent. Even though SDI never went past the research and development stage, it is credited as a critical factor in America’s victory in the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union.

 Space-based battle stations would likely include both laser weapons and interceptors. They would also prove to be a prime target of Russian and Chinese anti-satellite weapons. The battle stations would, most likely, need to be hardened against such armaments to enhance the chances of survival in the event of a conflict.

Thus, the mass of such platforms is likely to be enormous, requiring heavy lift capacity rockets to deploy them.

A recent article in #The SpaceReview suggests that the deployment of such hardened military platforms would be the perfect mission for a revised version of the Space Launch System. The development of commercial, heavy lift rockets, such as the Falcon Heavy, and the upcoming New Glenn and Big Falcon Rocket has cast doubt on the utility of the SLS for NASA’s deep space exploration needs.)

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29% of Britain's' Current Trains use Diesel fuel, Which grows the Carbon Footprint. UK wants to Electrify all its Railways.. But the cost is high. Instead they may use Battery and Hydrogen Powered Trains.

Government to phase out diesel trains by 2040

The Government has made a pledge to remove all diesel-only trains form UK railways by 2040. Total electrification of the railways was played down by Rail Minister Jo Johnson, who encouraged the use of bi-mode trains, which can switch from electric to diesel mid-journey.

 From article, (Total electrification of the railways was played down by Rail Minister Jo Johnson, who encouraged the use of bi-mode trains, which can switch from electric to diesel mid-journey.

The industry is also developing alternative fuel trains, using battery and hydrogen power.

“I would like to see us take all diesel-only trains off the track by 2040,” Johnson said. “If that seems like an ambitious goal – it should be and I make no apology for that.”

Transport overtook the power industry as the UK’s most emitting sector in 2016. The Government has sought to address the worsening situation, announcing proposals to ban all new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2040.

But efforts will also need to be taken in the rail sector. An estimated 29% of Britain’s current train fleet is run solely on diesel fuel, and the carbon footprint of rail has grown by one-third since 1999.

The Government was accused of “betraying” rail passengers last summer after scrapping plans to electrify three rail lines on the Midland Main Line, Great Western Main Line and in the Lake District.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said at the time that the Government would instead introduce bi-mode trains with more seats and better on-board facilities.

Johnson said yesterday that he would like to see hydrogen train trials on the UK railway “as soon as possible”.

“Hydrogen offers an affordable – and potentially much cleaner – alternative to diesel,” he said. “And the technology has developed fast in recent years.”

Northern is exploring the possibility of deploying alternative-fuel trains, such as battery or hydrogen-powered units, on the route by 2021.)

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Exactly five Weeks to April 1st. State Budget. Will NYC see Congestion pricing? Value Capture? A Mixture? Time is Ticking Down. Luckily, There Have Been a Few Bright Spots.

Halftime underground on the route to congestion pricing

Gov. Cuomo's Fix NYC panel, recommending congestion pricing to curb traffic and fund the ailing subways, issued its report exactly five weeks ago, Jan. 19. Exactly five weeks from now is April 1, the deadline for the state budget, the best and perhaps only legislative vehicle to get Albany to enact a fee for cars and trucks entering Manhattan.

From article, (Exactly five weeks from now is April 1, the deadline for the state budget, the best and perhaps only legislative vehicle to get Albany to enact a fee for cars and trucks entering Manhattan.

Cuomo, who has properly claimed responsibility for transit and made some smart moves in directing MTA Chairman Joe Lhota to fix the trains, has introduced elements of the blueprint into his executive budget. He could and should have added more, but as an opening bid, it’s a strong start.

While not yet formally pushing for a fee on private vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th St., Cuomo has submitted legislation to fight cars blocking the box. He also wants to combat the abuse of parking placards — overdue — and to study of the impact of buses on traffic.

Most significantly, the governor has advanced the concept to charge every taxi, Uber and livery fare entering Manhattan south of 96th.

