₦airaland Forum

An American teacher who was detained in Libya for over six weeks returned to the U.S. on Monday.

Fernando Espinoza arrived in New York on Monday and was welcomed by his mother and executives from the Richardson Center, the nonprofit that assisted with his return and has a track record of negotiating hostage and prisoner releases, CNN reported.

"I obviously made some mistakes, but multiple other parties made several mistakes as well, and it all just snowballed," the teacher said to CNN.

The 29-year-old former U.S. Navy submariner arrived in Libya in October and was detained while traveling to another part of the country for "violating the procedures and being in areas of tension without obtaining the permission," CNN added.

He was later released but was arrested again in November after he "violated his visa limitation" in addition to breaking his contract with the school and leaving without informing anyone of where he was going, Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Murad Hamaima told CNN.

Hamaima, who personally intervened to ensure Espinoza's release, previously rejected that Espinoza had been disappeared and said COVID-19 protocols prevented him from being deported sooner as officials intended. The Libyan government said Hamaima intervened in the situation "to preserve the strong Libyan-American relations," CNN noted.

A State Department spokesperson added that it would not go into specifics, citing privacy considerations, according to the outlet.

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/newspolitics/american-teacher-detained-in-libya-for-six-weeks-returns-to-us/ar-AASc7qE?ocid=wispr

'Go In Peace': US Church Founded In 1800 Holds Last Service

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania church with a 221-year history held its final service and is scheduled to close at the end of the year because of declining membership and attendance.

The First Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, which is nearly as old as the borough itself, held the final scheduled service on Christmas Eve after having welcomed generations of families over the course of more than two centuries.

“There’s just such a love among this congregation. We’ve all known each other so long and we know each other’s foibles,” church elder Candace Dannaker told the Centre Daily Times. “I’ll miss our personality, our laughter and our joy in just being together. And, of course, the faith aspect of sharing that with other like-minded people.”

A tree full of ornaments made by the congregation is shown in the sanctuary of the Bellefonte First Presbyterian Church on Dec. 22. 2021 in Bellefonte, Pa. The church which is nearly as old as the borough itself, held the final scheduled service on Christmas Eve after having welcomed generations of families over the course of more than two centuries. (Abby Drey/Centre Daily Times via AP)© Provided by Associated Press - Sports A tree full of ornaments made by the congregation is shown in the sanctuary of the Bellefonte First Presbyterian Church on Dec. 22. 2021 in Bellefonte, Pa. The church which is nearly as old as the borough itself, held the final scheduled service on Christmas Eve after having welcomed generations of families over the course of more than two centuries. (Abby Drey/Centre Daily Times via AP)
The church was established in 1800 by the same men who founded Bellefonte in 1795 at a time when there were only 16 states and counted among its members two former Pennsylvania governors. The church met at the courthouse for almost two decades and then in a stone edifice; the current structure was built shortly after the Civil War.

Dannaker estimated the church had about 40 members before the pandemic, a number that is down to about 25, and had no in-person worship from March 2020 until Easter Sunday. When Dannaker joined 34 years ago, she said, there were about 200 people in attendance then.

Pam Benson, 77, a member for 73 years, said that when she was born during World War II, many businesses were closed Sunday and few events were scheduled. She also believes that fewer parents have insisted that their children attend services and that churches haven't always been competitive in recruiting new members.

“It was so different. It was just what you did. Unless you were really sick, it was just what you did,” Benson said. “It’s just change, it’s progression. It’s what happens. Not that I like it, but it is what it is.”

The 15,000-square-foot church is scheduled to close for the last time Dec. 31. Dannaker said the future of the building hasn't been determined.

Video of the final service posted on the church's Facebook site included references to “the pain of saying goodbye to one another" but a reminder that “challenges aren’t anything new to humanity" and saying the Christmas message of hope “is just as timely and essential today as it was 2,000 years ago.”

Before the final hymn, members lit and raised candles to these words: “And the light has splintered the darkness. And hope is ours once more. And this light does call us forward, remembering the past, and walking confidently into the future. And now go in the peace of Christ.”

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/newsus/go-in-peace-us-church-founded-in-1800-holds-last-service/ar-AAS9MwV?ocid=wispr

Ahmback:
(Bloomberg) -- Top U.S. defense contractors are competing for billions of dollars of work tied to the next big technology focus in national-security circles: hypersonic weapons.

FILE - The US Navy, in collaboration with the US Army, conducts a static fire test of the first stage of the newly developed 34.5" common hypersonic missile that will be fielded by both services, in Promontory, Utah, U.S., in this handout image taken on October 28, 2021.© Northrop Grumman/Handout via REUTERS FILE - The US Navy, in collaboration with the US Army, conducts a static fire test of the first stage of the newly developed 34.5" common hypersonic missile that will be fielded by both services, in Promontory, Utah, U.S., in this handout image taken on October 28, 2021.
The military’s renewed interest in ultra-high-speed missiles -- spurred by concern that the U.S. is lagging behind Russia and China -- opens the door to lucrative contracts that could last decades. That may provide a much-needed boon for manufacturers seeking to capitalize on growth segments as the Biden administration keeps overall defense outlays in check.

