Robot Satellites to go into Orbit?

DARPA and NASA form a partnership to create new satellites

DARPA has a reputation for taking on seemingly impossible, ambitious projects that some would describe as moonshots and others might describe as ludicrous. However, the agency has teamed up with NASA to build robotic satellites that can refuel and repair friendly satellites.

 From article, (DARPA has a reputation for taking on seemingly impossible, ambitious projects that some would describe as moonshots and others might describe as ludicrous. However, the agency has teamed up with NASA to build robotic satellites that can refuel and repair friendly satellites.

These robotic satellites, known as “service stations in orbit,” would not only refuel satellites, they could drastically improve their longevity and lifespan. The robots could fix minor maintenance issues, keeping up with current orbiters as they age and sustain damage. This is an ability that we don’t have yet, so faulty billion-dollar satellites not only cause issues, but have to be replaced, which is both difficult and extremely expensive.

The service stations will also make a significant dent in space pollution. Not only is allowing broken satellites to continue to orbit while we replace them a billion-dollar pain, it contributes to the growing problem of space pollution.

In 2015, there were about 25,000 human-made objects larger than a human fist and roughly half a million larger than a dime orbiting Earth. Putting objects into orbit and then replacing them (without recalling the old ones) when they get damaged or need updating is a practice that’s not only astronomically costly, it also pollutes the orbit around our planet.

It makes the most sense to repair, maintain, and update satellites and other orbiting objects, but it hasn’t been possible. Hopefully, these service stations will launch and help to keep our orbit clear of debris and threatening activity, though there are no current plans to use them in an offensive role.)

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One Drug that Treats Diabetes and treats Alzheimer's?

Scientists discover diabetes drug may also reverse memory loss

A daily injection of a drug may reverse Alzheimer's, suggests early research The drug was initially developed for the treatment of diabetes Lancaster University scientists found memory improved and toxins in the brain decreased when it was tested on mice A daily injection of a drug initially developed for diabetes may reverse Alzheimer's, early research suggests.

 From article, (A daily injection of a drug initially developed for diabetes may reverse Alzheimer’s, early research suggests.

Scientists at Lancaster University found the treatment - called a triple receptor agonist - significantly improved memory and reduced toxins in the brain when tested on mice.

Experts last night said the drug has ‘clear promise’ to eventually become the first treatment to tackle Alzheimer’s.

The drug is some way off becoming available to patients, having only been tested on animals so far, but if it shows the same results in humans it could in time solve the desperate need for an effective treatment for the booming number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s. Dr Doug Brown, director of research at the Alzheimer’s Society which funded the study, said: ‘With no new treatments in nearly 15 years, we need to find new ways of tackling Alzheimer’s.

‘It’s imperative that we explore whether drugs developed to treat other conditions can benefit people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. This approach to research could make it much quicker to get promising new drugs to the people who need them. Further development of this work is crucial.’

‘Clinical studies with an older version of this drug type already showed very promising results in people with Alzheimer’s disease or with mood disorders.’)

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