 Mayor de Blasio has also made some important strides. Gone is his trashing of congestion pricing as regressive and hurting the boroughs. The truth, to which he may be awakening, is that it is actually progressive, helping the poor by having those who are better off pay more. And it helps the boroughs by boosting subways there; 321 of 472 subway stations are outside Manhattan.

Even better, de Blasio agrees with Cuomo on slapping a small surcharge on taxis/Ubers/liveries. He wants it put in place as soon as possible.

The mayor should have the TLC quickly produce a surcharge plan ready for Albany to okay. Let’s start plowing the money — every dollar — into the Transit Authority, earmarked for urgent upgrades that make the trains run more reliably.

At the other end of City Hall, Council Speaker Corey Johnson backs congestion pricing and, unlike the mayor, wants the city to put up money for a rescue plan right away. Johnson needs to keep working on de Blasio to agree. There is a deal there.

While there is lots of progress on the ground in Albany and at City Hall, what hasn’t made progress is the deplorable conditions underground. The subways remain in crisis.

To solve it will require big bucks — money that can only come from a congestion pricing fee.)

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Helping Telomeres could Increase Life span of Cells, on the Other Hand it Could lead to Cancer. Researchers say we Have to Tread Lightly.

Easing the brakes on the "immortality" enzyme could slow aging

Anti-aging research has long focused on DNA structures known as telomeres, which have been directly linked to cell longevity. Now scientists have discovered a new way to potentially supercharge the mechanism, which may help keep this "molecular clock" - and ourselves - running better for longer.

From article, (Most of us accept that aging and eventually death are just the inevitable prices we pay for being alive in the first place – but maybe there's a way to skip out on the bill.

Telomeres are our natural defenses against this process. Made up of repeating sequences of DNA, these little caps sit on the end of each arm of the X-shape, and with each cell division they take the hit so that no important genetic information is lost. Unfortunately, they can't keep that up forever, and the march of time eventually wears them down. In that way, the length of our telomeres directly correlates to our lifespan and healthspan.

To hopefully find a way to lend telomerase a hand, the Arizona State researchers looked closer at how exactly it works. The enzyme encodes a repeating string of six nucleotides – GGTTAG – onto the tips of chromosomes, but the team also noticed something new. After each sequence there's a pause signal while the cycle restarts, but that signal stays active during the next sequence, which could be reducing the efficiency of the enzyme.

"Telomerase has a built-in braking system to ensure precise synthesis of correct telomeric DNA repeats," says Julian Chen, lead researcher on the study. "This safe-guarding brake, however, also limits the overall activity of the telomerase enzyme. Finding a way to properly release the brakes on the telomerase enzyme has the potential to restore the lost telomere length of adult stem cells and to even reverse cellular aging itself."

The researchers say that targeting this pause signal could "supercharge" the function of telomerase, keeping adult stem cells healthier for longer. While that's an intriguing line of research to follow, the team cautions that there's a fine line to walk here. Like the brakes on a car, this signal seems to be an important safety feature – removing it entirely can lead to a crash.

In this case, a "crash" means cancer. Tumors are basically cells growing out of control, so it's not surprising that cancer cells have been known to hijack telomerase to keep themselves growing. To avoid that pitfall, the researchers say that any potential anti-aging treatment that eases the brakes on telomerase would need to only target adult stem cells.)

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Skin Bacteria Fights Cancer.

Common human skin bacteria could protect against cancer, say researchers

A type of bacteria commonly found on human skin produces a substance that may help protect against skin cancer, researchers have revealed. The scientists say the surprise discovery regarding a strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis highlights the importance of the community microbes found on and in the body in preventing disease.

 From article, (A type of bacteria commonly found on human skin produces a substance that may help protect against skin cancer, researchers have revealed.

The scientists say the surprise discovery regarding a strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis highlights the importance of the community microbes found on and in the body in preventing disease.

