SpaceX has had a fantastic run, without a rocket failure in almost 10 years. But now they have had a Falcon 9 rocket malfunction after several minutes into flight. The resulting early forced deployment left 20 Starlink satellites in an orbit that was less than half of their intended position.
SpaceX is attempting to reposition the satellites using their onboard ion thrusters, but it will probably require more effort than the navigation aids can provide. If the attempt does fail, the 20 misplaced satellites will more than likely burn up in the atmosphere.
The FAA has reportedly grounded the SpaceX Falcon Rocket line until the problems can be rectified.
When we first met Cortana, she was a sidekick to everyone’s favorite video game hero, Masterchief, in the Xbox game series Halo. The game series had a phenomenal following, so it seemed a masterful move for Microsoft to bring her to Windows Desktops everywhere as our friendly, and famous, smart assistant.
But things have not progressed well for our digital heroine since her introduction in 2015, and what should have been a slam dunk failed to take hold. Microsoft has published an End of Support Release for Cortana, so we can expect her time to be fleeting at best.
But all is not lost with a desktop AI on the Windows platform. Microsoft recently introduced Copilot at their Build event, so expect to see that continue to expand its presence in the desktop world. But for Cortana, well, she will probably stick with her video gaming roots and hopefully continue to help save the world yet one more time. Which is where I think she works best, so this is actually a happy ending.
Drones are all the rage now, and I feel certain that this technology will lead to a new breed of personal aircraft that will lead us to where past developments have failed (I’m looking at you, non-existent personal jetpack.) But Flowcopter’s drone technology is a little different. The driving force is not independent motors, but rather hydraulic in nature.
The hydraulic system to drive the individual lifting motors will be somewhat bulky, certainly. But when you consider the weight of the typical lithium battery pack, suddenly the numbers make sense. And the hydraulic motors themselves are actually well suited to the task. Each 12 pound motor being is able to generate up to 129 horsepower of potential lift. Flowcopter’s unique design gets around the typical lack of control finesse in a hydraulic design. It uses a “Digital Displacement Pump” to minutely regulate the power feed. As a result, they claim that it rivals the precision offered by direct electrical motor control while simultaneously providing a lot of power for the lift.
The flying vehicle uses a gas engine to provide the hydraulic pressure to make everything work. That fact is the key to its long range. Properly configured, flights of 6 hours and crossing 900 kilometers are possible with the new vehicle type. And for shorter distances, the device can readily haul up to 330 pounds. This capability makes it an idea platform for deliveries. And, I might say, perfect as a personal vehicle of sorts. I mean, who wouldn’t want a hydraulic powered flying drone that you just need to fuel up and take off on for a jaunt?
Hydraulic Power
Joseph Bramah, an inventor and locksmith living in London, registered a patent for a hydraulic system, at the London Patent Office on 29 April 1812. He claimed it could be applied “to a variety of other useful purposes, to which the same has never before been so applied.”
Well, Picard is now officially out (With Season 2 around the corner, on CBS Access, and other online locations worldwide), and in our humble opinion here at NerdBeach we think it is great to see the man back in action. Sure, we could do with a lot less lens flare, but a Picard series, or any new Star Trek, is always welcome at the beach.
Photo Credit: CBS All Access
While we have been along with Star Trek since the start, I know there may be some fine folks that are new to Picard’s universe. And there may others that would just like to refresh their Picard back story as they take in the new show.
For that reason, we have scoured both the web and our memory to present a viewing guide of the previous Trek for your Picard priming pleasure. (And please note that this is not a reflection of favorite episodes, just episodes that are closely related to the back story of the Picard series and its characters.)
Star Trek The Next Generation
S1:E1-2 Encounter at Far Point
S1:E3 Naked Now
S1:E8 The Battle
S1:E12 Data Lore
S1:E23 Skin Of Evil
S2:E6 The Schizoid Man
S2:E9 The Measure of a Man
S2:E16 Q Who
S3:E16 The offspring
S3:E26 /4:1 The Best of Both Worlds
S4:E2 Family
S4:E3 Brothers
S5:E23 iBorg
S5:E25 The Inner Light
S6:E9 The Quality of Life
S6:E15 Tapestry
S6:E26 S7:E1 Descent
S7:E10 Inheritance
S7:E25 26 All Good things
Star Trek Enterprise
S4:E4 Borderland
4S:E5 Cold Station 12
S4:E6 The Augments
Star Trek Voyager
S1:E1-2 Caretaker
S3:E17 Unity
S3:E26-S4:E1 Scorpion
S4:E6 The Raven
S5:E2 Drone
S5:E16 Dark Frontier
S6:E2 Survival Instinct
S6:E16 Collective
S6:E19 Childs Play
S6:E26-S7:E1 Unimatrix Zero
S7:E2 Imperfection
S7:E25-26 End Game
Star Trek Films
Generations
First Contact
Enterprise
Insurrection
Nemesis
Star Trek Shorts
Children of Mars
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