Technology

NASA Launches Small Climate Satellite to Study Earth’s Poles

Published

4 months ago

May 25, 2024

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The first of a pair of climate satellites designed to study heat emissions at Earth’s poles for NASA is in orbit after lifting off atop Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand at 7:41 p.m. NZST (3:41 a.m. EDT) on Saturday.

The agency’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission consists of two shoebox-size cube satellites, or CubeSats, that will measure the amount of heat Earth radiates into space from two of the coldest, most remote regions on the planet. Data from the PREFIRE mission will help researchers better predict how Earth’s ice, seas, and weather will change in a warming world.

“NASA’s innovative PREFIRE mission will fill a gap in our understanding of the Earth system – providing our scientists a detailed picture of how Earth’s polar regions influence how much energy our planet absorbs and releases,” said Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division in Washington. “This will improve prediction of sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea level rise, creating a better understanding of how our planet’s system will change in the coming years — crucial information to farmers tracking changes in weather and water, fishing fleets working in changing seas, and coastal communities building resilience.”

Ground controllers successfully established communications with the CubeSat at 8:48 EDT. The second PREFIRE CubeSat will set off on its own Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in the coming days. Following a 30-day checkout period during which engineers and scientists will make sure both CubeSats are working normally, the mission is expected to operate for 10 months.

At the heart of the PREFIRE mission is Earth’s energy budget – the balance between incoming heat energy from the Sun and the outgoing heat given off by the planet. The difference between the two is what determines the planet’s temperature and climate. A lot of the heat radiated from the Arctic and Antarctica is emitted as far-infrared radiation, but there is currently no detailed measurement of this type of energy.

The water vapor content of the atmosphere, along with the presence, structure, and composition of clouds, influences the amount of far-infrared radiation that escapes into space from Earth’s poles. Data collected from PREFIRE will give researchers information on where and when far-infrared energy radiates from the Arctic and Antarctic environments into space.

“The PREFIRE CubeSats may be small, but they’re going to close a big gap in our knowledge about Earth’s energy budget,” said Laurie Leshin, director, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Their observations will help us understand the fundamentals of Earth’s heat balance, allowing us to better predict how our ice, seas, and weather will change in the face of global warming.”

The mission’s CubeSats each carry an instrument called a thermal infrared spectrometer, which use specially shaped mirrors and sensors to measure infrared wavelengths. Miniaturizing the instruments to fit on CubeSats necessitated downsizing some parts while scaling up other components.

“Our planet is changing quickly, and in places like the Arctic, in ways that people have never experienced before,” said Tristan L’Ecuyer, PREFIRE’s principal investigator, University of Wisconsin, Madison. “NASA’s PREFIRE will give us new measurements of the far-infrared wavelengths being emitted from Earth’s poles, which we can use to improve climate and weather models and help people around the world deal with the consequences of climate change.”

NASA’s Launch Services Program, based out of the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in partnership with NASA’s Earth System Science Pathfinder Program is providing the launch service as part of the agency’s Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract.

The PREFIRE mission was jointly developed by NASA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. NASA JPL manages the mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate and provided the spectrometers. Blue Canyon Technologies built the CubeSats and the University of Wisconsin-Madison will process the data the instruments collect. The launch services provider is Rocket Lab USA Inc. of Long Beach, California.

To learn more about PREFIRE, visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/prefire/

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SOURCE NASA

Technology

BASX Hosts Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New State-of-the-Art Weld Shop

Published

31 mins ago

September 19, 2024

REDMOND, Ore., Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BASX (“BASX” or the “Company”), a leader in the manufacturing of high-efficiency data center cooling solutions, cleanroom systems, and custom HVAC systems, is proud to announce the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newly completed 36,000-square-foot weld shop. The Redmond Chamber of Commerce performed the ribbon cutting on September 18th, 2024, at BASX headquarters.

The weld shop will create significant job opportunities in the Central Oregon region, with the capacity to fill an additional 30 welding positions. Positions range from entry-level to experienced roles, with professional opportunities in various growing departments within the Company.

“This new facility is a major investment not just in our company, but in the future of Central Oregon,” said Dave Benson, AAON VP and BASX President. “We can now deliver even higher levels of quality and efficiency while providing more job opportunities for the community. We’re proud to support local manufacturing growth and look forward to seeing the impact this expansion will have on both BASX and the region.”

The new shop marks a major expansion in the Company’s production capabilities, introducing state-of-the-art welding technology within a climate-controlled environment. Equipped with advanced air filtration systems, including an AAON make-up air unit and multiple air scrubbers, the shop ensures exceptional air quality for its workers. The space also features two 5-ton overhead cranes and six ½-ton cantilever jib cranes, allowing for efficient movement of materials across the facility.

A key highlight of the facility is its cutting-edge tube laser, capable of precision cutting and profiling round and square tubes, as well as C-channel and I-beam profiles up to 27 feet in length. Additionally, a 75-foot-long dual-zone robotic welding cell is scheduled to be installed and operational in early 2025, enabling the welding of large subassemblies up to 10 tons.

The shop’s innovative capabilities will support the Company’s growth and solidify its position for ongoing expansion. In addition to the 30 new welding jobs, BASX is actively hiring across various departments to support its continued success. To learn more about available positions and apply, visit the BASX careers page at www.basxsolutions.com/careers.