While it is not clear whether the absence of this strain could increase the risk of skin cancer in individuals, the team say that it is possible the findings might one day lead to preventive treatments for patients.

Virotherapy: skin cancer successfully treated with herpes-based drug

 

Read more

“The presence of this strain may provide natural protection, or it might be used therapeutically to inhibit the growth of various forms of cancer,” said Prof Richard Gallo, a co-author of the research from the University of California, San Diego.

The finding was somewhat serendipitous. With previous research showing that chemicals produced by Staphylococcus species commonly found on healthy human skin can kill off certain harmful bacteria, the team looked at numerous strains to explore their antimicrobial powers.

Writing in the journal Science Advances, Gallo and colleagues describe how among their results, they discovered a strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis which produced a substance that killed off a type harmful bacteria responsible for infections such as strep throat. While it was not the only strain to do so, the chemical these microbes produced was unusual, boasting a structure similar to one of the key components of DNA, called adenine.

The researchers found that the chemical, called 6-N-hydroxyaminopurine (6-HAP), hindered the production of DNA, with work in cell cultures revealing that 6-HAP prevents several types of tumour cells from growing and multiplying.

By injecting mice with this substance, the team found that 6-HAP is not toxic. However, when melanoma cells were introduced to mice, animals which had received 6-HAP intravenously ended up with tumours that were more than 60% smaller than those that had not received the substance.)

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Hydrogen will be tested as an additive to Natural Gas Supply lines in the UK. While Making Hydrogen gas from Electrolysis is the Prefered Method, There is a push to use Steam Methane Reformation, with CO2 from the Process, Buried Underground.

Hydrogen for heat 'will create anchor carbon capture and storage projects' | theenergyst.com

A consortium led by gas networks aims to work out whether using more hydrogen within existing infrastructure could cut UK carbon emissions. Cadent and Northern Gas Networks believe it could also lay the ground for renewed efforts to crack carbon capture and storage.

From article, (A consortium led by gas networks aims to work out whether using more hydrogen within existing infrastructure could cut UK carbon emissions.

 It aims to inject a gas blend of up to 20% hydrogen across Keele University’s private gas network next year in a bid to work out how much hydrogen could be safely used within existing infrastructure without affecting gas appliances.

Keele’s campus was chosen because, with 12,000 students and staff and 350 mixed-use buildings, it arguably has a profile not too dissimilar to a small town.

Results from Keele could therefore provide a platform for a wider public trial.

Using hydrogen, or other ‘green’ gases within existing gas networks is one of the pathways industry and government are considering in a bid to decarbonise heat.

Another pathway is electrificiation, which proponents argue may be a cleaner approach.

Electrification arguments hinge on the fact that creating clean hydrogen at scale would require carbon capture and storage, a technology not yet proven at commercial scale.

Counter arguments revolve around peak loads electrification of heat would create, and how these could be managed in a system with high penetration of intermittent renewables, and where consumers display little appetite to change consumption patterns.

Under the HyDeploy trial, hydrogen will be created via electrolysis, which breaks up water molecules into electricity and oxygen.

For large-scale operations, it is likely that steam methane reformation (SMR) methods of production would be required. Making SMR hydrogen ‘clean’ would require carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Mark Horsley, CEO of Northern Gas Networks, told The Energyst the firm “makes no bones” about the fact large scale deployment of hydrogen within gas networks would require CCS.

However, he said if hydrogen can safely be proven for use at significant concentrations within gas networks, such a requirement would help create “anchor projects for people wanting to build carbon capture networks” and make them “more viable”.

Using higher blends of hydrogen in the gas network will require plastic pipes. The UK-wide iron ring main replacement programme is now about 70% complete, according to Horsley, and will be 100% complete by 2032, potentially creating strong alignment for higher hydrogen use in the next decade.

