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WASHINGTON , Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA continues to advance its campaign to explore more of the Moon than ever before, awarding Firefly Aerospace $179 million to deliver six experiments to the lunar surface. This fourth task order for Firefly will target landing in the Gruithuisen Domes on the near side of the Moon in 2028. As part of the agency's broader Artemis campaign, Firefly will deliver a group of science experiments and technology demonstrations under NASA's CLPS initiative, or Commercial Lunar Payload Services, to these lunar domes, an area of ancient lava flows, to better understand planetary processes and evolution. Through CLPS, NASA is furthering our understanding of the Moon's environment and helping prepare for future human missions to the lunar surface, as part of the agency's Moon to Mars exploration approach. "The CLPS initiative carries out U.S. scientific and technical studies on the surface of the Moon by robot explorers. As NASA prepares for future human exploration of the Moon, the CLPS initiative continues to support a growing lunar economy with American companies," said Joel Kearns , deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington . "Understanding the formation of the Gruithuisen Domes, as well as the ancient lava flows surrounding the landing site, will help the U.S. answer important questions about the lunar surface." Firefly's first lunar delivery is scheduled to launch no earlier than mid-January 2025 and will land near a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium, on the northeast quadrant of the Moon's near side. Firefly's second lunar mission includes two task orders: a lunar orbit drop-off of a satellite combined with a delivery to the lunar surface on the far side and a delivery of a lunar orbital calibration source, scheduled in 2026. This new delivery in 2028 will send payloads to the Gruithuisen Domes and the nearby Sinus Viscositatus. The Gruithuisen Domes have long been suspected to be formed by a magma rich in silica, similar in composition to granite. Granitic rocks form easily on Earth due to plate tectonics and oceans of water. The Moon lacks these key ingredients, so lunar scientists have been left to wonder how these domes formed and evolved over time. For the first time, as part of this task order, NASA also has contracted to provide "mobility," or roving, for some of the scientific instruments on the lunar surface after landing. This will enable new types of U.S. scientific investigations from CLPS. "Firefly will deliver six instruments to understand the landing site and surrounding vicinity," said Chris Culbert , manager of the CLPS initiative at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston . "These instruments will study geologic processes and lunar regolith, test solar cells, and characterize the neutron radiation environment, supplying invaluable information as NASA works to establish a long-term presence on the Moon." The instruments, collectively expected to be about 215 pounds (97 kilograms) in mass, include: Through the CLPS initiative, NASA purchases lunar landing and surface operations services from American companies. The agency uses CLPS to send scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to advance capabilities for science, exploration, or commercial development of the Moon. By supporting a robust cadence of lunar deliveries, NASA will continue to enable a growing lunar economy while leveraging the entrepreneurial innovation of the commercial space industry. Two upcoming CLPS flights scheduled to launch in early 2025 will deliver NASA payloads to the Moon's near side and south polar region, respectively. Learn more about CLPS and Artemis at: https://www.nasa.gov/clps View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/more-nasa-science-tech-will-fly-to-moon-aboard-future-firefly-flight-302335523.html SOURCE NASA
To play Maria Callas, Angelina Jolie had to lean how to breathe againTrump won about 2.5M more votes this year than he did in 2020. This is where he did it
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that while his future is still up in the air for next season, the New York Jets would be the future hall of famer’s “first option” in 2025, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini . “I haven’t told anybody in my life that I want to play in 2025 and not on the Jets,” Rodgers said. “I don’t even know if I want to play yet, but New York would be my first option.” Aaron Rodgers says that he would want to play with the New York Jets in 2025 if he doesn’t retire after this season. The Athletic had previously reported that Rodgers wanted to play for a different team next season, but Rodgers refuted those claims, saying they were “100% false.” Through 11 games, Rodgers has completed 63.4% of his passes for 2,442 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. On top of that, he has been sacked 26 times and has four fumbles. The Future Is Blurry For Rodgers Aaron Rodgers has been playing in the NFL for a long time, so he knows what to say to dispel any rumors that might affect his team midseason. For a guy who has had a lot of controversy surrounding him during the 2024-25 campaign, at least he’s saying the right things now. Regardless of what he says publicly, Rodgers’ choice to make the Jets his top option to play for in 2025 poses an interesting question: why? Aaron Rodgers’ body language and the New York Jets as a whole both seem desperate for a fresh start. The New York Jets put their head coach, general manager, and – let’s face it – dignity on the line this season