Apollo

Intuitive Machines Historic IM-1 Mission Success: American Ingenuity Never Gives Up

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 29, 2024

Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said, “Spaceflight’s unique challenges are conquered on Earth but mastered in space.

Key Points: 
  • Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said, “Spaceflight’s unique challenges are conquered on Earth but mastered in space.
  • Our now proven robust lunar program, a national asset, feeds directly into our second and third missions.
  • Mr. Altemus continued, “Before this mission, we had an absolute sense of humility and relied on our technical excellence and years of experience to triumph and persevere throughout all the challenges we faced during the mission.
  • Following our unequivocal success, I am emboldened for the future of the U.S. and international lunar economy and Intuitive Machines' future as we believe we can win, execute, and pioneer the future of the cislunar market.”

SEVEN COMPANIES JOIN CATALYST ACCELERATOR'S SPACE DOMAIN AWARENESS COHORT

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 22, 2024

These companies will come together from across the globe to participate in the Accelerator’s 13th cohort focused on Space Domain Awareness.

Key Points: 
  • These companies will come together from across the globe to participate in the Accelerator’s 13th cohort focused on Space Domain Awareness.
  • The United States Space Force recognizes the urgency of protecting space mission sensors and systems and sought to leverage commercial software capabilities to enhance, supplement, support, and refine existing Space Domain Awareness capabilities.
  • The Space Domain Awareness cohort (#CASDA2) is the first Accelerator in partnership with The Space Domain Awareness Tools, Applications & Processing Lab (SDA TAP Lab).
  • Exclosure seeks to provide not just space domain awareness, but space domain empowerment.

Apollo Hospital in New Delhi Initiates First Non-Invasive ZAP-X Brain Tumor Treatment in South Asia

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 7, 2024

ZAP Surgical Systems, Inc., a leading innovator in the field of surgical robotics, today announced that Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, India, completed its first patient treatment using the new ZAP-X® Gyroscopic Radiosurgery® platform.

Key Points: 
  • ZAP Surgical Systems, Inc., a leading innovator in the field of surgical robotics, today announced that Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, India, completed its first patient treatment using the new ZAP-X® Gyroscopic Radiosurgery® platform.
  • This pioneering approach aims to maximally safeguard healthy brain tissue and preserve patient cognitive function.
  • “Pineal tumors are extremely difficult to remove with open surgery as they are anatomically located within the center of the brain.
  • “ZAP is honored to support Apollo Hospitals in expanding global access to this potentially life-saving treatment.”

Soloviev Group Signs Tikehau Capital to Long Term Lease at 9 West 57th Street

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 7, 2024

This long-term lease marks a major milestone for Stefan Soloviev, chairman of the Soloviev Group, who predicted the building would reach full occupancy during a live interview less than a year ago.

Key Points: 
  • This long-term lease marks a major milestone for Stefan Soloviev, chairman of the Soloviev Group, who predicted the building would reach full occupancy during a live interview less than a year ago.
  • “It just goes to show you that we have something special going on at 9 West 57th Street.
  • I truly believe that 9 West 57th Street is the best commercial building in the world.
  • 9 West 57th Street, which is owned and managed by the Soloviev Group, also serves as its corporate headquarters.

Baidu Launches China's First 24/7 Robotaxi Service

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 8, 2024

In Feb 2024, Baidu was approved for robotaxi pilot operation on highways to Beijing Daxing Airport, making Beijing the world's first capital city to launch airport robotaxi service.

Key Points: 
  • In Feb 2024, Baidu was approved for robotaxi pilot operation on highways to Beijing Daxing Airport, making Beijing the world's first capital city to launch airport robotaxi service.
  • In the same month, Baidu also launched fully driverless service across the Yangtze River in Wuhan, demonstrating its technical sophistication in navigating challenging geographic landscapes.
  • Apollo Go is now offering 24/7 autonomous driving service in selected areas of Wuhan, becoming China's first provider to offer such service.
  • On February 23, 2024, Apollo Go unveiled a similar service in Beijing, as Baidu was approved for robotaxi pilot operation on highways to Beijing Daxing Airport.

Baidu Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2023 Results

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Apollo Go, Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing service, provided about 839K rides in the fourth quarter of 2023, up 49% year over year.

Key Points: 
  • Apollo Go, Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing service, provided about 839K rides in the fourth quarter of 2023, up 49% year over year.
  • In the fourth quarter of 2023, the proportion of fully driverless orders within the overall order portfolio in Wuhan reached 45%, up from 40% in the third quarter of 2023.
  • Managed Page accounted for 51% of Baidu Core's online marketing revenue in the fourth quarter of 2023.
    iQIYI's average daily number of total subscribing members for the quarter was 100.3 million, compared to 111.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2022 and 107.5 million for the third quarter of 2023.
  • More importantly, iQIYI's monthly average revenue per membership (ARM) for the quarter was RMB15.98, compared to RMB14.17 for the fourth quarter of 2022 and RMB15.54 for the third quarter of 2023.