While gas appliances manufactured after 1996 are designed to operate with a hydrogen mix up to 23%, the government is funding a £25m project to determine implications of higher hydrogen blends for gas-fired equipment such as cookers and boilers. Manufacturers such as Worcester Bosch have already started designing boilers to handle higher hydrogen mixes.

“We are very confident about the technology – hydrogen production is a known technology – but there is potential to use the pipe network for other bio- or synthetic gases. So we think the project has a real merit, but, at the same time, we are not precluding other solutions.”)

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Flying Car Takes Another Leap Forward.

Airbus' self-piloted 'flying car' just passed its first flight test

Aerospace giant Airbus has announced the first successful flight of its self-piloted "flying car." Two years on from the launch of the "Vahana" project, a full-scale electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) craft reportedly reached a height of 16 feet before landing safely at a site in Pendleton, Oregon.

 From article, (Aerospace giant Airbus has announced the first successful flight of its self-piloted "flying car."

Two years on from the launch of the "Vahana" project, a full-scale electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) craft reportedly reached a height of 16 feet before landing safely at a site in Pendleton, Oregon.

Airbus said the flight took place Wednesday and lasted 53 seconds. A second flight took place Thursday.

"In just under two years, Vahana took a concept sketch on a napkin and built a full-scale, self-piloted aircraft that has successfully completed its first flight," said Zach Lovering, Vahana's project executive, in a press release Friday.

The VTOL is being developed at "A³," the Silicon Valley outpost of Airbus. The explicit aim is to provide commuters with a self-piloted craft that is cost-comparable to using a car or a train.

The Vahana team had previously said it was aiming for speeds as much as four-times faster than road traffic, with a flight range of about 50 miles.)

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L Shutdown Means Hell for Commuters But, You May Have Already Known That.

Are There Better L-Train Shutdown Solutions? City Didn't Study Them

Last Thursday, the Department of Transportation reminded us how screwed we all are by releasing its detailed analysis of projected traffic along Manhattan's 14th Street corridor during next year's L train shutdown.

 From article, (Last Thursday, the Department of Transportation reminded us how screwed we all are by releasing its detailed analysis of projected traffic along Manhattan’s 14th Street corridor during next year’s L train shutdown. According to the report, DOT modeled several different options for adding bus service and is recommending the most aggressive proposal — leaving New Yorkers to wonder if an even more proactive approach would better lessen our coming transit hell.

And if the city’s current plan doesn’t provide the bus frequency or speed required to transport displaced L riders, the department warns, frustrated commuters may resort to ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft along 14th Street, making for even worse traffic and longer commutes.

While much of the focus on the shutdown has been on riders using the L to travel between Brooklyn and Manhattan, 14th Street also serves as a major destination for commuters: Of the 275,000 daily riders directly affected by the shutdown, DOT says 114,000 of them exit the subway along 14th Street. Currently, the M14 crosstown bus, which runs along 14th Street, serves approximately 30,000 riders a day; during the shutdown, DOT projects it will need to serve up to 84,000 people. (To put this in perspective, open this photo of MetLife Stadium, which fits 82,500 people. A bus can hold about two rows’ worth of people from one section.) This, DOT notes, would make it the busiest bus corridor per mile in the country.

The twenty-page memo focuses on addressing that particular challenge, providing more insight into how DOT arrived at the plan it announced in December, which calls for a 14th Street “busway” during peak hours — meaning no other vehicles can use 14th Street except for local deliveries, Access-A-Ride, and cars accessing parking garages — from Third to Ninth avenues, and a single dedicated bus lane along several blocks at all other times. This bus lane will serve a new M14 Select Bus Service with all-door boarding, in addition to the M14 local routes.

DOT also estimates bicycle ridership will more than double in the area around 14th Street, so it’s proposing removing one parking lane along 13th Street and replacing it with a two-way protected bike lane. This lane, DOT notes, will be used by between 2,000 and 5,000 daily cyclists, but the proposal will eliminate only 236 parking spaces and no vehicular travel lanes. (DOT says it plans to remove the bike lane after the shutdown is complete, but will re-evaluate depending on how things go.)