The industry is developing an array of the super-high speed armaments for the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force, with the aim of being able to launch them from planes, submarines and trucks.

Lockheed Martin Corp. has the leading position in key programs that aim to deliver prototypes the soonest -- with flight tests on a new missile slated for the first half of next year. Raytheon Technologies Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. are also seeking to get a toehold in the market for missiles that fly at more than five times the speed of sound.

“It’s all about making sure that we have more and more capability and classes of capability in hypersonic weapons,” said Jay Pitman, the vice president of air dominance and strike weapons at Lockheed’s missiles and fire control division. “That will enhance the strategic deterrence that we are able to provide.”

Pentagon officials recently estimated that Army and Navy programs that share a common missile may alone add a combined $28.5 billion to the services’ budgets over the coming years.

Critics question the price tag, technical feasibility and battlefield utility of the new class of military hardware. The Union of Concerned Scientists has cast doubt on claims that the weapons offer better performance than existing ballistic missiles and has warned of a destabilizing global arms race.

The pursuit of the weapons by strategic rivals in some ways evokes the tensions of the Cold War, when fears abounded that a conflict between the U.S. and Soviet Union could bring about global annihilation via nuclear missiles. It also was a lucrative epoch for defense contractors.

But just how much hypersonic weapons will alter the global balance of power remains a matter of debate. Some observers see a risk that the weapons’ high speed and unpredictable flight paths could lead to miscalculations that may escalate conflicts, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Others argue that hypersonic weapons do little to alter the dynamic between the U.S., Russia and China, because the countries already have enough nuclear missiles to overwhelm an enemy’s defenses, the group said.

Better Than Ballistic
Flying at speeds topping 3,800 miles (6,100 kilometers) per hour is nothing new -- ballistic missiles exceed that level when they re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere from space. But these next-generation weapons are designed be highly maneuverable at those velocities within the Earth’s atmosphere, helping them evade traditional defenses better than ballistic missiles that travel along a predictable arc.

The U.S. has been studying hypersonic weapons for decades, but spending has jumped in recent years as interest in the technology soared. The topic came into focus when General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in an October interview on Bloomberg TV that a recent hypersonic test by China was close to a “Sputnik moment” for the U.S.

U.S. military officials have confirmed the Asian nation recently tested a hypersonic weapon that traveled around the world and hit a target back in China.

President Vladimir Putin has boasted about Russia’s hypersonic capabilities after showing them off in 2018, though the U.S. has been more vocal about concerns over China’s program.

Until the technology progresses, it’s unclear precisely how big a boon it will be for top U.S. defense contractors. Beyond near-term plans to deliver hypersonic weapons through a handful of development programs, Pentagon officials have made few decisions about how many and what type of weapons they plan to pursue longer term.

“We’re still waiting on the Department of Defense to define where this fits in their portfolio,” said Wesley Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense.

Going Fast
Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for a hypersonic boost-glide missile for the U.S. Army and Navy, which also are sharing flight test plans to help speed development.

Lockheed’s Eric Scherff, vice president of the space systems division overseeing the program, said the company plans an initial flight test in the first half of 2022 and its first hypersonic missiles are on track to be delivered to the Army by the end of the government’s 2023 fiscal year. The Bethesda, Maryland-based defense giant is working on six hypersonic programs for the U.S. that could enter production between 2023 and 2026, Chief Executive Officer Jim Taiclet said told analysts in October.

Annual revenue tied to hypersonic weapons should rise to $3 billion by 2026 from $1.5 billion today, assuming key programs reach production, acting Chief Financial Officer John Mollard said during the same conference call.

Northrop Grumman supplies the missile’s rocket motors while Leidos Holdings Inc.’s Dynetics subsidiary is making the hypersonic glide body. Dynetics has a $342 million contract to produce 14 gliders, which could lead to a deal to produce 124 worth some $1 billion in revenue, according to the company.

After launch, the missile deploys a wedge-shaped glider when it’s above the atmosphere that enables it to zoom toward a target at ultra-high speeds.

Maturing Technology
Raytheon and Northrop Grumman successfully test fired an air-breathing concept weapon in September, part of a $200 million contract. The test “went a long way to demonstrating how far and how fast we’ve been able to mature that technology,” said Raytheon’s Kremer.

The aircraft-launched hypersonic weapon uses a rocket booster to accelerate beyond the sound barrier before a supersonic ramjet -- or scramjet -- engine kicks in to propel the weapon past Mach 5. This type of missile could be purchased in larger quantities than boost-glide systems and at a lower unit cost, Kremer said.

