When I heard Amazon was remaking the 2005 action-comedy Mr. and Mrs. Smith‚ I invariably rolled my eyes at the prospect of another unimaginative remake shaped by present-day politics and proclivities.…

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland unilaterally dismissed ethics concerns over her decision on an oil and gas moratorium in New Mexico. In August‚ Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT)‚ a non-profit government…

Four days after Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander made an off-kilter touchdown on the moon‚ the mission team is releasing snapshots that were taken during its descent. The ultra-wide-angle images confirm that the lander is continuing to communicate with flight controllers‚ even though it’s lying in an awkward angle that limits how much data its antennas can transmit. Meanwhile‚ images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have identified Odysseus’ landing spot‚ within a mile (1.5 kilometers) of its intended target near a crater called Malapert A in the moon’s south polar region. The bad news is that the solar-powered lander may have to go dark sooner than anticipated. This low-resolution‚ ultra-wide-angle image from the Odysseus lander shows the lunar terrain with a scrunched view of the lander itself off to the right side of the frame. (Credit: Intuitive Machines) The lander is the first-ever commercial spacecraft to survive a descent to the moon‚ and the first U.S-built spacecraft to do so since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission in 1972. NASA is paying Intuitive Machines $118 million to deliver six science payloads to the surface‚ and there are another six private-sector payloads on board. Odysseus’ descent wasn’t easy: Just hours before the landing‚ the Nova Control team had to reprogram the lander to work around a disabled laser range-finding system. The spacecraft instead made use of one of the NASA payloads‚ an experimental laser range-finding system. Fortunately‚ the work-around worked. The lander also hit the dirt faster than originally planned‚ with a lateral motion that’s thought to have tripped up one of Odysseus’ landing legs. As a result‚ the spacecraft is lying on its side. Mission managers say that doesn’t seem likely to affect data collection‚ but it is affecting data transmission. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s images from this past weekend indicate that Odysseus hit a bull’s-eye‚ just like the hero from Greek mythology after whom it was named. An overhead image from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the location of the Odysseus lander‚ highlighted by the blue-bordered inset. (Credit: NASA / Goddard / Arizona State University) “After traveling more than 600‚000 miles‚ Odysseus landed within 1.5 km of its intended Malapert A landing site‚ using a contingent laser range-finding system patched hours before landing‚” Intuitive Machines said in today’s update. But Intuitive Machines also suggested that Odysseus won’t be able to remain in operation for the week to 10 days that mission managers had hoped for. “Flight controllers intend to collect data until the lander’s solar panels are no longer exposed to light‚” according to the update. “Based on Earth and moon positioning‚ we believe flight controllers will continue to communicate with Odysseus until Tuesday morning.” Maybe Odysseus and its controllers will have to hope for an unexpected revival similar to what the team behind another off-kilter moon lander‚ Japan’s SLIM spacecraft‚ experienced this weekend. The post Odysseus Moon Lander Sends More Pictures — and We Know Where It Is appeared first on Universe Today.

X users confirm Jones posts being shadowbanned.

A man in US military fatigues set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington DC on Sunday‚ in protest of what he called a “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza. The protester was identified on Sunday by the independent journalist Talia Jane as Aaron Bushnell‚ 25‚ an active-duty service member of the US Air Force‚ who‚ from a public LinkedIn profile‚ appeared to work in the service’s IT department. Late Sunday night‚ Jane reported that Bushnell had succumbed...

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna McDaniel will resign from her post March 8‚ she said early Monday‚ as former President Trump looks to shuffle the organization’s leadership as he closes in on the party’s presidential nomination. “It has been the honor and privilege of my life to serve the Republican National Committee for seven years as Chairwoman to elect Republicans and grow our Party‚” McDaniel said in a statement. “I have decided to step aside at our Spring...

A member of the United States air force who had set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington in an apparent protest against Israel’s war in Gaza has died‚ the Pentagon says. The 25-year-old airman‚ Aaron Bushnell of San Antonio‚ Texas‚ died from his injuries‚ the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington‚ DC‚ said on Monday. US media reports said Bushnell livestreamed himself on the social media platform Twitch wearing fatigues and declaring he would “not be...