About BASX
Founded in 2014 in Central Oregon, BASX is an industry leader in the manufacturing of high-efficiency data center cooling solutions, cleanroom systems, custom HVAC systems, and modular solutions. Acquired by AAON in 2021, BASX continues to focus on quality, innovation, and state-of-the-art technology. The Company is proud to display the Made-in-America emblem on all its products. For more information, please visit www.basx.com.

Contact Information
Christina Lattanzio
Marketing Manager
(918) 508-9272
Email: Marketing@basx.com

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SOURCE AAON

Technology

NASA Sets Coverage for Astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Crewmates Return

Published

31 mins ago

September 19, 2024

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Oleg Kononenko, will depart from the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft, and return to Earth.

Dyson, Chub, and Kononenko will undock from the orbiting laboratory’s Prichal module at 4:37 a.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 23, heading for a parachute-assisted landing at 8 a.m. (5 p.m. Kazakhstan time) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan.

NASA’s live coverage of return and related activities will stream on NASA+ and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

A change of command ceremony also will stream on NASA platforms at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 22. Kononenko will hand over station command to NASA astronaut Suni Williams for Expedition 72, which begins at the time of undocking.

Spanning 184 days in space, Dyson’s mission includes covering 2,944 orbits of the Earth and a journey of 78 million miles. The Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft launched March 23, and arrived at the station March 25, with Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus. Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya were aboard the station for 12 days before returning home with NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara on April 6.

Kononenko and Chub, who launched with O’Hara to the station on the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft last September, will return after 374 days in space and a trip of 158.6 million miles, spanning 5,984 orbits.

Dyson spent her fourth spaceflight aboard the station as an Expedition 70 and 71 flight engineer, and departs with Kononenko, completing his fifth flight into space and accruing an all-time record 1,111 days in orbit, and Chub, who completed his first spaceflight.

After returning to Earth, the three crew members will fly on a helicopter from the landing site to the recovery staging city of Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Dyson will board a NASA plane and return to Houston, while Kononenko and Chub will depart for a training base in Star City, Russia.

NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):

Sunday, Sept. 22
10:15 a.m. – Expedition 71/72 change of command ceremony begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

Monday, Sept. 23
12:45 a.m. – Hatch closing coverage begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

1:05 a.m. – Hatch closing

4 a.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

4:37 a.m. – Undocking

6:45 a.m. – Coverage begins for deorbit burn, entry, and landing on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

7:05 a.m. – Deorbit burn

8 a.m. – Landing

For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge, and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing more resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of Artemis in preparation for future human missions to Mars.

Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

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SOURCE NASA

Technology

Global claims guidance leader EvolutionIQ joins as CALI’s inaugural Life Partner

Published

31 mins ago

September 19, 2024

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — US-based EvolutionIQ, a global leader in claims guidance technology, has signed on as the Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI)’s first Life Partner as part of its corporate partner program.

The CALI Partner Program is designed to foster collaboration and create a connected ecosystem of industry experts.

CALI Life Partners share the industry’s mission to make life insurance accessible, understandable and trusted. They are companies that support Australian life insurers to help Australians and their families have peace of mind about their future so they can live in the most healthy, confident and secure way.

“We are pleased to welcome EvolutionIQ as CALI’s inaugural Life Partner. The CALI Partner Program plays an important role in connecting our members to the latest innovators, like EvolutionIQ, that can move their businesses forward,” said CALI CEO Christine Cupitt.

“We want to work closely with each of our partners to strengthen and support the life insurance industry to deliver better customer experiences for millions of Australians on their best and worst days.”

Headquartered in New York, EvolutionIQ has expanded significantly since 2019. Its clients include major insurance carriers such as Sun Life, Reliance Matrix and Principal Financial. Their AI-powered software makes insurance claims processes more personalised, fair and cost-effective so that more people can recover faster and return to work.

“We are committed to supporting the Australian life insurance ecosystem and being a CALI Life Partner enables us to specialise our products to meet the dynamic needs of the Australian markets,” said EvolutionIQ’s Co-CEO, Mike Saltzman.

“Our partnership with CALI means we can contribute to and shape customer experiences in Australia, and ultimately help more people return to health and a livelihood sooner.”

About EvolutionIQ
EvolutionIQ pioneered Claims Guidance in 2019. Its explainable AI guides insurance claims professionals to their highest potential impact claims, improving the claimant experience and delivering better claim outcomes to claimants, carriers and their customers. EvolutionIQ serves the group disability, individual disability and workers’ compensation markets worldwide. EvolutionIQ’s AI native products have been adopted by 70% of the top 15 U.S. disability carriers and a growing list of workers’ compensation carriers. The New York-based company employs 185 staff across the United States, Europe and Australia. For more information, visit evolutioniq.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.

About CALI
We support Australians to make informed choices about their future and help them live in a healthy, confident and secure way over their lifetime.

Our members’ products and services give people peace of mind when making important decisions and provide a financial safety net during life’s biggest challenges.

We advocate for national policy settings that expand Australians’ access to the life insurance protection that suits them when they need it most.

CALI represents all life insurers and reinsurers in Australia. The Australian life insurance industry is today a $26.4billion industry, employing thousands of Australians and paying billions of dollars of benefits each year.

To view CALI’s corporate partners visit www.cali.org.au/about-us/#our-partners

For more information, visit www.cali.org.au

Media Contact
Jason Kapler
Vice President of Marketing
EvolutionIQ
(917) 740-5608
Press@evolutioniq.com

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SOURCE EvolutionIQ