Month: November 2024

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Universe Today

Congressional hearing fuels fresh debate about UFOs

Infrared view of anomalous alien object
Infrared imagery captured by a Navy fighter jet in 2004 shows an anomalous "Tic Tac" object, highlighted by a red circle. (U.S. Navy Video)

An 11-page document that’s attributed to a Pentagon whistleblower has provided new cases in the controversy over unidentified anomalous phenomena — also known as UAPs, unidentified flying objects or UFOs.

The document, released today in conjunction with a House subcommittee hearing on UAPs, lays out details about what’s said to be a special access program called Immaculate Constellation. It accuses officials in the federal government’s executive branch of a “criminal conspiracy” that has been managing issues surrounding UAPs and evidence for non-human intelligence “without congressional knowledge, oversight or authorization for some time, quite possibly decades.”

Over the past few years, the Department of Defense has become more open to discussing UAP reports publicly, while insisting that there have been no substantiated reports of alien visitations. During today’s hearing, lawmakers called on the Pentagon to be more transparent in its investigations.

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GeekWire

Starfish Space raises $29M for orbital servicing vehicles

Illustration: Otter spacecraft in orbit
An artist’s conception shows an Otter spacecraft in orbit. (Starfish Space Illustration)

Tukwila, Wash.-based Starfish Space today announced that it has raised $29 million to support the development of its first three Otter orbital servicing vehicles for missions serving the U.S. Space Force, NASA and Intelsat.

The investment round was led by Shield Capital, a San Francisco venture capital firm specializing in advanced technologies in fields ranging from space to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Other major participants in the round include new investors such as Point 72 Ventures, Booz Allen Ventures, Aero X Ventures, Trousdale Ventures and TRAC VC, plus existing investors such as Munich Re Ventures, Toyota Ventures, NFX and Industrious Ventures.

Initial word of the funding round came in September, in a regulatory filing and a GeekWire report. At the time, Starfish declined to comment on the investment. Today, Starfish co-founder Austin Link hailed the fresh infusion of capital in a news release.

“This new round of funding is a pivotal moment in the journey of Starfish Space, as it will allow us to launch the first Otter satellites to orbit,” Link said. “These first Otters will change what is possible when it comes to operating satellites in space. We are excited to partner with an outstanding group of investors to make these missions happen, and proud of the growing support we’ve received from existing investors as part of this round.”

Starfish’s Otter spacecraft is designed to rendezvous with satellites in orbit to inspect them and link up with them, either for servicing or for safe disposal. The system makes use of several innovative technologies, including Starfish’s Cetacean and Cephalopod navigation and docking software systems and the Nautilus orbital capture mechanism.

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Fiction Science Club

Why it’ll get harder to draw the line between AI and us

Scene from "Blade Runner 2049"
The movie “Blade Runner 2049” blurs the line between humans and machines. (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Some say artificial intelligence will be humanity’s greatest helper. Others warn that AI will become humanity’s most dangerous rival. But maybe there’s a third alternative — with AI agents achieving the status of personhood alongside their human brethren.

The potential for that scenario is the focus of a newly published book titled “The Line: AI and the Future of Personhood.” The author, Duke University law professor James Boyle, says the book has been more than a decade in the making — which suggests more than the usual prescience about the tech world’s current fascination with AI.

In the latest episode of the Fiction Science podcast, he recalls the reaction he received when he shared his early ideas about the book with federal judges more than a dozen years ago..

“They’re like, ‘Rights are reserved for humans, naturally born of women!’ OK, well, not necessarily a great crowd,” says Boyle, founder of Duke Law School’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain. “Obviously, things have changed since then. The book seems perhaps less unhinged now than it did then.”

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GeekWire

Ultra Safe Nuclear heads for bankruptcy and sale

Illustration: Cutaway view of USNC's MMR nuclear reactor design
An artist’s conception shows a cutaway view of a Micro Modular Reactor system. (USNC Illustration)

Seattle-based Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. says it has filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition as part of a court-supervised process that will lead to its purchase through a public auction.

The process also involves what’s known as a stalking-horse bid for USNC’s assets, amounting to $28 million from Standard Nuclear Inc. The purchase agreement with Standard Nuclear is meant to set a floor for the bidding.

The bankruptcy filing covers USNC as well as its subsidiaries, USNC-Tech, USNC-Power and Global First Power. USNC says it has asked the federal bankruptcy court in Delaware for approval to complete the transaction in December.

USNC’s primary projects focus on the development of microencapsulated nuclear fuel and advanced modular reactors that would be smaller and more efficient than traditional nuclear power plants. The company has also been working on radioisotope batteries and other nuclear technologies for NASA and the Pentagon. One of its projects, aimed at developing designs for space-based nuclear thermal propulsion systems, was set up in collaboration with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture and other partners.

Debtor-in-possession financing will keep USNC running during the sale process, the company said.

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