The Pentagon’s rapid development effort has also seen some stumbles. Lockheed’s air-launched hypersonic weapon under development for the Air Force has failed three tests since April, most recently on Dec. 15.

As high-tech as this new generation of hardware sounds, it may be just a prelude to what contractors’ secretive research-and-development operations hint they could pursue next: a jump to light speed.

“Hypersonic technology is the natural evolution on the path to where we’ll eventually go, which is to speed-of-light weapons,” Kremer said.

Source: www.msn.com/en-xl/northamerica/northamerica-top-stories/mach-5-missiles-spur-new-arms-race-as-us-seeks-to-match-china/

...

The James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful space observatory ever built, is now tentatively set for launch on Christmas Day, after decades of waiting.
[img]https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AAS2pg2.img?h=512&w=768&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f[/img]
An engineering marvel, it will help answer fundamental questions about the Universe, peering back in time 13 billion years. Here are five things to know.

- Giant gold mirror

The telescope's centerpiece is its enormous primary mirror, a concave structure 21.5 feet (6.5 meters) wide and made up of 18 smaller hexagonal mirrors. They're made from beryllium coated with gold, optimized for reflecting infrared light from the far reaches of the universe.

The observatory also has four scientific instruments, which together fulfill two main purposes: imaging cosmic objects, and spectroscopy -- breaking down light into separate wavelengths to study the physical and chemical properties of cosmic matter.

The mirror and instruments are protected by a five-layer sunshield, which is shaped like a kite and built to unfurl to the size of a tennis court.

Its membranes are composed of kapton, a material known for its high heat resistance and stability under a wide temperature range -- both vital, since the Sun-facing side of the shield will get as hot as 230 degrees Fahrenheit (110 degrees Celsius), while the other side will reach lows of -394F.
[img]https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AAS2cW5.img?h=768&w=766&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f[/img]
The telescope also has a "spacecraft bus" containing its subsystems for electrical power, propulsion, communications, orientation, heating and data handling; all told, Webb weighs around as much as a school bus.

- Million-mile journey

The telescope will be placed in orbit about a million miles from Earth, roughly four times the distance of our planet from the Moon.

Unlike Hubble, the current premier space telescope that revolves around the planet, Webb will orbit the Sun.

It will remain directly behind Earth, from the point of view of the Sun, allowing it to remain on our planet's night side. Webb's sunshield will always be between the mirror and our star.

It will take about a month to reach this region in space, known as the second Lagrange point, or L2. While astronauts have been sent to repair Hubble, no humans have ever traveled as far as Webb's planned orbit.

- High-tech origami

Because the telescope is too large to fit into a rocket's nose cone in its operational configuration, it has to be transported folded, origami style. Unfurling is a complex and challenging task, the most daunting deployment NASA has ever attempted.

About 30 minutes after take-off, the communications antenna and solar panels supplying it with energy will be deployed.

Then comes the unfurling of the sunshield, hitherto folded like an accordion, beginning on the sixth day, well after having passed the Moon. Its thin membranes will be guided by a complex mechanism involving 400 pulleys and 1,312 feet of cable.

During the second week will finally come the mirror's turn to open. Once in its final configuration, the instruments will need to cool and be calibrated, and the mirrors very precisely adjusted.
After six months the telescope will be ready to go.

- Life, the universe, and everything
Webb has two primary scientific missions, which together will account for more than 50 percent of its observation time. First, explore the early phases of cosmic history, looking back in time to only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.

Astronomers want to see how the very first stars and galaxies formed, and how they evolve over time.

Its second major goal is the discovery of exoplanets, meaning planets outside the solar system. It will also investigate the potential for life on those worlds by studying their atmospheres.

The great promise of Webb lies in its infrared capacity.

Unlike the ultraviolet and visible light Hubble mostly operates in, the longer wavelengths of infrared penetrate dust more easily, allowing the early universe shrouded in clouds to come more clearly into view.

Infrared also lets scientists go further back in time because of a phenomenon called redshifting. Light from objects farther away is stretched as the universe expands, towards the infrared end of the spectrum.

Also planned are closer observations, in our solar system, of Mars and of Europa, Jupiter's icy moon.

- Decades in the making

Astronomers began debating the telescope that should succeed Hubble in the 1990s, with Webb's construction beginning in 2004.

Launch has been pushed back several times, initially penciled for 2007, then 2018...mainly because of the complexities associated with development.

The observatory is the result of an immense international collaboration, and integrates Canadian and European instruments.

More than 10,000 people worked on the project, with the budget eventually snowballing to around $10 billion.

The mission is set to last for at least five years, but hopefully 10 or more.

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-xl/money/tech-and-science/five-things-to-know-about-the-james-webb-space-telescope/ar-AAS3fwx?ocid=wispr&li=BBKxOg5

cc: lalasticlala
seun
mynd44

Quite insightful!

Enjoy!!

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Teripaul:

---

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Teripaul:

---

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---

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