Curiously, this scenario — the 14th Street busway at peak hours and 13th Street protected bike lane — represents the most aggressive of the five scenarios DOT modeled using an advanced traffic analysis program. The other four scenarios considered were: 1) a “control” simulation where the L still operates and no changes are made to traffic patterns; 2) a “do nothing” scenario where the L shuts down but only additional bus capacity is provided; 3) an “SBS” scenario where the M14 is converted into a standard Select Bus Service route; 4) a “short busway” scenario where 14th Street is bus-only for peak hours from Third to Sixth avenues; and 5) the scenario DOT recommends as described above.

To put it another way, DOT looked at four L-train shutdown scenarios and picked the most aggressive one — meaning we can’t be confident there isn’t an even better option: say, making the busway apply to non-peak hours as well, or extending it along the entire M14 route, suggestions that have previously been made by Transportation Alternatives, a transit advocacy group. Based on the information DOT included in this traffic study, it appears these options were never seriously considered.

“After analyzing bus travel times as well as effects on traffic operation and congestion, we believe the busway option put forward best meets the demands on the corridor expected during the L train closure,” a DOT spokesperson told the Village Voice. Despite considering the busway’s hours of operation to be “a highly significant variable,” the traffic analysis tested only one such configuration. DOT says it is “interested in hearing more on this from residents, business owners, and commuters along the corridor.”

Indeed, DOT found that the “short busway” plan would actually increase traffic on side streets because so many cars would turn to avoid the busway, further exacerbating congestion. An analysis provided to the Village Voice by Transportation Alternatives and BRT Planning International, a firm that assists in the design and implementation of Bus Rapid Transit networks around the globe, found that such a congestion-inducing detour could very well happen with the large busway too.

“These huge turning volumes at Third Avenue will cause significant delays to the bus lanes which will be shared with this turning traffic,” the analysis says. “As such, the impacts of extending the busway to First Avenue or Avenue A should have been studied, as it might have shown better results.”

It’s particularly curious DOT didn’t analyze those scenarios given that the study goes to great pains to outline the gravity of the challenge. If the M14 SBS route doesn’t run with a 37 percent reduction from current M14 run times, DOT estimates, people will avoid the bus and opt for for-hire vehicles instead, like taxis and Ubers — which, the agency notes, will only further exacerbate traffic.

And yet, the margin for success is razor-thin. That 37 percent reduction in travel times critical to keeping the whole plan from falling apart is, as DOT notes, incredibly ambitious. For comparison, the M86 SBS, which runs across 86th Street, saw a reduced travel time of only 8 to 11 percent versus the local route after it launched.

If the buses don’t run smoothly and frequently and people opt for FHVs, it will create a downward spiral as congestion gets worse, much like the city has already experienced. But if the buses do run well, people who otherwise might have opted for FHVs will choose the cheaper, quicker option instead, which will create a virtuous cycle of reduced congestion.)

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The Russia we Thought we Knew? Develops Plane Mounted Laser that Can Destroy Satellites in Space.

Russia 'now has lasers that can zap enemy satellites in SPACE'

RUSSIA has created a plane-mounted laser capable of blasting enemy satellites out of space, it has been claimed. An anonymous source told Russian news agency Interfax that Vladimir Putin's military engineers have "completed" the terrifying Star Wars-style weapon. The source reportedly said weapons manufacturer Almaz-Antey has "completed work on the anti-satellite complex".

 From article, (Russia has developed a plane-mounted laser which can destroy enemy satellites in space.

The source reportedly said weapons manufacturer Almaz-Antey has “completed work on the anti-satellite complex”.

Last year, Almaz-Antey designer Pavel Sozinov confirmed that the firm had been tasked with developing weaponry which could interfere or achieve “direct functional destruction” of satellites, reports Defence One.