Singularity Closes $2.2M in Latest Funding Round to Provide Institutions Confidential Access to DeFi

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 22, 2024

With this latest round, Singularity has raised close to US$4 million since its inception.

Key Points: 
  • With this latest round, Singularity has raised close to US$4 million since its inception.
  • Singularity is leading the way in developing a KYC/KYB-compliant institutional DeFi access layer, providing access to leading protocols for on-chain institutional participants while prioritizing commercial confidentiality.
  • Users can seamlessly access existing on-chain liquidity and conduct transactions within Singularity, all while benefiting from on-chain anonymity by utilizing advanced zero-knowledge technology.
  • "We are excited to support Singularity on its journey to bring private and compliant DeFi accessibility to institutions."

Singularity Closes $2.2M in Latest Funding Round to Provide Institutions Confidential Access to DeFi

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 22, 2024

With this latest round, Singularity has raised close to US$4 million since its inception.

Key Points: 
  • With this latest round, Singularity has raised close to US$4 million since its inception.
  • Singularity is leading the way in developing a KYC/KYB-compliant institutional DeFi access layer, providing access to leading protocols for on-chain institutional participants while prioritizing commercial confidentiality.
  • Users can seamlessly access existing on-chain liquidity and conduct transactions within Singularity, all while benefiting from on-chain anonymity by utilizing advanced zero-knowledge technology.
  • "We are excited to support Singularity on its journey to bring private and compliant DeFi accessibility to institutions."

Preparing for Artemis: Lunar and Planetary Institute Unveils Extensive Astronaut Training Guide

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 9, 2024

WASHINGTON and HOUSTON , Feb. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In anticipation of NASA's Artemis lunar exploration missions, the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) proudly unveils a timely electronic resource, Astronaut Training for Operations in Impact-Cratered Terrains.

Key Points: 
  • WASHINGTON and HOUSTON , Feb. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In anticipation of NASA's Artemis lunar exploration missions, the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) proudly unveils a timely electronic resource, Astronaut Training for Operations in Impact-Cratered Terrains.
  • The newly released volume details the contributions the LPI has made to astronaut training and, specifically, training related to impact-cratered terrains.
  • David Kring emphasized the significance, stating "The best and most advanced capability that we can deploy on the lunar surface is a well-trained astronaut."
  • The LPI's extensive portfolio encompasses numerous atlases, computer simulations, illustrations, and other resources to support astronaut training.

A new generation of spaceplanes is taking advantage of the latest in technology

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 8, 2024

However, the US space agency’s replacement for this vehicle, Orion, returned to the conical capsule design familiar from the Apollo missions.

Key Points: 
  • However, the US space agency’s replacement for this vehicle, Orion, returned to the conical capsule design familiar from the Apollo missions.
  • This was because Nasa intended that this newer craft be used for exploring targets in deep space, such as the Moon.
  • A runway also allows ground support crews and infrastructure to be ready at the landing location.

Cost and complexity


But spaceplanes are more complex and heavier than an equivalent capsule. The winged body shape poses a particular challenge for designing thermal protection systems (TPS) – the heat-resistant materials that protect the craft from scorching temperatures on re-entry. These additional costs mean it’s impractical to design a spaceplane for a single flight. They need to be used again and again to be viable.

  • A military spaceplane project called Dyna-Soar was started in the US in 1957, then cancelled just after construction started.
  • Other space agencies invested in the 1980s and 1990s, in Europe, with the Hermes spaceplane, and Japan, with the HOPE vehicle.
  • Both programmes were cancelled in large part because of cost.

Feeling the heat

  • Spaceplanes have specific requirements for the final part of their journeys – as they return from space.
  • A blunt nose design (where the edge of the spacecraft is rounded) is an ideal shape because it reduces build-up of heat at the foremost part of the vehicle.
  • The space shuttle TPS included ceramic tiles that were especially heat resistant and a reinforced carbon-carbon matrix that was capable of withstanding temperatures as high as 2400°C.
  • This resulted from a piece of insulating foam flying off the shuttle’s external tank during Columbia’s launch and hitting the wing.

Current vehicles

  • Little information is available on China’s Shenlong, but the US military’s X-37B is better known.
  • The ability to return comparatively fragile cargo to the surface because of a softer landing is a key capability.

Future developments

  • However, concepts such as the Skylon vehicle are leading to technical developments that could eventually support development of an SSTO craft.
  • For the foreseeable future, spaceplanes look promising for the following reasons: new design techniques, improved materials for the TPS, advanced computer modelling and simulation tools for optimising different aspects of design and flight parameters and continuous improvements in propulsion systems.
  • Given that several governments, space agencies, and private companies worldwide are investing heavily in spaceplane research and development, we could see a future where flights with these vehicles become routine.


The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.