Sing Along With Space Force

“Semper Supra” is not a menu item at an ethnic restaurant, it’s the name of the U.S. Space Force anthem. “Semper Supra” (“Always Above”), written by veteran armed forces musicians Jamie Teachenor and Sean Nelson, was wheeled to the launch pad on September 20th. Blast-off was greeted by a galactic chorus of “Meh.”

Of course, in space no one can hear you sing.

More:

“With new official anthem, the Space Force hopes to land on your radar,” Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post

“Space Force Song Shoots for the Stars, but Some Think It Falls Flat,” Michael Levenson, New York Times

“‘It’s not a banger’: response to Space Force official song is less than stellar,” Martin Pengelly, The Guardian

Related:

“Space Force: A Guide to Trump’s Most Misunderstood Creation,” Margaret Hartmann, New York Magazine

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Will Russia’s Agression Affect Space Collaboration?

The International Space Station, a partnership of five space agencies, has been orbiting Earth for 20 years. Most astronauts have been Americans and Russians. The two countries have agreed to cooperate through 2024, but beyond that, the future of the space station is uncertain. A Vox video.

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Overview

“Overview,” excerpt of a 2012 film by Planetary Collective. Directed by Guy Reid; edited by Steve Kennedy. Music by Human Suits.

Astronauts who have seen the Earth from space often describe the ‘Overview Effect’, an experience that has transformed their perspective of the planet and mankind’s place upon it, our shared home, without boundaries between nations or species.

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Space Tourism

Why hasn’t space tourism taken off? The Guardian explains.

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Found: Hidden Water on Mars

“Vast amounts of ancient Martian water may have been buried beneath its surface instead of escaping into space, scientists report in the journal Science. The findings, published Tuesday, may help untangle a clash of theories seeking to explain the disappearance of Mars’ water, a resource that was abundant on the planet’s surface billions of years ago.

Through modeling and data from Mars probes, rovers, and meteorites, researchers at the California Institute of Technology found that a broad range — between 30 to 99 percent — of the Red Planet’s earliest amounts of water could have vanished from the surface through a geological process called crustal hydration, where water was locked away in the rocks of Mars.”

— “Mars might be hiding most of its old water underground, scientists say,” Joey Roulette, The Verge

More:

“Mars: Vast amount of water may be locked up on planet,” Paul Rincon, BBC News

“Oceans’ Worth of Water May Live in Minerals Beneath Mars’ Surface,” Brad Bergan, Interesting Engineering

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The Moon Is Awash In Water

Two new studies indocate that there are “cold traps” on the moon full of water. NASA spied on Luna from a high-flying jet named SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) and found the unique signature of water all over the place on sunlit portions of the moon. A secord study finds that frozen water could be hiding in lunar shadows on 15,444 square miles of the moon’s real estate. Astronauts are probably planning lakeside chateaus as you read this.

U.S. Troops in Space!

Space Force: Enlist and Blast Off Today!

Military troops in the Space Force will someday deploy to orbit, one of the service’s top operations officials said Sept. 29.

‘At some point, yes, we will be putting humans into space,’ Maj. Gen. John E. Shaw, head of the Space Force’s Space Operations Command and part of U.S. Space Command leadership, said during a conference organized by the AFWERX innovation group. ‘They may be operating command centers somewhere in the lunar environment or someplace else.’

Space Force officials, wary of being confused with NASA, usually shy away from questions about whether military personnel will go to the Final Frontier themselves. Experts have split on whether a Space Force astronaut corps is a good idea in the next couple of decades, if at all.

— “Space Force Will Eventually Put Troops in Orbit, Ops Boss Says,” Rachel S. Cohen, Air Force Magazine

Note: Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond is among the senior U.S. military leaders in self-quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure at the White House.

Related:

“Space Force Fears COVID Loss Of Commercial Startups: Gen. Thompson,” Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense

Update:

“U.S. Space Force unveils lapel pins for U.S. Air Force uniforms,” Ed Adamczyk, UPI

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Space Toilet: A Giant Flush for Womankind

Friday night, while you were watching Donald Trump’s helicopter touch down at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, an Antares rocket lifted off from Wallops Island carrying a $23 million titanium toilet to the International Space Station. The new low-gravity space potty, known as the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), sports a smaller footprint and improved efficiency, and is equally adapted to the needs of male and female astronauts. As NASA astronauts say, “you go, girl!”

More:

“Finally, a Space Toilet for Ladies,” Amanda Arnold, The Cut

“NASA’s new $30M space toilet is smaller, better smelling and more female-friendly,” CBC Radio

“State-of-the-art space toilet successfully launched into space,” Mark Kaufman, Mashable

“Antares rocket launches new astronaut toilet and more to space station for NASA,” Chelsea Gohd, Space.com

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The Space Wall

“The Space Wall,” a short film by Jason Allen Lee. Soundtrack by Paul Vinsonhaler.

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Space Force: Countdown to Blast Off!

U.S. Space Operations Force. Enlist now!

“‘I said maybe we need a new force, we’ll call it the Space Force,’ Trump said at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in March 2018. ‘And I was not really serious. Then I said,’What a great idea, maybe we’ll have to do that.'”

“Now, key lawmakers leading the charge have the support they need to make a new U.S. space service a reality. The House and the Senate have both proposed plans for Space Force in their versions of the annual defense bill.

And next month, a congressional conference committee could hammer out a final blueprint in its approval of the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.”

— “With Congressional Blessing, Space Force Is Closer To Launch,” Claudia Grisales, NPR News

Update:

“US Launches Space Command Today,” Carla Babb, VOA

Related:

“Why the Space Force Is Just Like Trump University,” Erin Durkin, The Atlantic

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Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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