The new spacecraft-destroying laser will be fitted to a new unnamed plane which will reportedly feature “ground and radar elements”.

Russia developing lasers and anti-satellite technology is nothing new.

During the Soviet era, the communist superpower fitted a gas laser known as Beriev A-60, on to a modified Ilyushin Il-76MD cargo plane.

In the 1980s, the Soviets also attempted to modify the MiG-31D to enable the fighter jet to fire missiles at the US satellites.

This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin deployed a fearsome stealth jet capable of blasting enemy aircraft out of the sky "under a cloak of invisibility".

The Russian leader sent the Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jet to Syria to test it in real-life conditions and show off the country's air power, according to media reports.

Intended as the Russian answer to the US military's Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, this fifth-generation stealth fighter is designed to overwhelm both air and ground targets while eluding radar, reports news.com.au.

Meanwhile, US air force chief General David Goldfein has claimed a Star Wars-style space war is set to kick off within a few years - urging US President Donald Trump to do everything possible to “dominate” space.)

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Don't you hate it when Your Internal Combustion Engine Won't Start on a Cold Morning? Or your Electric car loses power because it is too cold? China has a new Lithium Ion Battery that answers this problem.

New lithium-ion battery operates at -70 C, a record low

Chinese researchers devised a lithium-ion battery fitted with organic electrodes that still functions at -70°C, a new record low. At this kind of temperature, and even higher, most lithium-ion batteries - which power everything from smartphones to Tesla Roadsters - lose their ability to conduct and store energy.

 From article, (Chinese researchers devised a lithium-ion battery fitted with organic electrodes that still functions at -70°C, [-94 degrees F] a new record low. At this kind of temperature, and even higher, most lithium-ion batteries — which power everything from smartphones to Tesla Roadsters — lose their ability to conduct and store energy.

Once temperatures dip below a certain threshold, most batteries drastically lose performance. For instance, at -20°C [-4 degrees F] lithium-ion batteries perform at only 50% of their optimal level. At -40°C, [-24 degrees F] the same batteries only have 12% of their room temperature capacity. This can spell trouble in frigid environments like in some parts of Canada or Russia, where temperatures can plunge below -50°C, nevermind outer space where thermometers can measure an ungodly -157°C.

The main reason why cold disrupts lithium-ion batteries has to do with the electrolyte, which is the chemical medium responsible for carrying ions between electrodes (the positively charged cathode and the negatively charged anode). When it gets cold, the electrolyte in most lithium-ion batteries lose some of its capacity to conduct charge and the electrochemical reactions that occur at the interface of the electrolyte and electrodes are hampered.

This is typically the kind of trouble you run into when using ester-based conventional electrolytes. But battery researchers at the Department of Chemistry of Fudan University in Shanghai, China, took an alternative route. They also used an ester-based electrolyte but chose one that has a super low freezing point, enabling it to conduct charge even at extremely low temperatures. Then, for the electrodes, the scientists chose organic compounds: a polytriphenylamine (PTPAn) cathode and 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA)-derived polyimide (PNTCDA) anode. The advantage of such electrodes over those typically employed in Li-ion batteries is that there is no need for intercalation — a process where ions are continuously integrated into their molecular matrix but which slows down as it gets colder and colder.

Experiments suggest that “the rechargeable battery can work well at the ultra-low temperature of -70 degrees Celsius,” according to Dr. Yong-yao Xia, lead author of the new research published in the journal Joule.) 

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What's doing at Porsche with Electric Cars? Apparently, a lot.

Details emerge about Porsche's new electric car, charging network

The electric vehicle market is finally about to get interesting. It's been some time since Tesla proved that EVs didn't have to involve hair shirts, and at long last some other automakers are ready to enter the fray. Later this week at the Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar is going to reveal the I-Pace, which goes on sale shortly.

