Ray (optics)

• While onboard the space station, the Crew-7 astronauts, who will be part of Expeditions 69 and 70, will perform a variety of investigations sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory.
• In the coming months, a variety of visiting vehicles will launch to the space station.
• These endeavors will bring value to humanity through space-based inquiry, further our ability to explore, and enable a robust LEO market.
• The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) will support multiple investigations in the life and physical sciences over the course of Expedition 70.

• From August, China is to restrict exports of gallium and germanium, two critical elements for making semiconductor chips.
• With China dominating the supply of both elements, exporters will now need special licences to get them out of the country.

The importance of gallium and germanium

• But germanium and gallium have specific properties that are hard to replicate and lend themselves to certain niche applications.
• As for gallium, 95% of it is used in a material called gallium arsenide, which is used in semiconductors with higher performance and lower power-consumption applications than silicon.
• Both gallium and germanium are on the European Union and US lists of critical elements.
• The UK considers gallium to be critical to its manufacturing interests, though sees germanium as less important.

Where they come from

• The element is derived in two main ways, as a by-product of zinc production and from coal.
• These respectively account for about 75% and 25% of the total supply.
• Two of the main producers are Russia and Ukraine, and the war has affected supplies to the west from both countries.
• A Nature Communications paper in 2022 noted that gallium is “almost never functionally recycled” once it reaches final products.

The implications

• As it stands, the controls look likely to lead to higher prices for gallium and germanium, as well as longer delivery times.
• This could make it more expensive and difficult for western companies to produce electronic devices, which could in turn lead to higher prices for consumers.
• It could also make it more difficult for western companies to compete with Chinese companies.
• Stockpiles of the elements should help to some extent: the US has said it holds inventory of germanium, though not gallium.

• MIAMI, Sept. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As concern overin-flight radiationexposure toMilitary and Commercial aircrewscontinues to rise, industry expert Radiation Shield Technologies is issuing a call to action toensure the aircraft & aerospace industry has access tocutting-edge protective fabrics.
• This call to action has culminated in an agreement between Radiation Shield Technologies and R Squared Defense to work together to bring the revolutionary Demron fabric to the airline & aerospace industry.
• RSToffers a customized fabric that will be utilized within the fuselage of aircraft to shield pilots,crew, and passengers from cosmic radiation.
• By partnering with R Squared Defense, RST's Demron will be the gold standard for in-flight radiation protection.

• Countermeasures against diseases associated to stressors during spaceflight, such as microgravity and radiation, need to be developed quickly.
• As the new space race heats up, more humans will be traveling to space than ever before.
• Each experiment and launch is funded by public and private entities, individuals and members of Vector Space Biosciences DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization), SpaceBioDAO.
• Vector Space Biosciences enables researchers in space biosciences, biotechnology and pharmaceutical development to capture changes in these relationships in real-time.