to make Aaron Rodgers happy. But, instead of wins, it has blown up in owner Woody Johnson’s face, and the whole football world is laughing at the Jets. Well, at least they’re laughing even more than they usually do. There is some logic behind Rodgers not wanting to leave New York, but it could be self-motivated (like most things Rodgers has done since being traded from Green Bay). The Jets may be his top choice because he is older and doesn’t want to learn a new system. Then again, it’s possible he wants to right the ship in 2025 and repair the damage that he has done to his legacy this season. What Should the Jets Do? If the decision comes down to the New York Jets, then they should move on. They tried their absolute best to make Rodgers as comfortable and happy as possible in New York, and that has only resulted in three wins through 12 weeks. The Jets need to nail down their GM-head coach-quarterback combination this off-season. There aren’t many times in the NFL when franchises can make those three decisions in the same year. It would be foolish to hire a new GM and head coach just to pair them with a quarterback they may not have any interest in working with or vice versa. Furthermore, the Jets will likely be looking for a new quarterback in 2026, regardless of 2025’s results. It would make more sense for the team to get a head start on that process and find their franchise quarterback now while they still have a top-ten draft pick rather than play themselves into a mediocre draft position in 2026. Where Should Rodgers Go? Aaron Rodgers needs a change of scenery. Several teams could use even this flawed 2024 version of Rodgers. The Tennessee Titans , Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints could all benefit from having Aaron Rodgers on their team. The door also hasn’t closed on the Minnesota Vikings . Sam Darnold is only under contract for this season, and rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy was forced to undergo another surgery earlier this month after he experienced swelling in the knee he’s rehabbing. With Darnold likely to get a big contract from a middle-of-the-road team this off-season, the Vikings will need a bridge quarterback at the helm while McCarthy continues to recover. That could be the perfect situation for Rodgers. This could be a waste of breath, though. At the end of the day, if Rodgers decides to retire, then this was all for naught. This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — If Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi has any definite ideas about who'll play quarterback for New Orleans against Washington on Sunday, he's not ready to share that information. Rizzi maintained on Wednesday that there's still a chance that Derek Carr could clear the concussion protocol and function well enough with his injured, non-throwing left hand to return against the Commanders. Meanwhile, reserve QBs Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler split first-team snaps during Wednesday's practice, which Carr missed, Rizzi said. “We're not going to name a starter right now,” said Rizzi, who also made a point of noting that Carr would not be placed on the club's injured reserve list and would not need surgery. “We're going to see how that progression plays out, first with Derek and then obviously with Jake and Spencer.” Carr, whose latest injury occurred when he tried to dive for a first down during Sunday's 14-11 victory over the New York Giants , has already missed three starts this season because of a separate, oblique injury. New Orleans lost all three of those games, with Rattler, a rookie, starting and Haener, a second-year pro, serving as the backup. In his three starts, Rattler completed 59 of 99 passes (59.6%) for 571 yards, one TD and two interceptions. Haener has gotten sporadic work this season in relief of both Carr and Rattler, completing 14 of 29 passes (48.3%) for 177 yards and one TD without an interception. Rizzi said he finds the 6-foot-1 Haener and 6-foot Rattler “very similar in a lot of ways," adding that whichever of those two might play “doesn't change a whole bunch" in terms of game-planning. “They're both similar-size guys. Their athletic ability is very similar,” Rizzi said. “They're similar-style quarterbacks. We're not dealing with opposites on the spectrum.” The Saints also signed another QB this week — Ben DiNucci — to help take scout team snaps at practice, now that Rattler and Haener are not as available to do that while competing to possibly start if Carr is indeed unable to play. The Saints (5-8) have won three of four games since Rizzi took over following the firing of coach Dennis Allen. That allowed New Orleans to remain alive in the NFC South Division, currently led by Tampa Bay (7-6). Rizzi said Carr has not had any setbacks this week in terms of progressing through the NFL's concussion protocol. “By the end of the week, if's he's not able to get any reps in any form or fashion, then obviously we'll go with one of the other guys,” Rizzi said. NOTES: RB Alvin Kamara did not practice on Wednesday because of an illness. ... WR Chris Olave, who is out indefinitely because of concussions this season, has returned to meetings at Saints headquarters. He as not, however, made plans to return to practice yet because he still plans to meet first with neurological specialists to try to assess the risks of returning to action during what's left of this season. Rizzi said the possibility of Olave playing again this season remains “on the table” for now. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLQuantum AI startup SandboxAQ valued at $5.3 billion after $300 million fundraising