From article, (The electric vehicle market is finally about to get interesting. It has been some time since Tesla proved that EVs didn't have to involve hair shirts, and at long last some other automakers are ready to enter the fray. Later this week at the Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar is going to reveal the I-Pace, which goes on sale shortly. Audi is readying its e-tron for later in the year. And Porsche has the Mission E.

The Mission E is a sleek four-door that promises 600hp (447kW) and 310 miles (500km) of range from a 95kWh battery pack. We first saw a concept of the Mission E back in 2015. Such was the reaction that Porsche had to green light the program.

We also learned that Porsche and other members of the Volkswagen Group will build out a network of fast-charging infrastructure in Europe and here in the US. Right at the beginning of the project, it was decided the Mission E would use an 800V electrical architecture to allow for rapid recharging—250 miles in less than 20 minutes being the plan. In Europe, VW Group is working with other OEMs in a consortium to make that happen, but here in the US it will go it alone.

We expect Audi will have some plans of its own to share in due course as it prepares for the e-tron. As for now, we know what Porsche has in store. "To meet customer expectations, one of our priorities will be to equip our 189 dealerships with 800-volt DC fast-chargers," explained Klaus Zellmer, president and CEO, Porsche Cars North America. "We are also working with other organizations on a network of DC fast-chargers for cities and highways. And this is in addition to the thousands of lower-voltage (Level 2 and DC Fast) charging stations that already exist around the country.")

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Europe is Lagging in Electric Car Sales because there are only a few Electric Car Models, Not because of a Lack of Charging Points.

Lack of models, not charging points, 'holding back electric car market'

The rise of electric cars in Europe is being hampered by a lack of models for consumers to choose from rather than a lack of public recharging points, according to energy companies and carmakers. Some motoring groups and insurers have warned over the past year that the number of chargers is putting the switch to electric transport at risk.

 From article, (The rise of electric cars in Europe is being hampered by a lack of models for consumers to choose from rather than a lack of public recharging points, according to energy companies and carmakers.

Some motoring groups and insurers have warned over the past year that the number of chargers is putting the switch to electric transport at risk. But an analysis by the Platform for Electromobility – whose 31 members include Tesla, Renault-Nissan, Brussels-based campaign group T&E and industrial groups Siemens and Alstom – found there are already enough points in Europe.

Across the EU, there are about six electric cars for each public charging point, almost twice as many as the 10 cars per point recommended by the European commission. Charging infrastructure is expected to keep pace with the number of electric cars on the road until at least 2020, based on a review of governments’ plans. One fast charger is expected for every 40km of highway by 2020, well ahead of the one per 65km that Brussels wants by 2025.

Greg Archer, one of the authors of the analysis, said: “It is a myth that has been spread by the car industry to create the impression they would love to sell more electric cars but there just isn’t the charging points out there. It’s a smokescreen.”

There are just 20 battery electric vehicles on sale in Europe against 417 conventional petrol and diesel ones, according to T&E.

Some of the electric models, such as the Opel Ampera-E – known as the Chevy Bolt in the US – are on limited supply and have months-long waiting times.

“The car industry has deliberately suppressed the market for electric cars, which is shameful,” said Archer.

Next Green Car, an online guide that monitors the electric car market, expects about 13 new fully electric car models in the UK this year. These include the new Nissan Leaf, which is aimed at the mass market, and the high-end Jaguar i-Pace, the British carmaker’s first all-electric vehicle. A further 19 models are expected to go on sale in the UK during 2019.

the choice issue is likely to be addressed in the next two years, MPs were told. “There are some very viable cars coming in the next 18 months,” said Georg Ell, director of western Europe at Tesla. He also confirmed the firm had taken UK orders for its electric semi-truck, which it unveiled last year.

However, Squires said some drivers still believed there were not enough charging points. “There is a perception, it may not be the full reality, that easy charging access is going to be an issue and that is putting consumers off,” he said.

In England, the average driver is four miles from a charging point, in Scotland it is three miles and in Wales it is 12 miles, the Energy Saving Trust has found.)

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